The Museum of Ethnology holds joyful activities to celebrate Tet

February 15, 2015

(VOVworld) – The Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi has cooperated with Lao Cai province to hold ethnic folklore music shows and games during the traditional lunar new year festival.

People play tug-of-war at the Museum of Ethnology in a spring festival

The festival will introduce cultural characteristics of the Mong, Dao, Nung, and Bo Y in Lao Cai province and their festivals like Gau Tao, pan-pipe dance by a “Thang Co” hotpot, and ritual and wedding dances of the Dao. Visitors to the Museum can play various folk games of the Tho, Si La, San Chay, Dao, and Mong.

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Prestigious teachers write calligraphy words of good luck for people

Artisans from northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong will perform puppetry, make To He, print Dong Ho paintings, write calligraphy, and produce earthen firecrackers.

During the 4^th and the 5^th day of the lunar new year, visitors will experience unique games by ethnic people in Lao Cai and other traditional activities in the north and a firework display

The Museum of Ethnology holds joyful activities to celebrate Tet — Talk Vietnam

Vietnam travel agencies join Cambodia Sea Festival

Vietnam travel agencies join Cambodia Sea Festival

Posted: 14 Dec 2014 02:18 AM PST

An art performance at the festival (Photo: VNA)
Vietnamese tourist companies joined foreign partners at the third Sea Festival held in Cambodia on December 12-14.
The festival took place in the coastal city of Koh Kong , about 250km southwest of the capital Phnom Penh, with the aim of developing the local marine tourism
Tens of thousands of visitors were drawn to the event which covered a food expo, a trade fair, a workshop on climate change, art performances, and sports events.
The first Sea Festival was held in the port city of Sihanoukville in 2011 and the second in Kep city last year.
The three cities are home to beaches listed among the most beautiful coasts in the world.
Tourism is one of the economic spearheads of Cambodia with the stable growth of 15-20 percent, making great contributions to the domestic gross production.
In January-October, Cambodia welcomed 3.6 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year rise of 6 percent. Vietnam topped the list with about 630,000 arrivals.
Last year, the country greeted 4.2 million overseas visitors and earned 2.6 billion USD in revenue.-VNA

Dragon Dance Hanoi

Hue Festival 2014, let's go

Hue Festival 2014 to welcome 100,000 int’l visitors

Hue Festival 2014 to welcome 100,000 int’l visitors

Hue Festival 2014's organization board expects to be received around 100,000 international visitors, up 20 percent over 2012.

So far 45 art troupes from 35 countries and five territories from around the world have registered to participate in the biennial Hue Festival in Hue City of Thua Thien-Hue Province scheduled to take place from April 12-20.

The event will also see agreements concerning development and co-operation of culture and tourism in the ASEAN +3 Ministerial Meeting on Culture and Fine Arts from April 16-21.

The provincial authorities will upgrade transportation infrastructure by air, land and sea; control sudden increase in price during the festival; offer promotion programs and new tourist products and tours to traditional handcraft and new tourism complexes to attract more visitors.

The numbers of tourists to Thua Thien-Hue have constantly increased. The province received 2.6 million holiday makers in 2013 and is expected to welcome 2.8-3 million tourists, including 1.2-1.3 million foreign visitors in 2014.

Indonesian travel agencies explore central region

Representatives from Indonesian travel agencies and media from Solo, Jogyakarta, Semarang, and Makasar will begin familiarisation trips to Hue, Hoi An, My Son and Da Nang on January 10.

The trips, which are organised by Singapore's SilkAir and Hue-based Asiana Travel Mate, seek to connect world heritages sites, including My Son Sanctuary, the Hoi An ancient town and Hue, with Indonesian sites.

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, opened direct flights from Da Nang to new destinations in Solo, Jogyakarta, Semarang and Makasar last year, with four flights weekly to each destination.

These are the first familiarisation trips to be held in the central region to boost tourism between the region and new destinations in Indonesia.

Fiditour caters to 110,000 MICE tourists in 2013

The number of MICE (meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition) tourists Fiditour served last year totaled around 110,000, up 28% from the previous year.

