UK cruise liner visits Ha Long

LookAtVietnam – Nearly 1,900 international tourists were aboard the Arcadia, the second largest cruise ship in the British owned P&O cruise fleet when it docked in Ha Long on March 15.

LookAtVietnam – Nearly 1,900 international tourists were aboard the Arcadia, the second largest cruise ship in the British owned P&O cruise fleet when it docked in Ha Long on March 15.

This is a five-star luxury liner and the biggest one ever to visit Ha Long.

The re-opening of many international sea lanes such as Bac Hai- Ha Long, Hong Kong- Ha Long is due to the popularity of Ha Long-Quang Ninh as destination for international visitors.

Since the beginning of this year Quang Ninh has welcomed more than 1 million tourists despite the current global economic recession, 4% higher than the same period last year.

VietNamNet/VOV

Binh Phuoc asked to make a big leap in economic growth

LookAtVietnam – The southern border province of Binh Phuoc should fully exploit its natural resources, including land, forests, and minerals to make a breakthrough in economic development, said National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.During a visit to the province on March 11-12, Mr Trong acknowledged the socio-economic achievements that the local Party, administration and people

LookAtVietnam – The southern border province of Binh Phuoc should fully exploit its natural resources, including land, forests, and minerals to make a breakthrough in economic development, said National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

During a visit to the province on March 11-12, Mr Trong acknowledged the socio-economic achievements that the local Party, administration and people have made since Binh Phuoc was re-established in January 1997.

He analysed difficulties and challenges facing Vietnam and Binh Phuoc in 2009 and asked the province to effectively implement the Party’s resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural development as well as the Government’s measures to maintain steady economic growth and ensure social welfare.

“Along with economic development, the province should seek ways to improve local people’s physical and spiritual lives and harmoniously settle pressing social issues such as housing, employment, education, health care and environmental protection, while creating an attractive investment environment for domestic and foreign businesses,” said Mr Trong.

He expressed hope that the local Party, administration and people of different ethnic groups would fully tap their potential to develop on a par with other provinces in the southern key economic region.

He acknowledged the province’s proposals concerning the management and use of forest land, infrastructure construction and the development of rural electricity, tourism, the border economy and industrial zones.

He said the National Assembly will examine and decide key issues within the scope of authorisation and send other contents to relevant agencies.

While staying in Binh Phuoc, Mr Trong visited the families of social policy beneficiaries, ethnic groups, village chiefs and soldiers at border guard stations.

Binh Phuoc, which has a 240km long borderline with Cambodia, is home to approximately 850,000 residents of 41 ethnic groups. It is relatively rich in natural resources, land, forests and minerals.

Despite economic difficulties last year, the province still achieved a high economic growth rate of 14 percent, double the national average.

VietNamNet/VOV

Vintage bikes given new lease of life in Da Lat

The Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat is offering a glimpse into the past with an exhibition of 20 antique scooters and mopeds.
The ‘two-wheeled car’ Maico-Mobil scooter at the vintage bikes exhibition in Da LatVisitors can find various kinds of scooters, made between 1946 and 1960, which were once popular in Vietnam.One of the

The Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat is offering a glimpse into the past with an exhibition of 20 antique scooters and mopeds.

The ‘two-wheeled car’ Maico-Mobil scooter at the vintage bikes exhibition in Da Lat

Visitors can find various kinds of scooters, made between 1946 and 1960, which were once popular in Vietnam.

One of the spectacular models on display is a VeloSolex moped, built by Velosolex America about 60 years ago.

The bike resembles a bicycle with an engine at its front wheel.

One of the organizers, Nguyen Cao Son, said guests also loved seeing the unique Maico-Mobil scooter, produced by German manufacturer Maicowerk A.G. in the 1950s.

From the front, the scooter looks like a plane. It used to be called the “two-wheeled car” and is now only sold in small numbers in Europe.

The vehicles are some of the 100 antique bikes that belong to the Da Lat Scooter Club, Son said.

The exhibition will continue until January 2 at Blue Moon Hotel, 4 Phan Boi Chau Street.

