Top Vietnam Vacation

The recognition of Vietnamese art in the history of the world is relatively new, rather it’s better to say that Vietnamese art has emerged from the abyss of darkness and come to face the light of the world! It cannot be claimed that the inception of Vietnamese art is a very recent event in world history. But one important reason for its late recognition lies in the conception of most art patrons who considered Vietnamese art as a mere replica of Indian and Chinese paintings. It’s of course, undeniable that both these civilizations imposed tremendous impact on Vietnamese culture and tradition, but Vietnamese art has been highly successful in evolving itself as an independent art form, with a distinctness of its own. In fact, the greatness of Vietnamese art lies in the fact that it has been able to absorb the impressions of a variety of civilizations and cultures into its own cultural fabric.

Today, Vietnamese art has a distinct and honorable identity of its own. Not just that, this art culture is being widely appreciated worldwide and has been in huge demand by numerous foreign art lovers. Countries like Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, the USA, Argentina have held exhibitions in recent times which bear witness to the immense appreciation that Vietnamese art has received in recent times. Contemporary Vietnamese art possesses a life-like quality and an amazing diversity that has wooed art patrons worldwide. The younger generation of Vietnamese artists is motivated to reaffirm the Vietnamese culture in their works of art. Their paintings have become more self-explanatory and can be said to convey the vision of the artist. Modern Vietnamese paintings portray a unique combination of the artists’ vision and international trends. Contemporary Vietnamese artists do not believe in replicating the masterpieces of their masters. Rather, they are intent on giving new dimensions to this genre.

Among the new breed of Vietnamese artists, the Gang of Five (comprising of the Hanoi painters Hong Viet Dung, Ha Tri Hieu, Dang Xuan Hoa, Tran Luong and Pham Quang Vinh) has succeeded to gain international acclaim through their innovative works of art. Upcoming artists like Tran Trong Vu, Hoang Hong Cam, Nguyen Than, Bui Minh Dung, and Le Quang Ha have breathed in a new lease of life to the erstwhile impressionistic tradition of art. The colorful vibrance of such works of art by Nguyen Trung, Do Hoang Tuong, Tran Van Thao speaks volumes of their abstractionist tradition. The iconoclast Truong Tan turns a corner from his staunch orthodoxy by producing his most unconventional works unraveling his gay convictions. Nguyen Bao Toan, Nguyen Minh Thanh in Hanoi and Le Thua Tien in Hue are among the first “engaged” installation artists to produce in Vietnam. Mention should also be made of Vu Dan Tan, the Sorcerer who turns castoffs into art works; the minimalist Le Thiet Cuong; the unclassifiable Dinh Y Nhi, with her hallucinatory black-and-white paintings, and the instinctive Vu Thang, with his compelling use of mixed media in lacquer painting.

In fact, Vietnamese art has received a tremendous boost on account of this wonderfully talented new generation of artists. No two contemporary artists are alike, neither in their themes nor in their imageries. This versatility has lent contemporary Vietnamese art an added dimension, which is destined to leave an indelible mark on the annals of world history.

Suzanne
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/vietnamese-art-creating-an-indelible-impression-96486.html

This cool little country is located in South East Asia, in the region known as Indochina. It is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. There is lots to see and do, and it will cost you a fraction of what it would tripping around in the west. So come on a journey of discovery.

The capital is a frenetic city called Phnom Penh, which is easy to get to from the major regional airports like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Min City or Singapore. While Phnom Penh has some curious charm of its own, like a lot of capital cities it performs better as a gateway than as a destination.

The two areas I would like to talk to you about lie in the north and south west of this nation respectively. Up north sits one of the seven wonders of the world, the Ankor Wat temple complex. This ancient marvel is breathtaking and justifiably on that well known list of 100 things to do or see before you die. To quote a recent visitor, I expected a pile of old rocks, but I got a powerful significant experience instead. It is a massive site, far bigger than most first time visitors imagine, and can easily take three days to walk around. Ankor Wat is situated adjacent to the northern regional town of Siem Reap, which is a one hour flight or a six hour road trip from Phnom Penh. Siem Reap can also be reached by air or road from Bangkok in neighboring Thailand.

The second place I want to tell you about is the seaside town of Sihanoukville. Also a regional town, Sihanoukville lies on the edge of the Gulf of Thailand, about three to fours hours from Phnom Penh down a pretty good sealed road. Close your eyes and picture white sand and turquoise water and you have pretty well visualized the beaches of Sihanoukville. Hey do not go packing your surfboard, the waters of the gulf are invariably calm and waves seldom exceed knee height. Put these cool beaches together with really low cost, and you will see why this is such an alluring and desirable place to visit. So lets look at how inexpensively you can spend say a week in this part of the world.

International flights have either hovered at the same price or have fallen noticeably over the past few years. So have a look on the net and you will possibly be pleasantly surprised at the cost of getting to Cambodia. Once you are at the airport, a thirty day tourist visa will cost you $20 usd. For $35 or so you can hire a car with driver to bring you the 235 kilometers to town, or spend about $7 for a seat on a bus instead.

Of course you will need somewhere nice to stay. There is a wide variety of accommodation on offer in town, everything from a mattress above a bar to a five star resort with all the trimmings. As a guide, an air conditioned room here with a hot shower, cable TV and a fridge will cost you around $15 per night! Food and drink is also wonderfully cheap with a tasty meal for around $3 and a cold beer for $1 a can.

Put all these advantages together and I trust you will agree that Cambodia is an as yet undiscovered gem, just waiting for you to come over and unwind.

Nick Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/what-to-do-and-see-in-the-kingdom-of-cambodia-134137.html

Don’t you love to hear myths and legends, especially from another country? Being on my Asia vacation, I sometimes hear stories about the specific country I’m in at that time.

And sometimes, it’s an explanation for a natural occurence like for example the torrential rains in Vietnam at the beginning of the seventh lunar month. I also heard that during this month there are no ravens in the country side in Vietnam.

The story goes like this (appologise for any errors and omissions):

A long long time ago, the King of Heaven had many daughters, and one of these princesses was particularly beautiful. She was also very hard-working, and frequently she was making clothes for her sisters on the banks of the river where she lived. Everybody loved and admired her.

As it so happened, a young man one day brought his cattle to the river and saw the beautiful princess absorbed in her work. Immediately, he fell in love with her. When the princess looked up from her work and saw the very handsome young man, it was love at first sight for her too.

They wanted to marry, and they went to the King of Heaven to ask for his permission. The King saw how these two young people loved each other and gave his permission for marriage on one condition: they had to promise him that they would continue with their work after they got married.

As it so goes in these stories, after they were married for a little while they forgot their promise to the King, who became very angry and ordered that the two young people had to separate and live on each side of the river and only look at each other from afar, across the river.

They were lucky in their troubles however because the King was at heart kind. He allowed them to meet once a year, during the seventh lunar month.

Now, if you remember from the beginning of the story, the seventh lunar month is the time of sudden torrential rain in Vietnam. This is because when the two met they cried for joy. And when they had to separate again they cried even harder.

And the absence of the ravens during that month? Ah…

…They flew into heaven and helped to carry the bridge across the river so that the young princess and her young husband could meet.

And still today, on clear nights, when you look up into the sky you can see the river — a long hazy white strip that we westeners call the Milky Way.

So, it’s all true… isn’t it?