Scientists puzzle over Hanoi’s Royal Citadel

Scientists from all around the world gathered in Hanoi this week to discuss the best way to preserve the Thang Long Royal Citadel, the political, cultural and trade center of Vietnam for 1,300 years.


Archeologists have been excavating the citadel, in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District, for around six years. They have uncovered structures and artifacts dating back to between the seventh and 18th centuries.

The two-day international conference, which began on Monday, gathered scientists who had worked at the site, including academics from Holland, Belgium, Japan, China, Chinese Taiwan and Vietnam.

Since 2003, significant progress had been made on uncovering and identifying some of the ruins and relics at the site, Vietnam Archeology Institute Director Tong Trung Tin said.


Many ruins at the 20,000-squaremeter site showed a continuation between the various dynasties that ruled Hanoi during the capital’s history, he said.

Scientists had also gained many insights into the culture and lifestyle of ancient Hanoians, Tin said.

Artifacts, including pottery from China, Japan and West Asia, illustrate the extensive trading network of ancient Hanoi.

Archeologists now had the more difficult task of identifying the remainder of the structures and artifacts they had uncovered, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences President Do Hoai Nam said.

Scientists have not concluded whether some structures are walls, roads or part of the ancient palace. Some structures were described as having “many rooms” but the actual number of rooms was not clear.

Highlighting the imprecise nature of the identification process, many Vietnamese archaeologists at the conference were confused when Japanese professor Ueno Kunikazu said what appeared to be part of a road was actually a wall.

The uncertainty over the identification of the ruins means no plan for further excavation or preservation has been drawn up.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has authorized the Vietnam UNESCO Committee and the Hanoi People’s Committee to apply to UNESCO to have the citadel declared a World Heritage site.

Luu Tran Tieu, chairman of the National Council for Cultural Heritage, said people were generally not aware of the obligations to protect an historical site after it was given world heritage status.

UNESCO supervises the preservation work of world heritage-listed sites and required reports from the countries every year, Tieu said, noting that a world heritage site can be “stripped of its title if it is no longer deserved.”

Tieu said Hue had complained that many construction projects had hidden the ancient town’s charm while Ha Long Town complained about pollution in the bay.

The Archaeology Institute’s Tien admitted that preserving and protecting the Thang Long royal citadel was “a big challenge.”

The site was at risk of erosion, especially after the heavy flooding in Hanoi early this month, he said.

Experts from the French School of the Far East Studies (EFEO) and South Korea’s Preservation Society for Gyeongju Cultural Heritage have indicated they would like to work with Vietnamese scientists to study and preserve the Thang Long site.

EFEO’s Oliver Tessier suggested recreating the citadel using computer-generated imagery and building two museums on the site, one open to the public and the other to studies on precious relics.

But Belgium’s Jean Plumier said museums may not be the best way to preserve the site.

According to Pham Sanh Chau, former Vietnamese ambassador to UNESCO and general secretary of Vietnam UNESCO Committee, Thang Long royal citadel has high historic value, even though it is not as big or well-preserved as other archeological sites.

What made the citadel special was it was Vietnam’s political, economic and cultural center for 1,300 years, EFEO’s representative said.

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Terraforming an oasis retreat

A central farmer’s perseverance and hard work transforms a deserted plot of land into a resplendent ecotourism center.


Standing amidst lush green environs filled with flower orchards and bamboo groves, Nguyen Phuoc Hung took a moment to reminisce back to when this plot of earth was an arid wasteland untouched by local residents.

The owner and director of one of central Da Nang City’s most popular ecotourism centers used to be a regular farmer who was granted 30 hectares of land by the government in Hoa Vang District’s Phu Tuc Hamlet.

At that time 12 years ago, there was only a small river called Suoi Hoa running through the vast territory.


Hung proceeded to set up a small tent near the river and started doing what he loves most – planting trees and flowers.

Many locals thought he was crazy, as they believed the land was uncultivable and his efforts would all go for naught. But Hung didn’t worry about the naysayers as he was bent on transforming the desert land into something greener and more hospitable to life.