(Source: TN)

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/12/vintage-bikes-given-new-lease-of-life-in-da-lat-2.html

City medical waste a health hazard

VietNamNet Bridge – With only a third of HCM City’s 130 hospitals equipped with standard wastewater treatment facilities, medical waste poses a severe threat to the city’s environment.
VietNamNet Bridge – With only a third of HCM City’s 130 hospitals equipped with standard wastewater treatment facilities, medical waste poses a severe threat to the city’s environment.According

VietNamNet Bridge - With only a third of HCM City’s 130 hospitals equipped with standard wastewater treatment facilities, medical waste poses a severe threat to the city’s environment.

VietNamNet Bridge – With only a third of HCM City’s 130 hospitals equipped with standard wastewater treatment facilities, medical waste poses a severe threat to the city’s environment.

According to a recent estimate, 70 per cent of the 170,000cu.m of wastewater discharged by the hospitals and hundreds of smaller clinics are untreated.

The Sai Gon General Hospital in downtown HCM City releases 300cu.m daily directly into the drainage system. The 1,700-bed Cho Ray Hospital treats around 4,000 people a day. It releases 3,200cu.m though its three-decades-old treatment system can handle only 500cu.m.

In 2006 the city Departments of Natural Resources and Environment and Healthcare decided to provide VND48 billion (US$2.8 million) to set up 56 wastewater treatment systems by 2008 but not much progress has been made.

Nguyen Van Chau, director of healthcare, said his department has urged hospitals to upgrade and build new waste treatment facilities.

Twentyseven have progressed up to the design stage but construction has been held up due to red tape. A city master plan for hospitals only allows those with a licence to operate until 2020 to build wastewater treatment systems.

The city plans to move several hospitals to the suburbs and instructed some to move out as long as 10 years ago. But they are still waiting for a final decision from the Government.

(Source: VNS)

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/12/city-medical-waste-a-health-hazard.html

Vintage bikes given new lease of life in Da Lat

The Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat is offering a glimpse into the past with an exhibition of 20 antique scooters and mopeds.
The ‘two-wheeled car’ Maico-Mobil scooter at the vintage bikes exhibition in Da LatVisitors can find various kinds of scooters, made between 1946 and 1960, which were once popular in Vietnam.One of the

The Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat is offering a glimpse into the past with an exhibition of 20 antique scooters and mopeds.

The ‘two-wheeled car’ Maico-Mobil scooter at the vintage bikes exhibition in Da Lat

Visitors can find various kinds of scooters, made between 1946 and 1960, which were once popular in Vietnam.

One of the spectacular models on display is a VeloSolex moped, built by Velosolex America about 60 years ago.

The bike resembles a bicycle with an engine at its front wheel.

One of the organizers, Nguyen Cao Son, said guests also loved seeing the unique Maico-Mobil scooter, produced by German manufacturer Maicowerk A.G. in the 1950s.

From the front, the scooter looks like a plane. It used to be called the “two-wheeled car” and is now only sold in small numbers in Europe.

The vehicles are some of the 100 antique bikes that belong to the Da Lat Scooter Club, Son said.

The exhibition will continue until January 2 at Blue Moon Hotel, 4 Phan Boi Chau Street.

(Source: TN)

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/12/vintage-bikes-given-new-lease-of-life-in-da-lat-2.html

Ha Noi motorbike parking lots can’t keep up with high demand

VietNamNet Bridge – Some Ha Noi streets seem to be in good shape after a trial period for privately-run, road-side parking services in Hoan Kiem District.
A parking lot spills out into the street on Hang Gai Street in Hoan Kiem District in Ha Noi.However, the public is wondering how long the apparent success will last

VietNamNet Bridge – Some Ha Noi streets seem to be in good shape after a trial period for privately-run, road-side parking services in Hoan Kiem District.

A parking lot spills out into the street on Hang Gai Street in Hoan Kiem District in Ha Noi.

However, the public is wondering how long the apparent success will last as parking lots are already overloaded. Parking service managers have said their lots are full all the time.

The parking lot at Ba Kieu Temple next to Hoan Kiem Lake is typically full of vehicles by 9am.

