BANGKOK - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has warned of challenging times ahead for the travel and tourism industry. International visitor arrivals to Asia Pacific destinations are forecast by PATA to grow at an average rate of 2.7 percent per annum over the next three years PATA chairman Phornsiri Manoharn warned, “These latest authoritative forecasts from PATA reflect the reality of the current market conditions. “They point to a gradual and uneven recovery as the region picks itself up from the three percent decline in arrivals in 2009. “We have witnessed significant changes in travel trends during the global economic recession. These changes have brought benefits to some and caused difficulties for others and it is clear that the next three years will prove to be both challenging and increasingly competitive for all our members.” Figures released by PATA show a significant slowing in growth rates from the pre-financial crisis level of seven percent per annual. Overall international arrivals growth to Asia Pacific destinations, are predicted to be marginal at just over one percent in 2010, rising to around 4.5 percent in 2011 and then stabilizing at around four percent in 2012. PATA said the slower rates of growth “heralds the need for tourism-based businesses to continue to find profits in cost containment rather than in volume growth, at least for the current three-year cycle”. Growth is predicted to be uneven but there are some hot spots. Some origin-destination pairs are predicted to perform much better than the average Asia Pacific growth rates to 2012. These are: China (PRC) to Korea (ROK) - a gain of 692,000 international arrivals. India to Thailand - a gain of 317,000 international arrivals . Australia to Malaysia - a gain of 292,000 international arrivals. |
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
PATA has warned of challenging times ahead for travel & tourism industry
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Vietnam to endure seven storms in 2010
"The rainy and stormy season in 2010 is forecasted to develop in a very complicated manner, speculated a senior weather forecaster.
Natural rhythms have been unusual, with an early tropical depression that moved from Binh Thuan to Soc Trang in January.
Bui Minh Tang, Director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, revealed that 6-7 storms and tropical depressions will hit Vietnam this year, the same as in 2009.
Yet natural rhythms have been unusual, Tang observed, with an early tropical depression that moved from Binh Thuan to Soc Trang in January.
He also commented that floods on northern rivers, as well as in the central regions, will be less serious and arrive late.
The largest flood is forecast to appear in major northern rivers in late July and August 2010. The largest in rivers in Thanh Hoa and Binh Thuan provinces is predicted for August and September, with Nghe An to Quang Binh and central highlands’ rivers expected to flood in September and October. Other floods are forecast in Quang Tri to Binh Thuan for October and November and in Tien and Hau Rivers for late September to early October.
Floods will also be higher on average than last year.
Tan warned people to be vigilant against sudden floods, storms and landslides in the mountainous areas."
Natural rhythms have been unusual, with an early tropical depression that moved from Binh Thuan to Soc Trang in January.
Bui Minh Tang, Director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, revealed that 6-7 storms and tropical depressions will hit Vietnam this year, the same as in 2009.
Yet natural rhythms have been unusual, Tang observed, with an early tropical depression that moved from Binh Thuan to Soc Trang in January.
He also commented that floods on northern rivers, as well as in the central regions, will be less serious and arrive late.
The largest flood is forecast to appear in major northern rivers in late July and August 2010. The largest in rivers in Thanh Hoa and Binh Thuan provinces is predicted for August and September, with Nghe An to Quang Binh and central highlands’ rivers expected to flood in September and October. Other floods are forecast in Quang Tri to Binh Thuan for October and November and in Tien and Hau Rivers for late September to early October.
Floods will also be higher on average than last year.
Tan warned people to be vigilant against sudden floods, storms and landslides in the mountainous areas."
Vietnam Business in Brief
"Vietnam emerges as top destination for Spanish investors; Lower gas import duty urged; Piaggo introduces manlier scooter
Trade potential between Vietnam and Spain is great and Spanish businesses are considering Vietnam a top priority for their investment, the Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam affirmed.
Ambassador Fernado Curcio Ruigomez delivered these remarks at a meeting with Vietnamese and Spanish businesses held in Hanoi on March 23.
The Ambassador said that more and more Spanish businesses are interested in Vietnam’s market, referring to big names such as Elecnor, Befesa, Alstom and ALG that have joined others on a working visit to the country at this time.
At the meeting, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vice President Hoang Van Dung affirmed that the Vietnamese government welcomes Spanish businesses to invest in large projects in Vietnam, especially in infrastructure, petroleum, clean energy, tourism and foodstuff processing.
According to the VCCI, Vietnam-Spain trade has grown by 20 percent annually in recent years and Vietnam has a registered trade surplus. In 2009, two-way trade turnover reached 1.1 billion USD.
Spain had, by the end of last year, 16 investment projects in Vietnam, with a combined registered capital of over 20 million USD, ranking 55th on the list of 89 foreign countries and territories investing in Vietnam."
Trade potential between Vietnam and Spain is great and Spanish businesses are considering Vietnam a top priority for their investment, the Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam affirmed.
Ambassador Fernado Curcio Ruigomez delivered these remarks at a meeting with Vietnamese and Spanish businesses held in Hanoi on March 23.
The Ambassador said that more and more Spanish businesses are interested in Vietnam’s market, referring to big names such as Elecnor, Befesa, Alstom and ALG that have joined others on a working visit to the country at this time.
At the meeting, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vice President Hoang Van Dung affirmed that the Vietnamese government welcomes Spanish businesses to invest in large projects in Vietnam, especially in infrastructure, petroleum, clean energy, tourism and foodstuff processing.
According to the VCCI, Vietnam-Spain trade has grown by 20 percent annually in recent years and Vietnam has a registered trade surplus. In 2009, two-way trade turnover reached 1.1 billion USD.
Spain had, by the end of last year, 16 investment projects in Vietnam, with a combined registered capital of over 20 million USD, ranking 55th on the list of 89 foreign countries and territories investing in Vietnam."
A unique trait of Hanoi
"Unarguably, lots of changes can be seen almost everywhere in Hanoi, particularly in the center of town. More buildings are added to the city’s skyline.
People have a round of drinks on a sidewalk of Hanoi.
This kind of business can be seen in other parts of the nation like HCM City. But what makes tea and coffee vending in Hanoi different from the rest of the country are modest-sized tables and stools. Young people who ride both low-priced and big-ticket motorcycles are willing to sit on a small stool made from either worn-out foam sheets or plastics and have their cups of tea, coffee or soft drink on a so-called table made from a foam box.
Strangers to Hanoi might find it embarrassing and even awkward to drop by such a petty tea and coffee serving stall, let alone joining other Hanoi customers to have a round of drinks.
It is really a nice experience to have a cup of tea, though. While drinking iced tea on the sidewalk near the Sofitel Metropole Hotel and the landmark Opera House in the heart of Hanoi on a cool night, a young Hanoian says she likes it this way simply because she enjoys serenity and peace until late at night when there is little or no vehicular traffic on the narrow, tree-lined road, and when the noise caused by honking motorcycles and cars dies down.
The streets are always hustling and bustling from dawn to dusk. However, late in the evening, many of them become quiet with the straight lines of trees on the sidewalks seemingly embracing each other to form green arches.
In the eyes of many Hanoians, the city is very beautiful not because of its new structures and affluence but the soul of Hanoi. What is physical might have been lost in the development process but the long-established traditions and habits like tea and coffee drinking on the sidewalks in town make the city unique and distinct."
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
MTV EXIT Live concert series in four cities – Hanoi, HCM City, Ha Long and Can Tho
MTV Exit has announced the details of MTV EXIT Live concert series in four cities – Hanoi, HCM City, Ha Long and Can Tho to be held in March and April 2010.
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MTV Exit concert in Manila, the Philippines in January 2009 (photo: MTV) |
The concerts, sponsored by the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign, aim to raise awareness and prevention of human trafficking and exploitation.
The tour will start in Hanoi, at 7pm, March 27 at My Dinh national stadium, with the participation of Korea’s famous band, Super Junior, and Australian star, Kate Miller-Heidke. Vietnamese participants will include singers Ha Anh Tuan, Phuong Vy, Anh Khoa, Hoang Hai, Luu Huong Giang and hiphop dancing troupe Big Toe.
The show will go on in Ha Long city at 8pm, April 3, at Hoang Gia stage, with singers Ha Anh Tuan, Anh Khoa, Hoang Hai, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Hoang Nghiep, Hoang Yen and the Big Toe.
In Can Tho on April 10, the tour will continue at Outdoor Sports Centre at 5pm, with Ha Anh Tuan, Anh Khoa, May Trang group, Nam Cuong, Yen Trang, Yen Nhi and Thien Minh.
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The American band, The Click Five, recipients of the Knockout Award at the MTV Asia Awards, will headline the final show at Military Zone 7 Stadium in HCM City on April 17. As avid supporters of MTV EXIT’s initiative to end human trafficking, the band is thrilled to return to Southeast Asia once again to lend their voices to this urgent cause.
The last show will feature Vietnamese singers Ha Anh Tuan, Anh Khoa, Phuong Vy, Luu Huong Giang and May Trang group. The MTV Exit show in HCM City is expected to attract more than 25,000 people.
Ha Anh Tuan will join all four shows as a singer and a show host. In a 4-minute video clip introducing MTV Exit, screened at a press conference about MTV Exit on March 23, Tuan spoke out against human trafficking.
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The Click Five. |
Rocker Anh Khoa exclaimed, “I’m proud and excited to be a part of the MTV EXIT campaign in Vietnam. I encourage everyone to attend these free concerts and be a part of history. Human trafficking happens all over the world and maybe just right under our noses. We are all affected one way or another. I hope the campaign will give everyone information to live safely.”
All concerts will be aired on VTV and YanTV. Tickets are free and delivered via various channels. For ticketing information, please go to www.mtvexit.org or www.hoahoctro.vn.
Concert footage will be used to produce a series of nationally-televised programs on YanTV, the campaign’s official music channel.
“We are thrilled to announce MTV EXIT Live in Viet Nam,” said MTV EXIT’s director, Simon Goff.
“The power and influence of music is a great force for change. By holding this concert tour across the country, we are harnessing this power; using it to inform and mobilise young people in the fight against human trafficking,” he added.
The MTV Exit (End Exploitation and Trafficking) concert series in Vietnam is part of the MTV EXIT campaign to fight human trafficking. MTV EXIT, which is produced by the MTV Europe Foundation in partnership with the US Agency for International Development and the Australian Government’s Agency for International Development, has held 15 concerts across Asia over the past two years, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Taiwan and the Philippines.
MTV Exit Live in Vietnam is produced in partnership with USAID, AUSAID, Phibious, Campaign Solutions, An Thuan Media and XPRC.
Malaysia A "Uniquely Attractive Destination"
: "Travel Corporation of India (TCI), one of India's top outbound tour operators, describes Malaysia as 'uniquely attractive destination'.
Rakshit Desai, TCI's Mumbai-based director, who was in Berlin to participate in the just-concluded International Tourism Bourse (ITB), the world's largest tourism fair, said that his company offers tour packages to European and Southeast Asian destinations and 'Malaysia is a very popular destination for Indian tourists.'
'Indeed, it is a central component of our Southeast Asia outbound programmer and we have organised thousands of trips to Malaysia so far,' he told Bernama in Berlin.
TCI sells leisure products for a corporate clientele, many of whom prefer to visit Malaysia because 'it is unique and affordable with an abundance of natural, historical and cultural attractions'.
'Indeed, the Malaysian market has a good outlook and is generally perceived as very strong,' said Desai whose company offers MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions) travel, the independent leisure tourists and escorted tourists.
Rakshit said Malaysia's strength, compared to other destinations in Southeast Asia, lies in easy accessibility, affordability and an enchanting landscape.
Indian tourists love the long and pristine sandy beaches of Langkawi whose duty-free shopping facilities have an instant appeal for shopping-obsessed tourists from the subcontinent, he said.
'Langkawi is ideal for newly married couples who enjoy the calm and beauty of Langkawi beaches. The island is very popular among Indian tourists because of the quality of its hotels... these are outstanding properties.
'Genting has been another traditionally popular resort among Indian tourists,' the TCI director observed.
Rakshit said that his company works closely with the Mumbai office of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board which promotes tourism to Malaysia, however, Indian tourists would like to see Malaysia's visa system liberalised for Indian passport holders.
Unlike Singapore and a number of other Asian countries, Malaysia does not provide Indian passport holders the 'Visa on Arrival' (VOA) facility, he said, pointing out that the absence of a VOA facility can become a 'psychological deterrent' to would-be tourists.
He said Indian tourists are amongst the highest-spending in the world and the 'cash-rich middle class Indians do not just spend money on tourism per se; they have a fascination for overseas shopping which, in the final analysis, can benefit an entire range of segments of the economy.'
When told that some Indian workers took advantage of Malaysia's former liberal visa system and overstayed in Malaysia as illegals, Desai countered that that was a small number compared to the large numbers of genuine tourists."
Rakshit Desai, TCI's Mumbai-based director, who was in Berlin to participate in the just-concluded International Tourism Bourse (ITB), the world's largest tourism fair, said that his company offers tour packages to European and Southeast Asian destinations and 'Malaysia is a very popular destination for Indian tourists.'
'Indeed, it is a central component of our Southeast Asia outbound programmer and we have organised thousands of trips to Malaysia so far,' he told Bernama in Berlin.
TCI sells leisure products for a corporate clientele, many of whom prefer to visit Malaysia because 'it is unique and affordable with an abundance of natural, historical and cultural attractions'.
'Indeed, the Malaysian market has a good outlook and is generally perceived as very strong,' said Desai whose company offers MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions) travel, the independent leisure tourists and escorted tourists.
Rakshit said Malaysia's strength, compared to other destinations in Southeast Asia, lies in easy accessibility, affordability and an enchanting landscape.
Indian tourists love the long and pristine sandy beaches of Langkawi whose duty-free shopping facilities have an instant appeal for shopping-obsessed tourists from the subcontinent, he said.
'Langkawi is ideal for newly married couples who enjoy the calm and beauty of Langkawi beaches. The island is very popular among Indian tourists because of the quality of its hotels... these are outstanding properties.
