Exploring the land of martial arts in festive time

      Local people in Binh Dinh Province are busier than ever this time as the festive air in this land of martial arts is getting hotter as the Tay Son-Binh Dinh Festival is only four days away.
For the forthcoming festival, which runs until August 3, a series of artistic and architectural works such as Quang Trung Museum, Temple of Admiral Bui Thi Xuan, the Twin Tower park and an artistic fountain on 28,600 square meters on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street have been restored and constructed.
A 180-page handbook on Binh Dinh's tourism in three languages of English, Chinese and Vietnamese and a 30-page manual in English and Vietnamese featuring 15 tourism destinations in Binh Dinh Province have also been published and hit bookstores countrywide and the tourism spots, hotels and travel agents, Binh Dinh newspaper reports.
Main events will include Tay Son martial arts, King Quang Trung battle drum performance, Miss Martial Lands pageant, and a classical drama performance highlighting the distinctions of the province.
There will be an incense and flower offering ritual at Tay Son sanctuary on August 1, and a drama with over 700 artists playing the roles of King Quang Trung and troops in the Tay Son uprising to remind visitors of a glorious time in Vietnam's history.
Binh Dinh is a coastal province with a rich seafood reserves for delicious and nutritious dishes. Therefore, tourists wandering to the land during this festive time should also not forget tasting the specialties of this area such as Chim mia (sugarcane bird), Nem Cho Huyen (fermented pork of Huyen market), bun Song Than (Song Than rice vermicelli), and banh it la gai (sticky rice cake with coconut or green bean stuffing wrapped in pinnate leaf).
As Tay Son is a sugarcane-growing area, sugarcane birds in big flocks often gather there and the locals catch the birds to make the special dish. The birds are roasted and should be used with Bau Da rice alcohol, a special drink from Bau Da Village of Binh Dinh Province.
Nem Cho Huyen is also another must-try when coming to this land. The specialty comes from Vinh Thanh hamlet, Phuoc Loc Commune, Tuy Phuoc District, and making the specialty is a tradition passed from generations to generations.
In this area, the fermented pork wrapped in guava and banana leaves is the popular finger food of the locals and it stands out from other nem in other areas for its not - so - tender, not - so - sweet flavor.
Bun Song Than (rice vermicelli from the river of deity) is also another traditional specialty of this land. The rice vermicelli is made by locals of An Thai Village of An Nhon District in the province.
It is said that the kings of the Nguyen Dynasty found this specialty so delicious that they summoned the craftspeople making this specialty to the former capital city in Hue to make the dish. However, without the water of the Kon river, which is also called the river of deity, the dish lost its special taste.
Before leaving the province, tourists could buy some banh it la gai as a gift for their families and friends. This cake is made from sticky rice and sugar wrapped in pinnate leaves and stuffed with coconut or green bean. It is a rural and simple cake but it could not be left out in the special days of the locals such as Tet holiday, death anniversary or wedding.