Parking attendent Tran Minh Tien says the total area of 130sq.m is enough to accommodate vehicles owned by the local population and workers at two State-owned companies in the area, but not enough space for passers-by to leave their vehicles.

Hoan Kiem District is the capital’s central commercial area, where a large number of visitors come daily from across the country for shopping and tourism.

The head of the parking team at a lot on Nguyen Xi Street says its maximum capacity is 77 motorbikes and seven cars. Most users of the lot are staff of companies located on Trang Tien and Ngo Quyen streets.

“We have tried our best to arrange parking for a maximum of 20 motorbikes for passers-by,” he said.

Do Xuan Thuy, director of one of the six enterprises responsible for the management of parking lots in Hoan Kiem District, is worried about the risk of revenue loss.

“The problem is that the number of patrons paying a monthly rate for vehicle parking is going up, but our lot is very small,” he said.

With the current price of VND120,000 per motorbike per month, parking companies have just enough to pay for staff, uniforms and mandatory signage. However, the company has other expenses such as road and pavement-usage fees and taxes.

Fortunately, after one month there has been a noticeable improvement to the messy situation of willy-nilly parking that previously plagued city pavement. Almost all parking lots charge regulated fixed prices for bicycles and motorbikes, although a few do not comply with new rules.

However, despite the positive changes there has been no improvement to the lack of parking lots in the biggest commercial area of the city.

To solve the increasing demand for residential parking, local authorities must conduct surveys to determine suitable locations for parking lots, according to the deputy chairman of Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee, Nguyen Quoc Hoa.

Local authorities have determined that the primary responsibility for managing parking lots and ensuring environmental hygiene falls on ward-level People’s Committees.

Considerations are being made for an expansion of parking acreage surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake to ease problems posed by narrow, ineffective parking lots.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/11/ha-noi-motorbike-parking-lots-cant-keep-up-with-high-demand.html

Ha Noi motorbike parking lots can’t keep up with high demand

VietNamNet Bridge – Some Ha Noi streets seem to be in good shape after a trial period for privately-run, road-side parking services in Hoan Kiem District.
A parking lot spills out into the street on Hang Gai Street in Hoan Kiem District in Ha Noi.However, the public is wondering how long the apparent success will last

VietNamNet Bridge – Some Ha Noi streets seem to be in good shape after a trial period for privately-run, road-side parking services in Hoan Kiem District.

A parking lot spills out into the street on Hang Gai Street in Hoan Kiem District in Ha Noi.

However, the public is wondering how long the apparent success will last as parking lots are already overloaded. Parking service managers have said their lots are full all the time.

The parking lot at Ba Kieu Temple next to Hoan Kiem Lake is typically full of vehicles by 9am.

Parking attendent Tran Minh Tien says the total area of 130sq.m is enough to accommodate vehicles owned by the local population and workers at two State-owned companies in the area, but not enough space for passers-by to leave their vehicles.

Hoan Kiem District is the capital’s central commercial area, where a large number of visitors come daily from across the country for shopping and tourism.

The head of the parking team at a lot on Nguyen Xi Street says its maximum capacity is 77 motorbikes and seven cars. Most users of the lot are staff of companies located on Trang Tien and Ngo Quyen streets.

“We have tried our best to arrange parking for a maximum of 20 motorbikes for passers-by,” he said.

Do Xuan Thuy, director of one of the six enterprises responsible for the management of parking lots in Hoan Kiem District, is worried about the risk of revenue loss.

“The problem is that the number of patrons paying a monthly rate for vehicle parking is going up, but our lot is very small,” he said.

With the current price of VND120,000 per motorbike per month, parking companies have just enough to pay for staff, uniforms and mandatory signage. However, the company has other expenses such as road and pavement-usage fees and taxes.

Fortunately, after one month there has been a noticeable improvement to the messy situation of willy-nilly parking that previously plagued city pavement. Almost all parking lots charge regulated fixed prices for bicycles and motorbikes, although a few do not comply with new rules.

However, despite the positive changes there has been no improvement to the lack of parking lots in the biggest commercial area of the city.

