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France to remain main partner at Hue Festival 2014

HUA THIEN HUE — France will remain the main partner of the Hue festival, which will next be held in 2014, said Segolene Royal, president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council in France.

She recently signed a co-operation agreement with Nguyen Van Cao, chairman of Hue People's Committee. They both plan to promote co-operation projects in culture and tourism for the next festival.

Under the agreement, the Poitou-Charentes region will support Thua Thien Hue Province preserve its heritage and boost training of human resources in the tourism sector. It will also help the province develop ecological tourism by upgrading Hue traditional houses for homestay visits.

The Poitou-Charentes region has been the main partner of the Hue festival since 2000, when it was launched.-

Source VNS

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Authorities debate festivals' role

HA NOI — Many traditional festivals have been banned from taking place due to culture managers considering them as superstitious, researcher Nguyen Van Huy has told a workshop on awareness and management in Ha Noi.

Huy, deputy director of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Research and Promotion, gave many examples of traditional rituals practised by some ethnic groups, such as hau dong (mediumship), which have been absent from people's lives because of opinions built up against them during the 1960s-70s.

"Since the doi moi (renewal) period (in mid-1980s) opinions have changed. Now is the perfect for researchers to study and restore traditional and unique festivals," he said.

"We don't have a particular definition for superstition, so I suggest setting up concepts to identify such cultural activities and festivals while using the term sensibly when we assess traditional rituals."

The researcher pointed out that events such as the Saint Giong Festival, was once lost due to incorrect interpretation, but that it had been restored as a symbol for patriotism and recognised as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the UN culture agency UNESCO.

Researcher Dang Van Bai, from the National Heritage Council, agreed with Huy in that there is no superstition present in traditional festivals and religions.

"Some individuals use superstition and take advantage of beliefs for personal purposes to cause a bad influence on the community," he said.

The researchers highlighted modern festivals adapted from abroad that have no long-standing traditions and held for promotional purposes alone such as the Flower Festival in Da Lat, the Hue Festival, the Tea Festival in Thai Nguyen and the Coconut Festival in Ben Tre.

"Managers should survey the 8,000 traditional and modern festivals held in Viet Nam every year," said Luu Tran Tieu, chairman of the National Heritage Council.

"While many new festivals are organised successfully and help promote local tourism and culture, some waste money," he noted.

The workshop was organised by the National Heritage Council with the participation of many researchers and representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source VNS

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Norway Constitution celebrated

On the occasion of Norway's National Day today, Viet Nam News features an article by the Norwegian Ambassador to Viet Nam, Stale Torstein Risa.

Today, on Norway's National Day, I extend my best wishes to all Norwegians and friends of Norway in Viet Nam. On May 17, Norwegians all around the world celebrate the adoption of Norway's Constitution of 1814, the democratic society that we have built since then, and the freedom and opportunities that we now enjoy.

On July 22 last year Norway experienced an abominable act of terror. It was a brutal attack; many lost their lives, others were severely injured, and families and friends were left grief-stricken. Still, Norwegians came together, making clear that the attack on our values had failed. Norwegian democracy grows stronger when under pressure, and our commitment to working for a better world, with our many partners, remains unwavering.

Our community of nations is experiencing much uncertainty after the severe financial crisis which continues to impact the global economy. Climate change, with includes a warming planet, rise in the sea level and an increase in extreme weather conditions, will also pose a challenge in the years to come.

I am, therefore, pleased to see co-operation between Norway and Viet Nam continuing to develop and strengthen. Our development co-operation today has an emphasis on technical assistance and institutional capacity building, with a focus on certain key areas such as natural resource management, clean energy, water and sanitation, climate issues and disaster risk management, humanitarian disarmament, as well as community support, primary education and healthcare.

Some 40 years after our first bilateral projects were put in place, a considerable portion of our funding is channelled through the many Norwegian NGOs that work in Viet Nam and UN agencies; and less through bilateral assistance. This shift in our way of funding also enables us to provide needed support for the UN reform process; and Viet Nam has proven to be a very dedicated and most successful pilot country for this important "Delivering as One" reform process.

