Flower Street Nguyen Hue crowded with a sea of visitors

Every time the Lunar New Year comes at the corner, the city administration of Ho Chi Minh City is busy organising flower street Nguyen Hue with various themes that have been designed by the winner of an annual contest.

This festival started on 13 February 2018 ( 28 December of the lunar calendar). The sea of visitors pours into the street to do selfies to post their social media tools to share impressive photos.

The mascot of this festival is the dog as it is the year of the dog. Many dog models are designed to display at the event. The first day hooked a huge participation of visitors that caused thefts and robberies, although the city authorities deploy a troupe of hundreds of policemen and disguised policemen to retain the security in this fair.

For more photos about this event, please click here.

The photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Calligraphy Fair in Hanoi

When the Lunar New Year or Tet is coming at the corner, a calligrapher, clad in a black dress and turban, appears in a calligraphy fair in Hanoi.

Tet is a time to decorate the house, a long-standing tradition passing down from generation to generation in Vietnam. Some want Chinese or Vietnamese characters to hang one or two pieces of paper in a living room whose meanings include best wishes giving to readers good things for the whole new year.

This practice is one of the long-standing traditions that the Vietnamese should retain. Nowadays, the computer has exerted a great influence upon students. Handwriting seems to be less used that enables a student's writing to be bad. Encouraging a student to learn how to write the calligraphy is a thing parents should think of.

The photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

A Girl In Traditional Dress poses for Tet Photo

In present days, young people pour out into the downtown whose flower streets are organised to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Flower blossom represents the coming of spring or a new source of energy in life. It is the time young people, girls and boys, in new tradition dresses, pose for Tet photos.

The flower street Nguyen Hue will be open to the public from 13 to 19 February 2018 (from 28 of Lunar December to 4 of Lunar January). This year, Phu Quoc dog becomes a mascot as it is intelligent, bold, and agile.

For more photos, please click here.

The photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Moc Chau in Prune Blossom Season

Winter coming to an end in Moc Chau is the time Mong ethnic minority people prepare their houses for the upcoming Tet, the Lunar New Year. It is the time endlessly spanning prune fields are sinking white. Mong people work in rice fields all year round to earn their living, but they set farming work aside to spend time visiting their relatives, friends on 3 first days of the Lunar New Year. According to their tradition, Tet includes three days that are their days off in which they organise celebrating activities for the coming of new year.

The above photo depicts a community of Mong People living in the middle of prune fields that become white in winter.

For more photos about Moc Chau Province, click here.

The photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Sapa in Snow

Sapa now is hit by snow that puts much influence on inhabitants' living and livelihood. Many schools shut down due to harsh weather and daily activities have to be ceased.

Sapa is home to many local ethnic minority people who don't live centre areas but hamlets scattering in remote villages in Sapa districts. They live on the intense farming method on slopping terrace instead of slash and burnt agriculture in the past.

Thanks to the growth of tourism, they can speak English fluently. Tourists may have free tourist ethnic minority guides in their tours in return, they have to buy some of their handicraft.

The Photo Courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Vietnam's Traditional Tet

Nowadays, we are too busy earning our livelihood to feed our family that we pay attention to traditional festivals. Thus, many have sunk into oblivion. However, Tet, the Lunar New Year, still remains at the heart of the Vietnamese. We have devoted our time to business all the year round but we still spend time enjoying Tet that is a window of opportunity to reunite family members. Though working or living far away, they all come to their home village to visit their relatives, next door friends to share thoughts and confidence after a year. This is a sacred meaning of Tet that should be retained and transferred from generation to generation.

On the days prior to Tet, people make Banh Chung (Sticky Rice Cake) that includes sticky rice, pork, and banana leaves. This is one of  Tet's icons.

On the last day of the previous year, people pour out into the market to buy foods to make the offering on the first days of the Lunar New Year to welcome the spirits of ancestors who join the family's reunification. Tet is also a chance for clothing new dresses to go to churches for Catholic, Protestant, or Christain, pagodas for Buddhists. Children will receive lucky money from their parents, old people.

Photo Courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Vietjet Airlines created PR crisis by bikini party for Vietnam's U23 football team

Vietjet is an airliner to carry Vietnam's U23 football team back to Vietnam from China after impressive continuous wins in the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) tournament. Vietnamese team was seen as an underdog for most qualified teams in a group such as Korea, Socceroo, and Syria. However, they made a great effort for each and every match in a preliminary round, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. Unfortunately, they lost Uzbekistan in the final.