To solve the increasing demand for residential parking, local authorities must conduct surveys to determine suitable locations for parking lots, according to the deputy chairman of Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee, Nguyen Quoc Hoa.

Local authorities have determined that the primary responsibility for managing parking lots and ensuring environmental hygiene falls on ward-level People’s Committees.

Considerations are being made for an expansion of parking acreage surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake to ease problems posed by narrow, ineffective parking lots.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/11/ha-noi-motorbike-parking-lots-cant-keep-up-with-high-demand.html

Catching yourself a bride-to-be

VietNamNet Bridge – For any man having problems getting his girlfriend’s parents to accept him, the Mong ethnic people have found an easy solution – just kidnap her until they agree.
A Mong girl is caught by her boyfriend and his friend as part of the keo vo (wife catching) custom of the Mong people.While this

VietNamNet Bridge – For any man having problems getting his girlfriend’s parents to accept him, the Mong ethnic people have found an easy solution – just kidnap her until they agree.

A Mong girl is caught by her boyfriend and his friend as part of the keo vo (wife catching) custom of the Mong people.

While this may not seem like the most obvious way to win over the in-laws, keo vo, or “wife catching”, is an original wedding custom of the Mong ethnic group in the northwestern province of Lao Cai, and its history helped Giang Seo Ga win a top prize of a recent writing contest.

The man from Sa Pa Town in Lao Cai won second prize, which was the top prize since no first prize was awarded, of a contest put on by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the website www.cuoihoi.com.vn which attracted around 200 entries from 150 authors including writers, journalists, researchers, and students.

The first-time contest was directed at attracting entries that could draw together a colourful painting of wedding customs from every region and ethnicity, from the customs of the northern mountainous region’s Kinh people to customs in the centre and Central Highlands of the Cham to K’Ho ethnic groups in the south.

Ga first learned about “wife catching” as a little child, and subsequently spent a lot of time studying the custom. He even spent days on end travelling to the Mong hamlets to study more about the tradition.

“Many think that keo vo by the Mong is a depraved custom and is not suitable in modern society,” said Ga. “I believe that it’s an original custom that the Mong can still preserve. Many researchers say that it’s very civilised in practice.”

Ga is deputy director of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Centre of Sa Pa Town in Lao Cai. He is also the author of a 100-page essay of the wedding customs of the Mong. For his book, he underwent profound research on why the Mong have the tradition of keo vo while noting the wonderful traits that should be preserved in the Mong weddings.

Nam Quyt from the northern province of Thai Nguyen also won second prize for his writing about the Kinh people’s wedding customs entitled Van Hoa Hon Nhan Hien Dai (the culture of modern marriage). Another five third prizes and ten consolation prizes were also handed out.

The award-winning works will be collected in a special book for the wedding season this year.

Kidnapping wives

“Wife catching” is an original cultural trait of the Mong people that takes place during the springtime. It is typically used when the girl’s parents don’t accept their son-in-law. The girl and the boy then agree with each other that the boy will “kidnap” her so that she can become his wife. The moment chosen may be when the girl goes to the market or to the field. The man asks his friends to help him catch her, and even though she agreed to be caught, tradition dictates that she should shout and cry as if she were really being kidnapped.

After being caught, the girl will be brought to the boy’s family and will be looked after by the boy’s sister for three days. During those three days, the boy’s parents will ask a male matchmaker to bring some wine in a buffalo’s horn to the girl’s house and invite the girl’s family members to drink the wine. The father learns this way that his daughter has been caught and can expect wedding presents.

In the past, there were many situations that brought about this custom – the boy loves a girl but she refuses his advances, the boy’s family uses their power to catch their son a wife. But as society becomes increasingly less male dominated, modern weddings with the Mong are now based on love.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

http://lookatvietnam.tinmoi.vn/2008/10/catching-yourself-a-bride-to-be.html

Visiting Cat Ba Island – world’s biosphere reserve

VietNamNet Bridge – The Bai Tho (Poem) Cruise to Cat Ba Island, which a group of reporters and I from HCMC and Hanoi were on as part of a ‘fam’ (familiarization) trip with Vietravel, departed from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf in Halong Bay and arrived in the island’s town
Tourists kayaking in Lan Ha Bay in

VietNamNet Bridge – The Bai Tho (Poem) Cruise to Cat Ba Island, which a group of reporters and I from HCMC and Hanoi were on as part of a ‘fam’ (familiarization) trip with Vietravel, departed from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf in Halong Bay and arrived in the island’s town

Tourists kayaking in Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Island.

