Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam 2012
P001 Our first meal in Vietnam, lunch in traditional Vietnamese cusine.
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P002 Vietnamese cuisine features a combination of five fundamental taste elements.
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P003 They are: spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (Earth).
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P004 Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables.
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P005 Looks like Chinese shrimp dumpling but doesn't have shrimp in it...
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P006 Vietnamese recipes utilize lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime and basil leaves.
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P007 Traditional Vietnamese cooking is admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables.
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P008 The warm weather and fertile soil of southern Vietnam create an ideal condition for growing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and livestock.
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P009 Foods in southern Vietnam are often vibrant and flavorful with liberal uses of garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs.
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P010 Foods in northern Vietnam are often less spicy than those in other regions.
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P011 The abundance of spices produced by central Vietnam’s mountainous terrain makes this region’s cuisine notable for its spicy food, which sets it apart from the...
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P012 Sugar is added to food in southern Vietnam more than in the other regions.
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P013 Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica (聖母院大教堂), officially Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
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P014 Established by French colonists, the cathedral was constructed between 1863-1880.
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P015 The total cost was 2,500,000 French francs at that time, excluding the two towers which were added later.
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P016 In 1960, the Vatican founded Roman Catholic dioceses in Vietnam and assigned archbishops to Hanoi, Huế and Saigon.
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P017 The cathedral was titled Saigon Chief Cathedral in 1962 by the Vatican, and conferred it the status of a basilica. From this time, this cathedral was called...
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P018 The cathedral foundation was designed to bear ten times the weight of the cathedral.
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P019 A peaceful Notre Dame statue made with ganite in Rome arrived in Saigon on Feb. 16, 1959 and since then the cathedral was called Notre-Dame Cathedral.
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P020 The church has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters (190 ft).
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