VietJetAir launches HCM City–Phu Quoc route

VietJetAir launches HCM City–Phu Quoc route

VietJetAir officially inaugurated its Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc island route on December 15.

It is the budget carrier’s ninth domestic route. The company said that it will operate an Airbus A320, which is capable of carrying up to 180 passengers, on its daily flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc and vice versa.

The new air route demonstrates VietJetAir’s pledge to promote beautiful landscape, traditional culture and history and the people of Kien Giang province, and Phu Quoc island in particular, to domestic and international tourists.

Currently, VietJetAir operates around 250 flights per day linking major cities in Vietnam.


(Source: VNA)

Over 10 million tourists visit northern central provinces in 2012

Over 10 million tourists visit northern central provinces in 2012

As many as 10.3 million tourists visited six northern central coastal provinces from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien Hue in 2012 – an increase of 12 percent from last year.

The figure was released at the closing ceremony of the 2012 National Tourism Year for Northern Central Coastal Area - Hue on December 15.

Addressing the ceremony held in Hue city, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said the programme created a breakthrough in regional tourism development, contributing to the success of national tourism sector.

The region earned over 6.6 trillion VND from tourism, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent.

The minister suggested localities continue increasing cooperation to create and promote competitive inter-regional tourism products, and publicise the National Tourism Year results and cooperative opportunities to domestic and foreign investors.

The 2013 National Tourism Year, themed “The Red River Civilisation”, will be hosted by the port city of Hai Phong.

(Source: VNA)

JICA helps protect environment in Ha Long Bay

JICA helps protect environment in Ha Long Bay

Environmental conservation towards sustainable tourism in Ha Long Bay and its vicinity is being improved thanks to a Technical Co-operation Project funded by JICA.

This was affirmed at the final workshop for the technical co-operation project for environmental protection in Ha Long Bay, held by Quang Ninh and JICA in Ha Long city today.

Implemented from early 2010 with completion due in late 2012 with approximately JPY 350 million invested from Japan ODA, the project largely aimed to further strengthen the implementation capacity of Quang Ninh authorities, particularly of Quang Ninh Province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE), the implementing agency.

Major support, other than the generous capital investment from JICA to the Quang Ninh’s authorities was knowledge transference and education on all the necessary techniques on sustainability. Apart from expertise transfer, some equipment such as water sampling and analysis were provided to Quang Ninh DONRE further supporting the enhancement of its capacity.

Some significant outputs have been achieved through the project implementation, such as establishment of a Steering Committee for Environment Management headed by a Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People Committee (PPC), a Coastal Environment Protection Corridor Plan, and an Environmental Education Association of Ha Long city.

Notably, a Strategy on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Tourism Development has been proposed to help the Quang Ninh’s PPC in realizing appropriate measures for developing a sustainable tourism in associated with preserving the environment of Ha Long bay area. Improvement of awareness on environmental protection of local cadres as well as the community has been acknowledged.

“Environmental protection is a core component of sustainable tourism. Inversely, development of environmentally friendly tourism is an indispensable measure to preserve the environment. Through this project, we’re very glad to see that the Quang Ninh government has been paying stronger attention to this interaction and gradually shifting mass tourism to eco-tourism by taking environmental issues into this sector,” said Tsuno, Chief Representative of JICA.

JICA has initiated its support to Quang Ninh province on environmental protection since 1998 by a study on Environmental Management Plan in Ha Long Bay. Just recently, JICA completed a grass-root scheme assistance to Quang Ninh in improving environment in floating villages in Ha Long Bay.


(Source: Nhandan)

Ha Giang develops community-based tourism associated with restoration of traditional crafts

Ha Giang develops community-based tourism associated with restoration of traditional crafts

As home to 22 ethnic groups (Kinh, Mong, Dao, Tay, Nung, Lo Lo, San Diu, Pa Then...), of which each ethnic group stored its own unique cultural values and identities, Ha Giang has strengthened to develop community-based tourism associated with new rural construction. This is a breakthrough in tourism development of the province.


In 2006, travel agencies brought tourists to some ethnic villages in Ha Giang. Homestay tourism type has appeared since that but it was spontaneous development.


