Hue welcomes the two millionth visitor

Hue welcomes the two millionth visitor

This morning, Dec 30, the Hue Citadel Monuments Conservation Centre held a ceremony to welcome the two millionth visitor in the accompanying delegation who visited Hue relics.

Ms. Sandra, British, in the union tour of Vido has become the tourist number two million visiting the Hue in 2012.

Ms. Sandra was presented by the Conservation relics Center in Hue many valuable prizes.

The number of sea travelers to Hue has also risen sharply. This year, Thua Thien-Hue plans to welcome 25 cruise ships, bringing 40,000 new arrivals, mainly from China, Spain, the UK, the US and Canada

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has hosted almost 2.4 million tourists so far in 2012, up 25 percent against the same period last year.

There have been 803,000 foreign nationals from China, Thailand, Italy, Spain, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia alone, showing a year-on-year increase of 26 percent.

Since the beginning of the year, the province has launched more than 30 major programs as part of the 2012 National Tourism Year for the North Central region to attract tourists, 11 of which are culture, sports and tourism specific programs at both national and international levels.

The tours focus on traditional festivals, such as the Hue Festival 2012 and Buddhist Festival, as well as beach tours around Tam Giang lagoon, Thuan An beach and Lang Co bay.

The recent Hue Festival 2012 attracted 180,000 visitors, including 80,000 foreign nationals, about 50 percent more than in 2010.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Saigontourist breaks ground for highland 4-star resort

Saigontourist breaks ground for highland four-star resort

Saigontourist Travel Service Company, an affiliate of Saigontourist Holding Company, one of Vietnam’s leading travel management companies, held a ground breaking ceremony for the Saigon-Ban Gioc Resort on December 8, in Dam Thuy Commune in the northern province of Cao Bang.

Ban Gioc Waterfall is famous for its beautiful nature

The resort will be a four-star complex over an area of 31.15 hectares, to be constructed in two zones--one next to Street 206 and the other in front of Ban Gioc waterfall.

The resort will include a 60-room hotel, a 29 bed bungalow complex, a 200 seat restaurant, sports and entertainment complex, and a conference area to welcome about 200 guests. A health spa and area for camping and outdoor activities will also be included.

The first phase of construction is expected to complete by late 2013. The investment for the project is about VND170 billion (US$7.9 million).

Tran Hung Viet, general manger of Saigontourist, spoke about the resort--“The design of the resort will encompass the natural surroundings of the area with enough open spaces for the guests to enjoy the view. The building material used will be bamboo, wood, thatch and stone and will merge well with the local culture of the border area.”

In the last 40 years, Saigontourist has invested in hotels and tourism sites in 30 provinces in Vietnam.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Four star Novotel Saigon Center opens in HCMC

Four star Novotel Saigon Center opens in HCMC

The four star Novotel Saigon Center was officially opened on December 13 at 167 Hai Ba Trung Street in District 3 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Rex hotel is one of five-star hotels in HCMC (Photo: U. Phuong) 

The hotel has 18 floors, 247 rooms, three basements, a conference room, swimming pool and a state-of-the-art Spa, designed by Accord Corporation. The total investment for the Center was more than VND1.2 trillion.

The investor, Que Huong Liberty Company, an affiliate of Saigon Tourist Travel Service Company, said it is continuing investments in other restaurants and hotels and planning the four-star Liberty Center Saigon Riverside and five-star Pullman Saigon Center in HCMC in the third quarter of 2013.

Tran Hung Viet, director-general of Saigon Tourist, said as part of its development strategy for the period 2011-2015 with vision for 2020, the company will become a leading travel agency in Vietnam, that will provide accommodation and travel services with the hope of pushing up tourism to become one of the key economic sectors of the City and the country.

The cooperation between Saigon Tourist and Accord Corporation will help increase international holidaymakers to Vietnam as well as improve tourism quality, services and management as per international standards.

The country has currently around 13,500 hotels with more than 285,000 rooms, of which 55 are five-star hotels, 142 are four-star hotels, and 314 are three-star hotels. HCMC has around 1,100 ranked hotels of which 90 are from three to five-star.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Saigon Railway Station to use different modes to sell tickets

Saigon Railway Station to use different modes to sell tickets

Saigon Railway Station will be using different modes to sell train tickets for Tet Lunar New Year holiday season such as direct purchase from the train station, through its agencies, online bookings and home delivery, said Nguyen Van Thanh, head of the station.

