Most people who had a chance to visit Hanoi will maybe tell you that it is the most attractive city in all of Asia. Millions of Vietnamese people have lived here along the Red River for a thousand years. Located along wooded avenues among the city’s two dozen lakes you will find architectural souvenirs left by all who occupied this great valley, from the Chinese who first came in the last millennium to the French, booted out in our own century.
From Noi Bai Airport, it takes about an hour into the center capital and offers some emotional glimpses of modern Vietnamese life: farmers tending their fields, great rivers, modern highways… Everything takes on the same deep colors as the modern paintings you see in Hanoi’s galleries. Somehow the setting sun seems enormous here as it dips into the cornfields on the horizon.
On the edge of the city the road dissolves into a maze of winding, narrow, wooded lanes. You are surrounded by roadside artisans, shops and taverns, then by graceful villas and commuters on bicycles, cyclos and motorbikes. Modern buildings appear from nowhere, looking so out of place that you have to wonder if they were dropped from the sky and just left where they came to rest. While you tell yourself that nothing as preposterous as Hanoi can be so beautiful, you cannot help but be dazzled.
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Hanoi, Vietnam
Nha Trang – a great-viewed sea city
Source: Vietnam Beauty
Khanh Hoa is a South Central Coastal province of Vietnam. It is well known by the attractive beauty of its own capital – Nha Trang. Among its 3 bays, Nha Trang ranks first thanks to 100% pristine beaches, excellent view, gorgeous islands, mountains, and rivers.
Nha Trang not only gets great natural advantages of its geography position, landscape, and climate, but inherits its rich background in culture and humanities as well. Although it is 1,280 km far away from Hanoi and 448 km from Ho Chi Minh city, it is easily accessible for tourists by all means of transport: by road, rail, air and waterway.
History
Until the middle of the 19th century, Nha Trang had still been a deserted area with wildlife animals like tigers, and was a part of Hà Bạc, Vĩnh Xương District, Diên Khánh Province. Nha Trang officially became a center urbain under the Indochina Governor General’s decision issued on the 30th August 1924. After only 2 decades of early 20nd century, Nha Trang underwent rapid changes and became today’s Nha Trang city – a marvellous picture with old view but modern and fresh environmental city of Khanh Hoa.
The name of the city – “Nha Trang” - derives from a false Vietnamese spelling of a geographical name in the Cham language of the site Ya Trang, (which litterrally means Lau River, the name of the now Cai River as referred to by the Cham people). From this, the name was adopted to call what is now Nha Trang.
Natural conditions
Nha Trang is known as a sea city with a great long beach and a lot of islands, making the city different and outstanding from any other cities of Vietnam. With 19 islands, Nha Trang is famous with beautiful view and different species living inside (such as the Monkey Island). People also live there, specifically around 2,500 households and 15,000 persons. The biggest island is Hon Tre with 36 square kilometer, being laid far far away in the distant sea, bringing Nha Trang Bay the impression of being out-of-the-wind, “all calm and still”.
Concurrently on mentioning about Nha Trang Bay, there is a small story to tell. One of my friend from Japan, Sono Kimura, who has just come to Vietnam for language and culture study, asked me to bring him to somewhere in the country that has 100% pristine sea sight but modern services as well. Of course I brought him to Nha Trang Bay. Sono spent much time on leisuring around most fastinating rocklands, coral beaches, sand banks, mysterious caves and islands. “ Wow, all is 100% prestine but fresh, beautiful and enchanting, making tourists feel like falling in love with… nature”, passionately said Sono. Then, when coming back, he decided to apply for 1 more course, Oceangraphy, his new “love”.
Cultural values
Nha Trang is famous for natural beauty, therefore, most great Beauty Contests of Vietnam and some of the World have selected this city to be the performance place. Nha Trang people are now very proud to witness the greatest Beauty Contest of both Vietnam and the World to take place here. For the past years, Miss Vietnam and Miss Earth have occurred in Nha Trang. More importantly and proudly for Nha Trang in particular and Vietnam in general, Nha Trang (to be exact, Vinpearl Land (which means Vietnam’s Pearl) – the 5-star resort of the city) was selected for the “Miss Universe Pageant 2008”.
Another cultural activity is sea festival. Sea Festival is held anually, and August-Nha Trang Rendezvous Festival is held every 2 years absorb numerous tourists. All the festivals fully cover sea food, arts and activities like Sea-Food Zone, Sea Night Carnaval, ect., and some exhibitions about Cham Brocade Textile, Arranging Art, and so on. If you would like to get to know about this City, please come and join them on any of those occasions.
