Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Day in April 2011

The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Day 2011 will be held on the 23/9 (September 23rd) Park from April 7 to 10.  

According to the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism the annual event is an opportunity for travel companies to publicize their brands and offer their products to consumers.

Various activities including a singing contest, a photo exhibition of beautiful landscapes and hot tourist spots in the country and a food fair will take place during the festival.

A special parade honoring Vietnamese brand names will be broadcast live on HTV9 channel in the closing ceremony of the festival.

Last years event saw hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving for travel information and to book tours from travel agents. 

Ha Tinh launches satellite data bank

Nguyen Du cultural area Ha Tinh's history, artworks, and archeology can be accessed upon a mouse click as of May when the province’s satellite data bank is inaugurated.

Located at Nguyen Du cultural area in Nghi Xuan District’s Tien Dien Commune, the satellite is aimed at introducing local cultural heritage to tourists.

Tien Dien is also the birthplace of Nguyen Cong Tru, a towering cultural and historical figure and the home of “ca tru” (traditional art performance).

The satellite is also to be used to transmit data to the central data bank located in Hanoi.

Pilot plan to teach Japanese in Hoi An 

The central province of Quang Nam in coordination with the Human Resource Institute of Viet Nam (HRI) has begun a pilot program to teach the Japanese language at primary and junior level high schools. 

The lessons are being taught to third graders in the Luong The Vinh primary school and to sixth graders at the Kim Dong junior high school in Hoi An.

The program is part of the many activities designed to serve Japanese visitors and investors in Hoi An.

Japanese teachers from HRI are helping students get acquainted with the Japanese language and culture through interactive activities.

Nakamura Kouji, a teacher at Kim Dong and the Luong The Vinh school, said he hoped that Vietnamese students would like the subject and realised it was a way for them to learn more about the country, people and culture of Japan.

Mrs. Tran Song Binh Duong, director of HRI Vietnam, said that the company will continue to teach Japanese in other schools in Hoi An by March. Plans were also afoot for the company to open more Japanese language classes for tourist agencies in Hoi An with an aim to welcome more Japanese visitors in the future.

Established in the 16th century, the ancient city of Hoi An used to be an international commercial hub on the East-West trade route. It was Vietnam’s most prosperous trading port under the Nguyen dynasty when ships from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands docked in Hoi An for trading.

A number of archaeological sites and the existing architectural infrastructure proves that Hoi An was a centre point of the meeting of the great cultures of Vietnam, China and Japan.

The city of Hoi An was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Hoi An receives thousands of visitors from Japan each year since its recognition as a World Heritage Site. However, lack of service infrastructure and tour guides cause a lot of inconvenience to both Japanese visitors and investors because of the language gap.

Diplomats learn more about Vietnam’s culture

Foreign ambassadors to Vietnam are helped to gain more understanding about the host country’s Buddhism and culture through a visit to the Phat Tich pagoda in the northern province of Bac Ninh on February 26.

In the trip, the ambassadors were accompanied by their spouses, diplomats, and representatives from international and non-governmental organisations.

The Phat Tich (Buddha’s Trace) pagoda, built under the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225), is the only one in the country that reserved a space for exhibiting documents and relics featuring Buddhist culture.

It is also famed for housing valuable Buddhist relics and distinctive sculptural works, especially the giant statue of Buddha Amitabha, which is a typical example of Vietnam’s traditional sculpture.

During the visit, the diplomats and their entourage enjoyed performances of Quan Ho (love duet singing), which has been recognised by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Vu Xuan Hong said the visit is an annual activity that looks to help foreign friends understand more about Vietnam’s culture and history, thus promoting friendship and mutual understanding between Vietnam and other countries worldwide.

Vietnam attends Asia Pacific Choral Summit

Vietnam is taking part in the 9th Asia Pacific Choral Summit (APCS) in Macau, China from February 24-27.

Over 30 delegates who conduct choral societies in the Asia-Pacific region are attending the event. Pham Hong Hai, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Opera and Ballet Theatre, was elected as a member of the Asia-Pacific choral executive committee.

In addition to Vietnam, other representatives came from Southeast Asian nations including Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar.

At the event, delegates reported on choral activities in each country, and discussed plans for international choral activities in the future. Vietnam’s representative proposed to establish an Asia-Pacific children’s chorus.    

During the event, the Asia Pacific Youth Choir (APYC) with 32 singers from 14 countries gave its first performance. They were conducted by Saeko Hasegawa from Japan and Jonathan Valesco from the Philippines.