Between 1997 and 2000, Hung and his workers managed to sow numerous varieties of plants in the forest area west of nearby Hoa Phu Village. At his farm, he cultivated bamboos and various fruit trees while also raising cattle and fish.

Following years of hard work, Hung’s farm nowadays features around 2,500 bamboo trees producing 50 tons of bamboo shoots a year; two hectares of grass feeding a herd of 40 cows 300 betel trees and 1,000 apricot blossoms.

In 2000, Hung decided to take on the challenge of converting his farm into a major ecotourism center to introduce to visitors the best that nature had to offer.

“The main idea behind developing an ecotourism center is to promote public awareness about protecting our environment,” Hung said. “We’ve always kept that goal in mind while designing the Suoi Hoa Ecotourism Center to not cause any damages to the surrounding areas and harm residents.”

The center, situated 500 meters above sea level, required an investment of VND10 billion that Hung took out as a loan and the idealistic farmer also hired many members of the local Co Tu ethnic minority group to build and maintain the grounds. The area now encompasses a number of pretty waterfalls and lakes and workers have landscape the various flower species into neat rows, using carved stones and other ornaments as decoration.

With more than 100 bungalows on site, the center is capable of hosting thousands of visitors each day. On the grounds, there is even a 7,000-square-meter football field used by professional football teams, 11 ponds with several used for raising fish, and an area to breed around 100 wild pigs.


For tourists and visitors who enjoy outdoor picnics, a meal with grilled fish caught from one of the ponds provides an unforgettable experience.

David Nguyen, who visited Suoi Hoa along with eight family members from the US, said one of the best things about the site is the panoramic view it offers of the entire Da Nang City.

“It is located in an absolutely ideal location,” Nguyen said.

Another visitor, Hoang Quan, said he works in Da Nang City but often visits Suoi Hoa with family members and relatives every two or three months.

“We feel like we can really take in nature here after the long exhausting workdays in the city,” Quan said.

The center currently employs 40 people, but Hung said he’s thinking about hiring more locals to organize activities such as making “ruou can,” a type of wine drunk out of a jar, and knitting traditional products to give tourists a glimpse into the Co Tu people’s lives.

While the project has started yielding profit, Hung said his proudest achievement has been “to cover the landscape with greeneries and flowers.”

“I want to impart a lesson of perseverance in environmental protection and remind all visitors of the vital role they can play in creating greener spaces to contribute to the public good,” Hung said.

Reported by Tuong Nguyen/
Photos from: T♥R♥I♥S♥H

Visiting Trang An grottoes in Ninh Binh Province

Visitors to the northern province of Ninh Binh hear about the beauty of Tam Coc – Bich Dong grotto as a Ha Long Bay on land, yet there is another grotto in this region hardly marked by the footprints of tourists which may be even more magnificent.


It is Trang An grotto, a community of mountains, caves, river-valleys, woods and cultural and historical relics, whose central pier on the Sao Khe river is six kilometers from Ninh Binh City and 95 kilometers from Hanoi.

This grotto is a gathering of 31 valleys, 50 cross-water caves, and home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, many of them in the Red Book of Vietnam, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Each of the caves has its own beauty with many stalactites in a profusion of color.

Some of the caves are Toi (Dark) Cave, a 315-meter deep and dark cave, Sang (Light) Cave, a 112 meters deep lighter cave. There is also a 260-meter Nau Ruou (wine brewing) Cave, which, according to legend, has water that makes a delicious wine. Ba Giot (Three Drop) Cave, according to legend, grants a wish to those who catch three drops of water.

Unlike Tam Coc grotto, Trang An forms an “indoor” journey and visitors rowing through the cross-water caves get the sensation of a labyrinth. Visitors enter easily enough but need a local guide to find the exit.


That is why King Dinh Tien Hoang (924-979) chose this grotto as his southern citadel to protect the rear of Hoa Lu capital city and to hide food for his army.

A 10th century Dinh Dynasty temple with a thousand year old Chinese fig tree and many antique objects including tools and weapons can be seen here.