Online purchase of tickets can be made via website www.vetau.com.vn and customers can pay at the station counter or via ATM of the Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade. Tickets can be collected two hours prior to departure.

Train tickets for travel dates before January 31, 2013 or day 20 of the 12th Lunar month will be sold at the station or through its agencies or online. Customers can also order free home delivery on (08)38 436 528.

Tickets to travel after January 31 or peak Tet season will be sold in different phases.

Organizations and individuals under State preferential policies can collect their registered tickets from December 1.

People can buy Tet tickets at the station or online from December 10. Passengers need to present their identity cards to get tickets.

Tickets can be returned 10 hours before departure and will be refunded after deduction of 30 percent on the ticket.

Saigon Railway Station currently has 20 agencies that are listed at the station and on website www.gasaigon.com.vn. Because these agencies receive a commission, they must sell the tickets at the price printed on the ticket. If they charge a higher amount, customers can inform the station who will then examine and penalize the agency accordingly.

～News courtesy of SGGP～

Phu Quoc Airport opens

Phu Quoc Airport opens with inaugural flight from HCMC

Phu Quoc International Airport in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang received its inaugural flight carrying 68 passengers from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on December 2.

Phu Quoc International Airport received its inaugural flight on December 2 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

On the same day, Phu Quoc Airport also organized 11 flights with a total of 1,000 passengers on routes HCMC-Phu Quoc, Can Tho-Phu Quoc and Rach Gia-Phu Quoc.

The International Airport broke ground in November 2008, covering an area of 905 hectares and built at a cost of VND16,206 billion (US$777 million).

After four years of construction, the first phase of the project has been completed at a cost of VND3 trillion ($144 million). An official inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place on December 15.

In related news, Vietnam Airlines flight VN631 carrying 143 passengers from HCMC landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta in Indonesia on December 2.

This is the first direct flight between Vietnam and Indonesia. In all there are now four direct weekly flights, departing on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, leaving HCMC at 10am for a three hour flight to Jakarta. The same flight will return to HCMC on the same day at 1.45pm.

On this occasion, Vietnam Airlines is offering a promotion, in which one round trip ticket from HCMC-Jakarta will cost only VND2,905,000, a discount of 22 percent. The HCMC-Jakarta-Bali route will also be discounted by 11 percent to cost VND7,085,000.

The above discounted fares do not include taxes and other fees, and are applicable on tickets purchased from October 22 to December 31, for flights departing between December 2 and March 30, 2013.

～News courtesy of SGGP～

VietJet Air announces HCM - Bangkok route

VietJet Air announces incredible promotion for Ho Chi Minh City - Bangkok route

To celebrate the opening of VietJet Air’s first international route Ho Chi Minh City – Bangkok, Vietnam’s largest low-cost carrier is launching an unbelievable promotion on December 12 with tickets for only VND12,000 up for grabs—that’s just over half a dollar or for customers in Thailand about 17 baht, the carrier announced on December 5.

VietJet Air has also completed its Thai website VietJet Air Thai to further boost tourism and trade between Thailand and Vietnam. The website is now geared for English, Vietnamese and Thai speakers—customers can simply select their preferred language before proceeding to book a flight.

This incredible promotion for Ho Chi Minh City- Bangkok will run from 9pm to 11.59pm only on December 12. But should you miss out there will be a second sale at the same time on December 20 with tickets for just VND99,000 ($4.5).

Bookings of promotional tickets are applicable for travelling from 10 February to 31 December 2013 and must be paid for online with a Visa or Mastercard.

VietJet Air’s inaugural flight connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok will take off on February 10, 2013. The route will start off with one round trip per day initially with VietJet Air’s newly acquired Airbus 320. The one hour and 30 minute flight will depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 11am and return from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 1:30pm.

This auspicious date is the first day of the New Lunar Year, so perfect timing for Vietnamese, Thai and foreign travelers planning to celebrate the festive season by travelling abroad.

The carrier has already launched normal ticket sales for this route—as always just click on www.vietjetair.com, or visit VietJet Air’s booking offices and ticket agencies nationwide or call the Vietjet Air’s hotline +84 19001886.

Desmond Lin, VietJet Air’s Business Development Director, said “We’re looking forward to introducing our outstanding services to residents and travelers in Thailand. We are confident that our “five-star” customer service team will be vital to the success of our international operation as they know the world’s businesses better than anyone.”

