VN-China border trade fair planned for November

The Vietnam – China International Border Trade Fair 2011 will take place from November 11-16 in Vietnam ’s northern border province of Lao Cai .

The schedule was agreed at a recent meeting between Lao Cai province’s centre for investment, trade and tourism promotion and representatives from He Kou district, the Chinese southern province of Yunnan .

The five-day fair themed “Cooperation – friendship for integration and development” expects to have 650-700 pavilions, including 200-250 pavilions of Chinese businesses.

This is an annual event that is hosted in turn by Lao Cai and He Kou.

At the previous exhibition in Lao Cai in 2009, 14 contracts worth 114 million USD were signed between Vietnamese and Chinese partners.

(Source: VNA)

Developing cultural industries.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) in coordination with the Danish Embassy and the British Council held a seminar in Hanoi on July 13 to devise a development strategy for the cultural industries in Vietnam.

Present at the seminar were representatives from the cultural organisations and arts and communication associations, cultural researchers and businesses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

MCST Deputy Minister Ho Anh Tuan said the seminar helps managers and law makers at both local and central levels to discuss practical and theoretical issues of the cultural industries, especially cinematography, performing arts, fine arts and photography in Vietnam as well as devising measures to support these sectors.

During the two-day seminar, delegates heard reports on the condition of the cinematography, performing arts, fine arts and photography sectors and discussed other issues related to intellectual property rights and the creative industry.

(Source: VOV

Developing sustainable sea tourism !

A scientific seminar was held in Da Nang city on July 9 to discuss the planning and management of construction and improvements to socio-economic conditions in the central coastal provinces.

The event was attended by representatives from relevant agencies in the central highlands provinces and international consultants.

The coastal central province have great potential for tourism with their many beautiful beaches such as Sam Son, Cua Tung, Lang Co, Da Nang, Hoi An and Nha Trang. However, the construction of hotels, tourist sites and golf courses near the beaches is likely to have a negative impact on the environment.

At the seminar, delegates focused on developing public space in the central coastal provinces and discussed solutions for planning and construction in accordance with the characteristics of each locality. This will make great contribute to ensuring sustainable tourism development and improve the socio-economic environment in the region.

The event was co-organised by the Vietnam Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning and the Ministry of Construction.

(Source: VOV)

Vietnamese Food !

The Vietnam Records Book Centre (Vietkings) on July 5 announced the second publication in its S100 Records series – “100 Vietnamese natural and food specialities”.

Following the first publication which honoured 100 elderly people across the country who were aged over 100 years, this publication recognises specialities that met criteria in both popularity and origin, such as 13 popular dishes of noodles, porridge and vermicelli in the northern, central and southern regions.

In addition to 17 varieties of cakes, 14 types of special wine and 17 kinds of confectionaries, the publication also featured famous tea from the northern province of Thai Nguyen and the southern province of Lam Dong.

Many kinds of fruit from the three regions such as Xuan Dinh sapodilla, Luc Ngan lychee, Xa Doai, Bo Ha orange, Phuc Trach grapefruit, Soc Trang watermelon and Dong Nai jackfruit were also recognised specialties.

In a bid to fully promote the value of these specialities, the first festival displaying Vietnamese food specialities in the three regions will be held in Ho Chi Minh City this year.

(Source: VNA)

Lang Co Beach

The Lang Co Festival 2011 – the World Beautiful Bay will be held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on July 9-10 to promote tourism and encourage investment in the Lang Co-Chan May economic zone.

This year’s festival aims to honour cultural values, landscapes and eco-environment and affirm position and prospects of the Lang Co-Chan May economic-tourist zone in the province’s socio-economic development orientations in the coming years, said Phan Tien Dung, Director of the Thua Thien-Hue Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

It also aims to evaluate to what extent the Bay can contribute to promoting tourism development two years after it was recognised by Worldbays Club as one of the “World’s Most Beautiful Bays”, he added.

The festival includes various and diverse activities such as exhibitions, cuisine fair, fish spraying festival, traditional rowing race and other sportive activities.

Lying between Da Nang and Hue cities, Lang Co Bay, Hai Van pass, Bach Ma Natural Reserve and an ancient fishing village in this area present a wonderful view of people living in harmony with nature.

Lang Co Bay has a 13-km long beach with white sand and blue water. It has Lap An lagoon, a brackish water lagoon extended to 1,500 ha with rich natural resources.

The Bay adjacent to Hai Van Pass lies in the central area, where visitors can reach four world cultural heritages in Vietnam, namely Hue relics, royal court music, Hoi An ancient town and My Son relics, within a radius of 70 km.

