Festival of Ao Dai (Long Dress Festival) in Vietnam

Vietnam's Long Dress Festival that honours the gracefulness of Vietnam's traditional dress will be taking place in Ho Chi Minh City in three weeks starting from March 3 to 25, 2018. The festival with a theme "the Charmfulness of Vietnam's Long Dress" would like to send a message to the public that I love Vietnam's Ao Dai (Long Dress).

The highlight of this event is to offer Vietnamese traditional dress to girls, women in the field of education, rural areas to promote the traditional icon of Vietnam. People will have a long dress made at many spots that have been established to make long dresses.

One of the interesting points in this festival, at the Tan Son Nhat Airport, international passengers will be offered vouchers to make long dress free of charge, take photos of long dresses on themselves.

The central point of this fifth annual festival is a parade of 3000 participants in plentiful colour dresses. It is one of the city's activities to promote the tourism in Ho Chi Minh City.

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U Minh Forest, Ca Mau Province

U Minh Forest is a large mangrove forest and home to endangered mammals including hairy-nose otters and fishing cats and 187 bird species. It is also a hide-out for Vietnamese resistants in the American War. These fortresses caused lots of difficulties for the America-backed army. That's why the American army used chemical defoliation in this region that endangered seriously the forest.

Over the time, the rain washed out dioxin from the forest to the sea. The greenage is returning. The local people grow eucalyptus trees as they are dioxin-resistant.

Unfortunately, the forest has been destroyed due to clearing for shrimp farming ponds, charcoal production and woodchipping.

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Da Lat in the Cherry Blossom

Da Lat City attracts the interest from tourists in the cherry blossom in these months. Its climate is as much mild as the one in western countries. At the end of December and beginning of January is a window of opportunity for tourism in this city.

However, a flow of tourists in this city creates a raise of rates in restaurants, hotels that causes the inconvenience for tourists. Some quarrels between service or agency owners have to be solved at the police station. It also affects the tourist image of this city.

In some songs, Dalat is described as a city of dream due to the beauty of nature, a city in a forest. But it is in the past. Nowadays, The process of urbanization deprives the city of the greenage. It should be a despair for those who come back to Dalat to remind of their childish memory about this city. Today's Dalat is quite different.

For more photos about Dalat City, please click here.

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Photographic Gallery of Rehahn

This is one of the photographic selection of Rehahn, a French photographer, who travelled across Vietnam to capture people he met on his journey.

Rehahn's photographic gallery in Hoi An Ancient Town hooked the attention from local people and expats. Lissa La Londe, an American, said she had seen some wild animals in Vietnam and these pictures reminded her of visits to Vietnam where she was welcome with the Vietnamese's hospitality. she bought a photo depicting a married couple of two old people that represent their happiness on their faces. She hoped she and her husband enjoyed as same the happiness as this couple does.

This gallery attracted 1,500 people to register on social media Facebook. On the day, visitors took long lines in the showroom. The topic of the exhibition is Couleur d'Asie (Colour of Asia) that collects all pieces of work Rehahn realized for five years in Vietnam.

Pham Van Trang, coming from Binh Duong Province, said each piece of work represented the soul of a character in a photograph that he had a feeling from the eyes of characters.

If you are interested in more photos, please click here.

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Dam Ngang Island, Phu Quoc

Dam Ngang, one of the top attractions in Phu Quoc Island, owns ravishingly beautiful coral reefs and turquoise water. You will find an untouched beach with dazzling white sand.

If you want to see plentiful coral reefs here while swimming, face down to the bottom of the water. The ecosystem of coral reefs consists of 17 categories and many kinds of anemones.

An above photo depicts some huge rocks as figures of an animal against the setting of sunset. Dam Ngang offers windows of opportunities for you to take moments of relaxation in the beauty of nature.

Phu Quoc Island Archipelago is considered as a paradise of tourism in Vietnam. In a tour here, you have an opportunity to visit a historical prison that built in the wartime, fish sauce producing firms whose products are Vietnam's iconic goods.

If you want to travel in Phu Quoc Island Archipelago through a photographic selection, please click here

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Tra Su Forest, Chau Doc

If you visit Tra Su Forest, you will find a variety of colourful birds and other animals such as storks, bats, turtles, and snakes. It is interesting to take a rowing boat, motorboat or go on foot. In addition, spanning carpets of water lettuce are so dense that people have a feeling of surfing on green fields. 

Chau Doc is home to Cham, Kmer, and Chinese communities, just a few kilometres from Campuchian border. That explains Chau Doc inherits the diversity of culture and offers tourists an opportunity to learn about its multiple cultures. People live in floating houses and live on fish farming or freshwater shrimp cultivating.

