The Bus Cafe is located on the shores of Thuận An beach, which is only a thirty-minute motorbike ride from the central Huế, and faster by car. Like most others, the cafe has a quite large menu to offer, but it is not the quality of the drinks that sets this place apart, it is actually the unique space in which they are served.

The name ‘Bus Cafe’ derives from the fact that buses play a key role in the cafe’s aesthetics: everything from the ordering counter to tables and chairs is made from parts of a bus! The vehicles there were once disused and (maybe) a little disgusted, but now, after some extensive refurbishment, they not only managed to outlast their usefulness as a means of transport, but also prove a hit with younger customers. In fact, such is the atmosphere which the ornamental buses and the cafe as a whole have managed to generate that many people actually choose to camp there just to extend their experience, and before you know it, a tent-renting service has been born, so now everyone can spend the night in this rather peculiar surrounding.

What’s more, the cafe claims to have the best views of all cafes in Huế, and while that may sound a little presumptuous, it is really not. Why? Simple: it is placed directly the n hot sand and not very far from the water, so you can enjoy drinking and at the same time take in the expansive view of the sea (or even swim in). After all, who doesn’t want to sip some coffee on a comfortable bus seat while leaning against its bonnet and marvelling at the colors of dawn right by the seaside.

Many tourists I met before often think of Huế as a solemn and old place, mainly because of the impression they get from seeing the great Imperial City. The truth is, however, that Huế is changing everyday, and with new ingenuous minds emerging from the young generation comes innovative ideas that put a new image on this ancient city. The Bus Cafe is more or less representative of this trend, so on your next trip to Huế, stop by, have a drink, and see how the city is renewing.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Words by Duy Nguyen
Photos by Dang Hoang (View more photos taken by Dang Hoang here)

The post Awesome Vintage Bus Converted Into A Beautiful Cafe appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Hoi An has many attractions and it is probably divided into two areas to visit: Hoi An Ancient Town and Nearby area of Ancient Town. In this article, we will recommend you 12 top-rated attractions in Hoi An Ancient town. They are the most beautiful destinations worth visiting in the town.

View All Content

1. Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu)

Covered Bridge, also known as Japanese Covered Bridge or Lai Vien Bridge, was due to the legend that it was built in the early seventeenth century by Japanese people and was at least 6 times restored in 1653, 1763, 1817, 1865, 1915, 1917.

The Bridge has a unique roof and a rainbow-styled path in the middle. At the two sides, there are narrow hallways to make for displays or take a rest with seven wooden compartments crossing a small creek, which are textured and decorated expressing harmony among Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Western architectural style. Along with the traffic function, the bridge is also where religious activities related to the legend of keeping peace for streets and communities of Hoi An out of sea monsters take place.

Address: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Cẩm Phô, Tp. Hội An, Quảng Nam

2. Ong Pagoda (Chùa Ông)

Ong Pagoda is also known as Quan Cong (Guan Gong) Temple, named Trung Han Cung, built in the mid 17th century by Vietnamese people and Minh Huong people settling down in Hoi An. The Pagoda is to worship the talented general of The Three Kingdoms, Quan Van Truong (Guan Yu), for admiration and praise for his lofty heart.

Address: 24 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

3. Ba Le Well (Giếng Bá Lễ)

Legend has it that Ba Le Well is built by the Cham people and inherited to use by the Vietnamese. In the early twentieth century, this well is renovated by Mrs. Ba Le in the amount of 100 co Indochina and that is the explanation for its current name.

The well is square-shaped with well-curb to the northwest-southeast. Its circumference is 5.5m besides 6.15m depth and 0.6m height. The curb was built entirely of big-sized mallet bricks, the bottom is the broad iron wood frame. Well water is always plentiful, fresh and cool throughout the year reflecting the high level of harmony between the art of architecture and art of Fengshui of Hoi An ancient people.

Address: Ba Kiet Alley, Tran Hung Dao Street (linked to Phan Chau Trinh Street), Hoi An, Quang Nam.

4. Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (Hội quán Phúc Kiến)

According to legend, the predecessor of the Assembly Hall is a small temple worshipping the statue of Thien Hau Thanh Mau (the patron deity of the fishermen and beachgoers) that is taken from the coast of Hoi An in 1697. Through many restorations, with the main contribution from overseas Chinese of Phuc Kien Assembly, the Assembly Hall is becoming more radiant and spacious, which presents the architecture of Hoi An Ancient Town.

