Wednesday, January 29, 2025 – Photo of the Day – Halong Bay, Vietnam

Where in the World Are We?

We are in Halong Bay, in North Vietnam.

WELCOME TO VIETNAM
Chào mừng đến với Việt Nam!
Vietnamese (tiếng Việt) is the official language of Vietnam, where it is the mother tongue of 85% of the population, with the remaining 15% speaking around fifty languages of various ethnicities, including Mandarin and Khmer.

Unlike the vast majority of Asian languages, Vietnamese uses chữ quốc ngữ, i.e., a Latin alphabet augmented by numerous diacritics used to note the phonetic value and the tones of the language of certain letters. Vietnamese is spoken by almost 110 million people in Vietnam and around the world. Familiarize yourself with these keywords to enhance your experience in Vietnam.

Today’s Excursion – Zen Monastery & Local Village

We experienced the insight of Zen Buddhism during this half-day tour. Giac Tam Buddhist Zen Monastery
We enjoyed the views of the scenic countryside of Ha Long, passing villages surrounded by bamboo fences and lime stonewalls. We learned of the history of Vietnamese’s Buddhist Zen, set up by the Tran Kings, who destroyed the
Kublai Khan’s troop in the 13th century. After their victory, they climbed into this primitive forest and dedicated their life to Buddhism. We visited the monastery and listened to the Zen lesson one of the monks gave as he demonstrated the proper techniques for Zen meditation.

Local Village
Leaving the monastery, we drove towards the Limestone Mountains, where you stop briefly for photos before arriving at a local village and farm. At a local home, we chat with the resident farmer, interact with the children, and learn about their lives and ways of worship while sipping tea. We visited the farmers’ gardens, full of fruit trees from the north of Vietnam.

6:30 Chinese New Year’s Dinner:

We enjoyed an unforgettable Chinese New Year’s night onboard the beautiful Silver Dawn. In the Atlantide Restauant.