'Genting has been another traditionally popular resort among Indian tourists,' the TCI director observed.
Rakshit said that his company works closely with the Mumbai office of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board which promotes tourism to Malaysia, however, Indian tourists would like to see Malaysia's visa system liberalised for Indian passport holders.
Unlike Singapore and a number of other Asian countries, Malaysia does not provide Indian passport holders the 'Visa on Arrival' (VOA) facility, he said, pointing out that the absence of a VOA facility can become a 'psychological deterrent' to would-be tourists.
He said Indian tourists are amongst the highest-spending in the world and the 'cash-rich middle class Indians do not just spend money on tourism per se; they have a fascination for overseas shopping which, in the final analysis, can benefit an entire range of segments of the economy.'
When told that some Indian workers took advantage of Malaysia's former liberal visa system and overstayed in Malaysia as illegals, Desai countered that that was a small number compared to the large numbers of genuine tourists."
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
- Cambodia's acid attack victims appeal for justice
Victims of acid attacks in the hospital ward in Phnom Penh
Acid attacks are becoming more and more common in Cambodia
Som Bunnarith adjusts his wrap-around sunglasses, turns on the Casio and gives the keys an experimental tinkle.
Satisfied that everything is working as it should, he fires up the drum machine and, as his hands move across the instrument, he starts to croon in an easy-on-the-ear tenor.
Yet Bunnarith is not a professional musician. He only took up keyboards and singing as therapy after what he calls 'the incident'.
It seems an innocuous word for such an horrific and life-changing event. Bunnarith's wife believed that he had been having an affair with another woman; in a fit of jealousy she threw acid over her husband.
Feeling his skin burning, Bunnarith ran to a nearby river to try to wash off the acid. But it was too late for his eyes; when he emerged from the water he realised that he was blind.
That was four years ago. Only now, thanks to music and help from CASC, the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity, has Bunnarith started to come to terms with what happened to him.
Keo Srey Vy describes how CASC helped her recover from an acid attack
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the future looked bleak.
'I felt that I had lost everything; I did not want to live any more,' he says. 'Because I was blind I stayed at home, and nobody took care of me. My wife and children went out to work and study - but I felt like I was in prison.'
Before the attack, Bunnarith had worked in marketing for a soft drinks company. He enjoyed a decent salary and his children went to good schools.
But the terrible scars on his face and body, along with his blindness, brought his career to an end. In a society which places great emphasis on 'face', Bunnarith's no longer fitted.
Acid attack survivors frequently suffer in this way. Their injuries are compounded by discrimination and stigmatisation - particularly for women.
Until recently acid attacks typically involved aggrieved wives attacking their husband's mistresses, or vice versa. That meant many victims would have to endure comments about their moral conduct, and whether they were the authors of their own misfortune.
But over the past few months, the nature - and number - of attacks has changed. The 11 incidents reported in the first two months of 2010 almost equalled the total for the whole of the previous year.
And where Bunnarith used to stand out as a rare male at survivors' meetings, an increasing number of men have joined him.
'It has become a lot more democratic,' says Jim Gollogly, a British-born doctor who founded CASC. 'Some husbands have poured acid over their wives; some wives have poured acid over their husbands.'
'And we have two young girls here who were clearly not in any love triangle - but their mother was involved in a business dispute.'
No justice
The consequences are horrific.
Dr Gollogly is brisk and businesslike as he conducts his rounds in a cramped ward at the Children's Surgical Centre in Phnom Penh, one of the few places in Cambodia which is equipped to treat acid burns.
But a first-time visitor would wince at the array of twisted skin, melted eyes and gnarled limbs which the patients are waiting to have treated.
Surgery underway at the hospital in Cambodia
Acid attacks leave the victims in need of long-term medical care
Dr Gollogly thinks that a relatively simple measure would prevent many future acid attacks from taking place.
'What they have to do here is control the sale of acid,' he says. 'Here you buy a car battery in the market, and the seller has to put acid in it. So the acid is there and it is very cheap. Although there are laws governing it, they do not seem to be enforced.'
The recent spate of incidents has at least prompted the government to review the laws which cover acid attacks. It is proposing some restrictions on the sale of acid, as well as stronger penalties for those who carry out attacks.
Such preventative action would be too late to help people like Bunnarith.
The best he can hope for is a better quality of life; the music lessons he has been getting, courtesy of CASC, may eventually allow him to become a professional performer and earn an income once again.
CASC has also constructed a centre on the outskirts of Phnom Penh where it is helping survivors with physical therapy and vocational training. But for many of them, a sense of injustice is as deeply ingrained as their scars.
Thong Kham describes herself as the victim of Cambodia's first acid attack, in 1990. Sitting at a shady table in the garden of the CASC centre, she fights back the tears to get her message across.
'I do not think the courts have seriously punished the perpetrators,' she says. 'That is why the number of acid attacks has increased.'
'The authorities should arrest and punish the perpetrators - following the model of other countries. The government should implement the law.'"
Monday, March 22, 2010
Lively underground for internal organs Vietnam
"Vietnamese law forbids trade in internal organs but there seems to be a lively underground market, reports the local media.
Deputy PM asks investigate into illegal kidney-trading ring
Donors still wary despite need for organs
Strides in organ transplants reflect progress in nation's healthcare
Kidney patients at Hanoi's Bach Mai hospital (photo: Dan Tri)
Vernacular newspapers have reported that two young men were recently handing out leaflets at the gate of the Army Hospital 108 in Hanoi, each offering one of his kidneys for 50 million dong ($4500). This news has attracted attention to the underground trade in internal organs, particularly kidneys.
VnExpress reported that the two men who advertised to sell their kidneys were from nearby Hai Duong province. First they tried to sell their kidneys to hospitals to raise money to pay their parents’ debts. The hospitals turned them away because what they proposed is illegal. Resolved to find a buyer, the men turned to handing out leaflets.
This may be the first case of its type in Vietnam. However, there are many online offers to buy and sell kidneys on the Internet and there is also a “real market” for kidneys, as reporters from VnExpress, Dan Tri and Tuoi Tre newspapers have found out.
“I’m 24 and very healthy. My blood type is O+. I want to donate a kidney. Please contact me by email, vodanh.. @yahoo.com for details” read an advertisement on raovat.com, Vietnam’s clone of EBay.
The kidney seller told reporters that he is a student who had to quit school because he didn’t have money to pay school fees. He is in debt.
“My life is at a standstill. I know that it (selling a kidney) is not good for my health but I have made my decision. I wish to deal directly with the patient who needs my kidney because I don’t want to enrich go-betweens,” he wrote.
Many people posted their mobile phone numbers. This kind of ad is often short, like: “I need to sell a kidney at the price of 50 million dong, blood type B-, 21 years old, healthy. Contact: 0916…).
Tuoi Tre answered an online ad to make contact with a pharmaceutical company employee in HCM City named L, who said he could put people in touch with would-be kidney sellers.
“I hunted for a kidney for my nephew on the Internet. First I met a man in District 4 (HCM City) but he looked like a drug addict so I didn’t dare deal with him. Later I met two students, a male and a female from Can Tho University but my uncle couldn’t afford their price; they asked for a hundred million dong. I still have their phone numbers. If you like, I will give them to you,” this man told the Tuoi Tre reporters.
With L’s information, Tuoi Tre contacted ‘M’ from Can Tho University by phone. M said that he recently had to stop studying because his family couldn’t support his studies anymore. He is the third child of a farmer family in Kien Giang, a lower Delta province.
“My family is deep in debt so I decided to sell one of my kidneys for 100-120 million dong to save my family,” he said. The student said he is not worried for his health because he have done some research. He knows that a person has two kidneys but can live with only one kidney.
‘L’ commented that “M’s circumstance is very pitiful. If you buy his kidney, you should be responsible for his health in the future. If you decide to buy his kidney, we can see each other to make a written commitment on kidney donation and health assistance for him. I’m willing to be the third party to guarantee the commitment”.
VnExpress also discovered online kidney selling advertisements. A man in HCM City posted this ad: “Need to buy a kidney to save a man, at high price. My brother is now in the last stage of kidney failure. Anybody who wants to sell me a kidney please call 094…. My brother’s blood type is B.”
VNExpress called this man and he told the reporter that his brother had been saved, thanks to the advertisement. He said many people had called him offering their kidneys at from 20 to 70 million dong. To make it ‘legal,’ I “just went to the hospital to get a verification of kidney donation,” the man told VNExpress.
Tuoi Tre reporters mixed with the crowds outside two HCMC hospitals, People’s Hospital 115 and Cho Ray Hospital, to investigate. Some motorbike taxi drivers at People’s Hospital 115 recommended two kidney “brokers” named K and D.
They found D at the gate of the People’s Hospital 115. D told a Tuoi Tre reporter to give him his phone number, promising to call later if he found a seller. D said that a kidney might cost up to 300 million dong.
Tuoi Tre also learned that two men named V and N are notorious among kidney brokers. N is a taxi driver near the People’s Hospital 115. He has a list of poor people who regularly sell their blood. When N has a buyer for a kidney, he will persuade a blood seller to sell their kidney. N buys a kidney for 50-60 million dong then sells the organ to a recipient for over 300 million dong.
What do doctors say?
Tuoi Tre's reporter met with a 'kidney broker' named D (on motorbike) at the gate of the People’s Hospital 115 in HCM City (Photo: Tuoi Tre)
Dr. Nguyen Cao Luan, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) at Hanoi’s Bach Mai Hospital, says that kidney selling advertisements are very common. Many young people approach his staff to offer their kidneys. They are turned away with the explanation that organ sales are illegal.
Dr. Luan says that most of the kidneys used in transplant operations in Vietnam are donated by the patients’ relatives. Some patients purchase kidneys and go to China for operations. They can also declare the kidney sellers to be their relatives to make the affairs ‘legal.’ Luan notes that if hospitals carefully verify transplant cases and refuse to operate on suspect cases, the kidney trade will be prevented.
“It is a fact that many people dodge the law to sell their kidneys,” Luan explained. “According to regulations, kidney donors have to submit their ID card, etc. but this procedure is not followed in some hospitals. Doctors always want to save their patients. If the kidneys are suitable, they rationalize the decision to transplant them.”
Dr. Luan considers it normal that people offer to sell their kidneys because the need for the organs is acute and it is not a bad thing to sell kidneys. He also said that it will be good for both kidney sellers and buyers if there were both a law regulating kidney selling and a kidney bank in Vietnam.
Doctor Ta Phuong Dung from People’s Hospital 115 says that to cope with “disguised” kidney donation, the hospital asks for written confirmation of kidney donation by the local government where the would-be donor and intended recipient live if they are not relatives. Hospital 115 has carried out 33 kidney transplant operations so far.
“This provides legal protection for the surgeons in case accidents happen to the kidney donors,” Dung explains.
Dr. Tran Ngoc Sinh of Cho Ray hospital says that it is very difficult for someone to donate their kidney to a stranger. “We only perform kidney transplant operations after carefully verifying that the donations are completely voluntary,” he adds.
According to Sinh, his hospital has performed over 180 kidney transplants. In only two cases were the donor and recipient not blood relatives. In one case, a husband donated his kidney to his wife and in the other case, a Buddhist nun donated her kidney to her disciple.
Nguyen Huy Quang, deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s Legal Department, confirmed that it is illegal to sell and purchase kidneys. Of over 300 kidney transplant operations have been carried out in Vietnam so far, Quang said, all kidney donors were relatives of the recipients."
Deputy PM asks investigate into illegal kidney-trading ring
Donors still wary despite need for organs
Strides in organ transplants reflect progress in nation's healthcare
Kidney patients at Hanoi's Bach Mai hospital (photo: Dan Tri)
Vernacular newspapers have reported that two young men were recently handing out leaflets at the gate of the Army Hospital 108 in Hanoi, each offering one of his kidneys for 50 million dong ($4500). This news has attracted attention to the underground trade in internal organs, particularly kidneys.
VnExpress reported that the two men who advertised to sell their kidneys were from nearby Hai Duong province. First they tried to sell their kidneys to hospitals to raise money to pay their parents’ debts. The hospitals turned them away because what they proposed is illegal. Resolved to find a buyer, the men turned to handing out leaflets.
This may be the first case of its type in Vietnam. However, there are many online offers to buy and sell kidneys on the Internet and there is also a “real market” for kidneys, as reporters from VnExpress, Dan Tri and Tuoi Tre newspapers have found out.
“I’m 24 and very healthy. My blood type is O+. I want to donate a kidney. Please contact me by email, vodanh.. @yahoo.com for details” read an advertisement on raovat.com, Vietnam’s clone of EBay.
The kidney seller told reporters that he is a student who had to quit school because he didn’t have money to pay school fees. He is in debt.
“My life is at a standstill. I know that it (selling a kidney) is not good for my health but I have made my decision. I wish to deal directly with the patient who needs my kidney because I don’t want to enrich go-betweens,” he wrote.
Many people posted their mobile phone numbers. This kind of ad is often short, like: “I need to sell a kidney at the price of 50 million dong, blood type B-, 21 years old, healthy. Contact: 0916…).
Tuoi Tre answered an online ad to make contact with a pharmaceutical company employee in HCM City named L, who said he could put people in touch with would-be kidney sellers.
“I hunted for a kidney for my nephew on the Internet. First I met a man in District 4 (HCM City) but he looked like a drug addict so I didn’t dare deal with him. Later I met two students, a male and a female from Can Tho University but my uncle couldn’t afford their price; they asked for a hundred million dong. I still have their phone numbers. If you like, I will give them to you,” this man told the Tuoi Tre reporters.
With L’s information, Tuoi Tre contacted ‘M’ from Can Tho University by phone. M said that he recently had to stop studying because his family couldn’t support his studies anymore. He is the third child of a farmer family in Kien Giang, a lower Delta province.
“My family is deep in debt so I decided to sell one of my kidneys for 100-120 million dong to save my family,” he said. The student said he is not worried for his health because he have done some research. He knows that a person has two kidneys but can live with only one kidney.
