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| People enjoy music and architectural beauty of the Hanoi Opera House at night. (Photo: hanoimoi.vn) |
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Vice Director of the theatre Chu Anh Hung said that the Hanoi Opera House has created an outdoor space for the "Music Garden", where cultural and musical events will be held. Notably, the theatre planned to cooperate with embassies of countries in Hanoi to bring their music closer to Vietnamese people.
Hung said that in the coming time, the theatre will coordinate with tour operators to offer tours that allow visitors to enjoy music and explore the theatre.
Shows featuring traditional musical instruments and classic music are available at Music Garden from 9-12 am and 1-6 pm while classic music or domestic/international singers’ concerts are available from 7.30-10 pm. Tickers for the shows range from 69,000 - 99,000 VND (2.08 - 4 USD) including a drink.
Hanoi Opera House is one of the most important architectural landmarks in Hanoi. The theater was built by the French colonial government in the early 20th century. It was modeled on the Palais Garnier, the older of Paris's two opera houses. Its construction started in 1901 and finished in 1911. The building now is considered a must-see attraction in Hanoi.
Quang Ninh leverages traditional culture for tourism expansion
The northern border province of Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage Site Ha Long Bay, plans to promote traditional cultural tourism in order to attract more tourists, reported VNA.
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| Quang Ninh leverages traditional culture for tourism expansion (Photo: VNA) |
The province not only has abundant natural resources but also possesses many traditional cultural heritages with unique value. It is a system of relics, rich landscapes, friendly people, unique cuisine, and diverse culture from island waters to ethnic minority areas. All these traditional cultural values give Quang Ninh advantages that not all localities have.
The highland commune of Ky Thuong, Ha Long city boasts rich natural tourism resources, with many high mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, streams, waterfalls, and vast green forests. This is also one of the favourite destinations of visitors because of the picturesque natural scenery and fresh air.
In addition, the traditional cultural values of the local ethnic minorities are also exploited in parallel with ecological values, becoming unique tourism products.
The Ky Thuong Am Vap farm tourist area is designed with wooden stilts with an area of nearly 2,000 sq.m. After immersing themselves in nature, visitors are welcomed by local ethnic people in the traditional Dao ethic costumes. Tourists will also have a chance to visit a community house where costumes and agricultural tools are displayed as well as learn about indigenous culture and brocade embroidery.
The Dao Thanh Y cultural reserve zone in Bang Ca commune is also an attractive indigenous cultural tourism destination in Ha Long city. It preserves the unique cultural values of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group and is a place for community cultural activities, helping to promote bonds and spread the cultural beauties of the indigenous Dao people.
Recently, some tour operators have started taking tourists to the sanctuary. Binh Lieu mountainous district currently has three provincial relic sites including the Luc Na historical and cultural relic site, the Khe Vanh waterfall, and the terraced fields of Luc Hanh commune. Along with that, many customs and festivals are preserved and handed down such as the Luc Na festival, the Soóng festival of San Chi ethnic group, and the traditional festival of the Dao ethnic group.
In recent years, several festivals such as the “so” flower and golden season festivals, the culture and sports festival of Binh Lieu district have been organised, associating the tourism development policy of the district with a series of unique cultural activities, contributing to promoting and creating opportunities for tourists to experience and explore the natural beauty of the border area.
Optimising cultural resources for tourism development has become a right direction of Binh Lieu, gradually forming strong tourism products such as ecotourism, community tourism, discovery-experience tourism, and border travel, affirming the brand of a new and attractive destination on the Vietnam tourism map.
Deputy Director of Binh Lieu district’s communications and culture centre To Dinh Hieu shared that the district has determined that culture is a strength and a pillar for tourism development. In the recent times, the district has been researching, collecting and restoring traditional cultural rituals that are facing risk of falling into oblivion. The locality has also coordinated with the Hanoi Tourism Co. Ltd. to design tourism products that are both unique and close to tourists.
Besides Yen Duc village in Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh has several cultural villages in Ha Long, Quang Yen, Binh Lieu, Ba Cha, Hai Ha, Mong Cai, Van Don and Co To, with pristine and beautiful natural landscapes.
Cultural tourism is an effective means to promote culture and cultural diplomacy in an attempt to build the image of beautiful and attractive Quang Ninh in the hearts of international friends. Cultural tourism in Quang Ninh also aims to build and position Vietnam's tourism brand in the international market./.
Vietnam continues to welcome thousands of cruise tourists in March
A number of international cruise ships carrying thousands of foreign tourists are due to visit popular sites nationwide in March, reported VOV.
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| The Azamara Journey cruise ship docks at Tien Sa Port in the central city of Da Nang. (Photo: plo.vn) |
According to the schedule, on March 2 the Azamara Journey cruise ship operated by Azamara Cruises brought more than 700 tourists from the EU, the United States, and Australia to Tien Sa Port in the central city of Da Nang.
Furthermore, also in March, Saigontourist Travel Service Company said it will welcome the Celebrity Millennium, Silver Moon, and Celebrity Solstice cruise ships to visit the southern provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Nha Trang City, the central city of Hue, and the northern city of Ha Long.
Moreover, from March 19 to March 20 the country will continue to serve international tourists on the Resort World One, Azamara Onward, and Silver Shadow cruise ships as they explore some major cities in southcentral Vietnam
In the first two months of the year, Saigontourist successfully served more than 10 cruise ships carrying 30,000 international tourists to visit popular destinations. This figure increased by 15% compared to the same period from last year.
In the year ahead the number of international cruise ships to the country is expected to surge by 10% to 15% compared to 2023.
South African restaurant introduces Vietnamese cuisine
Obento – a restaurant in Johannesburg, South Africa on March 2 held an event named “Taste of Vietnam” to introduce popular Vietnamese food to local diners, reported VNA.
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| Diners enjoy Vietnamese cuisine at the restaurant. (Photo: VNA) |
According to the restaurant owner Ling Chiu, the one-day event attracted so many dinners that all tables from noon to 9pm were fully booked weeks ago.
She said that the idea of organising such an event came right after her two-week trip to Vietnam in December 2023.
She said she wanted to arouse the memory of customers who had traveled Vietnam and tasted the street food delights it has to offer, as well as to bring Vietnamese cuisine to those seeking something different from the norms in South Africa.
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| Banh mi is among favourite dishes by dinner. (Source: VNA) |
Dinners at the restaurant at this time had a chance to enjoy famous Vietnamese dishes, such as pho, banh mi, bun cha, or spring rolls. Especially for those who had traveled to Vietnam, it was an opportunity to remember and re-experience Vietnamese food that is not easy to find in South Africa. Many local people said that Vietnamese food is very delicious because of freshness and a balance of flavour elements: sour, bitter, salty, sweet and fatty.