Prize-winning pictures show a life revolving around coconuts

A photo contest capturing the beauty of Ben Tre shows how daily life revolves around coconuts in the Mekong Delta province.

The first prize was won by Saigon photographer Nguyen Thanh Hop for a photo titled "Vao keo tranh giay tu go dua" which shows artists gluing an artwork made with coconut fiber on a backlit table. The art form is known as tranh giay dua (coconut paper painting).

The "I love Ben Tre" photomarathon was part of the fifth coconut festival that took place in the southern province from November 14-20. The festival honors Ben Tre’s coconut palms, products made with different parts of it, and local life surrounding the palm. Photos had to be taken in the province from November 15-17.

In second place was a photograph of women dancing at the opening ceremony of the festival, wearing thekhan ran, a traditional checkered black and white shawl, and the ao ba ba, a traditional southern garment. The photo, titled "Duyen dang Ben Tre" or Graceful Ben Tre, was taken by photographer Nguyen Bach Thao of Vinh Long Province.

The contest received 800 submissions by 395 photographers from 25 provinces and cities across the country. 

Two students wearing the traditional non la (conical hat) and ao dai walking to school through a coconut grove is one of three photos that won the third prize. Ben Tre photographer Nguyen Van Hoan called this picture "Doi ban den truong" or Two friends going to school.

Ly Hoang Long, chairman of the Art Council of Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA), one of the photo contest's judges, said: "This panoramic photo captured Ben Tre's daily life amidst its coconut palms, the economic strength of the province.”

Ben Tre, known as the land of coconuts, makes use of every part of the palm for making many handicraft products, including its leaves and trunk.

A photo of a local rowing a boat filled with coconuts, taken by photographer Nguyen Phuc Trung, called "Ben Tre que toi" or My hometown Ben Tre, won another third price.

This photo of workers sorting and throwing water palms from one boat to another was taken by Saigon photographer Nguyen Minh Tan. The photo is called "Tap ket dua tren ben song Thom" or Gathering coconuts by the Thom River.

A woman lays out banh phong chuoi or banana crackers on nets to dry under the sun.

The photo, called "Don nang" or sunbathing, was taken by photographer Nguyen Manh Ha of Dong Nai Province.

This picture of a local drying coconut fiber to make coir (ropes) was taken by Dang Chau Anh Phong from Thua Thien Hue Province.

Nguyen Huy Son from Saigon named this photo “Hoa dua” or Coconut flowers. It shows a man making flowers with coconut leaves and other materials.

This photo of a local drying coconut rice paper, a specialty of Ben Tre, was taken by Nguyen Thanh Hung from Kien Giang Province. He called it "San pham tu que dua" or Produce from coconut capital.

By Huynh Phuong

Source: VNExpress.net

Wonder of nature: snails wash ashore for kilometers in Ben Tre coast

A seashore in Ben Tre where horn snails wash up in their millions between October and April each year. Photo by VnExpress/Khuong Nha

Millions of horn snails drift ashore to Chay Muoi islet in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre for six months every year.

Paddling through the Yen Hao Canal to this place in Thoi Thuan Commune, Binh Dai District, you will find a beach seven kilometers long filled with these snails.

From October to April the wind blows from the northeast, bringing these creatures to shore, according to locals. "This shore is the only place that has this huge quantity of snails. Every year the snails washing ashore build a natural wall to protect our fields," Le Van Phuoc, a local, said.

When local people discovered that the snails stack up a meter high and five meters wide for seven kilometers, they began to do what humans do everywhere. They would wait for the tide to recede and collect the snails to sell.

Usually they get around $0.2 for a kilogram though occasionally the price could go up to $0.5. Locals can earn up to $10 a day.

You can get to Chay Muoi either by boat or motorbike.

According to local, this horn snails shore is still primitive though it's receiving increasing attention from tourists.

Ben Tre Province, situated around 86 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh city, is not only famous for its orchard tourism but also for relics like Huynh Phu ancient house, Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail, Van Phuoc Pagoda, and craft villages.

Author: Khuong Nha

Source: https://e.vnexpress.net

Thanh Phu tourism on the development road

About 50km from Ben Tre city, Thanh Phu is the coastal district of Ben Tre province. If you go more 20 km from the district center, you will reach Con Bung. It has not only traditional values of history - culture, nature with bold beauty, but also of craft villages, good people, all of which have created Thanh Phu potentials and opportunities for tourism development.