On the flight back to the homeland, Vietjet threw a party of the bikini. Some models dress bikini, touching and posing for photos with players, making the public raise eyebrows on this PR event. Unfortunately, these posts made a critical hit on social media. The public criticizes it as a disregarded act for football heroes who have made a historical performance. Others said Vietjet Airline staff should clothe Ao Dai (long dress), Vietnam's traditional dress, that highlights its brand values. Some went off the rail to body shame by calling model "fat".

In the past, Vietjet Airlines caused some scandals such as a sexy calendar of bikini models. At the moment, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports are investigating the case.

The photo courtesy of VN Express

I have never witnessed such a celebration of a failure in the football tournament.

The return of Vietnam's U23 football team was welcomed by the public across the country. The team was hailed by a 30-km line of football fans standing along two sides of streets from the airport to the heart of the capital after their impressive wins in the AFC U23 contest which the Vietnamese team has first-ever participated in, but they created a hit in print, online media and other social media platforms.

The Vietnamese team was seen as an underdog in this prize. Its group included three football giants: Korea, Socceroos, and Syria. In the first match, they lost the Korean team 2-1. After that, they won the Socceroos 1-0 that made a hit in Vietnam, were in a draw with the Syrian. In the quarter-round, they won Iraq in penalties and in the semi-round, they also won the Qatari in penalties, storming the final. Last, they lost Uzbekistan 1-2 that made their football fan cry a river.

It is a hit in Vietnam because this is the first time the Vietnamese football team came to this round and won a silver medal. When seeing crowds celebrate their team's match in the final, a foreign tourist uttered: "I have never witnessed such a celebration of a loss in the football contest.

The photo courtesy of VN Express.

Who dare to make a tour in Hoi An Ancient Town

While visiting Hoi An Ancient Town along with his group of friends, a French tourist was attacked by a group of motorcyclists. He was hospitalized and had 11 stitches on his wounded head. 

An owner of a hotel in Hoi An Ancient Town related that this tourist checked out on 27 January in a status of painfulness and illness. 

At 12 am on 25 January, he went out for a drink with his friends. A motorcyclist drove him to a bar. When he took money out of his wallet, some motorcyclists attacked him to rob his money. At the same time, this gangster robbed money from his group of friends. Fortunately, his group was more crowded, thus, the gangster failed the robbery. 

After a drink, they left the bar and met the gangster outside again. This time, the gangster had a larger number of people than his group. They attacked his group with helmets. 

This is a shame for the tourism in Hoi An. In addition to this, owners of services as restaurants, hotels apply cutting throat rates to tourists. This is a warning for international and local tourists who are planning a tour in this city. 

The photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online  

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO recognized world heritage and a must in most of the tours in Vietnam. Ha Long features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and size.

Ha Long means a descending dragon. According to a local history, Vietnam started developing the country, invaders came to occupy part of the territory. They had to encounter Vietnam's resistance. To assist Vietnam to fight against its enemy, God sent a family of dragons as protectors in this war. Dragons spat out jewels and jades which later turned into islands and islets dotting the bay. These gifted islands and islets have formed a great wall to prevent the invader's attacks. In battles, rocky mountains appeared ahead of opponents' battleships which stroke them to sink to the river bed.

Nowadays, visitors opt for a cruise tour that includes sleeping on board while in the bay while a growing number decides to go straight to Cat Ba Bay from where trips to less-visited but equally alluring Lan Ha Bay.

Visitors have to purchase entry tickets for National Park (USD 2) and pay some fees such as a ticket for attractions in Bay such as admission to caves and fishing villages (USD 1.5).

The Photo of Tuoi Tre Online

Vietnam's First Final Round in The U23 Asian Cup

Today is 27 January 2018. I would like to save this page for Vietnam's historical football match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan. In rationale, Uzbekistan will win but in my heart, Vietnam will win. This is the first-ever match that has hooked the attention of the public from across the country, from the highest level official to the most common person. All activities of businesses have circled this biggest event that helps promote their brand and increase their sales.

