After the success of firework festival 2008, this year, Danang continues to hold the firework contest including five participants: Spain, Australia, China, the Philippines and the home team Vietnam.This event will take place in the coastal city of Danang on March 27 and 28. Traveling Vietnam and Danang this days, you will see the exciting preparation environment. Especially, until this time, there have been 39 sponsors more for this festival. 

On 05 March, the Danang People’s Committee held the sponsorship contract signing ceremony for the Danang International Fireworks Competition 2009 (DIFC09).

Vice-chairman of the Danang People’s Committee Vo Duy Khuong expressed his gratitude for the sponsoring of enterprises and units for DIFC09 and introduced the events to be held on this occasion including the inauguration ceremonies of the new Ba Na Ropeway, Thuan Phuoc Bridge and Thoai Ngoc Hau Temple.

Vietnam Airlines with VNĐ562mil. was the sponsor with the highest sponsorship level. Other sponsors with high sponsorship amounts included HAGL Plaza Hotel with VNĐ 434mil., Song Thu Company of the Ministry of Defence with VNĐ200mil., Dong A Real Estate Joint-Stock Company with VNĐ200mil., Danang Food Joint-Stock Company with VNĐ200mil., Hai Duy Joint-Stock Company of Ho Chi Minh City with VNĐ200mil., Green Plaza Hotel with VNĐ127mil. and Royal Hotel with VNĐ112mil. The contracts increase the funding so far for DIFC09 to over VNĐ14.5bil. with nearly 100 sponsors.

Nuoc Beach gently slopes towards the calm, clear, blue sea; the clarity of the water attracts visitors who come to bathe and enjoy the seafood. This fine sandy beach with sunshine all the year round makes it suitable for tourism in all four seasons.

 

 

 

Da Nang has a coastline of 30 kilometres long, famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra and so on. Non Nuoc Beach also pertains to Da Nang Sea and has been voted as one of the most beautiful and attracting beaches of the planet, 2005, according to Forbes, the leading magazine of America. This beach has gentle slope, mild waves, and purely blue sea water during the four seasons. The unpolluted water source here has attracted a number of tourists coming to bathe, enjoy local special sea foods and take a rest for weekends. The beach Non Nước is also a place that exist precious and rare seaweeds such as gracilarias “yellow thread” and glacilaria “screw” that have high value of exporting.

With green water and white sand, Non Nuoc Beach stretches five kilometers along the shore of Hoa Hai Ward at the foot of Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains). The beach is

famous for its seaweed, which reaches exportation standards. Many five-star hotels were built in Non Nuoc to accommodate the domestic and foreign tourists in the area. Together with its feature of wave degree, climate, weather and salinity, Non Nuoc Beach is suitable for water sports, especially surfing. In 1993, there took place an international champion with the participation of nearly 40 athletes from many countries around the world. 

Along the beach, on the white sand is a forest of age-old casuarinas which is shady, green and is waving in the whistling wind. This is an ideal place for resting and camping. When the darkness falls and the moon rises, you can set yourself free on smooth benches along the beach to listen to melodious sounds of the waves and enjoy the occult space.
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The beach is managed by the Non Nuoc Tourism Company that has  three hotels with more than 100 rooms on the beach. They provide entertainment services including photographs for souvenir, handicraft shops, massage, restaurant, tennis and some gymnastics. A chain of tourism resorts is planned to cater for international tourists including seaside hotels and restaurants, especially an international standard golf court.

Besides convalescence and bathing, tourists to Non Nuoc Beach can also combine their journeys with traveling the relic Marble Mountains, which boast some ancient pagodas and sacred  monumental caves, go around fine art stone handicraft villages right at the foot of the Mountains or go boating on Co Co River (Stork Neck River) to enjoy peacefulness of the Marble Mountains.

 

Nature has been awarded the Da Nang good for a city to stay and to enjoy the healthy fun. Han river as background for the series along streets, and always bring cool wind and moisture to propitiate the tropical sunshine.

