VietNamNet Bridge – Tran Van Khoa, a native of Cua Dai fishing village in the central city of Hoi An, operates a special Eco-Tour to his hometown, inviting travelers to not only visit ancient streets but also join a fishing trip, try coracle racing and help local residents to collect garbage on the beach.

Foreign tourists join an eco-tour in Hoi An and collect garbage along the beach.

Khoa, who has a great passion for his fishing village, was an enthusiastic tour guide as a teenager. After graduating from the tourism faculty of Danang University, Khoa came back to the city to establish a travel agency near Ganh wharf.

“Hoi An has more to see than ancient features,” Khoa said. His family is helping him operate the travel agency and has opened an eatery nearby to serve traditional dishes to foreign tourists.

His Eco-Tour the fishing life outlying Hoi An City has quickly become a special product for the local tourism industry. “This is an interesting way to explore the life of Vietnamese farmers and fishermen,” said President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen, who visited the city last year and spent five hours on Khoa’s Eco-Tour. “I have learned to fish, row a coracle and grow veggies, as well as enjoy Vietnamese specialties in the beautiful river,” she added.

After about twenty minutes a couple steered a coracle up to our boat and invited us to get in. Doug Pirie, my Australian friend on the trip, was afraid of the small coracle at first but soon joined us to row it to the deeper waters.

Khoa carefully instructed us how to cast the small square fishing net into the river and draw it back up. Pirie was excited when he caught hundreds of small fish in the net and the other travelers were eager to give the fishing a try.

The boat called on Bay Mau coconut forest in Cam Thanh commune where the deserted scenery made some visitors a little nervous. However, they were attracted by the mysterious war stories of Khoa and some elderly residents there.

Many of the international travelers were interested in collecting garbage at the coconut forest. Khoa said that he was happy to see them take off their shoes to paddle in mud and shallow water, voluntarily collecting plastic bags.

The Eco-tour has attracted over 2,500 tourists in two years and Khoa has never missed a trip. Other tourism service developers have considered eco-Tour as a new element in the travel industry. With his fluent spoken English Khoa often organizes beach camps or fun games for foreigners and tries to explain environmental awareness to them. He is introducing a new slogan “With Eco-Tours you have joined us to protect Hoi An’s environment”.

Hoi An Eco-Tour Company is located at Phuoc Hai Fishing Village, Cua Dai District, Hoi An City. Tel: 0510 3092 8900, website: www.hoianecotour.com.vn.

A new deluxe train, the second on the route, began running between Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang on August 22, 2008.

The Sai Gon Railway Company’s Blue Train has 14 coaches equipped with an LCD screen, air-conditioning and other facilities.

Tickets cost between 175,000 VND and 315,000 VND but the company is offering a discount of 25 percent until December 15, 2008.

The train leaves Ho Chi Minh at 8:05 pm and arrives in Nha Trang at 5:12 am the next morning. The return trip begins in Nha Trang at 6:10 pm and ends in Ho Chi Minh City at 4:12 am.

The train deployed on the route cost 14 billion VND (875, 000 USD) to build.

Golden Trains, introduced in December 2007, was the first luxury train on Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang route.

(Vietnamtourism)

The original wood Co Le pagoda was built in the 12^th century by Zen monk Minh Khong. The current pagoda was built in 1920 by bricks and mortar made of lime, molasses, and giay ban (one kind of paper).

Co Le pagoda is a complex of architectural works, featuring typical architecture of northern pagodas, with tam quan (three-door temple gate), tower, major pagoda, club-house, ancestor’s house, and sanctuary.

The pagoda is surrounded by a lot of trees. Besides two sanctuaries are two ancient gao trees, which blossom red flowers in March.

Co Le pagoda’s pride is a 4.2m high, 9 ton bell, which was cast in 1936. Its uniqueness is the central chamber with gothic architecture. The chamber looks like a catholic cathedral.

The pagoda has a 12-storey tower named Cuu Pham Lien Hoa, which lies on a big turtle. The tower is 32m in height, with eight sides, and 62 stairs to the peak.

The tower is linked with the Buddist club house by a small bridge. On the left of the club house is Tran Hung Dao temple. Next to it is Lieu Hanh Temple.

Co Le pagoda festival takes place from the 13^th-16^th of the ninth lunar month. The festival is very bustling with folk games, particularly a boat race. This festival is the most famous festival in the north.

Vietnam Airlines has launched an Autumn Promotion programme for domestic flights from September 8 to October 31, 2008.

Of which, the promotion rate for routes from Hanoi- Ho Chi Minh City to Danang - Hue is VND 550,000. VND 880,000 is the promotion rate applied for flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi- Haiphong - Vinh and Hanoi to Buon Ma Thuot - Nha Trang.

