In Vietnam, today marks the beginning of Tet, a major celebration to herald the arrival of the new lunar year. With next door neighbor China playing a huge role in Vietnamese history, it’s no surprise that these two nations share a similar holiday. Yet Tet is not merely a fascimile of China’s vaunted festival and the Vietnamese people are proud of their unique and longstanding traditions.

The Tet celebrations in Vietnam last for three boisterous days. Like their counterparts in Chinese communities, Vietnamese cut their hair, clean and occasionally paint their homes, and cook up a feast – not a broom or a pot is touched during the official days of Tet. This might not be the best time to practice your bargaining in the markets – they’re teeming with shoppers purchasing flowers, food and trinkets for the holiday.

An offering for Tet (Source: Wikipedia)

Tet begins at midnight on the last day of the last lunar month. Once welcomed with an abundance of firecrackers, a rash of deaths resulted in a government crackdown on “celebratory incendiery devices” in 1995 and Tet is now ushered in with more of a whisper. But it doesn’t do much to quell the following day’s festivities – incensing burning, gambling on the street corners, and dragon dances as the sun goes down.

Tet is a time to spend at home, as visits to one’s family abode are popular during the three days. The first visitor has the greatest significance – with luck, the honored guest is rich or prestigious … or both! His or her status conveys luck on the family for the coming year. Following this guest comes a parade of relatives and friends, capping off with visits by teachers and business associates on the third day. The living aren’t the only ones paying visits during Tet, however; families set up and decorate elaborate altars in their homes in hopes of pleasing the spirits of deceased relatives who just might pop by.

Tet can be both a frustrating and rewarding time to visit Vietnam. While the transportation infrastructure both pre and post holiday can be a nightmare, the chance to witness the unbridled unenthusiasm of a populace as the welcome their new year is unparalleled.

Missed out on Tet this year – don’t fret! Contact an Asia360 travel specialist and plan your own Custom Indochina adventure.

There’s seemingly not much to draw travelers to this workaday section of Hue but for those in the know, the dusty city blocks hide some of the best examples of imperial garden houses. These oases of tranquility were the retreats of Hue’s upper crust – nobles, politicians and the occasional Confucian scholar. In the chaos of current-day Hue, it is still possible to stumble over one of the over 1700 garden homes if you’re willing to venture off the beaten path.

A creative appetizer at the Y Thao Garden Restaurant

While each garden bears the personality of its designer or the home’s owner, most are laid out according to a standard set of principles. The space is enclosed with a fence of some sort, though entrances are cut into both the front and back of the area. A binh phong (brick wall) protects the house from spirits and the elements; a large tree usually grows near the garden’s front gate; and a minh duong (water element) is placed somewhere amidst the tropical splendor. The garden’s flowers and trees are arranged in three layers - bamboo or plant hedges form the outer boundary, fruit trees in the middle provide both shade and sustenance, and flowers and decorative plants beautify the space nearest the house. 

A decade ago, one of the garden homes (Y Thao) began offering Imperial banquet style food to travelers with a bit extra in their budget. For $10 a person (a splurge in wallet-friendly Vietnam), Y Thao serves up a seven-course feast with dishes that replicate the menu of the old Imperial Court. Expect pineapple-bodied peacocks with crispy spring rolls as feathers, shrimp in a tangy sweet pepper and lime dip, and sesame garlic crusted beef. It may be a long walk back to your city center hotel, but by the end of this feast, you’ll be glad of the exercise.

Explore Hue’s garden homes on Asia 360′s EPIC Indochina trip.

Welcome to the year of the Rabbit! If, like me, you’re a tad late in getting out those New Year’s (oh, alright … Christmas) cards, your second chance comes early this February as Asian communities around the world prepare to celebrate the lunar new year. Often referred to simply as Chinese New Year, the lunar new year is actually celebrated by not only Chinese-speaking communities around the globe but countries with whom the Chinese once had a significant relationship, including Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

Lanterns hung for Chinese New Year at a Nagasaki Temple

Each year is represented by a different animal, with the cycle repeating every thirteenth year. This year’s representative is the rabbit, fourth in the animal lineup. Legend states that the order of animals for the Chinese zodiac was established as a result of the outcome of a footrace among wild creatures held by the Jade Emperor thousands of years ago. In Vietnam, however, the rabbit is replaced by the cat; the Chinese symbol for rabbit is pronounced almost exactly like the Vietnamese word for cat and over time, the hare was replaced in the Vietnamese lunar calendar.

