Tourism flourishes during Tet holiday

Tourists visit the Royal Palace at Hue Citadel in Thua Thien-Hue Province. ­­—VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hung

HCM CITY — More local and foreign tourists have taken inbound and outbound tours during the Tet (Lunar New Year) 2011 holiday compared to previous years.

The number of foreign visitors arriving in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue reached 50,000, mostly from Europe, Japan and Thailand, an increase of about 20,000 over previous years.

Local officials said that numerous cultural festivals held in Hue during Tet had attracted a large number of visitors. They said the festival was a harbinger for many other cultural events to be held in the province this year in order to welcome the National Tourism Year set to be celebrated in 2012.

All historical relics in Hue remained open to visitors free of charge from February 3-5 (Jan 1 – 3 on the lunar calendar).

Da Lat welcomed roughly 75,000 tourists during this Tet holiday, with most hotels and guesthouses in the Central Highland city reporting 80 per cent occupancy.

In Ha Noi, about 1,000 passengers on 109 international flights arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport from February 3 – 5, mostly European tourists and Viet kieu (Vietnamese overseas) from many countries, according to the airport's Customs Department.

Besides, about 8,000 passengers on 82 flights departed from the airport to other countries during the holiday.

The first international flight carrying 184 tourist passengers from Hong Kong arrived at the Da Nang International Airport on the second day of Tet.

They came on a 5-day tour offering relaxing stays at high-end resorts and hotels, as well as visits to many tourist sites like the Son Tra Peninsula, Ngu Hanh Son Mountain and many world heritage sites in Hue and Hoi An Town.

The Sebourn Pride carrying 200 passengers from the UK, France, Germany, and the US also arrived at the Tien Sa Port in Da Nang on the second day of Tet.

Meanwhile, thousands of tourists flocked to Kim Lien historical site in the eponymous commune, Nam Dan District, in the central province of Nghe An, which is late President Ho Chi Minh's home village.

The site's management board mobilised more staff to offer better services during Tet because of the increase in number of visitors during the festive season.

The site, which has normal working hours of 7:30am till 5pm, was opened even earlier until late in the night to serve a large number of visitors on the first and second days of Tet, the board said.

Travel firms do well

The surge in Tet festival tourism saw HCM City-based Viettravel company serve 18,000 – 20,000 customers, a soar of 40 per cent over the same period last year.

Viettravel mobilised an unprecedented 300 tourist guides to serve customers during this Tet holiday.

Meanwhile, Saigontourist Company in HCM City attracted 10,000 customers to join 130 domestic tours, an increase of 40 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Saigontourist also welcomed and served 9,000 foreign tourists on this occasion. — VNS

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Ministry names top 10 activities of 2010

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with 120 journalists have compiled a list of the 10 outstanding achievements of 2010.

1. Major events included the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Viet Nam; the anniversary of the Hung Kings on the 10th day of the third lunar month; the 35th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the unification of the country; the 120th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday; the 65th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, and the 80th anniversary of the Viet Nam National United Front.

2. Major cultural, sports and tourism activities to celebrate 1,000 years of the founding of Ha Noi included a parade in Ba Dinh Square on October 10; the official opening of the Cultural Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups; the Festival on Traditional Arts and Crafts, and Vietnamese Films Days.

3. UNESCO recognised as Intangible Heritage of Humanity the Hoang Thanh-Thang Long Citadel, the Giong Festival in Phu Dong and Soc temples in Ha Noi, together with 82 stone steles of the Le-Mac dynasties at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Ha Noi.

4. Cultural activities abroad to popularising Vietnamese land and people included the Shanghai EXPO 2010 and Vietnamese culture weeks in Cuba, Mexico, Germany, Belgium, Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, China, and India.

5. Ha Noi also held an international photo arts exhibition, an international film festival, an international piano contest, the Miss Earth Pageant in the central province of Khanh Hoa's Vinpearl Land, and the International Football Cup.

6. Director and People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh was honoured by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his great contribution to Vietnamese cinematography.

