Showing posts with label city. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city. Show all posts

Monday, January 17, 2011

Tet In HCM City And Beyond

Tet in HCM City for the New Year of the Cat is going to be bigger and better than ever with lots of entertainment venues and festivals to visit. Local tour companies are offering amazing Tet packages.

The HCM City People’s Committee has announced programs for Tet Festival 2011 in the city’s downtown area, including Nguyen Hue Flower Street 2011, Bánh tét (cylindrical glutinous rice cake) festival, fireworks, the lighting city, snapshots of New Year 2011 and doorshows.

HCM City

The annual seventh Nguyen Hue Flower Street 2011 is themed “New Heights” as HCM City sets its sights on a bigger and better city. Sections of the street will be decorated in different spring themes — Hn Vit (Vietnam’s Soul), Tt phng Nam (Southern Tet), Ni vòng tay ln (Get together), Vn lên tm cao mi (Reach New Heights), Xuân an vui (Happy and Peaceful Spring). Other attractions include a flower arrangement booth, a wishing pond to collect money for charity, coffee stalls, folk music and games.

Nguyen Hue Flower Street extending down Nguyen Hue Boulevard from the City Hall to the river opens from 7 p.m., Jan. 31 till 10 p.m., Feb. 6. It will be closed to traffic for the holiday week. In addition, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Feb. 6, the nearby Le Loi Street from Ben Thanh Market to the Municipal Theater will be for pedestrians only.
The Bánh tét Festival from Jan. 26 to 31 is being jointly organized by all the city’s 24 districts. Activities will include bánh tét cooking contests and a bánh tét Tet gift drive for poor families. Saigontourist Holding Company, in cooperation with the HCM City Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, will give 10,000 bánh tét to disadvantaged children.

The fireworks displays on the Lunar New Year’s Eve (Feb. 2) will take place at seven places around the city while Le Loi, Dong Khoi and Le Duan streets and Chi Lang Park on Dong Khoi Street are decorated with hundreds of lights from Jan. 26 to Feb. 13.

During the last days of the lunar year and the first days of the new lunar year, you can join the Spring Flower Festival at Tao Dan Park and Quoc Te Square, a.k.a. Tortoise Fountain, in the city’s District 1. This year the “Bird Competition” comes back after a long absence.

According to HCM City Greenery and Park Co., the event’s organizer, some highlights of the festival from Jan. 28 to Feb. 8 will be bonsai, flower and fish exhibits by locals and foreigners, an area for souvenirs, games and food at Tao Dan Park. The “Nha Rong – Ho Chi Minh Museum” miniature made from flowers and leaves by a Japanese artisan and orchids from the HCM City Orchid Club. Tortoise Fountain will be turned into a lotus pond with an exhibition titled “HCM City Socio-economic Achievement” and music performances.

Tours around Vietnam

Besides Tet programs in HCM City, tourists can enjoy Tet travel tour promotions around the country.
HCM City-based tour operator Vietravel is introducing the “Spring Travel 2011” program with over 100 tours and lucky prizes till Feb. 28. The spring heritage tour of the North will take you to Hanoi, Halong, Sapa, Trang An, etc. Witness the rich history of the central region by visiting Tet festivals along the Hoai River in Hoi An Town, Danang City, citadels in Hue City and Phong Nha-Ke Bang caves in Quang Binh Province. Waterfalls and thousands of flowers are symbols of the Central Highlands while opera songs for Tet are specialties in the Mekong Delta.
Vietravel is holding a Tet lucky draw with prizes including diamond jewelry, vouchers and 20,000 gifts.

Another local travel giant Saigontourist Travel and Service Co. is offering 100 tour packages to enjoy the New Year of the Cat. There are nearly 20 island tours to Con Dao, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet and Danang. A world heritage trip in spring, the legendary Central Highlands and spring in villages in the Central Highlands. Saigontourist has also launched special tours for overseas Vietnamese returning for Tet.