This is one of the big annual promotion programmes of Vietnam Airlines. The programme is applied from September 1 to 15, 2008.

(Vietnamtourism)

The 4th International Travel Expo 2008 in HCMC (ITE 2008) scheduled for early next month will likely be more deserted than expected as the organizer cannot arrange sufficient air tickets for international buyers.

The national travel event is scheduled to take place in Phu Tho Exhibition Center in District 11 from September 12 to 14, co-organized by the city's Department of Culture, Sport, and Tourism, and Binet & IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd.

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the department, told the Daily on Monday that around 210 foreign buyers have registered to join the event. However, up to now, the organizer has secured tickets for over 50 buyers, while 42 others are in standby now. 

"We have expected to arrange air tickets for around 100 buyers to visit the ITE this year, around 50 buyers less than expected," he said.  

Khanh explained that last year 11 international airlines supported the organizer to invite foreign buyers to ITE. This year, just some airlines like Vietnam Airlines, Philippine Airlines, EVA Air and Singapore Airlines have lent a helping hand. 

Many airlines have refused to sponsor air tickets for buyers because they themselves are grappling with hardship due to the fuel price hike. 

"United Airlines is an example. Last year, the airlines invited and sponsored for around 30 American buyers to come but this year it can not help us. The airlines industry in difficulty is the main reason that causes the number of buyers to drop," he said. 

Khanh said that exhibitors would not be pleased at the smaller number of foreign buyers, but the organizer cannot resolve the problem. The organizer has even sought other ways, including online meeting, to match sellers with buyers. 

"We've arranged many online meetings between sellers and buyers before the fair. It's a method to help sellers meet many buyers in a difficult situation," he said. 

Under the theme "Mesmerizing Charms of Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam - Three Countries One Destination," ITE 2008 will feature a tourism exhibition, meetings between travel buyers and sellers, free-show tours in HCMC, the Mekong Delta, the central and the northern regions, as well as in Cambodia, and seminars.

(Vietnamtourism)

However, one airlines industry expert, who asks to remain anonymous, says that airlines needed a seat occupancy rate of 75-80 per cent just to break even, even at current fares. Some would-be passengers who are holding out, expecting lower fares to encourge tourism during the global economic downturn, may therefore find themselves in for a long wait.

Market watchers are also saying that domestic passengers are only likely to enjoy airfare discounts under the An tuong Viet Nam (Impressive Viet Nam) programme, a major promotional campaign put on by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under which 99 all-inclusive tours will be discounted between January and September to lure travellers.

The deputy head of Vietnam Airlines’ sales development division, Nguyen Minh Tam, says that besides the 30-50 per cent airfare reductions applied for clients of the programme, the airline has been co-operating with travel firms to build up others on tour fee reductions for the firms’ clients.

Domestic travellers have already begun booking for the April 30-May 1 holiday, which will run for four days this year, but budget carrier Jetstar Pacific has affirmed that it still has a lot of tickets for flights during that period. Nevertheless, it has advised passengers to draw up travel plans right now, as they can get cheaper fares if they book soon.

Jetstar Pacific has announced that it will offer 50,000 low-priced tickets on domestic routes flying between March 3 and May 21. The tickets can be booked between February 18 and 22 through booking offices and agents nationwide, as well as the airline’s website.

Tickets for domestic flights connecting HCM City with Da Nang and Hue, and Ha Noi with Da Nang will be slashed to VND250,000 (US$15), while tickets for flights from HCM City to Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Vinh, and from Ha Noi to Can Tho will be available for just VND500,000 ($30).

Such airfare discounts normally occur in the low season, but the April 30 – May 1 holiday is a high season when airlines normally think of adding more flights to the schedule and granting airfare discounts only to travellers in tours.

Vietnam Airlines, for instance, will slash the airfare from Ha Noi to the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta from VND1.7million ($100) to VND1.4million ($82) for people who are members of tour groups.

It is currently selling a return ticket on the HCM City-Ha Noi route through Vietravel for only VND2.6million ($153), well below the maximum level of VND3.4million ($200).

And Vietravel general director Nguyen Quoc Ky and staff of Viet Nam Tourism have both noted that tour fees have been lowered since domestic airfares have eased.

Vietnamtourism in Ha Noi has revealed that the firm plans to sell tours from Ha Noi to Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang and Quang Binh next week which are VND1-2million lower per tour than the normal levels.

According to Vice Chairmanof the provincial People’s Committee Ngo Hoa, the Japanese aid came in the formof grants and official development assistance (ODA) projects from the JapanAgency for International Cooperation (JICA) and preferential loans from theJapan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Prominent among ’sassistance programmes was a USD 30 million project to provide equipment andbuild an intensive healthcare centre for the Hue Central Hospital.

