A woman poses for pictures in front of a pig-shaped installation at a lantern fair on the second day of Chinese Lunar New Year of the Pig, at Wuhan Garden Expo in Wuhan, Hubei, China, February 6, 2019. Photo by Reuters/Darley Shen Domestic tourism during China’s biggest holiday generated revenue of 513.9 billion yuan ($76.2 billion), an annual increase of 8.2 percent, it said, citing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Meanwhile, border crossings into and out of China rose 11 percent from the same 2018 period to 12.53 million, with Chinese residents crossing the border for personal reasons 7.22 million times, up 16 percent, Xinhua reported. The robust growth in domestic and international travel and spending over the Lunar New Year period, or Spring Festival, underscores the rise of Chinese tourism and comes in spite of a slowing economy. More than 6.2 million arrivals were recorded by border authorities during the week, an increase of 9.5 percent. There were over 6.3 million … [Read more...] about Travel in China grows over Lunar New Year holiday: report
Spring festival china
Top sacred places for spring pilgrimages in northern Vietnam
Yen Tu, Quang Ninh Province Pilgrims can take a cable car to the Dong Pagoda at the mountain top. Photo by Chudu24 Yen Tu relic is located atop Yen Tu Mountain in the Dong Trieu range, Quang Ninh Province. With its sacred pagoda made from bronze at 1,000 m, it is a popular destination for many people in the north. In the past visitors and pilgrims had to walk up, but now they can take a cable car to the Dong Pagoda at the mountain top. Around Yen Tu Mountain are many other things to admire such as Giai Oan and Hoa Yen pagodas, Giai Oan Stream, Truc Lam and Trinh temples, Hue Quang Tower, and the statue of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong. Tran Nhan Tong was the third emperor of the Tran Dynasty, reigning Dai Viet (the name of Vietnam then) from 1278 to 1293. During the second and third Mongol invasions of Dai Viet, the emperor and his father were credited as the supreme commanders who led the Tran Dynasty to the final victories and since established a … [Read more...] about Top sacred places for spring pilgrimages in northern Vietnam
HCM City: tourism market bustling on Lunar New Year festival
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - Travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City have organised a great number of spring tours for tens of thousands of visitors on the occasion of the beginning of the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2019. Representatives from TST Tourism Company (TST) said thousands of tourists registered to join inbound and outbound tours operated by the company during the festival, with those booking outbound tours accounting for 60 percent. Europe, Australia, the US, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan (China) have been attractive destinations for Vietnamese visitors, the firm noted. It is forecast that the number of tourists booking Tet tours organised by TST this year increased 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Tour operator Vietravel said it served 11,000 domestic and foreign visitors during the first two days of the Tet holiday. Meanwhile,the Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) has organised half-day and one-day … [Read more...] about HCM City: tourism market bustling on Lunar New Year festival
MV about traditional Vietnamese Tết festival debuts in HCM City
Viet Nam News HCM CITY – The “Xúc Xắc Xúc Xẻ” music video about the cultural tradition of the Vietnamese Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, produced by HTV3 DreamsTV and South Korea’s Badanamu management company Calm Island, has debuted in HCM City. In the MV, adorable cartoon characters that are beloved in many countries, including England, France and Korea, revive the beauty of the culture of the Vietnamese people that has long been forgotten by recreating a familiar Vietnamese folk song performed on the MV, with a spring background accompanied by a modern harmony. “Xúc Xắc Xúc Xẻ” is a child’s Tết song of wishes that describes the habit of children putting coins in a bamboo tube that has two knots at the ends and a slit on one side that is longer than the other side. It is similar to a piggy bank of today. About 15 boys and girls of the same age line up in a row, with the first child … [Read more...] about MV about traditional Vietnamese Tết festival debuts in HCM City
February 19-25: President joins ethnic groups at Hanoi spring festival
President joins ethnic groups at Hanoi spring festival President Tran Dai Quang joined 200 representatives of 21 ethnic groups from around the country for the opening ceremony of the annual spring festival at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Son Tay district, Hanoi on February 24. The delegates include village patriarchs and heads, intellectuals, and artisans from 14 cities and provinces nationwide, including Ha Giang, Nghe An, Ninh Thuan, Thua Thien – Hue, and Dak Lak. At the event, the State leader planted a tree in a Muong ethnic village and attended the Gau Tao festival of the Mong ethnic group in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang. PM urges prompt resumption of work following Tet holiday PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (C) requires the prompt resumption of work immediately after Tet. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the prompt resumption of work immediately after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, ending the dated ideology that … [Read more...] about February 19-25: President joins ethnic groups at Hanoi spring festival