7. The sixth National Festival for Sports was held in the central province of Da Nang attracting thousands of athletes.

8. At the 16th ASIAD in China the Vietnamese delegation won 33 medals, while at ASIAN Para Games 1, Vietnamese disabled athletes won 17 medals, which helped the team finish 11th out of 42 delegations.

9. The Viet Nam tourism sector welcomed the five millionth international tourist.

10. The Tourism Promotion Programme 2010 entitled "Viet Nam – Your Destination" helped generate a turnover of VND100,000 billion (US$4.76 billion). — VNS

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Folk cultural researchers honoured in Ha Noi

HA NOI — Valuable pieces of research on folk literature and art were granted prizes by the Viet Nam Folk Arts and Literature Association on Wednesday in Ha Noi at an annual association event.

Research on the spiritual customs of the Thai ethnic group who live in the northern mountainous region of Viet Nam by Luong Thi Dai and Lo Xuan Hinh and a book on the geography of Quang Xuong District in the central province of Thanh Hoa by Hoang Tuan Pho received the most prestigious awards on the occasion.

Pho's work provided a range of information on the coastal district of Quang Xuong including its history, geographical traits and potential development in tourism and traditional handicrafts.

Dai and Hinh researched the long-standing traditions of the Thai people, concentrating on their marriage ceremony, known as sen phan be.

The association awarded 66 prizes selected from 89 entries in the fields of philology, folk culture, performing arts, geography, traditional customs and folk knowledge, according to To Ngoc Thanh, the association's president.

Academy to present quarterly concert for children

HA NOI — The Viet Nam National Academy of Music will offer a special concert for children every quarter at the academy's campus, according to piano instructor Ta Quang Dong, who initiated and organised the programme.

"We spare a regular concert for children as we hope to bring them a real appreciation for European classical music, " Dong told Viet Nam News. "Vietnamese audiences have little knowledge of this kind of music, which is partly a result of our improper music education.

"Children audiences like to see children perform," he said. "At the same time, young artists will get a chance to perform in front of a real audience rather than waiting for scarce opportunities to perform in major shows."

"Classical music is the root from which a music student begins before concentrating on other genres," Dong said. "Today, more wealthy families are facilitating their children's music education, not to earn a living but to enhance their aesthetic sense."

17th century stone steles found in northern province

VINH PHUC — Sixty-eight stone steles dating from the 17th century have been catalogued by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

Stone steles, often found in pagodas, temples and community halls, provide valuable information on history, tradition, geography and customs, said Tran Van Quang, the department's director. Contents carved on the steles recorded notable events, he said.

However, Quang warned that communities were often not aware of the significance of the carved stone and that regional authorities had no plans to preserve it.

Heavy rains bring brighter news as artefacts are unearthed

NGHE AN — People in Do Luong District and Cua Lo Town in the central province of Nghe An have collected 40 pottery pieces dating from the Ly and Tran dynasties (the 10th-18th centuries) in recent months.

Most of the artefacts, including dishes, bowls, pots and cups, were found by farmers after heavy rain washed the soil away.

Many of the pieces were decorated with lotus and daisies, enamelled in different colours. They are now being stored at the provincial museum. — VNS

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Peace Trees help children blossom

by Minh Thu

Building a future: A group of Americans who donated money to build libraries and kindergartens in the central province of Quang Tri visit a kindergarten in the province. — VNS Photo Minh Thu

QUANG TRI — Doan Thi My Lien, a young teacher, feels a rush of excitement as she prepares her first lessons at a new kindergarten in Khe Da Village in the central province of Quang Tri.

This kindergarten is one of four built by Americans from the non-governmental organisation Peace Trees Viet Nam in the 15 years it has worked in the country to reverse the impacts of war.

The land where cruel battles once launched has become a place for kindergartens, libraries, friendship villages and gardens.

The achievements are the fruits of labour of many people from the US who directly or indirectly suffered from the war in Viet Nam.

