Biggest Mong festival set to begin

Gau Tao, the biggest festival of the Mong ethnic people, will be open to tourists in 2016, according to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the northern Lao Cai Province.

The department said the biggest ever celebration of the Gau Tao, recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage, would be celebrated on the 10th of the first lunar month in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai.

Mong people living in Ha Giang, Yen Bai, and Lai Chau will join the event.

Son Tra festival brings Thai guests

A performance troupe from Thailand will take part in the Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Festival on Da Nang's Son Tra peninsula on April 5-7.

The event organising committee announced the special guests at a press conference on Wednesday.

The annual festival held at the Quan The Am Pagoda is one of the area's leading cultural events, calling upon crowds of up to 10,000 visitors in past years.

The main festival, which falls on the 19th of the second lunar month, includes many activities such as calligraphy, zen tea session, drum and local dance performances, a painting exhibition, a boat race and a folk music performance of bai choi (a card game in which players sitting in a hut simultaneously play and sing).

Quang Nam to open new tourism site

Quang Nam Province will debut a community-based tourism site in Dien Ban District's Triem Tay Commune this July.

The district's culture and information centre told Viet Nam News that the site is included in the new 2015-20 tourism development project that will receive assistance and support from UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation.

The rural commune will offer tourists a chance to see and participate in farming and fishing production activities as well as learn about local cuisine and lifestyles while lodging with locals in organised home-stays.

The central province is home to two UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites – Hoi An ancient town and My Son Sanctuary – and the world biosphere reserve of the Cham Islands.

Quang Nam drew 3.7 million tourists last year, of which 1.7 million were foreign visitors.

Ninh Binh opens National Tourism Year 2015

Ninh Binh province has kicked off the National Tourism Year 2015 celebrating Vietnam’s eight World Heritage sites under the theme–Connecting the World Heritage–with an exhibition at the Bai Dinh Pagoda.

The exhibition, which runs January 22-24, is part of activities celebrating the designation of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex as a UNESCO mixed natural and cultural heritage of the world.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex Director Nguyen Duc Long said the complex is the first site in Vietnam to receive the mixed natural and cultural heritage status.

The exhibition is divided into eight areas exhibiting artefacts, artwork and other items pertaining to Vietnam’s eight world heritages – Thang Long Royal Citadel, Halong Bay, Ho Dynasty Citadel, Hoi An old quarter, My Son Sanctuary, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, the Hue imperial relic complex and the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Long added that the exhibition provides a good opportunity for exchange and sharing experiences of managing, conserving and developing cultural values among cities and provinces throughout the country.

Stronger promotion efforts needed for Hung Yen cultural tourism

The northern province of Hung Yen should promote its cultural tourism to draw more investment and tap the full potential of its Pho Hien historical complex, said Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh.

The minister made the suggestion during a tour of historical relic sites in the Pho Hien complex on January 21.

Pho Hien was once a bustling commercial port on the Red River, second only to the capital city of Thang Long, during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was well-known among foreign traders, especially from China , Japan and the Netherlands .

Although Pho Hien is no longer as busy and crowded as it was in the old days, the architectural complex of the town still remains with nearly 60 historical and cultural sites.

One of the critical components of Hung Yen’s tourism promotion is a dual focus on restoring cultural heritage sites and preserving intangible

heritages, such as “ca tru” (ceremonial singing), “trong quan” (folk singing contest between men and women groups) singing and “cheo,” (traditional opera) singing, he said.

He suggested the locality encourage local businesses to engage in the restoration and management of the complex while establishing connections with travel agencies in neighbouring localities to facilitate additional tours of the Red River delta region.

The minister also advised Hung Yen to choose attractive sites among the recognised heritages as cultural tourism highlights.

Hung Yen province is now home to over 1,200 cultural and historical relics, 160 of which were recognised as national heritages, alongside with thousands of antique objects and documents.

Japanese cruise ship with 650 passengers arrives in HCMC

Cruise ship Nippon Maru from Japan carrying 650 passengers and crewmembers arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21.

Saigon tourist, the country’s leading travel company, received the international visitors and offered them four-day Da Nang-HCM City tour.

It was the first time one of most luxurious Cruise ship in Japan docked in the city.

Saigon tourist has also greeted 800 passengers and crewmembers on the Azamara Quest cruise ship and accompanied them to attractions in Ha Long Bay and Da Nang on January 7-13.

The travel company will receive 2,800 passengers and crewmembers on the Costa Victoria cruise ship and take them to visit attractions in Da

Nang on January 25; 2,800 passengers and crewmembers on the Celebrity Century cruise ship who will take part in the Vung Tau-Hue tour from

January 27-29; 9,600 passengers and crewmembers on the Costa Victoria cruise ship and give a visit to famous landscapes in Ha Long Bay on January 17, 21,25 and 29.

Indian tourism explores central VN

Representatives of Indian travel agents from Hyderabad, India will begin a series of Familiarisation trips (FAM) to Hoi An, My Son and Da Nang, the first of which will take place from January 30 to February 2.

It's the first FAM trip from India's tourism sector this year and will survey world heritage sites in the central region, golf courses and sport activities.

The trips, organised by Singapore's SilkAir and Central Coast Viet Nam Destination Marketing Organisation, aim to boost tourism connections between Hyderabad and Viet Nam‘s central region.

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, has opened direct flights from Da Nang to new destinations in Solo, Jogyakarta, Semarang, Makasar and Bandung Indonesia and daily flights to Singapore via Siem Reap.

The Singapore-based airline also has an air route that operates from Da Nang to Hyderabad via Singapore, hence their interest in pushing FAM trips this year.