Recognizing the strengths and benefits from development of community-based tourism, Ha Giang tourism sector build actively cultural tourism village model in each district. After a period of implementation, so far the province built 25 cultural tourism villages, of which 15 ones operated and attracted a large number of domestic and international tourists as cultural tourism villages of Tha, Tien Thang, Ha Thanh, Tuy (Ha Giang City); Kiem (Bac Quang District); Ban Lan (Bac Me District); Thanh Son (Vi Xuyen District); Na Rang (Xin Man District); Chi (Quang Binh District); Buc Ban (Yen Minh District); Nam Hong, Phin Ho (Hoang Su Phi District); Nam Dam (Quan Ba District); Sang Pa A (Meo Vac District); Lung Cam Tren (Dong Van District).


Besides, Ha Giang tourism sector also organized many community-based tourism training courses for thousands of trainees in the villages to provide knowledge on conservation and exploitation of cultural values into tourism products; skills of serving tourists and communication; food hygiene and safety…


Some districts in Ha Giang restored and developed traditional craft villages to provide tourists with specific souvenirs such as: textile products (Quan Ba District); bamboo and rattan products (Vi Xuyen, Bac Quang districts); Thanh Van corn wine (Quan Ba District), Nang Don wine (Hoang Su Phi District)… Traditional costumes of Tay, Lo Lo, Pa Then, Dao ethnic groups... are liked particularly by many international tourists.


However, due to community-based tourism is quite new for the people in Ha Giang, it still exists conflict between preservation of traditional identities and needs of modern life. The villages which preserve relatively traditional cultural values are ​​located in remote areas with difficult economic conditions, poor transport infrastructure and communication... In Ha Giang, most traditional crafts have been lost due to appearance of goods produced by modern technology. So restoration of the traditional craft villages to produce souvenirs for tourists faces many difficulties. And in addition, roads, accommodation facilities, sanitation is not developed; tourism propaganda and promotion activity is not really effective; training of human resources is not attached special important… These are also major challenges in development of community-based tourism in Ha Giang.


To boost community-based tourism activities, contribute to the socio-economic development as well as preserve and promote traditional cultural values ​​of each ethnic group, Ha Giang needs measures to restore and develop traditional craft villages; improve quality of tourism products; invest and develop infrastructure; improve awareness on tourism development for people in the cultural tourism villages; focus on training tourism human resources…


With the inherent potentials and right directions, in the future, Ha Giang will affirm gradually its position on the tourist map of Northern mountain region, attract more and more tourists, especially international tourists.




Thu Giang

Vietnam, RoK strengthen cultural, sports and tourism links

Vietnam, RoK strengthen cultural, sports and tourism links

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh and his Republic of Korea (RoK) counterpart, Choe Kwang-shik, held talks on December 14 to review their cooperation results and draw up a plan for the coming time.

During the meeting, which is expected to contribute to boosting the strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in culture, sports and tourism, Anh emphasised that in recent years Vietnam and the RoK have shared significant development in their comprehensive cooperation.


He noted that various activities have taken place in both countries this year to mark the 20 th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.


Anh said he hopes that the RoK will share its experience organising the Asian Games (ASIAD) in 2014, so Vietnam can better prepare for the following event in 2019.


He called for the RoK’s involvement in two projects that will serve the organisation of ASIAD 2019, including the building of a velodrome and a multi-functional sport hall.


Anh also expressed his hope that the RoK will help Vietnam train aspiring footballers.


Choe Kwang-shik affirmed that his country will continue to link arms with Vietnam to broaden the strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in the fields of culture, sports and tourism.


He cited the opening of the RoK Culture Centre in Hanoi in 2006 – the RoK’s first cultural centre in Southeast Asia - as an example of his country’s wish to increase cultural exchange between the two countries. In the future, the RoK will open a copyright centre in Vietnam to boost bilateral cooperation in the field, he added.


The RoK will also actively support Vietnam in constructing the necessary facilities for ASIAD 2019, he said, while calling for Vietnam’s support for its idea to build an Asian Culture Centre in the RoK.


The RoK is now the second largest tourism market for Vietnam, with 700,000 RoK visitors arriving in the country this year. Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese people traveling to the RoK has increased in recent years.


Within the framework of his three-day visit, Choe Kwang-shik is scheduled to attend a Vietnam-RoK art and music programme that will bring to a close the two countries’ friendship year.