While rowing through Trang An grotto in the quiet, fresh air of the highlands, with only the sound of birds and the oars stirring the clear water and surrounded by magnificent forested mountains upon which graze white goats, visitors enjoy a heaven on earth.

By Thuy Nguyen/ The Saigon Times

MissWorld 2008: Duong Truong Thien Ly

Vote for Miss Vietnam - Duong Truong Thien Ly now

Phan Thiet- a place to explore and stay in

Visitors to new places often remember them because of beautiful landscapes and local specialties. In Phan Thiet, a coastal city about 200 kilometers from HCMC, people are not only attracted by the tourism sites in the area but also by something interesting on the way to the city and back.


For many travelers, riding on a motorbike is the best way to experience beautiful sights along the road, to enjoy ancient streets in the warm and pleasant air of the central region during any season of the year. On Ham Tien, a romantic street which runs beside many popular resorts and the Lau Ong Hoang, visitors should never miss a chance to drop by Poshanu Cham Tower, a complex of towers and temple relics of the Cham dynasty on Ba Nai hill.

Visitors to Phan Thiet can learn about the history of the city from hearty local residents. Many years ago, Cham ethnic people called the land Hama Lithit, which means “a flat field near the sea”. Later, the name Lithit was passed down orally by Kinh people, gradually turning out to Phan Thiet.

Today the city is a famous tourist destination with many beauty spots. Ca Ty River is considered one of the most interesting with bridges above and the ideal venue for grand festivals, like ship races and flower lantern floating. Such events attract hundreds of thousands of local and international visitors to the river and nearby locations each year.

Located by the river is Phan Thiet water tower with the French name of Château d’eau. The 32-meter tower, which was constructed by Laos’ architect and king Souphanouvong in late 1928, is a symbol of the city. Words of U.E.PT (Unise Des Eaux de Phan Thiet) on the body are joined from broken glass due to economical difficulties after the tower was completed in 1934.


It is interesting to wander to each corner of the city on a warm evening and drop by street eateries to enjoy specialties like banh xeo (rice pancake), or snail salad. Many people love can cake, a traditional dish with green onions, boiled eggs, braised fish and sour pickles.

The beautiful images of sights and people in Phan Thiet City seem to cling to many tourists when they leave. With the sweet and red dragon fruits, dry fish, or scented fish sauce along side, they feel like bringing parts of the city to their home.

By Khue Viet Truong/
The Saigon Times

Are you ready for the country?

Duc Hanh travels to Giang Mo village in Hoa Binh province where Muong people live in a wonderfully idyllic setting.


After a two hour drive from Hanoi I arrive at Giang Mo village in Cao Phong district of Hoa Binh province. It’s a typically tranquil setting that you find in the Vietnamese countryside. Just a few hours from the capital means it is a great spot for a quick getaway.

It remains relatively tourist free, despite the fact that it hopes to promote itself as a ‘tourism village’. The village is populated by Muong people, the third largest ethnic group in Vietnam with an estimated population of 1.2 million, the bulk of which dwell in the mountainous regions of Hoa Binh province or Thanh Hoa province.

A hundred stilt-houses built on the slope of mountains look down onto the terraced fields of the villagers. Outside each house, there is a small shrine dedicated to Muong people’s gods and ancestors. The bucolic landscape is inspiring. The autumnal air is fresh and fragrant. I can smell young sticky-rice and wild flowers in the air. I stand on a small wooden bridge and trace the route of the clear-water stream that zigzags across the fields.


The locals born and bred in this bewitching, near hypnotic spot, are friendly and full of smiles – even as they work. Women weave fabric and embroider brocades or shell corn. The men busy themselves by sharpening knives or making bows and arrows.

By and large traditional life is untainted here. Bamboo water wheels and half-pipes irrigate the fields. Houses use wooden rice mortars and handmade reaping-hooks. Furniture is made out of rattan. The village lives off farming rice and breeding poultry and/or cattle, not tourism.

Walking around the village, I stop at one of the biggest stilt-houses and enquire about lunch. The owners are kind and hospitable and I’m invited and offered tea made from a peach tree’s roots. The tea, I must admit, tasted rather strange, but I was assured it was very good for digestion! While his wife prepared lunch, Ha Van Can, the owner of the house, happily talks about Muong people’s ancient customs, lifestyle and habits. He is clearly house-proud.

