Each 30sq.m house cost Vietinbank VND 30 million. The bank also presente
d necessary appliances to poor house recipients.

According to Deputy General Director of Vietinbank, last year it started a program to build new houses for needy households across the country to help them improve their standard of living in their peaceful neighborhood.

source: qdnd

I had been fooled into thinking Nha Trang, the south central province of Khanh Hoa, was just a beautiful beach.

When I recently returned, I discovered the city has more to offer, noticeably the giant Po Nagar Temples complex.

Known as the city’s spiritual heart, this group of temples – just 4km from the municipal centre – is one of Nha Trang’s most treasured historical sites.

Built in the 8th century by the Cham people in the then Champa Kingdom by the Cham people, the site was classified as a Vietnamese national relic in 1979.

When the Vietnamese peopl move southwards to this area in the 17th century, they soon realised the Cham people’s worship of Lady Po Nagar was similar to their worship of the Mother Goddess. The temples soon became a place to worship both goddesses, and a symbol of ethnic integration.

I met Nguyen Tu Xuyen, a local guide and expert on the Po Nagar Temples. He took me to the second terrace of the temple complex which has two lines of five octagonal pillars. Outside of these are 12 smaller pillars, forming the remains of the main gate which leads to the main tower.

“This was the meditation hall where offerings and rites were prepared and performed prior to the main rituals at the temples,” said Xuyen.

Then Xuyen raised his hand, pointing upwards. I noticed that in front of the pillars, lies a steep staircase leading to the upper terrace where the main towers preside over the entire complex. Located on the Cu Lao Hill, the towers cast a protective eye over the city from their elevated peak.

“There were originally five towers, however one was completely destroyed leaving only four intact. Each tower has a pyramid-shaped interior and is dedicated to a different deity,” he continued.

At first, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what characteristic makes these towers so unusual. But a closer look reveals that the stacked brick towers don’t actually show typical brick joints, instead, the tower facades appear smooth and even.

“They were built without cement according to the Cham building techniques of precisely stacking bricks on top of each other. This effect was achieved as a result of the Cham people using high-quality bricks which were rubbed smooth during construction,” Xuyen said.

Handyman: Sculptor Xuan Hung puts the finishing touch to one of his pottery products. — VNS Photo Khanh Chi

Sitting proudly the highest point, the tallest tower is approximately 25m high. From here, visitors can feast their eyes on the beautiful nearby sights of mountains, rivers, sky, sea and fishing villages.

A study by scholar Tran Ky Phuong found that the Po Nagar temples were one of the two major sanctuaries of the Champa courts, which also reflected the phenomena of the Champa cosmological dualist cult.

Phuong’s study Historic Champa States in Viet Nam: Champa Origins, Reconfirmed Nomenclatures, and Preservation of Sites celebrated the typical architecture style of the temples.

“Champa temple-towers were built according to the following pattern: the body of the tower is square, while the pyramid- shaped roof is of three levels with a sandstone ridge. The tower doors are open to the east and west.”

According to Ngo My Chau, head of the provincial Historical Sites Centre, the Po Nagar Temples complex received nearly 700,000 visitors in 2011 and another 570,000 in the first nine months of this year.

Today, visitors to the temples can experience first-hand the traditional dance and music of the Cham people. Tourists are given a taste of the hypnotic Cham dancing Apsara and music behind the tallest tower, which involves fans and ceramic pots. They also have the chance to witness the whole process of traditional brocade weaving andpottery making.

During my stay in Nha Trang, I came back to the Po Nagar Temple because it was the first day of the annual festival to honour the goddess Yan Po Nagar. People from all over southern central Viet Nam – both ethnic Cham and Kinh minority people – join together to worship the deity.

The four-day festival runs from the 20th day of the third month according to the lunar calendar, and features a diverse mix of traditional singing, dancing and worshipping ceremonies.

Each year about 70 delegations from all over the region attend the festival, bringing gifts of food, fruits and flowers to offer to the deity. These offerings continue throughout the three days of festivities.

The most anticipated part of the festival is the lantern ceremony which takes place on the evening of the first day. A mass procession parades from the main entrance of the temple to the banks of the Cai River below. Those in the parade are dressed in traditional costume and each carry two lanterns.

These lanterns are then released into the river, creating a moving tableau of candle-light which follows the flow of the river.