Determining the potential and strength of Thanh Phu in tourism development, the district is calling for investment, promoting tourism in the area. In recent years, Thanh Phu has promoted tourism, proposed many solutions for developing tourism solutions. To 2020, the tourism industry has basically become a key economic sector, creating a driving force for social - economic development.

Tourism products of the district have been increasingly invested and developed, the quality of tourism services has been improved to meet the tastes of tourists such as: eco-tourism, marine tourism, cultural-tourism research tourism. history, community tourism, traditional trade tourism, and tourism about researching history and culture, etc. In addition, Thanh Phu has an extremely attractive marine ecosystem with fresh seafood, creating a special attraction for tourism of the district as well as the province. The material and technical facilities are currently developing in terms of quality and quantity, accommodation facilities have been invested and built to serve the needs of tourists; As on December 2018, 6 accommodations were established with more than 88 rooms serving tourists, Con Bung currently has 13 households dealing in catering services.

Traveling to Con Bung - Thanh Phu beach (Photo: P.VHTT)

In Thanh Phu district, there are currently many invested projects with capital up to hundreds of billion dong. The project of preserving, embellishing and promoting the values of Ho Chi Minh historical relics on the sea in Thanh Phong and Thanh Hai communes with a total investment of VND 1,500 billion, in the first phase more than VND 80 billion and currently is now in phase II. Embellishment of a monument at the pbridgehead receiving North-South weapons in Thanh Phong commune is invested 500 million VND. In addition, the district has upgraded the asphalt road 57 from Cau Van (Giao Thanh commune) to Con Chim junction (Thanh Phong commune) and put the road from Ho Co Cemetery to Con Bung commune (commune) in use. Thanh Hải), Cau Van's bridge connects the upper communes of the district with three coastal communes to satisfy of the local people and tourists visiting the Con Bung beach.

However, Thanh Phu tourism also faces with many challenges, difficulties and major limitations. Up to this time, the district does not have entertainment facilities to meet the needs of visitors. Infrastructure is not synchronized. Tourism products are not diverse, attractive and duplicated. Con Bung tourism activities only focus on coastal and inland areas, unexploited sea space with existing potentials. The accommodation facilities are mostly small in scale, unable to meet the high demands of tourists.

Human resources do not meet the current development needs. The progress of projects is still slow, infrastructure is still poor due to lack of investment capital, ...

Nghinh Ong festival in Thanh Hai commune, Thanh Phu district (Photo: P.VHTT)

Therefore, the district needs to focus on promoting propaganda, calling for investment, building tourism products, creating specific characteristics so that they do not overlap elsewhere, and well exploit the traditional cultural and artistic values to make distinctive product through festivals: Nghinh Ong Festival, visiting Ba Chua Xu Temple ...

Linking with local people to develop, looking for consensus, raise tourism awareness, create jobs for people, build an image of Ben Tre people who have been always friendly and hospitable are advantages to get back to visitors. At the same time, educating the environment protecting marine resources in the context of climate change affecting tourism for local people in the locality are also needed.

Ben Tre needs to promote the exploitation of marine tourism potential, the space between the mainland and the sea. Calling for investment good policies to encourage investors inside and outside the province to build restaurants, hotels, amusement parks and resorts near the sea to serve tourists' needs, as well as extend the length of stay. Implementing well the promotion through the application of advanced technology, taking advantage of the 4th industrial revolution, exploiting the local cultural identity in promoting the image of land and people of Ben Tre.

District Government should strengthen tourism cooperation with neighboring localities to create inter-district tours such as Cho Lach - Mo Cay Nam - Thanh Phu, Chau Thanh, Cho Lach, Mo Cay Bac, Thanh Phu, cultural spiritual tours in the district ... or linking tours with neighboring provinces: Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, ... In particular, each locality has its own specific tourism product so that it will not be duplicated and bored.

Thanh Phu is a district with outstanding tourism potentials. If you know how to develop and invest in the right direction, Thanh Phu will be an attractive destination to attract tourists every time you visit Ben Tre./.

Author: Bảo Trâm

Translator: Phương Thy

Looking at decorative mouse system in Lunar New Year 2020 of “King of ornamental animal plants” in the West

Not only famous for creating the hundreds of unique ornamental animal plants; preparing for Lunar New Year 2020 - Mr. Nam Cong (Artisan in Ben Tre province) also produces many unique plants which are decorated in the shape of  mouse.

