Archive for January, 2010

Nearly 40 old bicycles, some worth several thousand dollars, grouped up by West Lake on a Sunday morning. In the noisy are of car and motorbike horns, bicycle bells sometimes stroke ding-dong, ding-dong.

On the occasion of the New Year, members of the Hanoi Old Bicycle association gathered along Thanh Nien road, which runs by West Lake. At 8am, all members were there, looking at a white-haired old man who wore a soldier’s uniform.

Tuan, who is very famous for his collection of old bicycles, explained that that man is Mr. Ngoc, 75, the leader of the club. Mr. Ngoc presented the schedule of the trip.

At 8.10am, all members got on their bicycles to start the trip. Nearly 40 old bikes of different designs followed one another along the road. They rode through the streets and called a halt at Lenin Park. (more…)

The Tich Dien (King’s Ploughing) Festival in Doi Son originated from the fact that on a spring day in the 10th century King Le Dai Hanh went to plough a field to encourage people to work diligently.

After over 1,000 years, the old festival was reproduced right in the field where King Le Dai Hanh had ploughed, at the foot of Doi Mountain in Doi Son Commune, Duy Tien District, Ha Nam Province. The festival was aimed to retell an old story and promote the “Agriculture, rural areas and farmers” movement in the renovation period.

The 2010 festival will take place in the northern province of Ha Nam from February 18-20 (from the fifth to seventh day of the first lunar month). (more…)

The northern province of Bac Ninh is compiling a record of the making of Dong Ho folk woodcut painting to submit it to the UNESCO for its recognition.

The making of Dong Ho folk woodcut painting was originated from Dong Ho Village, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province. Traditionally, Dong Ho painting, which reflected a wide range of themes, especially good luck wishes, historical figures, and folk allegories, was part of the essentials in each Vietnamese family during the traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival.

According to the villagers, the making of Dong Ho painting was dated back to the 11th century during the reign of the Ly Dynasty. However, researchers said the craft began under the rule of the Le Dynasty.

As the traditional craft has faded with time, efforts have been made to preserve it, with Nguyen Dang Che, one of the few remaining experienced craftsmen of the village establishing his own Dong Ho painting centre in 2008.

Viking Travel and Media in HCMC has just launched a special tour to Cambodia and Thailand by bicycle, with the first tour to start from the city on March 15.

The tour will be highly challenging for tourists, who will have to ride 960 kilometers for nine days on end from HCMC before ending up in Bangkok, where they will have the tenth day for rest and shopping before flying back to HCMC on the last day.

Under the 11-day itinerary, travelers will ride for 111 kilometers from HCMC to Tay Ninh Province’s Moc Bai border gate to Cambodia’s Svay Rieng on the first day. The next legs will be 105 kilometers from Svay Rieng to Phnom Penh, 140 kilometers from Phnom Penh to Chamka Luong, 150 kilometers from Chamka Luong to Koh Kong, and 110 kilometers from Koh Kong to Trat in Thailand. (more…)

Blossoming peach trees, ripping kumquat trees and   hundreds furrows of colorful mum flowers are the eye-catching sights when coming to garden houses in Nhat Tan village, a suburb of Hanoi. Admire the beauty of this flower village in series photos taken by Hoang Ha on VNE:

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After the success of the first Long Bien Bridge Festival in October 2009 in Hanoi, the second of its kind will be jointly held by the Vietnam Embassy in France and the Maison des Art company to mark the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long –Hanoi.

The Maison des Art wants to use the image of the popular bridge in a display of culture and art. It will also organise a boat trip along the Red River from the ancient capital city of Hoa Lu in northern Ninh Binh Province, to Hanoi, the northern port city of Haiphong and Halong Bay in Quang Ninh.

Urban Sax, a professional music events organiser, will create a boat using cranes to lift a dragon made in an S-shape to represent Vietnam.

Around 100 dancers from Vietnam and France will perform from sunset until dawn under a sky full of kites, illuminated from the river by a lighting system installed in numerous small boats. (more…)

A restoration of the old train has added to the allure of Da Lat “It’s a pity that it is very short. I just want to travel like this from morning till evening!”

American tourist Kim Fieldhouse echoes the sentiments of many visitors who have chosen to tour through Da Lat on a new, old train.

“I’ve traveled to different places but I’ve never traveled by train on a plateau like this before.”

This new experience is now possible after four old carriages were restored, hatched to an old locomotive and put into operation a few weeks ago to replace the modern train on a seven-km stretch from Da Lat to Trai Mat.

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Administratively speaking, the province of Dien Bien was created in early 2004 from the southern area of the former Lai Chau province (north of the Da River) and the town of Dien Bien.

Dien Bien Phu is now a modern and historical place with a blend of administrative buildings, modern hotels and cultural or historical sites, surrounded by a cluster of ethnic Thai villages. Tourists can enjoy home-stay accommodation there in a wonderful way to discover the Thai culture.

On our first night, my friends and I stayed at a private guest-house in the centre, but next day we decided to visit Men village, just 5km away.

The village is full of traditional Thai stilt-houses. It’s a charming and tranquil spot to enjoy fresh air and the whisper of the nearby stream.

The place is actually a more modern creation-I would prefer the truly rustic experience offered by a simple stilt-house with a thatched roof and a bamboo screen floor.

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The Civil Aviation Administration said it would give Indochina Airlines, the country’s only private carrier, a chance to resume services in mid-January after it failed to do so late last year.

Vo Huy Cuong, head of the administration’s Aviation Transport Department, said that although the administration had warned that it would revoke Indochina’s license if the airline couldn’t resume service by January 1, Indochina has made efforts to maintain its operation.

Cuong said Indochina reported its situation to the administration on December 31 and requested approval to restart flights in mid-January. The proposal was being considered, he said.

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Many big culture and tourism events will be organized in provinces and cities throughout Vietnam in 2010

National Tourism Year 2010: named “Thang Long – Hanoi: 1000-year convergence”, the event will be associated with activities of 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.

Dalat Flower Festival: take place in Dalat City from January 1 to 4, 2010 with theme “Dalat – the kingdom of flowers”.

Coconut Festival: organized in Ben Tre Province from January 15 to 21, 2010.

“Return the Roots” tourism programme: co-hosted by Phu Tho, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces from February to October, 2010.

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