News and Advertising's Blog

Daily-News: Tet Holiday

HCM City adds 500 coaches for Tet

The HCM City Public Transport Operation and Management Centre will add 500 more coaches to the fleet from February 4- 23 to meet demand during Tet holiday (Lunar New Year).

Of the figure, 300 coaches will be provided for Mien Dong Coach Station, 100 for Mien Tay Coach Station and the remaining for other stations in the city. Every station will establish its own management group to serve passengers and solve problems around the clock during peak days.

Nhan Dan (The People)

Shrimp farmers report good yields

Nearly 80 per cent of shrimp farmers saw profits in 2009 as damage to farms was at the lowest level in the last five years, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Compared to the second half of 2008, shrimp prices remained stable, from VND125,000 – 140,000 (US$6.57 – $7.36) per kilogram. VASEP also said most of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces were currently short of raw shrimp.

Lao Dong (Labour)

Price of 500 products increased in December

The prices of about 500 consumer goods in HCM City’s supermarkets and markets increased in December, according to the HCM City Market Management Bureau. Food and beverages rose by 5-10 per cent compared to November, while household products rose by 2-3 per cent.

The bureau checked prices randomly in the markets in an aim to avoid unnecessary hikes before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

Tuoi Tre (Youth)

January 6, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

Daily-News: Contest seeks to create VN dance

A lack of traditional dances has prompted a choreography contest.

Join in: Tourists dance with ethnic people in mua sap (dance with bamboo poles) at a festival in northern province of Lao Cai. Mua sap, which is a traditional dance of the Thai people, is a typical dance of the northern provinces. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

HA NOI — The city’s Dancers Association has launched a competition to choreograph a typical Vietnamese dance.

The main purpose of the competition is to create a dance featuring traditional moves while being easy for people to perform.

The same competition was held in 1988 and nine dances won top prizes, which were performed at some subsequent events but were then gradually forgotten.

“In the past we had some dances that were nameless and died,” said People’s Artist Ung Duy Thinh. “That’s why the most important thing is not the composition or the music, but how to maintain it and develop it throughout the community.”

Thinh further said that he had also helped organise a competition for composing ten dances for military forces. The dances were popular at first, but they faded quickly.

Thinh warned that the dancing community should be careful not to make the same mistake again.

“A Vietnamese dance is like a new product, which should have its own consumers and time to be popularised among the community,” said dancer Ly Van Phuc, “As in business, we should invest properly in advertising while practising and maintaining the dances to make them come alive.”

Many dancers shared the same point of view that Vietnamese people, in general, do not have any typical dances.

Various dances of ethnic minority groups have been used at cultural events like mua sap (dance with bamboo poles) of Thai ethnic groups, dance with gongs of ethnic groups in central highlands and the dance with a bamboo flute of the Mong ethnic group.

Today’s youth in cities prefer hiphop, salsa and ballroom dancing. — VNS

January 6, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

Daily-News: Many opportunities for renewable energy

HCM CITY— Economic development in Viet Nam poses a possible threat to the environment but it offers plenty of opportunities for producers of renewable energy like wind and solar power, delegates told a forum on sustainability held in HCM City last weekend.

Associate Prof Dr Le Quang Minh, vice president of the Viet Nam National University said at the Sustainability Forum, “However, it is critical we work together in a smooth and collaborative process, and learn from best practices, to accomplish sustainability goals.”

A perfect model for sustainable development is economic growth accompanied by preservation of nature and limited pollution thanks to public awareness and supportive policies from the Government.

Minh illustrated the fact that economic growth has badly impacted 10 of Viet Nam’s 16 river systems as well as people in large cities among whom diseases caused by pollution have doubled in the last three years.

But renewable energy has a lot of potential in the country, especially wind and solar energy, since it has a 3,000-km coastline.

“One thing we need is good policies from the Government that encourage all economic sectors to use renewable energy,” he added.

Prof Dr Le Huy Ba of the Technology Science and Environment Institute at HCM City’s Technology University warned that Viet Nam still needs economic growth to mitigate hunger and poverty and policies should also focus on that.

“Raising awareness of environmental protection among people is another important task,” he added.

The director of HCM City’s Science and Technology Department, Phan Minh Tan, said in recent times the city has adopted technologies for environmental protection and generating renewable energy.

“Science and technology will continue to play an important role in boosting development and making it sustainable,” he added.

Carl Lukach, President DuPont East Asia, a US-based scientific products and services company, who took part in the forum, claimed: “DuPont has embarked on safety and environmental protection for decades, before sustainability became an important subject in the business world.”

