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Pa Then fire-jumping ceremony in Tuyen Quang province recognized as national intangible heritage
(Source: VOV) |
The recognition aims to preserve and promote the unique festival which strongly expresses the rich culture of the ethnic group.
With regard to the Pa Then ethnic minority, the fire jumping ritual is one of their most significant traditional ceremonies.
Each year on the 16th day of the first lunar month, the Pa Then people, who mostly reside in the province’s Lam Binh district of Hong Quang commune, organise the ritual to thank God for a good year of bumper crops, as well as a prosperous and healthy life.
According to the concept of the Pa Then people, fire can be considered as a supreme god, that is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. They also believe that the fire can be used as a means of avoiding demons and disease.
The ritual includes a prayer ceremony with a number of shamans worshipping the Fire God for luck, happiness, health, and peace.
Young men will then jump over a coal fire without no fear and come away unscathed. They also kick up the coal pile in order to startle those watching. Sometimes they even dig up live coals with their hands or put a live coal in their mouth.
The ceremony is not only a unique cultural activity, but is also a wild and mysterious practice performed by the Pa Then people.
Eco-tourism development linked with biodiversity conservation under discussion
A seminar on developing ecotourism in association with biodiversity conservation was held in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on September 26.
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Ecotourism holds the potential to create revenue for forest reserves and promote biodiversity conservation efforts, while also providing a source of income for local communities.
(Photo: VNA) |
According to VNA, the event was jointly organised by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Management Board for Forestry Projects of the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF Vietnam).
Trieu Van Luc, Deputy Director of the Department of Forestry, said with a total of over 14.7 million ha covering 42.2% of Vietnam's natural area, forest ecosystems have greatly contributed to the national economy and livelihoods for people.
He noted that about 25 million people rely on forests to earn their living, mainly ethnic minority communities whose cultural identities are connected with forests. This is great potential to develop multi-purpose values of the forest ecosystem.
With the support of international and non-governmental organisations, the Vietnamese government has paid special attention and allocated resources to protect life in forests and promote biodiversity conservation in the face of challenges and risks to biodiversity.
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| Illustrative image (Photo: tuyengiao.vn) |
Many tourist activities and tours to forests and national parks for sightseeing and observe wild flora and fauna have been organising, contributing to creating livelihoods and improving the lives of local people, especially those living in "buffer zones", Luc said.
According to John Kiely Beebe Harris from USAID in Vietnam, ecotourism holds the potential to create revenue for forest reserves and promote biodiversity conservation efforts, while also providing a source of income for local communities.
He underlined the importance to further develop eco-tourism in Vietnam, saying that this move will benefit local community and promote sustainable development of national parks and nature reserves.
Eco-tourism is about protecting nature, culture, and the future, Harris stressed.
According to Nguyen Van Hoang from Nguyen Tat Thanh university, ecotourism will include conservation, local economic development and environmental education. The principle of ecotourism is to minimise impacts on the environment, raise public awareness of the environment, and bring real experiences to tourists.
Vietnam currently has 167 special-use forests, including 34 national parks, 56 nature reserves, 14 species/habitat conservation areas, 54 landscape protection areas and forests for scientific research and experiment belonging to nine scientific units.
Delegates said that Vietnam needs to have more appropriate policies, strategies and approaches to promote the diversification of forms of forest ecosystem services.
Vietnamese visitor number to Japan sees sharp increase
The growth in Vietnamese tourist arrivals heading to Japan has witnessed a notable rebound, VOV cited the figures released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation in Vietnam (JNTO).
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| A group of Vietnamese tourists pose for a photo in front of Mount Fuji mountain in Japan (Photo: phunuonline.com.vn) |
The number of Vietnamese travelers to Japan in August alone hit 50,900, representing an increase of 16.5% compared to the pre-pandemic period back in 2019, and marking a rise of 54% compared to the same period from last year.
JNTO said that in the first seven months of the year, Vietnamese holidaymakers to the Far East nation increased by 17.4% over the same period from 2019, making it one of the markets to record the highest recovery and growth rate in terms of visitor numbers in the world.
In an effort to attract more Vietnamese tourists to Japan and commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries this year, JNTO also held a contest to sing the song "Tomodachi - Tinh ban" (Tomodachi - Friendship), that is due to last until late December. Five amateur talents who best perform the song in Japanese and Vietnamese will have the opportunity to tour Japan.
Moreover, a number of Vietnamese travel enterprises are set to open tours to Japan in November - the best time to visit the country to admire autumn leaves - at competitive prices.
India strives to attract more Vietnamese tourists
Following the opening of nearly 50 direct flights each week, tourism activities between Vietnam and India have been significantly enhanced as the two sides still boast great potential for tourism promotion, reported VOV.
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| A meeting is held in Hanoi on September 25 among travel firms of both countries hosted by the Embassy of India in Vietnam. (Source: VOV) |
This statement was confirmed at a meeting held in Hanoi on September 25 among travel firms of both countries hosted by the Embassy of India in Vietnam.
Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya stated that India which boasts many attractive destinations would continue to promote fresh tourism products to Vietnamese travelers, in addition to traditional tours.
The South Asian country will continue to launch communication campaigns to popularize Indian tourism and cooperate alongside Vietnamese travel firms to increase efficiency and attract more Vietnamese tourists, he shared.
The diplomat added that until the end of the year the Indian Embassy in Vietnam would enhance tourism connections between the two countries through organising FAM trips for travel firms.
Delegates at the event agreed that from the perspective of Vietnamese tourists, there remains little information available about Indian tourism. Many people view India as a pilgrimage tourist destination whilst some places are not safe at night, thus limiting the number of Vietnamese tourists to India.
In August this year the Indian state of Kerala welcomed Vietnamese businesses to survey tourism and build new products.
Practicing yoga in India proved to be a very unique experience, whilst the food found in Kerala is quite suitable for Vietnamese people. This region has developed tourism for a long time and has attracted many European visitors. In addition, there is also a direct flight from Vietnam to Kerala, making it convenient for many Vietnamese tourists.
Vietnam shares many similarities in culture and destinations with India. Besides, Vietnamese tourists have more and more options for tours in India which is seen as one of the most attractive markets for Vietnam to target./.