Tran Thi Bao Thu, marketing and communications manager at Fiditour, said that the firm welcomed many MICE groups of up to 300-5,000 tourists last year. Tourists often chose well-established destinations like Hanoi, Halong, Danang, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, HCMC and Vung Tau.

In the outbound segment, groups traveling overseas were smaller with 55-100 people each and traveled to Bali, Berlin and Singapore normally to attend international conferences and exhibitions.

Last year Fiditour also recorded good growth in MICE tours from foreign countries with many groups of 100-300 tourists each from Australia, Japan, Singapore, Poland, the Netherlands and France.

“Late last year, we had a MICE group of over 600 people traveling to Danang. The number of MICE tourists is growing well and currently accounts for over 60% of the firm’s total number of tourists,” Thu said.

In related news, a group of 240 people of different nationalities who are mainly doctors and medical experts will be in HCMC on January 8-10 to attend the fourth international conference on intervention in congenial heart diseases, according to Saigontourist Travel Service Company.

Saigontourist is in charge of arranging programs for groups coming to HCMC to attend the conference such as conducting meetings with big hospitals in the city.

Saigontourist launches new tour to Vung Chua

Saigontourist Travel Service Company has just opened new four day tour program from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Chua-Yen Island in Quang Binh province. Tour was started

from January 7.

Accordingly, Saigontourist will welcome visitors departing from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Binh province every Sunday morning.

Taking this tour, visitors will travel to five tourist destinations such as Vung Chua, Phong Nha, Quang Tri, Hue and Da Nang.

Besides, the visitors will have an opportunity to visit several famous tourist spots such as Phong Nha cave, Hoi An ancient town, Hien Luong Bridge, Ben Hai River, Quang

Tri citadel, La Vang Church, Thien Mu Pagoda, Tu Duc Mausoleum and highest statue of Buddha in Vietnam.

The organizers also hold solemn ceremonies in order to commemorate General Vo Nguyen Giap in Vung Chua-Yen Island, where late General laid for rest , including visiting General’s grave and offering incense.

Four day tour costs from VND 4.16 million per a person. 

Hanoi plans to attract 3 million foreign visitors in 2014

The capital city of Hanoi plans to welcome 3 million foreign tourists this year with a hospitable and safe environment for both visitors and enterprises.

At a talk on the capital’s tourism development in Hanoi on January 8, Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism To Van Dong vowed all possible changes to make Hanoi live up to its reputation as an attractive destination.

Specifically, the Ba Vi – Suoi Hai area will be transformed into a national tourism park while projects redeveloping the popular Giong festival space and increasing community-based tourism to Ba Vi will be completed.

Areas around Ngoc Son temple, Sword Lake, Hoa Lo Prison and the Temple of Literature will have better infrastructure and tourist services.

The department is asking for 50 hectares of land near Nhat Tan – Noi Bai highway to build a display space for Hanoi traditional craft products.

The sector will also work and spend hard to popularise images of the city. A tourism promotion unit will be run by the municipal People’s Committee, instead of the department.

The cost to promote tourism in Hanoi stands at a modest 1 USD each person, while in Ho Chi Minh City, the figure is 2.5 USD. That compares to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia which boast respective spending of 10, 16 and 20 USD per person.

Nguyen Bich Dung, Sunway Hotel Director of Business and Marketing suggested the sector team up with global airliners to launch direct flights to Hanoi.

In the recent past, Hanoi has launched a hotline to deal with complaints by tourists and kept a close watch over tour guides and transport.

Last year, the city greeted 2.58 million foreign arrivals, up 22.9 percent year-on-year, generating 38.5 trillion VND (1.83 billion USD) in revenue – or 14-15 percent of its gross domestic product.

Phu Yen launches website to draw Russian tourists

The central Phu Yen provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a Russian language tourism website at phuyentourism.gov.vn.

The website, established on the foundation of the Vietnamese version, includes main columns introducing tours, hotel services, news, destinations in Phu Yen, information about Phu Yen tourism and a photograph library.