(Source: VNA)

Vietnam needs to adapt for climate change

Vietnam needs to adapt for climate change

Vietnam should take coordinated measures to actively cope with climate change between now and 2020, including policies on food, energy and water resource security, poverty reduction, gender equality, social welfare, public health and protection of natural resources.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, President of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), made the suggestion at a seminar on global climate change and Vietnam ’s adaptation measures, which was held in Hanoi on December 11.

The seminar focused on discussing measures to actively cope with climate change and safeguard natural resources and the environment, as well as the role of the scientific and technological community in the battle.

Participants agreed that with the impacts of climate change, natural disasters are increasing - causing great losses of human life and property, as well as negative impacts on the environment.

Therefore, a low-carbon and green growth economy is the trend for sustainable development, they said.

They emphasised the need to raise concerned parties’ awareness, responsibility and capacity to deal with climate change, as well as promoting environmentally-friendly consumption.

Source: http://www.dtinews.vn

Annual Rock Storm to return to seven cities

Annual Rock Storm to return to seven cities

This year Rock Storm 2012 will go through seven cities with the theme “Breakthrough Desire”.

Composer Quoc Trung, general director of Rock Storm 2012

This year the 5-year-old rock concert will commence in the northern port city of Hai Phong on December 23. It will come back to Hanoi on December 29 and the go through the five cities of Hue, Da Nang, Bien Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho.

The Director of Rock Storm 2012 is still musician Quoc Trung. "After two years as the general director of Rock Storm, I have learnt a lot of experience to make a real rock show," he said at a press conference on December 11.

Quoc Trung, who is the judge of Vietnam Idol 2012, added: "Rock Storm is a healthy program for young people. Rock is a music genre that can make many people await and explode. I hope that Rock Storm will become a music festival by creating routines for the young, turning it into a playground, a music festival that is held from noon until late at night".

This year, the rock concert will bring together famous and newly emerging bands. The fares will increase from VND20,000 to VND30,000 ($1.5) and only 20,000 tickets will be issued. The audience can book tickets through the SMS system.

The show will be opened early for fans to shop at food and souvenirs stalls. The music program will begin at 6 pm and ended at 10:30 pm.

As a common practice, Rock Storm 2012 will be held in large stadiums in seven cities, using sound and light equipment up to international standards.

Besides composer Quoc Trung, the production crew also includes Japanese expert Masaaki Azuma, who is in charge of the sound system, Doan Chi Nghia in charge of band monitor and lighting designer Julian Hodgson.

Part of the ticket sales will be donated to the fund for children with cleft palate and poor students.

The show in Hanoi will have the participation of nine rock band, such as: Ngu Cung, Microwave, The Wall, Unlimited, Kop, 18 +, i-TEU, Hot sky and Oringchains.

Source: http://www.dtinews.vn

Running to raise fund for safe water

Running to raise fund for safe water

Australian ultra marathon runner and former MP Pat Farmer has started a 3,000-kilometre run through Vietnam for charity purposes.

Several people have joined Pat Farmers during his 3,000-kilometre journey through Vietnam

His itinerary “Pole to Pole: Vietnam” is expected to raise USD275,000 in funds for the Red Cross Society for projects to bring safe water to the poor in Vietnam, according to the West Australian.

On average, Farmer will run nearly 80 kilometres per day during his 40-day journey lasting from December 9 until January 20, 2013.

Having directly witnessed the deaths of many children as a result of unclean water in India, Nepal, Egypt, East Timor and Peru, Farmer adopted a new purpose in his life.

Despite being a Member of the Australian House of Representatives and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training, he abandoned his political career to run marathons to raise funds for water projects.

He wanted to do something practical to help and to inspire people’s awareness of poverty in and raise funds to build clean water facilities and sanitation systems for the poorest communities in the world.

He decided to make use of his marathon running ability to realise that ideal. By running from the North Pole to the South Pole, the 50-year-old former MP wants to reiterate and prevent the unfortunate deaths of millions of people annually due to the lack of clean water.

In January, the former federal Liberal MP completed a gruelling 21,000 kilometre charity run from the North to the South Pole, facing armed gunmen in Central America, blizzards in Antarctica and near death in the deserts of Peru.

