Binh Thuan reschedules international yacht festival

The organizing committee of the first international sailing festival in Binh Thuan Province

has rescheduled the event to January 15-18, 2011 citing possible bad weather as the key

reason. The festival was originally scheduled to take place from December 8 - 11, 2010 said
Le Thi Thanh Lien, deputy director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and

Tourism.

However, Lien said, the organizing committee is worried about bad weather would affect yacht

performances. “The change of the date has nothing to do with the pace of preparations for

the festival. Things are going on schedule.”

The organizing committee worked with HCMC in August to promote the forthcoming event which

will feature around 200 yachts cruising from Ham Tien and Mui Ne to Khe Ga Cape and Hoa

Thang beach in the Province.

Along with the event, there will be conferences on how to promote the country’s tourism and

yacht sectors, and music, art and cultural festivals.

The organizing committee has invited several foreign music bands to come to the Province to

entertain guests. Admission will be free.

Binh Thuan is teaming up with agencies and companies such as the Vietnam National

Administration of Tourism, Vietnam Airlines and XT Asia INC to host the upcoming yacht

festival.

Lien said that together with the festival, the Province would be organizing an international

windsurfing competition from February 25 to March 4, 2011 to attract tourists who are fond

of this water sport.

“We’re in the process of enriching our tourism products and services,” Lien said.

Binh Thuan expects to lure around 2.5 million local and foreign tourists in 2010.

(Source: CPV/SGT)

Korean fine crafts on display in Hanoi

        Sixty fine craft items made of ceramic, porcelain, fabric, wood, paper, and metal by 21 artisans from the Republic of Korea are currently on dislplay at the Republic of Korea Cultural Centre in Hanoi.

The objects, ranging from a ceramic apple, to business card holders, jewelry and lamps, are made by a group of artisans headed by Hyang Lim who have been exhibiting their works in Europe since 2008.

The works are very diversified which include a Korean mirror stand made of lacquerware inlaid with mother of pearl, a traditional appliqued Korean apron, paper boxes, a porcelain makgeolli (Korean rice wine) set, and brooches made of wood and lacquer.

At the opening on November 20, Keum Gi Hyung, director of the RoK Cultural Centre said, “These crafts are made by contemporary artists following the traditions of folk art passed down through the generations. They represent very sophisticated, skillful, and fine Korean crafts.”

Vak Mi Hwa, one of nine artists from the group who are in Hanoi for the exhibition, said, “Ceramic is often used for everyday utensils such as cups or plates so I think this exhibition is very close to people; not only Koreans, but also Vietnamese people who share many similarities in their culture.”

Tran Le An, lecturer at Vietnam’s Open University Design Faculty, likes the sophistication of each work, their skilful production, and elegant lines and colours. “I really like the stone ceramic work entitled ‘The Night of Mt Misityeong’ by Hyang Lim which beautifully reflects the soul of rivers and mountains.” The exhibition, which is being shown in Vietnam by the group for the first time, will run until December 4.

(Source: ND)

“I love Vietnam 2010” photo contest in France

A photo contest themed “Vietnam’s land and people” has been launched in Nantes, a city on the out skirts of Paris, with the aim of strengthening solidarity and closeness between Vietnamese and other youths in France.
The photos will showcase Vietnam’s beauty through daily life, cultural identities, costumes, festivities, landscapes, and historical relics.

Contestants will be all Vietnamese students in France and French friends who have been to Vietnam to record beautiful moments of Vietnam’s land and people.

The organizing board will choose 50-100 outstanding photographs to exhibit at the Vietnamese Cultural Festival in Nantes in early December.

(Source: V

Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day to be held in Hanoi

The 6th Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23) this year will take the main theme of the culture of Thang Long-Hanoi and the role of young people in preserving the national cultural heritage.
A series of activities will be held to mark the day at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Arts and Culture in Hanoi from November 20-24.
Visitors will be able to see many exhibitions on the cultural heritage of Vietnam including regional specialties and traditional art performances.
An exhibition of artifacts and relics discovered during the archaeological excavation of the Thang Long Royal Citadel, which has been recognised as a world cultural heritage, will be the focus of the activities to mark the day.