Roughly 7,000 lanterns are released next to the temple, which is also lit-up as the city descends into darkness. Candles are released to pray for the spirits of the dead, including soldiers who died in battle and fishermen who lost their lives at sea.

source: vietnamnews

Members of the trans-Vietnam cycling program calling for more community support for Agent Orange (AO) victims arrived in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa Province, on November 7^th, with a warm welcome by local residents and volunteers.

On this occasion, the cyclists presented their gifts to 10 AO victims in Khanh Hoa.

Before arriving in Nha Trang, the delegation was received by the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Association of Victims of Agent Orange in Cam Ranh city.

On November 8th, the cyclists continued their journey to Van Gia town, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa Province.

The cycling program, taking place from November 1^st to 26^th by the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) and RoK Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), will pass through 19 provinces and cities nationwide, to call for more community support for AO victims and to mark the 20th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.

source: qdnd

The People’s Committee of the central province of Khanh Hoa is planning to install a camera system to prevent crimes, especially those against foreign tourists. Khanh Hoa is home to Nha Trang, one of the country’s most beautiful beach cities.

At a meeting in the province last week, Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Nguyen Van Ngan, head of the Nha Trang police department informed that many foreign tourists, especially Russians, have been robbed during the last two years.

However, local police has met many obstacles in their investigation due to a shortage of personnel and language barrier. Moreover, local tourism agencies do not provide enough information about their customers.

Recently, the Consulate General of Russia in HCMC has proposed Khanh Hoa province apply measures to retrieve Russian tourists’ robbed properties.

Nguyen Chien Thang, chairman of the provincial People’s People Committee, said at the meeting that protecting tourists is a thing that the province needs to do for its survival since the province’s economy depends on tourism.

In related news, on October 17, a 22-year-old Dutch Ruben Engelhardt was beaten unconscious after he tried to prevent five men from robbing Charlotte, a French woman, on Tran Phu Street in Nha Trang.

The robbers kept attacking Ruben until she agreed to let the robbers keep the camera and take all of the money on her.

Before leaving the scene, those men took all of the money and papers from the collapsed Ruben.

source: tuoitrenews

Robberies against foreign tourists have been on the rise in Nha Trang. Recently, a Dutch tourist was beaten unconscious by five robbers there. However, just four years ago, Vietnam was a very safe place for women to travel solo, according to MSN travel.

Vietnam was listed among 8 of the best destinations for solo women travelers by MSN travel based in Canada, in 2008 for its super-low crime rate, cheap shopping market places, and friendly people.

“While our choices were based on safety, we also took other criteria into consideration – dining, spas and relaxation, shopping, museums, and in some cases, the dating scene,” MSN travel said in a report on its website.

According to the report, Vietnam met all the aforementioned criteria to be one of top places in the world for women to go solo.

“If the beautiful beaches and breathtaking coastal boat tours weren’t enough of a selling point, Vietnam’s super-low crime rate makes it a safe country for solo women,” the travel site said.

“But that’s not all – the shopping in Vietnam is incredible – with five dollar silk scarves and three dollar three-course dinners. Additionally, the people here are extremely friendly and won’t hesitate to help you if you can’t find your way,” it added.

Other destinations on the list include Ireland, Las Vegas, Tucson – Arizona, Thailand, Amsterdam, Costa Rica, and Iceland.

MSN Travel is an online source for guide books, articles, features and photos on Canada, the U.S. and international destinations.

source: tuoitrenews

Men row kayaks on the Cai River near Nha Trang. They are guests at Cat Village, a new riverside tourism spot just outside town, designed to provide travelers with a rural experience.

Hon Thom, which literally means the “fragrant isle” due to its many wild fragrant trees, has emerged as a new destination just outside the famous resort town of Nha Trang, especially for those who really want to escape.

This is not an island that Nha Trang’s popular “booze cruise” tours visit.

“This village lets visitors enjoy the quiet and peace of nature, away from noise of the city,” Nguyen Hong Phi, a local official, says.

Phi is referring to Cat Village, a new back-to-basics tourism center on the 30-hectare islet. Opened in late July in Xuan Ngoc Village, Vinh Ngoc Commune, it is 1.5 kilometers from Road 45 toward the Cai River.

The islet, which is technically just a riverside area, has attracted many youths who challenge themselves to climb its 300-meter hill. But the new village has more attractions.

