Basic HTML Version
HANOI
Christmas is a perfect time for tour-
ists in Hanoi. Here, they can enjoy vari-
ous special promotions from hotels as
well as the joyful and festive atmos-
phere of the capital. One month before
Christmas Eve, the whole city is decorat-
ed brilliantly with street lights and deco-
rations in business centers, grand hotels
and even office buildings. Hanoians, es-
pecially young people, flock into the Old
Quarter for gifts and decorations.
The festival is observed here with
great gusto despite the fact that Bud-
dhism is the dominant religion and
Christians are a minority. On Christmas
Eve many like to wander around don-
ning Santa hats and wearing their best
outfits while taking pictures and enjoy-
ing the street lights. They then head to
the Catholic cathedral to hear Christmas
carols. The streets around Hoan Kiem
Lake and churches are crowded with
people and cars are not allowed in the
city center. Cafes and restaurants in
the area are open for people to enjoy a
snack and Christmas melodies.
If you’re looking to capture some
of the holiday season’s traditional at-
mosphere, you can visit one of the
following churches on Christmas Eve:
Cua Bac Cathedral (56 Phan Dinh
Phung); Saint Joseph’s Cathedral (40
Nha Chung); Ham Long Church (21
Ham Long); or Hang Bot Church (162
Ton Duc Thang)
SAPA
With breathtaking landscapes, ex-
otic locals and scrumptious food, not
to mention suitably cold weather, Sapa
is one of the best places in Vietnam
for a Christmas-time getaway. Heading
for the hills of Sapa, if you are lucky,
you may enjoy a white Christmas with
misty mountains. The church in the
town center is covered with twinkling
lights. Shops and restaurants put up
pine-trees and Christmas decorations.
Festive favourite roast turkey has also
been added to more than a few res-
taurants’ menus, although an excellent
alternative is the Dzao ethnic minority
chicken roasted over charcoal.
The chilly evening air will inevitably
draw you to the barbequing food stalls
and, sure enough, besides eggs, pork,
tofu, potato and corn, you can spot
an iconic Christmas image: chestnuts
roasting on an open fire.
If you are tired with the commer-
cialised festival in your home country,
it seems that the spirit of Christmas has
not been lost in the locals of Sapa.
NINH BINH
The center of Christmas in northern
Ninh Binh province is Phat Diem Cathe-
dral, which is considered the spiritual
epicenter for the seven million Catho-
lics who live here in Vietnam. Hundreds
of Catholics gather for Christmas Eve
mass. Children stage a nativity play to
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ – or
Kito, as he is known in Vietnamese - in
front of the city’s cathedral.
Ninh Binh is the most attractive tour-
ism hub in the Red River Delta, just 80km
south of Hanoi. You can start this festive
season memorably by enjoying the won-
derful landscapes and visiting famous
historical sites and religious relics.
The amazing landscapes include
Van Long Nature Reserve which is well-
known as Ha Long Bay on land; Tam
Coc, with its views of mountains, rivers
and paddy fields; Cuc Phuong National
forest, which is home to many rare and
precious fauna and floral; and Trang An
ecotourism complex.
The area is also home to two of Viet-
nam’s oldest temples. One worships King
Dinh Tien Hoang, who took the throne of
Dai Co Viet in 968AD. The other was built
for King Le Dai Hanh, who was crowned
in 980AD. Bai Dinh pagoda is also a must-
see place when visiting the area.
HUE
Enjoying Christmas and New Year’s
breaks
Christmas
XMAS AND NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
timeout
38
Que Chi
reviews five top destinations to visit over
the holiday period
Sapa’s central church
lit up for the season