Beauty of Ninh Binh enhanced by mountains, nature reserve

VietNamNet Bridge – Tired after a busy week, I went to rejuvenate at Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort, a perfect place at the edge of the Van Long Nature Reserve, about 90km south of the capital. 

Van Long Nature Reserve is a flooded field surrounded by limestone mountains.
A boat trip is an ideal way to witness its wild beauty.

The reserve in Ninh Binh Province is a primeval tropical forest with spectacularly shaped limestone mountains surrounding the north's largest wetland, an area described as an "inland Ha Long Bay".

Instead of western style resort rooms, Emeralda's have traditional Vietnamese timber materials and furnishings, plus a private courtyard and outdoor shower.

But the highlight of the place was the warm-hearted staff who cared for my family. They did their best to help us enjoy our stay. All of them were gracious and smiling. One of my friends said they had the character of rural residents: plain, helpful and enthusiastic.

Following information on a leaflet left in our room, we decided to take a tour to the Van Long Reserve. About five minutes walk from the resort is a dyke from where we boarded a boat for a 45- minute tour around the reserve. We admired the wild beauty while our boatwoman, Vu Thi Tam, gave us a commentary.

The reserve is home to more than 450 plant species and nearly 40 animal species, including the rare Delacour's langur and the belostoma, a nearly extinct insect species.

The water surface is dotted with wild flowers of different colours. When I tried to take a water lily, Tam stopped me.

She said the area had remained beautiful because of a united effort of local people and tourists. Since it became a tourist destination in 1998 people quickly learnt how to protect it and popularise conservation among all visitors, she said.

Suddenly Tam pointed towards a high promontory where some Delacour's langurs sat on the peak. They looked tiny from a distance but Tam said we were lucky because the primate did not appear often and there were very few of them left.

Next to our boat, some South Korean tourists were even luckier, because they had a digital single-lens reflex camera that helped them watch the langurs clearly before taking photos.

One of them said happily: "I took pictures, they are beautiful."

Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort offers local architecture
that gives guests the feeling they are staying in the real
countryside environment of Viet Nam.

The cruise took us past ranges of splendid rocky mountains and such was the peaceful, tranquil atmosphere that we could hear the sounds of whisking fish, flying birds and moving oars.

Tam steered us to a beautiful cave which she said was about 250m depth. Though we couldn't get more than several metres into the cave because it was half submerged and the water-plants were too thick, we could see many magnificent stalactites and stalagmites inside.

This was only one of several caves in the area surrounded by walls of mountains.

Back to the dyke, we borrowed two bicycles from the resort to take a short tour, passing between towering limestone peaks, rice fields, lotus flower ponds and local villages.

We paused for a rest under the shade of a banyan tree where three old men were playing Chinese chess. They offered us cups of tea and talked with us and one teased my five-year-old son, like a grandfather.

Later we saw a family bailing out water from their fish pond and my son jumped into the mud to catch some. He came out dirty, but all the better for the experience he would never get in the city.

We ended our tour at the indoor swimming pool of the resort, tired but relaxed, and looking forward to more of the same the next day.

VietNamNet/VNS

Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2013

(TITC) - To promote the achievement of traditional craft festivals held once every two years in odd years, the 5^th Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2013 with the theme “Craft villages in tourism development” will take place from 27 April to 1 May, 2013 at the center of Hue City.

The event organized by People’s Committee of Hue City in collaboration with Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Tourism Association of Thua Thien Hue Province and related departments will attract the participations of traditional craft villages in Thua Thien Hue and other provinces.

Main activities of the Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2013 include exhibition and introdution of handicrafts as well as shopping service for visitors. Besides, many activities responding the festival will also be organized as craft villages fair, art photo exhibition on craft villages; instruction of making traditional handicrafts; artisans meeting, talk and honor; programs of art performance; installation art…

In early November 2012, Thua Thien Hue Province will hold a press conference to propaganda, promote and call funding resources for the festival.

The 5^th Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2013 is opportunity to introduce traditional craft villages in Hue and also honor Hue cuisine in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general to domestic and international visitors; contribute to affirming Hue as an special culture-tourism center, festival city of Viet Nam.

Thu Giang

Binh Thuan will soon become a fascinating destination

The goal of “the overall planning for developing Binh Thuan tourism up to 2020 with a vision toward 2030” approved by Binh Thuan provincial People’s Committee is to construct Binh Thuan to become a fascinating destination.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mr. Le Tien Phuong has lately signed the decision on approving the project of “Overall planning for developing Binh Thuan tourism up to 2020 with a vision toward 2030”. Accordingly, sustainable tourism development is an important strategy to form the locality to be a considerable brand name. Binh Thuan is expected to become an attractive national and international destination by means of continuing to popularize its potential and strength.

Under the approved project, the provincial authorities will focus on building Mui Ne to be a national tourist area and Phan Thiet as a major tourism city of the country. From the oriented development, Binh Thuan, which can reach a large tourist center of national and international stature, plays an important role in the promotion of the whole country’s tourism…

With the available advantages, the specific products also identified by the locality are sea tourism associated with forest ecotourism, high-grade resort center. To be on the high level, Phan Thiet tourism urban should be built into high-class sea resort center, sport- recreation. Besides satisfying the conditions of national and international activities and events, Binh Thuan authorities should also invite the investment in Casino and develop a typical center of food and drink. With respect to the broadcasting strategies, the provincial authorities will also attach much importance to creating the brand name of “Mui Ne tourism” in association with the famous center of business – sailboat entertainment.

(Source: Binh Thuan Newspaper)

Visiting Hue in the rain

The rain often makes you nostalgic with either the blues or happy memories. Rain makes the scenery more romantic and green, especially in sites of ancient works and historical plots like Hue City. Local authorities in Thua Thien-Hue Province have offered many tourism products during the rainy season this month.

A view of Ngo Mon Gate in Hue Imperial Citadel

This is a new, attractive bid to lure visitors who are looking for a more real and romantic experience. The product ‘Hue’s rain’ from the workshop ‘Building brand names for Hue’s tourism’ was started in February. Therefore, tourists will be invited to join tours to the landscapes of Hue Imperial City, walking under the rain on shaded roads. Authorities will erect installation artworks, souvenir shops, fine arts and craft villages on those roads to cater for the visitors.
Moreover, tourists will be taken on Hue-style tourist vehicles such as the cyclo and dragon boats with equipment to protect tourists from rain and help them to admire the surroundings.
Moreover, restaurants will serve food for the rainy season, especially grilled dishes. Tourist agencies will collaborate with cabarets to entertain guests with traditional music shows, so tourists can sense the romance of the raindrops, sip tea and listen to folk melodies.
Recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO, the former Hue Imperial Citadel built by the Nguyen Dynasty from 1805-1945 is one of the must-see destinations for those who take a trip through to the central coast.
The citadel compound is located on the north bank of the Huong (perfume) River, comprising three rings of ramparts: Hue Capital Citadel, Royal Citadel and Forbidden Citadel. The original look of the outer ring has amazingly remained intact with nearly 140 small and large constructions. Inside the second ring is the Royal Citadel with brick walls four meters high and one meter thick. There is also a trench system circling the citadel.
The citadel consists of more than 100 fascinating architectural works, with the most striking being the Noon Gate and the Thai Hoa Palace.
Inside the Imperial Citadel complex and behind the Throne Palace, the Forbidden Citadel was erected for the Emperor and his family. The whole site consists of about 50 architectural constructions of different sizes and seven gates.