#Vietnam - Once a barrier against invaders, now a beautiful valley

Chi Lang Passage in Lang Son Province used to be a strategic bulwark for Vietnam and now boasts tourist attractions.

Chi Lang Passage is a narrow valley between the Bao Dai mountain range in the east and the Cai Kinh range in the west in the northern province. The mountains form two natural barriers. 

Running zigzag along the valley is the Thuong River. Historical accounts show the valley was once regarded as an impenetrable barrier that keep out invaders from the north. King Le Dai Hanh (941-1005) once said the area helped destroy enemies no matter how large and powerful their armies were.

From Hanoi, you can follow National Highway 1A to get to the place. It stretches for around 20 km, with the main sights being Chi Lang and Quang Lang communes in Chi Lang District, Lang Son Province.

 Bai Hao Lake, one of the sights in Chi Lang, is surrounded by undulating mountains.

The Chi Lang Temple is currently being built by the lake as a spiritual and cultural complex to cherish the historical values of Chi Lang.

 The train runs through Bac Thuy Bridge in Chi Lang District on the Hanoi - Dong Dang (Lang Son Province) route. 

The train also connects with Dong Mo and Ban Thi stations in Chi Lang District.

 About 30 km from the center of Chi Lang District is Khau Sao hill (Khau Slao), a popular destination for visitors. Situated in Suoi Ma A Village, Huu Kien Commune, it is dubbed the ‘Green steppe of Lang Son’.

The hill is 760 meters high and its terrain makes it a strenuous climb. Locals allow their horses and cattle to graze there. There are more than 1,700 horses being raised here, of which nearly 700 are pure white.

 The Tay and Nung ethnic minorities here mainly make a living by raising horses. The abundant grass, clean water and salubrious climate help the horses breed rapidly.

The animals are left completely free. In the morning people bring their horses to the hill and leave them there until afternoon when they are taken to each family’s private area to drink water.

Custard apples are another Chi Lang specialty. They are grown throughout Chi Lang and the trees are ubiquitous along National Highway 1A.

One of the most famous places where the fruit is grown in Chi Lang is Dong Banh rock mountain, which is about 200 m tall. The harvest is transported in baskets by pulley from the top to the foot of the hill.

he custard apples are then delivered over a bamboo bridge by farmers to Dong Banh Market next to National Highway 1A. A lot of them are also sent to markets elsewhere including in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

On Sunday the third Chi Lang custard apple festival took place with many promotional activities and tips on growing the fruit. There were competitions between farmers to see who grew the best custard apples.

Source - VN Express

#Indonesia sixth in top-20 ranking of ‘most beautiful countries’

British guidebook publisher Rough Guides has included Indonesia in its list of the world’s most beautiful countries – and quite high up, too.

The ranking was updated on Jan. 4 based on Rough Guides’ readers voting on social media channels.

This was not lost on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who hailed the achievement with a video shared on his Instagram account.

“Renowned UK publisher Rough Guides recently conducted a global survey on the world’s most beautiful countries. The result [shows] that Indonesia was ranked sixth in the world, but [was named] the most beautiful country in Asia,” Jokowi wrote in the same post.

The video shows some of the most popular tourist attractions, from temples to surfing spots in Bali, beautiful beaches in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and orangutans in Kalimantan.

“Rough Guides’ polling strengthens Indonesia’s position as a world-class tourist destination,”  

said Jokowi.

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 Source - TheJakartaPost

Here’s the full of the world’s 20 most beautiful countries, according to Rough Guides readers.

1. Scotland
2. Canada
3. New Zealand
4. Italy
5. South Africa
6. Indonesia
7. England
8. Iceland
9. United States 
10. Wales
11. Slovenia
12. Mexico
13. India
14. Finland
15. Switzerland
16. Peru
17. Norway
18. Ireland
19. Croatia
20. Vietnam

#Thailand - Discovering the Royal Projects

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                             Dr Weerachai Nanakorn will lead a Siam Society study trip to the Royal Projects at Doi Ang Khang and Huai Hong Khrai as well as the small Chiang Mai village of Mae Kampong from January 5 to 7.

The Royal Agricultural Station Ang Khang is located in Fang district and is spread over some 2,000 rai. Within the station compound are nine villages inhabited by four different minority groups – Thai Yai, Black Lahu, Palong and Chinese Yunnanese.

The station is designed for conducting experiments on possible temperate plants to be grown in Thailand as cash substitutes for opium poppy. In 1969, His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej gave his private funds to establish the Royal Project Foundation under the directorship of HSH Bhisadej Rajani as the Chairman of Royal Project. The station mainly researches the temperate fruit, exotic flowers and vegetables that can be cultivated to provide a sustainable form of income for the hilltribes. 

Today, almost 50 years on, the valley is a thriving tourist attraction, replete with beautiful gardens and fruit orchards. The project produces a wide variety of temperate fruits including Chinese peaches, Chinese pears, persimmon, plums, grapes, apricots, strawberries, passion fruit, figs, kiwi fruit and pomegranates.
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Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre is located in Doi Saket District and was established in 1982 under King Bhumibol’s initiative and driven largely as a result of drought and forest fires caused by extensive forest destruction and poaching. The centre is located in the Pa Khun Mae Kuang National Park, a mountainous and forested region that is heavily degraded where the study centre is located. Studies at the centre encompass watershed development as an appropriate model with forest areas designated for planting three types of forest with four applications: economic crops, fruit trees and firewood, soil conservation and watershed area to engender moisture and recover the degraded area.

The beautiful village of Mae Kampong in Mae On district has long been a source of enjoyment and inspiration to not only the locals that happily reside there, but also to fortunate visitors from around the world. Located just a short distance from the city of Chiang Mai – visitors to Mae Kampong will instantly feel they have stepped back in time, with traditional teak houses dotting the nearby mountains.

Source - The Nation

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