Cholontourist Travel and Service Co. this year has tours to highlands and beaches, including adventure tours.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Guidebook captures Can Tho spirit

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Can Tho has become the first
locality in the country to be featured in a colorfully illustrated
tourist guide book that its promoters call MComic.


The
Mekong Advertising and Supplying Travel Information Co., Ltd (Metinfo)
officially released on Jan. 12 the Tham Quan Can Tho Qua Tranh Ve"
(Sighseeing Can Tho through drawings) guidebook.


The book
employs a comic-graphic medium in which images convey a sequential
narrative that helps tourists learn about the city on the banks of the
Mekong with its beautifully portrayed natural landscapes and
easy-to-remember historical and cultural stories.


"I hope
that tourists can in a few minutes get a complete overview of Can Tho,
the delta's biggest city," said Tran Kim Dinh, Metinfo director and
chief editor of the book.


Established in 2005, Metinfo is
the first travel advertising company in Vietnam . Its experience over
five years have helped it compile the book with succinct and accurate
information.


The simple but detailed drawings capture the
spirit and soul of rural Vietnam in the southern region, a Metinfo
representative said.


"We expect the Mcomic to be a valued souvenir for visitors to Can Tho," he added.


The illustrated guidebook, published by the Youth Publishing House,
contains 92 18cm by 28cm pages using the Couche-Matt paper, and will
sell at 45,000 VND (2.25 USD).


The Can Tho City Department
of Culture, Sports and Tourism has bought 2,000 copies of the book to
offer as gifts and to document the city's tourism promotion
activities./.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Forum To Call For Japanese Investment In Vietnam Tourism

A forum appealing for investment into the Vietnamese tourism market took place in Tokyo on November 25

Among those participants were Nguyen Phu Binh, Vietnamese ambassador to Japan, Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chairwoman of HCM City People’s Committee, representatives of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and businesses from HCM City. Saigontourist was the main organizer of the forum. On the Japanese side, there were a representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and around 70 businesses concerned with the Vietnamese market.

“HCM City has been and will always be the choice for investors with a strategic vision. The cooperation for investment in Vietnam’s tourism market between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises will bring about new and successful outcomes,” Nguyen Huu Tho, general director of Saigontourist, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association and chairman of the HCM City Tourism Association, addressed the Japanese investors in his opening speech at the forum.

At the forum, Saigontourist introduced to investors 12 projects of hotels, resorts and luxury complexes. Tho said he hoped Saigontourist would become a long-term trusted partner of Japanese businesses with strong capital and management, helping to boost the number of Japanese tourists visiting Vietnam and HCM City.

In the development strategy for 2010-2015, Saigontourist will focus on investing in 4,000 additional hotel rooms, resorts, leisure and entertainment complexes, conference centers and marinas of international five-star standard. These are concentrated in HCM City and other main tourist provinces and cities with strength in sea tourism, beautiful sceneries and unique local cultures. Saigontourist receives detailed guidance and special attention from the Government, HCM City leaders as well as other local authorities.

HCM City will always provide the best conditions to attract Japanese investors in tourism and tourism real estate, Nguyen Thi Hong said.

In the 2010 estimation, there will be about three million foreign tourists coming to HCM City, the figure for 2015 is estimated to reach five million. This year Vietnamese tourism was forecast to receive over 4.5 million foreign tourists, with eight million tourists and business visitors predicted for 2015.
Founded in 1975, Saigontourist is currently the biggest tourism corporation in Vietnam, manages over 100 travel companies, hotels, resorts, convention centers, leisure and entertainment complexes. Saigontourist has always been a trusted partner by foreign investors whether they need to research or approach the Vietnamese market.
Do Thi Du Lich Can Gio Joint Stock Co. also hosted a session to introduce Saigon Sunbay project to foreign investors construction of the first phase of Saigon Sunbay on 151 hectares in HCM City’s Can Gio District is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011. This stage will focus on land leveling with infrastructure to be completed by 2013.