We see a substantial increase in trade and commercial ties, although our bilateral trade figures are still relatively modest, totalling close to US$500 million annually.

I am encouraged by the number of Norwegian companies that have recently joined with local partners to strengthen trade and investment between our two countries.

Traditionally, enterprises within the maritime industry sector have dominated, but in recent years we have seen a growing interest in areas such as hydropower, oil and gas, aquaculture, information technology, and the environment.

We also now see expanding co-operation between our academic institutions.

This is an exciting development, with the most recent collaboration being a Masters Degree Program, in human rights protection between the University of Oslo and the National University in Ha Noi, launched just last year.

As our political, economic and academic relations have developed over the years, so too has the people-to-people contact between our two countries, through a vibrant cultural exchange. The project Transposition, which brings together 12 of our leading music institutions – seven Norwegian and five Vietnamese – and young musicians, is at the core of this co-operation.

I take this opportunity to thank all our friends in Viet Nam for the invaluable support which the embassy receives – helping us to enhance and further strengthen the bilateral ties between Norway and Viet Nam. 

Source VNS

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Saigon at a glance

 Nortre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City, Photo by An Bui

Okay, as a visitor to Saigon you are free 24 hours a day. What is the best way of spending your time in this historical and vibrant city?

The right option for most tourists, like you who have just arrived, is to check in at a hotel, and the first port of call should be Saigon Notre-Dame in district 1.

A large cathedral in Cong Xa Paris Square in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, it is a real landmark and it is a quick in and out trip. Short and sweet and of course free. Next up should be Reunification Palace on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. For a small fee of around US$3 you can visit the former home of the President of South Vietnam.

Not only is it a journey back in time, but you get a wonderful view of the tree-lined Le Duan Street, making its French design obvious.

A short five-minute journey from there is the War Remnants Museum, which is not for the fainthearted. The horrors of Agent Orange and US bombing missions during the American War are evident and hard-hitting. A very sombre trip, but one which I think all tourists to the city must make, if they have any interest at all in the country they are visiting.

From there you can head down to Cach Mang Thang Tam (August Revolution) Street in District 3 and the new statue of Buddhist Monk Thich Quang Duc, remembered for his self-immolation to make a political statement about the treatment of Buddhist Monks in the early 1960s.

If you want to see the Chinese part of town, from there it is a short journey to Cho Lon (big market) in District 5 and 6. There you’ll find the former premises of the Le Grande Mondial, the most profitable casino in the world during the 1950s, and straight up the road from there is St Francis Xavier church (Father Tam church) on Hoc Lac Street where former President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem was captured during the military coup in November 1963 before his execution.

After all that history you will want to relax a little, so head to Saigon Pho 2000, ideally located next Ben Thanh Market downtown, for a bite to eat. Then you can do a spot of shopping and wheeling and dealing.

There are of course both high-end and low-end shopping facilities located all along Le Loi Street and cafes aplenty for your downtime.

The Rex Hotel is the most famous location in the city. It was a popular haunt of journalists and US servicemen during the American War.

The top floor restaurant and bar is a must for any visitor to Saigon. There is live music, among all your other necessities, but it is more than that. You can feel the history as you sit there with a nice view of the city.

Of course, you can be bold, forget about the city tour, and instead go to the popular Cu Chi Tunnels - buses run regularly or you can hire a motorbike and take the two hour journey there. Word of warning, though, it can be dangerous if you are inexperienced on a bike. The great thing about this part of the nation’s history is that it has been turned into a fun area with groups of Vietnamese and foreign tourists alike taking in the historical aspect and having a picnic at the same time, with a lot of green areas in the complex.

Source SGT

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La Vang Church – home of Virgin Mary apparition

Located 40 kilometers from Hue City, the church refers to a reported Virgin Mary apparition at a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in Vietnam. The church is highlighted by the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang (Mother Maria).