VietJet Air now has nine domestic routes on a network that links Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Danang, Vinh and Hai Phong, Hue, Da Lat and Phu Quoc. More international routes linking the country’s largest cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to major destinations in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia will be launched in 2013.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Viet, Laos, Camb to focus on development

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia focus on development triangle

A conference on trade, investment and tourism for the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam development triangle took place in the central highland province of Kon Tum yesterday, December 5.

More than 400 domestic and foreign businesses participated in the conference.

Conference on trade, investment and tourism for the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam development triangle in Kon Tum.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Laos, and Vietnam and Cambodia is estimated to reach a combined total of more than US$4 billion this year.

Vietnam is investing in 50 projects worth close to $1.7 billion in Laos, and 25 projects valued at $1.5 billion in Cambodia.

At the conference, Pham Thi Hong Thanh, deputy head of the Department of Asia-Pacific Market under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, pointed out the obstacles faced by business circles of the three countries such as transport, lending requirements and low consumer demand.

Youn Heng, director of the Department of Evaluation and Incentives under the Cambodian Council for Development, said his country will boost investment in hydropower, thermal power and the power transmission network in the future.

Besides, firms are facing a workforce shortage in Laos and are challenged by the distance between Ho Chi Minh City and Champassak Province. Multinational trade traffic through the south of Laos via northeast Cambodia to the southern provinces of Vietnam is slow.

Cao Viet Sinh, Vietnam’s deputy minister of Planning and Investment, said in future, ministries and agencies of the three countries need to accelerate the construction and completion of the investment and business law; policies relating to taxes, customs, labor; administrative procedures relating to licenses, investment, business--ensuring transparency, the coherence from the central to local levels in order to reduce the time, costs for investors, improve the competitiveness of enterprises.

Cao Viet Sinh, deputy minister of Planning and Investment, stressed that to exploit the regions potential one needs to improve infrastructure, offer incentives to encourage the participation of all economic sectors, and accelerate the implementation of the triangle’s development master plan approved by leaders of the three governments.

The countries also need to complete the investment and business legal framework, policies on tax, customs and labor, and administrative procedures to ensure transparency and synchronicity at all levels of governance from central to grassroots level, Sinh added.

The Cambodia–Laos–Vietnam development triangle comprises of 13 border provinces of the three countries. Initiated by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Vientiane in 1999, the area was established to enhance solidarity and cooperation for socio-economic development, poverty reduction and security in the region.

Meanwhile a trade fair was organized in the central highland province of Kon Tum where handmade crafts by artisans from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were on exhibit.

The fair opened on December 4 and brought together 700 businesses that are displaying their high-quality products in 360 stalls.

The fair is part of a series of events to herald the 8th Conference of the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Triangle Development Coordinating Committee and the 100th anniversary of Kon Tum Province (February 9, 1913).

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Ca Mau Cape National Park as Ramsar site

Ca Mau Cape National Park to be recognized as Ramsar site

Ca Mau Cape National Park in Ca Mau Province in the southernmost tip of Vietnam will be recognized as a Ramsar site on December 13, the fifth such site in Vietnam, announced the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ca Mau Province.

A corner of Ca Mau Cape National Park

The World Environment Organization will announce the official recognition of Ca Mau Cape National Park as a Ramsar Site on December 13.

Mui Ca Mau or Ca Mau Cape National Park in Ca Mau Province has an area of 41,860 hectares, which includes 15,262 hectares of land and 26,600 hectares of coastal area in low lying saline land.

This site is home to 93 species of birds, 26 species of mammals, 43 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians and 233 fish species. The park is also home to some very rare species such as the gray-foot pelican, rare otters and the black-back box turtle.

On May 26, 2009, UNESCO officially recognized some parts of Ca Mau Province as a Biosphere Reserve of the world, a large natural habitat of more than 371,000 hectares and the Mui Ca Mau National Park as one of three important areas of the Biosphere Reserve.

Currently, Vietnam has four Ramsar sites including two in the northern region and two in the south.

The Ramsar sites in the north are Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve in Nam Dinh Province and Ba Be Lake in the mountainous province of Bac Kan which were recognized in 1988 and 2011, respectively.

The Ramsar sites in the southern region are Bau Sau (Crocodile Lake) Wetlands and Seasonal Floodplains in Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai Province and Tram Chim National Park in the southern province of Dong Thap, which were recognized in 2005 and 2012, respectively.

