Flower Festival colours Da Lat

The Da Lat Flower Festival 2012 on the theme ‘Da Lat Flowers – A World of Colours’ opened in Da Lat city, Lam Dong province, on December 31.

The opening ceremony was attended by former President Tran Duc Luong, former Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong, and Secretary of the Party Central Committee and National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, together with 20 international delegations from embassies and consulates in Vietnam.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan praised the organisation of the festival as well as the achievements of the Party Committee, authorities and people of Lam Dong province.

“The Da Lat Flower Festival sends a message to international friends that Da Lat, Vietnam's city of flowers in Lam Dong province, is an ideal destination”, said the Vice Chairwoman.

The 90-minute opening ceremony featured joyful, colourful arts performances praising the flower growers, artisans, and flower villages in Da Lat as well as outstanding businesses and enterprises in the flower trade.

The ceremony ended with a 15-minute fireworks display to welcome the New Year 2012.

The four-day festival features nearly 20 different programmes, including a display of foreign flowers, a flower market and floral exhibition spaces on Cu Hill and along the shores of Xuan Huong Lake.

A seminar on developing Da Lat’s flower villages is also scheduled during the festival, along with a Vietnamese craft village fair, a gala wine evening and a street festival.

The festival is a cultural, tourism and socioeconomic event which affirms the position and potential of Da Lat’s flowers and flower growers. The event also provides an opportunity to promote the area's advantages and attract more local and foreign investment to make Da Lat an attractive tourism destination as well as a major flower growing, trading and exporting centre in the future.

(Source: Nhan Dan)

Logo of My Son sanctuary made public

A logo of My Son sanctuary, a world cultural heritage site in the central province of Quang Nam,was announced on December 28. 

 The logo is designed with yellow and brown colours, which is inspired by the colour of Champa bricks. The image of a Champa woman performing Tra Kieu dance, the most typical feature of the Champa ethnic group, is a highlight of the logo.

It also uses the stylized images of letter M in the words of “My Son” and letter W in the phrase “world heritage”.

Designed by Le Quang Loi, a painter from the southern province of Binh Duong, the logo won the first prize in a contest, which was held by the My Son Relic and Tourism Management Board and the UNESCO Office in Hanoi from July to December 2011.

The My Son sanctuary was recognised as world cultural heritage by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999.

(Source: VOV)

Eo Gio captures beauty of Quy Nhon

Coming to Quy Nhon, visiting Eo Gio to hear the wind whispering through mountain walls, caves and then harmonize with waves crashing onto the shore is a must.

You can also admire rock cliffs shaped like they are trying to hold the ocean and to view a rookery of albatrosses hovering in the sky.

Eo Gio is an arc-shaped strait in Hung Luong Hamlet, Nhon Ly peninsula commune, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province. People call it Eo Gio (Wind’s waist) as seen from above, Eo Gio looks like a funnel with two rock ranges holding a sea corner.

In the past, it wasn’t easy for visitors coming to Eo Gio as they needed to take a motorbike to Ham Tu Wharf then cross over to Thi Nai Lagoon for the numerous deserted sand dunes. However, now tourists just make a 20-kilometer motorbike trip over Thi Nai Bridge to Nhon Ly Commune.

The route to Eo Gio is also stunning and primitive. On the bridge, tourists can take a panoramic view of Thi Nai Lagoon and the peaceful Quy Nhon City. Along the street are deserted white sand dunes which are littered with polar tree lines.

Eo Gio is beautiful in its own way with its rock cliffs in varied shapes running to the sea. The mountain holds the sea, the sea plays around the mountain, waves crash onto the shore with the sound of love songs, in the distance studded with boats and birds twittering on the sky. Seen from above, Eo Gio looks very attractive, wild and primitive.

The splendid landscapes will release all your tiredness after a long trip. As one of the most famous destinations in Quy Nhon, Eo Gio still keeps its untouched beauty.

Trekking over the peak of rock cliffs, tourists will be served a natural music show by winds through stone slits in harmony with the sounds of waves and twittering of birds.

Then walking along the rock beach, you will discover many small caves and stalactites. Amidst the rock is a stream like a silk strip falling over the rock.

SGT

Thanh Hoa uncovers its past

Thanh Hoa tourism officials are hoping the ancient citadel built during the Ho dynasty (1400-07) that was recognised as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in June will attract more holidaymakers in the time to come.