Over the past two years, Phu Yen has seen increasing numbers of Russian tourists coming to the province. The provincial tourism sector defined Russia as a strategic market because the demands and tastes of Russian tourists are well suited with the existing infrastructure condition and tourism products.

The launching of the website is expected to contribute to promoting the potential, strengths and landscapes of Phu Yen to attract more Russian tourists.

The province is endowed with bountiful natural resources, which underpin the development of tourism - a key sector set to spearhead the provincial growth plans. Local tourism potential is based on its natural and cultural resources.

Phu Yen boasts a diverse landscape of mountains, rivers, lagoons and fertile plains with nearly 200 kilometres of shoreline along Vietnam's curving south-central coast.

The province’s system of islets, islands, rock fields, lagoons and bays is unique, with the most famous ones being Xuan Dai bay, O Loan lagoon, Ganh Da Dia (Da Dia Cliff), Hon Chua and Hon Lao Mai Nha.

Phu Yen is also home to several hundred relics, including 18 nationally recognised historical, cultural, art, archeological and architectural sites and natural charms. Local feasts, villages and authentic foods are also valuable to tourism development.

Provincial capital city Tuy Hoa offers a good base for exploring the beaches, bays and offshore islands up and down the coast, with an ancient tower to see and a large seated Buddha on a hilltop just north of the city. The nearby Vung Ro Bay features a deep-sea port and a forest reserve in its surrounding hills home to a number of rare and exotic plants and animals.

The province’s overall social-economic development plan to 2020 set a target to turn Phu Yen into a big tourism and services hub in the region and the country as a whole.-

VNA/VNS/Nhandan/SGGP/SGT

Vietnam, tourist bring festive cheer

Visitors bring firms festive cheer

VietNamNet Bridge – The upcoming holiday season has heated up the tourism market with an increase in the tours being booked despite the ongoing economic crisis.

Tourists visit Vinh Hy bay in the southern province of Ninh Thuan. The upcoming holiday has heated up the tourism market.

Several travel agencies say that their Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year tours are already fully booked.
Nguyen Minh Man, marketing and communication deputy director of Vietravel, said the information that employees would get four days off for the New Year and nine days off for Tet (Lunar New Year) has roused the tourism market.
Vietravel has around 300 inbound and outbound tours to serve customers on these occasions.
Man said Vietravel expected to serve 75,000 customers from end of this month to March 2013, up 25 per cent year-on-year.
He said the number of bookings for the company's tours for the New Year has already reached 75 per cent of the target.
Many tours to the northern and the central regions are already fully booked, he added.
This year, the number of customers choosing to visit domestic destinations including Ha Noi, Sapa, Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang, as well as attractions in the northwest and northeastern part of the country from HCM City has increased significantly in comparison to the same period last year, Man said.
Many tours had to be closed soon because flight tickets were not available, he said.
Saigontourist, a leading travel firm, has launched 50 tours for New Year and 300 tours for the Lunar New Year holidays.
Doan Thi Thanh Tra, head of Saigontourist's marketing department, said one of the company's strengths was serving overseas Vietnamese returning to their motherland to celebrate Tet, or bringing their families and friends over to tour the country.
The company expects to have 6,000 customers for the New Year holiday, up 10 per cent year-on-year.
The company has also tours on land to Da Lat, Phan Thiet and Nha Trang.
It hopes to serve 20,000 tourists during the Tett holiday, 7,000 of whom are expected to use outbound tours, up 15 per cent over last year.
Tra said tours that depart on the second day of Lunar New Year are almost fully booked. Several tours to Europe, America and Australia have few spaces left, she said.
Saigontourist is going to open new tours to respond to customer demands, Tra said. She noted that the company's tours on this occasion have not increased in price, but include additional services.
The prices of several tours to Thailand and Singapore have gone up by 5-7 per cent due to increases in airfares, she added.
The Viet Media Travel company is offering a special promotion under which discounts of up to VND3 million are being offered for bookings made before end of this month for tours depart during the Tet holiday.
Group bookings will receive additional discounts, a company representative said.
He said Viet Media Travel expects to serve 6,000 customers this Tet, 60 per cent of whom will take outbound tours.
Lien Bang Travelink has also launched new outbound tours to Taiwan, America, Singapore and Malaysia as its existing tours are almost fully booked.
Besides, the company is offering discounts of VND200,000 to VND400,000 on domestic tours booked before the end of this month.
Source: VNS

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Vietnam to host int’l hot air balloon festival

Vietnam to host int’l hot air balloon festival 

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 05:55:00

Vietnam’s first-ever international hot air balloon festival will be held in the central resort town of Phan Thiet from August 29 to September 3, VnExpress reported Tuesday.

