Sep
18
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Da Nang to host fireworks tourney
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The central city will host the Da Nang International Fireworks Competition on April 29-30 next year, the annual event's organising committee has announced.
At a conference in Da Nang on Wednesday, the city's party secretary Nguyen Ba Thanh said the competition has drawn numerous tourists to the city in the five years since it began.
"Da Nang has been the only city in Viet Nam to host the competition since 2008. It has become the biggest festival attraction of the year, which naturally got tourists interested in coming here," Thanh told the conference.
"The competition should be even more extravagant next year in order to attract even more people."
The event organising committee also said the fireworks competition will be held biennially from 2015.
The competition drew 100,000 tourists the first year it took place, but this figure had increased to 360,000 by the fifth event in April this year.
The organising committee also said that business sponsorship was key in making sure the competition took palce.
In 2012, sponsors contributed VND37.6 billion (US$1.8 million) towards the competition.
"We have promoted tourism through the fireworks competition since 2008. The city has become a well-known destination for both domestic and foreign visitors," said the director of the city's culture, sport, and tourism department, Ngo Quang Vinh.
"The competition also attracted the participation of foreign fireworks companies from around the world," he said.
Eight teams from South Africa, New Zealand, Austria, Russia, Malaysia, the US, Poland and Japan, and the host country have requested to take part in the 2013 competition.
The organising committee built a 32,000-seat stage by the Han River to host the event.
In previous competitions, Canada's Davis Whysall won the first prize in 2008, while China's Liuyang Dancing team took the title in 2009.
France's Jacques Couturier Organisation clinched the first prize in 2010, and Italy's Parente won twice in 2011-12.
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Sep
18
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Indian consulate in tourism roadshow
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The India Tourism Office in Singapore and the Consulate General of India in HCM City organised an Incredible India roadshow with nine Indian travel companies visiting their counterparts in HCM City on Wednesday.
The aim is to promote tourism and cultural co-operation between the two countries.
Madhu Dubey, regional director of India Tourist Office for Australia, said India was a land of amazing diversity in terms of culture, language, cuisine, climate and niche tourism products.
Many festivals are held from September to March.
Apart from cultural attractions such as monuments and festivals, India offers niche tourism products including adventure trips, medical tourism, wellness such as yoga, golf and others.
In addition, one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga, elephant herds in Bandipur, lions in Gir, and tigers in the Sunderbans are among the exotic wildlife that enthralls visitors.
Speaking at the event, Abhay Thakur, Consul General of India in HCM City, said political and trade ties between Viet Nam and India had developed strongly in the past years.
"Our bilateral trade, for instance, is well on the way to surpass the earlier target of US$5 billion set for 2015, which has now been revised to $7 billion".
However, tourism is still below potential, he said, adding that "the event is part of our efforts to further strengthen our cultural and tourist linkages".
La Quoc Khanh, deputy general director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of HCM City, said to promote bilateral co-operation in tourism, periodic promotional activities such as the road show should be organised.
He suggested that the countries' airlines open direct flights and simplify entry and exit procedures for citizens, including visa exemption for a period of 14-30 days for tourists.
Abhay said Viet Nam Airlines and Jet Airways signed an MOU last October, agreeing in principle to establish direct flights on the Sai Gon-Mumbai or Sai Gon-Bangkok-Mumbai route.
"We really hope that the requisite commercial agreements will be worked out quickly, enabling the commencement of the direct flights," he said.
With rising economic prosperity in both countries, tourism is set to grow further.
"We estimate that there are more than 40,000 visitors annually. The number of visas issued by our consulate in HCM City is growing at a healthy 20 per cent every year," he said.
India's famous Buddhist circuit is attracting more and more Vietnamese tourists, and Viet Nam is an increasingly attractive destination for Indian tourist for its beaches, rivers, mountains and rich history.
Vietnamese nationals can now obtain tourist visas on arrival in India, as can Indian nationals arriving in Viet Nam.
Madhu Dubey said the number of foreign tourists to India has been increasing in recent years by 8.9 per cent annually, reaching 6.29 million last year.
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Sep
18
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Terraced rice fields become National Relics
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Terraced rice fields in Hoang Su Phi district, the northeastern province of Ha Giang, become National Relics with a certificate indicating the title handed over to the provincial authorities at a ceremony on September 16.
The magnificent terraced rice fields, which have been cultivated by local ethnic groups for hundreds of years, is the soul of Hoang Su Phi, which is 110km away from Ha Giang’s centre to the west, at the altitude of 1,000m above sea level.
"It is estimated that the terraced rice fields were created around 300 years ago, and have been handed down through generations by the district's 14 ethnic groups," Hoang Hai Ly, chairman of the district's People's Committee, told Vietnam News, the English-language newspaper of the Vietnam News Agency.
"The local terraced fields cover a larger area and are located at a higher altitude than the already recognised (as National Relics) terraced rice fields in Mu Cang Chai (in the northern province of Yen Bai)."
The recognised rice fields cover 760ha of total 3,000ha of fields in six communes: Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho (which belongs to ethnic Dao and Nung groups); Ban Phung (La Chi group); and Ho Thau, Nam Ty and Thong Nguyen (Red Dao group), where the fields stretch into enormous mountains.
The fields also reflect vividly various cultivation methods deployed by different ethnic minority groups inhabited in the place.
Members of the La Chi group, for example, often create terraced fields in areas suitable for building other facilities. For them, the most even surface would be used for building a house, a courtyard, garden, poultry cage and store house. Rice fields are always made above, below or surrounding the house.
The Dao and Nung always choose land near a water source for making rice fields, while the Red Dao choose the most fertile area.
All locals know that to keep water on high mountains they should leave the forests on top of the mountain and make terraced fields only from the middle of mountains or hills.
The Red Dao in Ho Thau commune spare a small area of forest surrounding the terraced fields to avoid land slides.
Locals work from the top of the mountain or hill to the bottom, using simple tools like hoes, wooden rakes, shovels and curved knives.
Making field steps and building dikes on steps to hold water is a difficult task, which requires experience in cultivation.
Steps on the La Chi group's terraced field often measure 20-30cm in width and dikes covering the steps often reach 15-20cm higher than the steps' surface. In the meantime, a step in the Dao and Nung groups' terraced field is as small as an adult's foot.
On steep land and near brooks, locals use rocks to avoid landslides and build dikes for steps by rocks and soil.
In order to use the magnificent terraced rice fields to improve people's lives, local authorities have tested a high-yield rice variety and will distribute it widely to locals if it is effective. Some new vegetables will be introduced this winter crop as well.
Ly said the local tourism department had co-ordinated with neighbouring provinces to create trans-routes linking Bac Ha (Lao Cai); Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai) and the Dong Van-Meo Vac Karst Plateau (Ha Giang).
The Dong Van Karst Plateau in the east of the province, covering the districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac, was included in the network of global geoparks produced by UNESCO in 2010.
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Cat Tien Park ready for world natural heritage status
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18/09/2012 10:31:39
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Over VND5 trillion for heritage restoration
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18/09/2012 10:30:31
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Four regional nations eye 25 million tourists
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18/09/2012 10:05:08
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Four regional nations eye 25 million tourists
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18/09/2012 09:59:48
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Phu Yen aims to sharpen its tourism spearhead
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18/09/2012 09:58:49
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Binh Phuoc needs tourism investment
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18/09/2012 09:50:17
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Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival to start
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18/09/2012 09:46:50
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Oliver Stone rolls into town with Savages
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18/09/2012 09:42:18
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Cast adrift on Ly Son Island
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18/09/2012 09:26:37
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