The stilt-house is quite long and high. It is made with large wooden pillars, bamboo walls and floorboards, and thatched with palm leaves roof. There is no private room in the house. The cooking fire is placed in the middle of house. Here a pot is always on the boil. Dried corn hangs from the smoking-shelf above the fire.

Can displays his hunting trophies – a large wild ox skull complete with horns, a fanged wild boar, and the teeth of a bear he says he hunted for over 40 years! “Now there are very few wild animals here,” he says, perhaps not sensing the bitter irony, that he played a part in their demise. He attributes the loss of wild animals to the forests being destroyed. “The government banned the hunting of wild animals, so I make hunting knives, bows and arrows for tourists mainly,” says Can. So is this still a truly, traditional village, I ask.

“Most of the households in our village still preserve the typical culture and lifestyle of ancient Muong people because the authority wants to turn our village into a tourist spot,” he says. “We want to earn more money from tourism but you can see not many tourists visit our village.” “If you stay overnight, you can enjoy traditional dances, folksongs and performances with drums, gongs, clarinets and the monochord. Our village has a special team of girls and boys performing traditional music for guests.”


After an hour of chatting with Can, our lunch is ready. Can’s wife, Tham serves up a large, hearty meal, though I am more taken aback by her charming outfit. She is wearing a long black velvet skirt, a light coloured brassiere embroidered with colourful patterns, a sky-blue blouse, and a white brocade headscarf. “For generations, Muong women have had to learn to weave and dye cloth, make brocades and sew clothes for their families,” says Tham. “Muong women are very good at cooking also,” she adds.

“Our daily diet is very simple, but for festivals our feasts are more sophisticated.” The proof is in the pudding. In front of me there’s a feast with sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, boiled wild vegetables, river fish cooked with wild herbs and wrapped in lotus leaves, steamed chicken and stir-fried buffalo.

It’s worth driving to Giang Mo for the food alone! To get there: Giang Mo village is in Binh Thanh commune, Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province, 90km west of Hanoi. From Hanoi, you can drive through Ha Dong city on National Road No.6 towards Hoa Binh city. Keep going straight and don’t turn left (the way to Mai Chau) and after 10km, Giang Mo will be on your left hand side – you can’t miss it!

By Duc Hanh/ Timeout

Central countryside welcome tourists

The Truong Son route, known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the American war, is now a staple on many tourists' itineraries seeking access to some of the country's most authentic minority culture.


One such popular tour takes tourists along the legendary Truong Son route, to visit historical sites such as Ro village, Giang wharf, Kham Duc airport, Hoi village, Lo Xo hill, and Monique waterfall.

Tourists will also have a chance to visit and learn about the traditional carnivals and customs of ethnic minorities who have settled along the Truong Son route. Unique performances featuring "Cong Chieng" gongs and bamboo instruments are particularly exciting.


In Gung village, 80 km east of Da Nang city, tourists can visit the village's Guoi house and listen to 80-year-old artist Ating Veh lecture about the preservation of traditional art. He also plays several of the traditional instruments for the audience.

Arriving at Giang wharf and Ro village where Co Tu and Gie Trieng people live, tourists are likely to be mesmerized by the dances that ethnic girls will perform in their traditional dress.

The people of Gie Trieng, Co Tu, and Ca Dong are well known for their sacred offering ceremony marking a successful harvest in May and the Cor people in Tra My district have their own ceremony in which a buffalo is offered to the deity at the end of the harvest.

As well, the Bh'nong people in Kham Duc district participate in a victory festival with the unique custom of "seizing husbands" with pole decoration and a buffalo sacrifice as well.


In addition, Nam Giang and Dong Giang districts offer original Vietnamese food like "lam" rice cooked in bamboo, "ba kich" medicinal wine, and "ta vat" wine fermented with "ta vat" fruit will intrigue tourist's taste buds.