Danang lies on the west side of the Han River and the beaches are to the east. The Song Han Bridge helps beach driven tourists to get from their hotels to the area’s famous beaches.

In the middle of the night, traffic is stopped from crossing the Song Han Bridge and it swings on its axis to allow shipping traffic to pass along the river. The Song Han Bridge in Danang is a suspension bridge that is dazzlingly lit up at night. The area around the bridge is beautifully paved into a riverside promenade and is the location of Danang’s cultural center.

Some of the pressure will soon be taken off the bridge as the Danang regional government plans to build another bridge to traverse the Han River in Danang. Once the new bridge is completed tourists will be able to leave Da Nang International Airport on Nguyen Van Linh Highway and get to the city’s beaches even quicker. The new bridge will be built in the shape of a dragon.

The Song Han Bridge was built by the people of Danang and holds a special place in their pride for their city. The bridge also has the distinction of being the first swing bridge to be built in Vietnam. The bridge is an important part of Danang’s cityscape.

Many beauty-spot in Da nang as well as Vietnam waiting for you at http://www.vietnam-beauty.com
other recommendation : http://www.vietnam-visa.com

The Bai Dinh Pagoda in northern Viet Nam’s Ninh Binh province promises to be the largest pagoda. Even though it is still under construction, with expected date of completion in 2010 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long or Hanoi, it is still attracting a large number of pilgrims and tourists.

Located in Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District, the half-finished pagoda is already receiving flocks of visitors daily despite being surrounded by scaffoldings and 500 masons working around the clock.

One of its temples is to house a 100-ton statue of the Great Buddha which is the heaviest of its kind in Southeast Asia while the other will feature three 50-ton Buddha statues.

The four were cast from Russian-made copper by renowned artists from Nam Dinh province.

The pagoda will also be home to two large bronze bells 27 ton and 36 tons, designed by famous artisans in Hue City.

The former was brought to the construction site two years ago and has sat on a hilltop ever since while the other, 36 tons and 5.4m high, is the biggest bronze bell in Southeast Asia.

On another hill sit around 200 statues of arhats or la han saints two meters tall. A further 300 are expected to come by late this year.

When all are finished, this undoubtedly will make Bai Dinh Pagoda the biggest gathering of arhat statues in Southeast Asia. 

Other prominent features of the pagoda are two giant temples by the side of the Bai Dinh Mountain, 200m high.

 Vietnam visa online : www.vietnam-visa.com

1.  I’m going to Vietnam for the first time. Where should I go?

Vietnam is favored by Nature with a number of beautiful beaches, mountainous regions, and other beauty spots scattered along the country. Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, etc. are top places to visit in Vietnam. For detailed information, please click here (Before You go> Further for Foreign tourists> First time to Vietnam).

2.  Should I go on my own or with a tour?

If this is your first time to Vietnam, it’d be better to go with a tour. To book a tour, please click here (Trang chu vnbtravel.com).

3. Which flights to Vietnam are available?
Click here (Before You go> Flights)

4.  What guidebooks are available?

Here are the guidebooks for your reference:
– APA Publications, 1991, 351 pages, $19.95.
– Prentice Hall, 1993, 306 pages, $18.00.
– Eurasia Travel Guides, 1993, 464 pages, $19.95.
And click here for more infor (Before You go> Recommended Readings)

5.  Do I need a visa to visit?

Only citizens of certain countries can visit Vietnam without Vietnam entry visa. Those countries include: most citizens of ASEAN countries are no need Vietnam visa for visit Vietnam within 30 days; citizens of Korea, Japan & Scandinavians (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland passport holders) do not need Vietnam visa for visiting Vietnam within 15 days. Click here for details. (Before You go> Vietnam Entry Visa)

Read More from www.VNtraveltips.com: http://vntraveltips.com/faq/89-frequently-asked-questions/190-frequently-asked-questions

Sublime Pen Tower (Thap But), Red The Huc bridge, TranQuoc Pagoda with its bells toiling in tune with thin misty layers in early Hanoi winter mornings, all seem to take visitors out of the mundane world.