“We have products and technologies under development that can help Viet Nam achieve its sustainable development goals,” he said. — VNS

January 6, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

Best-Tourism: Villagers climb on tourism bandwagon

Intriguing destination: Local residents now participate in serving tourists to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoai Nam

Natural heritage: Foreign visitors have a good time to explore jungle and rivers in the National Park. — VNS Photo

Jungle explorers: Foreign and domestic tourists walk on the path to explore the National Park. — VNA/VNS Photo Hong Hoa

Phong Nha Cave: One of a series of such landforms scattered throughout the beautiful destination of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

National park a scenic and wildlife wonder

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, 500km south of Ha Noi, is one of 200 bio-diversity centres in the world. The park also contains two of Viet Nam’s 60 bird sanctuaries.

The park spans two districts of Bo Trach and Minh Hoa and is located in a 200,000ha limestone mountain region. The park’s central area covers 85,754ha, its surrounding area covers 195,400ha. Son Doong Cave, which is considered the largest cave in the world at 5km long, 200m high and 150m wide, was discovered there in April.

American agency “Counterpart” helps residents in central Quang Binh Province link with tourism to improve their household economy and protect natural resources. Tran To Nhu explores the site.

Like many other families in Chay Lap Village in the central province of Quang Binh, Pham Khai, 62, and his family once depended a lot on the local jungles for survival.

Residing in the vicinity of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Khai and his children would often cut tree branches to sell as firewood in the free time between harvests to make extra money. Many people in his village took precious timber from the forest to sell to furniture makers, as well.

This problem went on until early 2009, when Counterpart International Viet Nam, an American non-governmental organisation (NGO), began to implement a community-based tourism programme in Phuc Trach Commune, Bo Trach District in March. Khai’s family and several others have benefited from the programme, which focuses on building guest houses in local homes. The aim is to preserve the natural heritage by creating a way for people near the National Park to earn a living.

From the programme, Khai and his children learned some of the necessary skills to serve tourists. They were also lent VND300 million (US$15,390) by the programme to help get them going, a huge sum that they had never dreamt of before.

Khai’s family built a 50sq.m guest house with the funds. Visitors have the opportunity to experience life on a farm by participating in farm chores such as ploughing fields by leading buffaloes, and planting and harvesting vegetables with their own hands.

Counterpart offered several training courses to ensure quality customer service for guests, including a cooking class. Now Khai and his children have jobs so they no longer need to exploit firewood from the forest.

Since March Khai’s family has welcomed 200 domestic and international guests. By providing lodging and breakfast, the family earns VND143,000 per night from each visitor.

This project is a pilot for community-based tourism in Quang Binh Province. Villagers in Chay Lap Village recently built two wooden guest houses and a communal house to host new visitors. Locals have purchased ten tandem bicycles so that tourists can enjoy a leisurely ride along the nearby Ho Chi Minh Trail and the scenic Mooc stream.

Hoang Ngoc Loi, deputy chairman of Phuc Trach Commune, also head of the Phuc Trach Community-based Tourism Management Board, says that although 80 per cent of Vietnamese people live in rural areas, there are not many opportunities for foreign tourists to explore and learn about life in the countryside.

“By visiting Chay Lap, which is quite a distance from other popular tourist destinations in Viet Nam, foreign visitors will have the opportunity to experience real Vietnamese life,” he says.

“One important thing to note is that tourists will feel welcome in the local community, as the people in Central Viet Nam are very hospitable. The combination of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park’s mountains, jungles, and the famous systems of caves and rivers all create a relaxing atmosphere for visitors to enjoy a good rest in Chay Lap,” he says.

Traditional gardens are well tended, and the houses are properly maintained. Behind many of the homes orchards, pepper gardens and livestock thrive.

A Danish visitor, Indius Petersen Jutland Press, says the environment here is gorgeous:

“The air is fresh and all of the services are fine,” he says. “I have especially enjoyed the chance to see how farmers live. And of course, I’ve enjoyed having a rest.”

This is the first time in his life that Indius has acted like a real farmer. Early in the morning he leads a buffalo to the fields to plough, then he picks vegetables to bring home to prepare his daily meal.

“I will never forget these days here in the village,” he says with a smile.

Vietnamese visitor Khuc Thanh Thuy from Ha Noi says the first feeling her family experienced when they arrived in the village was peace.

“Local residents are so honest, simple and hospitable. Our hosts received us with such warmth. We joined their activities to experience life on the farm; our children learned how to be farmers. Since they were born in the city, this was a chance for them to see buffaloes, chickens and pigs with their own eyes. They also had a chance to pet the animals after they planted and harvested vegetables. Before, they only knew about these things from books,” she says.