When we arrived I was chilled with the cool weather of the autumn in the north, but I felt an instant love for the pure sea breeze and the quietness and peacefulness of the coastal town.

We stayed at the Holiday View Hotel, a 120 – room hotel on road 1/4 in Catba island, overlooking the Lan Ha Bay and just a five minutes walk to the three beaches on the island. We spent one night there, hoping that tomorrow would be a sunny day for a discovery tour to the bay. However, we had a bit of bad luck as it was raining heavily early the next morning due to a sudden tropical low pressure, but when it stopped we hurried down to the wharf for a cruise to Lan Ha Bay on the southeastern side of the island.

Lan Ha Bay covers an area of over 7,000 hectares, of which 5,400 hectares is under the management of Cat Ba National Park. While the cruise moved slowly through small islets and floating fishing villages, I found the landscape to be as magnificent as Ha Long Bay.

Though the journey is a bit rougher than cruising Halong there are over 100 small sandy beaches between the blocks of rocks on the islands, 30 of which are ideal for a swim or a picnic.

Other interesting activities in the bay are fishing, kayaking, and a visit to Monkey Island, home to over 5,000 monkeys, or a long hike in Cat Ba National Park. The trek is approximately 11 kilometers long through three mountains to Viet Hai, a small fishing village. On the way one can take a short rest at Frog Lake, a beautiful, tranquil lake in the middle of the forest.

Cat Ba National Park is a highly diverse biosphere and the endangered golden headed langur can be found here.

We were leaving for Haiphong in two hours and consequently did not have enough time for the trek, so we chose to return to town and went sightseeing at Cat Co beach. On our walk back to the hotel we saw many foreign tourists jogging in the beach and walking leisurely on the hilly streets of the town. Regretting that we were not staying longer, I gathered some brochures from the travel center at the hotel to learn about other destinations on the island, such as Quan Y cave, which served as a military hospital and shelter for locals in the war, Phu Long village and Thien Long, a primitive and beautiful stalactite, stalagmite cave.

Huynh Thu Dung, head of Vietravel’s press office, told me that this season is the best time of year for foreign tourists doing a tour of the north because the weather is so mild and beautiful and the sights are not as crowded since it is low tourist season in Vietnam. This also falls on the winter holiday period for most of the tourists from Western countries.

She said that Vietravel recently opened a new branch in Hai Phong City to serve as a bridge to link important destinations between Halong and Cat Ba, as well as the northeastern side of Lang Son and Cao Bang, and create new tours from Halong to Cat Ba and Ninh Binh.

(Source: SGT)

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/10/visiting-cat-ba-island-worlds-biosphere-reserve.html

Immigrant German artists answer a native question

Artwork by an immigrant German artist will be on display at an upcoming exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.

Where do you come from? The answers of 13 artists who were not born in Germany but found there a place to work and create will be on display at the Exhibition House in Ho Chi Minh

Artwork by an immigrant German artist will be on display at an upcoming exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.

Where do you come from? The answers of 13 artists who were not born in Germany but found there a place to work and create will be on display at the Exhibition House in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 from October 17.

The exhibition is organized by IFA (Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen), an organization that works to promote artistic exchange and dialogue between civil societies. Its central activity is devising and organizing German contemporary art exhibitions worldwide.

The upcoming show features artists from various countries including Switzerland, Turkey, and the US.

Organizers say the criteria for choosing the 13 artists was their answer to the “old-fashioned” question. It was also a matter of “simply gathering a good number of convincing, insightful and internationally recognized contemporary art works.”

The exhibition, held by the HCMC Goethe-Institute and IFA, will continue until October 26th at Exhibition House, 92 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1.

Reported by Thanh Van

http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2008/10/immigrant-german-artists-answer-a-native-question.html