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New Areas Dance To The Backpacker Beat

Tourists booking tours at the backpacker area in HCM City's Dist.1
The backpacker grapevine, online and word of mouth, lands Vietnam travelers in areas where Westerners congregate such as HCM City’s Pham Ngu Lao area in District 1. One Westerner I spoke to there said he had heard about it by posting a query on the lonelyplanet.com website about where to find the backpacker social life when he arrived in HCM City.

Humble beginnings

In the few years since those first cheap hotels opened, hundreds more guesthouses and cheap hotels have started thriving businesses in the few blocks that the area occupies. Many of the properties that do not have rooms for rent operate as restaurants, bars, tour operators or shops selling souvenirs, cheap clothing and knock-off CDs – basically anything a backpacker might buy. “Open tour” buses, which allow travelers to hop on and off buses several times with a single ticket, start from here and arrive there, heading for all the country’s top destinations – Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue or Hanoi. Normally these deposit passengers at a commission-paying guesthouse, and budget travelers could face a battle to head elsewhere.

However, the area’s success has caused property prices to rocket, and many guesthouses are now giving themselves a facelift, re-branding themselves as boutique hotels and charging US$50-70 a night, much higher than three to five years ago. But, in general, for the moment at least, there is enough curiosity about Saigon’s backpacker ghetto that it draws curious Vietnamese and Westerners to hang out in its quirky bars and cafes.
Just like the HCM City’s backpacker area, Ta Hien Street in downtown Hanoi is a popular destination of foreign tourists to trade travel stories and drink some of the world’s cheapest beer. On the website of The Lonely Planet, Ta Hien is dubbed as “The first street that backpackers visit when they arrive in Hanoi and the last place they see before they leave.”

The 200-meter-long strip of broken pavement and sullen houses in the heart of the old quarter plays home to hundreds of travel agencies, budget hotels, cheap eats, hawkers and any business that is likely to ply a few dollars from the price-conscientious backpacker.

But the real meet and greet spot of the city is draught beer corner, an intersection that serves up cool pints of odd tasting beer for as little as VND3,000 (16 U.S. cents) a glass. At the intersection of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets, the four draught beer shops are teaming with groups of backpackers who have settled into Hanoian street life. But when sunset falls, the “international crossroad” starts to come alive. It all starts at about 8 p.m. and goes until midnight. People gather, drink beer, chat and sing.

Backpackerville expands

Besides Saigon and Hanoi, other cities across Vietnam that are making tourism a specialty are watching backpacker areas that spawned a few years ago grow and develop organically.

It is said that visitors cannot claim to have been to Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta region if they have never been to the city’s Ninh Kieu Pier.

The capital of the Mekong Delta and a few hours by bus from Saigon, Can Tho attracts backpackers who want to discover the mystique of the Mekong. Ninh Kieu Pier cannot compare with the backpacker area in HCM City for the dynamism and variety of tourist services. However, its natural scenery far outshines that of city’s area. One of the interesting things is that the pier for the boats is in the middle of the park. The boats take passengers across the river. They also take visitors to orchards on islands a few kilometers from the city, to the tourist attraction of Huong Phu Sa on another island, or to the floating markets of Cai Rang and Phong Dien.

At one end of the park, Can Tho Market bears the signs of increased tourism. The 200-year-old market has been restored to keep the original character. The central part of the market has become a large area where souvenirs are sold. When night falls, the restaurants here are full of foreign visitors. Especially, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., the floating restaurant keeps moving slowly along the Can Tho River, so tourists on the restaurant can enjoy looking at the scenery of the mighty river in the dark.

Traveling toward to the central region, when staying in the central coastal city of Nha Trang, budget travelers would do well to visit the “headquarters” of foreigners on Biet Thu Street. With many shops owned by foreigners, visitors there may feel as if they are walking down a street in a modern European city. While the rest of the city sleeps, the party rages all night in the haven. Most of the mini-hotels, shops, restaurants and bars are crowded with large numbers of visitors from Europe, America and other places.