With the imposing Truong Son Mountain in the background of the newly launched Ho Chi Minh highway, tourist can make as many stopovers as they like at other sites such as Lo Xo hill, Monique waterfall, and several untouched forests.

Compiled by An Dien/
Thanhniennews

Unique Vietnamese bay is a must

50 kilometres from the central city of Nha Trang lay the gorgeous area surrounding Van Phong Bay, one of the world's deepest bays and an ideal spot for scuba diving and eco-tourism.


The bay is formed by Hon Gom Island, and is home to a diverse ecological system replete with rain and mangrove forests, islets, peninsulas, beaches and sand dunes-almost anything a tourist could ask for in a bay.

The bay is one of the most beautiful eco-tourism sites in Vietnam thanks to a rare and diverse ecosystem.

Boasting picturesque mountains, virgin forests and lovely beaches, the bay is home to an array of rare fauna and flora.

The weather is warm throughout the year and the site's natural beauty is very much intact, uncontaminated by industrialization. Clean and untouched white sand beaches still impose themselves against the blue seawater.


United Nations tourism experts have recognised Van Phong as one of Asia's nearly perfect eco-tourism sites, and an ideal place for scuba diving.

Its blue crystal-like water and coral reefs are enough to humble the most experienced divers.

Excursions

While visiting the bay, it's hard to resist visiting the surrounding sites like Hon Ong, Dam Mon and Bai Nhau. These places remain relatively unscathed by the outside world save a few small fishing villages.

Nearby, indulge in a trip to Hon Ong (Whale Island) for more rest and relaxation amidst quiet and beautiful scenery.

You can talk to local fisherman and learn about their lifestyle and customs there or sail catamarans, go windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, or take part in one of the island's many other activities.

If you grow weary of the ocean, you can walk along the beach and climb up into the mountains to observe natural wildlife in the hills.

As night falls, you can stay in bungalows along the beach or enjoy seafood with the locals.


Dam Mon Peninsula is also worth a visit as it boasts casuarina forests and the primitive Tuan Le wetland forest.

You can rest in hammocks under shady coconut trees along the beach or talk with children from fishing villages.

Scuba diving, exploring coral reefs, rowing boats and fishing for squid or cuttle-fish are popular activities at Dam Mon. From Dam Mon, you can hire a motorboat to take you all around the surrounding area.

If you have more time, you can visit all the other islands as well as fishing villages, lobster farms and farms where oysters are raised for pearls.

In 1999, the Vietnamese government allowed local authorities to draw up a plan to develop the bay into an international deep-sea port and tourism venue.

Previously, the bay had been called Port Dayot by the French.

Compiled by Hoang Bao/ Thanhniennnews

Freshwater conservation in Tram Chim goes to recovery

The natural wetlands of Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Muoi in the Mekong Delta is on the mend more than six months after the launch of a project by Coca-Cola Vietnam and WWF, organizers said in a statement after their fact-finding trip to the park last week.



According to the statement, the project has restored native grasslands from 800 hectares in 2005 to 2,700 hectares and increased the number of Sarus cranes visiting the park from 41 in 2005 to 126 since it commenced work in the park in Dong Thap Province in April this year. The project also supports the recovery of natural conditions at Tram Chim Park’s A3 Zone, an important habitat of the Sarus crane which is listed in Vietnam Red Book.

The park stores freshwater during the flood season and releases it slowly as floodwaters recede thus preventing saline intrusion in downstream area and diminishing the negative effects of climate change. The natural environment recovery of Tram Chim is vital to improving water quality, restoring underground water and mitigating the negative impacts of floods and droughts for the wider plain as well as downstream areas of the Mekong Delta region.

The project also enhances Tram Chim’s high biodiversity which supports 130 native plant species and 232 species of birds, 16 of which are named in the IUCN Red List and/or Vietnam Red Book, as well as some 150 types of freshwater fish, or 33% of the total freshwater fish species found in the region.

A special management statute for Tram Chim, which was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been developed to manage all aspects of the park operation in order to ensure sustainable use of natural resources there.

Statistics show 42,000 people now reside in the buffer zone of the park and 14% of them are living in poverty. The project aims to organize local households into user groups to encourage responsible use of natural resources in Tram Chim.

