Hoi An - A Time Capsule

Silk fabric lanterns, leather craft and good tailoring are hallmarks of Hoi An.  A UNESCO world heritage declared site, it is nevertheless a laid back corner of Vietnam, accessible best from the significant coastal city of Da Nang, and a long established place which  still does not fail to positively delight and surprise any visitor.  Just outside the city are padi fields, mangrove swamps, fishing villages and a proximity, to its north, of the infamous DMZ or Demilitarised Zone, which played a significant role in the Reunification War of the sixties and early seventies last century.  The Old Quarter is in a rectangular grid of user-friendly streets and lanes. Visitors are advised to stay a minimum of three days in Hoi An to best enjoy its diverse offerings.  My group arrived at dawn in Da Nang by train from Nha Trang in the south,  before being bused to Hoi An.  Below, the boats at the Thu Bon River.

Even on a rainy day in November, there are many indoor preoccupations and activities in Hoi An's Old Quarter.  There are blanket tickets that can be bought upfront which covers the entry fees to many separate cultural places of interest.  There are still, however, several other buildings where you can still enter and explore on a complimentary basis.

Inside the spacious lobby of the Hoi An Golf Club Hotel (photo above), one can sit on mother-of-pearl decorated furniture. Much cooking in Vietnam today still utilises charcoal  (grilled meat skewers in picture below), which can provide a distinctively different taste compared to  food cooked by gas or electrical stoves.  Cuisine influences from Hainan Island, Fujian, Japan, Guang Dong, Laos and Thailand can be seen in Hoi An, plus the royal kitchen styles from Hue.

Old wooden boats still ply the river, with old shops and houses, most two-storey, fronting just right up to the edge of the road, in scenes reminiscent of many towns and villages in South-east Asia.   Hoi An was, and is, a trading port, essentially cosmopolitan, serving as a gateway to commerce, immigration, cultural fusion and food experimentation.   The Japanese traders built a cute and compact covered bridge in 1593  to connect the two main parts of Hoi An's old quarter- the Chinese and Japanese precincts.  The bridge symbolised openness, co-operation and togetherness. The Japanese presence in Hoi An was abruptly curtailed when the Tokugawa Shogunate  issued edicts forbidding Japanese from residing abroad.

The Cantonese has an elaborately embellished Quang Dong Assembly Hall, built in 1786, two years before Captain Cook spotted Botany Bay in Sydney, Australia and ten years after the American War of Independence completed.  The main altar in the Assembly Hall is devoted to Kuan Kong, representing loyalty in Chinese society, whilst the Hall also honours Thien Hau, Goddess of the Sea.   There are several bas reliefs and wall murals inside the Assembly Hall, as seen below.

The main markets in Hoi An, sited on the  river front (picture above) bustles with a variety of fresh and dried produce and is mainly patronised by locals.  The Thu Bon River flows for a distance downstream from Hoi An before it reaches the South China Sea.  The protected location of the city and port translated into an advantage, beings secure from pirates, full on South China Sea monsoons and provided a haven of rest and safety for the many Japanese and Chinese traders in the past thousand years, literally riding the winds in to and out from Hoi An.  Below, a clumpy bamboo spot for a cyclo rider passing by on a narrow lane, typical of many in Hoi An's Old Quarter.

The streets are made for walking, and any one can wander in a relaxed manner through Hoi An's riverside precinct and discover the pleasures of old architecture, fine tailoring, small and easy going pubs, street food, interesting restaurants echoing the best traditions of Vietnamese food and window shop on a host of crafts, souvenirs and art pieces.  Many visitors cycle or motor bike, but strolling is a good option when it is not raining and especially when it is early morning or twilight.   The old quarter of Hoi An has been so well lived in, it resonates with history, heritage and variety. The traders who came in the past had to live there whilst waiting for the monsoon winds to change - and in the process contributed to the cultural richness of the city, especially when you walk through the corridors and passageways of temples, bridges and old family courtyards (like the House of Quan Thang, the House of Tan Ky and the Tran Family Chapel).

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam - The Village

With around three thousand limestone monolithic isles, Ha Long Bay has a charm and scenic splendour of its own.   Nestled below the southern Chinese coasts and Hainan Island, it is a maritime  ecosystem that has caves, grottoes and hidden lakes in islands; displays very few beaches; offers various fascinating shapes in the landscape akin to elephants, cockerels and more; harbours wildlife like monkeys, lizards, bantam birds and antelopes on limited landed areas; and holds a special place in Vietnamese legend relating to benevolent  dragons. It is also a declared UNESCO world heritage site.   Photo above shows our personalised boat paddler taking Matt and me around the bay.