Address: 46 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

5. Trieu Chau (Chaozhou) Assembly Hall (Hội quán Triều Châu)

The Assembly Hall was built in 1845 by Overseas Chinese of Chaozhou assembly to worship Fubo Jiangjun, Ma Yuan – a deity conquering waves that helps people travelling and trading on sea smoothly. The hall possesses a special value of architectural structure with its intricate carving of timber frames, textures, decoration of wooden altars and wonderful creatures embossed by crockery.

Address: 157 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

6. Cantonese Assembly Hall (Hội quán Quảng Đông)

The Assembly Hall was built in 1885 by Overseas Chinese of Cantonese assembly, initially to worship Thien Hau Thanh Mau and Confucius, and later in 1911, it turned to worship Quan Cong (Guan Gong) and their ancestors.

The rational use of wood and stone in the bearing structure with cornices gives Assembly Hall an imposing beauty. Besides, for the ritual worship of Guan Gong on lunar June 24, a solemn festival is held yearly, which attracts a large number of people to come.

Address: 176 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

7. Museum of History and Culture (Bảo tàng Lịch sử, Văn hóa)

Founded in 1989, the museum exhibits 212 original artifacts and valuable material made of ceramic, bronze, iron, paper and wood, reflecting stages of development of the trading port of Hoi An from The Sa Huynh culture (2nd century AD) to the Cham culture (from the 2nd century to the 15th century) and the Dai Viet, the Dai Nam culture (from the 15th century to the 19th century).

Museum provides information about the ancient people of The Sa Huynh culture in Hoi An – the owners of the port town of Hoi An, who had exchange relations with China, India, South Asia, East Asia.

Address: 10B Tran Hung Dao, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

8. The clan ancestral house of Tran (Nhà thờ tộc Trần)

The house was built in 1802 by a Tran mandarin (a large family emigrated from China to Hoi An in the 1700s), based on the principles of Chinese and Vietnamese traditional Fengshui. It is located in the large area of approximately 1500 m2 with many categories: house of worshipping grandparents and displaying relics related to family, housing and others. This is where the children and grandchildren gathering on occasion of worshipping and expressing their gratitude to ancestors or solving the problems of the clan.

Address: 21 Le Loi, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

9. Old House of Tan Ky (Nhà cổ Tấn Ký)

Built nearly 200 years ago, Tan Ky is a typical house in Hoi An, which is divided into many compartments and each one has its own function. The front of the house is the place to open shops, the back linked to the river is the place for import and export of goods.

Houses were built of traditional materials and were created by local carpenters and bricklayers. Therefore, this small and refined mannered house not only brings the feeling of coziness but also expresses the interference of architectural styles in the region. Especially, interior decoration represents affluence of its owners.
On February 17, 1990, Tan Ky house was listed as a Historic Monument - National Culture.

Address: 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

10. Quan Thang Ancient House (Nhà cổ Quân Thắng)

This is one of the oldest and the most beautiful houses in Hoi An, built around the end of the seventeenth century by a Chinese wholesale shopkeeper, named Quan Thang. The house is a typical type of bungalow through two parallel roads and contains many characteristics of Hoi An architecture.

Address: 77 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

11. Duc An Ancient House (Nhà cổ Đức An)

The 180-year-old house is where ancient and taciturn features still exist on each very casual item of the family, where people could perceive clearly the slow drift of time. From hugely simple things in the house such as kerosene lamp, pen shelf to the furniture, Tu Binh paintings nearly hundreds of years.

Address: 129 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

12. Hoi An Market (Chợ Hội An)

This market makes numerous tourists literally alluded to pay a visit and do shopping. Almost every item of Hoi An, from food and specialty to handicraft items, can be easily found in the market. Besides calling in on, visitors could experience the daily life of indigenous people so as to know more about Hoi An's culture.

Address: Tran Quy Cap, Hoi An, Quang Nam.

The post 12 Must-Visit Hoi An Ancient Town Attractions appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Hanoi, a famous city for its hustle and bustle pace of life, has really unnerved almost all travelers across the world with its terrible flow of buzzing and spiraling traffic. Not just the traffic, Hanoi can also take the tourists’ breath away with its whole mess of tangled overhead power lines.