Over the length of its 500 meters, there are over 20 restaurants and bars serving food from Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Korea and others. Shoppers will find a treasure trove of souvenir shops selling locally produced goods and there are plenty of travel agents offering tours and travel services.

Meanwhile, the whole ancient town of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province that is some 500km north of Nha Trang City is seen as the area for backpackers as it is so small that tourists just need to walk about two hours to discover it. The sightseeing places gather in some central streets, especially on Tran Phu Street. Tourists can see many houses built based on Chinese architecture. The night in Hoi An is very beautiful, especially the riverside road, where many restaurants have romantic decorations. On the 14th day of the lunar month, people will switch the electricity off and hang decorative multi-colored lanterns.

Traveling some 150km toward the north to visit Hue City, the former capital of Vietnam and now a tourism destination, backpackers can go to the area including Nguyen Tri Phuong and Le Loi streets to feel the social backpacker atmosphere. From the “backpacker/budget traveler” alley with a few hotels and cafes whose prices are listed for foreigners, tourists can easily go to the river, Imperial Palace and Dong Ba Market. Scooters-for-hire are available.

In general, the backpacker areas have greatly contributed to Vietnam’s tourism industry and helped popularize the country’s beauty to the world. Thus, it is necessary for tourism authorities to improve the good things of the areas and set some standards so the backpackers will pass on their recommendation to the next wave of travelers.

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Wildlife and nature, a short trip from the city

Tourists pat a deer at Vam Sat Ecotourism Area in HCMC’s Can Gio District
Situated about 50 kilometers from the center of HCMC, Vam Sat Salt-Marsh Forest Ecological Tourist Zone in Can Gio District, is one of the city’s oxygen lungs and a popular venue for day trips.

The diverse fauna and flora make it ideal for scientific research, ecological tourism and rejuvenation.

A sanctuary away from vehicle noise and exhaust, millions of trees send oxygen back into the atmosphere, one of the reasons why it is recognized as a world salt-marsh biosphere reserve.

One of the gibbons at Bat Swamp - Photos: Hai Duyen
Visitors can enjoy fishing, cruising, watching wildlife, walking on bamboo bridges and tasting the local specialties.

The tour starts with a hired motorboat at Dan Xay Bridge accompanied by female guides in traditional costumes. The boat follows the canals under the tree canopy.

After about 20 minutes, you will arrive in Bat Swamp, where you can see troupes of monkeys and bats in the tree tops. You can also try your hand at catching one of the local crabs so you can eat its giant claws for lunch.

Saying goodbye to the Bat Swamp, the tour takes you crocodile fishing at a crocodile farm, swimming in the sea, or feeding monkeys and deer.

The view of the mangroves from Tang Bong Tower is not to be missed. The binoculars up there make it easy to spy on the forest’s many water fowl.

Visiting Vam Sat Eco-Tourist Area by boat from HCMC is a new way to see the mangroves. The journey starts from Bach Dang Wharf in the very early morning. Visitors can also head to Binh Khanh ferry station and then take an hour long bus ride to Dan Xay Bridge.

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Friday, November 26, 2010

The majesty of Hue

Dai Noi, which is divided into the Hoang Thanh (royal citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (forbidden citadel), is the largest most-important heritage building in the ancient capital. It was started in 1804 and finished in 1833. There are 100 different constructions inside the palaces but most of them were destroyed by natural disasters and wars. UNESCO has contributed money to restore parts of the citadel.
Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). The city which is 1,066 kilometers north of HCMC has a distinctive geography, history, culture, architecture and culture. Nowadays, Hue attracts tourists to its temples and royal tombs that were acknowledged as World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1993.

The Saigon Times Daily’s photo-journalist Kinh Luan captures some of the romantic city’s history and natural beauty that Vibeke Jensen, head of the UNESCO office in Vietnam, was speaking about, when she said Hue was “One of the few places in the world that has both global-value tangible and intangible heritages.”