The three year project receives an annual fund of US$250,000. It is part of the US$20-million water conservation campaign conducted by WWF and Coca-Cola around the world since July last year.

“Coca-Cola’s global partnership with WWF demonstrates our commitment to water resource protection,” explained Le Van Khoi, representative of Coca-Cola Indochina.

Khoi said in Vietnam Coca-Cola collaborated with WWF in conserving the water and biodiversity of Tram Chim, and with the United Nations Development Program in providing people with clean water. The beverage maker also practices water saving in production.

As the result of the project, the provincial government has secured US$200,000 for infrastructure development, including building spillways to improve the water flow regime in Tram Chim.

Tram Chim holds the largest of the last natural remnants of Dong Thap Muoi, formerly known as the Plain of Reeds. Human activities have put deterioration of water quality, reduction of biodiversity and depletion of natural resources there at warning levels. Scientists say the risk of degradation of habitats in Tram Chim could lead to the extinction of endangered species such as the Sarus crane.

By Mong Binh in HCMC

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Bookies say Vietnamese contestant a Miss World favorite

Global bookmakers say Duong Truong Thien Ly is among the top contenders for the next Miss World crown, according to globalbeauties.com.



The beauty contest tracking website has posted the latest betting odds from bookmakers around the world for the Miss World 2008.

According to Thursday’s postings, Boyle Sports ranked Ly and Miss Ecuador as tied for third at 12 to 1 odds while Ly was also ranked third by Stan James’ ranking with odds of 14 to 1.

Bet 365 ranked Ly in equal fifth position with Miss Namibia at 12 to 1 odds. Ly, and Miss Trinidad and Tobago shared the fourth position in Game Bookers with odds of 13 to 1.



Ly, a second runner up at Miss Universe Vietnam 2008, has the best pre-competition odds any Vietnamese Miss World contestant has ever had.

She was chosen to attend the pageant in Johannesburg, South Africa, to replace Miss Vietnam 2008 Tran Thi Thuy Dung after Dung was disqualified for not having graduated high school.

Reported by Danh Nghi

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Vote for Thien Ly - Vote for Vietnam

Largest pagoda of Vietnam on the way

The largest pagoda complex in Vietnam, Bai Dinh Pagoda, is located at Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District in the northern province of Ninh Binh, 95 kilometers south of Hanoi. Even though it is still under construction, with expected date of completion in 2010 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long or Hanoi, it is still attracting a large number of pilgrims and tourists.



The pagoda complex is being built in a hilly region near the ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda which was established by monk Nguyen Minh Khong (1065 – 1141) who turned the caves of the 200-meter high Bai Dinh Mountain into the pagoda. According to fengshui, the pagoda, with its back leaning on Bai Dinh Mountain and its front looking down the Hoang Long River, has a very good location. Moreover, with the location site being far from any residential area in a hilly region covered with green old trees attracting nesting birds, the new pagoda has a quiet and peaceful atmosphere and gives visitors a tranquil feeling.

The pagoda complex stretches over 100 hectares with three temples (past, present, future), Tam The, Phap Chu and the temple to honor the goddess of mercy, and one bell tower. The length from the gate to the highest temple of Tam The is 800 meters. Running from low to high are two corridors of houses, placing 500 arahats at a height of over two meters.

Bai Dinh is also famous for its record-breaking works, such as the three statues of Buddha in the past, present and future weighing 50 tons per statue in Tam The temple, a Buddha statue weighing 100 tons in Phap Chu temple and two bells weighing 36 tons and 27 tons.

The pagoda, which is only five kilometers away from two popular tourism destinations of co do Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1010 and the Trang An cave area, could become the center for tourism of Ninh Binh Province when it is completed.

From: The Saigon Times

Dai Beach - Phu Quoc Island

This peaceful tropical paradise, floats in the warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand, 50kms from the Vietnamese mainland and a 50 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City.