For more photos. please click here

Conic Hats

Two images on conic hats seen from above depict two persons eating a specialty dish. An idea drawing on conic hats is appreciated in promoting Vietnam as a destination of tourism. A conic hat represents an icon of Vietnam. Many foreign tourists buy it as a souvenir when making a tour in Vietnam.

This is an idea of a Korean member of SSEAYP (the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program) when going to Vietnam in this program. This program is to create an exchange between Japan and 10 ASEAN countries in Southeast Asia starting back in 1974 to establish the friendship and solidarity.

The above photo is one of the photographic selection realized by members of SSEAYP. The members captured lifestyle, culture, and people in three regions: the South, Middle of Vietnam and North. This selection is highly appreciated by relevant authorities in terms of tourist promotion.

If you are interested in more photos of conic hats, please click here.

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Rice Fields captured from above

An image of rice fields captured from above looks like a picture of mosaic. This is one of the pieces of work that participated in the photographic contest organized from 20 - 22 October in Hanoi. This competition hooked the attention of young photographers who have passions for photography.

The contest depicts the beauty of nature, culture, and people. In each a photo, the author wants to convey their messages towards Vietnam. It is a sort of the tourist promotion to introduce Vietnam to not only local people but also international tourists.

The competition presented 50 pieces of work of 30 young-generation professionals that come from across Vietnam. Most of them live in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This is a window of opportunity for professionals to express their talent in this art field.

For more photos, click here

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Miss Vietnam H'Hen Nie

In a beauty contest that was held on January 6, 2018, in Hanoi, H'Hen Nie was crowned as Vietnam's Beauty Queen. This is first-ever an ethnic minority girl who is selected in the final contest. 

The crowning of H'hen Nie is an inspiration for ethnic minority people whose custom is to get married very early. H'hen Nie refused an early marriage as her parents' wish and left her homeland for a city. She succeeded in an entrance examination into a college of economics and pursue her educational path. Her success in this competition is a mirror to encourage ethnic minority people to crack down an early marriage custom to study.

In an interview, H'hen said we would achieve what we desire or wish. This saying comes from her heart. 

If you are interested in more photos about the beauty contest, click here.

A photo of Thanh Nien Online 

Hang En Cave, Quang Binh Province

Hang En Cave is a must in your trip trekking in a visit to Quang Binh Province. Get off beaten roads and experience an outdoor adventure on your holiday trip. The first condition for you to join this kind of trip is you get fit enough to be able to walk 12 miles during a two-day period. You have to carry gears on your shoulder while going through a humid and hot jungle. A pleasure you find here is sleeping in a camp, eating food cooked on firewood by local people. You may feel inconvenient to live separately from the world as you are disconnecting with your friends, family member via phone, internet or living without electricity, running water even you are blood sucked by leeches.

If you endure these minor hassles, you are paid off by exploring a wonderful and unforgettable trip into the most beautiful cave in the world.   

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Homestay in Dalat City

Hotels in Dalat City often run out of rooms on big holidays or room rates go high that causes inconvenience for international and local tourists. Another kind of accommodation business that comes up is homestay.

The rate of homestay is affordable. It helps clients particularly international tourists have opportunities to learn more about a lifestyle of inhabitants in Dalat City.

The area of homestay arises from the center of city to the suburban. The ideal renting is to lease the whole house that includes two or three twin rooms. The well-known homestay is La Nha, Le Bleu, The Hobbit, Tre, Indigo, Xom, Cui...The rate is USD 10 per night.

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A Dairy Farm in Dalat City

This is a dairy farm in Da Lat City. In November and December, tourists will visit to see sunflowers fields. During this visit, tourists are invited to go through a process of manufacturing fresh milk and yoghurts. Visitors who want to come should have an ID card on hand.

The farm is in Don Duong District. If you want to go, from the center of Da Lat City you take National road 20 in the direction of Du Trong District around 25 km, then meet the intersection Bong Lai, turn left, go 10 km, you will see the farm.

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Lap An Lagoon, Da Nang City

Lap An Lagoon stretches from the foot of Phu Gia Pass to Hai Van Estuary. In addition to small roads surrounding this lagoon, tourists find a huge magnificent Bach Ma Mountain (White Horse Mountain). This is an ideal place for photographic amateurs or professionals. The good time for this pleasure is from March to June when the sun is shining.

Lap An Lagoon is also a habitat for aquatic plants and many animals which includes oysters that have high nutrient values. It is a favourite food by tourists. Lagoon residents call it "jewel of heaven" and live on feeding and selling oysters.