‘L’ commented that “M’s circumstance is very pitiful. If you buy his kidney, you should be responsible for his health in the future. If you decide to buy his kidney, we can see each other to make a written commitment on kidney donation and health assistance for him. I’m willing to be the third party to guarantee the commitment”.
VnExpress also discovered online kidney selling advertisements. A man in HCM City posted this ad: “Need to buy a kidney to save a man, at high price. My brother is now in the last stage of kidney failure. Anybody who wants to sell me a kidney please call 094…. My brother’s blood type is B.”
VNExpress called this man and he told the reporter that his brother had been saved, thanks to the advertisement. He said many people had called him offering their kidneys at from 20 to 70 million dong. To make it ‘legal,’ I “just went to the hospital to get a verification of kidney donation,” the man told VNExpress.
Tuoi Tre reporters mixed with the crowds outside two HCMC hospitals, People’s Hospital 115 and Cho Ray Hospital, to investigate. Some motorbike taxi drivers at People’s Hospital 115 recommended two kidney “brokers” named K and D.
They found D at the gate of the People’s Hospital 115. D told a Tuoi Tre reporter to give him his phone number, promising to call later if he found a seller. D said that a kidney might cost up to 300 million dong.
Tuoi Tre also learned that two men named V and N are notorious among kidney brokers. N is a taxi driver near the People’s Hospital 115. He has a list of poor people who regularly sell their blood. When N has a buyer for a kidney, he will persuade a blood seller to sell their kidney. N buys a kidney for 50-60 million dong then sells the organ to a recipient for over 300 million dong.
What do doctors say?
Tuoi Tre's reporter met with a 'kidney broker' named D (on motorbike) at the gate of the People’s Hospital 115 in HCM City (Photo: Tuoi Tre)
Dr. Nguyen Cao Luan, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) at Hanoi’s Bach Mai Hospital, says that kidney selling advertisements are very common. Many young people approach his staff to offer their kidneys. They are turned away with the explanation that organ sales are illegal.
Dr. Luan says that most of the kidneys used in transplant operations in Vietnam are donated by the patients’ relatives. Some patients purchase kidneys and go to China for operations. They can also declare the kidney sellers to be their relatives to make the affairs ‘legal.’ Luan notes that if hospitals carefully verify transplant cases and refuse to operate on suspect cases, the kidney trade will be prevented.
“It is a fact that many people dodge the law to sell their kidneys,” Luan explained. “According to regulations, kidney donors have to submit their ID card, etc. but this procedure is not followed in some hospitals. Doctors always want to save their patients. If the kidneys are suitable, they rationalize the decision to transplant them.”
Dr. Luan considers it normal that people offer to sell their kidneys because the need for the organs is acute and it is not a bad thing to sell kidneys. He also said that it will be good for both kidney sellers and buyers if there were both a law regulating kidney selling and a kidney bank in Vietnam.
Doctor Ta Phuong Dung from People’s Hospital 115 says that to cope with “disguised” kidney donation, the hospital asks for written confirmation of kidney donation by the local government where the would-be donor and intended recipient live if they are not relatives. Hospital 115 has carried out 33 kidney transplant operations so far.
“This provides legal protection for the surgeons in case accidents happen to the kidney donors,” Dung explains.
Dr. Tran Ngoc Sinh of Cho Ray hospital says that it is very difficult for someone to donate their kidney to a stranger. “We only perform kidney transplant operations after carefully verifying that the donations are completely voluntary,” he adds.
According to Sinh, his hospital has performed over 180 kidney transplants. In only two cases were the donor and recipient not blood relatives. In one case, a husband donated his kidney to his wife and in the other case, a Buddhist nun donated her kidney to her disciple.
Nguyen Huy Quang, deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s Legal Department, confirmed that it is illegal to sell and purchase kidneys. Of over 300 kidney transplant operations have been carried out in Vietnam so far, Quang said, all kidney donors were relatives of the recipients."
A Private-Banking Rush to Tap Asia’s Wealth
"In the exclusive world of private banking, a gravitational shift of resources toward Asia is well under way. A shift in profits may take longer to follow.
A number of banks are either acquiring or setting up businesses to manage private wealth in an effort to tap the rising population of multimillionaires, particularly in China and India. Singaporean lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. tripled its private-banking assets when it bought ING Groep’s Asian private-banking operations last year. Macquarie Group started its regional wealth-management unit in 2008. In Japan, Barclays Wealth is in talks to set up a wealth-management venture with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, which invested £500 million, around $997 million at the time but about $750 million today, into Barclays in June 2008.
null
Others have been shifting their global or senior executives here. J.P. Morgan Chase’s international private bank chief, Douglas Wurth, moved in February to Hong Kong from New York to take a job heading all private-banking markets outside North America. Deepak Sharma, in Singapore, became the global chairman of Citigroup’s private bank last year, while another Singapore banker, V. Anantha-Nageswaran, became chief investment officer of Swiss private bank Julius Baer.
Accompanying the build-up, after a year of layoffs, is a burst of hiring and poaching. Citigroup is looking to hire 20 to 30 private bankers for China and India this year; BSI, a Swiss private bank that is part of Italian insurer Generali Group, hired 70 private bankers from RBS Coutts Bank in Singapore last year; and Barclays Wealth has hired more than a dozen senior private bankers from market leader UBS in the past six months to focus on India.
UBS, which lost more than $100 billion in client funds in the financial crisis globally and has had a series of private bankers defect to rivals, is itself on a hiring spree. “Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region for all of UBS’s businesses and we expect to make around 400 hires…throughout front, back, and middle offices of the wealth-management business across the region this year,” said Kathryn Shih, head of UBS Global Wealth Management, Asia Pacific.
Still, winning business from Asian clients could be a challenge. During the financial crisis, many lost big sums on investments in structured products and hedge funds.
Anuj Khanna, head of North Asia private banking at Credit Suisse Group, says that even though the group cut its staff last year, it increased hires at the managing-director level. One benefit, he said: New assets generated in Asia by newly hired relationship managers in 2009 tripled from 2007.
Bankers say clients are being more cautious about hedge funds and stocks. “As there’s a lot of uncertainty still in the markets, our ultra-high-net worth clients are now looking at private-investment opportunities, distressed assets or private equity, rather than stocks or bonds,” Khanna said.
Simply reaching some of the best customers will remain a challenge in India and China, where licenses to bank for the wealthy are hard to obtain. Some of that business naturally goes to Singapore and Hong Kong, away from the prying eyes of domestic tax authorities. But studies have shown that Asia’s wealthy put only 10% to 20% of their assets overseas; the rest stays at home.
A handful of foreign banks may have an edge in these markets. UBS has a license to trade securities for clients in some key Chinese cities, and HSBC Holdings’s retail branches dot India, giving it reach. But even for them, access is nascent, at best.
The rush to bank Asia’s rich may be on, but there is a long way to go."
A number of banks are either acquiring or setting up businesses to manage private wealth in an effort to tap the rising population of multimillionaires, particularly in China and India. Singaporean lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. tripled its private-banking assets when it bought ING Groep’s Asian private-banking operations last year. Macquarie Group started its regional wealth-management unit in 2008. In Japan, Barclays Wealth is in talks to set up a wealth-management venture with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, which invested £500 million, around $997 million at the time but about $750 million today, into Barclays in June 2008.
null
Others have been shifting their global or senior executives here. J.P. Morgan Chase’s international private bank chief, Douglas Wurth, moved in February to Hong Kong from New York to take a job heading all private-banking markets outside North America. Deepak Sharma, in Singapore, became the global chairman of Citigroup’s private bank last year, while another Singapore banker, V. Anantha-Nageswaran, became chief investment officer of Swiss private bank Julius Baer.
Accompanying the build-up, after a year of layoffs, is a burst of hiring and poaching. Citigroup is looking to hire 20 to 30 private bankers for China and India this year; BSI, a Swiss private bank that is part of Italian insurer Generali Group, hired 70 private bankers from RBS Coutts Bank in Singapore last year; and Barclays Wealth has hired more than a dozen senior private bankers from market leader UBS in the past six months to focus on India.
UBS, which lost more than $100 billion in client funds in the financial crisis globally and has had a series of private bankers defect to rivals, is itself on a hiring spree. “Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region for all of UBS’s businesses and we expect to make around 400 hires…throughout front, back, and middle offices of the wealth-management business across the region this year,” said Kathryn Shih, head of UBS Global Wealth Management, Asia Pacific.
Still, winning business from Asian clients could be a challenge. During the financial crisis, many lost big sums on investments in structured products and hedge funds.
Anuj Khanna, head of North Asia private banking at Credit Suisse Group, says that even though the group cut its staff last year, it increased hires at the managing-director level. One benefit, he said: New assets generated in Asia by newly hired relationship managers in 2009 tripled from 2007.
Bankers say clients are being more cautious about hedge funds and stocks. “As there’s a lot of uncertainty still in the markets, our ultra-high-net worth clients are now looking at private-investment opportunities, distressed assets or private equity, rather than stocks or bonds,” Khanna said.
Simply reaching some of the best customers will remain a challenge in India and China, where licenses to bank for the wealthy are hard to obtain. Some of that business naturally goes to Singapore and Hong Kong, away from the prying eyes of domestic tax authorities. But studies have shown that Asia’s wealthy put only 10% to 20% of their assets overseas; the rest stays at home.
A handful of foreign banks may have an edge in these markets. UBS has a license to trade securities for clients in some key Chinese cities, and HSBC Holdings’s retail branches dot India, giving it reach. But even for them, access is nascent, at best.
The rush to bank Asia’s rich may be on, but there is a long way to go."
Russian defense minister arrives in Vietnam for military talks
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will discuss military cooperation with the Vietnamese authorities during his visit to the south-east Asian state on Tuesday, his spokeswoman said.
Serdyukov, who arrived in Vietnam on Monday, would meet with the country's President Nguyen Minh Triet and the defense minister, Gen. Phung Quang Thanh, during his stay in Hanoi.
Russia and Vietnam have cooperated in the military sphere since 1953. In 1998, Moscow and Hanoi signed an intergovernmental agreement on military cooperation, and a relevant Russian-Vietnamese intergovernmental commission was established in 1999.
In October 2008, during the Vietnamese president's visit to Moscow, Russia and Vietnam set up a strategy of military and technical cooperation until 2020 by signing a relevant intergovernmental memorandum.
Serdyukov's spokeswoman said 'starting from 2008, we observe a stable increase in purchase of Russian military equipment by Vietnam.'
Military contracts signed by Moscow and Hanoi in 2008 were estimated at more than $1 billion, she said. In 2009, Russia and Vietnam signed deals with a total worth of $3.5 billion.
According to the spokeswoman, contracts signed since the start of 2010 are estimated at $1 billion.
HANOI, March 23 (RIA Novosti)"
Serdyukov, who arrived in Vietnam on Monday, would meet with the country's President Nguyen Minh Triet and the defense minister, Gen. Phung Quang Thanh, during his stay in Hanoi.
Russia and Vietnam have cooperated in the military sphere since 1953. In 1998, Moscow and Hanoi signed an intergovernmental agreement on military cooperation, and a relevant Russian-Vietnamese intergovernmental commission was established in 1999.
In October 2008, during the Vietnamese president's visit to Moscow, Russia and Vietnam set up a strategy of military and technical cooperation until 2020 by signing a relevant intergovernmental memorandum.
Serdyukov's spokeswoman said 'starting from 2008, we observe a stable increase in purchase of Russian military equipment by Vietnam.'
Military contracts signed by Moscow and Hanoi in 2008 were estimated at more than $1 billion, she said. In 2009, Russia and Vietnam signed deals with a total worth of $3.5 billion.
According to the spokeswoman, contracts signed since the start of 2010 are estimated at $1 billion.
HANOI, March 23 (RIA Novosti)"
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Vietnam 100 Excitements, not very exciting
Ho Chi Minh City - 100 Excitements announced
HCM City unveils top 100 attractions
“I do not know who made the list but it seems not to have been done by local expats. How can you forget the Caravelle rooftop [Saigon Saigon] bar?” said Christophe Lefebvre, an administrator of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV).
“In the top-ten list for restaurants, there is no foreign cuisine mentioned. Strange!” he told Thanh Nien Weekly.
The city’s “100 Excitements” announced on February 25 included top-tens in each of ten categories: hotels, restaurants, souvenirs, entertainment venues, shopping, must-tastes, city attractions, coffee shops, city tours and events.
The selection was based on votes by local and foreign tourists over a three-month period, with a judging board from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Department of Industry and Trade and tourism reporters overseeing the initiative.
However, many local expats said there were many notable “excitements” left off the list.
A US expat advisor of an NGO in Vietnam, who has been living in Vietnam for eight years and wanted to remain unnamed, said she felt that the Caravelle Hotel in downtown HCMC should be included in the list of ten hotels.
She also said Minh Long ceramics should have been mentioned in the souvenir category and bun thit nuong and bun bo hue in food category.
Jonathan Pincus, Dean of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, said everyone has their favorites but “the Café Terrace at Saigon Center is a favorite restaurant for many locals and tourists alike.”
“Lots of tourists like Lemongrass and Temple Club restaurants as well,” he added.
More to do
Many expats said tourism in the city could improve if pickpockets were eliminated, better tour guides were hired and more professional services were provided.
“Too many pickpockets and lack of tourist police,” Lefebvre lamented, adding that there should be English signboards to better guide foreign tourists.
The pickpocket problem was echoed by Pincus, saying “I suppose the biggest nuisance is the pickpockets, which seem to be everywhere these days. You have to watch your bag and wallet all the time in HCMC.”
However, he said most people enjoy their visit to HCMC. “The city is close to the Mekong Delta, which is full of interesting things to see. I always recommend the city and the delta to my international friends as a great place for a holiday,” he said.
“One complaint that people have is that Vietnam, not just HCMC, is more expensive than Thailand and Indonesia. Hotels rates are high... It is also very expensive to fly to Hong Kong and China from Vietnam,” he added.
The US NGO advisor mentioned earlier in the story said one problem is that tourist locations do not have tour guides able to offer good answers to her questions. She also said there were blatant mistakes in the translation of guidebooks given out at major tourist sites.