The culinary offer in Nha Trang is very varied, which are the reasons tourists enjoy their stay in Nha Trang. One of Nha Trang’s most valuable specialities is “yen sao” (translated as “salangane”), “nhím biển” (translated “sea-chesnut”), “cầu gai”…, which make this sea city special. A salangane is not a swift or swallow. It builds its nest with its saliva. The salangane was associated with royal banquets in the past, and with expensive formal parties today. In the past, salangane was an “ideal precious age prolongging medicine” for Kings.
Apart from Seafood, Nha Trang has many other delicious special delicacies, such as Ninh Hoa dried Spring Rolls (Nem nướng Ninh Hoà), Fish noodle (Bún cá), Canh cakes (Bánh Canh), etc., containing the characteristics of the land. Some scholar once said: “Special food or delicacies reveal their genuin land in the most lively way”.
Sea Entertainment & Places of Interest
If you are a young active person, longing for sports activities to refresh your mind, you have chosen the right place. Nha Trang has a wealth of tourist activities for visitors, for example, boat sailing, island hopping, scuba diving, etc. are performed in Nha Trang. Scuba diving is one amongst the most interesting, mysterious and unique sports sea games in Vietnam in general and Nha Trang in particular. If you prefer sky to sea bed, you could join kite boarding. Winds are steady but don’t expect to get up on one hull too often. For luxury stay, high-quality services and interesting sea activities and games, Vinpearl might be an ideal destination. The 5-star resort is located on Hon Tre Island off the coast of Nha Trang City. It is considered one of the top 29 most beautiful bays in the world, there is a tropical paradise waiting to be found, one of Asia’s best kept secrets.
If you are more quiet, and would like to discover natural scenes, you could spend time on sight-seeing tours. There are a lot of beautiful sea sights here, such as Hòn Chồng Island, Hòn Tằm Island, Hòn Mun Island, Hòn Con Sẻ Tre Island, Hòn Ông Island, Monkey Island, Đảo Yến Island (Swallow Island), Thuỷ cung (sea palace), Thap Ba Spring, and Ba Ho Waterfall. All the islands are scattered around the bay, and again, 100% pristine and beautiful. Each name reveals the island itself’s main traits, for example, Monkey Island, where there exists hundreds of monkeys, or Swallow Island, which has a number of swallow species, the rich source of salangane (“Yến sào”). And the others’name express the islands’ shapes. Hon Noi Island is the most beautiful island of swallow, which you really have to come and see to have a brief real understanding of Vietnam’s traditional precious salagane-making industry.
If you are a scholor coming here to discover historical sides, you must drop by Tháp Bà Ponagar (a Champa Tower), Palace of King Bảo Đại, Long Sơn pagoda, Đá Hang pagoda, Kim Thân Phật Tổ Statute, Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, the largest of its kind in Indochina where thousands of oceanic life samples, exhibits are on display. It is also home to the largest oceanic library in Vietnam, Chánh Tọa Church (or Mountain Church), Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, Trí Nguyên Aquarium (an aquarium where hundreds of rare oceanic species are fed), and so forth.
The city is now fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers and more affluent travelers as well. Are you going to visit the South Beaches of Vietnam? Well, the foremost summer advice is “Nha Trang”!
Joining a home-stay tour in Hoi An
Over the last few years, home-stay tours have become popular in the ancient town of Hoi An. “Home-stay” means that foreign travelers will stay with local people in their homes, and participate in their daily activities.
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| Foreign tourists learn to do Vietnamese cuisine in River Side Home. |
Home-stay guests are treated like members of the host family, which means that they have to wake up early in the morning to prepare for the morning tea break or breakfast, which usually includes traditional and simple Vietnamese food like steamed glutinous rice or corn, boiled sweet potato, a mi quang bowl (local-style noodles) or a cao lau bowl (a soup made with noodles, pork, and greens). If those dishes do not appeal to the tourists, they can be served with Western dishes instead.
After breakfast, the visitors can work in the garden to get the fresh air of a brand new day, or trek to the local market, or just stroll around the town to observe the morning activities of locals in Hoi An.
Guesthouse Minh A at 2 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street belonging to Pham A is one of the first places to offer home-stay tours in Hoi An. The 100-square-meter ancient house is more than a century old. It is divided into four bedrooms, with 2 beds in each bedroom priced at US$10-15 per night. This guesthouse is a favorite of travelers for it offers them a warm and friendly home-away-from-home.
Two Australian brothers Smith and Nick who were staying at the guesthouse said that they had planned to stay there for two days only, but have stayed for a week now. Nick told the Daily that in the morning they often have breakfast with the family, chatting in their free time. They also go to the market to prepare meals for the day and go fishing or swimming in the nearby sea. When night comes, they walk around the town or go to bar to meet up with foreign and local friends.