Arches: The south entrance of the citadel, with three curved gates, used to act as the main entryway, a departure from the traditional model influenced by the Chinese. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

The citadel, mentioned in Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of the Great Viet), was built during the reign of King Tran Thuan Tong (1397) by Royal Mandarin Ho Quy Ly, who acceded to the throne in 1400.
According to researcher Trinh Sinh, archaeologists were stunned by the huge building work. Thousands of huge rectangular stone blocks weighing between 10 and 20 tonnes were stacked seven high, and no mortar was used. The first two layers were below ground to support the structure.
Curved stone gates face east, west, south and north were found to be intact. The south entrance, which consists of three curved gates, acted as the main entryway, and its design was a departure from the traditional model that was influenced by the Chinese.

 Away from it all: The citadel area offers real escape from normal hustle and bustle to not only tourists but also locals. — VNS File Photos

In 2008, archaeologists found the remains of the Nam Giao open-air platform used for religious ceremonies and uncovered a stone path leading from the platform to the south entrance.
In 2004, Vietnamese and Japanese archaeologists found floor tiles, symbolic lotus flower engraved stone feet and ceramic objects inside the citadel. They also unearthed stone cannon balls.
Two stone dragons on both sides of a staircase were the only remains of the Hoang Nguyen Palace. The ruined stone pillars confirm the existence of the Nham Tho, Phu Duc and Dong Cung palaces and Thai Mieu (Ancestors Worship Temple) inside the citadel, as recorded in history books, archaeologists said.
Recently, archaeologists discovered stone for the citadel was cut from An Ton Mountain, about 1km from the citadel's western gate.
Other significant attractions in the area include Nhoi Mountain, which lies 40km from the citadel; Ru Than Mountain, 4km away and Bong Mountain, 20km away.
Japanese and Vietnamese archaeologists found at An Ton Mountain layers of crushed stone believed to be left when workers cut blocks from the mountainside for the citadel's walls.
"The thickest layer of crushed stone reaches 1.4m," said Tran Anh Dung, who is responsible for excavation work on An Ton Mountain. "It means that the amount of stone cut from An Ton Mountain was considerable, considering the building of the grandiose citadel."
Unfinished stone blocks were also found on the mountain, which lead archaeologists to conclude the stones were worked on the mountain before being transported to the building site.
According to Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the Thanh Hoa Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, authorities would officially add the citadel to existing tourism sites in the province such as Kim Son Cave, Cam Luong Stream, the Lam Kinh royal complex and Sam Son Beach.
Provincial authorities relocated families living inside the ruins of the citadel so the site can be turned into an archaeological park, Do Quang Trong, director of the Ho Citadel Preservation Management Centre said.
Training courses are also being run for residents in Xuan Giai, Tay Giai and Dong Mon villages – which lie near the southern gate – to teach them about the citadel's history, as well as basic English.
The local culture department also plans to offer more homestay tours to Ho Citadel, Trinh Lord Palace, Giang Pagoda and Kim Son Cave.
Trong said most tourists visiting Ho Citadel tended to be independent travellers rather than package holidaymakers. He added that the peak tourism month was June, when about 6,000 visitors came to the site.
"We have invited many travel agencies to set up tours to bring tourists here," said Nguyen Huu Nhan, deputy director of the culture department, "Yet the tours, for some reason, have not been properly exploited. That's why most of the guests who come here are history lovers and back-packers."
Cao Ngoc Nong, originally from Thanh Hoa but now living in Hanoi, said tourism services at Ho Citadel needed to be improved.
"There is nothing to keep tourists at the site longer after visiting the four gates, listening to historic stories, seeing some antiques and visiting some surrounding villages," he said.
Nong said he has organised some tours to the citadel but he said tasting some of the local delicacies in Vinh Loc District, which lies nearly 10km from the site, was usually the most popular excursion.
He also takes visitors to Cam Thuy Fish Stream, Ho Citadel, followed by a night in Vinh Hoa Commune in Vinh Loc District.
"The citadel usually takes just two to three hours to take in," he said. "But delicacies at Vinh Hoa Commune can keep people entertained for one to two days."
He said visitors also enjoy swimming in the local river, hunting for mussels, fishing, visiting old houses, using old farm tools and making sticky cakes at the local market.
Local snacks like che lam (sweet cake made of roasted sticky rice powder and ginger), roasted grasshoppers, nem chua nuong (baked fermented meat rolls), mussel and fish dishes are "unforgettable to city-dwellers", he said.
Journalist Mai Thi said there were hardly any guest houses, entertainment spots and souvenir shops near the citadel.
"Why don't local authorities encourage locals to make souvenirs from local stones to make miniature citadels, for example?" she said.
Researcher Sinh said he was sure more tourists would visit the area when they got to hear about its many attractions.