“Tour companies need to ensure that they can offer knowledgeable tour guides that are able to provide thoughtful answers to questions. I have joined several tours where tour guides appeared to be reading a script and could not answer what seemed to me to be very simple questions about the people/ history/location of interest,” she said.
She also advised that there be better tourism services for the elderly and disabled.
“Currently, very few sites/tours are friendly to people with mobility issues. Also, I think the public bathrooms and restaurants at tourism sites need to improve,” she said.
View the full “100 excitements” list online at http://hcmc100e.info
VietNamNet/Thanh Nien"
Google maps asked to correct mistakes
"Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga has asked Google Maps to correct its description of the land demarcation line between Vietnam and China.
National Geographic Society explains ’Hoang Sa’ omission
Vietnamese citizens protest National Geographic mapping error
Royal ordinance on Hoang Sa proposed for national recognition
Google Maps presents an incorrect boundary line between Vietnam and China, and Vietnam requests that Google correct the mistake according to the official map of Vietnam, Ms Nga said in response to reporters’ questions on March 20.
Vietnam and China signed a protocol on border demarcation and landmark planting, an agreement on land border management regulations and an agreement on border gates and regulations on land border gate management in November 2009.
With the signing of these documents, Ms Nga said, the border between Vietnam and China has been positioned clearly on the map.
Both sides are to ratify the documents according to the law of their respective countries to bring them to life, she said.
The new documents will be deposited at the United Nations and supplied to global mapping and publishing organizations, alongside the 1999 Vietnam-China border demarcation treaty and relevant documents still in effect.
VietNamNet/VOV"
National Geographic Society explains ’Hoang Sa’ omission
Vietnamese citizens protest National Geographic mapping error
Royal ordinance on Hoang Sa proposed for national recognition
Google Maps presents an incorrect boundary line between Vietnam and China, and Vietnam requests that Google correct the mistake according to the official map of Vietnam, Ms Nga said in response to reporters’ questions on March 20.
Vietnam and China signed a protocol on border demarcation and landmark planting, an agreement on land border management regulations and an agreement on border gates and regulations on land border gate management in November 2009.
With the signing of these documents, Ms Nga said, the border between Vietnam and China has been positioned clearly on the map.
Both sides are to ratify the documents according to the law of their respective countries to bring them to life, she said.
The new documents will be deposited at the United Nations and supplied to global mapping and publishing organizations, alongside the 1999 Vietnam-China border demarcation treaty and relevant documents still in effect.
VietNamNet/VOV"
Singapore jewellers 'selling tiger parts'
"Singapore - A local animal protection group said on Friday that some jewelery shops in Singapore were illegally selling tiger parts, helping fuel the disappearance of the big cat from Asia.
A three-month investigation by Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) found that 59 out of 134 jewelery and antique shops it visited in the south-east Asian city-state were allegedly selling tiger parts, including claws, teeth and pieces of skin.
Acres said all commercial tiger trade had been banned by the international Cites convention that Singapore had signed, and under domestic law the sale of tiger specimens was prohibited, even if the products turned out not to be real.
It said shopkeepers had told it that demand had been higher over Lunar New Year - the start of the Year of the Tiger - and that more orders could be placed for parts, which could take from a week to three months to be delivered.
The shopkeepers said the parts came from south-east Asia, China and south Asia.
Tiger parts are used to make jewelery and Chinese medicine.
Conservationists say tigers in the Greater Mekong region face extinction.
Global tiger populations are at an all-time low of 3 200, down from about 100 000 a century ago, as forest habitats disappear and the animals are killed for their body parts.
Asian countries are a hot spot for the illegal wildlife trade, which the international police organization Interpol estimates may be worth more than $20 billion (R150bn) a year.
'As long as there is demand, there will be supply,' said Singapore member of parliament Lim Wee Kiak.
'Legislation alone is insufficient to bring a complete halt to the illegal trading."
A three-month investigation by Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) found that 59 out of 134 jewelery and antique shops it visited in the south-east Asian city-state were allegedly selling tiger parts, including claws, teeth and pieces of skin.
Acres said all commercial tiger trade had been banned by the international Cites convention that Singapore had signed, and under domestic law the sale of tiger specimens was prohibited, even if the products turned out not to be real.
It said shopkeepers had told it that demand had been higher over Lunar New Year - the start of the Year of the Tiger - and that more orders could be placed for parts, which could take from a week to three months to be delivered.
The shopkeepers said the parts came from south-east Asia, China and south Asia.
Tiger parts are used to make jewelery and Chinese medicine.
Conservationists say tigers in the Greater Mekong region face extinction.
Global tiger populations are at an all-time low of 3 200, down from about 100 000 a century ago, as forest habitats disappear and the animals are killed for their body parts.
Asian countries are a hot spot for the illegal wildlife trade, which the international police organization Interpol estimates may be worth more than $20 billion (R150bn) a year.
'As long as there is demand, there will be supply,' said Singapore member of parliament Lim Wee Kiak.
'Legislation alone is insufficient to bring a complete halt to the illegal trading."
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Vietnam Tycoon Lures China Companies With Cheap Labor (Update1) - BusinessWeek
"March 19 (Bloomberg) -- Vietnamese property developer Dang Thanh Tam, one of the country’s richest men, is trying to lure companies from China to his industrial parks with the promise of cheap labor costs.
Tam’s Kinh Bac City Development Share Holding Corp., Vietnam’s third-biggest publicly traded property developer, has attracted companies including units of Japan’s Canon Inc. and Sanyo Electric Co. Tam, 45, was one of Vietnam’s richest men at the end of 2009 based on his stock holdings, according to Thanh Nien newspaper.
Vietnam has begun to export more higher-value goods to the U.S., with global camera equipment companies shifting some production from China, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Manufacturers can benefit from a weakening dong in Vietnam, which competes with China for the export of footwear, garments and furniture, amid pressure for the yuan to strengthen.
“Production costs in China are becoming more expensive,” Tam, Kinh Bac’s chairman, said in an interview, citing higher labor costs in the world’s most populous country. “The transportation costs in China are also becoming very high.”
The company operates industrial zones in and around the capital Hanoi and the northern coastal city of Haiphong, Tam’s birthplace. Two of Vietnam’s three largest ports, Cam Pha and Haiphong, are in the north, according to the Vietnam Seaports Association.
Diversifying From China
Japanese companies often regard the north of Vietnam as an extension of the Chinese economic zone, and may diversify production by adding output in Vietnam rather than moving altogether from China, according to Yoshida Sakae, managing director of the Japan External Trade Organization office in Ho Chi Minh City.
“The north is very near China and it’s easy for companies in China to move to,” Tam said yesterday. “Kinh Bac wants to focus more on the northern provinces of Vietnam.”
China’s Guangdong province, the nation’s richest region by gross domestic product, said yesterday it will raise the minimum wage by 21.1 percent to help resolve a labor shortage. More than 50 percent of manufacturers in the province, China’s manufacturing hub, are experiencing a lack of manpower, according to a Hong Kong Trade Development Council report released March. 16.
Labor Costs
“Labor costs in some places in China have increased 20 to 30 percent in the past three months,” said Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. Wages are “probably double what you have to pay in Vietnam.”
Sanyo Electric last year started operating an optical-parts plant in a Kinh Bac park in a province bordering Hanoi, according to Yuko Hosaka, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman for the Japanese electronics maker.
“We chose the location because it was nearby many of our clients’ bases,” she said. “Vietnam’s diligent workers were also among the reasons.”
Tokyo-based Canon makes laser and ink-jet printers and scanners at a Kinh Bac park near Hanoi in Bac Ninh province, where the Vietnamese property company is located.
Weakening Dong
Shares in Kinh Bac, which by market value trails only Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint-Stock Co. and Vincom Joint-Stock Co. among property developers, have increased 10 percent this year to 64,000 dong, compared with a 4.3 percent gain in the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange’s VN Index.
Kinh Bac reported net profit of 642 billion dong ($34 million) last year, more than double the 286 billion dong it posted in 2008. Tam’s stake of more than 30 percent makes him the biggest shareholder in the 12.4 trillion dong company.
The company may benefit from a depreciating dong, especially as the U.S. pressures China to allow its currency to appreciate, said John Marron, managing director of Midas Clothing Ltd. in Ho Chi Minh City, which exports Vietnamese-made Zara and Converse apparel.
“I’m making better margins now, and the weaker dong has definitely helped,” Marron said. “We pay our factories in dong and we get revenue in dollars.”
Party Congress
The dong has weakened 8.3 percent in the past year after Vietnam’s central bank devalued the currency twice. In contrast, the yuan, which is pegged to the dollar, was little changed in that period.
In Vietnam, a Communist Party congress next year may cause the central bank to use currency depreciation to boost exports and create jobs, Standard Chartered Plc said in a report this month.
U.S. President Barack Obama last week urged China to move toward a more “market-oriented exchange rate,” and the U.S. House of Representatives plans to hold a hearing this month on China’s currency policy.
“Multinational manufacturers in China would want to diversify due to the risk for protectionist measures in the U.S.,” said Tai Hui, Singapore-based head of Southeast Asian economic research for Standard Chartered. “If you are only in China, you might want to have a plan B.”
Tam’s Kinh Bac City Development Share Holding Corp., Vietnam’s third-biggest publicly traded property developer, has attracted companies including units of Japan’s Canon Inc. and Sanyo Electric Co. Tam, 45, was one of Vietnam’s richest men at the end of 2009 based on his stock holdings, according to Thanh Nien newspaper.
Vietnam has begun to export more higher-value goods to the U.S., with global camera equipment companies shifting some production from China, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Manufacturers can benefit from a weakening dong in Vietnam, which competes with China for the export of footwear, garments and furniture, amid pressure for the yuan to strengthen.
“Production costs in China are becoming more expensive,” Tam, Kinh Bac’s chairman, said in an interview, citing higher labor costs in the world’s most populous country. “The transportation costs in China are also becoming very high.”
The company operates industrial zones in and around the capital Hanoi and the northern coastal city of Haiphong, Tam’s birthplace. Two of Vietnam’s three largest ports, Cam Pha and Haiphong, are in the north, according to the Vietnam Seaports Association.
Diversifying From China
Japanese companies often regard the north of Vietnam as an extension of the Chinese economic zone, and may diversify production by adding output in Vietnam rather than moving altogether from China, according to Yoshida Sakae, managing director of the Japan External Trade Organization office in Ho Chi Minh City.
“The north is very near China and it’s easy for companies in China to move to,” Tam said yesterday. “Kinh Bac wants to focus more on the northern provinces of Vietnam.”
China’s Guangdong province, the nation’s richest region by gross domestic product, said yesterday it will raise the minimum wage by 21.1 percent to help resolve a labor shortage. More than 50 percent of manufacturers in the province, China’s manufacturing hub, are experiencing a lack of manpower, according to a Hong Kong Trade Development Council report released March. 16.
Labor Costs
“Labor costs in some places in China have increased 20 to 30 percent in the past three months,” said Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. Wages are “probably double what you have to pay in Vietnam.”
Sanyo Electric last year started operating an optical-parts plant in a Kinh Bac park in a province bordering Hanoi, according to Yuko Hosaka, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman for the Japanese electronics maker.
“We chose the location because it was nearby many of our clients’ bases,” she said. “Vietnam’s diligent workers were also among the reasons.”
Tokyo-based Canon makes laser and ink-jet printers and scanners at a Kinh Bac park near Hanoi in Bac Ninh province, where the Vietnamese property company is located.
Weakening Dong
Shares in Kinh Bac, which by market value trails only Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint-Stock Co. and Vincom Joint-Stock Co. among property developers, have increased 10 percent this year to 64,000 dong, compared with a 4.3 percent gain in the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange’s VN Index.
Kinh Bac reported net profit of 642 billion dong ($34 million) last year, more than double the 286 billion dong it posted in 2008. Tam’s stake of more than 30 percent makes him the biggest shareholder in the 12.4 trillion dong company.
The company may benefit from a depreciating dong, especially as the U.S. pressures China to allow its currency to appreciate, said John Marron, managing director of Midas Clothing Ltd. in Ho Chi Minh City, which exports Vietnamese-made Zara and Converse apparel.
“I’m making better margins now, and the weaker dong has definitely helped,” Marron said. “We pay our factories in dong and we get revenue in dollars.”
Party Congress
The dong has weakened 8.3 percent in the past year after Vietnam’s central bank devalued the currency twice. In contrast, the yuan, which is pegged to the dollar, was little changed in that period.
In Vietnam, a Communist Party congress next year may cause the central bank to use currency depreciation to boost exports and create jobs, Standard Chartered Plc said in a report this month.
U.S. President Barack Obama last week urged China to move toward a more “market-oriented exchange rate,” and the U.S. House of Representatives plans to hold a hearing this month on China’s currency policy.
“Multinational manufacturers in China would want to diversify due to the risk for protectionist measures in the U.S.,” said Tai Hui, Singapore-based head of Southeast Asian economic research for Standard Chartered. “If you are only in China, you might want to have a plan B.”
Google may announce China plans next Monday
"SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Google Inc may make an announcement next Monday about whether it will pull out from China, the China Business News reported on Friday, quoting an unnamed Google employee.
The report also said a local authorised agent had received unconfirmed information that Google would leave China on April 10.
'I have received information saying that Google will leave China on April 10, but this information has not at present been confirmed by Google,' the agent was quoted as saying.
Google officials were not immediately available for comment.
Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said last week he hoped to have an outcome soon from talks with Chinese officials on offering an uncensored search engine in the country.
United discount fare to Vietnam & Hong Kong
"United Airlines is providing promotional summer fares for flights between Vietnam and the US, as well as to Hong Kong.
United Airlines offers low fares for Hong Kong, US from HCM City
Northwest Airlines opens route to Vietnam
United Airlines starts to sell tickets for new direct service
Passengers at the United Airlines booking office in HCM City.
The discounted fares for Los Angeles and San Francisco start at US$770, with travel until June 14.
