Iceland’s President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and his wife took a river tour in the southern province of Tien Giang last weekend and were very excited to see the breathtaking landscapes there. The Icelandic leader and First Lady Dorrit Moussaieff said they had only seen such beautiful river scenes via newspapers before, as they took a trip to the province’s Thoi Son Islet on Saturday. "To visualize the strengths and specific characteristics of the rivers and fruits of Tien Giang, a tour to Thoi Son Islet is the most accurate reflection," Tran Thanh Duc, vice chairman of Tien Giang, said as he politely greeted and followed the delegation. In khaki pants and a striped shirt, the Icelandic president and his wife quickly got on the boat heading toward Thoi Son Islet. In front of the Rach Mieu Bridge, Moussaieff borrowed the conical hat from the tour guide and posed for a photo at the prow with Iceland’s Honorary Consulate General Le Nu Thuy Duong, who … [Read more...] about Icelandic president, wife fascinated by Vietnam’s Mekong Delta tour
Ho chi minh mekong delta tour
Busload of books brings reading joy to suburban Ho Chi Minh City kids
The first part of a program to encourage reading amongst young students, particularly those in remote areas, brought children’s publications to little kids in an outlying district of Ho Chi Minh City over the weekend. Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper, and the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library, arrived at Vam Sat Elementary School, situated in Can Gio District, early on Saturday morning. As the bus topped with books drew to a stop and two shelves were unloaded, enthusiastic children swarmed around it. Each grabbed a colorful pictorial, storybook or other publications that cover a variety of themes, including history and ethics, and are rich in illustrations and educational content. Nguyen Phuc Hong, a second grader, hardly had time to look for a chair to sit on. He casually placed the Vietnamese version of a children’s book by Italian author and illustrator Tony Wolf on the floor, voraciously consuming every line of it. The little boy, who has four younger … [Read more...] about Busload of books brings reading joy to suburban Ho Chi Minh City kids
Seaplane operator seeks to offer aerial tours of Ho Chi Minh City
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have just requested the local transport department to consider a seaplane operator’s proposal to launch aerial tours above the city. The municipal People’s Committee has recently tasked the Department of Transport and other competent agencies with taking into careful consideration a proposition which was put forward by Hai Au Aviation, a private firm, regarding such tours. The company earlier sought permission to launch a new tour that would allow tourists to explore the city from the sky. The expected itinerary of the seaplane tours is Tan Son Nhat International Airport-Thanh Da Peninsula-the downtown area-Phu My Bridge-Can Gio District. The Thanh Da Peninsula is situated in Binh Thanh District, while the Phu My Bridge spans over the Saigon River sections in District 2 and District 7. Luong Hoai Nam, CEO of Hai Au Aviation, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that his company will work to implement this project in the next six months … [Read more...] about Seaplane operator seeks to offer aerial tours of Ho Chi Minh City
Semester-at-Sea Students Relish Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
A popular university studies program known as the "Semester at Sea" (SAS) recently brought more than 700 international students by ship to the port of Ho Chi Minh City, kicking off a five-day tour of the major parts of Viet Nam. The program, put on each fall and spring semester by the Institute for Shipboard Education and sponsored by the Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, takes more than 700 students around the world on board the Explorer, a 24,000-ton ship that includes classrooms, a computer lab, a student union office, two dining rooms, a swimming pool, and a fitness center. In Ho Chi Minh City participants were treated to a water-puppet show, a cultural tradition dating back to 11th century Viet Nam, at the National History Museum. At a home for children suffering from exposure to agent orange On Tuesday, the second day of the trip, a group of 14 students from the US and China made a courtesy visit to the Thien Phuoc (God's Happiness) … [Read more...] about Semester-at-Sea Students Relish Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City’s 300-year History
The first settlers In his book of literary works about the southern land in the 17th century when the first Vietnamese settlers arrived, Le Quy Don wrote: "From the Can Gio Estuary, the Soai Rap, Tieu (Small) and Dai (Grand) estuaries ... up (the rivers)", the land of Saigon remained deserted, covered by dense forests and marshes. A few groups of ethnic tribes such as the Khmer, the Stieng, and the Ma were dwelling sparsely on high ground. The Vietnamese settlers were migrants from the North and the Central provinces. The majority of them were poor peasants ruined by the war between feudal clans, others were soldiers and officers ordered by feudal governments to garrison in the South, and some were runaway convicts. They all crossed the sea in small boats and from the Can Gio Estuary they sailed up the Saigon River to land in the area of today's Saigon. The first migrants settled on high ground by the river to cultivate the land as the area had plenty of fresh water and good weather … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City’s 300-year History