Afternoons, basking with sunshine, walk around West Lake to see the Lake’s immenseness, radiant faces of youngsters flocking to an August Quan Thanh, evocative of Hanoi highs and lows, and enjoy the blowing winds. Back to Quang Ba area across Phu Tay Ho, nestling in luxuriant gardens are now inviting villas and luxurious mansions.

Hanoi is more sacred than ever.  Quoc Tu Giam- Van Mieu temple, echoes the soul of the nation. It is the place that sees a series of Doctorates’ epitaphs.  Visitors will enjoy touching every epitaph, reading the complimentary lines for their great deeds of different dynasties such as Le Quy Don, Mac Dinh Chi and Luong The Vinh. Alters, in remembrance of Le kings, are redolent of incenses. Crossing Van Cac Gate, stepping onto Trinh yard, everywhere is seen with a touch of nation’s glorious past.

When winters set in, Hanoi is so lovely with uniquely typical Northern spells. Such colds are specialties for Southerners who just know warm suns.

Winter over, spring approaching promises the blossoming of flower buds. Hanoi, at that time, is definitely a beautiful picture, outshining from naïve pink cheeks of Hanoi pubescent girls to pale pink branches of peach, which flutters travelers’ heart. Hanoi especially sinks in deep pinkness of peach trees from different regions on Tet holiday. Lonesome Bang trees are deciduous, left with full red leaves.

Hanoians also pay great attention to fashion, clothes hence seasonally designed regarding styles, color cues. People of different ages and gender, each has their own style that cannot be found anywhere else.

Hanoi today is open to all international tourists visiting and investing. Hanoi changes with every hour, more and more projects invested and edifices built. Hanoi is on the way to industrialization and modernization, but its cultural identity remains status quo. Hanoians with their great resilience, aesthetics, cultivated through thousands of years, still preserve Hanoi quintessence- admirable politeness of Hanoians.

Source: http://www.vntraveltips.com

Street-front shop houses abound and sidewalk vendors don’t hang their shingle, they just lay down their mat and display their wares. Everywhere!

[read more] You will fill your suitcase when shopping in Saigon. Read on and we will tell you all you need to know to get the best deals and learn about the best places to shop in Saigon. If you get hungry during your shopping spree, stop for some finger food or relax in one of the Saigon Restaurants along the city’s shopping streets. For things to see and do during your stay, our Saigon Destination Travel Guide will point you in the right direction. More general information about shopping around the country can be found at our Vietnam Shopping Guide .

Saigon Shopping Guide

The range of merchandise available in Saigon is truly fantastic. It’s true; if you can’t buy it here, you don’t need it! The list we have collected below should give you a place to start looking for that special something. We’ve divided into categories to make it easier for you to find a place in Saigon that sells what you are looking for.

Bargaining is still the most common way to buy things in Saigon. Some people relish bargaining, others loathe it. The rules are not very complicated if you think of it like this.

The whole thing is a harmonious Yin-Yang balance. You want the item. The vendor wants your money. Yin-Yang! The maximum price you are willing to pay is the value of your desire for the item. The minimum price the vendor is willing to accept is the value of their desire for your money. Yin-Yang! Bargaining is simply a search for the Yin-Yang balance between your desire and the vendor’s.

If items for sale have price labels there is normally no bargaining (the vendor might lose a cent or two on buying the labels!).

Antiques

Bags

Books and Journals

Clothing

Embroidery

Ready-made

Silk

Sportswear

Tailors

Crafts/Souvenirs

Glass/Crystal

Huynh Mai
32 Le Cong Kieu, Dist. 1, tel: 822-4316

Pottery/Ceramics

Cosmetics

Interiors

Jewellers

Music CDs, DVDs and VCDs

Shopping Centres

Food Stores

Vietnamese Covered Markets

Big shopping centers

• Tax Department Store – Intersection of Nguyen Hue and Le Loi Streets, Dist.1, HCMC
• Ben Thanh market – Dist.1, city center, HCMC
• Binh Tay market – Dist.5, one of the main markets of Cholon
• Diamond Plaza – 37 Le Duan, Dist.1, HCMC

Bags

Clothing

Silk

Crafts & Souvenirs

Pottery & Ceramics

Supermarket

Supermarkets

Please don’t buy souvenirs taken from historical sites, or made from endangered wildlife such as turtle shells.