Before entering the village, visitors travel five minutes on a speedboat across the Cai River.

The village is almost like a natural green complex seen from afar.

There are huts with thatched roofs in the middle of shadowy orchards around 50 years old, and sailboats at the edge of the village, ready to take visitors for a tour along the river.

A net set up at Cat Village in Nha Trang, in case guests want to try some of the ‘farmer experiences’ on offer at the village. Sailboats are also provided by the village.

Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, director of a construction firm and owner of the village, says he always had a dream of building a “real countryside” tourism destination.

The 44-year-old says he has developed 15 hectares of the riverside village after buying the land and orchards from a friend. He invested his own money in the project, but wouldn’t say how much.

The tiny island village is very cool because it is shaded by trees and surrounded by water.

And like most villages in southern rural Vietnam, each thatched roof hut has a big jar of water outside, and a coconut shell attached to a long cane for people to wash their face, hands and feet before entering the house.

Each is named after the tree near it – so there’re the Tamarind Hut, the Mango Hut, and the Longan Hut.

Under the trees are vegetables such as water spinach, broccoli, pennywort, and basil grown without pesticides and similar chemicals.

Guests can pick vegetables for their meals, as well as catch fish in a pond or in the river, by rod or by net. Village staff can also pick the fruit for guests.

The cries of geese calling out to each other, and birds chirping, are other lively parts of the village.

Thanh, who was born and grew up in Nha Trang, says the town has many attractions, but his village is the first destination along the Cai River, although tourists have been taken along the river on boats for years.

The village not only provides a fabricated glimpse of daily rural life, but also various forms of rural entertainment that are rarely found elsewhere in Nha Trang.

People can play fish fighting, cricket fighting, kayaking, sailing with trimarans, windsurfing and various power boating activities. The village has 20 boats of different kinds.

Thanh is completing procedures to provide rock climbing as well.

Customers are allowed to bring their own food and drink. Otherwise, food and other demands need to be bought by the village in advance. Advance notice can be given via phone: (058) 222 1111 or (058) 370 7505.

source: thanhniennews

Occupying an enviable location in Tran Phu Street – Nha Trang city, Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa is just steps away from the beach and within walking distance to major sightseeing, shopping and tourist destinations. Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa is built in colonial style with a well-earned legacy of coastal splendors. Combining location, weather, unique ambiance and highest quality of service, Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa is an ideal destination for wedding and honeymoon.

Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa will make your dreams of a romantic wedding on the beach come true. Just as each couple has specific needs and wishes, each barefoot beach wedding ceremony is tailored for them. The hotel offers Barefoot Wedding Package in a variety of colors and styles to choose from. The couple exchanges their vows of marriage in front of one of the most beautiful bays in the world with the sunshine glistening on the emerald water as a breathtaking backdrop for the best wedding photos.

Your wedding ceremony is performed in such grace and love with the witness of your family, friends and our certified celebrants. After that, the couple will release pigeons to pray for peace and lifetime engagement.

Bring out your romantic side by creating enchanting moments for your beloved with Romantic Escape package priced at VND6,800,000++ (valid to November 30, 2012). The package offers two-night stay in a luxuriously spacious Superior room with private balcony overlooking the bay.

Couples are totally refreshed in a 60-minute body treatment session at Sunrise Spa surrounded in relaxing atmosphere with Balance & Harmony. Couples, certainly, will be indulging in sea, sun and smiles at our beach – just some steps away from the hotel. Your romantic escape is also featured with daily buffet breakfasts in bed, a dinner at the Roman style outdoor pool on the fist floor blended in little green garden. If you feel reluctant to leave after two romantic nights at Sunrise Nha Trang, the Hotel offers an exclusive 15 percent off internet rate for all extended nights to complete your experience at this elegant sanctuary.

For more details, please contact:

Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa

Sales & Marketing Department

Tel: 84 58 3820999

Fax: 84 58 3822866

Address: 12-14 Tran Phu Boulevard, Nha Trang City, Viet Nam
Email: info@sunrisenhatrang.com.vn
Website: www.sunrisenhatrang.com.vn

source: thanhniennews

The 1st International Sea Travel Expo Nha Trang (ISTE) will take place on the sandy shores of Vietnam next year as part of the 6th Nha Trang Sea Festival in Nha Trang town of the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

Themed “Sea, Island and Tourism Development,” ISTE will feature around 200 booths and various activities designed to promote sea tourism, announced the province’s tourism representatives at the 8th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City last week.

