Managers, researchers and experts from the US, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Vietnam gathered at an international seminar on tourism in Hue city on February 14. Nguyen Van Cao, Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People's Committee said that recently, especially after UNESCO recognised the Complex of Monuments of the Hue imperial capital as a World Cultural Heritage site, the province has made great efforts to preserve and promote its historical value. It also looks forward to promoting the development of sustainable tourism, focusing on green growth, and developing Hue into a model for green tourism in Vietnam. The province's tourism investment will be focused on protecting bio-diversity, as well as recycling and reusing services, to protect its natural and cultural environment and work towards a sustainable tourism industry. UNDP senior consultant on the environment, Lal Kurukulasuriya from Sri Lanka, proposed ten key … [Read more...] about Hue’s tourism sector toward green growth
Hue
Bamboo-made flowers and Hue’s new-year rite
Annually, from the 4th to 16th day of the lunar year, families in Hue city--Vietnam's ancient capital, often hold a ritual called "cung bon mang." The offerings include betel and areca, wine, sticky rice, sweetened porridge, portraits and especially bamboo-made flowers. Portraits (men, women, animals) and bamboo-made flowers are considered as substitutes, which will replace families to suffer from all bad lucks in the new year. The ritual also aims to wish for luck and happiness. Nguyen Thi Hanh, a bamboo flower maker, said that she began selling bamboo-made flowers from the 4th day of the lunar year. A pair of flower is priced at VND4,000 ($0.2). Hanh earned VND50,000 of profit from selling bamboo flower a day. This kind of flower is indispensable in Hue people's "cung bon mang" rite because of what it represents: the bamboo tree is the symbol of Vietnamese villages and tradition. It also represents the strong, everlasting spirit of the country. Natural bamboo flowers are a … [Read more...] about Bamboo-made flowers and Hue’s new-year rite
Tran Thi Hue wins Vietnam’s 1st Miss HIV pageant
Tran Thi Hue, a 27-year-old from the northern province of Ha Nam, has won the first-ever Miss HIV Pageant Vietnam on Sunday. Nghiem Thi Lan and To Thi Tuyet from northern provinces of Thai Binh and Bac Giang were the first and second runners-up in the "Elegant Plus" pageant held in Hanoi, with beauty and contribution to community making up top criteria for selection. There were 15 contestants who were chosen from 110 applicants. Tran Thi Hue discovered in 2005 that she was infected by her husband and that her baby was also born with the disease. After her husband passed away in 2008, Hue became an HIV activist working among women in her province. By winning the pageant, Hue becomes the ambassador for the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and will engage in activities to promoting HIV/AIDS prevention around the country. The contest, sponsored by the Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives, Vietnam Television, and For the Bright Future … [Read more...] about Tran Thi Hue wins Vietnam’s 1st Miss HIV pageant
Nguyen Hue Flower Street welcomes over 1 mln visitors
After seven days of operation, the Nguyen Hue Flower Street in Ho Chi Minh City has attracted more than 1 million visitors during the lunar New Year, which began on January 23, 2012. The Flower Street, which closed at 10 pm yesterday, had welcomed about three visitors per second, said Tran Hung Viet, head of the Organizing Board of the HCMC Lunar New Year Festival. The Flower Street operated 14 hours per day on average, with its peak-time taking place from 2 to 3 pm every day, he said. A system of cameras installed along both sides of the street enabled traffic police to watch the traffic situation and deal with congestion in time. Thanks to the great effort of security guards, the number of flower thefts on the street was reduced by 50 percent compared to last year, Viet said. After sanitary workers completed their clean up of the area, the street re-opened for normal traffic at 6 am today. Along with the flower street, nearby Le Loi street, which was were turned into a … [Read more...] about Nguyen Hue Flower Street welcomes over 1 mln visitors
Two major projects under construction in Thua Thien Hue
A ground-breaking ceremony for two major projects to build the LaGuna-Hue eco-tourism area and the Saigon-Chan May industrial and customs duty free park was held in the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone on August 1 in the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The 280-hectare LaGuna-Hue eco-tourism area is built in Thua Thien Hue's Loc Vinh commune and Phu Loc district at a total cost of more than US$800 million with the Real Estate Investment Company Banyan Tree Indochina Hospitality Fund as investor. Once completed, the resort will provide around 2,000 guest rooms at seven hotels, high-quality apartments, spa, bar, restaurant and retail areas, and other recreational facilities. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2012. To prepare for the project, Thua Thien Hue has recently invested in developing transport infrastructure facilities and enhancing land clearance work. In his speech, Mr Dung praised the province's efforts to boost … [Read more...] about Two major projects under construction in Thua Thien Hue