For those who prefer to be the countryside rather than in town, a home-stay at River Side Home or Betel Garden is a good choice. Travelers who stay at these well-equipped places will not only have a chance to learn about Vietnamese culture but also to learn Vietnamese cuisine.
The RiverSide Home has a surprisingly modern restroom, and offers guests a small piece of land for growing favorite vegetables. For a long-term stay, a private area will be available for a whole family to live in. For a short-term stay, the rooms are comfortable with bamboo beds and wooden floor, priced at US$10-15 per night.
A Singaporean couple told the Daily that after initially staying at a resort close to the beach, they moved to the River Side Home to enjoy the home-stay service there. The husband, named Michael, said that they like the cozy family atmosphere offered by the place as it introduced them to the hospitality of Hoi An people.
Guests who stay at Betel Garden will learn about the traditional Tet holiday by learning to prepare Tet dishes, decorate the house, boil banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cake, filled with green bean paste and fat pork) and celebrate the traditional Tet holiday with the host family.
Ho Phuoc Vinh, director of Le Nguyen Co., the tour provider at Betel Garden, said the room at the site is at 50% occupancy and the rate is increasing.
The city of Hoi An is also making detailed plans to promote those home-stay tours by mapping out the outskirt communes like Cam Thanh, Cam Nam, Cam Chau and Cam An. These areas have rich potential as suitable places for offering more professional home-stay tours.
Owners will invest in their own projects. The houses must follow the traditional standards of Hoi An, with minimum area of house and garden of about 500 square meters. Daily schedules and activities offered there must also detailed and rich in local cultural features.
The investments to develop home-stay tours will be a way for promoting community awareness and allow the locals to benefit more from the program. Besides, it can take the pressure off the town and allow foreign tourists to have a deeper understanding about the people and the land of Hoi An.
(Source: SGT)
Da nang – City of dreams
VietNamNet Bridge – Tourism is growing in Central Vietnam, but Danang lacks options for fine dining and entertainment though not for long.
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After the plane touches down, we can see that it’s scorching hot outside. In the capital city the last of the heavy summer rains have come signalling the introduction of Autumn. But in Danang summer still reigns supreme. The lack of parks or green spaces in the city centre always makes it seem even hotter.
Currently development is everywhere in Danang. Large construction sites are fenced off by green sheets of corrugated iron. Across the skyline cranes stand tall. Arriving tourists don’t seem bothered by the drab, urban landscape as pretty much everyone is heading to the beach between Danang and either Hoi An or Hue. While the city’s magnetic powdery beaches draw tourists from all over the world, Danang itself offers no special cultural heritage or historical sites.
But if Danang could offer shopping, dining and entertainment options, perhaps it could also profit from the region’s growing tourism. There are a number of significant developments underway. A long-awaited golf course has finally teed off on the border of Danang and Quang Nam province. The course was designed by the Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie, one of the most decorated European players in history, and will lure golfers from all over the Asia-Pacific region.
Already nine holes have been opened for play and another nine holes are expected to be finished by this time next year. A club house and a string of villas are also under construction, though you’ll need $850,00 to buy a villa bearing the name of the Ryder Cup legend here. I am reliably informed nine villas have already been reserved at that price.
Jon Tomlinson, general manager of The Montgomerie Links Vietnam, claims the golf business has been encouraging with more than 1,000 rounds played during the first month of opening. Many guests are Korean or Japanese that are working in the industrial parks in the region. Tomlinson anticipates more tourists staying in the nearby resorts will also start to come for a round or two of golf. Furama and The Nam Hai have both started to offer golf packages.
“There will be no shortage of resort guests in this region,” says Tomlinson. “When they arrive, we’ll be here – and they’ll be suitably impressed by the standards of our course and club.” Bulldozers and technicians are also moulding tracks for other courses, including a 36-hole facility designed by Greg Norman near the Marble Mountains.
South Korean investors are looking to tap their own massive domestic golf market with a course on a land enclave reclaimed from the city near Son Tra peninsula. The course is part of a project that will also feature condominiums, hotels, shopping malls and theatres overlooking Danang bay. Such a complex will offer more accommodation and entertainment alternatives.
For the last decade, the Furama Resort has been the sole player in the local luxury resort market. However, competition is heating up with a number of resorts under construction along the coast. The Olalani, a stone’s throw away from the Furama, is a complex of ‘condotels’, villas and hotels that will open late next year.
My associate remarks that it looks like it has come straight out of a Hawaiian property brochure and later on, funnily enough, we discover that the owners are in fact overseas Vietnamese living in Hawaii! Right next door is Crowne Plaza, a huge hotel with nearly 600 rooms, which is set to open up early next year.