A community of fisher villagers call this place home, making their livelihood on aquaculture and the natural resource pools of mollusks and fishes that live in the bay.  Residents live a transient yet permanent life style, with houses literally floating on the water, or on boats that are moored above calm and placid waters on the evening we visited.  I  did wonder what does it feel and look like on a stormy night.  On a cloudy and hazy twilight in November, going round a particular village, we were paddled by strong young women on boats that sat a maximum of four persons - we observed it was a like a self-contained suburb, with the goings-on of human life, family activities, goods transported and food cooking from kitchens.  Self- managed generators are used for night lighting.  The thought that crossed my mind was also, did they have strong Internet wireless, effective sanitation systems, herbal gardens and television broadcasts?  The very things that  I have taken for granted.

The boats look Chinese in design  but carry the Vietnam flag (picture above) in a region of the South China Sea that has witnessed conflict between the national neighbours.   Are there unknown huge reserves of other natural resources in these waters?   I noticed an absence of bird life on my visit. In times of war, these isles must have been a natural beacon for those trying to escape military encounters.

Research has shown that these places have been occupied as far back as eighteen thousand years ago, although the contemporary villages we saw dates back from the beginning of the 19th century.  How do such villagers handle the challenges of the 21st century - acting to mitigate pollution, treating industrial and domestic waste, managing the arrival of more tourists and sustaining a livelihood?  There are around 1700 individuals living here, mostly in tight knit families.  Below, Mr Kien, the leader of our tour, smiles to the camera as he sits with residents on a floating pontoon.

Sunset on  Ha Long Bay (above) brought out the best of artistic and natural landscapes, one that evoked the heritage styles of Chinese and Vietnamese paintings and poetry.  Below, tourists spewing out from various cruise ships make a bee line on small flat wooden boats to authentic villages which exist not for tours, but for themselves, for now. However, economics have encouraged the emergence of vendor boats with rowers, usually women, who offer refreshments and local souvenirs to passengers on cruise ships that park over night or sail by for day excursions.

Mangrove swamps and sea grass clumps dominate the interface between land and water in Ha Long.

Logically there may be no form of land ownership for the bay's four main villages.  Residents, including youngsters and children, are expert at casting nets, navigating boats and processing sea produce.  Visiting Ha Long Bay, I am reminded to compare with the Andaman Sea near Phuket in Thailand - there, limestone drip creation processes and geological upheavals over thousands  of years  have also created a similar scenery over the waters, articulated the geographical concepts of stalagmites and stalactites and attracted both foreign and domestic tourists over so many years. 

The romance of the place for me began with a specific James Bond movie, The Man with The Golden Gun.  I recall a film episode where Bond himself flew in a plane over what was supposed to be Ha Long Bay, but in reality it was substituted with footage of the Andaman Sea near Phuket.  Norwegians can perhaps share familiarities with Lofeten but in a different climate.

Lunar New Year Planner - Suggestions for the Reunion Dinner

The next Lunar New Year, that under the sign of the Snake, begins on 10 February 2013. It is occasion for the extended family to gather on the eve and take dinner together.  Here are some ideas for table servings to complement such gatherings. Above, blueberries and strawberries form a delightful and eye-catching combination.  Below, slices of the chu chu kueh or the kueh bingka, sitting beautifully on a round plate - made of tapioca flour, firmed with coconut milk and added with egg, sugar and essence of the pandanus leaf, this traditional item echoes a link with tradition and uniqueness with societies in South-east Asia.

Two essential sauces in Asian related cooking and serving, the pounded or blended fresh chilies (left in picture above) and the hoi sin sauce (right on top).  Both of them are compulsory for diners when eating the poh pniah rolls, originally from Fujian in China. The sauces are spread on to your warp skins before filling them up with cooked or fresh ingredients and then parceling all up for a zesty bite.

Oven roasted pork, with crackle and kick, must be cut up carefully to bite-sized portions to accompany noodles or rice, or eaten by themselves.  Pork signifies plenty and wealth, hence the popularity of roasted suckling pigs in many cultures like Spain, Germany, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Tamarind flavoured prawns are deep fried on the shell and are a must for gracing festive occasions in most of Asia. (above)  Below, a serving of the kapitan chicken with steamed rice, a curry unique to Medan, Malacca, Penang and Singapore.  This version of curry has strong influences from Thailand, Indonesia and the Malayan peninsular itself, in that galangal, kaffir lime leaves, tumeric, lime juice, candlenuts and lemon grass are utilised, in contrast to Indian curries.