Besides, ’snon-governmental organizations have supported nearly USD 5 million foreducational programmes and projects assisting street children in the province.

The WASEDA Heritage Institute has coordinated with the province to implementprojects worth over USD 4 million in total to preserve the Hueancient royal relics and the Huecourt music, which has been recognized as part of the World Cultural Heritage.

Hue city has also established economic, culturaland tourism ties with several Japanese cities, including Shizuoka,Okinawa and Yokohama.

(Source: CPV/VNA)

Under the plan, the airport will be upgraded tomeet the grade 4E standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) and the second level for a military airport with a combined capital ofVND 16 trillion (USD 941.1 million).

By 2020, the airport will be capable of receiving B767 and B747-400 planes witha runway of 3,000 m x 45 m.

The airport’s annual capacity is projected to reach 2.5 million passengers by2020 and 7 million passengers by 2030, while its cargo throughput is designedat 14,300 tons a year by 2020 and 27,600 tons by 2030. </FONT< p>

(Source: CPV / VNA)

Foreign veterans visit the Vuc Quanh Tourist Park in Quang Binh

Amid the rice paddies less than 10 km from the heart of the provincial town of Dong Hoi lies an old battlefield that a Hanoian man has turned into a tourist site.

The 10-hectare Vuc Quanh Tourist Park is a lively museum about the Vietnam War.

Vuc Quanh director Nguyen Xuan Lien in the nursery of the former resistance army base in central

The park is located at a former camp of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam’s Army Division 334, where many war-time relics still remain, such as a ferry, a pontoon bridge, shelters, trenches, a school, a health station and a nursery. All have been vividly restored by Nguyen Xuan Lien, the project director.

The grounds include deep bomb craters, a pontoon bridge made of gas barrels, thatch-roof houses typical to Quang Binh during the war years and even a path that once connected to the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

In addition, Vuc Quanh boasts a medical clinic with an underground operating room, a classroom, a nursery school, and shelters dug near local people’s homes. There’s also a restored half-burnt house, a house that was disassembled to serve as a bridge for vehicles and a warehouse formerly used for rice and salt. The system of roads and trenches around the village has also been restored.

Walking around the site, visitors can see many objects of life during wartime such as oil lamps made of bomb shells. A camouflage bicycle, clusters of gas barrels and pieces of iron, used as makeshift magnetic bomb detectors on the river, can be found around the site. Co tau bay (Benth), a key vegetable for liberation soldiers during the war, is also available in the area.

The museum is free to visit.

Reported by Ngoc Anh

A beach in Phu Quoc (Photo: wiki.skydoor)

While tours to places like Da Nang , Nha Trang, Phan Thiet ,and Vung Tau are being offered at discounts of 15 to 30 percent, tours to Phu Quoc have become 15 to 20 percent costlier.

Phu Quoc hotels are demanding a deposit of 30 to 50 percent for rooms.

Hydrofoils from the mainland to the island were full up two months ago.

Ha Trong Diep, director of Can Tho – Vinashin Passenger Boat and Travel Company, said tour operators recently asked for hundreds of tickets but his company was unable to meet the demand.

Located in the Gulf of Thailand , the 567-square-kilometr island is 62 nautical miles (115 km) from Rach Gia and only 8.1 nautical miles (15 km) from Kampot Province of Cambodia.

It boasts breathtaking landscapes including beautiful white sandy beaches, imposing mountains and pristine forests.

An Thoi, an archipelago known for magnificent islands like Hon Dua, Hon Roi, and Hon Rom has several kilometers of coral reefs where tourists can enjoy going fishing and diving.

A three -hour motorboat trip around the archipelago plus a meal and a drink costs VND100,000 to 150,000.  

By staff writers – Translated by Phuong Lan

The 2009 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2009) will take place in Hanoi from January 5-12.

Tran Chien Thang, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said that ATF 2009 will include a session of the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), the ASEAN Tourism Ministerial Meeting, the conference of ASEAN tourism ministers and partners, the ASEAN Tourism Conference, the ASEAN tourism fair and opening and closing ceremonies.

Thang told 200 domestic and foreign reporters that ATF 2009 is of great significance in terms of politics, economics and society and is an initiative and concerted effort to make ASEAN a tourist destination, develop tourism in a sustainable manner, boost tourist exchange, cooperation, friendship, cultural exchange, peace and prosperity in the region./.

The 2009 Cultural and Tourism Week will begin in the northern tourist resort town of Sapa on May 1.