(Source: VNA)

Vietnamese images promoted in Morocco

A seminar which aimed to promote Vietnam’s tourism potential was held in Casablanca city, Morocco in early November, attracting representatives of travel agents, tourism service suppliers and aviation companies.

At the seminar jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy, travel tourism agency Privilege Group and Morocco’s Diplomatic magazine, Ambassador Cao Xuan Than affirmed that Vietnam is an ideal, safe and reliable destination for foreign tourists.

The Vietnamese government always creates favourable conditions and supports tourism enterprises to ensure safety and security for foreign visitors, he said, adding that the embassy in Morocco will act as a bridge to provide information and facilitate visa processing for Moroccan tourists.

On the occasion, he also asked airlines which offer flight services to Vietnam, such as AirFrance and Qatar Airways, to pay more attention to promoting sale promotion campaigns and offer preferential airfare conditions for Moroccan companies conducting tours to Vietnam.

Head of the Moroccan Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ministry’s Department of Asia and Oceania Badre Eddine Allali hailed the Vietnamese Embassy’s initiative of organising the seminar to promote the images of Vietnamese people and land to Morocco, a country of 30 million people, which welcomes 8-9 million foreign tourists, bringing in 7 billion USD a year.

Chairman of Casablanca travel agents’ association Ahmed Berkhmis said Vietnam will become a favourite destination for Moroccan visitors.

He also asked the Vietnamese embassy in Morocco to support local tourism enterprises in information exchange and seeking partners from Vietnam.

Vietnam is still an unusually strange destination to Morocco. Every, only 200 Moroccans come to Vietnam to seek business opportunities or visit. This is a limited number in comparison with the number of Moroccan visitors to other Southeast Asian countries every year.

Statistics show that about 4,000 Moroccan tourists visit Thailand every year, and the figure to Malaysia and Indonesia is double that.

(Source: VNA)

Thai Nguyen to host International Tea Festival

The International Tea Festival will be held in 2011 by the northern province of Thai Nguyen and mark the development of the local trade promotion. This event is highly significant for the local tea enterprises to share experience with international partners and promote tea trademarks to the world, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Thai Nguyen tea is famous nationwide for its quality and special taste, such as Tan Cuong, La Bang and Tuc Tranh whose trademarks are protected by the State.

Since 2005, the province has held many tea festivals and tea culture weeks to advertise its products to both domestic and foreign markets.

In June, 2010, the Thai Nguyen Trade Promotion Centre introduced the two potential tea importers-Pakistan and Sri Lanka-to local tea enterprises.

(Source: VOV)

Mui Ne International Yacht Festival 2010

Mui Ne International Yacht Festival 2010 with the theme “Yacht - Sea - Sun” is scheduled to take place from December 8 to 11, 2010 in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. This will be an ideal opportunity to advertise Mui Ne as an international centre for entertainment sailing.

The organization board announced 6 official places where the festival’s activities will be held. They include wharf building area in Hon Rom, international Pop & Rock art program in Doi Hong, two gala dinners in Novotel Hotel and Siva Mui Ne Resort, international exhibition and convention about yacht in Sea Links City and “Flower Road” in Road 706B.

The organization board also said that until now international sailing groups from Russia, France, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Iceland, Australia, South Korea, Cambodia and Viet Nam registered to attend the festival.

This is the first time Binh Thuan has hosted an international yacht festival. The festival is expected to become an annual event in Binh Thuan, along with the international paragliding and windsurfing tournaments.

Mr Nguyen Van Thu, Vice Chairman of Binh Thuan People’s Committee, said the festival aims to promote the Binh Thuan tourism industry in general and Ham Tien – Mui Ne Tourist Area in particular to domestic and international visitors.

With 192km of coastline, Binh Thuan has many beautiful beaches which are an advantage in developing sea tourism. Of which Mui Ne Beach is rated as one of the best for sailing in Asia by the International Yacht Association.

Thuy Hang (Edited)

(Source: TITC)