CNN’s ‘The Keepers’ explores Vietnam’s traditional heritage

Highlights of this special program include:

The Keepers of Hanoi

In Vietnam, bamboo is an age-old symbol of strength and longevity and used in many of the country's traditional handicrafts including baskets, lampshades, and locally-produced guitars called the 'Dan bau'. In Hanoi, bamboo is also used on stage. CNN gets rare backstage access to a local production called 'My Village', which features acrobats who perform stunts using tall stalks of bamboo as props. CNN speaks with Tuan Le, the show director and a former solo artist with Cirque du Soleil.

The Keepers of Sapa

The small town of Sapa was originally founded as a hill-station in the early 1900s. Today, it's still one of the country's biggest tourist destinations with many visitors coming to discover the local culture and handicrafts produced by the many ethnic minorities living in the mountainous region. CNN explores the growing number of hotels in Sapa developed to accommodate a boom in tourism, including the palatial Hotel de la Coupole, which aims to recreate the 'nostalgia' of Sapa from the early 20th century.

The Keepers of Hoi An

The ancient town of Hoi An is arguably the culinary capital of Vietnam, with strong influences of Chinese, Japanese and French cuisines. The most famous local dish is called 'Cao lau', a bowl of thick rice noodles served with grilled pork. Its recipe is steeped in tradition: authentic 'Cao lau' is usually made with water from a specific town well and cooked with the ashes of tree bark from an island off the nearby coast. CNN gets a tour of the city's food scene with author, restaurant owner and local resident Ms. Vy.

'The Keepers' trailer: https://cnn.it/2In8X3X

'The Keepers' images: https://bit.ly/31wR7mp

Airtimes for 30-minute special:

Saturday, 22nd June at 20h30 HKT

Sunday, 23rd June at 00h30 HKT, 04h30 HKT, 08h30 HKT

Monday, 24th June at 09h30 HKT and 16h30 HKT

Wednesday, 26th June at 00h30 HKT

VNF