Various activities will take place during the week, including the love market in Sapa town and the cloud festival on Ham Rong mountain, which spotlights the traditional culture of ethnic minority groups, such as the Xa Pho, Dao, Mong, Giay and Tay .

A photography exhibition, “The Color of Sapa”, will also be on show during the week together with a musical programme and a culinary arts fair.

The week will feature nearly one 100 types of orchid which are indigenous to Hoang Lien forest and mountain range in Sapa – the city in the fog.

VietNamNet/VOV

The airline has plans to add one more flight to its current four flights per week between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City to meet increasing demand, said a Qatar Airways source.

A Qatar Airways flight attendant in (Photo: Tuong Thuy)

The Doha-based carrier operates the four flights with aircraft Airbus 330-300 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

In an announcement issued in Hamburg, on April 6, Qatar Airways said it has once again come up trumps at the annual Skytrax passenger survey awards scooping several accolades, including Best Economy Class in the world. The carrier also earned the title Best Airline in the Middle East for the fourth year running, while its cabin crew have again demonstrated delivering the highest levels of service by being named Best in the region for an unprecedented seventh year in a row.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker picked up the accolades during the 10th anniversary Skytrax World Airline Awards celebrations at a ceremony held in Hamburg April 6.

In related news, from June 1, Northwest Airlines of the will operate seven flights a week with Boeing 757 linking Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco and Los Angeles, with a transit stop in Tokyo .

In 2004, United Airlines became the first American commercial carrier to fly to since the 1975.

The national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, also wants to fly to the but has delayed its plans to do so several times. It is scheduled to open flights to the next year.

By Tuong Thuy

The airline has plans to add one more flight to its current four flights per week between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City to meet increasing demand, said a Qatar Airways source.

A Qatar Airways flight attendant in (Photo: Tuong Thuy)

The Doha-based carrier operates the four flights with aircraft Airbus 330-300 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

In an announcement issued in Hamburg, on April 6, Qatar Airways said it has once again come up trumps at the annual Skytrax passenger survey awards scooping several accolades, including Best Economy Class in the world. The carrier also earned the title Best Airline in the Middle East for the fourth year running, while its cabin crew have again demonstrated delivering the highest levels of service by being named Best in the region for an unprecedented seventh year in a row.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker picked up the accolades during the 10th anniversary Skytrax World Airline Awards celebrations at a ceremony held in Hamburg April 6.

In related news, from June 1, Northwest Airlines of the will operate seven flights a week with Boeing 757 linking Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco and Los Angeles, with a transit stop in Tokyo .

In 2004, United Airlines became the first American commercial carrier to fly to since the 1975.

The national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, also wants to fly to the but has delayed its plans to do so several times. It is scheduled to open flights to the next year.

By Tuong Thuy

One particular performance aims to portray the beauty of the culture, people and nature of Muong Lo village as hundreds of local artists are set to perform xoe dancing (traditional dance of Thai ethnic people). The dance brings everyone together in a circle around the village shrine, and with so many people hand-in-hand several circles are likely to form.

A Gau Tao (new year) festival will also take place, along with sap (bamboo pole) dancing, khen (pan-pipe) performances and the Mong ethic people’s ritual of worshipping the tea tree.

Tourists will be able to find out more about traditional trades such as musical instrument making, brocade weaving and plaiting.

During the one-week festival, Muong Lo’s ethnic people will be sporting their traditional clothes. Tourists are welcomed to join in, and also check out some local cuisine.

The week will also kick off a travel programme offering various tours to visit nearby villages, waterfalls, terraced fields, hot-water streams and tea farms in Nghia Lo, Van Chan and Mu Cang Chai towns.

These tours will offer visitors a chance to experience the daily lives of the locals, offering them a genuine cultural experience.

The annual event is being put on three northern provinces including Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Phu Tho, hoping to introduce and popularise the cultural features of ethnic groups and attract tourists. The festival will run until October 21.

The Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People’s Committee has worked with 's Changi Airport to discuss a project to upgrade Phu Bai International Airport, which is located to the south of central Hue city, former imperial capital of . The project will be carried out through two phases, the first one with total investment capital of US$27 million, and the second with US$110 million.

Phu Bai Airport is expected to receive a variety of large planes during the first phase so that it can soon reach international standards.

The aim of upgrading Phu Bai International Airport is to increase the quality of human resources and attract airlines worldwide to open flights to Hue. The quality of management must be increased to effectively control materials and technology in order to meet the criteria of a modern international airport.

Nhan Dan Online - As many as 250 thousand locals and tourists did really enjoy the magnificent fireworks by the Han river last night at the opening ceremony of the 2nd International Fireworks Contest, held in the central city of Da Nang from March 28-29.