The story began when Jerilyn Brusseau lost her young brother, Daniel Cheney, in Viet Nam. Brusseau and her mother decided to turn sorrow into service.

They gathered like-minded people who were against the war and wanted to heal the scars in the country with Peace Trees Viet Nam. They quickly received support from many people, but their journey to the country on the opposite side of the Earth didn't start until 1990 when Viet Nam and the US normalised relations.

A group of American activists led by Brusseau recently visited Peace Trees' newest kindergarten and the Mothers' Peace Library in Khe Da Village.

Children's laughter greeted the group. The youngsters, barefoot and wearing dirty clothes, seemed to be everywhere, including on the new football field, swings and other playground equipment which Peace Trees donors also funded.

Next to the playground stands the new library, a single room with wooden tables, chairs, and a grey shelf already filled with books.

A slightly larger structure is home to the completed kindergarten with its own small kitchen and bathroom, as well as plastic chairs and tables ready to welcome about 30 youngsters.

"Peace Trees projects are really meaningful for the people here," says Ho Thi Loi, the head of the regional Women's Union. "This new school is dedicated to the children of Khe Da Village and neighbouring Ka Tang Village because prior to this, there was no kindergarten here."

Lien, 26, has taught for four years and just returned to work after maternity leave. She is very eager to take over a new class.

"I have spent weeks preparing lesson plans, making toys for the children and decorating the classroom," she says.

Lien lives in the town, 4km away from the school but she is currently staying with some villagers in order to get to know the children and the parents.

"In the past, children under the age of six didn't have a chance to go to kindergarten before entering primary school. Now they will thanks to support from the local authorities and foreign sponsors," she says.

"Because the villagers are very poor, they can't afford to send their children to school, so I'm staying with them and trying to persuade them to do good things for their kids."

David Hansen is one of the US donors visiting the new kindergarten. He plays with the children, gives them toys and smiles with them. He came to Viet Nam for the first time in 1970 to follow orders as a US soldier but now he is in Viet Nam to be a friend to the Vietnamese people.

Tran Thi Hong Van at the Friendship Village Kindergarten in Dong Ha City, began working here the day the kindergarten was inaugurated in 2002.

"Parents here are very poor and they have to work hard, so teachers here have to work harder than other kindergarten teachers," Van says.

"We arrive early to welcome children and leave late when the parents finish their work and pick up their children."

At first the children were shy and afraid of strangers, especially foreigners, but now they get on well with American visitors, Van says.

"The US donors visit the kindergarten several times a year and bring toys and presents for the children whenever they come. Now when they see them, my kids express their joy and friendliness," Van says.

Building libraries and kindergartens on land cleared of bombs is very good work, says Hansen.

"Children are the owners of the future; we should close the past and open the future by giving them the best things we can," he says.

"There is nothing more meaningful than these constructions. We came to destroy the land in the past and now we have come back to contribute to building a bright future for Vietnamese children." — VNS

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Hanoi, Hoi An in Asia’s top 10 tourist spots

Vietnam’s Hanoi and Hoi An City have been added to the list of Asia’s top ten destinations for 2010 by the Hong Kong online tourist magazine Smart Travel Asia.

According to the results, the ancient town in central Vietnam, Hoi An has retained the fifth place, that it reached last year and Hanoi came seventh in the list.

In the top 25 hotels and resorts in Asia, the Nam Hai in Quang Nam central province and the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi ranked second and third, respectively. The Sofitel Da Lat Palace in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong came 21st and the Princess d’Annam Resort & Spa in Binh Thuan central province ranked 25th .

The Park Hyatt Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and the Sofitel Legend Metropole and the Sheraton in Hanoi were also voted amongst the best hotels for businesspeople and conferences.

The annual poll, which is held every May to July, selects the best resort city, the best city to shop, the best city for business, and the best hotel, restaurant and airline.

According to Vietnam’s National Administration of Tourism, being listed in the top ten destinations in Asia is an excellent opportunity to entice more international visitors to Hanoi, especially on the city’s millennial birthday.
 

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