According to the news website, 30 balloons of various shapes, including a golden cat and a dragon fruit, will be operated by pilots  from countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Thailand.
The performances were scheduled for 6-7 a.m. and from 5 p.m. each day of the event.
Other parts of the festival will be air sport performances, including paragliding and kiting, the report said, adding that a night performance of over 20 big air balloons to celebrate Independence Day on September 2 will be another highlight of the event.
Organized to celebrate the 67th anniversary of Independence Day and the 20th anniversary of Binh Thuan Province’s foundation, the festival’s scale will be equal to that of other similar events in the ASEAN region, organizers were quoted as saying. 

3rd Belgian-Vietnamese Comic Festival to be held in Hanoi | Look At Vietnam

3rd Belgian-Vietnamese Comic Festival to be held in Hanoi

May 22, 2012

LookAtVietnam – The 3rd annual Belgian-Vietnamese Comic Festival will take place in Hanoi from June 1 to 10 on the occasion of International Children’s Day.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s renowned “The Little Prince” will be reprinted by Kim Dong publisher on the occasion of the third Belgian-Vietnamese Comic Festival in Hanoi from June 1 to 10, 2012.

The event, to be held by the Wallonia-Brussels Delegation to Vietnam in collaboration with local Kim Dong Publishing House, will showcase the best Vietnamese and Belgian comics as well as include exchanges between comic authors from the two countries and meetings with local comic lovers.

Renowned Belgian cartoonist Jean Claude, director of the Brussels-based Belgian Centre for Comic Strips, is also expected to attend the festival.

For the occasion, Kim Dong publishing will reprint many book titles which have been favored by child readers, including “Dat Rung Phuong Nam” (Southern Forest), “Que Noi” (Grandmom’s homeland), “The Little Price” and “Doctor Aibolit,” with critics’ comments attached.

From May 26 to June 14, the publisher will also offer a discount program of up to 50 percent off for children’s books at its nationwide stores.

Last year in Hanoi, the event attracted comic lovers with an exhibition featuring the famous Belgian comic strip “Spirou,” created in 1938, and Vietnamese comic books with the theme of the cat—that year’s zodiac sign in Vietnam.

Famous Belgian comic writer Stephen Desberg also met with local writers and students during the festival.

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre

Music Party Hue Festival April 2012

Hue Festival wrapped up by a music party

April 16, 2012

LookAtVietnam – The festival concluded on April 15 by an impressive performance by Vietnamese and international artists.

The 90-minute show opened by a drum performance of the Hue Royal Art Theatre, followed by traditional art performances by Vietnamese and foreign artists from many countries. The show finished by the dance “Goodbye Hue.”
The festival with the theme of “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development: A Rendezvous of Historical Cities” featured a wide range of events such as art performances, culinary fairs and exhibitions during its nine days (April 7-15).
The arts are a major feature of this year’s Hue Festival, says Mr. Ngo Hoa, head of the organizing board. “Arts have been brought close to the public,” he said. “People are the subject and inspiration of every festival.”
The nine day Hue Festival 2012 drew close to 2.5 million visitors and opened vast opportunities for cultural exchange between Vietnam and several countries, said Mr. Hoa.
The number of foreign visitors increased by 15 percent this year and domestic visitors by 18 percent, compared to last year. The festival has been a great success in many ways, and also in blending the traditional with the modern, Hoa added.
Performing artists of 70 art troupes from 28 countries brought together hundreds of unique shows. Thousands of talented artists, actors and actresses attended the event, creating an amalgam of various cultures.
Hue Festival was first held in 2000 and has since become one of the biggest cultural events of Vietnam, not just in Hue. In addition, the festival serves as an interesting cultural meeting place in the country for cultures of so many countries of the world.
Hue Festival not only promotes Hue City and the north-central coastal region, but also helps consolidate friendship between Vietnam and nations across the globe, Hoa said.
This is an excellent opportunity for people from around the globe to gather and showcase their unique cultural identities, foster ties and join hands in building a peaceful and prosperous world, cutting across multi-cultures, Hoa added.
Besides, hundreds of domestic and foreign companies brought their products to display at the festival venue, helping the province of Thue Thien-Hue to develop both tourism and business.

