Enjoy special music “Diều sáo” - Vietnam

“Diều sáo” " are so popular in Vietnam nationwide, where kite flying is seen as a sport, hobby and a religious custom. If you, foreign tourists, travel to Vietnam, you will get the chance to fly the interesting “diều sáo”.

Vietnamese people of different ages make kites of many shapes, sizes, materials and with bamboo flutes. “Diều sáo” not only attract people by their shapes and colours but also by their flutes. Every afternoon, when the wind tenderly blows, they will play “dieu sao” to enjoy so magical sound created by the flutes.

How to make “diều sáo”?

“Diều sáo” are built in a traditional Vietnamese style, with eight ovoid wings attached, plus five bamboo flutes in graduated sizes, which are mounted on top and make a pleasing drone when the kite is flying. The faster the kite swoops, the more magical the sound of the flutes is.

Children's kites are often small, simple and covered with paper, while adults' kites may be more complex, cloth-covered, and feature one or more wind flutes that play melodies as the kites fly.

A typical adult's kite has four parts: the body, the steering string, the flying string and flutes. The frame is made of the smooth outer bamboo stalk and is well polished. Kite-makers shape bamboo straps into a crescent two to three metres long and one metre wide. After that, they cover the frame with pieces of cotton cloth or carefully glued paper. If one half of the kite is heavier than the other, the steering string will help balance it. This string also serves to direct flight and protect the kite wings from breaking if the wind is too strong. The flying string is also made of bamboo and can be as long as 100m to 150m. Young bamboo straps the size of chopsticks are tied together, then boiled in water or even in traditional Chinese medicine and salt so that the string becomes soft and flexible. Flutes of different sizes and materials can make the sound of birds, car horns, gongs or music. The mouth of the flute must be skillfully carved so that it can properly receive the wind and create the desired sound.

Today, villagers build more sophisticated kites in the shape of phoenixes, butterflies and dragons. They replace thick bamboo strings with thinner bamboo or plastic rope. Modern kites are very light and cost little since the materials to make them are readily available.

How to fly “diều sáo”?

The Vietnamese often fly “diều sáo” in the late afternoon as the sun begins to set. Normally, two people fly one kite. One person holds the flying string while the other takes the kite and runs into the wind until the wind lifts the kite. Both of them keep the kite high in the sky from day to day, even from summer to autumn.

Every year, kite-flying competitions take place in many northern and central provinces in Vietnam. The rules vary from place to place. In general, the most beautiful kite with the most interesting flute melodies wins. In particular, Quang Yen Townlet (Quang Ninh Province) holds a kite-fighting competition: regardless of design, kites that hit or break other kites will win.

Estimated to be some 2,000 years old, “diều sáo" are so popular in Vietnam nationwide, where kite flying is seen as a sport, hobby and a religious custom.

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Beauty of Cam mountain, An Giang - Vietnam

If you have the chance to visit An Giang, you should not miss the famous site-Cam mountain having its own beauty, marked in the heart of tourists whenever remembering this land.

Cam mountain known as Thien Cam Son, is famous tourist area in Tinh Bien district, about 30 kilometers  away from the town of Chau Doc.The landscape in this area charms like a painting that fascinates every visitor.
                                     

Cam Mountain has an altitude of 705m and has a circumference of 28,600m. The weather on the mountain is influenced by tropical monsoons and has an average temperature of 250C. In spring, during the day, it is cool and fresh with green and lush trees but at night it is rather cold. In the early morning, the mountain is covered with a white fog. In the evening, it is covered with clouds. From the top of the mountain, visitors have a panoramic view of vast rice fields stretching to the Ha Tien sea and the southwestern border. With its renowned scenery the area has become a popular tourist site.
                                     
The mountain also has a fascinating natural environment with flowers all year round that create a “splendid painting”. It is famous for many peaks of different heights with different name, such as Thien Tue, Bo Hong, Ong Buom, Dau and Ba. The name of each peak is associated with a legend and each has a meaning. Pilgrims often visit these peaks to pray. Along the walkways, there are other attractions, such as Phao Binh and Chu Than Peaks; Rau Tan, Cuu Pham, Kin and Cay Que Temples; Ong Ho and Thuy Tien Caves, and Muoi Co Shrine.

                                      
                                      
                                      
They also have an opportunity to call at the shops or stay overnight in the inns to enjoy the atmosphere of the mountainous area. If they have more time, they can visit Phat Lon, Phat Nho and Trung Son Thien Tu Pagodas.
                                       
Cam Mountain is a pilgrimage and tourist destination for people both from home and abroad. According to An Giang Tourism, every year over 1.2 million people visit this area and the number of visitors is largest during the spring festival from January to June of the lunar calendar.

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Con Co Island – A plump green pearl

Located not far from the coast of Quang Tri province, the small island of Con Co has its own long and interesting history.

 
Con Co looks like a plump green pearl rising from the ocean and experts consider its geology, biology and scenery a museum of biodiversity.
The evergreen island is 80 percent natural primeval forest, which has remained in pristine condition despite the passage of time. It was formed by a volcano which left behind giant, strange shaped basalt rocks and many stunning beaches that have turned the island into a charming and splendid place.
The flora on the island is very diverse, with many giant trees, measuring 15 to 20 feet across. Some are unique to islands, such as the striped-trunk trees and many kinds of wild potatoes with huge leaves.
The island is also home to a rich array of marine life with 113 types of coral, 57 kinds of seaweed, 19 different crustaceans, and 224 saltwater fish species, as well as 164 species of flora and 68 types of fauna and seafood such as oysters, lobsters, crabs and mussels.

There are two endangered species of crabs on the island that are able to live on the ground or in the water and are strictly protected.
The island also has some historical relics including a 20-kilometer-long military tunnel, a number of blockhouses along the beaches
People have come from the mainland to settle on Con Co for hundreds of years and many soldiers have sacrificed their lives to protect it.
Local authorities plan to invest about VND300 billion to develop infrastructure on the island to improve local living standards and tourism.

If you had seen the island of Con Co a few years ago, you would be taken aback now to see. In addition to the heaving rocks, dense primeval forests and military barracks, many tall buildings, including the headquarters of the district People’s Committee, police and tax offices, a health center, power and water services, as well as television and telecommunications systems.
However, there are no guesthouses or hotels. Local tourism is still very much in its infantry.

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