Nam Cong Artisan, whose real name is Nguyen Van Cong, was born in 1947, lives in Hung Khanh Trung B commune, Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province. He is "king of ornamental animal plants" who produces many kind of ornamental animal plants with unique shapes that you can not find in anywhere. In the photo: Nam Cong Artisan is creating ornamental animal plants.

The worker is preparing row material in Mr. Nam Cong's garden

Preparing for Lunar New Year 2020, Nam Cong Artisan produces unique ornamental mouse plants . In the photo: Ornamental mouse plant is in the design stage

The pair of ornamental mouse plant is in the complete stage

The pair of ornamental mouse plant is preparing for Lunar New Year 2020

In the foreground, Ornamental mouse plant is in the complete stage

Nam Cong artisan has produced thousands of ornamental plants which are decorated in the shape of  many unique animals such as: 12 animals, elephants, etc. Recently, he has produced many designs of cool house such as hexagonal, octagonal, long house, western house ... In the photo: Ornamental elephant plants of Nam Cong artisan has formed.

The pair of ornamental horse plants is in the complete stage

Everyone is preparing to complete all things for Lunar New Year 2020

If the customer needs, just contact to Mr. Cong and tell with him about the shape and size. Then, he will make special shapes that are  required. To now, there isn't any types that make difficult him. In the photo: The pair of  ornamental vases is completed.

Thanh Nhan - https://laodong.vn

Translator: Tường Vi

The brightness since 60 years of Ben Tre Dong khoi’s day

It has been 60 years since the Dong Khoi movement took place, the values and valuable lessons remain intact, deeply absorb in the spiritual cultural life of the people of Ben Tre, and become the great pride of the generations of today and tomorrow. 60th anniversary of Ben Tre Dong Khoi, this is an opportunity to review the glorious tradition and heroic history page. Promoting the spirit as well as recalling the achieved results over the past time, Ben Tre celebrates 60 years of Ben Tre Dong Khoi Day (January 17, 1960 - January 17, 2020). This is the important historic event, bearing the hallmark of the proud history page of Ben Tre people.

Tourists visit Dong Khoi Ben Tre Historic Site (Photo: TTXTDL)

According to the plan, the 60th Anniversary of Ben Tre Dong Khoi Day will take place at 20:00 on January 16, 2020 in An Hoi Park, Ben Tre City with about 5,000 delegates. In the framework of the ceremony, there will be welcome activities such as: "Flower Boat Festival" on Ben Tre River; Organizing exhibitions introduce the 1960 Dong Khoi movement, the achievement of the "New Dong Khoi" movement for 60 days (November 17, 2019 - January 17, 2020). The province chooses 60 works, products, associated with the preliminary review of 5-year to fulfill Directive No. 16 of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Communist on launching the emulating movement "New Dong Khoi"; organizing a fireworks show in Ben Tre city; Coordinating to organize a national workshop on Dong Khoi; exchanging and meeting historical witnesses telling the story of Dong Khoi movement 1960 and arranging the first week about Culture, Sport and tourism at MCN district.

On November 22, 2019, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ben Tre province coordinated with the Management Board of Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism to organize the opening ceremony with the theme "Journey to Ben Tre Coconut Tourism (Son Tay Town, Hanoi Capital). The event exhibited period of Dong Khoi Ben Tre movement and over 23 years of construction and development of Ben Tre Province (1997-2020) from November 22, 2019 to the end of February 2020 to promote the culture and tourism of Coconut Land in Hanoi. In addition, an exhibition of Dong Khoi Ben Tre will be displayed at Ben Duoc Temple - Cu Chi Tunnels Relic from January 9, 2020 to the end of March 2020 to promote and introduce the achievements to people and friends in Vietnam and abroad to understand about the history of the Dong Khoi movement in 1960 and the heroes of Ben Tre.