The closing ceremony opens by a drum show.
Mr. Ngo Hoa, chief organizer, delivers the closing speech.

A royal dance titled “Spring Dance Festival”.


“Beautiful Vietnam”, performed by ’Co La’ group.

“Lotus”, performed by Thuy Van and Trung Hieu.

A traditional Cuban dance, performed by Raices Profundas Cuba.



Artists from the Radunga troupe from Russia.

Indian artists.

A Vietnamese dance.

“The Song of Unification”, performed by Anh Bang.

PV

Festival of flowers in tourism city | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Festival of flowers in tourism city

November 10, 2011 about News, Travel

LookAtVietnam - Two highlights of the
Da Lat Flower Festival this year will be the floral parade, entitled Flower and
Light, organised by the provincial cultural centre, and a flower show by the Da
Lat Flower Association.

Photo: Internet

The festival
will be held from December 31 to January 3 in the highlands province of Lam Dong.

The parade will
take place in the district of Hoa Binh, in the city centre. It will combine
light, street art and flower decoration.

The flower show
at Da Lat golf course will feature the biggest exhibition of tulips in Viet Nam.

Other events
will include a flower market, an international ornamental plant exhibition,
drawing competition, scientific conference and a floral fashion show.

“Most of the programmes
will take place in open spaces to give visitors easy access,” Nguyen Vu
Hoang, director of the festival and Lam Dong province cultural centre, said.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam




Festival of flowers in tourism city | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Simply Awful

Awful pig-chopping ritual protested

September 16, 2011  about Uncategorized

LookAtVietnam - Many people have shown their fearfulness, compassion and dudgeon over a video clipof a pig-chopping ritual at a traditional festival in Hanoi’s neighboring province of Bac Ninh.

The video clip was uploaded to YouTube several days ago. The clip filmed a live pig which was forced to lie on its back, four legs were roped and spread to four sides. The pig was carried to the yard of a communal house, surrounded by a frenetic crowd.

After performing some rituals, a man held a long knife and cut the pig in two parts after three stabs. Blood streamed out, dying the yard in red in the shouting of the crowd, including many children.

This clip is said to film a pig offering rite at a traditional pig chopping festival in Nem Thuong hamlet, Khac Niem commune, Tien Du district in Bac Ninh province. This festival is held to commemorate a general in the Ly Dynasty, who reclaimed this land. According to legend, the general brought his troops ton this land and slaughtered wild boars to feed his soldiers. The pig-chopping festival originated from this. Pig blood in thefestival is believed to symbolize prosperity, reproductive ability, vitality and good harvest.

The video clip was removed from YouTube for violating the page’s rules. However, it has been copied by some websites and made the online community angry. A group named “Calling for ban on the pig chopping festival in Tien Du – Bac Ninh” was set up on Facebook and has attracted hundreds of members.

Many people could not believe that such an awful festival still exists in Vietnam. They called for reconsidering the humanity of this festival, though it is a traditional event.

“No, no, culture is good traditions. Such cruel tradition is not culture,” one wrote on an online forum. This opinion is agreed by other members.

Many people also worried about the bad impacts from this festival on kids.

PV

Look at Vietnam-Beauty of Life

Beauty of life in central Vietnam

August 26, 2011  about Uncategorized

LookAtVietnam - Old temples, towers, young couples, young girls in ao dai… are beautiful moments captured by photographers which are introduced at the Photo Exhibition of the Central and Central Highland Regions.

