Our charming neighbour in Paris was born in Saigon and she remembers Central Vietnam as Annam, which means "Pacified South" in Sino-Vietnamese, (安南). She thought the film 'Indochine' was a good representation of what life was like in her youth. Therein lies the inspiration for our journey.
The name Annam has also been applied to the Annamite Range (la Chaîne Annamitique), a 1,100 km (680 mi) mountain range with a height ranging up to 2,958 metres (9,705 ft) that divides Vietnam and Laos. Over the next few days we will be cycling through parts of this mountain range.
The name Annam has also been applied to the Annamite Range (la Chaîne Annamitique), a 1,100 km (680 mi) mountain range with a height ranging up to 2,958 metres (9,705 ft) that divides Vietnam and Laos. Over the next few days we will be cycling through parts of this mountain range.
Hoi An is known for its monthly
full moon celebrations, In 2013, Têt was
celebrated on 10 February. We have arrived just in time for the Nguyên Tiêu Festival, celebrated annually by
the Vietnamese Chinese on the 15th of the first lunar month ; it is very
similar to Chap Goh Mei or 元宵节, celebrated in Malaysia and Singapore. On this occasion, people organise
formal offering rituals at village pagodas and temples to honour Emperor Shen
Nong and the tutelary Gods, and pray for bumper crops.
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