EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 1-10 (daily updated) Introduction of Photo Book Hà Nội CAPITAL City & TP. Hồ Chí Minh MEGA CITY Sun 08 Mar 2015, 10 am Salon văn hóa Cà Phê Thứ bảy The book launch also takes place in Hanoi on 06 Mar. From Goethe Institut: Hanoi, city of the rising dragon, has a history stretching back for a thousand years. All significant turning points in Vietnam’s history have left their mark on the city. Hanoi has kept its soul. Visitors sense it as well, the marked contrast to other Southeast Asian cities with their freeways and concrete jungles, marvelling at Hanoi’s many squares and small parks, the tree-lined avenues with their leafy canopies, the bustling neighbourhoods and the endless stream of motorbikes. Hanoi’s growth and economic development is at a crossroads, though. How can Hanoi position itself as a world-class city in global competition without giving up its rich cultural and urban-architectural heritage? The city has further to live up to the demands of the higher living standards of its citizens; has to cope with the constant migration of the rural population to the city; overcome its traffic problems and, last but not least, provide an attractive location for international investors and knowledge-based industries. The challenge for Hanoi is to build on its uniqueness under global competition, instead of just falling back on it. Michael Waibel is a senior researcher and project leader in urbanism at the Department for Geography of the University of Hamburg. In early 2014, he has already published the highly successful photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City” together Henning Hilbert from Vietnamese-German University (VGU). The second book of this series introducing now about Hanoi’s recent urban development has an attractive coffee table book format and has been published in three languages, in Vietnamese, German and English. It contains over 600 photos illustrating the multi-facetted and vibrant city from a variety of perspectives – from bird’s eye views to portraits of its inhabitants. In addition to the visual illustrations, this publication has assembled some essays by Hanoi residents who share their personal perspective and reflect diverse, multigenerational points of view. This may contribute to a comprehensive picture of this city. The whole publication is targeting a wide audience. The work is based on many years of academic work stretching back till the late 1990s. Among other it got funded by the German National Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the initiative “Research for Sustainable Megacities of Tomorrow” . Further, a series of conferences in cooperation with the Goethe Institute have been organized, which dealt with urban sustainability issues, green housing, green growth or most recently with creative hubs and urban development. During the launching event the editor Michael Waibel will highlight the rationale behind the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“. Further Henning Hilbert will introduce about the 2nd edition of the photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City”. A more academic input will be provided by Dr. Hung Do Phu, Dean of the Faculty of Urban Planning, Ho Chi Minh University of Architecture. He will give a talk about challenges of sustainable urban development in Vietnam. Both photo books can be purchased after the talk, and there will be two complimentary copies of each book disbursed to the lucky winners of a draw. Last but not least, a series of select photos illustrating the recent urban development of Vietnam’s capital city will be exhibited. Event Schedule Short Movie briefly introducing about the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“ Introduction & Greeting Representative of Goethe Institute Vietnam Hanoi: Challenges of sustainable urban development in Vietnam Expert talk by Dr. Hung Do Phu, Dean of the Faculty of Urban Planning, Ho Chi Minh University of Architecture The Rationale behind the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“ The editor Dr. Michael Waibel, Department of Geography, Hamburg University Introduction of the 2nd edition of photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City“ The co-editor Mr. Henning Hilbert, Vietnamese-German University (VGU) Lottery drawing of two complimentary copies of the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“ and of the 2nd edition of the photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City“ Representative of AUDI Vietnam Photo exhibition “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City” and Reception Total duration: about 90 minutes Languages: English / Vietnamese. Free admission. Bibliographical Information Waibel, M. (ed.) (2015) Hà Nội: CAPITAL City. Sách ảnh / Fotobuch / Photo Book. 1st edition. Fine Art Publishing House, Hanoi, Vietnam, 308 pages. ISBN 978-604-78-1965-2. Waibel, M. & H. Hilbert (eds.) (2015) TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City. Sách ảnh / Photo Book. 2nd updated edition. Book series PAZIFIK FORUM of the Association of Pacific Studies; Volume 15. Fine Art Publishing House, Hanoi / Vietnam, 208 pages. ISBN: 978-604-78-2038-2. The Hanoi photo book has been officially endorsed by: Vietnam Urban Development Agency at National Ministry of Construction (VUDA) Hanoi Urban Planning Institute (HUPI) Hanoi University of Architecture (HAU) Institute of Tropical Architecture (ITA-HAU) Vietnamese German University (VGU) Institut des Métiers de la Ville de Hanoi (IMV) HanoiKultour Co., Ltd Association of Pacific Studies (APSA e.V.) Salon văn hóa Cà Phê Thứ bảy First Floor, Trung Nguyên Café, 19b Pham Ngoc Thach, HCMC Film Screening “When the Autumn Sunlight Comes” Thu 05 Mar 2015, 7.30 pm Hanoi Cinematheque 22A Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội Friends of Vietnam Heritage (FVH) would like to present to its members the screening of “When the autumn sunlight comes” or “Khi nắng thu về” – produced by Director Bui Trung Hai. When Autumn Sun Returns is, at heart, a story about growing up, stuffing up, and trying to make good in a harsh world. We first meet Trung in Autumn in a very recognisable modern-day Hanoi. He is young and confident, even a little reckless. Why shouldn’t he be? He has a beautiful girlfriend and just got himself a dream job as a TV presenter. But a quick succession of very believable events throws his life in to disarray. With help, he manages to pick himself up and dust himself off, only to fall again. Over the course of one formative year in Trung’s life, the film oscillates in this way between good and bad developments – including an awakening of some dark elements in Trung (reminiscent at times of Deniro in ‘Taxi Driver’). His life is balanced on a knife-edge. How will he end up by the time Autumn returns? This movie won the Gold Remi Award for First Feature Film at the 41st Houston Film Festival (USA – 2008), and was one of 5 Nominations for Best Feature Film at the 4th biennale Vietnam International Film Festival (Irvine, Los Angeles, USA – 2009). Language: Vietnamese with English subtitles – run time 103 minutes. Afterwards will be a question and answer session with Director Mr. Bui Trung Hai. Cost: 150,000vnd Limit: 90 participants To reserve seats contact: nguyenvu_nganhang@yahoo.com Your reservation is not confirmed until you receive our email. Please pick up and pay for your tickets on the evening of the event at the cinema (7:00 to 7:15 pm). As a courtesy to those on the waiting list please cancel if you can’t come (phone 090 602 0960). Reserved seating tickets are allocated on a first come – first served basis. We don’t pre-book seating but if you come early you can pick your favorite seats. Trinh Cong Son Music Night “Hạ Huyền 2″ (Dark Moon 2) Sat 07 Mar 2015, 8 pm L’Espace 24 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội Following the success of the concert “Ha Huyen” in 2012, Giang Trang is having her concert “Ha Huyen 2″ (Dark Moon 2) at L’Espace. In this concert, Giang Trang and other musicians will play music composed by Trinh Cong Son, a famous Vietnamese composer who was deeply influenced by Western music and created “sad melodies of yellow skin”. Ha Huyen 2, a collaboration between 16-string zither, piano and flute, will explore a different path leading to the sources of Trinh Cong Son’s music, in lighter and more whimsical tones. Unlike “Ha Huyen” with personal emotions, Ha Huyen 2 refers to someone who has found inner peace, but keeps looking towards the outside world. “Under Oriental and Western cultural heritage pierces Buddhist philosophy. “(Trinh Cong Son). Thanh Phuong: arrangement, guitar Giang Trang: voice Van Mai: 16 string zither Le Thu Huong: flute Trong Kieu: piano Tickets Ticket price: 160 000 VND Special price for members of L’Espace and students: 80 000 VND Tickets are available at L’Espace. Music Night “Awesome Tapes from Africa” Sat 07 Mar 2015, 8 pm      ATK 73a Mai Hac De, Hanoi CAMA ATK and MOON GRAMOPHONE are most ESTATIC to present a cassette-DJ set from the highly-in-demand AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA. FIRST TIME IN VIETNAM AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA (African-music cassette DJ set) “Armed with a suitcase full of highlife, fuji, benga, tsonga disco, soukous, hip-hop, rhumba and ethio-soul cassette tapes sourced on trips traveling across the African continent, his DJ sets epitomize the fun and vibrant spirit at the heart of any great party.” “Brian Shimkovitz is the driving force behind a blog called Awesome Tapes from Africa, a repository of cassette tapes from artists who remain almost wholly obscure in the west but are screaming out for greater attention. Visitors to the site are greeted with the scanned images of the cassette artwork and links to MP3s of all the music, as well as Shimkovitz’s own pithy commentary. Art Collector Club: Why and How to Start Collecting Fri 06 Mar 2015, 7 – 9 pm lAcA Cafe 2nd floor, 24 – 26 Ly Quoc Su, Hanoi On the occasion of the exhibition “Grapevine Selection – Volume 2″, we are organizing a “curator and collector talk” with the participation of established artist/curator Tran Luong, also one of the advisors of the exhibition, and Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh, economist, director of Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, also an art collector. Our Grapevine Selection exhibition series aims to promote young artists while contributing to develop a domestic art market in Vietnam. Therefore, together with the main showcase at the Fine Art Museum, we also put together a series of practical art talks with artists, curators, collectors, designers and architects in order to gather serious collectors and start forming a collector community in Hanoi in particular and in Vietnam in general. The first talk in the series will present an overview of art collection with the following main points: – What is collecting and what is it for? – This part will give audience the general idea about art collection and the reasons why people collect arts with definitions and examples of some famous collections in the world and in Vietnam. – How to begin your collection? – This part will present practical experience from an art collector and give the audience instructions on their very first steps of starting a collection for themselves. About the presenters: Tran Luong: artist, curator, co-founder of Nha San Collective, advisor of “Grapevine Selection – Volume 2″: Tran Luong is a pioneer in the Vietnamese contemporary arts scene and the best known curator from Vietnam. He has curated many exhibitions in Vietnam as well as internationally in Norway, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, etc., including the prestigious art showcase Singapore Biennale organized by Singapore Art Museum. Recently Tran Luong has also been awarded Prince Claus Award (Netherlands) for his pioneering work in culture and development in the region. Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh: art collector, economist, director of Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research: Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh is a respected economist, the founder and director of Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research. He received his PhD in Development Economics from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan, in 2008, and currently is also a member of the Macroeconomic Advisory Group for the Vietnam’s Prime Minister. Besides, he is an art collector by interest and has a valuable collection gathering artworks from Vietnamese and international artists. Ticket: This is a registration-required and ticketed event aiming to gather serious collectors. The fee is 200,000 VND including 1 drink. The number of participants is limited to 20. Please register at hanoigrapevine@gmail.com. Book Presentation and Expert Discussion: Michael Waibel (Hg): Hanoi – Capital City Fri 06 Mar 2015, 6 pm Goethe-Institut Hanoi 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi Hanoi, city of the rising dragon, has a history stretching back for a thousand years. All significant turning points in Vietnam’s history have left their mark on the city. Hanoi has kept its soul. Visitors sense it as well, the marked contrast to other Southeast Asian cities with their freeways and concrete jungles, marvelling at Hanoi’s many squares and small parks, the tree-lined avenues with their leafy canopies, the bustling neighbourhoods and the endless stream of motorbikes. Hanoi’s growth and economic development is at a crossroads, though. How can Hanoi position itself as a world-class city in global competition without giving up its rich cultural and urban-architectural heritage? The city has further to live up to the demands of the higher living standards of its citizens; has to cope with the constant migration of the rural population to the city; overcome its traffic problems and, last but not least, provide an attractive location for international investors and knowledge-based industries. The challenge for Hanoi is to build on its uniqueness under global competition, instead of just falling back on it. Michael Waibel is a senior researcher and project leader in urbanism at the Department for Geography of the University of Hamburg. In early 2014, he has already published the highly successful photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City” together Henning Hilbert from Vietnamese-German University (VGU). The second book of this series introducing now about Hanoi’s recent urban development has an attractive coffee table book format and has been published in three languages, in Vietnamese, German and English. It contains over 600 photos illustrating the multi-facetted and vibrant city from a variety of perspectives – from bird’s eye views to portraits of its inhabitants. In addition to the visual illustrations, this publication has assembled some essays by Hanoi residents who share their personal perspective and reflect diverse, multigenerational points of view. This may contribute to a comprehensive picture of this city. The whole publication is targeting a wide audience. The work is based on many years of academic work stretching back till the late 1990s. Among other it got funded by the German National Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the initiative “Research for Sustainable Megacities of Tomorrow”. Further, a series of conferences in