(Source: VNA)

Can Tho with going House Hunting

Binh Thuy District in Can Tho City is famous for its primitive landscapes, canals, orchards, ancient pagodas and of course historical homes.

The most famous is Duong’s family house (also called Binh Thuy Ancient House or Binh Thuy Orchid Garden) which is a must for visitors to Can Tho.

Located at 26/1A Bui Huu Nghia Street, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City, it is one of the ancient houses in the city left completely intact.

Covering an area of 8,000 square meters, the house is not only attractive because of its design which combines Vietnamese and French architecture, but also due to its wonderful garden with various flowers and fruits. It hosts a wide range of orchids and a record cactus together with seven rocks symbolizing seven heroes. Built around the late 19th century or early 20th century, the outside appearance of the house is French in design while the interior is Vietnamese in character. In the front of the brick house is a wide yard made of square bricks and surrounded by flowers and ornamental plants.

The interior of the house has five rooms which are equipped with beautiful ancient wood furniture like the beds and a large ancestral altar. It also has valuable antiques such as lamps, a wash basin and jars.

The house has a mystique of glamour thanks to the numerous local and foreign film directors who have chosen the house to shoot movies like French flick L’amant directed by J.J Annaud and Vietnamese films Chan Troi Noi Ay, Nhung Neo Duong Phu Sa, Cong tu Bac Lieu and Cay Tre Tram Dot.

(Source: SGT)

Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange to be held in Hoi An ancient city !

Hoi An ancient city People’s Committee will coordinate with the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam and the Japan Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam to organize the 9th Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange on August 21st and 22nd.

Diverse cultural activities and folklore games such as demonstrations of Kimono, Yukata and Vietnamese ao dai, boat racing and an exhibition on artistic and news photos will take place during the festival.

Tourists will also have an opportunity to watch artisans from traditional villages in Hoi An city making products.

Artisans from Japan will perform the art of making traditional cakes and packing gifts with the traditional Japanese Furoshiki scarf.

On this occasion, young people in Hoi An city will participate in the forum to change the bad habit of dropping litter and provide information to improve people’s awareness of responsibility to the environment.

(Source: BTA)

Ancient graves discovered in Quang Ngai

The central province of Quang Ngai has discovered ten ancient graves, dating back over 3,000 years.

After two months of archaeological excavations in Tra Tho commune, Tay Tra district, a large-scale burial site from the time of the Sa Huynh culture has been unearthed. Most of the people were buried in ceramic jars.

Dr. Doan Ngoc Khoi, a Quang Ngai museum official, said that this is the first time such artifacts have been discovered in Quang Ngai’s mountainous area. Previously, similar artifacts had been unearthed in river delta and coastal areas.

(Source: VOV)

Vietnam welcomes more Japanese tourists !

Vietravel Marketing and Tourist Company said it will receive nearly 700 visitors from Japan on July 4-6.
This is the largest number of Japanese arrivals since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, marking the return of a tourism market with potential for development.

The delegation will make a Vietnam-Cambodia tour to explore Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom temples of Cambodia and popular destinations of Vietnam ’s Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong delta.

The recent natural disasters reduced the number of Japanese tourists by 40 percent on average from the same period last year, which was earlier expected to rise between 15 percent and 20 percent over 2010.

However, despite such damages, Japan remains Vietnam ’s promising tourism market, according to Bui Nguyen Tam Dang, Head of Vietravel Overseas Market Group.

Travel experts held that the market will completely recover from the third quarter of this year, he noted.

(Source: VNA)

Honouring Vietnam’s craft villages

The Vietnam Craft Village Association organised a ceremony to honour outstanding craft villages in Hanoi on July 2.

The event aimed to encourage craft villages and artisans to preserve and promote cultural traditions.

Nine craft villages, 47 artisans, 27 typical products and 22 businesses were honoured at the fourth annual event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vu Quoc Tuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Craft Village Association, said the honours were based on the achievements and creativity of inviduals and collectives.

The Association aims to provide jobs for rural labourers, raise people’s living standards, and respond to the national movement to create new rural areas and realise the Government’s Resolution 11, Mr Tuan noted.

The Association has also published a book of introducing 100 outstanding artisans and their products from Vietnam’s craft villages.

(Source: VOV)

Tram Chim National Park – a green island of red-headed cranes !

If you visit Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap during the time of day when the highest tides occur, normally from August to November, you can take a motorboat ride through forests rich with plants and flowers and green cajeput trees.