The 7,588 hectare Tram Chim National Park-- home to 130 species of plants, 100 species of vertebrate animals, 40 species of fish, and 147 types of water birds--was recognized by the Ramsar Convention as the 2000th Ramsar site as a Wetland of International Importance in the world.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

VietJet Air adds new fight route to Hue

VietJet Air adds new fight route to Hue

Vietnam’s leading low-cost carrier VietJet Air has launched a new route from Ho Chi Minh City to the former Imperial City of Hue.

Dinh Viet Phuong, deputy head of VietJet Air gives 300 health insurance cards to the Poor Patient Sponsor Association of Thua Thien - Hue Province (Photo: Courtesy of VietJet Air)

With this new route, VietJet Air is now offering more than 30 flights a day on seven domestic routes.

The HCMC-Hue route will operate one round trip a day on an Airbus A320 aircraft. The one hour and 20 minute flight will depart from HCMC at 7.40am and return at 9.40pm.

VietJet Air marked this special occasion by launching a corporate social responsibility program that will provide 300 health insurance cards to residents of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue from disadvantaged households.

VietJet Air will also expand further before year end with more routes from HCMC-Phu Quoc and Hanoi-Da Lat.

The airline’s first international flight will be launched early next year.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Vietnam arrests 11 on hijacked Malaysian ship

Vietnam arrests 11 on hijacked Malaysian ship

Vietnamese authorities have arrested 11 suspected pirates aboard a chemical tanker after the first such hijacking in the waters around Malaysia in years, the International Maritime Bureau said on Friday.

The Malaysian-owned vessel lost communication on Saturday while on its way from the country's southern Johor state to Sarawak state on Borneo island, said Noel Choong, head of the bureau's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre.

After the centre sent out an alert, Vietnamese marine authorities managed to intercept the tanker on Thursday, arresting 11 suspects. The pirates had changed the ship's name and were flying a Honduran flag.

The tanker's nine crew members had been released at sea on Wednesday by the pirates, said Choong, adding that the crew were all safe after being rescued by local fishermen.

Choong said it was the first such case of a tanker with cargo being hijacked on its way to Sarawak in several years.

The maritime bureau praised the Vietnamese and Malaysian authorities for their efforts.

"IMB hopes that the authorities will take action and investigate the incident to contain and stop this type of menace," Choong said.

"Ships sailing in the region should maintain anti-piracy watches especially at night in Asian waters."

In October, four Indonesian suspected pirates were arrested for trying to hijack a tugboat and barge, also off Sarawak state. Choong said authorities were still investigating that case.

Pirate attacks in Malaysian waters have dropped in recent years following stepped up patrols and co-operation with neighbouring countries to secure waterways.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Kem

Kem = Ice Cream 冰淇淋

Cave tours in Quang Binh

Oxalis Company promotes cave tours in Quang Binh Province

Nguyen Chau A, director of Oxalis Company, said on Sunday that his company had invited two foreign cave experts to train guides for conducting cave exploration tours in the central province of Quang Binh.

A newly discovered cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province Howard Limbert and his wife are the two foreign cave experts hired by the Oxalis Company to train adventure tour guides and plan specific tourist itineraries for the company.

The two experts are already present in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and will plan the cave tours in consultation with the company to ensure safety for visitors and provide skills to guides to run tours in the tropical forest to explore caves and to trek and climb mountains.

They will help promote cave tourism by guiding American and European companies to make films on the caves in Quang Binh Province.

Mr and Mrs. Limbert and their team have explored caves in Vietnam for the last 20 years and discovered several caves across a stretch of 200 kilometers in Quang Binh Province. They are credited with making Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park a world natural heritage site.

They have also brought world attention to the Son Dong cave--the largest cave in the world. Son Dong is one of the many caves in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

The Oxalis Company has its headquarters in Quang Binh Province and specializes in adventure and eco tours in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Bo Trach District as well as other cave areas in the vicinity of the district.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Mekong Delta offers unique tourism opportunities

Mekong Delta offers unique tourism opportunities

In context of the current economic woes in the world, the tourism sector is still striving to attract more people to visit the Mekong Delta area in Vietnam, which is offering unique, stress free and exotic tours.

A tourist guide is introducing story and structure of Huynh Thuy Le ancient house in the Mekong delta province of Dong Thap ( Photo: SGGP)

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, the four countries strategically located in the lower Mekong sub-region, will jointly work towards boosting tourism potential in this area, as discussed in a recent meeting themed ‘Four Countries-One Destination’.

Discussions were held in the meeting on how to attract more investments for tourism projects in the Mekong Delta sub region, Vietnam’s rice basket, and a current target for tourism promotion by Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has approved a plan to develop tourism as a key economic sector in the Mekong Delta. The plan, which extends till 2020, will aid the country's economic transformation and help reduce hunger and poverty, according to the ministry.

