Series

Le Têt, nouvel An vietnamien marque aussi le début du printemps.

Chaque maison se doit de posséder un vase de  "hoa mai", fleurs de pêcher au Sud ou de "hoa dao", fleurs de prunier au Nord, avec l'espérance que la floraison arrive le premier jour de l'an. 

Il ne saurait aussi manquer un plateau de fruits, offrandes sur l'autel des ancêtres.

C'est le temps d'un retour aux traditions où les jeunes filles revêtent la robe ao dai  pour une promenade en ville au festival des fleurs avec des séances de photos entre amis ou en famille.

 

This trip took place in Laos in 2009. The photos of this travel book were taken with the Olympus E420, an ideal traveling companion.
For two weeks, I headed from Vientiane to the north, near the Chinese border via Vang Vien, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Muang La, Phongsaly. The return allowed me to visit Nong Kiaw, wonderful site on the river of the same name.

Some vivid memories:
- Photo laos_2009_road_to_phongsaly_3: symbiosis between man and nature with the fields at the foot of the mountains covered by the jungle

- Photo laos_2009_lpb_oudomxay_5: the universal and since the dawn of time toy.
- Photo laos_2009_luangprabang_5: the piety of the Laotian people to Buddha not only to Luang Pra Bang, but throughout the country

You can also watch the fine art prints about Laos here

Traditional dance is an essential part of the culture of Vietnam. Any festival or cultural event includes a dance always appreciated by the public.

The costumes (including the famous ao dai) worn by the dancers reflect the variety of regions and ethnic groups that make up the country. The accessories play an equally important role: straw hat, fans, scarves...

The choreography displays often the gestures of daily life in the countryside or can tell historical facts.The photos below show the grace and charm of these dances.

Here are some explanations
- Photo 02: Dancers in blue ao dai: this is typically the color to symbolize the South of Vietnam
- Photos 05, 06: the hat is called Tho hat and is not tapered. The costumes are from the North.
- Photo 11: the costume is inspired by that of the mountaineers.

The island of Phu Quoc, the largest island of Vietnam, is still quite preserved from urbanization and uncontrolled development. You can still drive on the road without meeting a soul. Near Cambodia, visible from the north coast of the island, it was previously owned by this kingdom.

The island served as refuge to Prince Nguyen Anh, later Emperor Gia Long, during the Tay Son rebellion in 1771.

This series of pictures reflects the peaceful atmosphere that you can feel after the sunset.