cooperation with the Goethe Institute have been organized, which dealt with urban sustainability issues, green housing, green growth or most recently with creative hubs and urban development. During the launching event the editor Michael Waibel will highlight the rationale behind the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“. Further Henning Hilbert will introduce about the 2nd edition of the photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City”. A more academic input will be provided by Dr. Hoang Manh Nguyen, Director of the Institute of Tropical Architecture, Hanoi University of Architecture. He will give a talk about challenges of sustainable urban development in Vietnam. Both photo books can be purchased after the talk, and there will be two complimentary copies of each book disbursed to the lucky winners of a draw. Last but not least, a series of select photos illustrating the recent urban development of Vietnam’s capital city will be exhibited. Languages: English-Vietnamese Free Admission Event Schedule • Short Movie briefly introducing about the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“ • Introduction & Greeting Dr. Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch, Director of the Goethe Institute Vietnam • Greeting Dr. Tran Quoc Thai, Deputy Director General, Vietnam Urban Development Agency (VUDA) (tbc) • Hanoi: Challenges of sustainable urban development of Vietnam’s capital city Expert talk by Dr. Hoang Manh Nguyen, Director of the Institute of Tropical Architecture, Hanoi University of Architecture • The Rationale behind the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“ The editor Dr. Michael Waibel, Department of Geography, Hamburg University • Introduction of the 2nd edition of photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City“ The co-editor Mr. Henning Hilbert, Vietnamese-German University (VGU) • Lottery drawing of two complimentary copies of the photo book “Hà Nội: CAPITAL City“ and of the 2nd edition of the photo book “TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City“ Dr. Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch • Photo exhibition “ Hà Nội: CAPITAL City” and Reception Total duration: about 90 minutes. Languages: English / Vietnamese. The Hanoi photo book has been officially endorsed by: • Vietnam Urban Development Agency at National Ministry of Construction (VUDA) • Hanoi Urban Planning Institute (HUPI) • Hanoi University of Architecture (HAU) • Institute of Tropical Architecture (ITA-HAU) • Vietnamese German University (VGU) • Institut des Métiers de la Ville de Hanoi (IMV) • HanoiKultour Co., Ltd Association of Pacific Studies (APSA e.V.) Film Screening “La Stratégie de la Poussette” Fri 06 Mar 2015, 8 pm L’Espace 24 Trang Tien, Hanoi     You are invited to the film screening “The Stroller Strategy” (French, 2012, 90 mins) directed by Clément Michel. This is “a romantic comedy of the year, only for two people!”. For more information about synopsis, please see L’Espace website (in French) or refer to the Vietnamese version of this post. Language: French with Vietnamese subtitle. Tickets Ticket price: 40 000 VND Special price for members of L’Espace and students: 20 000 VND Tickets are available at L’Espace. Exhibition “Harvest-Moon” Opening: Thu 05 Mar 2015, 6 pm Exhibition: 06 – 22 Mar 2015, 9 am – 9 pm Goethe-Institut Hanoi 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi During harvest time the moon over Vietnam changes his appearance bizarrely. The heat of the day, dust and fires of rice harvest keep the air constantly moving – a source of inspiration for husband-and-wife artists Christiane Campioni and Tobias Küster Campioni. “Harvest-Moon” – an exhibition focused on Vietnam, the country in which both get to know each over 10 years ago. Since 2011 they present their work at a small gallery in Erfurt. The moon is reduced to a circle as the basic element and visually claimed in a square made of lacquer on metal. These materials are used in traditional Vietnamese lacquer painting. The utilization of metal – as a symbol for the western origin of the artists – a new artistically way is involved in the traditionally technique. Circle and Square as basic geometrical elements signify movement and peace. Christiane Campioni was born 1976 in Erfurt. After graduating her studies in preservation and restauration of art and cultural assets in Dresden, she studied in Hanoi and acquired the craft of traditional Vietnamese lacquer painting. She also published a guide for the profession as restaurateur. Since 2009 Christiane and her husband Tobias have been working with the “liquid metal”. Tobias Küster Campioni was born 1976 in Brühl. He received 2005 the price for architecture of the Technical University Dresden because of outstanding performance (urban development). As an international Designer for prestigious buildings he is also working for big Hotel chains. Since 2014 he is guest lecturer for interior architecture at the Hanoi Architectural University in Vietnam. Exhibition “Painting en Plein Air in America” Opening: Sun 01 Mar 2015, 4 pm Exhibition: 01 – 11 Mar 2015, 10 am – 6 pm 31 – 33 Hàng Đồng