The Moon Festival : The Chinese Moon Day

The Chinese Moon Festival is on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. It's also known as the Mid-autumn Festival. Chinese culture is deeply imbedded in traditional festivals. Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese.

The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can't help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival.

The Moon Festival is also a romantic one. A perfect night for the festival is if it is a quiet night without a silk of cloud and with a little mild breeze from the sea. Lovers spend such a romatic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can't be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour. A great number of poetry has been devoted to this romantic festival. Hope the Moon Festival will bring you happiness.

The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Here are a few pictures of the typical moon cake

Phu Kradueng : National Park of Thailand

Phu Kradueng National Park

The located in Amphoe Phu Kradueng of the Loei Province, is one of the famous national parks of Thailand, with a high point of 1360 m. Every year tens of thousands of people come to make the climb up this famous mountain. It received the title of a nationally protected forest in the year 1943, and was proclaimed a national park on the 7th of October 1959, the second national park of Thailand after Khao Yai National Park.

Travelling to Phu Kradueng
The easiest route to Phu Kradueng, is to take a bus from Khon Kaen to Pha Nok Kao. Get off in front of 'Raan J Gim' From there a minibus is available to take you to the central office of the park. The minibus takes approximately half an hour. The park office closes at 15.00, as climbers will not have enough time to climb the mountain before dark.

Geography

Phu Kradung is a sandstone mountain with a vast plateau on top, surrounded by smaller hills. The highest peak is 1,316m above sea level. It is the watershed for the Pong River, which feeds the reservoir of Ubonrat Dam and Nong Wai Dam in Khon Kaen Province. The plateau of Phu Kradung is composed of pine forest and grassland, which have a variety of flowers, creeks, waterfalls and rocky fields. These features make in the park most pleasant.

Climate

Phu Kradung is a cool and comfortable all year round. The average temperature is 15 degrees celsius. In the cool season, temperatures of the coldest nights reaches feezing. In the rainy season, the weather can change quicky. Fog and low clouds tend to hang low over the landscape. Cliffs may collapse under their own weight after the soil which underlies the sandstone cap is eroded by heavy rain. Heavy rains can also cause flash floods in the streams which run down the mountain. Thus, the park will be closed during June and September every year for visitors safety and forest recovering.

Phu Soi-dao : Sea Flower memorable beauty.

Phu Soi-dao National Park is situated in an approximately area of 78.34 square kilometers or 48,962.5 rai, covering the areas of Pa Nam-pad National Conserved Forest, Tambol Muang-jedton, Tambol Na-khum, Tambol Ban Koak, Ban Koak District, Huai Moon District, Nam-pad District of Uttaradit Province, and Tambol Bor-pak, Chattrakarn District of Pittsanulok Province. The topography of the National Park consist of beautiful virgin forests, which are the sources of streams and rivers. Major sightseeing spots include Phu Soi-dao Waterfall, a beautiful 5-step waterfall situated in an approximate area of 1,000 rai, which can be accessed by an asphaltic road to facilitate the travelling for recreational purpose.

Topography
The geographical features of the National Park consist of high mountains (500-1,800 meters above the sea level), extending northwards and being used as the boundary between Thailand and Laos. The areas of mountains and forests are approximately 85 percent of the total area of the National Park, meanwhile, the areas of flatlands are approximately 15 percent thereof.

Climate

The weather here is very comfortable all year round. Its average highest temperature is about 35.0 degrees celsius and the lowest is about 13.0 degrees celsius or the mid-average is 27.0 degrees celsius. The average rainfall is 1,334.4 milimeters/year. Its raining season starts from May to October while the winter starts from November till February and summer starts from April to June.

Flora and Fauna
The weather at the National Park is cool and breezy throughout the year and can be divided into 3 seasons including the rainy season (May-October), winter (November-February), and summer (April-June). The average highest temperature is 35.0°C and the lowest temperature is 13.0°C, meanwhile, the average temperature is 27.0°C; and the average rainfall is 1,344.4 mm/year.