Young girls and spring by Nguyen Dong from Khanh Hoa province. The photo wins the
 gold medal of the 16th Photo Festival of the Central and Central Highland Regions,
which opened in Quang Ngai on August 24.
A photo by Le Minh The from Quang Ngai province, which won the silver medal.

“Twin Tower Festival” by Pham Van Chai from Binh Dinh province.

“Crossing Waves” by Dang Ke Duc from Quang Nam province.

“Happiness” by Nguyen Quang from Da Nang City.

“Go Gang palm-leaf conical hat market” by Vo Chi Ha from Binh Dinh province.

“Happiness in new wind” by Tran Vinh Nghia.

“The rhythm in sedge field” by Le Chau Dao from Phu Yen province.

“My hometown” by Dieu Chinh from Kon Tum province.

The photo festival selects 150 photos by 80 authors out of 1,375 submissions by
 211 photographers for display.

Cuba Festival in Havana, Vietnames circus Wins Bronze Metal

Viet Nam wins Grand Prix prize at int”l circus festival

August 17, 2011  about Uncategorized

LookAtVietnam - Vietnamese circus performers achieved great success at the 2011 International Summer Circus Festival (Circuba 2011) which concluded in Havana, Cuba, on Sunday. The Power of the Arms performance by the two brothers Giang Quoc Co and Giang Quoc Nghiep won the Grand Prix prize and the Audience Award, while the Supermen Swing show bagged the bronze medal.
The audience gave a standing ovation when Co and Nghiep performed an incredible move: one man stood on his head, which was amazingly balanced on the head of the other man standing on his feet. They were supported only through their own arms gripping one another.
This was the first time in 20 years that Vietnamese artists have attended an international festival in Cuba.
Since its establishment in 1981, the annual international circus festival has drawn a large number of artists from many countries such as China, Russia, Mongolia and Spain. This year’s event attracted more than 100 artists from 14 countries.
Vu Ngoan Hop, Director of the Vietnamese Circus Federation, said that young Vietnamese artists have won such honourable prizes because of their outstanding performances. They have also helped introduce Viet Nam and its people to international friends.       Photo:Chuck Kuhn
On the occasion, Viet Nam’s ambassador to Cuba, Vu Chi Cong, held a special meeting with the circus performers to congratulate them on their success at the international competition.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News







Photo:Chuck Kuhn 

Festivals Ha Long Bay and Nha Trang

LookAtVietnam - Ha
Long city in Quang Ninh and Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa will celebrate two major
festivals in May and June.

The Ha Long Tourism Week, to take
place between April 29 and May 2 in Ha Long Bay, will highlight a street
carnival to mark its fifth annual celebration.

The event will feature festivities
to showcase cultural characteristics in Quang Ninh Province, including
processions of the local gods.

The Ha Long Carnival will wrap up
the week at the Bai Chay Tourist area on May 1, with art performances, a
masquerade and a carnival parade.

The Sea Festival 2011, themed Nha
Trang:Sea of Rendezvous, will take place on June 11-15 in the central coastal
city.

The festival will include the Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratly) Day packed
with conferences, photo exhibitions, art performances and screenings related to
the Spratly islands. Activities include a whale-worship feast, bird’s nest
feast, a street carnival, beach volleyball tournaments and traditional art
performances.

*
Central region increasingly preferred by Ha Noi tourists

The number of tourists from Ha Noi
choosing tours to the central region has risen recently, causing tourism
authorities in Da Nang and Quang Nam provinces to launch more promotions.

Nguyen Duy Quang, deputy director
of Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre, said tourists from Ha Noi are flooding the
central coastal city, especially on holidays or weekends. Meanwhile, a tourism
official from Quang Nam Department of Culture Sports and Tourism said tourists
from Ha Noi spend more than those from HCM City.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News

Hanioan stay home curbing expenses for festivals

VietNamNet
Bridge – Though the four-day April 30 holiday is long, many Hanoians would
rather stay at home rather than taking tours, because they have decided to curb
expenses in the price storm.