The American-backed outfit will not only capture its fair share of the growing tourist market due its large number of rooms and prime location in Central Vietnam but also because there will be a small casino offering eight gaming tables and 100 slot machines. Along with golf, hoteliers in the region believe gambling will provide much needed entertainment for guests.
Restaurants in these resorts will provide more international dining options for those guests, who are not acquainted with local flavours. There is no shortage of restaurants in town but few offer quality international cuisine. One local official points out that there is abundant seafood in Danang but “there is nothing else you can order besides boiled or steamed seafood”. Culinary techniques are limited and five-star guests will expect more.
The restaurateur and celebrity chef Bobby Chin will be opening a restaurant in the Indochina Riverside Towers, a complex of shopping mall, offices and residences by the Han River, where you will also be able to find luxury fashion outlets. Looked to lead the way in terms of nightlife, Seventeen Saloon Bar has opened up a Danang branch on Bach Dang Dong street.
David Brunt, a senior manager from CB Richard Ellis, explains that Danang is changing, though not as rapidly as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. “One year ago, there was no Highlands Coffee. Now, there are two, one in Indochina Riverside Towers and the other in Vinh Trung Plaza,” he says.
Vinh Trung Plaza is also a brand new twin tower office and apartment complex with serviced apartment for lease, a Big C shopping mall and a six-screen MegaStar cineplex. Everywhere it seems, developments are underway. For those who remember Danang at the turn of the 21st century, soon the city will be barely recognisable.
Update from: http://english.vietnamnet.vn//travel/2008/09/804711/
Dalat Vietnam
Dalat is the stepping stone to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This former French hill station with its own mini replica of the Eiffel Towere stands at 1475 meters. It is a breath of fresh air both literally and metaphorically after the mayhem and humidity of HCMC.
There are three likely points of entry to Dalat:
(1) From the north via Nha Trang on the coast. The most common tourist route is up and down the coast travelling by open tour buses or train. Dalat is a short detour inland from the hub at Nha Trang.
(2) From the north via the Central Highlands. Some more adventurous travellers will avoid the coastal route and head inland from Hoi An then go through the beautiful Central Highlands on the way to Dalat. Please note that permits are required to enter most of these central districts and travel with a guide and private transport is recommended.
(3) From HCMC to the south. This was the way we chose, travelling on the Sinh Cafe Open Tour bus. We left HCMC at 8.30am arriving in Dalat at 3.30pm. It’s only a 308km journey but the roads are slow but that’s not a problem amidst such beautiful lush scenery.
Dalat also has an airport 30km to the south of town with daily flights to and from HCMC.
Dalat has long been a popular centre for domestic tourism attracting over 800,000 Vietnamese tourists a year. Average daily temperatures range from 15ºC to 24ºC so you’ll need to wrap up in the evening. We were there in November and there was a chill in the air even in daytime. The dry season is officially from December to March and the rainy season from April to November though we fortunately managed to avoid any rain at all.
Accommodation & Transport
On arrival the Sinh Cafe open tour bus circles the Xuan Huong Lake and drops you at their base at the Trung Cang Hotel (4A Bui Thi Xuan St). In their office in HCMC they’d offered us a room here for $20 US a night be we’d decided to look for an alternative ourselves. With hindsight we should have taken the room. By the time we arrived there were only basic rooms in the basement available which we weren’t interested in so we went into the street where a woman waiting for tourists took us further along Bui Thi Xuan St to her Phuong Huy hotel. This place wasn’t as fancy as the Trung Cang but at $7 US a night for a large clean room in a pleasant hotel run by the family you can’t complain. In general there are plenty rooms available along Bui Thi Xuan St to suit all tastes and wallets.
Almost as soon as you appear in public in Dalat you’ll be approached by men on motorbikes claiming to be ‘Easy Riders’. These guys will take you around on the back of their vintage motorbikes on day trips to the surrounding area or on extended tours.
We met several of them taking tourists from Dalat through the Central Highlands to Hoi An and some tourists have enjoyed the experience so much that they have continued all the way to Hanoi.
It seems that the ‘Easy Rider’ idea was started by a local teacher who had a restricted number of riders but as their notoriety grew every local man with a bike started calling himself an ‘Easy Rider’. From the people we met in the Central Highlands, riders and passengers, there is no doubt that this is a great way to travel and was the highlight of SE Asia for some travellers. However, in Dalat these men become a real pain offering their sevices from the moment you step off the bus and wherever they see you in town. They’ll follow you to your hotel insisting on showing you their notebook of recommendations from previous clients and really don’t give you any peace. The best thing to do is tell them that you aren’t interested from the beginning then take some time to decide what you want to do before agreeing any deal with them. Don’t worry, they’ll never be far away if you want one.
