“Friendship Spring Tour” is a special programme which has been jointly held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation, Hanoi department of Tourism and Thach That district People’s Committee. The event aims to introduce Vietnam’s historic relic sites and tourist attractions to international friends and helps promote mutual understanding between Vietnam and foreign countries. This year, about 300 delegates of the government and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organisations in Vietnam visited Tay Phuong pagoda, a national relic site, as part of the progamme. Here, they were introduced to the history and unique architecture of the ancient pagoda of over thousand years old in the outlying district of Thach That, 40km from Hanoi. Legend has it that, the pagoda was built in the 3rd century AD and reconstructed by King Le Trang Tong in the 16th century. The pagoda includes three separate two storey buildings, with brick architecture … [Read more...] about Foreign Diplomats Join a Spring Walk
Ancient greek dances
Street Carnival in Brazil
(VOVworld) – Rio Carnival, one the most spectacular street festivals in the world, will begin on Friday, turning Brazil into a hot tourist destination with its exciting ambience, upbeat music, and flashy dancing. Carnival originated in the ancient festivals of the Romans and Greeks, celebrating spring and beauty. The European-style festival was introduced to Brazil as an annual street ball and parade with revelers dressed up in costumes. The Guinness Book of Records rates Rio Carnival the most popular festival in the world, attracting an average of half a million visitors a year. The festival begins with a symbolic hand-over of a key to the city to carnival King Momo, who leads dancers to Rio’s Sambadrome Avenue. Each one of the participating samba schools performs for over an hour, using drum beats, fireworks, spectacular lighting, loud music and singing by performers dressed as kings, queens, princesses, princes, and warriors. The heart of the festival is a parade in … [Read more...] about Street Carnival in Brazil
Postwar Paradises
Forbes' Christina Valhouli writes about Vietnam as a tourist destination, and about countries that have shaken off their war image to forged ahead. Last month, on a steamy Friday night in Ho Chi Minh City, the Apocalypse Now nightclub on Thi Sach street was packed with patrons in their 20s wearing aviator sunglasses and trendy miniskirts, dancing to the latest Justin Timberlake and Madonna tunes. While some of the Vietnamese couldn't speak English very well, they knew the song lyrics, and the crowd--a mix of Vietnamese, American, French and Australians--were united in shouting out the words above the thumping bass. Everyone was enjoying the cheap, cold beer and the pop music. It was just another normal night in city nearly everybody still calls Saigon. … [Read more...] about Postwar Paradises