International Focus Magazine Vol. 3, #2 | Page 33

Hoi An Ancient Town UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1999 Ancient Town Hoi An is already famous for its Chinese and Japa- nese influence on architecture, hand made toys (lantern, lotus floating candle) and the biggest and most marvelous Full Moon Festival (Trung Thu) of the country. Moreover, the bridge built by Japanese here and many Chinese Assembly Halls are the most attractive places for the tourists. Formed in the 16th and 17th cen- tury and thriving as a trading points of various countries, Hoi An now still retains much of its trait since the old days: from family cult houses to community gathering place and colorful pagodas. My Son Sanctuary UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1999 My Son Sanctuary, containing somewhat 70 ruined and aban- doned Hindu temples and tombs, was built by Champa Kings between 4th and 14th Century AD. These temples here once were the place for the royal family of Champa to remember their an- cestors and worship their Gods. Plus the wild nature of the place, My Son creates a wonderful scene for people visiting the Holy place. Thang Long Imperial Citadel UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 2010 Thang Long Imperial Citadel, which has been declared a World Heritage in 2010, is a very strong citadel, standing in Hanoi from 11 century after Ly Thai To moved the capital here. The Citadel was once the living place of many royal families: Ly Dynasty, Tran Dynasty, Le Dynasty, Trinh Dynasty…and nowadays become one of the most famous Citadels of the country. Ho Dynasty Citadel UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 2011 Ho dynasty fortress in Thanh Hoa province is the only one an- cient stone Citadel left in Southeast Asia, built in 1397 with unique architecture and beautiful natural base. Moreover, Ho fortress is combined by many heavy stone packs, some of them weight more than 20 tons, strong enough to against even the most powerful campaign at that time. In addition, inside the for- tress, archeologist found the stone balls for cannon (Ho Nguyen Trung is the inventor of cannon gun), one of the oldest cannon balls in Asia. Besides these 7 World Heritage Sites, there are also other recognized heritages in Vietnam: Hue Royal Court Music; Tay Nguyen Gong Music; Bac Ninh Alternate Singing; Ca Tru Singing; Xoan Singing; Can Gio Mangrove; Cat Tien national park; Mui Ca Mau; and Cham Island iF Magazine | www.iFMagazine.net 33