Vietnam to host 7th international ministerial conference on pandemic flu

The 7th International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza IMCAPI Hanoi 2010) will take place from April 19 - 21 in Hanoi to provide a platform to share experiences, identify challenges, develop solutions and provide support to respond to highly pathogenic avian influenza and prepare for a possible pandemic.

Hue Festival to kick off in June

Hue Festival will take place from June 5-13 in the ancient imperial city of Hue, with the expected participation of over 40 artists and art troupes from 31 countries worldwide, said the organisation board.

For the first time, Hue Festival will welcome the representatives of ancient capital cities and provinces housing world cultural heritages whose activities include special cultural performances relating to music, circus, theatrics, street art, puppetry and cinema, said Nguyen Duy Hien, the organisation board’s deputy director.

Unique performances of the Hue imperial court will reappear in many areas in the forms of such events as sacrifice ceremony, Ao dai (traditional dress) festival, royal palace night, the legend of Huong River, and Vietnam’s Beauty Programme.  

Additionally, two new activities to welcome the 1,000^th founding anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, the country’s territory defense and the manoeuvre of marines under Nguyen dynasty, will be theatricised during the festival, according to the organisation board.

Before Hue festival, a flower festival will take place from February 11-18 on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year Festival in mid- February), according to the municipal People’s Committee.

Starting in 2000, the biennial Hue Festival has so far reaped considerable successes. In 2008, the festival attracted over two million visitors, rose from over 1.5 million in the previous festival, including 30,000 foreign tourists.

Schedule of key events at Hue Festival 2010

The Hue Festival will be kicked off with a variety of community activities such as a massive street painting taking the theme “From Thang Long Ancient Capital to Hue Ancient Capital”, street performances, installation arts with the theme “What should be undertaken to protect our green planet” in the morning of June 5, 2010 and the Grand Opening Ceremony in the evening.

1.  The Hue Festival will be kicked off with a variety of community activities such as a massive street painting taking the theme “From Thang Long Ancient Capital to Hue Ancient Capital”, street performances, installation arts with the theme “What should be undertaken to protect our green planet” in the morning of June 5, 2010 and the Grand Opening Ceremony in the evening.
2.  Reenactment of a “Navy manoeuvre under the Nguyen Dynasties” in the evening of June 7, 2010.
3.  “Ao Dai” Grand Show in the evening of June 8, 2010.
4.  Nam Giao Offering Ritual in the evening of June 9, 2010
5.  The “Voyage to reclaim the country’s land” spectacle in the evening of June 10, 2010.
6.  “The Perfume River’s legends” program in the evenings of June 6 and 12, 2010.
7.  “The Oriental Night” Show to be staged in the evenings of June 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2010.
8.  The folk music and drama program entitled Viet's Beauty to be showcased in the evenings of June 6, 9 and 11, 2010.
9.  The program “Royal Palace by Night” in the evenings of June 5, 2010 (without royal banquet) and June 8 and 11, 2010 (with royal banquet)
10. The Closing Ceremony in the evening of June 13, 2010.

Celebrating the New Year 2010 at the Dalat Flower Festival, Vietnam

The 2010 Dalat Flower Festival will be held in Dalat from January 1 to 4. This is one of the biggest festivals to start those celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. 

With the theme ‘Dalat-the Kingdom of Flowers’, the festival is expected to become an international event, so the organizing committee has invited famous flower-growing countries Japan, the Netherlands, the U.S. and China to be part of the festival. Ben Thanh Tourist is offering four day/three night tours to Dalat to experience Flower Festival 2010 that leave on December 31 and January 1.  

Dalat is a place of beautiful waterfalls, tortuous mountain roads and unique architecture in villas hidden under the pine trees. It is popular at Christmas and New Year as the atmosphere here is cool all year round. Moreover, it is the most attractive resort and tourism hub in Vietnam. Coming to the Flower Festival, visitors have the opportunity to see many valuable and rare kinds of flowers.

On the way to Dalat, the tour stops for sightseeing at Damb’ri Waterfall in Bao Loc. This is one of the most beautiful and impressive waterfalls in Lam Dong province. After Damb’ri, the tour takes in Thien Vuong Co Sat Pagoda with its three Buddha statues made of agarwood. After arriving in Dalat and checking into the hotel, Ben Thanh Tourist will hold an evening party with flowers and red wine to celebrate New Year 2010.

On the second day, the tour visits Lat Village at the foot of Langbiang Mountain to conquer the peak and take a panoramic view of Dalat City in the mist. In the afternoon, the tour visits Domain de Marie Church and Hang Nga Villa. Then tourists will share the joy with local people at Flower Festival 2010 at Xuan Huong lake.

The following day, the tour moves to Truc Lam Monastery, Robin Hill, Tuyen Lam lake, Phoenix Mountain and the Valley of Love to contemplate the mystery of Da Lat Su Quan. Tourists will love the horse-drawn carriage ride around Xuan Huong lake. The final stop is the Dalat Market to buy specialties for relatives.

Source: Ngoc Minh/Saigon Times

New website on ASEAN Defense-Military Meetings

PM Dung vows success on eve of ASEAN presidency

World media to be pampered

HA NOI — All preparations for media outlets have been completed for the upcoming third Asian Indoor Games (AIG) later this month, said Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang at the second AIG Media Conference yesterday in Ha Noi.

Welcome To Hanoi -Vietnam in 2010- 1000th anniversary

Thang Long – Hanoi shall embark on the 2nd millennium. Each and every individual from Hanoi today feels the great historic significance. Surprisingly, the ancient capital city, having undergone a thousand years of evolution, remains fresh and ready to fly higher and farther. It is like the Red River that keeps carrying alluvia and embanking Hanoi which is literally translated as “inside river” city.

* 9th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting ( FMM9)

25 May 2009 to 26 May 2009
Hanoi, Vietnam

ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting, in addition to pursuing the ASEM dialogue under the first and third pillars (political dialogue, co-operation in other areas), is also responsible for the overall co-ordination of the ASEM process.

For more information, please visit the official website of FMM9 at http://www.fmm9.vn

The 2009 Ha Long Tourism Festival will be held as a carnival of the sea, air and land from April 25-May 2, according to the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee.

The opening ceremony, themed ‘Ha Long – World Natural Heritage Rendez Vous’ will feature traditional art performances on floating stages around Bai Chay Ferry areas, creating a unique and festive ambiance. 

Also included will be firework shows during the closing ceremony to the theme of “Night of Shining Heritage’.

The events will be broadcast live on VTV.

During the week-long Carnival, various other side activities will be organised, including a food festival featuring dishes from the northern and northeastern provinces, performances by local and international artists, athletic competitions and business fairs.

VietNamNet/VNA