Ben Tre attends the event at Vietnam National Village of Ethnic Culture and Tourism (Photo: TTXTDL)

The celebration has a practical and important significance of the province, in order to review the historical values that Dong Khoi movement. We are proud of the people of the Coconut Land who carries out the sacred mission to build the motherland. Ben Tre committee party continue to study, work according to the ideology, morality, Ho Chi Minh style, try to promote the revolutionary tradition. Many "Dong Khoi" movements have been implemented in the process of industrialization and modernization of the country, aimed at the goal of strong and prosperous people, fair society and civilized democracy. The Youth of Dong Khoi homeland to deserve heroes who have sacrificed blood and loves for the freedom of the nation making the glorious victory of the 1960 Dong Khoi being worthy 8 golden words "Hero of Dong Khoi, defeated the US and defeated puppet".

Dong Khoi movement is the pride of the people of Ben Tre. As the next generation, we need to promote the heroic traditions of our ancestors to keep the Dong Khoi torch continue to shine in the construction and defense of the country./.

Author: Bảo Trâm

Translator: Phương Thy

Unique West: The House is made from 4 thousand coconut trees in 2 years

With about 4,000 coconut trees aged 80-100 years, more than 30 artisans nearly 2 years to complete the unique coconut house in the West. The owners are Mr. Duong Van Thuong (79 years old, living in Vinh Long) and his wife.

Coconut shimmering nocturnal house - Photo provided by character

The house is located at An Binh islet, Hoa Ninh commune, Long Ho district, Vinh Long province. The house is invested and built with a total budget nearly 6 billion VND.

Mr. Thuong told his childhood was associated with coconut trees. Growing up, he  always feels very familiar when he sees coconut in anywhere. When his son and his daughter who married with stable life, he has the dream of building a house that is made completely from coconut trees.

From columns, trusses ... to the interior of his house are all made of coconut - Photo by Duy Tan

Ornamental fish pond also is decorated with coconut wood - Photo by Duy Tan

In 2009, after discussing with his wife, Nguyen Ngoc Giac and his daughter, Duong Dieu Hien, the whole family began to come up with the idea. Then, they proceed to plan an area of 4000 m2 coconut trees that are planted in rows to create a beautiful landscape.

To perfect step by step the idea, Mr. Thuong went to look for old coconut trees (about 80-100 years old) and bought them to build the house. In order to get this rare material, he had to go many coconut gardens in Ben Tre and Vinh Long provinces ... In 2017, Mr. Thuong invited more than 30 artisans to build the house and it took nearly 2 years to complete it.

"These coconut trees are very hard and not easy to handle. After the sawn is finished, the coconut fiber is treated and the workers have to peel and use sandpaper until they feel no roughness, then they can start to do it ", Mr. Thuong said.

The campus is surrounded by coconut trees were planted about 10 years before the construction of the coconut. Photo by Duy Tan

Mr. Thuong is standing next to cabinet which is made from coconut and decorated by coconut shell. Photo by Duy Tan

A corner of house is decorated in Vinh Long full with coconut, from a table to watch, towel box, the tea set… Photo by Duy Tan

The highlight of the house is built in the traditional southern style with 3 compartments and 2 wings. From columns, trusses, walls to furniture, items are made from coconut. Moreover, there are also 4 Fu Lu Shou Buddha and Maitreya Buddha made from coconut roots; altar, settee, diaphragm, countertop ... and furniture, decorative lamps, curtains, pictures, tea sets ... also made from coconut. "To complete this construction I spent about 4,000 coconut trees with a total budget of nearly 6 billion," Mr. Thuong said.

A picture made from coconut - Photo by Duy Tan

A statue made from the roots of coconut - Photo by Duy Tan

Stained bulb on coconut trees are also made of coconut shells - Photo by Duy Tan

The sausage spread made of coconut shells - Photo by Duy Tan

Mr. Thuong (center) considers the completion of the coconut house is the joy and the greatest wish of him and his wife. Photo by Duy Tan

Currently, the coconut house is opened to visit. The construction of the coconut house is not only unique living space but also close to nature. Mr. Thuong considers it is the greatest joy and wish of him and his wife.

Ms. Le Thi My Duyen (23 years old, living in Can Tho City) said: "Travelling to An Binh islet (Vinh Long) with a group of friends, and then I accidentally discovered this unique coconut house so we look to visit. When I came here, I was really overwhelmed by the magnificence of this construction. I couldn't trust: The coconut trees, inherently familiar with the southern village that can be built this huge house. Every corner of this house is made of coconut, which is really amazing to me.

Source: Duy Tân - Thanh Nien Online

Translator: Tường Vi