Vietnam Travel Guide » Halong Bay

Gala night celebrates Ha Long Bay – a new seven wonders of nature

huongbui — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:09:33 +0000

In evening of 12th November 2011, a gala was organized at Cach Mang Thang Tam Square, in the front of Hanoi Opera House to honor Ha Long Bay as one of the new seven wonders of nature after 4 – year voting campaign.

The event was organized by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) in order to review success of Ha Long Bay during the last 4 years of voting campaign and show gratefulness to community for their support to Ha Long Bay.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Ho Anh Tuan said since the global vote for New7Wonders of Nature was launched in August 2007, Ha Long Bay has received active support of people throughout the country, oversea Vietnameses, international community, and media. It has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1994 and 2000 and now it is listed among the new Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Ha Long Bay has contributed to promoting a positive image of Vietnam to the world.
During 4 years, the campaign to collect votes for Ha Long Bay was organized by many ways such as photo competitions, writing competitions, bicycle tour, live broadcasts, cultural exchanges and art performances…

MoCST called organizations, and individuals, people throughout the country, oversea Vietnameses, and international community, who supported Ha Long Bay in the voting campaign, will continue to express their love and responsibility to protect and promote the sustainable value of Ha Long Bay through programmes, campaigns and specific actions so that Ha Long keeps on shining.
Director General of International Cooperation Department (MoCST) Nguyen Van Tinh informed that in the letter sent to Standing Committee for the Voting campaign for Ha Long Bay, Chairman of the New Open World organization Bernard Weber emphasized that Ha Long Bay has been officially recognized as a fair and deserving member of the unique historic voting campaign. He said these results are provisional, based on the first count of votes, and they will be checked, validated and independently verified before the final results can be confirmed.
In the gala, dragon dances and art performances were held to celebrate the victory.

Hong Thanh (TITC)

Malaysian tourism minister proposes helicopter tourism for Ha Long Bay

huongbui — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:03:33 +0000

Malaysian Tourism Minister Dato Sri DR. Ng Yen Yen suggested launching helicopter tourism services in Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province.
She made the proposal at a meeting with Nguyen Van Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and provincial officials on November 7.
She added that Malaysian budget airlines AirAsia will offer flight from Kuala Lumpur to Danang next month and Ha Long may be its next destination, so helicopter services will help to boost the provincial tourism sector.
According to the minister, Quang Ninh should also open specialised parks and sea museums to serve travellers.
Pham Minh Chinh, Party Committee Secretary of the province, introduced the advantages of the area to his guests, particularly for tourism development in Ha Long Bay. He, however, noted that Quang Ninh’s tourism industry still faced difficulties related to infrastructure and human resources, and expected co-operation with international partners, including Malaysia, to help further tapping the area’s tourism potential.
The Malaysian minister said, tourism is among five key economic areas in Malaysia. It creates over one million jobs and contributes 25% to the country’s GDP annually.
Ha Long Bay has been named on the most recent shortlist of the 10 new natural wonders of world by the New Open World Corporation, four days before the poll ends.
Eamonn Fitzgerald, who is in charge of the New Open World Corporation, said the list could change in the remaining days of the campaign before the final list was released November 11.
The Vietnamese Tourism Promotion Centre has mobilized 300 volunteers to join online forums to urge members to vote for the bay.

Source: Dtinews

Overseas Vietnamese in Belgium vote for Ha Long Bay

huongbui — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:47:55 +0000

Many staff members of the Vietnamese embassy and representative offices in the European Union along with Overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese students gathered in Brussels on October 25 to vote for Ha Long Bay as one of seven new natural wonders of the world.

The Vietnamese ambassador to Belgium, Pham Sanh Chau, said this was the third time in the last five months they had come together to vote for Ha Long Bay.

Launched on October 11, the final stage of the vote will close on November 11.

The list of seven new natural wonders with an overwhelming majority of the votes will be announced on November 11, 2011.

Ha Long Bay has been twice recognized as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO.

Source: CPV

Overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia vote for Ha Long Bay

huongbui — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:39:43 +0000

In response to the campaign for Ha Long Bay, on October 28, Vietnamese students studying at Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia also voted for Ha Long Bay through the internet.
Besides, they also introduced the natural beauty and culture and historical importance of Ha Long Bay, which has been twice recognized as a world natural heritage by UNESCO.
“Vietnamese students are honoured when Vietnam has such a beautiful wonder of nature. The Vietnamese student association has positively responded and called upon friends and international students in Cambodia to vote for Ha Long Bay as one of the new seven natural wonder of the world,” Phan Dinh Bac, a third-year student from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said.
Previously, the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia has also organized to vote for Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay is now one of 28 candidates for the new seven natural wonders of the world title.

Source: CPV

Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2011 to be the biggest ever

haidang — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:02:17 +0000

People’s Committee of Quang Ninh Province coordinated with related agencies to hold a press conference to announce the program of Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2011 on April 1, 2011.

Accordingly, the Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2011 will take place from April 28 to May 2, 2011 at the Bai Chay and Tuan Chau tourist areas and in the centre of Ha Long City with attractive culture, sport and tourism events.

