VietExplorer

In the middle of the courtyard of Dong Co Temple, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, an incense burner was lit. People gathered in a solemn atmosphere and recited the oath: “The unfilial children, the disloyal servants, God will destroy them.” That’s the main rite of the Loyalty Oath Festival of Dong Co Temple, which has been maintained in the capital for nearly 1,000 years. Thanks to its historical and cultural values, the festival has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. The festival is the only one that provides a place for mandarins of the past and Party members of the present to take an oath of loyalty to the country. It’s also an opportunity for the people to show gratitude to their ancestors and pray for national peace and prosperity. Dong Co Temple is located on Thuy Khue Street, about 300 meters from the southwestern shore of the West Lake. Legend has it that in 1020, Crown Prince Phat Ma (later enthroned as King Ly Thai Tong) led a troop south to fight the in

Half a million colorful light-emitting diode (LED) lights have been installed over a sizable part of Bach Dang Wharf Park in Ho Chi Minh City to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Vietnam and Japan. Each country’s symbols and their relationship are reflected in the art lights that have been added to Bach Dang Wharf in District 1. The artwork depicts a garden of Sakura blossoms, the national flower of Japan, and lotus flowers on water which symbolize the traditional Vietnamese image, and the interaction between the two cultures. Bach Dang Wharf Park is one of the favorite destinations of locals and visitors.   The message reads “Vietnam and Japan work together to expand global outreach in the future”. Photo: Tuyet Nguyen/Mekong Environment Forum (MEF)  LED lights represent Sakura blossoms – the national flower of Japan. Photo: Tuyet Nguyen/MEF    Lotus flowers on blue background symbolize the classic Viet

The festival “Korean Cultural Road 2023” with a variety of activities to experience Korean culture will take place from April 22-23 at the Embassy of South Korea in Hanoi. This year, the festival will highlight the image of Busan as this city has been organizing a campaign to host the World Expo 2030. The stone road area behind Korean Embassy, which attracts people to take photos, will be decorated with images of Busan’s Gamcheon mural village, promising to create a diverse and interesting space for festival goers. Visitors at the previous Korean Culture Road Festival. Photo courtesy of the Embassy of South Korea in Hanoi The festival includes many activities promoting Korean culture such as food experience, hanbok try-on, introduction of tourist attractions and traditional crafts, promotion of small and medium enterprises’ products, learning how to make Kimchi, Korean culture quiz, Korean traditional games, among others. In addition, the audience will also enjoy a sp

Halong Tourism Week 2023 will be held from April 29 to May 3, 2023, according to the Halong City People’s Committee. The Carnaval Halong Festival street parade has become the rendezvous destination of Halong vacation and art lovers.  The highlight of the event is Halong Carnival 2023, themed “The Halong Dance – In harmony with the five continents”, which will be held on May 1 at 8 pm on Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard, Bai Chay Ward, Halong City. The 15th Halong Carnival will consist of four parts, including the opening ceremony, a main stage art performance, a street parade and a low-level fireworks display. According to Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vice Chairman of Halong City People’s Committee, Carnaval Ha Long 2023 will be a wonderful creative performance based on many themes such as history, legend, nature, and so on, showing Halong’s position as a leading vibrant and exciting holiday destination in Asia. “As an event of light, color, music, art, and cultural identity, Halong Car

As soon as Nguyen Gia Trung Hieu, representing Flamingo Redtour at the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023, put the flyers of the travel packages on the table, the interest of local visitors in the travel packages started to grow. Hieu said that about 80 people visited the booth and got information about tours within one hour on the festival’s first day. The travel demand is increasing as the summer season approaches. This year, the demand for traveling to destinations such as Phu Quoc Island and the Northwest Region is high,” he said. Although the prices of flights to some domestic destinations are skyrocketing, those who book a tour through our company will be able to enjoy a preferential price,” he told The Hanoi Times .  Hieu is introducing tours to local visitors at the booth. Photos: Do Huong/ The Hanoi Times During the festival, Flamingo Redtours JSC will introduce thousands of domestic and international tours with prices ranging from VND2.2 million (US$93.9) to VND5 m