It’s not the right time to travel

With the
total income of 20 million dong a month, previously, Mai and her husband always
had enough money to cover all expenses of the three-member family and reward
themselves with attractive tours on holidays.

However,
over the last year, though their income remains unchanged, the prices of goods
and services has increased by two fold. The “price storm” has frightened Mai.

“The prices
increased many times previously, but they did not affect my family, because
with the income of 20 million dong, we were considered high income earners.
However, the latest sharp price increase has forced me to change the way I
spend,” Mai complained.

In fact,
Mai and her husband still have money to pay for a tour on April 30 holiday.
However, Mai has decided to stay at home. “The petroleum price has increased
sharply by 6000 dong per liter just within one month. Meanwhile, petroleum
distributors still incur losses. I am afraid that the petroleum prices will
increase further, thus leading to price increases of a lot of other products,”
she said. “Therefore, it would be better to cut down expenses beginning right
now”.

“By staying
at home, we would save nearly 10 million dong,” Mai estimated.

Tour fees on the rise, tourism sites
not attractive

Hung, who
lives on Hang Dao street,
said that he always traveled on long holidays, but he does not intend to go
anywhere this April 30 holiday.

Hung has to
change his habits because the tour fees have increased too sharply. He has been
told by travel firms that the tour fees have increased by 15-30 percent,
because the transportation fee, hotel room rates and other service fees all
have increased.

In fact,
there is another reason that has led to the decision to stay at home. Hung said
that tourism sites are always very crowded on holidays. Therefore, Hung does
not feel good when traveling to the sites: he always has to watch out for his wallet
because of theft.

“Travelers
spend money to relax. However, in fact, they cannot relax on holidays, because
they have to elbow through crowds and struggle with pickpockets and robbery,”
Hung said. “Besides, many tourism sites have become uninteresting, and I don’t
know what to do except sightseeing”.

A difficult period for travel firms

Even
Vietravel, a big travel firm, also complained that it is really difficult to do
business now.

Nguyen Minh
Man, a senior executive of Vietravel, said the number of travelers on Hung King
Death Anniversary and April 30 holidays is estimated to increase by 20-25
percent only, much lower than the expected level of 35 percent.

Nguyen Hai
Quan from AMI Travel Firm, also complained that there are not many travelers as
expected. Quan said his firm has to raise prices by five percent, but the price
increase is not big enough to make profit because the coach leasing fee has
increased by 25 percent, while hotel room rate has increased by 20 percent and
meal services have increased by 5-10 percent.

“Especially,
many hotels and restaurants have not fixed prices because they are still
listening to the news for updates,” Quan said.

Meanwhile,
Man from Vietravel said Vietravel has raised the tour fees by 10 percent after efforts
to negotiate with partners to stabilize service fees. Though the 10 percent
increase is modest, Vietravel cannot set higher fees because it wants to retain
travelers.

N. Yen

Fierce battles at spring buffalo fighting festival | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

LookAtVietnam - In the warm weather, thousands of visitors flocked to the stadium in Hai Luu commune in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on February 19 to witness the finals of the buffalo fighting festival.

The stadium is packed with tens of thousands of spectators.

The Hai Luu buffalo fighting festival is the oldest of its kind in Vietnam. It is said that

the festival appeared in the 2^nd century B.C, when the Han dynasty invaded

Nam Viet (Vietnam today) of the Trieu Dynasty.

After the Trieu Dynasty collapse, General Lu Gia pulled his troops to Hai Luu.

After each victory, Lu Gia organized buffalo fights as amusement for his soldiers.

After the battles the fighting buffaloes were killed to give a feast to the soldiers.

After Lu Gia died, Hai Luu people worshiped him as the village god and since

then the buffalo fighting festival has been organized in Hai Luu.

The festival is held annually on the 16^th and 17^th of the first lunar month.

Battles are very fierce.

The owner of this buffalo has to cover his eyes to ease the rage of the winner.

Both the winners and the losers are killed for sale on the spot, and sold

for VND500,000 to VND700,000 ($25-35) a kilo.

Source: VNE