Nhan Dan Online - As many as 250 thousand locals and tourists did really enjoy the magnificent fireworks by the Han river last night at the opening ceremony of the 2nd International Fireworks Contest, held in the central city of Da Nang from March 28-29.

The Filipino’s performance. Photo:V.T.L

The contest, entitled ‘Am Vang Song Han’ (Echo on the Han River) draws five teams from China, Spain, Australia, the Philippines and host Da Nang (Vietnam).

The Filipino team raised the curtain with their impressive performance named 'New Era' while the Spanish team brought the audiences a spectacular displays with original sound effects.

The Spanish team’s performance. Photo:V.Phuong

"We have more than 100 years of experience in fireworks making. We lost to Australia last year so this time we will try our best to win the contest," Captain of the Spanish team Patrick Brault excitedly said.

The Vietnamese team’s performance. Photo: Thuc Yen

The last performance of the day marked the appearance of the Vietnamese team's fireworks. The performance, which was divided into four parts, accompanied by the traditional and modern music, expressed the idea of the reflection of the City's history from the past to the present, left much impression on the audiences.  

The 2nd International Fireworks Contest is as part of the month-long festival to mark the city’s 34th Liberation Day (March 29). Tourists at the event will also have a chance to take part in various cultural, tourism and sports activities including the procession of flower boats and lantern release on the Han River, an art exhibition as well as various water sports.

A view of Nhat Le beach in the central province of Quang Binh

This is the first time a large promotion has been held in Paris to introduce as a destination for sea tourism.

Participating at the event will be representatives from 30 leading coastal tourist honey pots in , and hundreds of travel agencies from , around Europe and .

The organizers are Vietnam Airlines, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnamese Embassy in .

By A.K – Translated by H.Mien

Tourists getting their hands dirty by catching fish in Mekong Delta: domestic tours are attracting increasing numbers of Vietnamese.

It is estimated that nearly 303,500 international tourists visited the country in March.

Domestic tours organized for local tourists, however, are flourishing. The number of local customers taking tours in the first three months of the year has increased threefold over last year.

VNAT hoped that the launch of cheaper but good quality domestic package tours would attract even more domestic customers in the coming future.

By V. Xuan – Translated by Phuong Lan

A view of Bang Lang Shrine.

Visiting the betel garden evokes ancient Vietnamese customs from the time of the Hung kings. There is a legend about the betel and that tells of a young man dying and turning into an areca tree; his wife in her grief dies beside him and turns into a betel plant, attaching herself to the tree. Traditionally Vietnamese people invite their guests to chew betel before starting a conversation, and betel and areca are essential betrothal gifts in weeding parties.

In Long Son Commune, the betel is a well known product. It has existed there for thousands of years, having originated from a famous betel from Ba Diem, and has made Long Son famous. Traders go there to buy 7,000 to 8,000 betel leaves a day to sell in Chau Doc, Tan Chau (An Giang), Hong Ngu, Dong Thap, and even to export to

The betel garden of Nguyen Phu Trung in Long Hoa Commune in Tan Phu District is an amazing sight, with the betel vines climbing endlessly in the glistening sunlight on the immeasurably high betel trellis. Just a short walk from the garden is Bang Lang Shrine, built to worship Lady Thuong Dong Co Hy on an area of 1,000 square meters.

Near the shrine are three ancient, giant bang lang trees which blossom with purple flowers in winter, creating a sanctuary of calmness and providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of life. The local Cham people hold an annual Bang Lang Shrine Festival on the 15th and 16th of the third lunar month (April 9 and 10, 2009) to pray for a peaceful life and better crops. Visitors to Long Son during the festival will enjoy diverse artistic activities and local folk games in the jubilant atmosphere of the festival.

An Giang also holds a series of annual festivals such as Ba Chua Xu, Chol Chnam Thomay and Dolta festivals, and has many popular tourist attractions including ox racing, Sam Mountain in Chau Doc, Cam Mountain in Tien Binh, Tuc Dup Hill, a network of grottoes in Thuy Dai Son, Anh Vu Son, Co To, and many traditional craft villages.

A visit to An Giang will satisfy any traveler’s search for splendid scenery and traditional Vietnamese culture.

VietNamNet/SGT

The Ba Na cable car system starts service on Mar. 25, 2009 (Photo: VNA)

The system, which connects the foot of Mount Ba Na with Vong Nguyet Hill, about 1,300 meters above the sea level, has a length of 5.042 kilometers and extends 1.29 km up the mountainside.

On Mar. 26, Guinness World Records representative Lucia Sinigagliesi handed over the Guinness certificate to the Ba Na Cable Car Service Company.

