Hoi An, an ancient trading port in central Viet Nam, is known for its silk garment industry and lantern making. On our way, we passed China Beach, on the outskirts of Da Nang. Just pass the old flight hangars, we came upon the pristine and quiet beach. What I found strange about it was there appears to be a lot of new construction going up. Many hotels and resorts are being built overlooking China Beach. I imagine in a few years this area will be overrun with tourists. Here is a photo of China Beach:
Our hotel in Hoi An was the Life Resort. Each of us on the tour had our own little cabanas, with a step-up bedroom from the living room and a front porch, complete with built-in padded benches. The recent storms from last October washed out the road to the resort, so we had to walk dragging our luggage down a cramped dirt road with open ditches. But just around the corner from the Life Resort was the ancient town of Hoi An. Here is a photo of the roof tops shot from a balcony at the Life Resort restaurant:
Another attraction near Hoi An is the Cham Museum in Da Nang. The Champa Kingdom ruled this area from about the 3rd Century AD to the 14th Century AD. The museum first opened in 1919, featuring some of the finest Cham sculptures in the world, brought in from all over Viet Nam by the French. This is Tara, a bronze terracotta:
We were so intrigued and charmed by the Cham sculptures. Many are also made from limestone, such as this one:
We visited the My Son Sanctuary, which is a huge complex of religious monuments and ruins of the Champa Kingdom. This is a place where the Champa came to worship, as they dedicated some of the structures to the Hindu Gods trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, with Shiva being predominant. Down the hill from the ruins, we stopped to watch the dancers perform:
Another interesting part of our trip to Hoi An was a stop at the silk worm factory. We watched as they made it. First, they put the silk worms on a tray with leaves. Then they turn into cocoons, and from the cocoons, thread is extracted after soaking them in hot water. Here are a series of photos that show how silk is made and the finished products:
You can see that silk is used for many different types of products, including lanterns. This factory makes custom clothing, silk scarves and handbags, too. You can order a silk blouse and pick it up the following day for about $15 US. Many of the garment workers work at night.
Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub
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Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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Elizabeth: I was loving this post until I got to the part about the silk worms. I'm not usually a girly girl with anything in life...except bugs, worms and spiders. I've got the willies now. Seriously, your trip to Vietnam sounds amazing. Definitely a change of pace.
What a fasinating look at Vietnam. I've wanted to make the trip for a few years and now I'm going to seriously look into tours.
I agree the worms are a little icky, Chris Ann. Supposedly, they aren't really worms, though.
Hi Cindy: Viet Nam is a marvelous country, exploding in growth. I had an agent ask me yesterday why I went to Viet Nam. She said it was unusual for someone to plan to vacation in Viet Nam, and she thought it was odd that I went. I don't really understand why. But now that I pause to reflect, lots of people appeared surprised when I told them where I was going. It's not any weirder to go to Viet Nam than to Thailand.
Amazing pictures Elizabeth, and it's always amazing to see how other cultures live !
Enjoy your time there and keep the updates coming !
Cheers !
Sheldon :o)
Elizabeth, Thank you for the tour and the information regarding slik and how it's made. I love the vibrant colors and enjoyed your post!
I Elizabeth... I am enjoying each entry in your Vietnam travel diary. The silk worm series fascinates me.
I can't get enough of the photos . Keep them coming.
Hey, thanks, everybody! Love seeing your smiling faces here. I will post more photos on Christmas Eve day. Although I'm showing homes then, I always have time in the morning to write a little bit about Viet Nam. Next up is Saigon, er, I mean Ho Chi Minh City.
Elizabeth,
I enjoyed following yur vacation. It is not a destination that everyone knows, so the photos are really interesting.
Elizabeth, your vacation is even more exotic that mine! What amazing photos! I'm glad those are working silk worms and not lunch.
Elizabeth... Great photos.... and you had me so intrigued... until the worms. I love going to other countries. You still have my attention even though the worms are weaving through my mind. Must be that new camera of yours ;)