Local Sightseeing & Tourist Attractions
For a day excursion around the local area the ‘Easy Riders’ offer a great service provided you’re comfortable on the back of a motorbike. They’ll charge you about $10 US for a day excursion to the main attractions around Dalat which will probably include a visit to Chicken Village, a Koho minority people’s village where a huge concrete chicken stands above the wooden houses. From here most excursions continue on to visit a silk factory where you can watch the whole process of producing silk scarves, then proceed to the impressive Elephant waterfalls. Similar routes covering other waterfalls and alternative craft industry visits may be offered.
Within Dalat itself it’s difficult to do the main sightseeing on foot as the main sights lie well away from one another and at this altitude and with some steep hills around you’d be better off getting around on the back of a motorbike or taking one of the daily sightseeing tours offered by Sinh Cafe or other local operators.
Highlights of Dalat sightseeing tours include Emperor Bao Dai’s Summer Palace, the Linh Phuoc Pagoda and Dalat railway station. A landscape sightseeing tour takes you a little further out of town and the Langbiang Mountain hiking tour takes you to a traditional Lat village by four wheel drive from where you walk the steep hill to the top of the mountain for stunning views over Dalat and beyond. No matter what they tell you in the office, a good level of fitness is recommended for this climb.
Private Tours from Dalat
On the Langbiang Mountain hike we were accompanied by a guide called Phu who was originally from Pleiku in the north of the Central Highlands. He told us of a trip he’s just done with a couple of Australians which began in dalat and continued north through the Central Highlands ending in Hoi An five days later. He quoted us a price of $50 US per day per person (there were two of us) for the services of him as a guide plus a driver. This seemed quite expensive at first considering local prices but we decided we’d take the tour for three days ending in Nha Trang. This trip would prove to be the undoubted highlight of our time in Vietnam. After the first two days we asked to extend the trip to five days and travelled the whole Central Highlands from Dalat to Hoi An accompanied by Phu and our driver Tam in a 9-seater Mercedes people carrier.
Other Useful Information
In HCMC there was no malaria risk so having taken no medication we had no worries. However, going to Dalat we had been concerned. We needn’t have worried as hotel rooms had mosquito nets and there were hardly any mosquitos anyway. The hotel owner didn’t seem to realise that our concern was with the danger of contracting malaria and not with the potential discomfort of mosquitos bites. Malaria clearly wasn’t an issue locally.
Commiting to the Central Highlands tour which followed was a concern because of the mosquito factor as we would be off the tourist trail but again there was no problem. Phu assured us that there were no mosquitos which seemed a likely story from a guide looking for business. But he was true to his word and I don’t recall seeing hardly any during the five days we travelled through the centre.
Ho Chi Minh City – ongoing dynamic & enchanting
Here, new buildings, there, persons in a hurry… It is the picture of a busting, dynamic but beautiful and friendly city – Ho Chi Minh City, the Chief Southern Centre of Vietnam!
Introduction & Location
If you have visited a number of cities in Vietnam but forgot Ho Chi Minh City, you have not known much about Vietnam for real. It is considered the capital of the Southern area of Vietnam. It is located near the Mekong delta, about 1,760 kilometers south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with the population of 7 million in the area of 2095 square kilometers (908 square miles). Ho Chi Minh City is the second heart and soul of Vietnam, to Hanoi. It’s a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city in the country, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture.
History
Ho Chi Minh City (abbreviation HCMC), commonly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam and the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam. The city used to be a small fishing village, inhabited by Khmer people, Cambodia before becoming a land under Nguyen dynasty rule in 1698, being conquered by France from 1950 to 1975. Throughout its long history, HCMC appears to be not only a modern and dynamic city but a cultural and historical one as well.
Following the Fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Nevertheless, the old Saigon moniker is still used by both Vietnamese and foreigners.
Weather
You are going to visit Sai Gon? The best time to visit weather-wise is the dry season between December and April, when the humidity is more manageable. The clouds start getting heavy around November and stay through March. The Tet Festival in late January or early February is an exciting, if extremely hectic, time to visit. Being only 10.5° above the equator and between 5 and 10m (16-35ft) above sea level, Ho Chi Minh City is almost a template for tropical weather. Temperatures rarely vary from about 30°C (86°F).