Sinigagliesi said has so far received 11 Guinness world records. However, the Ba Na cable car is the country’s first record in the fields of science and technology.

One day earlier, State President Nguyen Minh Triet cut the ribbon to inaugurate the cable car system.

The first section has been built over the last 12 months at a cost of US$17.2 million. The remaining section, from Vong Nguyet Hill to the highest peak, is to start operation by the end of April with a further investment of $5.7 million. The Ba Na Cable Car Service Company plans to launch the second section on April 30.

The first section can transport up to 1,500 people per hour, with a 15 minute ride-time. The second will be able to service 1,000 people per hour.

The cable car system is built up to European standards with Austrian technology and equipment imported from , , and .

Tourists to Mount Ba Na are served drinks inside each cab as well as at the two stations. The cable car system is expected to boost the economy of Da Nang , which has lots of potential for tourism.

Source: Vietnamese media

Twenty-two renowned artists from and the Republic of Korea (RoK) are displaying their works at a fine arts exhibition that opened in Hanoi on November 20. The exhibition entitled “Good morning , Good morning ” aims to commemorate the 16th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the RoK and .

The exhibition boasts a total of forty-three works of art on display, in a variety of media, such as oil paintings, lacquer, graphic art and installation pieces.

RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Lim Hong Jae and the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Tien Tho agreed that, building on the success of the first exhibition which was held in Seoul in 2007, this exhibition aims to promote the exchange of culture and fine arts between the two countries.

The event will also contribute to boosting the friendship between the RoK and , as well as engendering a greater mutual understanding of each other’s nations. The 2 nd Vietnam-RoK fine arts exhibition is jointly organised by the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, the Korea Foundation and the Korean Cultural Service in .

The major venues are Loc An Wharf, the monumentof “the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea” in Xuyen Moc District, and Con DaoDistrict.

Numerous cultural, sports and tourist events will be held during the festival,including beach volleyball, beach football, Chinese chess competition, folkgames, art performances, human chess, exhibitions of calligraphy and touristphotos.

Especially, five ’srecords in Ba Ria - Vung Tau will be announced.

(Source: Vietnam Government Port

The tournament is expected to attract nearly 300climbers, double the number of participants in 2007. This is a good chance topromote Lao Cai’s tourism in particular and ’s tourism in general tointernational friends. Vietnam Airlines and nine other sponsors will providemore than VND 700 million in total for the event.

The organising board said that preparations for the tournament have beenbasically completed. According to the new rules, all domestic and foreignathletes who are aged between 18 - 45 years can register to join the sponsored25 km-long tourney.

(Source: VOV)

The draft design of Thieu Phuong Imperial Park (Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper)

The project will be carried out from this October and is expected to be finished by June 2010.

The Thieu Phuong Imperial Garden is located by the northern gate of Forbidden Citadel, in front of Thai Binh Lau (Royal Library) and near Duyet Thi Street.

Four traditional wooden houses, linked by brick alleys, will be erected on an area of nearly 8,000 square meters.

A stream will flow around the park decorated with ornamental and fruit-trees, and will contain various rock structures.

The restoration is based on several historical documents and a drawing of the garden.

Thieu Phuong was named by King Thieu Tri as one of the ten most beautiful sceneries of the Forbidden City, and was a prominent fixture of the twenty landscapes in the old city.

Thieu Phuong Imperial Park is the first to be restored among the 30 imperial parks in the former imperial city of Hue.

The park will be an attraction for the event 'Kham pha bi mat vuon thuong uyen' ('Discover secrets of the royal garden') in the program 'Dem hoang cung' ('The Royal Evening') during the Hue Festival 2010.

VietNamNet Bridge – Authorities in the central city of Hoi An have decided to hold a monthly “Light Off Hour” on the lunar 14th night, to join the Earth Hour Campaign 2009 organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as well as to launch a new tourist product for the ancient town.

Light Off Hour is themed on previous events “Night in Ancient Town” and “City Without Motor” which are gradually losing their significance after eleven years of implementation. The new program aims to provide calmness as the city is lit with the sparkling lights of colored lanterns hanging on the corners of the streets, said Nguyen Su, Chief of Hoi An’s Party Committee.

All light bulbs and unnecessary electricity equipment will be turned off in the city for one hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 28. Residents and tourists are encouraged to join the program and to use environment-friendly light, such as candles and lanterns.

The evening will also feature a flower lantern festival, traditional music show on the river and ethnic instrument performances.

In July the city plans to recreate Hoi An City as it was in the early 20th century, said Su, adding that tourists will experience the daily life of ancient Hoi An’s residents with trading activities and traditional costumes.

