Sep
26
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Duty-free sales at airports to resume
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VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has instructed the Ministry of Finance to review the implementation of the country's regulations on sales of duty free goods.
The move was made following a proposal from the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to resume sales of duty free goods at international airports, which have ceased since 2009 when the regulations on sales of duty free goods came into effect.
Under the proposal, MoT says the resumption of the service in Viet Nam's international airports will not only create more sources of foreign currency revenue and generate more jobs for local people, but also help to increase the competitiveness of the country's international airports.
International airports in the region are competing against each others fiercely to attract customers. Most regional airports such as South Korea's Incheon, Singapore's Changi, Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, Thailand's Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Japan's Kansai have large-sized shopping centres with significant areas for duty free shops to capitalise on foreign currency and increase convenience for customers.
MoT estimates that the resumption of the service will help increase Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai airports' revenue by roughly US$16 million per annum and by roughly $20 million when two other international airports in Phu Quoc and Da Nang are put into operation.
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Sep
26
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The giant museum and the story of faith
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VietNamNet Bridge - What can persuade the public to believe that the VND11 trillion ($550 million) to build the National Museum of History is reasonable and what can ensure that when it is completed, the museum will be more attractive than other museums?
US$524mil museum and the shortage of funds for heritage preservation
Building $500 million museum in Hanoi: Great waste!
The perspective of the National Museum of History.
The proposed cost for the construction of the museum is up to $550 million (not mentioning the expenses for exhibits), while the total investment for Quai Branly, the most modern museum in the center of Paris is Eur230 million ($400 million). In the first year of opening (2006), Quai Branly drew approximately one million visitors. The number of visitors nearly doubled two years later.
The funding for the Egyptian Ancient Civilization Museum (to be opened in 2013) is $550 million. Meanwhile, the News Museum (U.S.A) is cost $450 million. The National Museum of Australia in Canberra, with 4.9 million visitors in 2011, is only cost $155.4 million. The Miami Science Museum, which is to open next year, is invested with $220 million.
We would like to give a few numbers to prove that the Vietnam Museum of History project is not inferior in comparison to international museums. However, the VND11.277 billion (around $550 million) for this ambitious museum project is not the final number because that huge amount of money is for the construction only.
Two years ago, when the Hanoi Museum was inaugurated, many people were shocked because of the huge investment in this work, with more than VND2.2 trillion (over $100 million) for the building. However, this magnificent museum currently has a very small number of exhibits and the visitors are sparse. After one and a half years inaugurated, the Hanoi Museum has welcomed less than 150,000 visitors. The Hanoi Museum is considered to be a painful lesson. The case of Hanoi Museum and the dull situation of many museums in Vietnam is what the public fears for the future of the National Museum of History project.
The wedding ceremony was held at noon on April 8, 2012 at the Hanoi Museum.
Most VietNamNet readers said that when there are many things that must be prioritized; it is unreasonable to build that giant museum. In addition, VND11 trillion is too much and who can ensure that this giant museum is to be attractive or not? There have been many proposals that at this time. Vietnam should focus on improving the current museums rather than building the new one.
10 years ago, when the Quai Baindly Museum was inaugurated, the museum management board designed a detailed plan on the development of the museum in every month, every quarter, every year.
In an interview with VietNamNet, Dr. Vu Manh Ha, deputy director of the National Museum of History, Deputy chief of the content and display form designing board, said that if the Prime Minister approves the project and the project is kicked of this year-end, the construction will be finished in 2016. Then it will take at least another two years to complete the display.
Therefore, like most of the previous museums, the management board of the National Museum of History can only offer the architectural and cost estimation plans. They do not know what will be displayed in the big museum, which will cover over 20.000m2.
Without plans on display, who can ensure that the new museum will not be a big museum without contents like the Hanoi Museum? What ensure that the new museum will attract viewers and do not fall into the similar situation like the Hanoi Museum? The public have the right and the foundation to raise such questions.
There is a national museum which is the desire of many people and is a legitimate request. However, how to make that spectacular museum operate efficiently with value for the huge investment is the most important thing.
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Sep
26
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Vietnamese Cultural Week opens in Cambodia
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A Vietnamese Cultural Week opened in Cambodia on September 24 to mark Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2012 and the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
A series of performances by Vietnamese and Cambodian artists praising the friendship between the two nations will be take place during the event.
A photography exhibition entitled ‘Viet Nam – The Nation and the People’ will be on show in Phnom Penh on September 26.
The exhibition displays 80 photos featuring Vietnam’s natural beauty, heritage, daily life, as well as the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia in the fields of culture, sports and tourism.
Handicrafts from Vietnamese craft villages such as Chu Dau and Bat Trang will also be displayed at the exhibition.
The Vietnamese Cultural Week will run until September 30.
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Vietnamese brides steal show in Seoul
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26/09/2012 09:19:10
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Hue's Am Hon Shrine set for historic monument status
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26/09/2012 09:18:21
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Ancient hoes unearthed in Dong Van plateau
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26/09/2012 09:17:34
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French, VN art exhibition aims to light up Paris
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26/09/2012 09:16:25
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Rung returns with eternal beauty of Eva
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26/09/2012 09:11:07
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Norway legend leads VNSO
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26/09/2012 09:09:31
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Norway legend leads VNSO
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26/09/2012 09:01:21
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Buffalo fighting festival 2012 attracts over 30,000 visitors
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26/09/2012 08:55:17
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Hanoi to host German Oktoberfest 2012
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26/09/2012 08:52:21
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