VAN TRAN, Thanh

"There is one thing that is so much a part of our lives... the thatched-roof cottage. No matter where we live, we conjure up images of our cottages when we get homesick. They are remnants left behind by our ancestors from a long time ago. They are features of the natural beauty of the Vietnamese countryside. Do you know that although they are made of simple, natural materials such as different types of bamboo and palm leaves, they have covered us during rainy and sunny seasons. Some of the houses are built on stilts to protect us from against floods and the attack of wild animals in the night."

- Thanh Van Tran