People and Culture
Exploring deeply inside Sai Gon, tourists may be surprised at the diversity of ethnic minorities in the magnificent city and its surroundings. Apart from Kinh (or Viet) people, there are a number of others, for example, Chinese, (the largest Chinese community in Vietnam), Khmer, Cham, Nung, and Rhade, etc. Each of them has their own cultural characteristics, languages, costumes, lifestyles, and religions such as: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Ancestor Worship, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Islam, Hinduism, and Bahá’í Faith. Yet, the vast majority is Kinh people, whose common charateristic is to be friendly, hospitable, open-hearted, and straightforward.
These days, lots of Sai Gon’s youngsters and youths could speak English fairly well. They are more and more fond of communicating with foreigners in English for practice. More importantly, they are helpful, which fully reassure first-time foreign visitors to this city.
HCMC, as known, is now growing up to be an industrious, modern and dynamic city, with a lot of new modern constructions of Western architecture. However, here and there you can still see ancient monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Thien Hau Pagoda, Phung Son Tu Pagoda, etc., making it a special picture of “an integrated rather than dissolved city”. HCMC is called “the Pearl of the Far East” or “Paris in the Orient” thanks to this special fascinating beauty, capable to have most travellers lengthen their stay.
Read More Ho Chi Minh City
Tay Son Binh Dinh Festiva
Central Binh Dinh Province is the cradle of Vietnam’s martial arts. The festival, which starts this Friday, is going to be a fight club extravaganza.
The Tay Son Binh Dinh Festival early next month will feature a host of enthralling events including battle drumming, international martial arts competitions and a beauty pageant with some of Vietnam’s most dangerous women.
“Themed Hoi tu va Phat trien (Converging and Prospering) and scheduled for August 1-3, the festival, held for the first time, will showcase Binh Dinh’s scenic beauty and distinctive, appealing culture,” chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Vu Hoang Ha said.
“It also aims to highlight the province’s recent economic strides, encourage local and foreign investment as well as show off its terrific potential for tourism,” he added.
Ha added that the province plans to make the festival a regular event in years to come.
The three-day event will take place at Quy Nhon Town, the capital of Binh Dinh, and surrounding areas including King Quang Trung museum, Hoang de (Emperor) Citadel and Nhon Hoi Economic Zone – which is symbolic of central Vietnam’s economic development.
Festival by the Kon
The 171 km Kon river will be a huge feature in the festival.
The river was the scene of historic uprisings, such as the crushed revolt led by Lia, a poor young martial arts expert, against the Nguyen Lords, the de facto rulers of Vietnam’s Dang Trong (Cochinchina) territory stretching from the Gianh River in central Quang Binh Province to the southernmost province of Ca Mau from 1558 to 1777.
The Kon river also witnessed the breakout of the peasant revolution led by the three Nguyen brothers – Hue, Nhac and Lu in Tay Son District in 1773.
The revolution overthrew Vietnam’s feudal lords and for the first time in the nation’s history unified north and south Vietnam, which had been ruled by Trinh and Nguyen lords respectively.
Scattered on the hills lining the Kon’s banks are resplendent towers built by the early Cham people in Vietnam.
Spectacular martial arts displays
The 2nd International Festival for Traditional Vietnamese Martial Arts, July 31-August 3, will be a thrilling part of the festival.
According to Le Van Minh, deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also head of the Tay Son Binh Dinh Festival organizing board, 75 delegations from 26 countries and territories with over 1,000 domestic and foreign-based masters and enthusiasts will compete in various forms of martial arts and take part in the sport’s return to its ancestral land.
Binh Dinh Province is famous for Vo Tay Son, also known as Vo Binh Dinh, an ancient martial art that was developed in the area.
“The number of delegations and artists to join this year’s festival almost doubles last year’s numbers, which means traditional Vietnamese martial arts have grown in stature on the world scene,” Minh said.
This year celebrated grandmasters, who were born in Binh Dinh, will participate including: Ho Hoa Hue – head of Vietnam’s Tinh Vo Dao (The Purity of Martial Arts) sect in France; Ly Hoang Tung -president of the General Association for the Development of World Martial Arts; and Diep Le Bich – head of Vo Binh Dinh’s Binh Thai Dao sect in the UK
The festival, which begins with performances at 8 a.m. on July 31 at Quy Nhon stadium, will help to popularize Vietnamese martial arts which are practiced in 100 countries and territories by hundreds of thousands of followers.
The participants will also visit the province’s martial arts villages such as An Thai and An Vinh, where they can learn about the time-honored arts from successors of martial arts forefathers.
In addition, more than 50 delegations from across the country will take part in the 18th National Traditional Martial Arts Championship which kicks off on July 28 in Binh Dinh.
Battle drum
Tay Son battle drumming has always been close to locals hearts.
It is said that during battle, Nguyen Hue, who later became Emperor Quang Trung, used a 12 drum system, which symbolized Asia’s 12 zodiac signs, to give battle commands, boost his soldiers’ morale and convert his enemies to good causes.