The American carrier is selling a round trip between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong starting at US$138, with travel from April 1 till June 10 this year.
The summer promotion is applied for max stay of four days, and the booking class is L.
United’s regular fares for a round trip between HCM City and Hong Kong are also available, starting at US$188.
The airline operates daily direct flights between Vietnam and the US via Hong Kong. The service was launched in December 2004, making United the first American carrier to fly to Vietnam since 1975.
In related news, Northwest Airlines, a wholly subsidiary of American carrier Delta Air Lines, will discontinue flights to HCM City via Tokyo, effective from March 27, 2010.
Delta became the second US airline to fly to HCM City in June 2009, five years after United. Once Delta stops its service, United will be again the only American carrier flying to Vietnam.
Till the end of 2009, United had transported more than 700,000 passengers in the route. The carrier said it had recorded average yearly growth of 20% in passenger traffic to Vietnam over the past five years."
Vietnam welcomes First flight from Japan
"The first flight from Kansai, Osaka Province, Japan on March 18 landed in the central city of Da Nang , bringing 161 tourists and representatives of 17 travel agencies.
AirAsia offers HCM City-Jakarta flight
Cathay Pacific launches Hanoi – Dhaka cargo flight
ASIANA Airlines launches Seoul-Da Nang direct flight
During their visit, the travel industry professionals will conduct an informational tour of Da Nang golf course, Hoang Dat casino, and the Ba Na tourism site and work with municipal officials to explore the tourism potential of the city in particular and of the central region of Vietnam in general.
First visitors from Japan arrive at the Da Nang International Airport, Vietnam on the first flight from Kansai, Osaka Province, Japan on March 18.
Da Nang will have more chances to welcome Japanese visitors thanks to the direct air route from Osaka , which used to be served only by sea.
The city plans to open Japanese language courses for tour guides to serve the increasing number of visitors from Japan .
On the same day, the Seabourn Odessey cruise liner arrived with 352 holiday makers, mostly from the UK and the US , raising the total number of foreign tourists to Da Nang province in the first two months this year to 6,477.
The city plans to receive 70 thousands visitors on the occasion of the international fireworks display on March 27 and 28."
AirAsia offers HCM City-Jakarta flight
Cathay Pacific launches Hanoi – Dhaka cargo flight
ASIANA Airlines launches Seoul-Da Nang direct flight
During their visit, the travel industry professionals will conduct an informational tour of Da Nang golf course, Hoang Dat casino, and the Ba Na tourism site and work with municipal officials to explore the tourism potential of the city in particular and of the central region of Vietnam in general.
First visitors from Japan arrive at the Da Nang International Airport, Vietnam on the first flight from Kansai, Osaka Province, Japan on March 18.
Da Nang will have more chances to welcome Japanese visitors thanks to the direct air route from Osaka , which used to be served only by sea.
The city plans to open Japanese language courses for tour guides to serve the increasing number of visitors from Japan .
On the same day, the Seabourn Odessey cruise liner arrived with 352 holiday makers, mostly from the UK and the US , raising the total number of foreign tourists to Da Nang province in the first two months this year to 6,477.
The city plans to receive 70 thousands visitors on the occasion of the international fireworks display on March 27 and 28."
Friday, March 19, 2010
Monsoon forecast for 7 south Asian countries/end of April
PUNE: This year's monsoon forecast will have a special dimension as the India Meteorology Department (IMD) here is set to do forecasting for the entire south Asia region for the first time.
The IMD, in association with organisations like the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pashan, and Switzerland-based World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), will forecast the performance of the south-west monsoon for seven south Asian countries.
"The special initiative for regional forecast has been undertaken for the first time," said A K Srivastava, National Climate Centre, IMD. "This forecast will be known as consensus-based forecast and is expected to be released at the end of April," he added.
According to IMD officials, the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF), a special group set up for capacity building in monsoon forecasting in south Asian countries, will be instrumental in co-ordinating the forecast.
The first meeting of this initiative, called SASCOF-1, will be hosted by the IMD in Pune from April 13. Experts from the SASCOF member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will attend the meet besides several regional and global experts. The WMO is supporting this initiative through its Climate Information and Prediction Services.
"The WMO has agreed to assist in co-ordination of SASCOF sessions until a permanent arrangement is worked out. It has been agreed that the first session of the SASCOF will be held by India and subsequent sessions will be hosted by other participating countries by rotation," said Shrivastava, who is co-ordinating the initiative from Pune.
He said, "The SASCOF will initially have exclusive focus on the summer monsoon. The needs for covering other aspects of the sub-regional climate will be addressed in due course."
The forum includes appraisal of country perspectives, assessment of capacity building needs, global and regional indicators, consensus outlook generation and issue and user interaction. Experts from participating countries will receive guidance in using, interpreting and downscaling global seasonal prediction products, and in developing a consensus outlook.
According to weather experts, accurate prediction of south-west monsoon is very crucial for the region. The south-west monsoon (June September) rainfall accounts for 75-90 per cent of the annual rainfall in most of the countries in the region. The rainfall is important for crops that are dependent on monsoon rains. The summer monsoon rainfall is also important for hydroelectric power generation and meeting drinking water requirements.
"Monsoon prediction and outlook is a shared challenge for many South Asian nations due to the lack of expertise and infrastructure. The SASCOF will help deal with these issues," Shrivastava added.
The IMD, in association with organisations like the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pashan, and Switzerland-based World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), will forecast the performance of the south-west monsoon for seven south Asian countries.
"The special initiative for regional forecast has been undertaken for the first time," said A K Srivastava, National Climate Centre, IMD. "This forecast will be known as consensus-based forecast and is expected to be released at the end of April," he added.
According to IMD officials, the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF), a special group set up for capacity building in monsoon forecasting in south Asian countries, will be instrumental in co-ordinating the forecast.
The first meeting of this initiative, called SASCOF-1, will be hosted by the IMD in Pune from April 13. Experts from the SASCOF member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will attend the meet besides several regional and global experts. The WMO is supporting this initiative through its Climate Information and Prediction Services.
"The WMO has agreed to assist in co-ordination of SASCOF sessions until a permanent arrangement is worked out. It has been agreed that the first session of the SASCOF will be held by India and subsequent sessions will be hosted by other participating countries by rotation," said Shrivastava, who is co-ordinating the initiative from Pune.
He said, "The SASCOF will initially have exclusive focus on the summer monsoon. The needs for covering other aspects of the sub-regional climate will be addressed in due course."
The forum includes appraisal of country perspectives, assessment of capacity building needs, global and regional indicators, consensus outlook generation and issue and user interaction. Experts from participating countries will receive guidance in using, interpreting and downscaling global seasonal prediction products, and in developing a consensus outlook.
According to weather experts, accurate prediction of south-west monsoon is very crucial for the region. The south-west monsoon (June September) rainfall accounts for 75-90 per cent of the annual rainfall in most of the countries in the region. The rainfall is important for crops that are dependent on monsoon rains. The summer monsoon rainfall is also important for hydroelectric power generation and meeting drinking water requirements.
"Monsoon prediction and outlook is a shared challenge for many South Asian nations due to the lack of expertise and infrastructure. The SASCOF will help deal with these issues," Shrivastava added.
Best Architecture Cities in the World
ED NOTE: Excuse the photo overlap. Hope you can still enjoy the information.
A city with a distinct architectural style has a certain draw to travelers. Great architecture is both artistic and scientific, both beautiful and practical. Even more, architecture gives us cultural clues about a city’s past, present and future.
Important architectural advancements such as the invention of the dome, of concrete, and of the skyscraper itself not only advanced the technology of construction, but also challenged architects to compete amongst themselves to produce more efficient and creative structures.
We’ve selected a handful of cities that have developed a reputation for notable architecture styles and histories, but it’s impossible to give enough attention to all architectural masterpieces. Here are seven great cities for architecture buffs, and a few highlights not to miss in each one.
Any visitor to Barcelona cannot miss the spectacular work and influence of architect Antoni Gaudi. With its bright colors, tiled mosaic patterns, and nature-inspired forms, Gaudi’s architecture was dramatically different than that of his contemporaries.
Gaudi not only designed breathtaking work, but also is the architect who best captured Modernisme, or the Catalan modernism movement in Barcelona. This movement sought to elevate the status of Catalan thought, art, literature and philosophy to the same level of European ideas and art.
In Gaudi’s work, this meant predominance of curves over straight lines, heavy decoration and detail, shapes and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone. Other influential Modernist architects include Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who designed buildings later designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed Els Quatre Gats, a center for Modernisme in Barcelona.
Gaudi’s masterpiece is still under construction today, and won’t be completed for some time. Gaudi frequently altered his plans as the church was first being constructed, and his final vision for it is not known.
Different architects have provided their insight, but often their opinions differ. Even amidst a sea of cranes and the din of construction, La Sagrada Família is the most visited monument in Barcelona.
This park stands above the city and contains a series of curving walkways and paths. At the top, curved stone benches adorned with colorful mosaics offer a perfect resting place to sit and take in a view of the city.
Park Güell is a perfect example of Gaudi’s ordered chaos. Every aspect of the park over-stimulates, but it still exudes calm.
Gaudi remodeled this private home from the inside out.
From the arched roof to curved windows that gave the structure its nickname “House of Bones,” this building contains almost no straight lines. Every room boasts magnificent coloring and tiling.
In Beijing, the slew of construction for the 2008 Summer Olympics gave shape to an emerging national identity. China wanted to prove it had more to offer the world than its ancient culture and architecture. And so the world watched as Bejing built Western-inspired buildings that went above and beyond the limitations of Chinese architecture.
Now, Beijing is home to a collection of both traditional and contemporary buildings.
The traditional style reflects Chinese beliefs and ethics of symmetry. These buildings give attention to decorative details, are built outward (not upward), and major construction materials include timber columns, beams and brackets.
The buildings Beijing built for the Olympics completely challenge the city’s own style of architecture. Beijing’s new construction is tall and asymmetric. Instead of creating an image of calm and focusing attention inward, both the exteriors and interiors of Beijing’s new construction aim to grab attention and awe viewers.
The expansive wall is more than 2,000 years old and extends almost 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles).
Over centuries, different dynasties reinforced and extended the wall that protected the country from multiple invasions. The wall is a symbol of China’s rich history, and is a must-see for visitors to Beijing.
Although Beijing’s Forbidden City is now overrun with tourists and vendors selling kitschy souvenirs, it is still an important monument to traditional Chinese architecture and culture. For centuries, this was the home of Chinese emperors and their governments.
Almost every aspect of the Forbidden City’s construction – from the colors to the number of statues to the symmetry – was intentional, which represents how important symbolism was to Chinese architecture.
To complete construction on the new headquarters of China Central Television, architects had two engineering hurdles to jump.
The skyscraper stands in a seismic region. And two L-shaped towers leaning at 90-degree angles form the top and bottom of the building.
With 51 floors, it’s short for a skyscraper, but impressive because of its precarious-looking construction and asymmetry.
Istanbul is located on both the continents of Europe and Asia. Most citizens practice Islam, but the city also claims strong Christian and Jewish communities. Istanbul is thus known as a cultural melting pot, and the city’s architecture certainly lives up to that reputation.
Visitors to Istanbul will find more than 2,000 mosques, 100 churches and 20 synagogues. Over time, Istanbul has served as a capital for Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires, and is now Turkey’s capital. Each period built a new architectural layer on top of the old, and many of these monuments remain intact.
The Ancient Romans and Greeks left their aqueducts and the Walls of Constantine. The Byzantines and Genoese left their domed churched with arches. The Ottoman Empire left its castles, palaces and mosques. And the European Baroque styles and Art Nouveau palaces and mansions that followed add more to the eclectic landscape of Istanbul.
This museum was once a church and then a mosque. Hagia Sophia, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, is most known for its unique dome.
Thanks to the dome’s umbrella shape, its weight rests on the pendentives between the 40 windows along its base. Light shines through the windows from all directions, which gives the impression that the dome is hovering. This pendentive dome was a Byzantine invention.
Six minarets towering over the skyline of Istanbul make it easy to locate the Blue Mosque. On closer inspection, visitors can also observe a series of cascading domes on the building’s exterior.
Inside, the walls and ceiling are lined with more than 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles, which give the mosque its name. The massive mosque can hold up to 10,000 people, and was built to out-do Istanbul’s most famous church at the time, Hagia Sophia.
When Constantine the Great declared the city the capital of the Roman Empire in 330, he built this commemorative column.
The original was 50 meters tall, had a statue of Constantine dressed as Apollo at top, and was said to contain several Christian relics.
Natural disasters have weathered the column and a fire in 1779 left black scorch marks on its sides. Today the column stands 35 meters tall and is a symbol of the Roman empire in Istanbul.
Unlike many cities on this list, Chicago is not a city with a long-established architectural history. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city’s buildings, and the Chicago that stands today was built afterward. This city makes the list because the skyscraper was born here.
Architect William Le Baron Jenney is generally credited with the first skyscraper, a ten-story building that stood in downtown Chicago. Unlike the brick and stone buildings of the time, this one was built with cast iron, wrought iron and steel. The so-called skeleton construction was a system of beams and columns that allowed for a multi-story framework and invited the development of safer elevators, central heating systems, and further developments in steel construction.
With these advancements, competition between Chicago architects led to taller and taller skyscrapers. In addition, Louis Sullivan’s Chicago School of Architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School of Architecture were born here – just two styles that have given Chicago an even bigger name in the world of architecture.
One of the most convenient ways to learn and see the most about the city’s architecture is to take a Chicago boat and architecture tour. Several companies operate these tours along the Chicago river.
Willis Tower dominates the Chicago skyline as the tallest and most iconic building in the city. Sears, Roebuck & Co., financed the skyscraper’s construction and built it to house their employees.
The renamed Willis Tower now houses various offices and businesses and its skydeck ledge on the 103rd floor is a popular tourist destination. The ledge is actually an enclosed glass box that extend 4.3 feet from the building so that visitors can see 1,353 feet straight down.
Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the art and architecture of the 20th century, and it’s worth the short trip to the suburbs to see where he lived and worked for the first 20 years of his career.