Str, Hanoi For the first time “En plein air” landscapes of America by a Vietnamese artist-on-a-bicycle will be exhibited in the ancient downtown of Hanoi. Sixty-seven oil paintings by Trinh Lu, created between July and December of 2014 with his minimalist studio-on-a-bicycle and capturing the landscapes of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be on display in a private hall at 31-33 Hang Dong Street which, to date, has been maintained as an auditorium exclusively for international Buddhist venerables and local congregations. These paintings will be accompanied by the artist’s own stories of their creation told in a 170-page book titled “Painting en plein air– 2014 Diary” and just published by Phuong Nam Book and the Viet Nam Writers’ Association Publishing House. VNN

Yen Tu festival starts, visitors enjoy bird's eye views   Dong pagoda in Yen Tu relic site (Source: VNA)                                    The Yen Tu Festival, one of the country's most famous spring festivals, opened on February 28 in Thuong Yen Cong commune, Uong Bi city, northern Quang Ninh province. The festival is traditionally held on the 10th day of the Lunar New Year and runs until the end of the third lunar month. Bui Thi Kim Thuy, deputy head of the Yen Tu Relic and National Forest Management Board, said that this year's event will feature several new highlights, including hot-air balloon rides over the area. The new service, launched by the Hanoi-based Chien Thang Company, costs 200,000 VND (9 USD) for adults and 100,000 VND for children. Each balloon can carry three adults and six children (equivalent to 500kg). Tourists will receive safety instructions before they take a ride. "We hope it will be an interesting experience and attract more tourists," Thuy said. The festival opening also included the hoisting of a 25.5m-long and 20m-wide Buddhist flag, which will fly between the peaks of Chua and Giai Oan mountains. Known as the country's biggest Buddhist flag, it will fly for 10 days displaying five colours that represent the solidarity and unity of Buddhism across five continents. Another highlight will be a photo exhibition depicting the area taken by veteran artist Do Giang, who is known for his aerial pictures of Ha Long Bay. A spring flowers festival was opened on the day to add more colour to the event. As a prelude to the festival, a ritual was held to officially open the forest in Yen Tu on February 27, along with a variety of folk games. The roads to Yen Tu are already packed with pilgrims and tourists, who are eager to greet the start of the festival today.  This has led to traffic jams on several sections of the routes leading to Yen Tu Mountain and Hoa Yen Pagoda, where part of the festival is being held. Yen Tu has been considered one of the country's Buddhist hubs since Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran Dynasty, founded "Thien Truc Lam Yen Tu", Vietnam's hallmark Buddhist meditation sect. The king and his two successors built hundreds of pagodas and shrines throughout the Yen Tu complex, including famous structures which boast thousands of prized statues and artefacts. Provincial authorities started preparing a dossier for UNESCO recognition of the complex as a World Heritage Site in December last year. The area has a beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with the surrounding ancient pagodas and heritages. Yen Tu was officially listed as a special national relic site in September 2012, and has been declared one of the 10 most attractive spiritual destinations in Vietnam by the Vietnam Records Organisation. The area received nearly 300,000 domestic and foreign tourists during the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday. This year's Yen Tu Festival is expected to receive over two million visitors, including 2,500 Buddhist pilgrims.-VNA

HIV egg rumours dismissed   A tiny dark spot found in peeled boiled eggs have sparked rumours of HIV contamination that health experts have flatly rejected. - Photo An Ninh Thu Do HA NOI (VNS) - An official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has rejected a rumour surfacing in the social media that Chinese chicken eggs sold in Viet Nam have been injected with blood contaminated with Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV). The official said the rumour was groundless, claiming that the virus could not survive in eggs. Social media photos (see picture) show boiled eggs peeled to reveal a tiny dark hole looking like an injection shot. The spot cannot be confused with red fertility spots that appear in the yokes of fertilised eggs. An Ninh Thu Do newspaper (Capital Security) spoke to Nguyen Van Trong, vice director of the agriculture ministry's Department of Animal Husbandry. He said that it was easy to inject substances into an egg, but he could not see any reason for anyone to do so. Trong noted that this was not the first time rumours had affected the sale of farm products from China. He said that under current regulations, all poultry and poultry eggs went through veterinary checks before reaching market. The newspaper also quoted Nguyen Duy Thinh, an expert formerly at the Ha Noi University of Technology's Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology. Thinh said chicken eggs could not be contaminated with HIV because the virus could not exist outside the human body. Asked about the possible reasons for the spot in the egg, he said it could possibly be due to the improper storage of eggs, genetic mutation or due to certain chemicals in the chicken feed. - VNS