The 400 meter-long Trang Tien Bridge across Huong River was designed by architect Gustav Eiffel in 1897 and finished after two years. In the war time, the bridge was destroyed twice.
Built on the banks of Huong River in 1601, Thien Mu is the city’s most famous pagoda. Lord Nguyen Hoang Lord named it Thien Mu after a legend about a woman who fell from heaven to announce a time of prosperity.
Poetic Huong river and majestic Ngu Binh Mountain in the background are icons of hue. People say they are as solemn and as unobtrusive as Hue people.

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Friday, October 15, 2010

Sea Links City hosts Miss Earth national costume contest

Phan Thiet holds legendary magician festival

Sea Links City will hold a series of events to promote environmental protection during the Miss Earth national costume contest- Photo: Khai Nguyen
Authorities in Binh Thuan Province have announced the national costume category of Miss Earth will be at Sea Links City in Phan Thiet City November 12-14.

The events over the three days, including the national costume contest, a flower painting contest, a golf buggy parade and tree planting will be dedicated to saving the environment. The beauty contest was first launched by the Philippines Carousel Production Company in 2001 to promote environmentally-friendly activities. Vietnam is second only to the Philippines in hosting the annual pageant. HCMC, Hoi An and Nha Trang cities will also host parts of the pageant.

*Thay Thim Cultural Festival, an annual festival worshipping a legendary magician, will take place at Thay Thim Palace and tourist sites such as Mom Da Chim, Doc Ong Bang, Cam Binh and Doi Duong Beach in La Gi Town, Phan Thiet City from October 21-23 (the 14th to 16th days of the ninth lunar month).

The festival will start at 5 a.m. on October 21 with incense burning, a procession, a drama of the legend of the magician Thay Thim, lion dances and ethnic dancers.

Visitors can join traditional singing contests, Ong Bang hill trekking, sand dune runs, beach volleyball, fish net weaving and the tug of war.

The event also includes dragon dances, martial arts, folk games, a cooking contest, and an ethnic music show. The organizers will also hand out medicine at Thay Thim Palace.

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Vietnam’s Best Receptionist In 2010

Quan tieu My (R) in the contest
A HCM City woman is recognized as the best receptionist of Vietnam in 2010 after winning the first prize in the national competition for hotel receptionists

Quan Tieu My, a receptionist of the five-star Rex Hotel in HCM City’s District 1, became the first-prize winner in the hotel receptionists’ competition for the year 2010.

The result of the competition, held by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism in coordination with the Vietnam Hotel Association, was announced at the final and awarding ceremony in Hanoi on September 19.

In the three rounds of the contest, with her self-confidence and skills, Quan Tieu My of Rex Hotel, a member of Saigontourist Holding Company, beat more than 90 other rivals countrywide to win the first prize. She also won a secondary prize, “The receptionist in the most beautiful, most suitable costume.” Three second prizes went to Truong Cong Khanh Linh from Pilgrimage Hotel in the central city of Hue, Nguyen Dang Bao Anh from Saigontourist’s Hotel Continental Saigon, and Ly Thi Anh Ngoc from Saigontourist’s Grand Hotel Saigon.

The organization board also offered other prizes, including the two third prizes for Saigontourist’s representatives – Nguyen Huu Nang Phuong from Majestic Hotel in HCM City and Giang Hue Lam from Ngoc Lan Hotel in HCM City.
The 2010 competition for hotel receptionists was an event for hotel reception workers countrywide to learn and exchange experiences, improve professionalism and service quality, and increase the comparative advantages and competitive strength of Vietnam’s hotel operation.

According to the organizing board, 130 outstanding contestants and five performance items were selected in provinces and cities from June until August in the preliminary round to take part in the second round in Hanoi from September 11-15. The contestants performed their professional skills before 30 of them continued to be shortlisted to take a test in any of the three foreign languages, English, French or Chinese. Ten of these 30 contestants were then selected for the final round, in which they were tested in dealing with situations and answering the organization board’s questions.