A memorandum of understanding to develop tourism activities in the area was recently signed between the People’s Committees in local communes and tour companies including Asia Voyage, Buffalo Tours, Handspan Adventure and Huong Giang Wild Lotus. According to the MOU, they will co-operate for one year.

Counterpart receives direct funding from the US Department of Agriculture. It began operations in Viet Nam in 1996 with the launch of health care projects which provided medical equipment to more than 20 cities and provinces at a total cost of more than US$9 million. It also established first aid services in six provinces, aids victims of natural calamities, helps control accidents and educates people about traffic safety in provinces and large cities.

Along with its health care activities, Counterpart is implementing a $1 million project to develop agriculture and small enterprises in Quang Binh Province.

Job creation

Counterpart co-ordinates with the provincial Women’s Association to help families in the vicinity of the National Park find new jobs to improve their incomes to replace the need for exploitation of natural resources.

Hoang Thi Hong Sen, manager of the Counterpart programme, says forest products were considered key to the livelihoods for most households near Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

“Local residents do not have many sustainable jobs to take the place of timber and animal exploitation from forests, which they must do to supplement their income from farming.

“Therefore, Counterpart helps families find jobs to replace natural resource exploitation by raising local people’s business skills and production techniques,” she says.

Based on its initial results, from June 2007 Counterpart has continued to expand the project to many other communes in Bo Trach District with the aim of creating a financial foundation for the households living around the National Park, to contribute to preserving one of special natural heritage of the world. — VNS

January 5, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

Daily-News: Bio-diversity plan to curb impact of climate change

Ca Mau Cape in the south of Viet Nam is helping to alleviate climate change, say experts. — VNA/VNS Photo Le Huy Hai

HCM CITY — The bio-diversity conservation plan for the southern coastal provinces is expected to reduce impact of climate change to the region, according to experts.

Government experts and citizens of three Mekong coastal provinces examined the impact of climate change on their provinces at a forum organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at the end of last month.

Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang, situated at the mouth of the Mekong River, are rich in alluvium, mangrove, and other bio-diversity, and have enormous economic potential, making the impacts of climate change potentially more devastating.

The 65 participants at the “Climate change adaptation in the Mekong delta region” forum held in Tra Vinh discussed how to draft internationally-recognized proposals for bio-diversity conservation for the three provinces, examined new production methods as part of a conservation and protection plan, and considered the creation of one overarching climate-change management plan for the region.

“Under the impact of climate change, the wet season is arriving later than previous years and the water level is also lower. It directly affects the harvesting schedule of farmers in the region,” Trine Glue Doan, governance&climate change advisor to the WWF Viet Nam Country Programme, said.

The bio-diversity conservation plan for the coastal provinces will benefit the whole region.

“The plan will connect the region to the bio-diversity conservation of Ca Mau, Can Gio, and Kien Giang to give the Mekong delta a much stronger defence against natural calamities such as storms and sea-level rise,” WWF freshwater officer Hoang Viet added.

Tran Van Tu of the Can Tho Science and Technology Association added that officials and inhabitants should learn to adapt to climate change in each region.

“We have been destroying our bio-diversity through incorrect exploitation and production methods. If we can improve our management capacity, we can not only increase our GDP but also contribute to bio-diversity conservation,” he said.

The three provinces are expected to receive further information for drafting suitable action plans against climate change.

The forum was organised with support from the Viet Nam-based environmental agency Man and the Biosphere, Can Tho University, and Can Tho city’s Science and Technology Association. — VNS

January 5, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

Best-Tourism: Restaurant better than its reputation

Willing workers: The staff at Son Thuy serves you enthusiastically and professionally. — VNS Photos Xuan Hiep

One of the specialties: Grilled “false fox” meat, prepared with pork, served with shrimp paste and lemon and chilli. — VNS Photo

Restaurant: Son Thuy

Add: 159 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, HCM City

Hours: 10:00am until late at night

Tel: 08 9303864

Prices: From VND30,000 (US$1.5)

Comment: Fresh seafood, excellent service and affordable prices.

Live, jumping shrimp at your table, fresh from the tank! Xuan Hiep discovers an eating place that has a menu full of specialties, and he’ll be back.

It was a lovely Sunday, HCM City felt breezy and cool, and New Year’s Day was just five days away.

City dwellers were out on their motorbikes along downtown streets, rubber-necking at the colourful Christmas decorations. But my family and I preferred to say good-bye to the old year in a stationary position, sitting at a relaxing restaurant.

After pondering our choice of restaurant, we finally decided on Son Thuy where we enjoyed most of its special offerings.