Ha Trung street, the main currency exchange area of Hanoi, was very crowded and bustling on March 23 afternoon. Customers still flocked there to make transactions late yesterday afternoon, just several minutes before the exchange shops closed their doors. The dollar price was changed continuously by exchange shops, depending on the numbers of buyers.

The dollar fever attack began at 4 pm on March 23. At that time, the dollar sale price was VND17,700/US$1. One hour later, as the dollar became short, prices were raised to VND17,750/US$1. At 6.30 pm, many exchange shops said they ran out of dollars to sell, though the price was raised to VND18,000/US$1, up by VND300/US$1 over the morning.

Several days ago, clients only made small transactions, while yesterday many clients made transactions worth several tens of thousands of dollars. A lot of clients left exchange shops yesterday disappointed as they could not purchase dollars when transaction points ran out.

The HCM City foreign currency market was also very bustling yesterday. The exchange shops on Pham Van Hai and Ben Thanh market areas at 5.30 pm of March 23 quoted the prices at VND17,700-17,760/US$1 (purchase and sale). At the same time, the gold shop in An Dong Market sold dollars at VND17,780-17,800/US$1.

“The price is applied only to clients who purchase dollars in big quantities, more than $20,000, while those who purchase in small quantities have to pay higher prices,” the owner of a gold shop in An Dong market said.

The margin between the purchase and sale prices yesterday afternoon was raised to VND80/US$1, nearly double the margin in the morning.

Gold shops and foreign currency exchange shops all said that the number of clients increased sharply late yesterday afternoon after the State Bank of announced the widening of the trading band from 3% to 5%.

However, a lot of people said that they were cautious about purchasing dollars.

At a gold shop in district 5, HCM City, a client named Tin, said that he was trying to purchase $7,000.

“The greenback price may move up in the coming days. However, I don’t think that the commercial banks’ exchange rates will increase significantly. The State Bank of , while having widened the trading band, has also reduced the interbank exchange rate. If investors still rush to purchase dollars, they are likely to suffer,” Tin said.

The exchange shops on Ha Trung Street in Hanoi, after trying to collect dollars to sell yesterday afternoon, also tried to collect VND as well for fear that clients would come the next day to sell dollars.

The domestic gold price has surged to VND20mil/tael, though the world’s price has not seen big changes. SJC bar gold sold by gold shops in HCM City late yesterday afternoon soared to VND20-20.25mil/tael, up by VND220,000/tael over the morning. The world’s gold price at 8.20 pm on March 23, Hanoi time, decreased by $2/oz, to $947.6/oz.

VietNamNet/VNE

VietNamNet Bridge – Foreign airlines active in Vietnam have launched or are working on plans to operate new flights to Australia, Europe and other destinations that allow air links for pasasengers departing from this country

The new service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays is conducted by AirAsia X, which is a long-haul affiliate of the Kuala Lumpur-based airline group with its shareholders.

Passengers from Hanoi and HCMC can fly with AirAsia to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur before boarding the flights of AirAsia X to Stansted Airport in London as well as destinations in Australia, India and China.

AirAsia operates daily services between these major cities of Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur, and plans to increase frequencies on these sectors in the summer scheduled this year.

Another foreign airline active in Vietnam, Qatar Airways is planning new services to Australia, India, and Europe from this month toward the end of 2009 via its Doha hub in the Middle East.

The Doha-based, five-star carrier plans to use Boeing B777-200 long-range aircraft for its non-stop flights from Doha to the Australia cities of Sydney and Melbourne. These are the cities where a large community of Vietnamese origin and students live.

Currently, Qatar Airways operate services between Vietnam and Europe via Doha on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and most of the carrier’s passengers on these were Europeans including British, French and Italian travelers.

To attract more bookings to the Vietnam-Europe flights, Qatar Airways is offering two-way tickets from US$650, and these promotional tickets are available until March 31 and for travel until June 30, 2009.

Qatar Airways has marked down the fuel surcharge by 20% to US$70 for a flight to Doha, US$74 to the Middle East and US$84 to Europe.

Executives of Qatar Airways are pinning hopes that the carrier will soon increase flight frequencies to and from Vietnam as this was a growing market.

Ish Jalal, area manager of Qatar Airways in Vietnam, told the Daily earlier this year that the carrier wanted to increase the number of services to Vietnam but was unable to realize this because of aircraft shortage.

Qatar Airways currently operates an aircraft fleet of around 68, and has on order over 200 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft worth over US$40 billion.

The fleet expansion is part of the airline’s ongoing strategy to develop its global network as new aircraft join the fleet at an average delivery rate of one a month.