One of the main sponsors of the competition’s preliminary round in HCM City on July 23 and the final round in Hanoi in the middle of this month was Saigontourist Holding Company. Among the 12 contestants for HCM City that entered the final round, eight came from Saigontourist’s hotels, representing Rex, Majestic and Continental.

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Hanoi sets twenty Vietnam records

Vietnam Records Book, Vietkings on Sunday announced twenty Vietnam records for the capital city of Hanoi, reports VietnamPlus.

1. The place where three Vietnam’s declarations of independence were written. They are Nam quoc son ha by General Ly Thuong Kiet in the 11th century, Binh Ngo dai cao by politician/diplomat/ high-ranking mandarin under Hau Le dynasty, Nguyen Trai, in early 15th century and “Tuyen ngon Doc lap” by President Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

2. The city that has the most ponds and lagoons.

There are more than 40 ponds and lagoons of all sizes inside and outside Hanoi.

3. The biggest city. Hanoi covers an area of around 3.3 thousand square kilometers and is ranked as one of the 17 largest capitals in the world by area.

4. The city that has the most historical sites and tourist attractions.

Hanoi has more than 4,000 historical sites and tourist attractions, in which are more than 1,000 nationally-ranked and/or classified as intangible cultural heritages and over 1,200 unique craft villages.

5. The city that has the most museums, including the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Revolution Museum,  Historical Museum, Military Museum, Museum of the B-52 victory, Vietnam Women’s Museum, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Fine Arts Museum and Hanoi Museum among others.

6. The city that has the most streets and alleys named Hang.

The old Thang Long-Hanoi had more than 50 streets and alleys with the first word Hang while the second words were popular daily items including Co, Chuoi, Chinh, Chieu, Chi , Che, Chao and Chai.

The other records include the city with the first high-level school in Vietnam - Quoc Tu Giam (1076); the city with the most epitaphs of doctorates - Van Mieu (Temple of Literature); the city with first epitaph of doctorates from the examination in 1442; the city with the most ancient citadel - Co Loa Citadel which was built in the year 225 BC; the city with a tower in the shape of inkstone and brush (Dai Nghien and Thap But) (1865); the city with first old village that was ranked as a national historical relic, Duong Lam Village; the city with the most ancient street gate – Thuy Khue Street; the city with the largest excavation site, Thang Long Royal Citadel.

Hanoi also has the first fine arts school, the Indochine Fine Arts School (1924); the first medicine school (1902); the first scientific research institute - Vien Dong Bac Co Institute (École française d’Extrême-Orient) (1901); the unique garden that has fruits of three regions – the garden of Uncle Ho, the most ancient bridge – Long Bien Bridge (1902); and the most ancient photography village - Lai Xa Village in Kim Chung Commune, Hoai Duc District (1900-1910).

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Hanoi sets twenty Vietnam records

Vietnam Records Book, Vietkings on Sunday announced twenty Vietnam records for the capital city of Hanoi, reports VietnamPlus.

1. The place where three Vietnam’s declarations of independence were written. They are Nam quoc son ha by General Ly Thuong Kiet in the 11th century, Binh Ngo dai cao by politician/diplomat/ high-ranking mandarin under Hau Le dynasty, Nguyen Trai, in early 15th century and “Tuyen ngon Doc lap” by President Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

2. The city that has the most ponds and lagoons.

There are more than 40 ponds and lagoons of all sizes inside and outside Hanoi.

3. The biggest city. Hanoi covers an area of around 3.3 thousand square kilometers and is ranked as one of the 17 largest capitals in the world by area.

4. The city that has the most historical sites and tourist attractions.

Hanoi has more than 4,000 historical sites and tourist attractions, in which are more than 1,000 nationally-ranked and/or classified as intangible cultural heritages and over 1,200 unique craft villages.