Thanks to its cultural diversity and the range of tourism it offers, such as eco, community-based, sea and islands, and diverse culture, the Mekong Delta attracts millions of visitors each year.

According to the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, around 12.8 million holidaymakers have visited the region since the beginning of the year, a year-on-year increase of 6 percent and a turnover of more than VND2.6 trillion ($125 million), an increase of 25 percent compared to last year.

In provinces like An Giang, in October alone, the province has welcomed around 28,000 tourists, an increase of 2.6 percent compared to September. Among them were around 2,300 international travelers, an increase of 6.7 percent compared to September. October turnover alone was VND17 billion ($815,662), an increase of 3.9 percent compared to last month.

There was a hike in holidaymakers from North Vietnam to the Mekong Delta and Cambodia, said Nguyen Dai Ho, director of the Phuong Nam Travel Company in Kien Giang. Accordingly, the company in coordination with the Hon Gai Tourism Company launched a new route Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh-Tay Ninh-Ha Tien-Phu Quoc-Hanoi.

Kim Trang from the Hanoi Tourism Company shared that every month her company organizes a tour for six groups of 30 tourists who want to go to the Mekong delta city of Can Tho to listen to amateur music on a boat along the river, visit orchards in the Mekong delta province of Tien Giang, and the Mac Cuu mausoleum in the town of Ha Tien, in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.

Tommy, a representative of Fantasy Tour Company, said Vietnam has the magnificent Mekong River which foreigners love as it flows through six countries. His customers are interested in culture of the region, the natives and the natural beauty, rather than luxury hotels and sea bathing.

Foreign tourists have a good eye for the Mekong River and 40 percent of tourists here are Japanese, said Nguyen Duc Tho, a tourist guide of HCMC-based Le Phong Travel Company.

‘Work as a Farmer’ day tour in the Mekong Delta has attracted many young tourists (Photo: SGGP)

Recently, Dien Quan Media Company led a world famous Chinese American chef Martin Yan for a sightseeing tour of the Mekong Delta for a 26 episode show titled ‘Martin-Taste of Vietnam’ to promote Vietnamese cuisine across the globe. The organizers are aiming to broadcast the show on several US channels in addition to domestic TV networks.

Le Van Hien, chairman of Cuu Long Tourism Company, said the Mekong Delta Tourism Association and local tourism associations should train more tourist guides, waiters, and restore traditional festivals of ethnic minority groups like Khmer, Chinese, and Cham.

More important was how to link the uniqueness of each province and build an alluring image of the whole region and offering specific tourism packages .

There is also need to attract more investments and improve the basic infrastructure and accommodation since the region has the lowest rates of five-star hotels and resorts in Vietnam, said Hai Dang, Director of Vietravel Tourism Company.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Luxury cruise ship brings foreign tourists

Luxury cruise ship brings 2,100 foreign tourists to Vietnam

The Saigon Tourist Travel Company welcomed 2,100 foreign passengers and crew members from Italy, Spain, the UK and Germany from aboard the five-star cruise ship Costa Victoria on November 14.

The tourists visited Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi tunnels and My Tho City in Tien Giang Province, where they enjoyed water puppetry performances, shopped at Ben Thanh market, and tasted tropical fruits at local orchards.

The ship had cruised along the Vietnam coast for the last five days, from November 10 to November 14, with the foreign visitors seeing the sites of Ha Long Bay, Da Nang City, the Champa relics at the My Son sanctuary, the imperial capital of Hue and Hoi An ancient town.

They continued onto their final destination in Ho Chi Minh City with the Costa Victoria finishing its five-day tour of Vietnam.

The ship plans to return to Vietnam on January 7, 2013 and follow the Halong-Da Nang-Ho Chi Minh City route.

The Costa Victoria has a capacity to carry a maximum of 2,394 passengers and 790 crew members. It is a floating luxury resort with five restaurants, ten bars, and three swimming pools, as well as inhouse entertainment and large shopping areas.

On this occasion Saigon Tourist informed that in the first ten months of the year, the company has received passengers and crew of many international cruise ships, including the Costa Classica, SuperStar Aquarius, Voyages of Discovery, Columbus, Spirit of Adventure, Europa, Saga Ruby and Princess Danae.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Laos to build railway to Vietnam

Laos to build railway to Vietnam

Construction work on a US$5 billion (195 billion baht) railway linking Laos to Vietnam is scheduled to begin in January, media reported on Wednesday.