Currently, the lagoon is approved to build a walking street which consists of six areas such as tree area, water part, performance area, art fountain, eateries and marina club.

With an impressive plan of tourist development of this site, the lagoon should be a must in a holiday trip.

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Ecosystem Reserve in Cu Chi Tunnel

Cu Chi Tunnel is well known for a network of underground tunnels which were used by Vietnamese militia to fight against the US-backed army during a war. Nowadays, it is used as a holiday destination for local and international tourists to explore the war history of Vietnamese communists. During a tour in the underground tunnels, tourists have meals of cassava and sweet potatoes fighters had at that time.

A photo above depicts a community house where the ethnic minority group Cu Chi uses for their cultural purposes. Tourists find many kinds of entertainment here such as fishing, horse riding, duck catching, and sailing.

Cu Chi Tunnel is not far from Ho Chi Minh City, about 45 km northwest Ho Chi Minh City.

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Dam Trau Beach, Con Dao Island

Dam Trau Beach is little known as a holiday destination for local and international tourists. It sits in Con Dao Island where movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent their holidays along with their adopted children. Their presence hooked the attention of the public and is a kind of promotional way. Their holiday spending here ensures the attraction of this island.

Thanks to the strict management of the local authorities, Dam Trau Beach still retain primitive although there exist fine resorts which look down at the dazzling beige soft sand and turquoise waters. The water around here stays calm that is for young families to spend their new year holidays.

The beach that is bathing in the sunshine along with a fragrant aroma of eaglewood brings to the relaxation to tourists.   

From April to October, people witness hundreds of tortoises come up to the coast to lay their eggs. Workers of the reserve centre incubate tortoise's eggs and release them into waters.

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Sapa resort

Sapa is well-known as a holiday destination for international and local tourists. On season's greetings, flocks of people pour in here to enjoy the same cold climate as that in western countries. There is no place where tourists meet a diversity of ethnic minority people in Vietnam. This population lives on slash and burn culture. Since the tourism has been developed here, more people change their livelihood into tourist business. Some become tourist guides with a level of English that makes themselves understood.

A photo of Sapa resort illustrates a level of the tourist development in Sapa. Bungalows look down on endlessly expanding forests.

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Buffalo fighting in Hanoi

The year of 2017 is coming to an end is the time when many local authorities in Vietnam are organizing many traditional festivals to welcome the coming of the New Year. Some are deserved to retain because they remind the young generation of their history, and culture that this population will ignore due to the invasion of western culture. Others should be eradicated because of the violence, cruelty, for instance, buffalo fightings are often held in North Vietnam for entertainment.

In 2018, Hanoi City Authorities will not issue any licence to buffalo fightings. This is a success of animal-protecting people. The buffalo fighting is criticized by international and domestic civil society associations.

However, this festival still happens in some provinces, particularly in North Vietnam.

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Hoi An Ancient Town welcomes the New Year

In these days, Hoi An Ancient Town is preparing a festival to welcome the New Year. Every household decorates their front houses with domestically hand-made lanterns. The city government designs a model of early 20th-century Hoi An where domestic and international tourists explore a quiet Hoi An.

The local authorities organize the performance of art groups along main streets to present traditional culture. The business of vendors and peddlers is banned to yield their space for this festival and the traffic is not prohibited in some street. The city will cut off the electricity in some places.

On the eve of the New Year, tourists feel a calm Hoi An without the sound of modern music, lights of services or business operation.

Lighting in households is encouraged to use lantern instead of fluorescent lights on that night. On the Hoai River, there are no motorboats but tourists paddles on the river to enjoy the romance of the city. 
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Isle Cham, Phan Thiet City

Isle Cham is around 1.5 km, thus it takes nearly one hour to walk. This isle seems to separate from Phan Thiet City and still remains primitive. There is not an electric grid system, the isle sinks in the blackout every night. Solar energy appliances are commonly used in this area.

The ideal time to travel here is from May to September when there is no storm, the sea is calm with turquoise water and breezes.

To explore this isle, a tourist takes a bus from Lien Huong or Ca Na Townships. There is not a hotel but two restaurants where tourists order seafood and vegetable.

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Dalat City is a must on season's greetings

Dalat City is a destination for international and domestic tourists at the end of the year as its climate is mild. Tis an "Enropean" city in Vietnam due to its climate. The city organizes a festival of flowers to welcome the coming year and tourists as well. There are activities of culture and art on these days to hook the attention of people across the country.

However, a flow of people pours into the city that makes the rise of hotel and service rates. The price mounts but the service descents. The result is that many complaints about the city after each event arise.

If you want to see more photos, click here.

Photo of  VN Express online