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| Mango for export (Photo: VNA) |
During the initial half of the year, farm produce export earnings were estimated at USD11.37 billion, up 8.8%, while revenues from forestry and aquatic product shipments reached USD9.1 billion and USD5.8 billion, up 3% and 40.8% respectively.
Nine groups of products witnessed export values exceeding USD1 billion each, including coffee, rubber, vegetables, rice, pangasuis fish, shrimps, and wooden products.
The United States remains Vietnam’s largest export market with a value of roughly USD7.61 billion, up 7.9% year on year. It was followed by China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
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Shrimp for export (Photo: VNA)
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The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it has completed negotiations to export mangos and chicken to the Republic of Korea, pomelos and lemons to New Zealand, feathers, swallow bird's nest products, milk and dairy products to China, and honey to the EU.
It is currently completing to ship pomelos to the US – a lucrative but demanding market of Vietnamese farm products.
Hanoi and Hoi An among Top 25 Overall Experiences in Asia
Motorbike tours around Hanoi and cooking classes in Hoi An have made it into the Top 25 Overall Experiences in Asia, reported the Voice of Vietnam as voted on by readers of TripAdvisor.
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| Foreign tourists enjoy Hoi An Eco Cooking Class. (Photo: TripAdvisor) |
According to TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, riding through downtown Hanoi came in at 15th among regional experiences that travelers should not miss out on during a visit to the capital of Vietnam.
“Seeing landmarks such as Hai Ba Trung Temple, the Presidential Palace Historical Site, and Long Bien Bridge; sample some of the city’s finest street eats; and soak up the atmosphere in country villages,” readers of TripAdvisor wrote about visiting the capital city by motorbike.
Furthermore, taking an Eco Cooking Class in Hoi An followed by a trip to local markets, as well as basket boat and crab fishing, was voted among the best experiences in Asia, coming in at 20th position.
Hoi An Eco Cooking Class is a fun and interesting way in which to experience rural life in the ancient town. Visitors can be guided by a local tour guide in dealing with local traders in the market in order to select and buy high-quality ingredients for the cooking class, TripAdvisor readers shared.
The tour continues from the market directly on to bamboo basket boats on the canals of the Bay Mau Nipa forest, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the nipa palm forest and enjoying crabs fishing. The final activity is to participate in cooking for around two hours with the restaurant's chef, the website quoted.
Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards is an annual award which is voted on by millions of travelers from around the world.
The prizes are then broken down into various categories, such as the best outdoor activities, exclusive experiences, and best food destinations.
Vietnamese second most interested in Asia-Pacific in travelling post-pandemic
Vietnamese travellers are the second most interested in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in travelling in post-pandemic period, with some 85 percent of respondents from the country planning a trip in the next 12 months, reported Vietnam News Agency based on a survey by Booking.com.
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| Golden Bridge on Ba Na Hills in the central city of Da Nang is among the most popular destinations of Vietnam. (Photo: VNA) |
Vietnam is closely behind India that is leading the way in the inaugural APAC Traveller Confidence Index survey by the US-based online travel agency that polled 11,000 travellers across 11 countries and territories in the region from April to May. China came in third.
The survey provides an insight into regional travellers’ comfort level to explore the world and whether they are excited about domestic travel after the pandemic.
It indicates that Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese respondents are the most willing to put up with and/or overlook key travel deterrents caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to travel. They are the readiest to go into quarantine, endure higher travel costs; and the most confident with their home countries in receiving inbound travellers.
Some 82 percent of surveyed Vietnamese said they are happy as Vietnam reopened its border to international visitors.
Leisure and mental health is their biggest motivator for travelling again (55 percent) and 83 percent agreed on the importance of sustainable tourism, the second highest in the region.
Phu Dien Cham Tower in Vietnam sets world record
The central province of Thua Thien – Hue on June 27 held a ceremony to mark WorldKings’ recognition of Phu Dien Tower built by the Cham people as a world record, reported the Voice of Vietnam .
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| The ruins of Phu Dien Cham Tower in Thua Thien-Hue. (Photo: pathsunwritten.com) |
The Cham Tower was discovered in April 2001 in the coastal sand dunes of Phu Dien commune of Phu Vang district (Thua Thien-Hue). The structure was buried at a depth of 5-7 m in the sand.
The tower is one of the earliest remaining Champa brick structures in the central region, dating back to the eighth century.
The Cham built religious towers to worship Hindu, and Phu Dien Tower is believed to be one of the two lost such structures near the former imperial city of Hue. The other lost structure is Lieu Coc Tower.
The Phu Dien structure is of great scientific and historical values as Yoni stone pieces, ceramic vases and other items found inside the tower are typical artifacts for the worship of the Cham people in the past.
For its historical values, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism listed Phu Dien Tower as a national architectural monument in December 2001. The Vietnam Records Organization (VietKings) set a Vietnamese record for Phu Dien Tower in March 2022.
Three months later the World Records Union (WorldKings) also decided to set a world record for the structure as the ancient Cham tower buried deep in the coastal sand dunes was unearthed and preserved first in the world./.