It was in his Prairie-style studio that he designed 125 structures, including such famous buildings as the Robie House, the Larkin Building and Unity Temple.
One of the most popular attractions for both locals and tourists in Chicago is the Cloud Gate, which reflects 80% of the city’s skyline on its surface. This interactive sculpture is essentially a giant stainless steal bean that acts as a mirror.
Spectators can see their images distort as they walk all around the sculpture or underneath its 9-foot arch. The best viewing time is at night, when the lights from Chicago skyscrapers illuminate the bean’s surface.
Although Chicago gave birth to the skyscraper, in recent years Dubai has been the city to master constructing these tall and extravagant buildings.
Dubai’s economy was initially built on oil, but its oil reserves have already been significantly depleted and only account for a small percentage of the economy. So the government recently decided to reinvent its image as a major international hub of commerce.
A wide-scale real estate boom followed, which completely changed the city’s landscape in a short period of time. Dubai now houses some of the tallest and most contemporary and ambitious architecture in the world.
More construction is in the works despite rumors that it lacks sufficient financing. New construction is so prevalent in Dubai that reports claim the city houses between 15 and 25 percent of all the world’s cranes.
This luxury hotel is the only self-proclaimed seven-star hotel in the world. The building exterior is meant to represent Dubai’s transformation and resembles a sail.
The hotel actually rests on an artificial island 280 meters from the shore and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. As you would guess, rooms here aren’t cheap. Suites start at $2,000 per night and can cost as much as $28,000.
As of 2010, this skyscraper is the tallest man-made building ever built. The $150 billion building has 160 floors and stands at 828 meters (2,717 feet) high.
That’s 52 floors more than Chicago’s Willis Tower and 320 meters taller than Tawain’s Taipei 101, which was formerly the world’s tallest building.
The Burj Khalifa also boasts the world’s highest mosque, the world’s highest swimming pool, and it is the tallest free-standing structure in the world.
This archipelago of 300 man-made islands was constructed with sand dredged from the sea. Fresh water, utilities and power are routed underwater to the islands.
The islands are meant to look like a map of the Earth and can be seen from space. Private buyers can purchase individual islands for $15 – $50 million.
Athens is a city for travelers who are drawn to architecture with clues about the culture and lifestyle of people of the past. The Ancient Greeks were political, religious, and proud. They built many monuments to celebrate victories, to give honor to the deities, and to stroke their own egos.
Greek architecture is often associated with temples and columns. The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders designed by Ancient Greek architects have proved to be timeless and are apparent in many of the buildings that still stand in Athens today. The friezes and sculptures housed in Athens temples provide insight into the lives and worship practices of the Athenians of yesteryear. They depict battles, processions, important statesmen, and deities.
This temple to the Greek goddess Athena was finished in 432 BC and is the most important surviving structure remaining from Ancient Greece. It still stands even after 2,500 years of weathering, war, and vandalism.
The Parthenon is an art history teacher’s dream, complete with columns of both the Doric and Ionic order, metopes depicting various battles, pedimental sculptures, and a frieze.
Although this temple is the smallest on the hill, it is the first to greet visitors to the Acropolis of Athens. The height-to-diameter ratio of its columns is unusual; it is 7:1, whereas most Ionic buildings are 9:1 or 10:1.
The Temple of Athena Nike was built with marble and was a place to worship gods and goddesses of war. Fragments of the original frieze are housed in the Acropolis Museum and copies rest in their place inside the temple.
Only the ruins of this once grandiose temple remain, but it still represents the power and pride of past Athenian rulers. Various rulers sought to finish the temple to their own governments and themselves, but death and war prevented its completion.
The temple was finally dedicated in 132 AD, several centuries after constructions first began. But it was badly damaged and pillaged shortly after, and was never fully restored.
The Romans made alterations to Greek and Etruscan architecture to create a new style that was practical and creative. You can still see much of this style in the Italian capital of Rome.
For example, the Romans used arches, concrete and bricks to build the aqueducts that supplied water to their densely populated city. Visitors to Rome can also observe numerous domes, which the city’s architects used to fortify ceilings and expand the interior space of buildings, as best seen in the Pantheon.
The Romans revolutionized construction with the introduction of concrete as a primary building material. They found it was cheaper and stronger than the previously popular marble. And of course, it was the Romans who perfected the amphitheater.
These multi-purpose structures display the complexity of Roman architecture because they combine many of their advances at once. And, like much of Roman construction, the amphitheaters were not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.
The Pantheon that stands today is not the original, but it is still an architectural marvel of its time and is the best-preserved building in Rome. This was the first temple to combine concrete construction with the classical Greek columns.
In addition, the giant 142-foot dome was the largest in existence until 1960. The dome is still impressive. The distance from the top of the dome to the floor is equal to its diameter.
The Colosseum is a remarkable monument because of its practical and efficient architecture. It could seat up to 50,000 people and had about 80 entrances so many people could enter and leave at once. The Colosseum was equipped for a variety of performances such as battle reenactments, theater, executions and mock sea battles.
The structure has been damaged by earthquakes and robbers, but its remains still represent the architectural prowess of the Romans.
The Romans built 11 aqueducts to bring bathing and drinking water to their densely populated city. Tunnels and several tiers of arches helped direct the flow of water for long distances and over rocky terrain.
Roman architects dedicated an enormous amount of planning to the construction of each aqueduct to determine the length, size and grade needed.
A city with a distinct architectural style has a certain draw to travelers. Great architecture is both artistic and scientific, both beautiful and practical. Even more, architecture gives us cultural clues about a city’s past, present and future.
Important architectural advancements such as the invention of the dome, of concrete, and of the skyscraper itself not only advanced the technology of construction, but also challenged architects to compete amongst themselves to produce more efficient and creative structures.
We’ve selected a handful of cities that have developed a reputation for notable architecture styles and histories, but it’s impossible to give enough attention to all architectural masterpieces. Here are seven great cities for architecture buffs, and a few highlights not to miss in each one.
Barcelona, Spain
Any visitor to Barcelona cannot miss the spectacular work and influence of architect Antoni Gaudi. With its bright colors, tiled mosaic patterns, and nature-inspired forms, Gaudi’s architecture was dramatically different than that of his contemporaries.
Gaudi not only designed breathtaking work, but also is the architect who best captured Modernisme, or the Catalan modernism movement in Barcelona. This movement sought to elevate the status of Catalan thought, art, literature and philosophy to the same level of European ideas and art.
In Gaudi’s work, this meant predominance of curves over straight lines, heavy decoration and detail, shapes and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone. Other influential Modernist architects include Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who designed buildings later designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed Els Quatre Gats, a center for Modernisme in Barcelona.
La Sagrada Família
Gaudi’s masterpiece is still under construction today, and won’t be completed for some time. Gaudi frequently altered his plans as the church was first being constructed, and his final vision for it is not known.
Different architects have provided their insight, but often their opinions differ. Even amidst a sea of cranes and the din of construction, La Sagrada Família is the most visited monument in Barcelona.
Park Güell
This park stands above the city and contains a series of curving walkways and paths. At the top, curved stone benches adorned with colorful mosaics offer a perfect resting place to sit and take in a view of the city.
Park Güell is a perfect example of Gaudi’s ordered chaos. Every aspect of the park over-stimulates, but it still exudes calm.
Casa Batlló
Gaudi remodeled this private home from the inside out.
From the arched roof to curved windows that gave the structure its nickname “House of Bones,” this building contains almost no straight lines. Every room boasts magnificent coloring and tiling.
Beijing, China
In Beijing, the slew of construction for the 2008 Summer Olympics gave shape to an emerging national identity. China wanted to prove it had more to offer the world than its ancient culture and architecture. And so the world watched as Bejing built Western-inspired buildings that went above and beyond the limitations of Chinese architecture.
Now, Beijing is home to a collection of both traditional and contemporary buildings.
The traditional style reflects Chinese beliefs and ethics of symmetry. These buildings give attention to decorative details, are built outward (not upward), and major construction materials include timber columns, beams and brackets.
The buildings Beijing built for the Olympics completely challenge the city’s own style of architecture. Beijing’s new construction is tall and asymmetric. Instead of creating an image of calm and focusing attention inward, both the exteriors and interiors of Beijing’s new construction aim to grab attention and awe viewers.
Great Wall of China
The expansive wall is more than 2,000 years old and extends almost 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles).
Over centuries, different dynasties reinforced and extended the wall that protected the country from multiple invasions. The wall is a symbol of China’s rich history, and is a must-see for visitors to Beijing.
Forbidden City
Although Beijing’s Forbidden City is now overrun with tourists and vendors selling kitschy souvenirs, it is still an important monument to traditional Chinese architecture and culture. For centuries, this was the home of Chinese emperors and their governments.
Almost every aspect of the Forbidden City’s construction – from the colors to the number of statues to the symmetry – was intentional, which represents how important symbolism was to Chinese architecture.
CCTV Headquarters
To complete construction on the new headquarters of China Central Television, architects had two engineering hurdles to jump.
The skyscraper stands in a seismic region. And two L-shaped towers leaning at 90-degree angles form the top and bottom of the building.
With 51 floors, it’s short for a skyscraper, but impressive because of its precarious-looking construction and asymmetry.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is located on both the continents of Europe and Asia. Most citizens practice Islam, but the city also claims strong Christian and Jewish communities. Istanbul is thus known as a cultural melting pot, and the city’s architecture certainly lives up to that reputation.
Visitors to Istanbul will find more than 2,000 mosques, 100 churches and 20 synagogues. Over time, Istanbul has served as a capital for Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires, and is now Turkey’s capital. Each period built a new architectural layer on top of the old, and many of these monuments remain intact.
The Ancient Romans and Greeks left their aqueducts and the Walls of Constantine. The Byzantines and Genoese left their domed churched with arches. The Ottoman Empire left its castles, palaces and mosques. And the European Baroque styles and Art Nouveau palaces and mansions that followed add more to the eclectic landscape of Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia
This museum was once a church and then a mosque. Hagia Sophia, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, is most known for its unique dome.
Thanks to the dome’s umbrella shape, its weight rests on the pendentives between the 40 windows along its base. Light shines through the windows from all directions, which gives the impression that the dome is hovering. This pendentive dome was a Byzantine invention.
Blue Mosque
Six minarets towering over the skyline of Istanbul make it easy to locate the Blue Mosque. On closer inspection, visitors can also observe a series of cascading domes on the building’s exterior.
Inside, the walls and ceiling are lined with more than 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles, which give the mosque its name. The massive mosque can hold up to 10,000 people, and was built to out-do Istanbul’s most famous church at the time, Hagia Sophia.
Column of Constantine
When Constantine the Great declared the city the capital of the Roman Empire in 330, he built this commemorative column.
The original was 50 meters tall, had a statue of Constantine dressed as Apollo at top, and was said to contain several Christian relics.
Natural disasters have weathered the column and a fire in 1779 left black scorch marks on its sides. Today the column stands 35 meters tall and is a symbol of the Roman empire in Istanbul.
Chicago, USA
Unlike many cities on this list, Chicago is not a city with a long-established architectural history. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city’s buildings, and the Chicago that stands today was built afterward. This city makes the list because the skyscraper was born here.
Architect William Le Baron Jenney is generally credited with the first skyscraper, a ten-story building that stood in downtown Chicago. Unlike the brick and stone buildings of the time, this one was built with cast iron, wrought iron and steel. The so-called skeleton construction was a system of beams and columns that allowed for a multi-story framework and invited the development of safer elevators, central heating systems, and further developments in steel construction.
With these advancements, competition between Chicago architects led to taller and taller skyscrapers. In addition, Louis Sullivan’s Chicago School of Architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School of Architecture were born here – just two styles that have given Chicago an even bigger name in the world of architecture.
One of the most convenient ways to learn and see the most about the city’s architecture is to take a Chicago boat and architecture tour. Several companies operate these tours along the Chicago river.
Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower
Willis Tower dominates the Chicago skyline as the tallest and most iconic building in the city. Sears, Roebuck & Co., financed the skyscraper’s construction and built it to house their employees.
The renamed Willis Tower now houses various offices and businesses and its skydeck ledge on the 103rd floor is a popular tourist destination. The ledge is actually an enclosed glass box that extend 4.3 feet from the building so that visitors can see 1,353 feet straight down.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the art and architecture of the 20th century, and it’s worth the short trip to the suburbs to see where he lived and worked for the first 20 years of his career.
It was in his Prairie-style studio that he designed 125 structures, including such famous buildings as the Robie House, the Larkin Building and Unity Temple.
Cloud Gate
One of the most popular attractions for both locals and tourists in Chicago is the Cloud Gate, which reflects 80% of the city’s skyline on its surface. This interactive sculpture is essentially a giant stainless steal bean that acts as a mirror.
Spectators can see their images distort as they walk all around the sculpture or underneath its 9-foot arch. The best viewing time is at night, when the lights from Chicago skyscrapers illuminate the bean’s surface.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Although Chicago gave birth to the skyscraper, in recent years Dubai has been the city to master constructing these tall and extravagant buildings.
Dubai’s economy was initially built on oil, but its oil reserves have already been significantly depleted and only account for a small percentage of the economy. So the government recently decided to reinvent its image as a major international hub of commerce.
A wide-scale real estate boom followed, which completely changed the city’s landscape in a short period of time. Dubai now houses some of the tallest and most contemporary and ambitious architecture in the world.
More construction is in the works despite rumors that it lacks sufficient financing. New construction is so prevalent in Dubai that reports claim the city houses between 15 and 25 percent of all the world’s cranes.
Burj Al Arab
This luxury hotel is the only self-proclaimed seven-star hotel in the world. The building exterior is meant to represent Dubai’s transformation and resembles a sail.
The hotel actually rests on an artificial island 280 meters from the shore and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. As you would guess, rooms here aren’t cheap. Suites start at $2,000 per night and can cost as much as $28,000.
Burj Khalifa
As of 2010, this skyscraper is the tallest man-made building ever built. The $150 billion building has 160 floors and stands at 828 meters (2,717 feet) high.