Nine dishes foreign tourists should not miss in Vietnam Banh mi, pho bo, cao lau, banh xeo, and che are the dishes praised by foreign visitors for their special taste. Pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)   The extremely popular traditional dish is hailed by foreign tourists as a symbol of Vietnam cuisine and occupies a small corner in the heart of gourmets worldwide. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguini-shaped rice noodles called banh pho, a few herbs, and meat. It is primarily served with either beef or chicken. Pho originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam. Because pho's origins are poorly documented, there is significant disagreement over the cultural influences that led to its development in Vietnam, as well as the etymology of the word itself. Pho cuon (Vietnamese rice noodle rolls)   Pho Cuon consists of a slightly cooked rice paper shell the same thickness as a Pho noodle. Inside this soft shell is a selection of herbs and greens - mainly cilantro, mustard leaf, and lettuce - and thinly sliced beef that have been cooked with garlic and generous amounts of pepper. It is served cold with a bowl of fish sauce, garlic, carrots, radish, vinegar, boiled water, chili and sugar for dipping. Cao lau   The famous dish in the ancient town of Hoi An is also commendable. It is the perfect combination of yellow noodles, shrimp, pork, local herbs, bean sprouts, pork skin, fried leaves and very little broth. Bun cha   This is a dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork over a plate of white rice noodles and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. Banh mi   The Vietnamese sandwich combines ingredients from the French (baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise) with native Vietnamese ingredients, such as cilantro, cucumber, jalapeno, and pickled carrots and daikon. Banh khot (Mini fried rice pancakes)   One of most popular dishes from Southern Vietnam is banh khot. These pancakes are usually served with vegetables and sweet and sour sauce. To create one of delicious like this dish, all fresh ingredients are required such as fresh shrimps and vegetables. The sauce is also important to create the flavor for this dish. Banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes)   Banh xeo are Vietnamese savoury fried pancakes made of rice flour, water, turmeric powder, stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, diced green onion, and bean sprouts. Southern-style banh xeo contains coconut milk, and certain Central regions skip the turmeric powder altogether. They are served wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or banh trang wrappers, and stuffed with mint leaves, basil, fish leaf and/or other herbs, and dipped in a sweet and sour diluted fish sauce. In the Central region, the pancake is also dipped in a special sauce which consists of fermented soy bean and sticky rice sauce, ground pork liver, ground and toasted peanuts and seasonings. Bia hoi   Bia hoi is a type of draft beer popular in Vietnam. It is available throughout Vietnam. It is mostly to be found in small bars and on street corners. The beer is brewed daily, then matured for a short period and once ready each bar gets a fresh batch delivered every day in plastic jugs. It is a very light (~3% alcohol) refreshing lager at a fraction of the cost of draft or bottled beer in Western-style bars. Bia hoi production is informal and not monitored by any health agency. It is typically priced between VND3,000 and VND5,000 which is equivalent to US$15 cents to 24 cents per 12oz bottle, making it a fraction of the price of any western beer. Che   This is a Vietnamese term that refers to any traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup or pudding. Varieties of Che are made with mung beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, tapioca, jelly (clear or grass), fruit (longan, mango, durian, lychee or jackfruit), and coconut cream. Other types are made with ingredients such as salt, aloe vera, seaweed, lotus seed, sesame seed, sugar palm seeds, taro, cassava and pandan leaf extract. Some varieties, such as che troi nuoc, may also include dumplings. Che are often prepared with one of a number of varieties of beans, tubers, and/or glutinous rice, cooked in water and sweetened with sugar. In southern Vietnam, chè are often garnished with coconut cream. The preparations are named with adjectives that refer to a wide variety of distinct soups or puddings which may be served either hot or cold. Each variety of che is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word che, such as che dau do (red bean che). Che may be made at home, but are also commonly sold in plastic cups at Vietnamese grocery stores. Pha Le, VNN