The main activities will include the seminar on voting campaign for Ha Long Bay to become one of the seven natural wonders of the world, contest of the best MC on Ha Long Bay, music and poetry night on Ha Long, gastronomy festival, international beach volleyball final round, Open Quang Ninh tennis tournament, classical music concert in the Dau Go Grotto and Quang Ninh international trade fair.

Especially, the high-tech and unique light art performance which is held for the first time in the Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week with the theme “Miraculous Ha Long by night” and last about 90 minutes will bring surprises to visitors.

The Ha Long Carnival which will be held at 8:00pm on May 1 at the Bai Chay Tourist Area will be the highlight of the tourism week, including three parts: opening ceremony, art performances on stage, carnival parade and masquerade festival. Notably, this year the Ha Long Carnival is expected to show more cultural features of each locality in the province such as the tutelary god procession of Tra Co Communal House in Mong Cai City and Tien Cong (the founding fathers) procession of Yen Hung District…

Besides, there will be culture, sport and tourism activities to respond the Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2011 in tourist centers as the cities of Mong Cai, Uong Bi. The organising board has also invited art troupes from Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan (China) to perform at the festival.

The Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2011 is not only an important event to promote the image, cultural values and landscapes of Quang Ninh Province, but also contributes to enhance competitive capacity of tourism in the province. This is also a good chance to strengthen the promotion for Halong Bay, and create the support from a large number of international visitors to vote for Ha Long Bay to get the New7Wonders of Nature title.

Ha Long Bay welcomes more maritime visitors

haidang — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:45:39 +0000

The five-star cruise liner SuperStar Aquarius with 2,200 foreign tourists and crew aboard docked at the world’s natural heritage, Ha Long Bay, in the northern province of Quang Ninh on April 3, 2011.

The visitors, mostly from China, were scheduled to tour around the Bay, drop by the Vung Vieng fishing village to get insight into the local fishermen’s life, and get involved in other artistic activities.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Quang Ninh welcomed about 2 million visitors in the first quarter of this year, including over 600,000 foreign visitors, and earned VND 913 billion in revenues, a year-on-year increase of 6 percent.
(Source: Vietnam Plus)

Over 4,000 European tourists visit Halong Bay

haidang — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:25:50 +0000

More than 4,000 foreign tourists visit Halong Bay by cruise ships from February 2 to March 3, according to Trinh Dang Thanh, Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Arcadia carrying 2,000 passengers docked at Halong Bay on February 28, 90% of them are British and the rest Australian.

Another cruise ship, Seabourn Sojourne, arrived at Cai Lan Port on March 1, carrying 400 tourists. Later the same day, Costa Classica with 1,400 European passengers on board also came on a tour of Halong Bay and will head for Hanoi one day later.

The Princess Daphne is scheduled to bring 350 Australian tourists to the bay on March 3.
(Source: VOV)

Halong Bay seeks New 7 Wonders of World status

haidang — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:16:41 +0000

The campaign to collect votes for Halong Bay to be recognised as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in November this year is entering the final stages, said an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).

At a meeting to discuss the country’s efforts to reach this goal held on February 23, Director of International Cooperation Department under the MCST Nguyen Van Tinh said that Halong Bay is among the 28 finalists. The official declaration of the New 7 Wonders of the World will be made on November 11, 2011, he added.

The Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Nguyen Van Tuan, emphasized the need to mobilize people to vote for Halong Bay and win the support of international friends.

The VNAT will also launch its own campaign to vote for the bay, he revealed.

Meanwhile, the department has come up with a plan to promote the image of Halong Bay to international tourists and friends. The plan includes a photographic contest and a painting competition on Halong Bay for children as well as an art performance.

The department will also organise activities to collect votes at major schools, tourist sites and through the Internet.

To vote for Halong Bay, twice recognised by the UNESCO for its landscape and geological values, in northern Quang Ninh Province, please visit the website

http://www.new7wonders.com/community/en/new7wonders/new7wonders_of_nature/voting

(Source: VNA)

Halong Bay seeks New 7 Wonders of World status

haidang — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:59:37 +0000

The Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Nguyen Van Tuan, emphasized the need to mobilize people to vote for Halong Bay and win the support of international friends.

The VNAT will also launch its own campaign to vote for the bay, he revealed.

The department will also organise activities to collect votes at major schools, tourist sites and through the Internet.

To vote for Halong Bay, twice recognised by the UNESCO for its landscape and geological values, in northern Quang Ninh Province, please visit the website

http://www.new7wonders.com/community/en/new7wonders/new7wonders_of_nature/voting

(Source: VNA)

Cruise liners to bring foreign visitors to Vietnam during Tet

haidang — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:19:04 +0000

The Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) will receive three cruise liners with 3,650 foreign tourists aboard during the traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet), which falls on the first week of February.

The tourists are scheduled to tour a flower festival and some pagodas in Ho Chi Minh, enjoy specialties in the southwestern region, visit pottery workshops and experience a floating market in the Mekong Delta to witness jubilant atmosphere of welcoming Tet of local people.

They will also visit world heritage sites in the former imperial city of Hue and Quang Ninh Province.

In 2010, Saigontourist welcomed more than 45,000 foreign tourists arriving by sea, mostly from Europe.

(Source: VNA)