Words by Chi Le
Photos by Tu Vu (Tu Vu‘s profile)

The post The tangle of electrical wires in Hanoi – A Nightmare for Electricians appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

The history of the formation of this so-called ‘Little Japan’ neighborhood is somewhat vague, which serves to give it even more charisma. According to a Vietnamese resident I had a chance to talk with, the Japanese came here Many years ago and just “blended in”. He also suggested that the Japanese came here looking for a place with affordable house rents and to settle down for work. As more and more Japanese people came, their business started to grow significantly and they realized the Vietnamese’s appetite for exotic dishes from their homeland, along with various other services. As of now, there are well over 300 Japanese households in the area.

Getting in touch with the Japanese here is not easy; however, as they are often busy and/or reserved. “They are always either at work or inside their houses”, said another Vietnamese who lives there, “but they do help decorate the streets and lanes with colorful lanterns and sometimes have small talks with people around, you know, to fit in”. And sure enough what he said was true, unless you venture into one of the various stores here, it is very unlikely that you are going to bump into anyone from Japan.

Be that as it may, the neighborhood still has a lot to offer, and if you’re into Japan and its various mangas and animes, or simply want to get to know another fascinating part of the city, pay a visit – the gates are always open.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Words and photos by Duy Nguyen

The post Little Japan in Saigon – 15B Le Thanh Ton appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Now, it’s time to step inside one of the narrowest alleys in bustling Hàng Buồm St. at Hanoi Old Quarter!

—
Video shooter and script writer: Chi Le
Video editor: Duc Hoang

The post Narrow Alley in Hanoi Old Quarter appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Not everywhere, somewhat at this small Ao Dai (Ao Dài) lane branching from Dien Co street of the newly-formed Bac Tu Liem district, more than 10km from the city centre.

The 400m-long lane boasts splashy paintings on its once lifeless walls, a non-professional work of arts reminiscent of Vietnamese propaganda images few decades ago. This decoration enters various themes close to local issues and interests, almost always containing purposeful messages. In one corner, a picture of a lovely 3-member family emerges with a poem on family planning, known as a call by the government to control birth rate in the 1990s and 2000s.

Elsewhere, slogans such as “work hard, study hard” or “children are the future of tomorrow” recall ethics lessons in elementary school. Paintings of environment protection and encouragement of working equally spring the array of gray walls into life.

Their author, Cao Chi Thinh, 95, started his embellishment roughly 20 years ago and continues to these days should any of the households allows him to modify their house exterior. A local, Thinh employed limewash to entertain his neighborhood as much as prevented the lane from wall vandalism. Thinh used to work as a propaganda poster maker and these paintings reveal his desire to mobilize his craft for public use as he got old. Inhabitants gladly receive his creativity, notably since the cost of these paintings was covered by Thinh himself. Many cite his wall paintings as embodiments of their childhood and inspiration for the kids.

By no means a showy representation of amusement, wall paintings at Ao Dai lane pride themselves as a difference in a district yet to be exploited for tourism. En route to the city’s Noi Bai airport, you may feel tempted to stop by and grab your cameras for a few minutes of pleasant remembrance.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Words and Photos  by Hoai Sa

The post Retro Nostalgia in Ao Dai Lane, Hanoi appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

It was built in 1804 and took 30 years to be completed. It underwent many years within protection. The restoration for Hue citadel holds the shape itself as it is nowadays.

Ngo Mon is the main entrance to the south, the biggest among 4 gates of The Imperial City.

The Imperial Citadel is also a park for Hue people as lots of locals visit this place to go for a walk or go cycling.
On some special occasions,  the Imperial Citadel becomes a destination for Vietnamese people to join the national and regional festivals.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

The post Complex of Hue Monuments appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Thanh Cong Apartment blocks

Little apartments housed in Thanh Cong blocks

Nguyen Cong Tru Apartment blocks

You can hang your clothes up on anywhere 

Having a quick haircut by a street barber 

Such crazy overhead power lines

Thuy Loi – Chuong Duong blocks

Let’s hang the clothes up there altogether

Life in Giang Vo apartment block

People living in these blocks are always counting on each other.

The neighbors gather up to spend their afternoon together

Will all of these old apartment blocks stay with us forever?

“Although the residents in these old apartment blocks have to encounter some limited living conditions (staying in stuffy and overcrowded areas, even sharing a bathroom with other families and so on), they are still happy and never want to move away from the great blocks.”

Words by Chi Le
Photos by Minh Nguyen

The post Step inside Hanoi’s apartment blocks appeared first on Maze Vietnam.