Art & Antiques

There are several good shops to hunt for art and antiques, but Vietnam has strict regulations on the export of real antiques, so be sure that what you buy can be taken out of the country legally.

Both traditional and modern paintings are a popular item. The cheaper mass-produced stuff (US$5 to US$20 per piece) is sent mostly to souvenir shops and street vendors. Works of a higher standard are displayed in art galleries. Prices for paintings range from US$50 to US$500, but some of the hottest Vietnamese artists now fetch up to 10 times that. It’s important to know that there are quite a few forgeries around – just because you spot a painting by a ‘famous Vietnamese artist’ does not mean that it’s an original, though it may still be an attractive work of art.

A Vietnamese speciality is the ‘instant antique’, such as a teapot or ceramic dinner plate, with a price tag of around US$2. Of course, it’s OK to buy fake antiques as long as you aren’t paying genuine antique prices. However, a problem occurs if youve bought an antique (or something that looks antique) and didn’t get an official export certificate:

“When I was in the airport in Hanoi, a customs officer eyed out two porcelain vases I had bought and told me that I should go to the Department of Culture in Hanoi to have them assessed or pay a fine of US$20. Of course, there was no representative of the Department of Culture at the airport… so getting them assessed would require me to miss my flight”.

Anna Crawford Pinnerup

Most reputable shops can either provide the necessary paperwork or advise on where to get it. Just what happens to the confiscated ‘antiques’ is a good question. Some say that the authorities sell them back to the souvenir shops. You might call it recycling.

Clothing

Ao dai (ow-zai in the north, ow-yai in the south) is the national of dress of both Vietnamese women and men and is a popular item, especially for women. Ready-made ao dai cost from US$10 to US$20, while the custom-tailored sets are notably more. Prices vary by the store and material used. If you want to buy custom-made clothing for your friends, you’ll need their measurements: neck diameter, breast, waist, hip and length (from waist to hem). As a general rule, you get best results when you’re right there and are measured by the tailor or seamstress. There are ao dai tailors nation-wide, but the ones in places like HCMC, Hoi An and Hanoi are more accustomed to dealing with foreigners.

Women all over the country wear conical hats to keep the sun off their faces, though they also function as umbrellas in the rain. If you hold a well-made conical hat up to the light, you’ll be able to see that between the layers of straw material are fine paper cuts The best-quality conical hats are produced in the Hue area.

Hanoi and HCMC are good places to pick up contemporary fashion items: from beaded slippers and bags to original-design silk pieces.

T-shirts are ever popular items with travellers. A printed shirt costs around 20,000D while an embroidered design will cost maybe 50,000D. However, ‘large’ in Asia is often equivalent to ‘medium’ in the West. If you are really large, forget it unless you want to have your shirts individually tailored.

These days more and more hill-tribe garb is finding its way to shops in Hanoi and HCMC. It is indeed colourful, but you may need to set the dyes yourself, so those colours don’t bleed all over the rest of your clothes.

Electronics

Electronic goods sold in Vietnam are actually not such a great bargain. You’d be better off purchasing these in duty-free ports such as Hong Kong and Singapore. However, the prices charged in Vietnam are not bad, mainly due to the black market (smuggling), which also results in ‘duty-free’ goods.

Gems

Vietnam produces some good gems, but there are plenty of fakes and flawed ones around. This doesn’t mean that you can’t buy something if you think it’s beautiful, but don’t think that you’ll find a cut diamond or polished ruby for a fraction of what you’d pay at home. Some travellers have actually thought that they could buy gems in Vietnam and sell these at home for a profit. Such business requires considerable expertise and good connections in the mining industry.