Located in a garden villa on Vo Van Tan Street in HCM City’s District 3, Son Thuy Restaurant is near the city centre. Opened two years ago, it has become a magnet for diners because of its variety of fresh seafood.

Its lovely bamboo roof is simply designed and strewn with lights. Mellow music played and the cosy atmosphere eased our weary, big-city souls. We decided to eat in the alfresco space, although air-conditioned rooms are available.

There are also 14 special “VIP” air-conditioned rooms that offer more elaborate services, which cost an extra 10 per cent.

We noticed that the staff of 50 waiters and waitresses serve guests enthusiastically and professionally.

When we sat down to eat, my family and I couldn’t wait to order the heo gia chon nuong (grilled “false fox” meat prepared with pork), served with shrimp paste with lemon and chilli, a dish suggested by a friend of mine. Diners eat the meat with a variety of herbs, and have the option of using soy sauce instead of shrimp paste.

But patience is required as it takes half an hour to grill the pork.

“We ensure that the pork is deliciously crispy but not overdone,” said the restaurant’s manager Nguyen Chinh Luan.

Priced at VND120,000 (US$6), the dish is one of the restaurant’s specialties, Luan said.

We also ordered pigeon and steamed glutinous rice, priced at VND70,000 ($3.5).

Luan told us that the pigeon was steamed, sliced, covered with a spice mix, and then mixed with the rice. The presentation was interesting, as the chef placed the grilled pigeon’s head and legs around the mound of glutinous rice.

Luan said the pigeon and steamed glutinous rice should be served with sesame salt, but I preferred it with soy sauce.

At Son Thuy, we also found the Mai fish salad especially delicious. The fish has no blood and can be eaten uncooked. To enhance the flavour, we squeezed fresh lemon over the top.

Priced at VND95,000 ($4.8), the Mai fish salad is served with rice paper, rice vermicelli and a variety of herbs. The fish, vermicelli and herbs are rolled up to look like a spring roll. Cheesy soy sauce is a good accompaniment.

Luan guarantees that the freshest seafood is served. This was evident when we saw the staff choose the live shellfish and fish directly from a glass tank.

Most special of all is the Son Thuy mermaid hot pot. All the abalone, scallops, salmon, shrimp and squid are artfully placed in a mermaid-shaped wooden tray. The shrimp are still alive and jump up and down, which whets the appetite.

The seafood is placed in a hotpot broth made with XO sauce, a spicy seafood sauce made of roughly chopped dried seafood such as scallops, dried fish and shrimp cooked with chilli, onion, garlic and oil.

Nguyen Thi Yen Nga, a regular partron, said, “I love the mermaid hotpot here because I feel like we are eating near the ocean!”

The eatery also serves purely traditional Vietnamese dishes, like green bananas, tofu and seafood, an authentic meal cooked in the northern style, with prices ranging from VND145,000 ($13). The dish is widely chosen by diners because of the special taste made by northern chefs.

My family and I ended our weekend pleased with the delicious food and excellent service. The restaurant will be on our list of special places to revisit. — VNS

January 5, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

Recipe: Grilled Lamb Rib

with Executive Vietnamese Chef Bui Tan Loi of Rex Hotel in HCM City

Escape from the crowds and enjoy this dish alone during the weekend. If you want quality food, Chef Loi says this is a great dish and easy to prepare.

Ingredients: for one

Lamb rib: 220g

Rosemary: 0.2g

Thyme: 0.2g

Minced garlic: 0.2g

Minced onion: 0.2g

Potato, tomato, Western yellow and green melons, green bell and yellow bell pepper (one of each).

Salt, pepper, olive oil, butter, white and red wine.

Method:

Mix the lamb with thyme leaves and 1/2 minced rosemary leaf, olive oil, and minced garlic for about 15 minutes. After that, bake the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Rosemary sauce: Stir-fry the minced onion with butter until it turns yellow. Add a little red wine to the mixture for about five minutes. Then put 1/2 of the rosemary leaves in, heat for five minutes, and add more butter to make the sauce more dense.

Side dish:

Steam and mash potatoes with a little milky cream.

Cut potatoes, Western melon, bell pepper into 1cm cubes, then stir-fry with white wine for about five minutes until well done. Aadd some ketchup and salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a grilled lamb rib on a big plate, ganish with rosemary sauce on top of the greens.

Many Vietnamese, particularly children, like the dish served hot with steamed rice or pieces of bread.

You can enjoy the dish at the hotel’s Rose Garden Restaurant, 141 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1. For reservations, call (08) 38228380

January 5, 2010 Posted by sarah84vn | Blogroll | | No Comments Yet

« Previous Entries