5. The city that has the most museums, including the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Revolution Museum,  Historical Museum, Military Museum, Museum of the B-52 victory, Vietnam Women’s Museum, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Fine Arts Museum and Hanoi Museum among others.

6. The city that has the most streets and alleys named Hang.

The old Thang Long-Hanoi had more than 50 streets and alleys with the first word Hang while the second words were popular daily items including Co, Chuoi, Chinh, Chieu, Chi , Che, Chao and Chai.

The other records include the city with the first high-level school in Vietnam - Quoc Tu Giam (1076); the city with the most epitaphs of doctorates - Van Mieu (Temple of Literature); the city with first epitaph of doctorates from the examination in 1442; the city with the most ancient citadel - Co Loa Citadel which was built in the year 225 BC; the city with a tower in the shape of inkstone and brush (Dai Nghien and Thap But) (1865); the city with first old village that was ranked as a national historical relic, Duong Lam Village; the city with the most ancient street gate – Thuy Khue Street; the city with the largest excavation site, Thang Long Royal Citadel.

Hanoi also has the first fine arts school, the Indochine Fine Arts School (1924); the first medicine school (1902); the first scientific research institute - Vien Dong Bac Co Institute (École française d’Extrême-Orient) (1901); the unique garden that has fruits of three regions – the garden of Uncle Ho, the most ancient bridge – Long Bien Bridge (1902); and the most ancient photography village - Lai Xa Village in Kim Chung Commune, Hoai Duc District (1900-1910).

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Hanoi sets twenty Vietnam records

Vietnam Records Book, Vietkings on Sunday announced twenty Vietnam records for the capital city of Hanoi, reports VietnamPlus.

1. The place where three Vietnam’s declarations of independence were written. They are Nam quoc son ha by General Ly Thuong Kiet in the 11th century, Binh Ngo dai cao by politician/diplomat/ high-ranking mandarin under Hau Le dynasty, Nguyen Trai, in early 15th century and “Tuyen ngon Doc lap” by President Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

2. The city that has the most ponds and lagoons.

There are more than 40 ponds and lagoons of all sizes inside and outside Hanoi.

3. The biggest city. Hanoi covers an area of around 3.3 thousand square kilometers and is ranked as one of the 17 largest capitals in the world by area.

4. The city that has the most historical sites and tourist attractions.

Hanoi has more than 4,000 historical sites and tourist attractions, in which are more than 1,000 nationally-ranked and/or classified as intangible cultural heritages and over 1,200 unique craft villages.

5. The city that has the most museums, including the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Revolution Museum,  Historical Museum, Military Museum, Museum of the B-52 victory, Vietnam Women’s Museum, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Fine Arts Museum and Hanoi Museum among others.

6. The city that has the most streets and alleys named Hang.

The old Thang Long-Hanoi had more than 50 streets and alleys with the first word Hang while the second words were popular daily items including Co, Chuoi, Chinh, Chieu, Chi , Che, Chao and Chai.

The other records include the city with the first high-level school in Vietnam - Quoc Tu Giam (1076); the city with the most epitaphs of doctorates - Van Mieu (Temple of Literature); the city with first epitaph of doctorates from the examination in 1442; the city with the most ancient citadel - Co Loa Citadel which was built in the year 225 BC; the city with a tower in the shape of inkstone and brush (Dai Nghien and Thap But) (1865); the city with first old village that was ranked as a national historical relic, Duong Lam Village; the city with the most ancient street gate – Thuy Khue Street; the city with the largest excavation site, Thang Long Royal Citadel.

Hanoi also has the first fine arts school, the Indochine Fine Arts School (1924); the first medicine school (1902); the first scientific research institute - Vien Dong Bac Co Institute (École française d’Extrême-Orient) (1901); the unique garden that has fruits of three regions – the garden of Uncle Ho, the most ancient bridge – Long Bien Bridge (1902); and the most ancient photography village - Lai Xa Village in Kim Chung Commune, Hoai Duc District (1900-1910).

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