Giant Consolidated Limited, the Malaysian investor in the project, expects to begin construction in January on the 220-kilometre-long track linking Savannakhet to Laobao on the Lao-Vietnamese border and complete it within four years, the Socio-Economic newspaper reported.

The contract to build and operate the railway was signed on Nov 5. Giant Consolidated Limited was granted a 50-year concession to operate the rail link, which will form part of the East-West Corridor linking Malaysia to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam by rail.

The railway scheme, to accommodate trains with top speeds of 120 kilometres per hour, will require the construction of 11 stations and 14 bridges, the newspaper said.

Last month, the National Assembly approved the government's plan to build a $7 billion railway linking Vientiane to the Lao-China border. The project is expected to receive a loan from the Chinese Export Bank.

~News courtesy of Bangkok Post~

Vietnam PM faces unprecedented call to quit

Vietnam PM faces unprecedented call to quit

Vietnam's embattled premier on Wednesday faced an unprecedented call in the communist-dominated parliament to step down over mistakes in his stewardship of the troubled economy.

It is believed to be the first time ever that a Vietnamese prime minister has been publicly urged to resign by a member of the one-party state's 500-strong National Assembly.

"It's time to take real responsibility not just apologise," lawmaker Duong Trung Quoc said as Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung looked on calmly.

Quoc, an outspoken historian and one of the less than 10 per cent of lawmakers who do not belong to the Communist Party, urged Dung to "start the government's progress towards a resignation culture".

"The people are asking why it seems the prime minister does not value his responsibilities to the people as highly as he does those to the party," he said.

Quoc's comments attracted an outpouring of support on Vietnamese-language online forums and blogs, which are hugely popular in the heavily-censored country, where the communist party tightly restricts political debate.

A second lawmaker, Nguyen Ba Thuyen, said Dung's failure to set out a plan to overcome the country's economic woes had damaged public trust in the Communist leadership.

The growing pressure comes as Vietnam grapples with slowing economic growth, resurgent inflation, falling foreign direct investment and rising fears about toxic debts in the fragile banking system.

Dung, 62, escaped punishment at a key Communist Party meeting last month over a string of scandals that have tainted the country's leadership.

But in an attempt to deflect increasing criticism, the party issued a rare self-rebuke and Dung apologised for corruption, inefficiencies and major losses at state-run giants such as shipbuilder Vinashin.

Responding to Wednesday's rare public attack, a cheerful-looking Dung said that he had never sought high office for himself.

"The party assigned me to continue to be the prime minister," he said, adding that he had been a loyal party member for 51 years.

"I did not lobby, I did not ask for, nor refuse, any assignment given by the party and state," he said.

The National Assembly is currently considering a resolution that could force senior leaders to win a vote of confidence to remain in office, but it is unclear whether the vote would be anything more than symbolic.

Dung, a former central bank governor whose second five-year term was approved by the communist-controlled parliament in July 2011, is said to have become the country's most powerful prime minister ever.

The National Assembly, however, has also gradually become more outspoken. In 2010, a lawmaker called in vain for Dung to face a confidence vote after the near-collapse of Vinashin.

The lawmaker's attack on Dung highlights rising dissatisfaction in Vietnamese society over the political dominance of the Communist Party, according to one Hanoi-based analyst speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.

"What is good for the party is not necessarily good for the people. (Quoc's) question raises a key issue: is the supreme leadership of the party good for the country? And is it the only correct choice?" he said.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Musical programs for foreign tourists

Musical programs for foreign tourists undeveloped in Vietnam

Tourism contributes around five percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), but the industry is lagging far behind in this field and has hardly invested soundly in it to make any significant difference.

Ton That Hoa, general secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, said the country does not even have a theater where Vietnamese artists can perform traditional music programs for foreign tourists. All other Asian countries have at least a 1000 seat capacity theater for musical programs to entertain foreign visitors.

Artists’ performance the water puppetry show for foreign tourists (Photo: SGGP) A theater is not only a place to introduce a country’s culture, history and people to foreign visitors but also helps promote tourisms. Hence, musical programs are considered mandatory by all travel agents on tourism itineraries.

Run by private individuals or enterprises, tickets for such musical programs cost upto US$50 or more per person. For instance, Thailand has a musical program called ‘Siam Niramit’ featuring the history of the Thai Kingdom, which has hundreds of artists participating.

