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| Google Vietnam changes its doodle honouring Ha Long Bay on its recognition as UNESCO World Heritage site on December 17, 1994. (Photo: Google). |
“On this day in 1994, Ha Long Bay was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” reads Google Doodle.
Ha Long Bay of Quang Ninh province was twice recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage in 1994 and 2000.
On September 16, 2023, Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago (Hai Phong City) was recognized as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO. This is Vietnam’s first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site.
With majestic landscapes and thousands of large and small islands, Ha Long Bay is the destination of millions of domestic and foreign visitors every year.
“Its limestone pillars and emerald green waters attract millions of bucket-list visitors each year, making it one of Vietnam’s national treasures. Many delve down into the depths of Sung Sot Cave, the largest cave in the bay, while others enjoy more nautical adventures like fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, and scuba diving,” according to Google.
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| Ha Long Bay from above (Photo: vnexpress.net) |
On November 11, 2011, Ha Long Bay was recognized by the New7Wonders Foundation as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, alongside Amazon Rainforest (Brazil), Jeju island (Korea), Iguazu Falls (Argentina – Brazil), Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (the Philippines), Komodo Island (Indonesia), and Table Mountain (South Africa).
41st Esperanto youth joint conference held in Vietnam
The Vietnam Esperanto Association (VEA) and the Vietnam Esperanto Youth Organisation (VEJO) on December 16 held the opening ceremony of the 41st Esperanto youth joint conference in Hanoi, according to Vietnam News Agency.
Focusing on the strong development of technology and its impacts on human life, the event is taking place in the capital city and the northern province of Ninh Binh from December 15-18, with the participation of Esperantists from eight countries, namely India, China, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam.
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The 41st Esperanto youth joint conference attracts participation of Esperantists from eight countries (Photo: dangcongsan.vn)
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Pham Mai Lan, member of the VEA Standing Board, said that the Esperanto youth joint conference was formerly a joint conference between youths of three countries of China, Japan, and the RoK. Vietnam then became the fourth country to participate in it. To date, the conference has attracted the participation of other Asian countries and the interest of Esperantists of all ages.
Delegates discussed issues such as the role of Asian youths in Esperanto development, the future of the Esperanto youth conference, and the use of technology and game applications to learn languages.
Esperanto is an artificial language constructed in 1887 by Ludwik Lazarus Zamenhof, a Polish oculist, and intended for use as an international second language. Over the past 100 years, Esperanto has become the world's most popular international artificial language. According to some studies, there are more than 2 million speakers of this language globally.
This language first appeared in Vietnam in the 20th century, and has contributed to disseminating and promoting cultural exchanges, thus helping boost friendship and cooperation between the people of Vietnam and other countries.
India MICE visitors experience river tourism in Ho Chi Minh City
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has welcomed 320 Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibition (MICE) visitors from India, said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
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| Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism Le Truong Hien Hoa presents Non La (Vietnamese conical hat) to Indian tourists (Photo: plo.vn) |
The group on December 16 made a river tour on 20 high-speed canoes, travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.
Earlier on December 14-15, the tourists explored the southern metropolis by touring major local historical landmarks such as Cu Chi tunnels, the Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Saigon Central Post Office.
According to Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the municipal Department of Tourism, offering river tourism is expected to make Ho Chi Minh City a unique travel destination.
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| Indian visitors take souvenir photos before the tour (Photo: plo.vn) |
Ho Chi Minh City seeks to turn waterway tourism into a distinctive tourism product by 2030. Indeed, it aims to offer waterway tourism services along the Saigon River in collaboration with the neighbouring localities of Dong Nai, Binh Dương, Tien Giang, Long An, and Ben Tre.
So far, the local tourism industry has introduced more than 47 waterway tourism products provided by 18 enterprises operating in the city./.