Vietnam Night will featuring the cuisine, culture and arts of coastal provinces. Pre-show and post-show tours will be available for international buyers.

Seminars on international cruise tourism, a tourism awards ceremony, as well as the Open Int’l Tourism Golf Tournament will all be part of the festivities.

The three-day event will take place on June 6-8 next year.

It is co-held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa’s People’s Committee, and the Department of Tourism.

Last year, the province, 440km from downtown HCMC, welcomed 440,569 foreign tourists and 2,180,960 domestic ones. The town hasd also hosted the Miss Earth and Miss Universe vanity copetitions.

source: thanhniennews

The wooden house at the top is a replica of the one built by Dr Alexandre Yersin who stayed there for many years doing medical research. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hon Ba Mountain soars 1,578 meters above the coastal plains of Khanh Hoa Province, and is a cool 18 degrees Celsius even in the middle of summer.

But most people do not think it is worth a visit. “What is there to see?” is the usual question.

Unlike nearby Nha Trang, the mountain has little by way of entertainment, and even the landscape is not especially remarkable.

But this was the place Alexandre Yersin, the Swiss-born French bacteriologist and doctor, decided to climb 90 years ago and stay to do his pharmaceutical research.

The devoted doctor is known worldwide for co-discovering the bacillus, a genus of bacteria causing a zoonotic dissease that can kill most infected humans within days. In Vietnam, he is remembered for his efforts to grow the cinchona tree and produce quinine, the first known effective remedy for malaria, a scourge of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Yersin created a path to the top of the mountain in 1915 after discovering that Hon Ba had similar climate and soil to Da Lat, which were conducive to growing cinchona, from whose bark quinine is made.

After he died in Nha Trang in 1943, Khanh Hoa authorities forgot about the path for 58 years. But in 2001 they spent VND82 billion (US$3.93 million) to turn the path to the top from Suoi Cat Commune in Cam Lam District into a 37-kilometer concrete road around Da Giang Stream.

A Tuoi Tre report said there is no transport service to the top, so visitors have to make their own way. It takes an hour by motorbike or car.

A herbal garden has been created near the house to commemorate Yersin’s work. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Yersin’s house, actually a close copy of the original built by the good doctor, is made of dark wood.

Vietnamese architect Tran Thien Hoang drew the original house from photos at the Pasteur Institute’s museum in Paris. Yersin had used normal wood, but the new house used sao (Hopea), a kind of fine timber, according to the report.

Near the two-story house is a set of table and chairs carved in rock for visitors to sit.

It is furnished as if the house is still occupied and there is an altar where visitors can burn incense sticks to pay their respects to Yersin.

Yersin’s tomb lies near Suoi Dau Stream along National Highway 1A, around a kilometer from the foot of the mountain. The epitaph on his tombstone describes him as a “Benefactor and humanist, venerated by the Vietnamese people.”

The rock stairs and rotten ends of the original house’s wooden pillars remain nearby.

Yersin had many large jars and concrete trays to cultivate seedlings. They remain in the house, scattered around like pieces of an installation work.

The pond Yersin built in front of the house to harvest rainwater also remains.

A garden has been created next to the house with some common herbs as a memorial to his legacy.

Pine trees and various flowering plants have also been planted next to two flowering trees planted by the doctor himself in 1915.

Some tourism services and facilities have been developed at the top in recent years.

There is a small restaurant built of wood that mainly serves drinks and simple dishes like noodles and stir-fries.

Visitors who want to sleep amid the sounds of wild animals can do so by paying VND500,000 ($24) per night to stay in the six bungalows which are lit up at night by gas mantles.

source: thanhniennews

Accordingly, its passengers can pay from VND 1.3 million for a round-trip ticket to destinations in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the UK and Indonesia, and only VND 0.4 million for one-way tickets on every domestic flight, departing between September 12th and October 10th.

Meanwhile, the budget carrier VietJetAir will provide customers 10,000 seats at VND 99,000 each on local routes Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang/Da Nang and Hanoi-Da Nang for flights from October 14th, 2012 to March 31st, 2013, excluding New Year and other holidays.

The promotion is to welcome an increase of its flights of 2 per day on the Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang route and 3 of the Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang route from October 14th.

source: qdnd