According to Tran Dinh Ky, director of King Quang Trung museum in Quy Nhon Town, Tay Son battle drumming is a special genre which blends military and artistic elements and is based on the traditional sound systems such as ho, xang and xe.
It is extremely difficult to express the “soul” of Tay Son battle drumming, which explains why few artists can perform it well.
A member of the King Quang Trung museum’s martial music troupe, Hoang Mai, a girl in her early twenties, has been selected as the main festival drummer and an icon to popularize the genre.
Fighting beauties
For the first time in Vietnam, beauties from martial arts schools in almost 40 countries will participate in a beauty pageant titled Hoa hau nhung mien dat vo (Beauties from the Lands of Martial Arts).
“Female general Bui Thi Xuan, one of the leading figures in the Tay Son uprising who possessed both charms and great martial art skills, was chosen as the image of the contest,” a member of the organizing board said.
“The contestants will not only compete in physical attractiveness; they also show off their mental and physical strength by displaying their martial arts skills,” he added.
Le Quy Duong, who directed Huyen thoai song Huong (The Legend of the Huong River), one of Vietnam’s most magnificent extravaganzas, at last June’s Festival Hue, will script and direct the contest.
“Tuong (Vietnamese classical drama) and particularly tuong from the province’s Dao Tan tuong theater, one of Vietnam’s tuong cradles, will also be a part of the contest,” Duong said.
In Binh Dinh tuong and martial arts share some of the same movements giving them a close connection.
The contest’s closing ceremony will be adorned with almost 200 masks from characters in famed traditional tuong plays, he added.
The final round will run at Quy Nhon Commercial center’s 50,000 seat stage from August 1-3.
Other highlights
The festival begins on August 1 with a procession and flower offering, at King Quang Trung museum at 8 a.m., to honor Emperor Quang Trung, a shrewd king and a great national hero.
On August 2 at 8 p.m., tourists can ride in 22 sailboats, which symbolize 22 years of doi moi (economic reform), and let loose flower garlands and colored lanterns at Thi Nai Bay and Thi Nai Bridge.
There will also be superb fireworks shows and traditional musical performances by local and international artists throughout the festival.
Leading up to the festival from July 25-30, there will be tuong performances by troupes from around the country.
Binh Dinh is the birthplace of the genre, which incorporates elements of Chinese opera.
Another highlight is a traditional handicraft fair, July 27-August 3, with 150 stalls at the central park in Quy Nhon Town.
Artisans, including those from ethnic minorities, will give craft demonstrations from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. every day.
Visitors can also relish specialties such as the very strong Bau Da wine and Phu My nem (fermented pork roll) at the fair.
An ornamental plant fair and competition featuring a wide variety of rare plants and bonsai from across the country will also be organized at the province’s Labor Cultural House from July 27-August 3.
Poetry
A poetry recital featuring selected poems by celebrated Vietnamese poets Han Mac Tu and Xuan Dieu will be another delight at the festival.
One of the poets featured at the recital is Binh Dinh born Xuan Dieu (1916 – 1985) who is member of well-known group Tu luc van doan (Self-sufficient literary group) and one of the salient poets of the Tho moi (New Poetry) movement.
Poems by Han Mac Tu, (1912-1940) whose poetic talent is greatly admired, will also be performed.
Tu spent his last days in Quy Nhon before dying of leprosy at the age of 28.
The recital will be held at Ghenh Rang’s Thi nhan (Poets) hill at 8 p.m. August 2.
Famous poets and critics including Nguyen Khoa Diem, Tran Dang Khoa and Thanh Thao will also be present.
Local singer Quang Dung and Meritorious Artist Phan Muon will perform at the event.
The first national martial arts festival held in Binh Dinh in 2006. This year’s event is looking
Public and private sectors target tourism
Tourism information centers are a new concept in Vietnam but both government departments and tourism businesses are eying the opportunities.
It’s 12 noon. Lee, a South Korean tourist, walks into the information center Chao Vietnam (Hello Vietnam) in front of the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City.
He is happy to see a shelf of city maps for tourists.
After taking one written in Korean, Lee leaves the center to join a group of friends waiting outside.
They are now ready to explore the city.
As well as tourist maps, the center also offers free information on flight schedules and upcoming events, all provided in five languages.
Vuong Quang Huynh, director of Chao Vietnam, said the center received 150 to 200 tourists every day, with almost 60 percent from Europe.
The center was in regular contact with more than 130 tourism businesses so it could provide a wide range of brochures and catalogues to tourists, Huynh said.
This service also helped those businesses advertise their products, he said.