The match starts at 15:00 today that enable 90 millions of Vietnamese's hearts pulse along with it. The public is ready to pour out into all streets on their bikes and even cars to go around the city crying with joys of success. Even Vietnamese team loses in this match, there will be endless parades of motorbikes. That's the Vietnamese's love of the football.

On the bad side of this event, races of motorbikes to welcome the victory injure or deprive of people's lives. This is a hard work day for the police and hospital staff who are suffered the consequences the football brings.

For more photos about the Vietnamese's celebration of football victories, please click here

The photo of Tuoi Tre Online

Moc Chau Province in a blossom season

If you go to Moc Chau Province, North of Vietnam, in this period, you would see the beauty of nature when Moc Chau stays in blossom seasons of apricot, prune, cherry that creates a multi-color painting of nature.

When winter comes to an end, the sunshine comes up giving a herald of the flower blossom. The ethnic minority people in Moc Chau Province respect the Lunar New Year, considers it as the biggest event in a year. All daily life activities give up to the preparation of this event. In their tradition, this holiday lasts three days that happen before and after it. In these days, they cease farming, growing and spend all of the time visiting their relatives and friends in the community, organizing festivals and enjoying drinking.

The above photo depicts two little girls in new dresses to welcome the Lunar New Year. They come to the market to meet up with their opposite-sex friends for a date-outing.

After a year of working hard, it is the time the ethnic minority people set aside all of the livelihood to enjoy what they have earned in the previous year.

For more photos about the life in Moc Chau Province, please click here.

The photo and source of Tuoi Tre Online

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island is a tourist attraction which you have never got bored of. Phu Quoc is gifted with the beauty of nature, turquoise water, white sandy beaches, an ideal place for lying under the sun, in the shade of trees with a drink. In addition, Phu Quoc possesses many small islands. Mong Tay Island and May Rut Island are considered as a little Maldives. Or Gam Ghi Island is seen as a minimized Bali of Indonesia.

In even in rainy season, Phu Quoc still hooks the attraction of tourists as they explore sportive games such as scuba, snorkelling, fishing trips that cater to tourists lots of pleasure. 

For more photos, please click here.

The Photo of VN Express Online

Thom Island, Phu Quoc Island

What we predominantly realize from the about photo is turquoise watet, dazzling white sand beach under green coconut trees. The beauty of nature that caters to fishermen and their family is a tourist business. The influx of domestic and international tourists on holidays brings to inhabitants a fair livelihood.

In addition to lying in the sun, under the shade of coconut trees with a drink, you would enjoy fishing sailing, scuba, and snorkelling.

For more photos about Phu Quoc Island, please click here

The photo of Tuoi Tre Online

Ambassador of Ao Dai Festival (Long Dress Festival) Linh Do

Ms Linh Do becomes the Ambassador of Long Dress Festival for the second time (the first time is 2017). This event will be taking place from 3 - 25 March 2018 (3 weeks) to honour the gracefulness of Ao Dai, Vietnamese woman's traditional dress. It also represents Vietnam's icon. It concludes a series of activities such as talk show, painting contests and designs that circle around the long dress. It themes I love Vietnam's Ao Dai, the trend of dress style in Vietnam. 

Particularly, the contest of the Gracefulness of Vietnam's Ao Dai will consist of preliminary round from 1 January onwards and semi and final rounds from 3 to 18 March 2018. The steering board encourages local people and expats who are interested in this event could join it. 

The photo of Tuoi Tre Online

Year of the Dog 2018.

The Lunar New Year of the Dog is upon us one month away. Many activities to welcome the new year will be taking place across Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, Spring Flower Festival in Tao Dan Park is an exhibition of fresh flowers, bonsai trees, and ornament plants created by domestic and international craftsmen. In addition to this activity, visitors will enjoy music performance, folk games, calligraphy exhibition, cuisine fair.

The highlight of this period is the Flower Festival on pedestrian street Nguyen Hue. The festival themes Aspiration for Further Development. This event will start from 13 to 19 February 2018.

The above photo is one of the paintings participated by young painters in Ho Chi Minh City to describe the icon of the lunar new year of 2018.

The Photo of Tuoi Tre Online

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.

The Photo of Tuoi Tre Online

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.

The photo of Tuoi Tre Online

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.

The photo of Tuoi Tre Online

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.

The photo of Tuoi tre Online