Pat Farmer’s bravery and devotion convinced Vietnamese student Mai Nguyen Dinh Huy to leave his job and join the former MP on the marathon journey across Vietnam.

Mai Huy said, “Each person has one life to live, why don’t you do something you are interested in, in order not to feel regretful when you die.”

Anyone who wants to join Pat Farmer on parts of the trip can register at poletopolevietnam@gmail.com.


Source: http://www.dtinews.vn

English tourists become movie stars!

English tourists become movie stars!

A young couple from London, who are visiting Da Nang as part of a holiday tour around the world, recently became stars in a film quite by chance whilst they were visiting Tra Que Vegetable Village near Hoi An.

Katie Partridge and Seb Blach are spending 6 months visiting SE Asia and then Central and South America, and they made sure that they included Da Nang on their itinerary because it had been highly recommended by friends.

Their first day in Da Nang included visits to the Marble Mountains, the beaches, and Han Market, followed by an evening meal at a seafood restaurant, and cocktails by the Han River.  Katie summed up her first impressions of Da Nang.

"After 2 months of travelling through Thailand and the Philippines, I can honestly say that Da Nang is the biggest surprise of our trip so far.  We came on recommendation and have not been disappointed.  We are very much looking forward to exploring more of this wonderful city over the next few days.  We will be very sorry to leave".

On their second day they visited Hoi An and called in to the vegetable village where they met a Vietnamese businessman.

Mr Duong Hien Hoang is about to open the Tra Que Water Wheel - a new venture which offers tourists the opportunity to experience work with the farmers, a cooking school, rice paper making, a foot massage and traditional musical instruments, all in the tranquil setting of Tra Que village.  Being a video maker by profession, Mr Hoang was making a promotional video for his new venture and he needed two actors.

Katie and Seb were happy to oblige!  The finished version will soon be appearing on YouTube, giving them and the Tra Que Water Wheel worldwide fame - and perhaps an Oscar!  Seb's job in England involves film work so he felt quite at home on a film set.  "I have always been behind the camera before - it was exciting to finally be the star of a film, and in such a beautiful setting”.


(Source: Da Nang Today) / http://vietnamtourism.com

Charming Love Waterfall in Sa Pa, Thac Tinh Yeu

Charming Love Waterfall in Sa Pa

Sa Pa is not only well known for the charm of being a misty mountain town with terraced rice fields stretching continuously on the mountains, but also for its romantic waterfall called Love.

Love Waterfall, located about 4km to the North-West of Sa Pa Town in San Sa Ho Commune, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, is a “must-see” destination on the Sa Pa tour. Driving on a red soil road to the waterfalls that winds through a primeval forest of lush ancient ivory trees and rhododendron flowers in white, red and yellow colour, tourists have a chance to enjoy a perfect painting-like landscape.

From afar, the waterfall looks like a twinkling pyramid under the sun. It has a height of about 100m, and starts from the peak of Fansipan Mountain and rush noisily into the Gold Stream like a never-ending song. Under the waterfall, the Gold Stream runs along with green grass plots and bamboo clusters, forming a poetic image.

According to the local people, the name of the waterfall originates from a love story. Legend has it that long ago, fairies from heaven used to come to the waterfall to bathe. One day, the seventh fairy saw O Qui Ho, the first son of Ai Lao Mountain Genie who was playing his flute near the falls. Mesmerized by the flute sounds, the fairy spent every night listening to the sweet melodies until her parents detected her secret and forbade her from coming to the human world. The fairy missed O Qui Ho so much that she spent every afternoon at heaven’s gate looking towards the waterfall and waiting for the sounds of the flute. Then, she transformed herself into a yellow bird that lives on O Qui Ho Mountain. Since then, the waterfall is called “Love” to remind everyone of the legendary love story.

Currently, the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) has suggested listing Love Waterfall in the “West-North Route” tour as it has a promising potential to become one of the most attractive destinations in the mountainous district of North Vietnam.


(Source: VNP) / http://vietnamtourism.com

The Ancient Village of Dong Hoa Hiep

The Ancient Village of Dong Hoa Hiep

The ancient village of Dong Hoa Hiep in Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province in southern Vietnam is well known for its beautiful scenery formed by the calm Cai Be River and ancient houses amid orchards that are lush and laden with fruit all year round.