Social News 10/2
Hoi An authorities seek solution to noisy bars, dinersAuthorities in Hoi An, an iconic tourist town in central Vietnam, are seeking solutions for dealing with loud music from local bars in an effort to restore a peaceful atmosphere to the vintage destination.Located in the namesake city in Quang Nam Province, Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and has long been famous for its tranquility and unique charm.Recent complaints by tourists, however, have local authorities worry that the destination may lose its tranquil charm due to loud music from local bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.The Hoi An People’s Committee announced on February 7 that it will invite local bar and hotel owners to reach a common ground on ensuring that business operations at certain venues do not compromise the interests of local residents and visitors.The meeting will be chaired by Nguyen Van Son, vice-chairman of the city’s administration and the man … [Read more...] about Social News 10/2
Tenth Hue Festival to take place in April
The tenth Hue Festival, themed “Cultural heritage with integration and development, Hue - one destination five heritages”, will take place from April 27 to May 2 The Hue Festival aims to promote art exchanges among cultures of the country and introduce unique cultural values of Vietnam and Hue to improve tourism growth and strengthen the socio-economic development of Thua Thien-Hue in the process of international integration. So far, the Hue Festival 2018 has attracted more than 20 international art troupes from various countries, including France, the Republic of Korea, Israel, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Russia, China and Spain along with many art troupes across the country. This year's festival has linked with political and cultural events of the province such as 50th anniversary of the Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising in Spring 1968, 230th Anniversary of Nguyen Hue Emperor's throne ascension at mountain Ban (1788-2018), 25 years of … [Read more...] about Tenth Hue Festival to take place in April
PM urges building quarterly growth scenario for each sector
The PM made the instruction at the regular Cabinet meeting on February 2. He also stressed that the Government’s intention to build project on the sharing economic model in Vietnam is necessary for the proactive and effective implementation of the model. He assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with related ministries and agencies and collect recommendations from international and domestic experts on the project. PM Phuc noted the positive socio-economic situation in January which create a momentum for growth into the year. At the same time, he reminded that economic development is a “marathon”, and how far the country can run depending on efforts to reform and innovate as well as the resolve to rise above oneself. The PM underlined the fact that major economies around the world such as the US and China are reshuffling their economic management mechanisms and measures through adjusting taxes and interest rates, which requires Vietnam to … [Read more...] about PM urges building quarterly growth scenario for each sector
Social News 29/1
Exhibition praises victory of 1968 Tet OffensiveCommando Ba Mu (whose real name is Do Van Can) disguised himself as a rubber latex collector to fool the enemy. He used a tricycle to transport weapons to serve the South Vietnam liberation forces during the 1968 Tet Offensive.The tricycle is on display at exhibition that has opened in Hanoi.Entitled The Epic of the 1968 Tet Offensive, the exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the victory of the campaign.The exhibition displays more than 300 images, documents and objects. Ba Mu’s tricycle is one among many objects showcased to the public for the first time.The exhibition is divided into three parts: devotion for the battlefield, the historical turning point and echoes of the epic. They depict the determination of Vietnamese people and soldiers in fighting for peace and liberation.“The Military History Museum of Vietnam organised the exhibition with the aim of asserting the historical magnitude and significance of the … [Read more...] about Social News 29/1
Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc a model of conservation
by Hồng Vân “Côn Sơn suối chảy rì rầm/ Ta nghe như tiếng đàn cầm bên tai” (Côn Sơn’s streams are babbling/ As music from a stringed instrument) The beauty and serenity evoked in this line from 15th-century poet Nguyễn Trãi’s Côn Sơn Ca (Côn Sơn Ballad) still come to mind when visiting the Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc Complex today. The complex of pagodas and temples nestles amidst forested mountains in the Côn Sơn area’s Chí Linh District, Hải Dương Province. The most prominent structures in the complex are the Côn Sơn Pagoda and the Kiếp Bạc Temple, havens of peace and quiet, some 80 kilometres from central Hà Nội. The sacredness of the pagoda, believed to have been built in the 13th century, is encapsulated in the famous saying: “Côn Sơn, … [Read more...] about Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc a model of conservation