Monday, May 2, 2011

Cholon the Chinatown

Cholon's main traffic circle roundabout was so large and to cross over from one end to another needs a good marathon sprint.

Statue of Phan Dinh Phung,the great Vietnamese revolutionary rebel leader who wanted to oust the French colonial forces stands elegantly near the central entry point.

Born in 1847 and died at a tender age of 48 due to dysentry,he was a prominent Confucian court scholar. Unfortunately Phan's remains were disturbed after his death.

Ngo Dinh Kha, a Catholic mandarin and father of Ngo Dinh Diem—the first President of South Vietnam—was a member of the French colonial administration.
Kha had Phan's tomb exhumed and used the remains in gunpowder used for executing revolutionaries.
 In order to honour Phan,the Marxist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh named their self-produced style of grenades after him.





Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) is a modern skyscrapper overlooking some of the older colonial buildings.
The biggest commercial bank in Vietnam with an operating network of 2,300 branches and transaction offices nationwide.

Agribank signed agreements with Phongsavanh Bank - Laos, Acleda Bank - Cambodia, Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), Bank of China (BOC), China Construction Bank (CCB), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on cross border payment from which customers and all parties benefit.

At the end of 2009, total assets of Agribank reached VND 479,000 billion, an increase of 22% compared with 2008; total funding resources reached VND 434,331 billion, and total outstanding loans to the economy reached VND 354,112 billion, of which outstanding loans to agricultural and rural areas was VND 242,062 billion.






Dai The Gioi Water Parks is just beside a new expressway and nearby is the meandering river.
Busloads of school children have just arrived and the facilities inside looked gorgeous.
The afternoon was very hot and going for a dip in the pool should be wonderful.
The water theme park is a short distance before the Cholon traffic circle and beside the Tau Hu Channel river area in Ben Ham Tu Ward 6,District 5 Ho Chi Minh City.
Entry fees between 25,000 VND - 50,000 VND.



Facilities here includes indoor swimming pool, hydro massage bath has many resources, a wet sauna (separate male and female separately) within the pool area and the slides.

 Along Ben Ham Tu Road,there's nothing much to see and less traffic.

Businesses along this stretch deals with toiletries, bathroom wares and fixtures,renovation and flooring shops,carpentry woodwork and iron grills.






Jollibee-a Philippines fast food restaurant chain giant is at the corner junction along Tran Hung Dao with Nguyen Bieu.

The food at Jollibee is definitely an interesting combination of both American and Filipino food fused together for a unique experience for your taste buds.

Jollibee started in Cubao,Quezon City Philippines by Tony Tan Caktiong,a Filipino Chinese entrepreneur whose ancestors were from the Fujian Province,China.





Chua Long An Buddhist temple is inside this alley.
This entrance is two blocks from the American International School (AIS)[Trường Quốc tế Mỹ AIS],a private, coeducational school that offers an educational program from kindergarten through grad 12.
The address is Nguyen Van Cu Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1,off Tran Hung Dao Road.





A statue of a standing Buddha greeting dwellers in this community as one passes the alley.










Buddhist flags were seen hung all around the temple gearing up for the Wesak Day celebration which falls on the 17th May.
Wesak day is "Buddha's Birthday".



























A pagoda shrine inside the temple's compound.












In Buddhism, the swastika signifies auspiciousness and good fortune as well as the Buddha's footprints and the Buddha's heart.

The swastika is said to contain the whole mind of the Buddha and can often be found imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of Buddha images.
 It is also the first of the 65 auspicious symbols on the footprint of the Buddha.





 Altar of the past Abbot memorial.













The minority races in Vietnam also have their fair share of religious practise.
The Hindu Temple along Phan Van Tri near to An Binh Hospital.





















Hai Nam Temple,a place for the Hainanese chinese along Tran Hung Dao Road.













Benh Vien-An Binh Hospital is a very large medical care centre.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Wall Street Securities Joint-Stock Company,Vietnam

The Ho Chi Minh City branch of Wall Street Securities Joint-Stock Company is at No. 255, Tran Hung Dao St., District 1, HCM City

 It is in the HMTD building.(HMTD tòa nhà văn phòng)
The head office is at :No. 212, Tran Quang Khai St., (No. 1, Le Phung Hieu St.,),Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam.
The company's main theme is"A class of Properity" (Dang cap của sự thịnh vuợng)
Wall Street Securities Joint Stock Company (WSS) shareholders were Cable and Telecom Materials Joint Stock Company and Duc Giang Garment Company, and individuals who have many experiences in finance – banking sector.

Besides, WSS also attracts many strategic interests from domestic as well as global financial institutions. In this same building is the Kim Eng Securities Ho Chi Minh head office located on the first floor,with branches in Chinatown near Cholon,Hanoi,Hai Phong,Danang & Angiang.


Kim Eng Securities is Asia's leading investment broker with its homebase in Singapore.
 Foreigners wishing to invest in the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchane (HOSE) are required to register through a custodian licensed bank namely: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Deutsche Bank AG and Standard Chartered Bank.
Currently the local stock market is in a very bearish mode as seen in the technical chart.
The market has been slumping since it's high registered on the 2/03/07 @ 1,147.66 and went into a suicidal mode on the 23/2/09 @ 243.81 points.
Vietnam's financial market is the first to undergo tremendous correction while global markets are skyrocketing.
Some brokerage houses are in a dire state so it's a golden opportunity for foreigners to snap up some of these companies as given time,Vietnam will be the first to recover and will become an Asian Dragon next to China as their chart pattern is similar to that of the Shanghai Stock Exchange which is hoovering bearishly. **Listed stocks

 
The entrance arc with a multi-storey tower.
The owner of the land possibly a local ethnic Chinese has rented out be be used as  motorcycles parking area and some food stalls.
 