Vietnam’s tourist companies said they dare not dream of a theater like Thailand. The fact is that Vietnam currently cannot even hold a candle to its neighbor country Cambodia, proving the country is really lagging behind. Despite being a fledgling tourism industry, Cambodia has adopted a long-term strategy to properly develop this sector.

Welcoming just half the number of visitors compared to Vietnam, Cambodia invited a foreign director to create a traditional musical program called ‘Smile of Angkor’ which is as brilliant as Thailand’s program.

Moreover, Cambodia has implemented a policy to not increase ticket prices, so as to attract more visitors. Hence, more visitors are going to Cambodia at this time when the entire world is reeling under an economic downturn.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, in the first three quarters of the year, the country welcomed more than 2.57 million international visitors, a year-on-year increase of 25 percent. Ironically, Vietnam recorded 579,000 visitors in first nine months, a mere year-on-year increase of 13 percent.

Nguyen Van My, director of Lua Viet travel agency, said just looking at what Cambodia has done, Vietnamese travel agents feel impatient as it is very clear that Cambodia’s tourism strategies have changed drastically although it has only one world heritage site while Vietnam has so many more. Vietnam’s tourism industry is lagging behind other countries in the Asian region.

My said travel agents are quite capable of setting up theaters like Thailand and Cambodia but they still hesitate as they want better investment and preferential loan policies.

The one bright spot is the Rong Vang (Golden Dragon) Water Puppetry show which is gradually gaining popularity, holding three performances a day. Most audiences of this show are Japanese as they enjoy this unique Vietnamese art form. However, the hall for the water puppetry show is very small with capacity to seat only 200 tourists.

This art form is just one of hundreds of other very unique art forms in the country.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

One-Pillar Pagoda - unique architecture

One-Pillar Pagoda recognized as most unique architecture in Asia

The Asian Book of Records has recognized the Mot Cot Pagoda (One-Pillar Pagoda) as the most unique architecture in Asia, the first record in Vietnam in the category of religion.

Tourists in front of the One-Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi (Photo: SGGP)

The One-Pillar Pagoda resembles a blooming lotus in a square pond, and attracts the most number of visitors to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum relic site.

This outstanding architectural structure is said to be built by King Ly Thai Tong in the 11th century and was given the name ‘Dien Huu’ meaning ‘eternal blessing’. In later years people began to call it the Mot Cot Pagoda, particularly for its structural shape.

In 1954, before withdrawing troops from Vietnam, the French destroyed the pagoda with dynamite. Over the years, the Ministry of Culture has restored the pagoda to as it stands today.

The restored pagoda is smaller than the original, but still retains its unique architecture.

At present the pagoda looks quite downgraded, with water sometimes leaking from the roof after a rainfall, said Venerable Thich Tam Kien.

Since 2009, the People’s Committee of Ba Dinh District has been planning to repair and restore the pagoda under a project fund of VND31 billion (US$1.49 million). However, the project has been stagnant for the last four years, with only two meetings having been hosted with related experts to gather opinions.

Do Viet Binh, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee in Ba Dinh District, said that they will organize a seminar by the end of this month to discuss ways to restore the pagoda.

After gathering opinions from experts, the district will report to the People’s Committee to further clarify and seek sanction from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Listening to the sound of rice-pounding

Iran's Ahmadinejad in Vietnam

Iran's Ahmadinejad in Vietnam to woo communist ally

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) shakes hands with his Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang after a press conference in Hanoi. (AFP - Hoang Dinh Nam)

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Vietnam Friday on the first visit by an Iranian president in 17 years, as the sanctions-hit Islamic republic seeks to strengthen ties with allies outside the West.

Ahmadinejad, making a two-day stop in Hanoi on the way home from the Bali Democracy Forum, discussed economic links and other potential areas of cooperation with President Truong Tan Sang.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Ahmadinejad hailed the "very friendly" relations between the two countries and said both sides aimed to strengthen their bilateral ties.

"We are determined to extend cooperation in different fields, including (the) economy, agriculture, industry, science and technology, culture, tourism and sport," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

It is the highest-level Iranian visit since 1995 to the communist nation, which is generally seen as supportive of Tehran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Sang said cooperation between the two countries would be "accelerated" in the future. Ahmadinejad was also due to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for talks on trade and investment.

The two countries -- which established diplomatic ties in 1973 -- have previously signed a range of agreements to cooperate on oil and gas and infrastructure projects.

