Celerating the New Year in Indochina, Myanmar and Thailand

Vietnam

Burning incense at the temple

The Vietnamese New Year, Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet, is the “first morning of the first day of the new period” and falls between 21^st January and 19^th February. In 2004, 22^nd January will usher in the Year of the Monkey. Before Tet new clothes are bought and the house is cleaned and decorated with a kumquat tree or peach and apricot branches bursting with colourful blossoms. Clouds of thick incense drift from temples and family altars to permeate the air; which will obscure your vision. In the cities, throngs of young people flock to the streets on their motorbikes, enjoying the magic of the celebration. The first person to visit the house should be someone who is happy or prestigious. The days are spent visiting friends and associates and great care is taken to avoid anger. Children are given money in red envelopes to bring them good luck.

Cambodia

The Cambodian New Year, Chaul Chnam Thmey, falls between 13^th and 15^th April of the solar calendar and people take a break from daily chores before the rainy season. Before the celebrations, new clothes are purchased, houses are cleaned and decorated inside and outside and altars are set with flowers and food. On the first day, people visit the monasteries to offer food to the monks and pray, attend ceremonies, play traditional games and participate in dances. A sand mound is built and is decorated with flags. On the second and third days, gifts are exchanged, good deeds are performed and perfumed water is used to bless the many Buddha images. There is a belief that the bathing will bring them luck and happiness and the water will bring them rain for the next harvest. Everyone also takes great pleasure in dousing each other with water and talcum powder.

Laos

Every year the Lao New Year, Pimai, falls on 13^th, 14^th and 15^th April. The house is cleaned, food is prepared and Buddha statues are cleaned with scented water and decorated with flower petals. The water is used to cleanse family members and the house of bad luck. Like the Cambodian tradition, sand mounds are created, wished upon and decorated with flags, flowers, money and candles. Water festivals are also celebrated here, but to a much lesser degree than in other countries. On the third day, the first day of the New Year, there are visits to the temple, ceremonies and folk dancing. You will see people tying strings on each other’s wrists; a ritual that blesses the wearer with good wishes for the New Year. Many fish and birds are released on this day, because of the belief that such an act would rid a person of bad luck.

Myanmar

Maha Thingyan

The Myanmar New Year, Maha Thingyan, falls on 17^th April, when the Padauk tree’s golden flowers faithfully bloom. But it is the four days preceding the New Year, called the Thingyan Water Festival that are filled with celebration and water mayhem. In certain areas of Myanmar there are water pumps and water brigades out in full force. It is also a time for romance, where a boy can express his feelings simply by brushing the water off of his girl’s shoulders. On the first day of the New Year, the mood changes from joviality to piety as people get together with their families, do good deeds and leave behind past sadness or failures. In the evening Buddhist monks perform ceremonies in the streets and the heads and nails of the elderly are shampooed and manicured by the young. Fish, and sometimes cattle, goats and birds, are purchased and set free. 

Thailand

Songkran, the Thai New Year, occurs between 13^th April and 15^th April. On the first day, houses are thoroughly cleaned, Buddha images are cleaned with jasmine-scented water and the young bless the elderly by pouring water over their hands. In the past, liberal amounts of water were used to cleanse and bless; this has gradually escalated to the water dousing that Thailand has become known for. The second day, the transition from the old year to the new, is reserved for the preparation of ceremonies. Sand piles are built on temple grounds and decorated with hundreds of colourful flags; to replace the sand that people carried away with them on their shoes during past visits. On the third day of Songkran, also the first day of the New Year, birds and fish are freed and offerings, such as food, are made at temples as a way to earn merit.

New coins and bank notes for Vietnam

Currency coins, which were taken out of circulation in Vietnam in 1985, will be reinstated on 17th December when the State Bank of Vietnam begins distributing coins in denominations of 200 VND, 1,000 VND and 5,000 VND. The bank will also be issuing new polymer bank notes in 50,000 VND and 500,000 VND denominations that will last longer than the current currency and have better security features to prevent counterfeiting. The new coins and bank notes will not be taking the place of the current currency; they will be used alongside each other. The bank expects to issue notes in other denominations in the future.

The Hai Van Tunnel almost complete

Three years after construction started on the 251 million USD Hai Van Tunnel project, workers from the north and south ends of the tunnel joined each other at the middle. With the technical portion of the 6.7 kilometre tunnel now finished, we can expect the tunnel to be opened to traffic by late this year. The tunnel, which will be connected to the Hai Van Pass, was built to facilitate travel and ease traffic along this dangerous 20.5 kilometre stretch of road that runs from Danang to Lang Co in central Vietnam. The tunnel will also cut the distance from Danang to Lang Co by 9 kilometres.

Award for Hilton Hanoi Opera

The Hilton Hanoi Opera was recently voted 2003’s “Best Business Hotel in Vietnam” by Business Asia Magazine, beating out 40 other hotels in the country. The hotel first won this prestigious award in 2000. Award nominees are chosen from a panel of travel industry judges and winners are voted on by readers of the magazine.

A weekend getaway on Bon Island

The Evason Phuket Resort and Spa has extended its services to Bon Island. With only one suite available, a couple can come to the island to enjoy the master bedroom, modern amenities and a chef and host who are always available.