Unlike Chao Vietnam, Vina Media and Dat Viet bring tourism information to foreigner travelers in HCMC via touch screen displays.
According to Vina Media Director Le Hoang Yen, the company will set up some 100 tourist information spots with touch screens at high ranking hotels, shopping centers and office buildings around the city by the end of this year.
At such spots, tourists will be able to easily access information, including photos and videos, about attractions, restaurants, hotels, shopping and entertainment centers, as well as tourist tips like “10 things you shouldn’t miss in HCMC.”
Yen said each of the operating systems for those spots cost more than US$5,000, adding that her company always offered tourists the most updated information.
Dat Viet Advertising Company said it had recently installed 13 information booths in HCMC worth $10,000 each.
The company also plans to build 50 more booths in the city and 40 in Hanoi by this year end.
Deputy Director Duong Huy said the company would sell advertising space on the booths to businesses at the same rate as other kinds of outdoor advertisement.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the cooperation of private companies with the department in providing information to foreigners was the best way to promote tourism.
Khanh said the department was conducting a survey of foreign tourists to assess their satisfaction with the way Vina Media presented tourism information.
If the survey returns favorable responses from tourists, the department will work with Vina Media to apply the same method to the department’s seven information centers, which opened last year, he said.
The project to set up the seven centers was approved by the city administration in 2004 but the project made slow progress until November last year.
After the centers opened, an official from the then Department of Tourism said tourism businesses gave very little support because they didn’t think the centers could publicize their services to tourists.
As a result, the information available at these low-budget centers was limited and so the centers didn’t attract many foreigners, the official said.
Statistics from the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism show that 1.2 million foreign tourists visited the city in the first six months of 2008, a 12 percent increase on the same period last year.
Tourists from the US, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Australia made up the bulk of the overseas visitors.
The department also said about 21,000 foreigners traveled to the city by sea, a 40 percent year-on-year rise.
Imperial tomb in Hue to be restored
Authorities in central Thua Thien-Hue Province have approved a large-scale project to restore the imperial tomb of the King Dong Khanh.
The VND76.343 billion (US$4.5 million) project is scheduled to be completed
by 2012, with funds sourced from the state budget and other sponsors, authorities said.
Surrounded by tombs of other royal family members, the mausoleum is located in Thuong Hai Hamlet of Thuy Xuan Commune.
Originally constructed in 1888 and renovated several times up to 1923, the tomb area and surrounding embellishments are praised for their blend of traditional architecture and modern design.
King Dong Khanh (1864-1889), the ninth king of the Nguyen Dynasty, ruled the country from 1885 – 1889.
The central town of Hue and its vicinity served as the old imperial capital of Vietnam from 1802-1945.
It was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site in 1993.
New ways to travel this summer
The Ho Chi Minh City-based tour company, Fiditour, has launched a new range of summer tours and promotions.
Visitors can choose from a selection of holidays called “Enjoy Summer – Sea Tours with the Golden Train.”
Traveling along the central coast, exploring the beaches of each region and enjoying local specialties, the packages have all the trimmings of a fun-filled break to remember.
Tours include: Nha Trang-Vinpearl Land-Nha Phu Bay (2 days/2 nights, from VND2.41 million [US$149] per person), Saigon-Ninh Chu-Vinh Hy Bay (2 days/2 nights, from VND2.5 million [$155] per person), Saigon-Nha Trang-Quy Nhon (4 days/4 nights, from VND4 million [$248.82] per person) and Nha Trang-Vinpearl Resort (3 days/2 nights, from VND5.33 million [$331.56]/pax).
According to Fiditour inbound-tours manager, Nguyen Ngoc An, the company began to look for new spots to holiday countrywide and different ways to travel, to create a fresh feel for this summer.
The Golden Train tours guarantee a safe and healthy journey, An said.
Outbound tours for the summer include Kota Kinabalu Island-Brunei.
It is a combination of Malaysia’s new tourist destination and Brunei, and is great for people that love nature and want to relax.
It will leave on June 11 and 25.
The Indonesian tour around Bali, Denpasar and Jakarta lets you discover Bali along with its well-known Barong dance and amazingly beautiful landscapes created by volcanic lava.
Tours of Cambodia over the summer will now run two times a week leaving at the original time on Thursday plus Saturday – all at the same quality and price.
A four-day, three-night tour with stays at four-star hotels in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap costs $175.
From June 1, Fiditour is offering gifts and 140 incentive cards to customers who register for a tour at one of its offices or branches.
The cards entitle the holders to discounts on registered tours, air tickets and the services of Fiditour and its partners.
Other discounts are available for: groups of four people buying the same tour; purchases seven days before departure; and traveling with the company a second time.