The legend has it that Christians sought refuge in the rainforests of La Vang in Quang Tri Province Vietnam, and many became very ill. Whilst hiding in the jungle, the community gathered every night at the foot of a tree to pray the rosary and one night in 1798, in the branches of the tree a lady appeared, wearing the traditional Vietnamese ao dai (long dress) and holding a child in her arms, with two angels beside her.

The oppressed Catholics interpreted the vision as the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus Christ. They said that Our Lady comforted them and told them to boil leaves from the trees for medicine to cure the ill. Legend states that the term La Vang was a derivative of the Vietnamese word meaning crying out. Modern scholars believe it comes from the ancient practice of naming a location for a genus of a tree or plant native to the area, la meaning ‘leaf’ and vang meaning ‘herbal seeds’.

In 1802 the Christians returned to their villages, passing on the story of the apparition in La Vang and its message. As the story of the apparition spread, many more visitors and Christians came to pray at this site and to offer incense. In 1820, a chapel was built.

From 1830-1885 another wave of persecutions decimated the Christian population, during the height of which the chapel in honor of Our Lady of La Vang was destroyed.

In 1886, construction on a new chapel began by Bishop Gaspar (Loc).

The church was renovated many times in 1924, 1959 and was damaged in 1972 during the American War.

Today’s church was rebuilt from 1995 to 2004 with a bell tower, church, a praying square and pilgrimage house.

Coming to the cathedral complex, tourists will see many pilgrims from around the country; they camp busily at the site. The site is surrounded by wind, trees, tranquility and peace.

Source SGT

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Mysterious bat flock at Doi pagoda

Located on Le Hong Phong St., 2km from Soc Trang downtown, Doi pagoda is the most famous pagoda in Soc Trang province. It was built in the 16th century and is one of the oldest pagodas in the province.

The pagoda is famous for its beautiful architecture, especially its very large roof that houses tens of thousands of bats. It presents an opportunity to contemplate Khmer arts, with skillful, symbolic decorations on its pillars and roof and splendid relieves and statues.

The pagoda has two gates, the main and the second gate. It is strange that the main door is decorated very simply while the auxiliary gate looks outstanding, in golden color, and it is decorated by a pair of giant snakes, with five heads each.

The pagoda is decorated by many reliefs and statues. On its walls are large-sized paintings featuring the life of the Buddha.

In the 7ha garden, there are many stupas containing remains of monks.

Besides its beautiful architecture, the pagoda is also remarkable for the large number of bats roosting in the trees behind the pagoda. Watching the bats take to the skies, it will occur to you that the pagoda is a unique natural reserve. Visitors can see thousands of bats swinging in immeasurably-high branches, as if performing in a circus.

Currently, Doi Pagoda is preserving a stone Buddha statue which is 1.5m high, as well as many bibles written on sugar palm leaves, known as “leaf-books.”

With a large space for trees, Doi Pagoda is a tranquil place to sit and becomes one of the best tourist attractions in Soc Trang.

Monk Lam Tu Linh was busy with rebuilding the temple after the fire last August but he was enthusiastic to tell us about the history of this 400-year-old temple.

According to the monk, Doi pagoda was built in 1569, on a sandy bank near the coast of Soc Trang. The first chief monk grew trees around the pagoda to prevent wind and sand from the sea. This garden drew a lot of birds, mostly storks, crows, bats, etc.

He said that Soc Trang has a hundred of temples and many of them are very beautiful, peaceful and have vast gardens but only Doi pagoda attracts a lot of birds and especially bats.

“I think that the proverb ‘birds perch in good land’ is true for this pagoda,” he said.

To prove that the pagoda is a good place, the monk showed us many wells in the pagoda, saying that the pagoda’s underground water resource is very abundant. Water here is pure and can be used immediately. Meanwhile, local people cannot use underground water because the water is heavily infected with alum. They have to use pipes to take water from the pagoda to their houses.