Along with two other ancient villages of Duong Lam in Hanoi and Phuoc Tich in Hue, Dong Hoa Hiep Village has been selected and invested in to develop into a countryside tourism model by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The way the houses were designed in Dong Hoa Hiep Village is different from that of those, which were in close proximity to each other in Duong Lam and Phuoc Tich Villages. Dong Hoa Hiep has a poetic landscape with ancient houses dotted in lush orchards that are surrounded by the winding Cai Be River. Visiting the village, tourists enjoy pure air and the peaceful scenery while rowing boats on the river or taking a stroll on paths running through shady orchards.

One of the destinations that has left a vivid impression on tourists to Dong Hoa Hiep Village is the ancient house owned by Tran Tuan Kiet in Dong Hoa Hiep Commune. It was built around 1838 with 108 pillars made of xylia xylocarpa, a valuable and rare wood, amid a 1.8ha orchard. The house was designed in the architectural style of southern garden houses with five large rooms, covering 1,000m2. Despite the devastation of time, the house has been preserved intact with refined patterns of “pine trees, daisy flowers, ivory bamboo and apricot trees” carved on wooden pillars and doors. Inside, the house now displays sets of parallels inlaid with mother-of-pearl, skillfully carved furniture and ancient ceramics.

Le Thi Chinh, the owner’s wife, said her husband’s great-grandfather was the chief of the district who was so keen on antiquities that he invited craftsmen from the imperial capital of Hue to build the house over a few years and spent a lot of time and efforts collecting many valuable ancient objects. In 2002, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) financed more than 1.8 billion VND to restore the house with the supervision of a female Japanese architect who lived in the house for over six months. Thanks to JICA’s support, the house was restored in the original architectural and interior style.

The second popular destination in Dong Hoa Hiep Village is Nguyen Van Duc’s house which was built in 1850 with a blend of Oriental and Western architecture. The front of the house was constructed in the French style with round Western pillars and romantic domes whereas the inside was designed in traditional Vietnamese style. At present, the house still preserves many rare ancient objects that demonstrate the well-off life and refined hobby of rich families in southern Vietnam in the past.

Nowadays, Dong Hoa Hiep Village is a popular destination of both domestic and foreign visitors. Each year, the village attracts almost 100,000 visitors with an increasing number of foreign tourists.


(Source: VNP) / http://vietnamtourism.com

Southeast region focuses on developing tourism, Nui Ba Den

Southeast region focuses on developing tourism

According to the general planning to develop the southeast region's economy until 2020, the region will welcome about 15 and 18 million visitors, including four and five million international visitors by 2015 and 2020 with tourism revenues of US$3 billion and US$5 billion respectively.

To achieve the goal, experts in the tourism sector said that it was necessary to cooperate in order to create diverse and unique tourism products, leading to the sustainable development of the tourism sector.

The southeast region has potential to develop historical, ecological and resort tourisms with many famous landscapes, such as Dai Tong Lam Pagoda, Ho Coc tourist area, Tau Khong So monument on the Ray River, Tan Trieu grapefruit village, Ba Den and Ba Ra mountain, Dai Nam tourist area and Bu Gia Map National Park. However, experts in the tourism sector said that tourism in the region was not commensurate with potential and tourism products did not create its brands. In particular, major destinations for tourists only concentrated in HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, leading to the asynchronous situation among localities. In addition, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh and Binh Phuoc provinces have not invested in infrastructure to develop tourism.

Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Quoc Binh when speaking at the investment promotion conference said that environmental factor can make the attraction and beneficial value for tourism activities. Therefore, tourism development programs have to respect the protection of natural environment and social environment. In addition, localities in the southeast region need to strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism development with key tourism projects in order to exploit the potential; focus on investment in infrastructure and new tourism products; develop key tourism routes connecting southeast provinces to the country and tourism routes to Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

In terms of Binh Phuoc Province, due to Binh Phuoc tourism development planning, total number of visitors reaches 252,000 by 2015, including 14,000 international visitors with average growth rate in the 2011-2015 period of 22.2 percent. To achieve the goal, Binh Phuoc Province needs to focus on investment in tourism development associated with cultural values conservation and promotion, landscape preservation and environmental protection. Truong Quoc Binh also said that Binh Phuoc must focus on constructing infrastructure and implementing tourism development investment projects; mobilizing social resources through strengthening the effectiveness of the association between the public sector and the private sector; and attracting domestic and international investment. In addition, Binh Phuoc has potential in terms of eco-tourism development due to 5F+1S model. 5F stands for rare fauna, rare flora, fresh air, unique folklore and friendship and 1S stands for shopping. Institute for Tourism Development Research Director Ha Van Sieu said that the province can take advantage of strengths to exploit Cambodian market and international markets. In addition, Binh Phuoc can develop MICE tourism due to the province's favorable location.