That’s 52 floors more than Chicago’s Willis Tower and 320 meters taller than Tawain’s Taipei 101, which was formerly the world’s tallest building.
The Burj Khalifa also boasts the world’s highest mosque, the world’s highest swimming pool, and it is the tallest free-standing structure in the world.
The World
This archipelago of 300 man-made islands was constructed with sand dredged from the sea. Fresh water, utilities and power are routed underwater to the islands.
The islands are meant to look like a map of the Earth and can be seen from space. Private buyers can purchase individual islands for $15 – $50 million.
Athens, Greece
Athens is a city for travelers who are drawn to architecture with clues about the culture and lifestyle of people of the past. The Ancient Greeks were political, religious, and proud. They built many monuments to celebrate victories, to give honor to the deities, and to stroke their own egos.
Greek architecture is often associated with temples and columns. The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders designed by Ancient Greek architects have proved to be timeless and are apparent in many of the buildings that still stand in Athens today. The friezes and sculptures housed in Athens temples provide insight into the lives and worship practices of the Athenians of yesteryear. They depict battles, processions, important statesmen, and deities.
Parthenon
This temple to the Greek goddess Athena was finished in 432 BC and is the most important surviving structure remaining from Ancient Greece. It still stands even after 2,500 years of weathering, war, and vandalism.
The Parthenon is an art history teacher’s dream, complete with columns of both the Doric and Ionic order, metopes depicting various battles, pedimental sculptures, and a frieze.
Temple of Athena Nike
Although this temple is the smallest on the hill, it is the first to greet visitors to the Acropolis of Athens. The height-to-diameter ratio of its columns is unusual; it is 7:1, whereas most Ionic buildings are 9:1 or 10:1.
The Temple of Athena Nike was built with marble and was a place to worship gods and goddesses of war. Fragments of the original frieze are housed in the Acropolis Museum and copies rest in their place inside the temple.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Only the ruins of this once grandiose temple remain, but it still represents the power and pride of past Athenian rulers. Various rulers sought to finish the temple to their own governments and themselves, but death and war prevented its completion.
The temple was finally dedicated in 132 AD, several centuries after constructions first began. But it was badly damaged and pillaged shortly after, and was never fully restored.
Rome, Italy
The Romans made alterations to Greek and Etruscan architecture to create a new style that was practical and creative. You can still see much of this style in the Italian capital of Rome.
For example, the Romans used arches, concrete and bricks to build the aqueducts that supplied water to their densely populated city. Visitors to Rome can also observe numerous domes, which the city’s architects used to fortify ceilings and expand the interior space of buildings, as best seen in the Pantheon.
The Romans revolutionized construction with the introduction of concrete as a primary building material. They found it was cheaper and stronger than the previously popular marble. And of course, it was the Romans who perfected the amphitheater.
These multi-purpose structures display the complexity of Roman architecture because they combine many of their advances at once. And, like much of Roman construction, the amphitheaters were not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.
Pantheon
The Pantheon that stands today is not the original, but it is still an architectural marvel of its time and is the best-preserved building in Rome. This was the first temple to combine concrete construction with the classical Greek columns.
In addition, the giant 142-foot dome was the largest in existence until 1960. The dome is still impressive. The distance from the top of the dome to the floor is equal to its diameter.
Colosseum
The Colosseum is a remarkable monument because of its practical and efficient architecture. It could seat up to 50,000 people and had about 80 entrances so many people could enter and leave at once. The Colosseum was equipped for a variety of performances such as battle reenactments, theater, executions and mock sea battles.
The structure has been damaged by earthquakes and robbers, but its remains still represent the architectural prowess of the Romans.
Aqueducts
The Romans built 11 aqueducts to bring bathing and drinking water to their densely populated city. Tunnels and several tiers of arches helped direct the flow of water for long distances and over rocky terrain.
Roman architects dedicated an enormous amount of planning to the construction of each aqueduct to determine the length, size and grade needed.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Luxury Travel Vietnam to Launch a New 6 Day Tour “laos for Families”
Luxury Travel Vietnam to Launch a New 6 Day Tour “laos for Families” - SBWire: "Hanoi, Vietnam -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/17/2010 -- Luxury Travel Co., Ltd (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com ), Southeast Asia’s the leading destination management is pleased to announce the launch of a new 6 day tour “Laos for Families”.
Luxury Travel Co has announced the launch of a new 'Laos for Families' six day tour. The trip includes the current capital Vientiane and the former capital Luang Prabang, the two most visited destinations of Laos.
“This trip has been specially designed for families traveling to Laos from Bangkok or Hanoi. You are certain to be entertained by the Lao people, history, color and culture” said David Nguyen, Sales and Marketing Manager for Luxury Travel Company (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com).
With stunning nature, rich in heritage and friendly people, Laos really is an undiscovered gem in Southeast Asia.
Upon entering Vientiane, travelers will be surprised at the relaxed atmosphere and small-town charm of this capital city. This capital city is characterized by an eclectic mix of colonial-French buildings and ancient temples along with colorful markets.
Nestled in the valleys of the mountainous north is Luang Prabang, a former royal capital and now a World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO. This enchanting city, dominated by golden-roofed temples and bright saffron-robed monks, exudes a spiritual essence that is sure to capture your soul.
The six day tour offer includes accommodation in deluxe rooms at some of the best hotels in Laos, private boat trips on Mekong River, most meals, private transfers, excursions, elephant rides, private pick up and drop off service with an escorted English or French speaking tour guide. The tour can be booked last minute and customized to suit individual interests and schedules.
Guests can also request, restaurant reservations, meetings with artists, cooking instructors and designers, shopping recommendations, spa reservations, tours with special-interest lecturers, and exclusive access to local activities and cultural events for an additional charge.
For tour information and online booking, visit: http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com"
Luxury Travel Co has announced the launch of a new 'Laos for Families' six day tour. The trip includes the current capital Vientiane and the former capital Luang Prabang, the two most visited destinations of Laos.
“This trip has been specially designed for families traveling to Laos from Bangkok or Hanoi. You are certain to be entertained by the Lao people, history, color and culture” said David Nguyen, Sales and Marketing Manager for Luxury Travel Company (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com).
With stunning nature, rich in heritage and friendly people, Laos really is an undiscovered gem in Southeast Asia.
Upon entering Vientiane, travelers will be surprised at the relaxed atmosphere and small-town charm of this capital city. This capital city is characterized by an eclectic mix of colonial-French buildings and ancient temples along with colorful markets.
Nestled in the valleys of the mountainous north is Luang Prabang, a former royal capital and now a World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO. This enchanting city, dominated by golden-roofed temples and bright saffron-robed monks, exudes a spiritual essence that is sure to capture your soul.
The six day tour offer includes accommodation in deluxe rooms at some of the best hotels in Laos, private boat trips on Mekong River, most meals, private transfers, excursions, elephant rides, private pick up and drop off service with an escorted English or French speaking tour guide. The tour can be booked last minute and customized to suit individual interests and schedules.
Guests can also request, restaurant reservations, meetings with artists, cooking instructors and designers, shopping recommendations, spa reservations, tours with special-interest lecturers, and exclusive access to local activities and cultural events for an additional charge.
For tour information and online booking, visit: http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com"
Universal Studios Opens At Singapore Resort
Universal Studios Opens At Singapore Resort - Travel News Story - KRXI Reno: "Singapore Aims To Become Top Regional Tourist Destination
Updated: 9:31 am PDT March 18,2010
SINGAPORE -- Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park opened Thursday in Singapore as the city-state vies to become a top regional tourist destination.
The park is part of Resort World Sentosa -- built by Malaysia's Genting Bhd for $4.4 billion -- which opened Singapore's first casino last month.
Singapore is counting on Resorts World and a Las Vegas Sands casino-resort due to open April 27 to attract tourists as the country shifts its economy to services from manufacturing.
Universal Studios parks are also in Hollywood, Calif.,, Orlando, Fla., and Osaka, Japan."
Updated: 9:31 am PDT March 18,2010
SINGAPORE -- Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park opened Thursday in Singapore as the city-state vies to become a top regional tourist destination.
The park is part of Resort World Sentosa -- built by Malaysia's Genting Bhd for $4.4 billion -- which opened Singapore's first casino last month.
Singapore is counting on Resorts World and a Las Vegas Sands casino-resort due to open April 27 to attract tourists as the country shifts its economy to services from manufacturing.
Universal Studios parks are also in Hollywood, Calif.,, Orlando, Fla., and Osaka, Japan."
The world’s 18 strangest homes - MSN Real Estate - Page 1 of 19
The world’s 18 strangest homes - MSN Real Estate - Page 1 of 19: "The world’s 18 strangest homes (© Popular Mechanics)
* Moving homes can be an exacting task (© MSN Real Estate)
Next up
Moving homes can be an exacting task
* 10 outrageous homes built from straw (© The Daily Green)10 outrageous homes built from straw
* Moving homes can be an exacting task
* Why build? Move an older house instead
* Add a trendy treehouse
* Shipping-container homes and offices
* 10 outrageous homes built from straw
* Surprising Chinese drywall findings
'"
* Moving homes can be an exacting task (© MSN Real Estate)
Next up
Moving homes can be an exacting task
* 10 outrageous homes built from straw (© The Daily Green)10 outrageous homes built from straw
* Moving homes can be an exacting task
* Why build? Move an older house instead
* Add a trendy treehouse
* Shipping-container homes and offices
* 10 outrageous homes built from straw
* Surprising Chinese drywall findings
'"
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Vietnam-54 Ethnic Groups living.
"Through out Vietnam, there are a total of 54 Ethnic Groups living. The largest is the Viet, or Kinh people, which accounts for some 88% of the population.
Other major Ethnic groups include:
* Tay – 960,000 people
* Hoa – 930,000 people
* Thai – 770,00 people
* Khmer – 720,000 people
* H’mong – 441,00 people
* Dao – 340,000 people
* Giarai – 184,000 people
* Nung – 152,000 people
* Ede – 140,000 people"
Other major Ethnic groups include:
* Tay – 960,000 people
* Hoa – 930,000 people
* Thai – 770,00 people
* Khmer – 720,000 people
* H’mong – 441,00 people
* Dao – 340,000 people
* Giarai – 184,000 people
* Nung – 152,000 people
* Ede – 140,000 people"
Accor keeps faith in Vietnam-17 March, 2010
"HO CHI MINH CITY – Accor will double the number of rooms under management in Vietnam by 2012.
Its expansion will be led by the Novotel and Mercure brands, along with the launch of the ibis and MGallery brands.
“Vietnam has always been considered as one of the strategic markets in Southeast Asia for Accor,” said Patrick Basset, Accor vice president operations for Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.
In late 2010, Accor also anticipates the opening of the first Pullman hotel in Vietnam - Pullman Vung Tao and the second MGallery hotel for Vietnam: Hotel De L’Opera Hanoi.
Beyond this, additional developments include three Novotels while Mercure Hanoi Hado will be the third Mercure for Vietnam.
The first two ibis hotels will be in Ho Chi Minh City - ibis Saigon and ibis Saigon South.
Accor currently has 13 hotels and 2,147 rooms in operation throughout Vietnam and more than 2,000 additional rooms committed with the new developments.
“Accor has confidence in Vietnam’s continued economic stability and growth,” Basset said."
Its expansion will be led by the Novotel and Mercure brands, along with the launch of the ibis and MGallery brands.
“Vietnam has always been considered as one of the strategic markets in Southeast Asia for Accor,” said Patrick Basset, Accor vice president operations for Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.
In late 2010, Accor also anticipates the opening of the first Pullman hotel in Vietnam - Pullman Vung Tao and the second MGallery hotel for Vietnam: Hotel De L’Opera Hanoi.
Beyond this, additional developments include three Novotels while Mercure Hanoi Hado will be the third Mercure for Vietnam.
The first two ibis hotels will be in Ho Chi Minh City - ibis Saigon and ibis Saigon South.
Accor currently has 13 hotels and 2,147 rooms in operation throughout Vietnam and more than 2,000 additional rooms committed with the new developments.
“Accor has confidence in Vietnam’s continued economic stability and growth,” Basset said."
Vietnam Airlines calls for protection-17 March, 2010
"Vietnam Airlines is reported to have asked the government in Hanoi to prevent Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia from forming a budget joint venture in Vietnam.
According to the national carrier, AirAsia’s acquisition of a 30 percent stake in local low-cost airline VietJet Air last month was aimed at easing the Malaysian group into the domestic market in Vietnam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was told joint ventures such as the one involving Australia’s Jetstar, and now AirAsia, harm the local industry.
VietJet Air, the first private airline to be licensed in Vietnam, said last month the Ministry of Transport has approved its joint venture with AirAsia.
VietJet AirAsia plans to operate both international and domestic flights starting May.
VietJet Air received its licence in 2007 but has delayed its first commercial flight many times.
Vietjet AirAsia, if finally established, will compete directly with Jetstar Pacific, the first low-cost airline in the country.
Qantas Airways holds a 27 percent stake in Jetstar Pacific."
According to the national carrier, AirAsia’s acquisition of a 30 percent stake in local low-cost airline VietJet Air last month was aimed at easing the Malaysian group into the domestic market in Vietnam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was told joint ventures such as the one involving Australia’s Jetstar, and now AirAsia, harm the local industry.
VietJet Air, the first private airline to be licensed in Vietnam, said last month the Ministry of Transport has approved its joint venture with AirAsia.
VietJet AirAsia plans to operate both international and domestic flights starting May.
VietJet Air received its licence in 2007 but has delayed its first commercial flight many times.
Vietjet AirAsia, if finally established, will compete directly with Jetstar Pacific, the first low-cost airline in the country.
Qantas Airways holds a 27 percent stake in Jetstar Pacific."
Asian-American Film Festival in San Jose, Ca March 19-21
ED NOTE: I'll be there to Photograph the event.