Nobody knows when bats came to the pagoda. An old woman said that she saw bats in the pagoda when she was a little girl. “Whenever they returned to the pagoda, they created a black cloud. The garden was vast but if they returned, I could not see the green of trees but only the black of bats,” she said.

It is very strange that bats only perch on the pagoda’s trees. They even do not perch on branches of trees of families around the temple that extend into the pagoda’s campus. During hot afternoons, they flap their wings, making noise in the pagoda.

It is also odd that these bats never evacuate their bowels in the pagoda, but in a garden that is far from the temple.

However, the number of bats has been reducing, to several thousand at present, due to the appearance of bat restaurants in Soc Trang and neighboring provinces. Though Soc Trang authorities banned restaurants from selling cuisines processed from bats, but they could not totally control.

Standing under the foot of an ancient tree, looking up to bats that were hanging on branches, monk Tu Linh sighed. He went to the garden to see the bats every day and gave a sigh because he clearly felt a reduction of bats.

The monk said that scientists did not make thorough research of the bats at his temple. Several years ago, a scientist visited the temple and left only one bit of information: these bats are flying fox species, which is very rare. Monks already knew about it but it is the most important thing to how to protect these special bats.

Perhaps bats at the Doi Pagoda are the largest species in Vietnam. A newborn bat has wingspan of up to 50cm. Adult bats are up to 1kg in weight and 1.5m of wingspan. Some bats are up to 1.5kg in weight and 2m in wingspan.

These bats only give birth once a year and only one baby bat, in June. They do not build nets so after giving birth, they hold their babies through the night, for 3-4 months, until baby bats can fly and seek food themselves.

Monks have to carefully take care of mother and baby bats during their breeding season. Whenever a baby bat falls down to the ground, monks have to pick them up and put them on branches for mother bats to take them back.

It is special that mother bats never mistake their babies. During storms, hundreds of baby bats fall down to the ground. Monks picked them up and brought them into the pagoda. When storms passed, they placed them on tree branches. Mother bats flew down to find their babies.

For baby bats whose mothers were caught by hunters, monks bred them by milk and fruit and taught them to fly.

It is very special that bats only accept the care only of monks. They can perch on monks’ shoulders and rub their heads into monks’ cheeks, but they are very fierce against strangers.

These bats only eat fruit and drink coconut juice. Their teeth are very sharp and they can make holes in coconuts very easily.

Though the pagoda’s garden has dozens of varieties of fruit trees, bats never eat fruits in the garden. Every day they fly away to seek food at 6.30pm and return to the pagoda at 4am. Any bat that does not return means that the bat is netted.

These bats are very intelligent but they are usually netted by saving their friends. Hunters often tie several bats on trees as baits. Seeing their friends calling for help on trees, other bats swoop down to rescue them and they are also netted.


Na Son
Source Vietnamnet

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Fishing in a marine reserve in Nha Trang

Nha Trang Bay Reserve in central Vietnam allows fishermen to catch fish but only using a rod and a line.
The 160-square-kilometer protected area, including 38 square kilometers of islands, the country’s first marine reserve, was created last year.

Netting or any kind of large-scale fishing is prohibited even for fishermen, while tourists can only watch.
It was first named Hon Mun Marine Reserve, after its major island, Mun, which is covered in black rocks.

Located 20 minutes away by speedboat from Nha Trang, the reserve has an explosion of marine fauna and flora, thanks to the meeting of warm and cold currents. It includes 340 coral species out of around 2,000 found worldwide. They are strictly protected, and divers have to pay VND40,000 (US$2).

Boats have to anchor at marked spots and follow fixed routes to avoid disturbing the fish too much. Many tourists prefer to watch the fishermen work their rods, saying the tranquil setting gives them a feeling of total relaxation.

They can also buy fish fresh from fishermen. But the latter mostly sell their catch to restaurants. I experienced one such leisurely day on a beautiful morning. There was a lot of sunshine and the water was very calm. The fishermen went out in wooden boats, sailing slowly instead of anchoring, with their fishing rods out.