Dong Nai Tourism Promotion Center Director Vo Thi Thu Trang said that to promote tourism potential in order to contribute to the province's socioeconomic development, the expansion of regional association in the tourism development is urgent. In particular, Dong Nai will cooperate with Binh Phuoc and provinces in the southeast region to develop tourism, contributing to the economic growth towards development and integration.


(Source: VEN) / http://vietnamtourism.com

Greece extends debt buyback to Tuesday

Greece extends debt buyback to Tuesday

Greece announced it had extended until Tuesday a debt buyback offer, the success of which is key for it to receive bailout funding from the EU and IMF without which it could soon go bankrupt.

 Street vendors sell clothes and other items outside closed down stores in central Athens on December 7.
"We have decided to extend the invitation to offer designated securities for exchange to 11 December 2012," the head of Greece's PDMA debt management agency, Stelios Papadopoulos, said in a statement on Monday.

Private holders of Greek sovereign bonds originally had to submit by Friday their offers to participate in the buyback, which offered them 32.2 to 40.1 percent of the face value of the securities.

The PDMA statement said they now had until 1200 GMT on Tuesday to submit bids to participate in the buyback, which aims to cut Greece's debt by around 20 billion euros ($26 billion) and is vital to qualify for more financial aid from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

The head of the PDMA warned that any future offers to buy back debt may not be as advantageous to investors.

"Future measures may not involve an opportunity to exit investments (Greek sovereign bonds) at the levels offered for this buyback," Papadopoulos said.

The IMF and the eurozone have agreed to release 43.7 billion euros in rescue loans in four instalments to enable Greece to avoid bankruptcy provided Athens carries out the bond buyback.

http://www.dtinews.vn

Fake parents for hire at weddings

 Fake parents for hire at weddings

Many shops which specialise in providing packages of wedding services have recently introduced a peculiar service which leases out bride and bridegroom parents.

The cost for renting the 'parents' ranges from VND2 million (USD95.2) to VND5 million (USD238).

Illustration photo. Many couples use the service to have an impressive wedding ceremonies

Mr. Dung, the owner of a wedding service shop in Hanoi, said that this year he has helped nearly 10 couples to hire bride or bridegroom parents. Most of his customers are young couples aged between between 27 and 35, most of them are getting married against their parents' wishes.

Mr. Vu, of Hanoi, said he used the service to avoid marriage registration with his lover, who is a seller at a souvenir shop in Hanoi. Being a married man, Vu fell in love with that girl when he came into her shop to get a gift for his boss. After she asked him to marry her a friend suggested hiring parents to take part in the ceremony.

Vu decided to use the service and to hold a very big wedding ceremony in order to make sure his second wife and her family felt safe and did not have to worry about official marriage registration.

An owner of another shop on Le Thanh Nghi Street said a number of couples who use the service to have an impressive wedding ceremonies. Many believe that 'hired parents' will look better than real ones, who may be from the countryside and have behaviours that could embarrass the bride and bridegroom.

Mr. Minh, also of Hanoi, said that he and his wife, Huong, fell in love two years ago, but his parents refused to accept Huong. His wife’s parents are fruit sellers, while his parents are professors. They tried multiple ways to try to convince the parents, but to no avail.

Finally, when his now wife was in the fifth month pregnancy, and his parents still did not change their viewpoints, he hired 'parents' for a wedding.

Despite ignoring Minh’s small family, his parents often asked his friends about his life. When his wife gave birth, they came to the hospital. It was also the first time that the parents met one another and the truth was discovered.

Mr. Tuan sometimes acts as a hired bride or bridegroom father. He said that recently he had to play the role for two wedding ceremonies and felt embarrassed to prepare the speech for both, trying to avoid making mistakes. He forgot to take his blood pressure medicine, however, and fainted during the ceremony.

http://www.dtinews.vn

Getting lost in Ngu Hanh Son

Getting lost in Ngu Hanh Son

Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) is a famous destination in Danang City that tourists should put it their itinerary.