(Dai Beach)

In one day, visitors can experience the culture of Vietnam at the local market in the morning, relax on a remote and stunning beach in the afternoon, enjoy a delicious dinner and drinks at one of the restaurants and enjoy accommodation at the variety of hotels and resorts on this superb tropical island getaway. Open year round with a peak season from November to March, Phu Quoc is becoming well known for stunning beaches, untouched natural environment, the easy going and relaxed atmosphere, friendly locals, and fantastic scuba diving and snorkelling.


The island also gives holiday makers the opportunity to discover an amazing array of animal and plant life throughout the year, with the majority of the island dedicated to National Park or protected marine environment. Phu Quoc Island provides a memorable experience, with plenty of exciting activities and places to visit to keep you and the family entertained during your stay........

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Green field in my liberty

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Tourism of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province looks forward to 2010

On the threshold of potential advantages and challenges to the risk of lagging behind, direction and task to tourism development in the period 2006-2010 have just been formed by tourism branch of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province as follows: determinedly striving for welcoming 7.6 million visitors in 2010, therein about 360 thousand foreign visitors, turnover of VND 1,760 billion. To reach the target of double turnover at present, what will the tourism branch of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province do in coming period ?

Since 2001 and up to now, tourism activities of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province have reached prosperity and positive changes, many special subjects have been executed for the purpose of making tourism environment good. In the period 2001 – 2005, tourism operation always get effective, the planned norm is over-fulfilled; total estimated turnover reached VND 889 billion at “top ten” position in the country in 2005. Investment in tourism developed considerably within the past five years. In the period 1996-2000, there were 6 projects with the registered capital of nearly VND 600 billion. In the period 2001-2005, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province attracted 64 investment projects for tourism with the total registered capital of about VND 5,000 billion…. At present, there are 90 hotels and tourism sites, which increases 20% in comparion with the year 2001, therein there are 14 hotels and tourism sites with standards of the 3 – 4 star categories all the province. The achievement was reached thanks to directions, clear strategies of tourism development from the provincial committee of the Party and People’s Committee of the province in every period.

However, tourism of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province has not yet developed in correspondence with potentialites and advantages of the province in past years. The growth rate still resembles the style of equal advance; the growth rate in the following year is higher than the one in the previous year; the growth rate in the following period is higher than the one in the previous period. There haven’t been great advances and breakthrough in the growth rate. The reasons why it is like that are the slowly - executed master plan for tourism, no considerable investment and no special large - scale projects for tourism, lack of the wonderful types of tourism with competitive ability to attract tourists and make great advances…Many infrastructure projects for directly serving tourism was slowly executed, haven’t been satisfactory and taken effect yet as required. Besides, there are deficiency of close co-ordination among relevant agencies in tourism development; the procedures for investment in eco-tourism sites relevant to forestry land are complicated; point of departure of the provincial tourism depended on almost small businesses with limited capacity for competition…Formerly, while tourism activities were dull in other localities such as Binh Thuan, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa Province soared and reached a great achievement in Vietnamese tourism activities. This caused people not to have peace of mind and worry about Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism’s lagging behind although quantity of visitors to the province and its turnover are many times as high as the ones of the other provinces. Solutions of Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism to attracting the high-class visitors, increasing their expenses and stay presented in coming years are better than the ones to simple increase in quantity of domestic visitors. Therefore, the increase in the large-scale investment projects and clearer policies on land and tax is necessary. Land should be transferred to investors with real financial resources and capacity for business to increase the province’s ability for competiting and attracting the high-class visitors.

On the threshold of potential advantages and challenges to the risk of lagging behind, direction and task to tourism development in the period 2006-2010 have just been formed by tourism branch of the province as follows: striving for pushing Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province for a tourism centre in the country and the area until 2010 and orienting development until 2015. To reach the goal, the tourism branch had to understand clearly socioeconomic conditions of the province for the purpose of raising quality and effect of activities on pushing investment and developing advantages of nature, ecotourism, traditional culture. Relying on that, investing in infrastructure for tourism, developing and diversifying tourism services, raising quality of facilites and effect of state management on tourism, training and developing human resources, applying science and technology in tourism, strengthening propaganda and spread, protecting natural and social environments for tourism development are required.

From: Vung Tau Tourist

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Image from: Yeutoidi