Phespirit goes to Vietnam
tour     March/April 2007

FISHERFOLK

'Hoi An Ancient Town' was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. It is: 'an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-east Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.'

As it is still very much a living town though, here is a picture of ordinary people bringing fish from Thu Bon River to Hoi An market.

HAPPINESS

"Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder..."

- HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Observe a double dose of happiness sitting softly on the shoulder of Shiva at My Son.

IMPERIAL

Hué was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. Its grand palaces and mausoleums earned it a place on the World Heritage List in 1993, fully six years before Hoi An was inscribed.

This is Ngo Mon, the south-facing gateway to the Imperial City of Hué.