Sep
15
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City beefs up waterway transit system
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Tourists sightsee by boat along the Sai Gon River. HCM City will set up new waterway routes for tourism and later for public transit upon the completion of the dredging of major canals. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai
HCM CITY (VNS)— Waterway routes for tourists as well as residents will be set up in HCM City as soon as the dredging and widening of the city's major canals are completed.
The city has nearly 8,000 km of rivers and canals, accounting for 17 per cent of the city's total area, according to the Department of Transport.
Luong Minh Phuc, director of the city's investment management board for Urban Traffic Works, said the dredging of the Tau Hu – Ben Nghe and Doi – Te canals would be completed soon.
Initially, the waterway routes will be set up for tourism and later for public transport. The tourism route will connect with Vo Van Kiet Road to elevated roads that will be built in the future.
A tourism route on Tau Hu – Ben Nghe Canal is currently being created by the city, which is planting trees and designing along the canal.
Tran The Ky, deputy director of the Transport Department, said the city would open a waterway route on the canal when the dredging of Tau Hu – Ben Nghe Canal is completed by the end of this year.
The heights of bridges on the canal meet the transport safety regulations for boats.
The canal will become an important waterway transport route as it will link rivers and canals running to the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, the country's largest rice, fruit and seafood producer.
The route will run on the Sai Gon River, Vam Thuan River, Nuoc Len Canal, Doi and Te Canal to the Ben Luc River in the Cuu Long Delta province of Long An.
The aim is to help reduce pressure on road transport to and from HCM City and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.
The city has also been conducting research on three inland waterway routes that will be depart from Nha Rong Wharf in District 4.
The first route will run on the Sai Gon River to the outlying district of Cu Chi, and the second route will run on the Tau Hu – Ben Nghe Canal to outlying Binh Chanh District.
The last route will run on Te Canal to the Cho Dem River intersection in Binh Chanh District.
Of the city's 200 ports and boat stations, the four largest are Sai Gon, Tan Cang, Ben Nghe and Nha Be.
Under the city's plan to develop ports by 2020, the Department of Transport will renovate ports for transporting passengers and goods along the Te Canal.
The department also plans to build several new ports for transporting goods, including the Nhon Duc Port in Nha Be District and Phu Dinh Port in District 8.
In addition, it will turn part of the Sai Gon Port at Nha Rong Wharf and Khanh Hoi Port into small tourism ports, and build an international passenger ship station at Phu Thuan Park in District 7. — VNS
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Sep
15
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Focus on the Mekong
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Foreigners visit HCM City's People's Committee building. The city, together with Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Vientiane in Laos, form the outline of the Mekong Tourist Sub-region. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Phan
HCM CITY (VNS)— The mayors of HCM City, Phnom Penh and Vientiane yesterday agreed they would work together towards making the Mekong Sub-region a single attractive tourism destination.
At the same time, they would further strengthen the relationship between the Mekong region countries and increase exchanges with cities outside the region, they said in a joint statement after convening for the first Mekong Sub-region Tourism Cities Mayors Summit in HCM City.
The summit aims to implement "the strategy of sustainable tourism development and to enhance tourism and culture co-operation and development among the cities in the Mekong sub-region," the statement said.
It said the one tourism destination initiative would strengthen "the spirit of friendship, cooperation, and community development for ASEAN solidarity, peace, dynamism, innovation and sustainability."
Residents of HCM City, Phnom Penh and Vientiane would be encouraged to travel among the cities, and authorities would work together in developing tourism products.
The mayors committed themselves to enhancing tourism departments of their cities to "exchange information and experiences in planning, developing and promoting tourism."
The choice of the International Travel Expo- HCM City as a platform to promote common tourism strengths of the Mekong sub-region cities reflected this commitment, they said.
The cities would "encourage and facilitate one another to attend international tourism events held in each city" and also co-operate in training and developing human resources through hospitality student exchange programmes, the mayors agreed.
They would also encourage linking tourism products on the Mekong River with the aim of promoting cultural and tourism exchanges.
All these activities would set the foundation and keep up the momentum for sustainable tourism development in the region, the mayors said.
The opening ceremony of the eighth edition of the International Travel Expo HCM City – ITE HCMC 2012 was held Wednesday evening at the White Palace in HCM City.
In attendance were leaders of the HCM City People's Committee and the tourism sectors of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV).
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh, affirmed that tourism development has become one of the country's key economic activities.
The Vietnamese Government has always worked to create favourable conditions for both domestic and international travel companies to invest in tourism, the minister said.
HCM City deputy chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Hong, as the representative for the host country, said the city has spared no effort to make the ITE HCMC 2012, themed Four Countries, One Destination, a large scale and professional international event. The event is an ideal one for companies from all countries to establish long-term cooperation relationships, leading to the stable development of tourism in the region, Hong said. — VNS
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Sep
15
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Cast adrift on Ly Son Island
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Departed souls: Officials take part in a ceremony to honour the souls of sailors who died during long voyages to the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the Nguyen dynasty in the 17th century.
Quick trip: A passenger boat docks at Ly Son Island daily. The 150-seat vessel departs from Sa Ky port in Quang Ngai Province and arrives at Ly Son district in an hour. — Photo Hoai Nam
(VNS) Ly Son Island, 30km off the coast of the central province of Quang Ngai, is a tranquil destination that can be explored in two days, as Dang Thi Mai Thi and her group recently discovered.