Handicrafts

Hot items on the tourist market include lacquerware, boxes and wooden screens with mother-of-pearl inlay, ceramics (check out the elephants), colourful embroidered items (hangings, tablecloths, pillow cases, pyjamas and robes), greeting cards with silk paintings on the front, wood-block prints, oil paintings, watercolours, blinds made of hanging bamboo beads (many travellers like the ones that have a replica of the Mona Lisa), reed mats, carpets, jewellery and leatherwork.

Music

Across Vietnam, especially in larger cities, you’ll find an astounding collection of CDs, VCDs, DVDs and audio tapes for sale, 99% of which are pirated. The official word is that this illegal practice will be ‘cleaned up’ by the authorities, but don’t hold your breath waiting.

There are also plenty of opportunities to purchase Vietnamese musical instruments throughout the country. You can find hill-tribe instruments in their local markets.

Stamps

Postage stamps, already set in a collector’s book, are readily available either inside or near the post office in major cities Or at some hotel gift shops and bookshops. You can even find stamps from the now-extinct South Vietnamese regime.

War Souvenirs

In places frequented by tourists, it’s easy to buy what looks like equipment left over from the American War. However, almost all of these items are reproductions and your chances of finding anything original are slim. Enterprising back-alley tailors turn out US military uniforms, while metalcraft shops have learned how to make helmets, bayonets and dog tags.

The fake Zippo lighters engraved with ’soldier poetry’ are still one of the hottest-selling items. You can pay extra to get one that’s been beat up to look like a war relic, or just buy a brand-new shiny one for less.

One thing you should think twice about purchasing are weapons and ammunition even if fake. It’s illegal to carry real or fake ammunition and weapons on airlines and many countries will arrest you if any such goods are found in your luggage.

Shopping Address in Hanoi

Appealing Gifts
Address: 121 Chua Boc Str, Dong Da Dist
Tel: (84-4) 5633991

Co
Address: 18 Nha Tho Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8289925

Craft Window
Tel: (84-4) 7335286

Deltadeco
Address: 12 Nha Tho Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8289616

Ethnic Cultures
Address: 44 Hang Gai Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8280509

Hoa Sua
Address: 63A Trang Thi Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 9342792

Kaf
Address: 31B Ba Trieu, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8220022

Kenly Silk
Address: 108 Hàng Gai, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8267236

Lan Viet
Address: 28 Au Trieu Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8289278

N Silk
Address: 115 Hang Bạc Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: 0904144667

Oriental House
Address: 28 Nha Chung, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 828 5542

Revo
Address: 361 Kim Ma Str, Ba Dinh Dist
Tel: 8462330

Tan My
Address: 66 Hang Gai Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8251579

Things of Substance
Address: 5 Nha Tho str, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi
Tel: (+844) 828 6965

Contraband
Address: 23 Nha Chung Str., Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi
Tel: (+844) 928 9891

Chi Vang
Address: 17 Trang Tien Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 9360027

Craft Link
Address: 43 Van Mieu Str , Dong Da Dist
Tel: 8437710

Dan Gian
Address: 375 Kim Ma Str, Ba Dinh Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8462777

DG Fashion
Address: 136 Hang Bong Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: 9285119

F Silk
Address: 28, Hanoi Tower, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 928 6094

Indochine house
Address: 13 Nha Tho Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: 8248071

JK jeans
Address: 8 Hue Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 9439247

Kana
Address: 41 Hang Trong Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 9286208

Khai Silk
Address: 96 Hang Gai Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8254237

May Interior
Address: 8b Ta Hien Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: 8269769

Nam Son shop
Address: 49 Hai Ba Trung Str, Hoan Kiem Dist

Quang’s Ceramics
Address: 22 Hang Luoc Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 8283440

Song
Address: 5-7 Nha Tho Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: 8289650

Thanh Hà Silk
Address: 114 Hang Gai Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 9285348

Tracy Collection
Address: 159B Cua Nam Str, Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-4) 9343524