Camera Cinemas |: "Festivals
S.F. International Asian-American Film Festival 2010
The acclaimed San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival screens March 19-21 at Camera 12 Cinema in downtown San Jose. The premiere showcase for Asian American and Asian Films in North America, the festival will present more than 100 films and videos in March at venues in San Francisco and Berkeley, as well as San Jose. The festival schedule at Camera 12 is as follows:
FRIDAY, MARCH 19
7:00pm -- Au Revoir Taipei, dir. Arvin Chen (USA), 80 mins.
A lovesick boy and a passive-aggressive bookstore clerk navigate Taipei’s night-markets, seedy alleyways and karaoke bars in search of love and more in this campy, colorful adventure-caper-comedy.
SATURDAY, MARCH 20
12 noon -- Dear Doctor, dir. Miwa Nishikawa (Japan), 135 mins.
A rural village doctor vanishes one day without a word, leaving the townsfolk to sort through his past, and their town’s, in this poignant drama from one of Japan’s most acclaimed female directors.
1:30pm -- Voices, special live event, 60 mins. (plus Q&A)
Presented by Asian Americans For Community Involvement (AACI), this documentary follows the stories -- the successes, hardships, and hopes -- of three Asian American immigrants in Silicon Valley. Followed by a presentation by AACI.
2:45pm -- 3rd I South Asian International Shorts 2009, video shorts, 81 mins. (plus Q&A)
A richly layered compilation of dark yet hopeful South Asian short films from India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
3:00pm -- Aoki, dir. Mike Cheng and Ben Wang (USA), 95 mins. (plus Q&A)
This eye-opening documentary highlights the life of Bay Area Japanese American activist Richard Aoki (1938–2009), a founding member of the Black Panther Party.
4:45pm -- The People I've Slept With, dir. Quentin Lee (USA), 90 mins. (plus Q&A)
Angela Yang knows what she wants -- sex! -- and doesn’t care who provides it: Asian, Caucasian, Latino or Black, male or female. When she discovers she’s pregnant, though, it’s time to find the daddy.
5:30pm -- A Village Called Versailles, dir. S. Leo Chiang (USA), 68 mins. (plus Q&A)
A moving portrait of a marginalized population that found its voice in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this documentary depicts how New Orleans’ Vietnamese community united and battled for their democratic rights.
7:15pm -- Make Yourself At Home, dir. Soopum Sohn (USA), 93 mins.
An immigrant bride from Korea is brought into a cold Korean American home, one dominated by her frightful mother-in-law, in this deliciously terrifying horror film about remembering your roots -- or dismembering something else.
7:45pm -- Like You Know It All, dir. Hong Sang-soo (South Korea), 127 mins.
An arthouse director (“famous in East Asia�) blunders his way through a series of uncomfortable encounters, most involving women, alcohol, and his own petty insecurities.
9:15pm -- Prince of Tears, dir. Yonfan (Taiwan/Hong Kong/China), 120 mins. (plus Q&A)
Two young sisters come of age during Taiwan’s brutal anti-communist crackdowns of the ‘50s. This examination of how living under terror can turn even the most hopeful dreams into nightmares was Hong Kong’s entry to the Academy Awards.
SUNDAY, MARCH 21
12 noon -- Wandering, Wondering, video shorts, 91 mins (plus Q&A).
This set of films floats through the city like seeds from dandelions. On a bus, on a bike, these tales of love hide in alleys, hotel rooms, or in the anonymity of large groups.
2:00pm -- Talentime, dir. Yasmin Ahmad (Malaysia), 110 mins.
Three high school students sing, strum, and sign their way into each other’s hearts while gearing up for a school-wide talent competition.
2:15pm -- State of Aloha, dir. Anne Misawa (USA), 77 mins (plus Q&A).
This insightful documentary explores the explosive controversies surrounding Hawaiian statehood: sovereignty, imperialism, politics, racial hierarchies, and environmental sustainability.
4:30pm -- Cooking With Stella, dir. Dillip Mehta (Canada), 103 mins.
Two Canadian diplomats in New Delhi discover their cook is skimming off more than just the milk in this deliciously wry battle between the servants and the served, co-scripted by FIRE’s Deepa Mehta.
4:45pm -- Fog, dir. Kit Hui (USA/Hong Kong), 89 mins. (plus Q&A)
A young man grappling with amnesia wanders the streets of Hong Kong, looking for clues to his past, all while the city busily prepares for the tenth anniversary of its reunification with China.
6:45pm -- In The Matter of Cha Jung Hee, dir. Deann Borshay Liem and Ramsay Liem (USA), 75 mins. (plus Q&A)
In 1966, an American couple adopted a Korean girl named “Cha Jung Hee,� and renamed her Deann. There was just one important discrepancy -- she was not Cha Jung Hee. A remarkable journey through an individual’s past and a nation’s scarred history. Preceded by Memory of Forgotten War.
7:00pm -- The Forbidden Door, dir. Joko Anwar (Indonesia), 110 mins.
A successful but mysterious Jakarta sculptor finds his days becoming nightmares, thanks to his involvement in a voyeuristic reality show, in this Indonesian horror film.
9:00pm -- The Message, dir. Chen Kuo-fu and Gao Qunshu (China), 115 mins.
In Japanese-occupied Nanjing, “the Phantom� is leaking Japanese secrets to the resistance. Five suspects are rounded up: will they destroy one another -- and the resistance -- to save themselves?"
Camera Cinemas |: "Festivals
S.F. International Asian-American Film Festival 2010
The acclaimed San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival screens March 19-21 at Camera 12 Cinema in downtown San Jose. The premiere showcase for Asian American and Asian Films in North America, the festival will present more than 100 films and videos in March at venues in San Francisco and Berkeley, as well as San Jose. The festival schedule at Camera 12 is as follows:
FRIDAY, MARCH 19
7:00pm -- Au Revoir Taipei, dir. Arvin Chen (USA), 80 mins.
A lovesick boy and a passive-aggressive bookstore clerk navigate Taipei’s night-markets, seedy alleyways and karaoke bars in search of love and more in this campy, colorful adventure-caper-comedy.
SATURDAY, MARCH 20
12 noon -- Dear Doctor, dir. Miwa Nishikawa (Japan), 135 mins.
A rural village doctor vanishes one day without a word, leaving the townsfolk to sort through his past, and their town’s, in this poignant drama from one of Japan’s most acclaimed female directors.
1:30pm -- Voices, special live event, 60 mins. (plus Q&A)
Presented by Asian Americans For Community Involvement (AACI), this documentary follows the stories -- the successes, hardships, and hopes -- of three Asian American immigrants in Silicon Valley. Followed by a presentation by AACI.
2:45pm -- 3rd I South Asian International Shorts 2009, video shorts, 81 mins. (plus Q&A)
A richly layered compilation of dark yet hopeful South Asian short films from India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
3:00pm -- Aoki, dir. Mike Cheng and Ben Wang (USA), 95 mins. (plus Q&A)
This eye-opening documentary highlights the life of Bay Area Japanese American activist Richard Aoki (1938–2009), a founding member of the Black Panther Party.
4:45pm -- The People I've Slept With, dir. Quentin Lee (USA), 90 mins. (plus Q&A)
Angela Yang knows what she wants -- sex! -- and doesn’t care who provides it: Asian, Caucasian, Latino or Black, male or female. When she discovers she’s pregnant, though, it’s time to find the daddy.
5:30pm -- A Village Called Versailles, dir. S. Leo Chiang (USA), 68 mins. (plus Q&A)
A moving portrait of a marginalized population that found its voice in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this documentary depicts how New Orleans’ Vietnamese community united and battled for their democratic rights.
7:15pm -- Make Yourself At Home, dir. Soopum Sohn (USA), 93 mins.
An immigrant bride from Korea is brought into a cold Korean American home, one dominated by her frightful mother-in-law, in this deliciously terrifying horror film about remembering your roots -- or dismembering something else.
7:45pm -- Like You Know It All, dir. Hong Sang-soo (South Korea), 127 mins.
An arthouse director (“famous in East Asia�) blunders his way through a series of uncomfortable encounters, most involving women, alcohol, and his own petty insecurities.
9:15pm -- Prince of Tears, dir. Yonfan (Taiwan/Hong Kong/China), 120 mins. (plus Q&A)
Two young sisters come of age during Taiwan’s brutal anti-communist crackdowns of the ‘50s. This examination of how living under terror can turn even the most hopeful dreams into nightmares was Hong Kong’s entry to the Academy Awards.
SUNDAY, MARCH 21
12 noon -- Wandering, Wondering, video shorts, 91 mins (plus Q&A).
This set of films floats through the city like seeds from dandelions. On a bus, on a bike, these tales of love hide in alleys, hotel rooms, or in the anonymity of large groups.
2:00pm -- Talentime, dir. Yasmin Ahmad (Malaysia), 110 mins.
Three high school students sing, strum, and sign their way into each other’s hearts while gearing up for a school-wide talent competition.
2:15pm -- State of Aloha, dir. Anne Misawa (USA), 77 mins (plus Q&A).
This insightful documentary explores the explosive controversies surrounding Hawaiian statehood: sovereignty, imperialism, politics, racial hierarchies, and environmental sustainability.
4:30pm -- Cooking With Stella, dir. Dillip Mehta (Canada), 103 mins.
Two Canadian diplomats in New Delhi discover their cook is skimming off more than just the milk in this deliciously wry battle between the servants and the served, co-scripted by FIRE’s Deepa Mehta.
4:45pm -- Fog, dir. Kit Hui (USA/Hong Kong), 89 mins. (plus Q&A)
A young man grappling with amnesia wanders the streets of Hong Kong, looking for clues to his past, all while the city busily prepares for the tenth anniversary of its reunification with China.
6:45pm -- In The Matter of Cha Jung Hee, dir. Deann Borshay Liem and Ramsay Liem (USA), 75 mins. (plus Q&A)
In 1966, an American couple adopted a Korean girl named “Cha Jung Hee,� and renamed her Deann. There was just one important discrepancy -- she was not Cha Jung Hee. A remarkable journey through an individual’s past and a nation’s scarred history. Preceded by Memory of Forgotten War.
7:00pm -- The Forbidden Door, dir. Joko Anwar (Indonesia), 110 mins.
A successful but mysterious Jakarta sculptor finds his days becoming nightmares, thanks to his involvement in a voyeuristic reality show, in this Indonesian horror film.
9:00pm -- The Message, dir. Chen Kuo-fu and Gao Qunshu (China), 115 mins.
In Japanese-occupied Nanjing, “the Phantom� is leaking Japanese secrets to the resistance. Five suspects are rounded up: will they destroy one another -- and the resistance -- to save themselves?"
BBC News - The world's shortest man, He Pingping, dies aged 21
Advertisement
The world's shortest man has died in Rome
The world's shortest man, He Pingping, who was just 74.6cm (2ft 5in) tall, has died in Rome.
He was born in 1988 in Wulanchabu, China, with a form of primordial dwarfism, and was officially recognised as the world's shortest man in 2008.
He was admitted to hospital two weeks ago after suffering a chest complaint and died on Saturday, but his death has only just been announced.
Guinness World Records said he had made a 'huge impact around the world'.
'From the moment I laid on eyes on him I knew he was someone special - he had such a cheeky smile and mischievous personality, you couldn't help but be charmed by him,' said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief.
He Pingping in a file photo from 14/1/2010
He Pingping officially became the world's shortest man in 2008
'For such a small man, he made a huge impact around the world,' he added.
Mr He was in the Italian capital to take part in the filming of a television programme called The Record Show.
According to the TV production company Europroduzione, he had already filmed two episodes of the programme when he complained of feeling unwell.
'He started to feel slightly ill and we decided to take him to hospital. He entered hospital two weeks ago and had all kinds of tests, being a very special person he had to go though all sorts of tests. He went into intensive care three days after he was admitted,' said Marco Fernandez de Araoz, communications director for Europroduzione.
He said that Mr He died on Saturday afternoon and, at the request of his family, his body would be returned to China to be buried.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Is your Blog Carbon Neutral?
Our goal is to contribute our part in reducing the carbon footprint by raising awareness of the severe environmental damage caused by carbon emissions. One of our activities is to raise awareness of the carbon emissions resulting from the use of the internet - specifically of blogs. A blog with 15,000 visits a month has a yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 8lb. To neutralize these emissions we have created "My blog is carbon neutral" buttons so blogger s can demonstrate that they care about the environment and the carbon footprint of their blogs. We present them a small but nonetheless worthy solution to contribute to environmental issues. Our idea is to show possibilities to make a contribution to protect the environment.
To find out how you can participate please visit http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/
And how do we actually neutralize your blogs carbon footprint? We are planting trees in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation in Plumas National Forest in Northern California for our project to neutralize the carbon footprint of blogs. Thousands of wildfires burned down many national forests over the past ten years and 88.000 acres of Plumas' were destroyed by two fires in 2007. To help replanting we need the support of blogger s all over the world! For every participating blog we plant a tree. One blog - one tree.
Why do we do this? We are a German based company called kaufDA, which provides advertisement brochures of local stores online to help consumers search for specific products and find good deals in their neighborhood. This reduces the amount of brochures printed and so the project helps the environment by reducing unnecessary paper in mailboxes. An American on average receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year. This has the same carbon footprint as burning six gallons of gasoline.
We'd be glad to plant your tree! Help us and show that you care! Every tree counts!
Best wishes from Germany,
Christin
And how do we actually neutralize your blogs carbon footprint? We are planting trees in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation in Plumas National Forest in Northern California for our project to neutralize the carbon footprint of blogs. Thousands of wildfires burned down many national forests over the past ten years and 88.000 acres of Plumas' were destroyed by two fires in 2007. To help replanting we need the support of blogger s all over the world! For every participating blog we plant a tree. One blog - one tree.
Why do we do this? We are a German based company called kaufDA, which provides advertisement brochures of local stores online to help consumers search for specific products and find good deals in their neighborhood. This reduces the amount of brochures printed and so the project helps the environment by reducing unnecessary paper in mailboxes. An American on average receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year. This has the same carbon footprint as burning six gallons of gasoline.
We'd be glad to plant your tree! Help us and show that you care! Every tree counts!
Best wishes from Germany,
Christin
"Make it green!"- Team
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