Iran is struggling under tough Western sanctions over its controversial nuclear activities. A shortage of foreign currency caused a plunge in the value of the Iranian rial last month.

Western powers suspect Tehran is using the programme to develop atomic weapons capability. Iran denies that and says its nuclear activities are purely peaceful.

A Hanoi-based diplomat said Ahmadinejad's visit was an attempt to seek diplomatic and economic support from a friendly nation but "lacked substance" as Vietnam is not in a position to help much given its own economic woes.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Ben Thanh Market, HCMC

Cambodian border (Moc Bai) 柬越边境

Vietnam - Laos bus service 越寮客运服务

PM escapes punishment despite censure

Vietnam PM escapes punishment despite censure

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, pictured in September 2012. Vietnam's prime minister escaped disciplinary action from communist party chiefs on Monday despite anger over a string of financial scandals and an economic malaise that have marred his leadership. (AFP/File - Hoang Dinh Nam)

Vietnam's prime minister escaped disciplinary action from communist party chiefs on Monday despite anger over a string of financial scandals and an economic malaise that have marred his leadership.

Nguyen Tan Dung, 62, while not mentioned directly, was seen as the target of a statement from a meeting of the Communist Party's 175-member Central Committee, in what amounted to one of the most stinging rebukes publicly issued by the secretive state in recent times.

The 14-member politburo -- the party's key decision-making body -- "seriously criticised themselves and honestly admitted their mistakes", said communist party leader Nguyen Phu Trong in a speech broadcast by state media.

He said the central committee had decided not to impose disciplinary measures "for the whole politburo and a member of the politburo".

It had instead urged the group to "fix the mistakes, so that hostile forces could not distort the situation".

Rising public dissatisfaction -- expressed through increasingly spirited online discussion -- has put Dung under growing pressure amid slowing economic growth, resurgent inflation, rampant corruption and banking turmoil.

The prime minister, a former central bank governor whose second five-year term was approved by the by communist-controlled parliament in July 2011, is said to have become the country's most powerful prime minister ever.

Seen as a moderniser when first appointed, Dung used his power to aggressively push for rapid economic growth, relying on state-owned giants to drive the economy.

But in recent months economic growth has slowed sharply, inflation has picked up again, foreign direct investment has plunged and fears about toxic debt in the fragile banking system have mounted.

The near collapse of scandal-tainted shipping behemoth Vinashin in 2010 put the spotlight on the financial troubles of state-owned giants. The arrest in August of a disgraced multi-millionaire banker seen as an ally of Dung shook investor confidence in the country and triggered a run on deposits.

One party official, who asked not to be named, expressed dissatisfaction that the committee had not gone further in rebuking senior figures over corruption.

"As in the past, the leaders of the Vietnam Communist Party want to wash themselves only to the shoulders, but not to the hair," he said, adding that the people would be "once again largely disappointed" by the party leadership.

Authorities have sought to crack down on bloggers with a series of harsh jail sentences as the scandals stoked more and more Internet discussion. But online political blogs remain a hugely popular news source in the heavily censored country.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Petrol Station

Pham Ngu Lao - HCMC

Air Astana opens direct flights to HCMC

Air Astana opens direct flights to HCMC

Air Astana, Kazakhstan's national airline, has signed a lucrative commercial tie-up with Vietnam to open direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City by December 2012.

Vietnamese press delegation visits Air Astana’s airline pilot training center. According to Peter Foster, President of Air Astana, the carrier sees great economic potential in the Asia Pacific region.

International Air Transport Association IATA has predicted that Vietnam will become the third fastest growing cargo and passenger transport market in the world by 2014, after China and Brazil. In addition, Vietnam has already become a favorite tourist destination for international visitors.

Air Astana will operate two flights per week from Kazakhstan's Almaty airport to Ho Chi Minh City, with a transit stop-over at Bangkok in Thailand.

The carrier flies to some 60 destinations throughout the world and was awarded the prestigious 4-Star rating by Skytrax World Airline.

Vietnam has now become a popular destination for international visitors, particularly for Russian tourists and travelers to neighboring countries. Previously, most Russian visitors travelled to Vietnam to avoid the freezing winter in their homeland, but now many Russians visit the coastal tourist sites of Phan Thiet, Nha Trang and Da Nang even during the summer months. This was one of the reasons that prompted Air Astana to open direct flights to Vietnam.

Air Astana President said that travelers are attracted to Vietnam’s wild and beautiful beaches, delicious food and past tragic history of struggle for freedom, independence and national construction.

~News courtesy of SGGP~