Doi Inthanon : The highest mountain in Thailand.

Doi Inthanon National Park covers the areas of Sanpatong District, Chomthong District, Mae Chaem District, Mae Wang District, and Toi Lor Sub-district of Chiang Mai Province within an approximate area of 482 square kilometers. The National Park consists of high mountains, including Doi Inthanon, which is the highest mountaintop in Thailand and the source of many rivers such as Ping River, where the Bhumipol Dam is situated and generating the electrical power. The National Park has beautiful natural scenery such as waterfalls, particularly Mae Ya Waterfall, which is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand.

Historically, the mountain of Doi Inthanon was refered to as Doi Ang Ka. Prince Intharawichayanon, the last ruler of Chiang Mai, realized the importance of the country’s forests, especially in the north, where the forest serve as the watershed for the country. He was interested in helping and supporting people who were investigating the history in his area. So he requested that his body must be placed on the summit of Doi Ang Ka. After his death, the mountain was renamed Inthanon, a short version of his name. Today, visitors can see the Inthanon Wichayanon stupa on the summit of Doi Ang Ka.

The geographical features of the National Park consists of high mountains, including Doi Inthanon, which is the highest mountaintop in Thailand (2,565 meters above the sea level), followed by Doi Huamodluang (2,330 meters above the sea level). Doi Inthanon is the source of many rivers including Mae Klang, Mae Pakong, Mae Pon, Mae Hoi, Mae Ya, Mae Chaem, Mae Khan, and being part of Ping River, where the Bhumipol Dam is situated and generating the electrical power.

Summit of Doi Inthanon
Summit of Doi Inthanon offers fine views to visitors, especially during November and December. On the summit, there is a stupa containing the body of prince Intharawichayonon, whose chronicle placed on the back of the marble plaque nearby. However photographing any parts of the radar station s forbidden.

Pattaya Nightstyle : Embodiment of foreign tourists.

Pattaya's Night and its supplement Pattaya News Flash are one big site full of information about Pattaya and Thailand. Pattaya at Night provides all the information for a great and successful holiday in Pattaya. Pattaya News Flash publishes the latest news as well as funny stories and pictures from Pattaya and Thailand. We hope you will enjoy it.

he Walking Street is the center of Pattaya's nightlife, with hundreds of bars, A-Go-Go clubs and dancings. Other areas are in Soi 7, Soi 8 and Soi Yamato, in Soi Praisanie (around the post office), along Pattaya's 2nd Road and in Soi Buakhaow.

A new growing area is at the 3rd Pattaya Road, from North Pattaya Road to the South Pattaya Road as well as in Soi Chayaphoon and Soi Lengkee, both between Soi Buokaow and the 3rd Road.

Another large Beer Bar area is located in Soi 2, across BigC's Shopping Center.

Pattaya Naklua has a large area with bars too. It starts at the North Pattaya Road. For more information please check the Pattaya Street Map.

Beer Bars Beer Bars in Pattaya are mostly open air girlie bars (or Bar Beer, as the Thai's call them). Some of the beer bars have life music. Beer bars not only serve beer, you can order anything from Cola to Whisky.

The girls in this bars talk (a little bit of ) english and like to play games (domino or 4-in-a-row). When you 'pick-up' a girl from a beer bar you have to pay a bar fine (usualy between 200 and 300 Baht). Another 500 to 1000 Baht you have to pay to the girl.

Dancing Pattaya has many Dancingfloors. A lot of Freelancers are working at Dancings. If you like one of the ladies, smile to her. If she likes you too, she will approch you. Dancings don't ask for a Bar fine, but the ladies usually takes between 1000 and 3000 Baht a night. Sometimes you can bargain.

Live Music in Pattaya Pattaya has a lot of venues providing live Music Entertainments.

Closed and open Restaurants as well as some Bars employ Musicians to entertain their Guests. The Repertoire ranges from Bee Gees to Elvis Immitations, from American or German Songs to Loogthung (some kind of Thai Country Songs).