The structure and architecture design is so unique but the place looks neglected. The oval entrance is majestically grand.The owner must have a belief of Chinese "feng-shui"
The front door is the most important element of good feng shui.It allows energy to flow freely thereby bringing postivie changes,good luck and wealth.
You'll noticed that the top first storey is an octagonal opening and the Chinese called it "pak kwa"
The Feng Shui Talisman, called Pak Kwa, represents the union of Feng Shui with I Ching (The Oracle of Change).
The talisman is represented by the symbol Yin Yang (Tao) surrounded by 8 trigrams. In Feng Shui, it is said that Pak Kua keeps away evil. It is often found hanging at the door and inside the house to bring good luck and dispel disaster.






Inside view of the arch entrance compound acting as motorcycle parking ground.

Motorcycles are still the dominant means of transport in Vietnam.The 125cc categories are most sought after.
It is illegal for a foreigner to own a motorbike in Vietnam. However, it can be registered in a Vietnamese persons name. You will still need the papers to prove to the police (if you get pulled over) that the bike is not stolen.
If you do get pulled over by Police and don’t have any papers, they may turn a blind eye in the way of a bribe. Worst-case scenario is that they confiscate your motorbike and you’re left in the middle of nowhere with your ride impounded.

 “Motorbike for Rent” signs are lined up all along Pham Ngu Lao, De Tham, and Bui Vien streets. VND50,000 (just over US$3),one can easily rent for the day.




Vietnamese primary school students having their morning physical education.
 The school uniforms are similar to those schools in mainland China.








 The school motto:"mot nhan cach tot se duoc nay no trong.."It's about Dignity and well being.












"Cong Truong Em Sach Deo-An Toan"--Safe Child Policy










 Taxi fare: from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Ho Chi Minh city centre is about $4.00 USD.
The most reliable cab companies in Ho Chi Minh City are Mai Linh Taxi, Vina Taxi, or Vinasun.








 Important telephones in Ho Chi Minh City:
HCM Airport: tel (848) 8443179
HCM Railway: tel (848) 8436527
English Paging service: Tel: (848)105
Ambulance: Tel: (848) 115
Police: Tel: 113
Area code for Ho Chi Minh City: 08 (drop the zero when calling from abroad)

Friday, April 29, 2011

Tran Hung Dao's road to Cholon.

Tran Hung Dao Road,the main arterial road of the city which is a few metres towards the right from Crazy Buffalo Bar & Restaurant junction.

Vietnamese and Thailand's time are the same.As early as 6am,the street is already bustling with heavy traffics.








A very clean and pleasant   five foot walkway with all the nice shady tress lining the streets.

This road was named after General Tran Hung Dao, a national hero who defeated the Mongols Invasion in 1285.

Every February at the Cua Ong Temple,Quang Ninh Province( 50km from the centre of Halong city) there will be a festival in memory of Tran Quoc Tang who is the third son of General Tran Hung Dao who defeated many enemies and brought peace to the region during the 13th century. 

Buses on this side goes to Cholon bus terminal while across the road on the other side are buses returning to Benthanh Market terminal.



 For Muslim travelers there's a mosque along Tran Hung Dao for them to perform their "solat" prayers.

This is Thanh Duong Jamiul Islamiah Mosque at 459b Tran Hung District 1.

 As the case of "halal"food (no pork involve) for Muslim,there are also Muslim restaurants around.

 Islam in Vietnam is primarily the religion of the Cham people, a minority ethnic group related to Malays especially around the region of Chau Doc in the Southwest quite related to Kampong Cham people in Cambodia.

The ancestors of the Cham probably migrated from the island of Borneo and they are probably remnants of the Kingdom of Champa (7th to 15th centuries). Approximately 4,000 Chams also live in Thailand; many of whom have moved south to the Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala, and Songkhla Provinces for work.

Cham form the core of the Muslim communities in both Cambodia and Vietnam.






Along the same stretch from the mosque nearby is a Chinese temple.
Tran Hung Dao Road is a very straight stretch of road and Cholon is about 6km from this point.

 To avoid the hassle of road crossing due to a chaotic traffic,one can hop into a local bus with route displayed costing about $0.3/ticket for a person (VND4000~5000), a visitor can travel as far as 15km.





Discovered this only stall along the side street after 15 minutes of walking.
Having breakfast with noodles- "Pho Bo" for 17,000Dong.









Along this side alley is where the seating area is located.











A very unique building just beside the seating area.

Looks like a French architecture.












 "BEATI MORTUI QUI DOMINO MORIUNTUR" This is a Latin word which means "Blessed are (the dead) which die in the (grace of) Lord".







"A Mass of Requiem and the Office of the Dead were said by the community. Please continue to keep him in your prayers."












  A gated entrance and there were also Chinese wording inscription on the side walls.













The inside view.










VINH DANH THIEN CHOA TREN TROI (Glory to God In Heaven)
 BINH AN DUOI THE CHO (Peace to mankind) TUI THIEN TAM (My Kindess)










CHO HOA BINH market is slightly near the riverside off Tran Hung Dao where another short walk further up will be the 5th District of Ho Chi Minh City,Cholon-the largest Chinatown of Vietnam.

The advetisement on VOCA brand refined sesame cooking oil.
Can be used in food industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics making.






Chợ cá Hòa Bình là một trong những khu chợ cá đầu mối của thành phố
(This is one of the fish market area of the city's focal point)
 Hòa Bình means Peace.