I must admit, before learning about the ancient Hindu temples built by the people of Champa in what is now Binh Dinh (Bình Định) province in Vietnam, I had never heard of Quy Nhon (Quy Nhơn). This city in the south-central part of the country […]
All posts filed under: Vietnam
When the Sun Set over Champa
The 13th century was not a good time for many empires and kingdoms across Asia and Europe as this period marked the incredibly rapid expansion of the Mongols, who also happened to be the Yuan dynasty rulers of China. The Khmer Empire, a long-dominant power […]
Vijaya and the Defeat of Angkor
Trying to imagine how Vijaya looked during its heyday is difficult when you see what it’s like in the present. The day after we went to Tháp Bánh ĺt and Tháp Bình Lâm, we ventured even closer to what used to be the center of […]
An Introduction to Champa
Across the globe, many ancient civilizations are still remembered by people today thanks to their achievements, or unique characters, or inspiring stories (whether they were true or not) that have been passed on for generations. However, in a world where physical appearance often overshadows other […]
Hoi An: A Revived Old Beauty
Four hours after leaving the onetime imperial capital of Hue, we arrived at the outskirts of our final destination in central Vietnam. The pockmarked roads were quite a contrast to the smooth streets of Da Nang, the country’s third largest city. We were in fact […]
The Custodian of Champa’s Treasures
For centuries, the mountainous region of modern-day central Vietnam was a natural border separating the land of the Cham people in the south from that of Dai Viet to the north. With towering peaks that soar from the country’s interior all the way to the […]
Da Nang and the Friendly Dragon
A Vietnamese restaurant located in a once-lively mall in a gentrified neighborhood of Jakarta has for years become my choice whenever I crave food from the Southeast Asian country. It was where my parents tried their first pho several years ago (which my father, unsurprisingly, […]
Hue Tombs: Opulence for Eternity
Beginning in the early 19th century, much of present-day Vietnam was once again unified after being divided by rivaling feudal lords for centuries. The Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty in the history of Imperial Vietnam, ruled the country for more than one hundred years, a […]
Hue Citadel: Echoes of Imperial Vietnam
Beginning in the 15th century in a land known today as Vietnam, Dai Viet – an empire of the Viet people from the north – which had successfully defeated their long-time rival, the Chams, expanded their territory further south. Quite the opposite of the Hindu-influenced […]
My Son: Beauty in Desolation
Indochina, a region that comprises most of Mainland Southeast Asia, has been both an entrepot and battleground of influences from two ancient superpowers in Asia, India and China as the region’s name suggests. Coined in the early 19th century, the term has been used to […]
My 7 Links – A Quick Look to My Old Posts
I’ve been writing my travel blog for about a year. Honestly when I wrote my first post I had no clue how to write a nice-reading post. Then I started reading some travel blogs which I found interesting, and follow some of them. By reading […]
Enchanting Vietnamese Water Puppet Show
Puppets are one of the most widely-used tools in many cultures around the world, whether for ceremonial or entertainment purposes, and Vietnam is no exception. Originated from northern part of the country, the water puppets used to be played on rice fields after harvesting season. As […]
What an Amazing World! 