Vietnam: Born of Fire and Water Quiz

Answer: Seven

Co Thach beach is approximately ninety kilometres from Phan Thiet City. The waters here are blue and crystal clear but the waves are strong. The beach, however, is characterized by its banks of stone of differing sizes and colours ground out over the centuries by the constant impacts of the tides. This rocky bank, which stretches for a little under a kilometre, is now treated as a reserve. Probably the best time to visit is in March or April. At this time of the year the tides will leave the rocks covered with bright green moss, adding another dimension to its multitude of colours.

There is also the opportunity here to sample the excellent produce from the area such as mango, pineapple and dragon fruit. The latter is interesting in that it is native to Central and South America but it is Vietnam's largest fruit export. The introduction of the fruit to Vietnam was cleverly done with the spreading of a legend that the fruit was created by dragons and when the monster breathed its fire the last thing to emerge from the dragon would be the fruit. The fruit, in turn, was highly prized by the Emperor.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Mekong

Historically the Mekong split into nine distributaries in Vietnam although now only seven still exist. The Mekong Delta is continually changing because of the forces of nature and of man. The Mekong is the breadbasket or more precisely rice basket of Vietnam, producing enough rice to feed the entire country and still have enough for export. Its biodiversity is also highly prized.

The delta has been inhabited since prehistory and has played a large role in the economy of Southeast Asia since humans have been present. It has also been fought over by Cambodia and Vietnam for centuries. During the Vietnam War it was a sanctuary for the Vietcong and led to the US Navy using Swift Boats to patrol its expanse.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Nha Trang

Ha Long and Hanoi are located in northern Vietnam. Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is an inland city situated on the banks of the Mekong River.

Long Son Pagoda is also known as the White Buddha Pagoda, or literally "The Dragon Mountain Pagoda". It features a 14 meter (46 foot) large white statue of Gautama Buddha sitting on a lotus blossom. A pair of 7.2 meter (23.6 foot) long dragons sit in front of the sculpture. Vinpearl operates a grand resort and amusement park on Bamboo Island, as well as a cable car system to ferry visitors between the island and the mainland. Po Nagar is a Cham temple complex founded around 781 AD and dedicated to Yan Po Nagar, the goddess of the country.

Nha Trang is one of the most important tourist destinations in Vietnam, thanks to its warm and beautiful climate, inviting beaches, and a rich variety of activities (in addition to the attractions listed above). The Tri Nguyen Aquarium features hundreds of rare oceanic species. The local bird's nest soup is held to be one of Vietnam's best. One can take a tender out into the bay, climb aboard a bamboo coracle, and the guide will paddle/pull one in to a floating restaurant to enjoy some of the freshest seafood around.

This question was crafted by Phoenix Rising member JCSon, who has fond memories of visiting Nha Trang back in 2008.

Answer: Hoi An

Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. This graceful city was once a major trading port and it still retains, as part of its legacy, many fine examples of Chinese temples, ancient tea warehouses and Japanese merchant houses. The covered bridge is a magnificent piece of Japanese architecture that dates back to the eighteenth century and is one of Vietnam's most iconic tourist attractions. Inside the bridge is a temple to the northern god Tran Vo Bac De, considered to be the God of Weather. The temple is there to pay him homage to ensure fair weather for the province. There is also a legend here that the temple was created to subdue the Mamazu Dragon monster. This dragon's head supposedly lies in India and its tail rests in Japan, Vietnam's neighbor. Whenever the dragon shakes its tail it creates earthquakes through the area. The bridge is intended to pin that tail down.

This is known as the Old Town area and is blessed with little traffic and almost no pollution. Times, however, are changing and with the growth of tourism in the area so is the call for hotels, bars and... tailor shops.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Dragon Edge, Dragon Belly

"Long" in Vietnamese means dragon. These two early names, whilst still under Chinese occupation, demonstrated the importance of the dragon in Vietnamese folklore. The current name, Hanoi, means "inside river". Today Hanoi is a modern, vibrant capital city with a Metropolitan Area population of over eight million people.