Kari Kapitan (adapted by Phong Hong Bakes from At Home with Amy Beh)

Ingredients :

- 4 chicken legs cut into 8 pieces

- 1 packet coconut cream (200ml)

- salt and sugar to taste

- lime juice from one lime

- oil for frying

Spice Paste Ingredients :

- 4 dried chillies, soaked

- 4 fresh chillies soaked

- 20 shallots

- 5 cloves garlic

- 3 stalks lemongrass

- 1 inch tumeric

- 5 candlenuts (buah keras)

- 1 heaped tablespoon belacan granules

Method :

1. Blend spice paste ingredients.

2. Heat oil  in a wok and saute spice paste until aromatic and oil rises on top. If you find the spice paste is too dry, add a bit of coconut milk.

3. Add chicken and mix until chicken is covered with spice paste.

4. Pour coconut milk into the wok and simmer over low fire until chicken is cooked and tender

5. Taste and add sugar and salt to taste.

6. Serve with white rice, roti jala or bread.

Note : I did not dilute the coconut cream because from experience, the chicken will bleed water. I want my curry to be thick and not runny.

For dessert, why not try fresh mango slices on top of a sago pudding laden with coconut milk?  This light dish is neither too sweet nor heavy on the palate.  Unlike in China itself, the Lunar New Year in Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia is celebrated in sweaty conditions - and this cooling proposal may be most welcome.  Below, shredded pieces of turnips  for the poh pniah rolls.  Lettuce forms the basis of a firmed up roll, but only remembering to spread the chili and hoi sin pastes first on the wrapper skin.  The lettuce also serves as  a natural cup for the other and mainly shredded ingredients before folding. The other ingredients are julienned carrots, fine sliced French beans, narrow strip cucumbers, crispy deep fried shallots, fried and crushed peanuts and shelled cooked shrimps.  The fun part about having poh pniah is that every one can roll up their sleeves and participate to roll their own servings for the festive feast.

The above dishes were photographed at the home of Mr and Mrs Boo Ann and Susan Yap in Carlingford, NSW.

Christmas Eve - Beecroft, Sydney

I prefer glazed ham to turkey, any time of the year.  At Christmas time in Australia, the hams consumed at barbies, family gatherings , out decks of houses and in offices usually come from the leg of a porker, often only nine months old.  Beechwood is the preferred source of smoking the ham and the outcome we see at our dining tables takes around a week.  Pelvic and thigh bones are removed but with the hock intact for the easiest type of  ham to carve.  Removing the rind is part of the process before serving the ham slices. A pillow case can be a good substitute for a proper ham bag to help keep cooked ham in a freezer and it usually lasts for three weeks after part so fit have been carved.  Everyone looks for flavour, texture, colour and character in ham.  Below, the pear and rocket salad mix prepared by Ely and Ray at their Christmas Eve do this year.

Lighting the pudding has been an age old practice originating from Northern Europe and the version of the sweet stuff we all had at Ely and Ray's this time had a lightness in bite and a very agreeable taste.  Served with custard, it provides a closing to a hearty meal, that in the Aussie tradition, included summery prawns and wine, amongst other items.  Apart from the expected plain flour, brown sugar, bicarbonate of soda, chopped butter, eggs, bread crumbs, ground cinnamon and mixed spice, pudding is rich because it is added with rum and a variety of dried fruits like chopped dates, pitted prunes, almonds and ground nutmeg.  And yes, don' t forget the pinch of salt and finely grated lemon zest!

Vietnam - Some Souvenirs

Vietnam is a prime exporter of agricultural products, like rice, rubber,coffee and pepper, but to individual visitors, what comes across remarkably are lacquered products , embroidery, pottery, silk fabrics, weaved craft, stone carvings, bamboo and rattan articles, ceramic, wooden contraptions and paintings.  This is a result of long established cultural traditions and a developing economy.  The majority of the current population is under 30 years old, laden with the enthusiasm, agility and promise of youth.  The centre of handicraft is still central Vietnam, with the hub around Hue and Hoi An.

You can see many water colours offered by local artists in shops, markets and pavement stalls.  I was more fascinated by origami-like paper cuts which you can come across being sold by vendors all over the place.  Best of all are the hang lanterns, available in all sizes, which are made from varying qualities of Vietnamese silk fabric, the best of which are found in Hoi An.   The military part of national history has been filtered through in reproductions of wooden helicopters.  Above, a young man concentrates on weaving silk fabric on to his art masterpiece , just outside Ha Noi.

Lacquer ware was introduced from the north, China, and this embellishes not just souvenir shops, but public buildings like temples and hotels and is especially a favourite  on furniture.  The abundance of limestone in Vietnam also contributed tot he growth of stone carvery and marble statuary. Crafts also are linked to strong musical  traditions upheld by various groups like the Kinh and Cham peoples.