Lucia, one of the most beloved feasts in Sweden, was celebrated at Daewoo Hotel, Hanoi, on December 7 to enable the Vietnamese audience to witness a classical Swedish Lucia procession.  Lucia’s celebration opens in Hanoi on Dec 7. Photos: Embassy of Sweden in Vietnam On December 13 every year, Lucia is truly celebrated everywhere in Sweden, in schools and kindergartens, in workplaces – from the factory floor to the board rooms, in the parliament and royal palace, in churches and folk museums, in houses for elderly people and hospitals and all embassies abroad. This year’s celebration in Hanoi marked the performance of Åsa Jäger, a dramatic soprano who brought the audience the best of Swedish musical tradition through her divine singing. Attending the ceremony, Do Hung Viet, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the Embassy of Sweden hosted its signature Lucia celebration in Hanoi, among other activities, to help bring the centuries-long culture of the No

Hanoi, including travel agencies in the capital, keep receiving prestigious awards from many international organizations, showing the resilience of the capital’s tourism after Covid-19.  Delegates from Hanoi receive the World’s Leading City Break Destination 2022 Award. Photos: WTA The Grand Final Gala Ceremony of the 29th World Travel Awards 2022 on November 11 in Muscat, Oman, honored Hanoi as the World’s Leading City Break Destination 2022. The World Travel Awards (WTA) is considered the “Oscar of the world travel industry”, an annual search for the world’s finest travel and tourism organizations. This is an important award category in the WTA’s award system, focusing on evaluating criteria related to the attractiveness of short-term resort activities, and tourist experiences in cities around the world, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism. Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said the award is essential for Hanoi in the context

International contestants participating in the final round of the Miss Tourism World 2022 contest will promote the culture and tourism of Hanoi and the other four localities in Vietnam.  International contestants and the Founder of the beauty contest arrive in Hanoi. Photo: VGP On November 14-16, a group of 71 contestants will visit landscapes, and cultural and historical sites in Hanoi, including Hoan Kiem Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Bat Trang traditional pottery village. They will also have the chance to enjoy the city’s cuisine and the art of Xam  folk singing. From November 16 to 26, the contestants will visit cultural heritages and tourist destinations in the northern provinces of Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, and Vinh Phuc, including Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Special National Historical Relic of Hung Kings Temple, Tay Thien Scenic Relic Site and others.

Authorities and people of Son Tay Town in Hanoi on November 12 celebrated the 200th anniversary of the ancient Son Tay Citadel with a series of investment and tourism activities. Hot-air balloon tour at the Son Tay Ancient Citadel festival kicked off on November 12. Source: Vietnam News Agency The event aims to raise awareness and responsibility among young generations for preserving historical and cultural heritage. In addition, visitors will learn about the distinctive characteristics of the fortress. On this occasion, Son Tay Town will promote local tourism activities to contribute to the socio-economic growth in Hanoi. The event also features activities such as the exhibition of photos, archeological items, calligraphic writings, art performances, experiencing tours, and a balloon showdown that gives visitors a bird’s eye view of the ancient citadel and Son Tay Town. In addition, the local authorities have created a pedestrian street around the fortress, organize

Golf players on October 19 celebrated a successful closing of the Hanoi Golf Tournament 2022 at the BRG King Island Golf Resort in Son Tay Town, Hanoi. Le Hoang Anh, Deputy Editor in Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper (center), gives four Nearest to The Pin prizes to players at the closing ceremony of the Hanoi Golf Tournament 2022. Photo: Ngoc Tu & Pham Hung  Four prizes of Nearest to The Pin were given to Dang Ha Lam (hole 4), Mai Thanh Chung (hole 6), Nguyen Van Manh (hole 13) and Nguyen Tuan Son (hole 17). One Nearest to The Line prize and one Longest Drive prize were handed over to Phuong Huu Duong (hole 12) and Nguyen Tri Thanh (hole 2). In addition, four first prizes, four second prizes and four third prizes were also given to winners in the tournament. The tournament is one of the main events held during the “Hanoi Golf and Cultural Exchange Week 2022” co-organized by the Kinh te & Do thi (Economic and Urban) Newspaper and the Vietnam Golf Touri

The Kinh te & Do thi (Economic & Urban) Newspaper and the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club on October 7 opened the 17th “Hanoi in My Heart” photography exhibition to mark the 68th anniversary of the Capital’s Liberation Day, which falls on October 10.   Visitors at the 17th “Hanoi in me” photo exhibition, which opens on October 7 at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. Photo: The Hanoi Times The annual exhibition, underway at the Hanoi Temple of Literature, will provide an insight into the creative city of Hanoi, foster a love of the capital city and a desire for development in every Hanoian, and boost their creativity to drive Hanoi’s growth. The “Cultural Colors of the Capital” showcases 80 photos capturing moments and views of Hanoi as the city bounces back vigorously in the post-pandemic stage. As a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, which conceives the cultural industry as a leading economic sector, the exhibition demonstrates Hanoi’s determinatio