The iconic Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi is known locally as the Dragon Bridge and was the first steel bridge to cross the Red River when it was built in 1899 to 1902. It connects Hanoi with the port of Haiphong. For this reason it was a major target of US bombers during the Vietnam War.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Answer: Da Nang

The Dragon Bridge was built between 2009 and 2012 with it being opened to traffic on March 29, 2013, the 38th anniversary of its liberation by North Vietnam. The bridge crosses the Han River and provides the shortest route between the Da Nang International Airport and the main thoroughfares in the city. It was designed to look like a dragon and breathes both fire and water on weekend nights.

During the Vietnam War, Da Nang was home to a large US and South Vietnamese Air Force Base. This base was the busiest airport in the world at the time with an average of almost 2,600 air traffic operations daily. After the war, the air base infrastructure helped propel Da Nang into an economic powerhouse in the region.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: The port from which Ho Chi Minh set off on a 30-year journey.

Nha Rong Wharf, or Dragon House Wharf, was built in the 1860s by French colonials. The building combines both eastern and western architecture, and is one of the few remaining buildings in the city with elements of French architecture. There is a pair of ceramic dragons on its roof, hence the name Dragon House. In 1975, after Vietnam's reunification, Nha Rong Wharf served as a memorial to the late Ho Chi Minh. Two decades later, the building was merged with Ho Chi Minh Museum.

The late Ho Chi Minh was influenced by revolutionary ideologies in his youth. He sought to go abroad in pursuit of a path to national salvation. Intending to fund his travels by working on ships, he signed up as a kitchen helper on board a French steamer. This ship set sail from Nha Rong port.

This question was docked by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Ham Rong

Spring is the best time to be in Sapa as it is then that its wide range of flowers, including over 6,000 different orchids, are in full display. This area is also noted for its spectacular orchards, in particular, those bearing peaches, plums and pears.

Without doubt the most amazing view of the town's panorama would be from the top of San May, the peak of Ham Rong Mountain. The shape of this mountain strongly resembles the head of a dragon looking up to the Heavens. The story is told that two young dragon brothers came out to play in the days when the town of Sapa still lay beneath the sea. As it got late they were called home by their father. Whilst the elder brother was able to return safely, the younger was lost when the Gates of Heaven closed on him. He now spends his days sitting and staring at the sky.

The breath of fire was delivered to this question by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Hanoi

The site of present day Hanoi has been occupied since as early as 3000 BC but it traces its foundation as a Vietnamese capital to 1010 AD when Ly Thai To moved his capital there. Ly changed the name from the Dai La Citadel to Thang Long, which means "Ascending Dragon" or "Soaring Dragon". Legend has it he saw a yellow dragon ascending out of the Red River and named it that in order to usher in the ascendancy of his Vietnamese Dynasty. Ly was the first Vietnamese ruler after the Chinese domination of the previous centuries.

In 2010, Hanoi celebrated its millennial anniversary as a capital of Vietnam. Also in 2010 the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site was rediscovered in 2002 when the ruins were unearthed during a construction project. The project was halted while the site was excavated. Ruins and artifacts from the Dai La Dynasty, Dinh - Tien Le Dynasty, Ly Dynasty, Tran Dynasty, Le So Dynasty, Mac Dynasty, Le Trung Hung Dynasty, and Nguyen Dynasty have been found.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Descending Dragon

According to local legend, when Vietnam was a young country, it needed to protect itself from invaders. The gods sent a family of dragons to protect the area. The dragons spat jade and jewels into the sea. This formed an invisible wall. When the invaders came, these jewels turned into the famous islets that sprang out of the sea. The invaders boats crashed into the islets and capsized. After the invaders were defeated, the dragons chose to stay in Ha Long in case their services were needed again.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.