A multitude of traditions exist to mark the lunar holiday.  Homeowners conduct a thorough cleaning of their abodes with the express purpose of sweeping away any lingering bad luck from the previous year. Windows and doors are decorated with red paper decorations, mostly signifying wealth and happiness. Children often receive money from their parents in special red-colored envelopes and people of all ages celebrate the holiday by setting off firecrackers and throwing parades.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Asia for the lunar new year, check out the following locales for some scintillating celebrations:

• Singapore – While the whole city sets aside time to celebrate, the best festivities are found in Chinatown. Craft booths sell calligraphy scrolls, emblazoned with requests for good fortune and happiness and the district’s best chefs cook up an amazing smorgasbord, with different foods for each of the fifteen days of the festival. Don’t miss the lion dance competition or the nightly fireworks displays. But leave the firecrackers at home – Singapore has instituted a state-wide ban.
• Penang – This might be Malaysia’s second smallest state, but it sure knows how to throw a huge new year’s party. Stop by George Town on February 12 for the cultural and heritage celebration, which showcases crafts, food and traditional Chinese music. Afterwards, head out to the Kek Lok Si Temple for a light display encompassing more than 10,000 lanterns.
• Macau – This former Portuguese colony welcomes the new year with lions and long dragons dancing through its colonial streets. Festivities culminate with a Valentine’s Day-like celebration on the 15^th day of the first lunar month, when colorful lanterns illuminate the city and residents indulge in sweetened balls of glutinous rice said to bring good luck and prosperity.
• Yokohama – Japan’s second-largest city is home to the nation’s largest Chinatown, a community that enthusiastically welcomes the lunar new year with the clanging of symbols and gongs and lion and dragon dances on festival weekends. Chinese acrobats also perform and local eateries serve up traditional mooncakes.

Malaysian meat cups

So what, then, is the appeal of a cooking course? Short cooking classes around the globe are all the rage right now, targeting the epicurean tourist who wants to know a little bit more about what ends up on their plate while traveling. But why spend several hours of vacation time with perfect strangers, pounding meat and dicing vegetables and basically paying someone else to slave away in their kitchen? And knowing my abilities – recipe or no – it’s a sure bet I won’t be preparing these dishes upon my return.

Vietnamese fried spring rolls

The ready answer would be that I’m in it for the food. Absolutely – who doesn’t love to chow down on the fruits of their labor? But more than the final meal, cooking courses open up that special window into a foreign culture. You learn about food customs, food culture, the life of your host, the lives of your cooking buddies, and maybe – if you’re lucky and talented enough – you’ll learn how to peel a tomato skin to look like a decorative rose. (I’m still working on that last …)

The following are a selection (based on personal experience) of cooking courses around Asia that will both tempt your taste buds and give you a vacation experience beyond the everyday …

• Hidden Hanoi’s gleaming kitchen hides in an overgrown oasis on the northern edge of the Vietnamese capital. Learn to whip up your favoritite street food staples like bun cha, BBQ pork and fried spring rolls.
• Malaysia is a melting pot for food and the Lazat Cooking School in Kuala Lumpur pays homage to her homeland’s diversity with six different menus for guests to choose from. From Malaysian to Thai to Indian or Chinese, chef/owner Ana enthusiastically guides amateur cooks from ingredient prep to final tasting.
• A lot of hand gestures (and patience) may be needed to communicate, but the staff at the Togakushi Soba Museum in Nagano Prefecture is more than willing to impart the secret of good soba (buckwheat noodles) to Japanese visitors and foreigners alike. Spend an hour learning to knead, roll and cut soba dough before chowing down on what’s you’ve prepared … don’t forget the wasabi!

What’s your favorite food-related experience while traveling in Asia?

Find them by visiting www.asia360travel.com and clicking on “Destinations.”  Choose a region and trip, then click on the “Local360°” tab underneath the photo:

Look for the Local360° tab on each trip page (circled here in red) for fun facts, travel tips, recipes, and more.