The airline targets flying to more than 100 cities all over the world by 2012, in which the New Doha International Airport is scheduled for opening.

It will also invest VND27 billion in installing high-intensity lighting arrays and the work is expected to be completed before April 30.

The terminal is building a road leading to the terminal, upgrading the runway, expanding the car parking area and erecting a statue of the late President Ho Chi Minh. These projects, costing VND54 billion in total, will be completed in the third quarter of this year.

The skies over the coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau will be a riot of color, shapes and forms later this month as the biggest kite festival in the country gets underway.

Taiwanese octopus kites go swimming during a rehearsal in Vung Tau   The three-day International Kite Festival will open on March 27 with the confirmed participation thus far of at least 15 clubs from several countries. The event is being organized by the National Administration of Tourism, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and local Ho Tram Beach Resort & Spa.

The festival will bring traditional kites from across the country and the world including Taiwanese string kites that replicate human forms, birds, fish and crustaceans strung together, and those from South Korea that are hundreds of meters long. Cambodian and Indian artists are expected to fly kites that carry images of different deities, the Angkor temples, Apsara dancers and people riding elephants. Participants from the Philippines, France and the US will bring a modern touch to the festival. More than 70 Vietnamese artists will fly special kites of different regions from the country, like the flute kites and those decorated with tuong (classical drama) masks. This will serve as a rehearsal for a kite flying event next year as part of Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary celebrations. The festival also attracts famous kite flyers like Peter Lynn of New Zealand who owns a kite factory that exports kites all over the world and Filipino Orlando Ongkingco, president of the Kite Association of the Philippines. Leader of the Indian delegation, Ashgar Belim, manages Sun City Kite Association – the oldest of its kind in Asia – established by his great grandfather. Cao Lap, director of Ho Tram Beach Resort & Spa, estimates between 300 and 400 kites will fly along three kilometers of the beach. This being the first time that Ba Ria-Vung Tau is hosting the festival, Lap said prizes will not be competitive in nature. For instance, they will be awarded to the biggest delegation, the oldest delegation, the longest kite and the most colorful kite. The festival will kick off at Ho Tram Beach on March 27 and move to Vung Tau Town’s beach for the remaining two days. Reported by Ha Dinh Nguyen

There will be an a frenzy of flowers at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi next month, as craftsmen take over the centre with their artistic and floral creations. The five-day event Flower Street Festival – Hanoi 2009, will welcome famous artisans and craftsmen from Hanoi’s traditional villages to present their artwork made from hundreds of thousands of flowers, as well as their traditional products.

From December 31 to January 4, the festival will take over a 600m-long stretch of road, from the intersection of Dinh Tien Hoang-Hang Bai-Trang Tien- Hang Khay to Ba Kieu Temple alongside Hoan Kiem Lake.

The colourful flower beds will be designed by some of Hanoi’s most famous florists, including Mai Hanh, Duc Hai and Nguyen Ba Muu. The fresh flowers will be accompanied by a range of materials, including silk and wood.

Artisans from Chuong village-a famous conical hat-making village – will present an installation of conical hats in different sizes, while artisans from the fan-making Chang Son village will display a massive fan, measuring 9m wide and 4.5m high.

Artisan Lan Tuyen will provide a warm welcome to the festival grounds, creating a peach-blossom-shaped gate from bamboo tape fans. Typical old quarter mossy-roof houses will be replicated by artisans Nguyen Manh Tuan from Bat Trang pottery village, while massive lotus-shaped lanterns will also adorn the lake.

“Flower beds and art installations will be in harmony to ensure that this will be the most stunning festival Hanoi has ever seen,” said flower artisan Nguyen Manh Hung, the main designer of the festival’s flower decorations.

Hung will also impress tourists with ao dai (traditional dress) collection made from rattan, silk flowers, dried flowers and leaves.

According to deputy director of Hanoi’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department Nguyen Khac Loi, the week is not just about livening up the city’s scenery, but is also a meaningful cultural activity to welcome the New Year.

“The festival is an event to present the golden skills of Hanoi’s artists and to express the cultural quintessence of the 1,000-year-old capital,” he said.

“We expect to get as much experience as possible from this year’s festival to plan a flower festival next year – the year of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi,” said one the festival’s organisers Nguyen Thi Hoa.

Unfortunately, recent flooding in Hanoi has destroyed most of the city’s flower fields, so the festival will have to present flowers from neighbouring provinces and from the “land of flowers“ in Da Lat.

“That is our biggest regret, that we can’t use flowers from Hanoi for a festival taking place in Hanoi,” she said.

The festival’s organiser, Hanoi-based DC Music and Entertainment, will spend around VND 2 billion (US $117,000) on the festival.