Nestled 8 kilometers southeast of Da Nang City, Ngu Hanh Son looks like five fingers rising out the ground. It was named after the five basic elements of the universe in which each mountain is assigned an element - metal, wood, fire, water and earth.

This is a cluster of five marble mountains lying close to the sea so that is why it is dubbed Hon Non Nuoc, which means mountain and water in Vietnamese. The limestone mountain is home to splendid scenery, pagodas and grottoes, seducing travelers by the tranquil air and natural beauty.

I came to the area with a friend by motorbike and actually realized although they are called mountains they are only about 200 meters about sea level but no matter the height this is still undoubtedly a bewitching and inspiring place. Parking at the foot of the small mountains we bought tickets priced at just VND15,000 each and started the excursion.

Following his suggestion, he is a local, we trekked up to Thuy Son Mountain which is the highest and the most beautiful peak in the range. Thuy Son, covering an area of about 15 hectares, has three peaks of Thuong Thai, Trung Thai and Ha Thai. Tam Thai Pagoda was the first stop after conquering hundreds of stone steps.

Unlike previous mountain treks, this was not so grueling which was a nice change. Instead of being tired I was just a little bit thirsty.

After exploring old architecture and burning some incense at the Buddhist pagoda, we were keen to chase down grottoes to sense the chill inside the stone, to find out the sixth sense in the darkness as well as to admire stalactites. I really was crazy for the fresh air, the tranquility the amazing panoramic view to the town below and pristine Non Nuoc Beach.

Descending on foot, we strolled around a traditional stone-engraving village. All along the area sculptors ply their trade in small gardens, which double as workshops and outdoor showrooms. You will find traditional and modern motifs and imagery with diverse products from statues, jewelry, household items and artworks. I was attracted with the demonstrations of craftsmen and I realized that it is not easy to make a stone art piece. It requires artisans with skills, dexterity, patience, a hardworking ethic and good health.

I totally got lost in the world of stone and I found that stones also have a soul. I left the village and the noise of hammers and saws behind. In my mind I was still thinking of images of gentle and friendly artisans as well as austere-faced women. I felt that life is a bit harsh there for women who have as much passion and professional working spirit as men. Tourists just relax and enjoy seeing new things but it is not real to them. What I experienced makes me feel grateful for my life, my job and my family and friends.

(Source: SGT)

Art contest celebrates World Heritage sites

Art contest celebrates World Heritage sites
An art contest, World Heritage in Your Hands, has been launched nationwide to celebrate National Day for Heritage and 40 years of the World Heritage convention.

The contest aims to encourage young people 18 years of age or under to reflect upon the importance of World Heritage sites and celebrate the preservation of these sites for future generations. Each participant should create a colourful and unique work that depicts the Vietnam World Heritage site that they live closest to.

Choices include the Central sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi, the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (Thanh Hoa Province), the complex of Hue monuments (Thua Thien-Hue Province), Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary (Quang Nam Province), Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Quang Binh Province) and Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh Province).

All entries should be sent to the UNESCO Hanoi Office at 23 Cao Ba Quat Street before February 1, 2013.

Images will be judged on the quality and legibility of the drawing, the originality of the image and the author's knowledge of the heritage behind it.

(Source: VNA)

Vietjet Air opens new route to Bangkok

Vietjet Air opens new route to Bangkok

Vietnam’s leading low-cost carrier VietJet Air has annouced that it will launch a new route from Ho Chi Minh City to Thailand’s Bangkok capital in early 2013.

Vietjet Air will conduct one daily direct flight between the two cities, starting on February 10. The 90-minute fight will depart from HCM City at 11.00 am and from Suvarnabhumi at 13.30 pm.

The airline has recently lauched a domestic route from HCM City to the former Imperial City of Hue.This is Vietjet Air’s seventh domestic route after destinations of Hanoi, HCM City, Haiphong, Danang, Nha Trang and Vinh.

As scheldued, the airline will open direct routes from HCM City to Phu Quoc and Hanoi to Dalat, aiming to bring the best services to Vietnamese and foreign tourists.