Tram Chim National Park is an eco-tourist area known as a “green island” with a typical natural landscape of the submerged region of Dong Thap Muoi. The park is home to many botanical species and nearly 200 species of water birds which account for about a quarter of the birds in Vietnam. This includes many rare and precious species of water birds. Among them, the most well-known are the red-headed cranes, one of 15 endangered species of cranes in the world. Nearly 60 percent of the population of red-headed cranes resides in Tram Chim National Park.

Red-headed cranes at Tram Chim National Park

The red-headed crane is the tallest among the flying birds in the world. Many of them are nearly 2m tall. They have smooth grey fur, long legs and a long neck. They walk slowly and stretch their wings wide when flying. The cry of the crane is loud and can be heard far away, up to 2-3km. This is because the crane has a long windpipe that creates a sound resonance phenomenon, just like the tube of a trumpet.
Scientists say that red-headed cranes appeared on the earth 60 million years ago, during the time of the gigantic reptile, and lived on all the continents. Tram Chim National Park also has other species of birds, such as the white-winged duck and pelicans.
From late December to early May, flocks of cranes return to Tram Chim to live after migrating to evade the floods. They fly over a vast carpet of green cajeput trees, creating a fantastic scene. Visiting the park during that time people will enjoy the landscape of beautiful skies, rivers and cajeput forests. Hundreds of species of birds, such as storks, teals, grebes, herons and wild ducks perch on branches of trees seeking food.
Tram Chim National Park has the natural identity of the Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) region. There are cajeput forests that are 10-18 years old, various species of lotus (white, pink and half white and half pink, water lilies, rice and water morning glory.
In early 1999, Tram Chim was officially recognized as Tram Chim National Park by the Government. This brought a great source of joy and pride to local people in Dong Thap Muoi. Many international organizations for natural preservation have provided funds to protect this park.
Every year, thousands of tourists visit Tram Chim, of which about 30 percent are foreigners. Tourists will find a peaceful atmosphere and have a chance to watch flocks of cranes returning to live in this submerged area.

VOVNews/Vietnam Pictorial

Elephants, waterfalls and ruou can

Not many tourists make it to Dak Lak – Dak Nong, which is one of the reasons why it’s attractive. But it’s easy to get to from Saigon - eight hours by bus or 40 minutes by plane to Buon Ma Thuot, the spacious and relaxed regional capital.

Dray Nur Falls

Dak Lak – Dak Nong’s charms are waterfalls, elephants, and the milky fermented drink called ruou can. But coffee is what’s most in evidence - tall bushes growing, not in large fields, but in dense plantations clustered round small farmhouses. Vietnam is now the world’s second largest coffee producer after Brazil.

The best way to get around is to rent a motorbike for the day, with or without a driver. None of the main attractions is close by, and though there are buses, relying on them restricts your independence in a way that a sturdy bike never does. The cost with a driver should be around VND200,000 to VND300,000 per day.

Dak Lak – Dak Nong is part of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, and the road from Saigon is a gentle but continuous climb. It’s currently being made the first section of the new road from Saigon to Hanoi so you necessarily have to take the rough with the smooth. Even so, coming all the way by bike, as one lady I met said she’d done, seemed unnecessarily arduous.

The best waterfalls are to the south of the Buon Ma Thuot City, and you can easily see several in one day. The best I saw was Dray Nur Falls in Dak Nong Province, where a huge amount of water cascades down over a wide cliff, even in the dry season. There’s little you can do except be photographed against such scenic splendor, but it’s a fine experience nonetheless.

Less dramatic is Gia Long Falls, some 20 minutes’ ride from Dray Nur Falls. But this series of falls has the advantage that you can clamber over the rocks above and between them. It’s a different kind of experience, but in its way equally attractive.

To get to the elephants, head north to Buon Don in Dak Lak, around an hour’s drive away. You won’t see wild herds, but going for a ride on a tame one (two people per animal) is easily arranged. They wade through a fast-flowing river, and then climb back up onto the bank using their knees.

You can also take a boat trip on the same river, with around ten people to a vessel. Elephant and boat trips both last around 15 minutes, though longer excursions can be arranged. The elephant rides cost VND80,000 (for two people), while the boats are VND20,000 per person.

Dak Lak’s altitude of around 500m means that, like Dalat, it’s cold at nights. But during the dry season it’s sunny and crisp by day, so early to bed, and then an early start in the morning, is recommended. Besides, Buon Ma Thuot doesn’t have a lot to offer in the way of nightlife.

But there’s always ruou can. This fermented rice wine is around 20% alcohol per volume, and is drunk communally through long straws from large jars. But water is continually added, so the strength varies and, just when you feel you’ve had enough, more of the watered-down version is offered. Taken in moderation it’s a very congenial drink, with little in the way of unpleasant after-effects. It’s on sale everywhere in Dak Lak.