The group began their trip in Da Nang City on a package tour from Da Nang Beach Travel. A van took them very early in the morning to Quang Ngai's Sa Ky port, 16km east of downtown Quang Ngai City and a three-hour drive along National Highway 1.
They got on board a 150-seat boat for the hourlong trip to Ly Son Island, which cost VND110,000 (US$5).
"We had to rush a bit in the morning because there is only one ship to Ly Son every day. Tourists have to come to Sa Ky port on time if they don't want to miss the ship," Thi said.
"We were lucky because the trip would have been cancelled if the weather was not mild. A strong wind would prevent us from cruising safely," she said.
One nautical mile away, five mountains form Ly Son Island, of which four are dormant volcanoes.
As soon as the ship docked at Ly Son port, the group was taken to Dai Duong Hotel.
June is the hottest time on the island, so visitors often plan to go in July or August – the best time for fishing – to sample the local seafood at its peak.
Thi's group landed on the island at noon, in the heat of the midday sun. They slaked their thirst with sugar-cane juice in a stall near the port before checking into their hotel.
"The province is well-known for its sugar-cane. The juice is so sweet and cool and very cheap. A big glass costs just VND5,000 (two US cents) and the juice actually refreshed me," the 23-year-old said.
The first site the group visited was Hang Pagoda, which was built in the middle of a mountain that was once a volcano. The local people said the pagoda was an ancient Cham structure.
On the top of Thoi Loi Mountain, one of the four volcanoes, local people built a reservoir in a 1sq.km crater to deal with the lack of fresh water in the dry season on the Islands.
"I felt a bit of fear when I stood on the rough rocks in the former volcano crater. The local people constructed concrete paths around the reservoir for tourists," said Nguyen Thi Le Chi.
Lunch included garlic salad (garlic grows abundantly on the island) and several varieties of sea snail and squid.
The 9.7sq.km island has 3,000 inhabitants, most of whom make their living from farming garlic and spring onion, and fishing.
The stems and roots of the garlic plant are mixed with pea nuts, herbs and vinegar and served with rice pancakes and fish sauce.
Culinary delight: Ly Son Island, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province, has 3,000 inhabitants, most of whom make their living from farming garlic and spring onion. — Photos Nguyen Dang Lam
"You should not avoid garlic because of its strong smell. The chefs here create great dishes from it," said visitor Nguyen Xuan Ha. "Also, garlic salad helps prevent colds."
Visitors are offered a cup of garlic-soaked wine – a traditional cure for high cholesterol level.
There was not much traffic on the island, so the group decided to explore it by motorbike.
They visited An Hai communal house, and Duc and Am Linh pagodas in the afternoon.
An Hai communal house was built during the reign of King Minh Mang in 1820. It's the oldest building still preserved on the island, with engraved timber girders and beams.
Am Linh Pagoda was a worshipping place for seamen in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the Nguyen dynasty, around the 17th century.
The pagoda was built to worship the soul of sailors who died during long voyages to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands.
A museum on the islands displays over 200 ancient documents and 100 exhibits which prove that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands belong to Viet Nam.
In the evening, the group boarded bamboo coracles to go on a diving trip with local fishermen.
"There is not any beach on the islands, but we were advised to snorkel to explore the coral reefs around the islands," said Nguyen Thanh Ha, a tour group member.
"There are many snails and fishes living in the coral reefs. The water here is so clear and safe for diving."
At night, an outdoor party with a campfire was held at a fisherman's house, where islanders flocked to share drinks with visitors.
"We had a big party with fresh seafood. We danced and sang with local people. Of course, they expressed their hospitality by giving us garlic wine until we got drunk," Ha said.
As the ship leaves early in the morning, travellers must wake up early to get on board in time.
Ha and his friends rushed out to the local market, where they bought dried garlic and spring onion, squid and shrimp as gifts to take home.
The group then went shopping in downtown Quang Ngai and had a lunch of goby – a small fish caught in the Tra River – in a restaurant on the river bank.
"It was a short trip, but we had an interesting experience exploring the island. I hope to stay longer next time," Thi said.
Da Nang Beach Travel offers a package tour from Da Nang to Ly Son Islands and back. The tour lasts one night and two days and costs VND870,000 each passenger for a 10-member group. — VNS
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Travel firms see negative signs from Chinese market
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15/09/2012 10:54:15
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Haiphong to host National Tourism Year 2013
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15/09/2012 10:48:31
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HCM City the convergent point of tourism promoters
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15/09/2012 10:41:34
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HCM City the convergent point of tourism promoters
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15/09/2012 10:34:48
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Performing Art Department requires explanation from The Voice producers
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15/09/2012 10:33:26
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Thuan Viet showcases manually embroidered ao dai in Japan
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15/09/2012 10:24:52
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Cultural Heritage Bureau checks wrech with 500-year-old antiques
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15/09/2012 10:16:57
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Among media, TV is still on top
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15/09/2012 09:45:56
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Vietnam proposes Southeast Asian heritage network
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15/09/2012 09:45:02
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