Vietjet Air will continue to open more new international flights, connecting HCM City and Hanoi to Southeast and North Asian countries.

Passengers can also buy ticket at sale agents or through the airline’s website www.vietjetair.com.

(Source: VOV)

Koreans top foreign travelers list in Vietnam

Koreans top foreign travelers list in Vietnam
The number of the Republic of Korean tourists to Vietnam in November showed the highest year-on-year increase of 31.5 percent, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

It was followed by Malaysia (up 25.6 percent), Thailand (up 24.6 percent), Japan (up 20.8 percent) and Taiwan (up 17 percent).

Some markets had low augmentation, including France (up 6.5 percent), the US (up 2.7 percent), China (up 0.8 percent) and Australia (0.2 percent).

In eleven months, Vietnam has received 6.5 million foreign arrivals, rising by 24.4 percent compared to October and 7.2 percent against the same period last year.

In November, the number of travelers to the nation for tourism and convalescence showed a year-on-year rise of 23.2 percent, while those went for work up 28.5 percent, visiting their relatives up 26.8 percent and other purposes up 17.1 percent.

(Source: VOV)

Ok Om Bok Festival features traditional rituals

Ok Om Bok Festival features traditional rituals

The Ok Om Bok Festival, a jubilant occasion with a range of traditional rituals and one of the three typical festivals of the Khmer people took place in southern Tra Vinh province on November 28.

Moon prayers, said to protect the Khmer people’s crops and bring favourable weather conditions and bumper harvests, were performed on stage with a meticulous art performance that was the highlight of the festival.

Visitors partook in a ritual releasing flower garlands and coloured lanterns, and marched around Ba Om Pond.

Spectators witnessed for the first time the erection of eight common houses at Ba Om Pond. It showcased agricultural tools, antiques and outstanding cultural economic achievements recorded by local people from eight districts and cities.

Earlier on the same day, a series of sporting activities and traditional games raised the atmosphere at the festival.

The festival took place from November 24 to 28, and included national-level boat and motor races.

(Source: VNA)

Van Don boasts cultural tourism potential

Van Don boasts cultural tourism potential

Located 50 km from Ha Long city, the island district of Van Don, consisting of more than 600 islands and islets, owns a cultural heritage treasure - traces of prehistoric man - as well as regional cultural heritage, and national historical and cultural relics.

Among them is Van Don commercial port – one of the starting points of the Silk Road at sea.

The port has played an important role in Vietnam ’s development history, particularly for Quang Ninh. Exchange activities inside and outside the country have transformed the island into a crowded and wealthy residential area. With a large and significant volume of goods traded, the port has created an impetus for Vietnam ’s socio-economic and cultural development, and integration into the world.

Together with the trading vestiges, the historic Van Don commercial port contains hallmarks from the Tran Dynasty and its victorious battles against Yuan invaders on the Mang River (Quan Lan) in 1288. The port was established in 1149 during the Ly Dynasty and prospered in the Tran Dynasty. Today the old Van Don commercial port finds its name on the list of national relics.

In addition to the ancient commercial port, Van Don boasts religious architectural works imbued with national cultural identities. Examples include Quan Lan Pagoda, Tran Khanh Du Temple, Van Hai and Quan Lan Communal Houses. These cultural and religious reminders have resided in parallel with the commercial port’s historical development, serving the spiritual need of local residents. They are sacred and invaluable to the islanders.

There are many historical relics that permeate the cultural characteristics of ancient Vietnamese people. Vestiges connected to struggles fought by the army and people during the 13 th century all the way to the resistance war against the US in the 20 th century exist at Soi Nhu, Ha Giat and Dau Dong Quan caves.

The historical value of Van Don commercial port and the system of cultural relics and festivals on the Van Hai archipelago, as well as temples and pagodas on the Cai Bau archipelago, are foundations for the establishment of cultural and ecological tours on the islands, a step towards tourism diversification in the Van Don island district.

To meet the area’s tourism potential, the district has encouraged investment to developing resorts, tourism products and services. There are 17 large-scale projects currently in progress.

At a conference to promote investment in Quang Ninh earlier this year, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the province to prioritise maritime economy development, large-scale ecological resorts and entertainment centres in Van Don. An airport and casino of international standards will also be constructed in the island district.

(Source: VNA)