If visitors want to buy, they have to scream out to the fishermen, “Have anything to sell?” One fisherman that day, Bao, had caught 10 flower crabs. Locals said fishing at the reserve is not a particularly lucrative job. Luck is a decisive factor and the fishermen usually earn just enough for a living.

They catch three to four fish a day on average, and sell each at VND100,000 ($5). Sometimes they catch fewer, even nothing at all.

By Khue Viet Truong, 

Source Thanh Nien News

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Da Nang targets improved airport taxi service

The Da Nang City administration has instructed taxi companies operating at its international airport to post notices about fares from the airport to popular tourist destinations both within the city and nearby provinces.

Taxi fares will be announced from the airport to Ba Na and Marble Mountains in Da Nang, Hoi An and My Son in Quang Nam Province and Lang Co in Thua Thien-Hue Province.

The hotline of the municipal People’s Council, 0511 3 888 888 will be displayed in every taxi.

Each taxi firm will have to provide customers with a card with the taxi number, the name of the driver and phone number of the firm’s director in case the passengers want to report any violation or problem created of the drivers.

The taxi association will also cooperate with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to open classes for their drivers in communication skills, English and the region’s tourism destinations.

Source Thanh Nien News

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Vietnamese offered special rates at Six Senses Con Dao Resort

The luxury Six Senses Resorts and Spas is offering discounts on ocean front villas at southern Vietnam’s remote Con Dao Island.

Six Senses Con Dao, which is a 45 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City, lies along 1.6 km of sandy beach, surrounded by mountain landscapes and turquoise waters with 50 private luxury pool villas.

The promotion valid until the end of June charges VND5.5 million+++ (US$) per night for an ocean view deluxe villa, VND6.5 million+++ at an ocean front villa, VND7.2 million+++ for an ocean front deluxe villa, VND20.3 million+++ for three and four bedroom villas.

Complimentary services include breakfast and a welcome drink upon arrival.

The rates are only applied to Vietnamese residents. ID cards will be required at check in at the resort, which is located at Dat Doc Beach, Con Dao District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

Source Thanh Nien News

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Sunrise hotel offers tempting Nha Trang summer package

With one of the most beautiful bays in the world and abundance of fresh seafood, not to mention delicacies like the swallow bird's nest, Nha Trang in central Vietnam is a favored destination for both local and foreign visitors.

Tran Phu Boulevard is Nha Trang’s most famous thoroughfare, running along the length of the beach with several major hotels located within a few steps from the beach.

One of the most outstanding hotels among these is the 5-star hotel - Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa, which is offering a Fantastic Summer Package for wonderful family moments at the beach.

The package includes excellent guest services, allowing families with one child under 12 years old to enjoy two nights in Superior room with private balcony facing Nha Trang Bay, which is considered one of most beautiful bays in the world.

As the hotel is located just steps from the beach, families can relax with sundecks, umbrellas and sand toys for a day of outdoor fun.

The Roman style outdoor swimming pool on the first floor that is embedded in a lush green garden is also an ideal place to share happy moments with the loved ones.

Apart from daily a breakfast, the package also includes a special set menu dinner, complimentary transportation to and from the hotel and a 10 percent discount on laundry and tour services.

For longer summer breaks, Fantastic Summer Holiday package gives a 10 percent discount on extended nights for families who wish to extend their summer in Nha Trang. The package costs VND5,850,000++ (US$281) and is valid from May 5 to October 31, 2012.

The hotel offers babysitting services and also runs a Kids Club.

Reservations can be made by calling + 84 (0) 58 3820 999 or email to rsvn@sunrisenhatrang.com.vn.

But summer is not the only time you can enjoy at Sunrise hotel, which has been designed and furnished to maximize customers’ at all times and all seasons.

Being the only Nha Trang hotel built in a colonial style, Sunrise at 12-14 Tran Phu Boulevard, is right in the heart of the city and has 120 sea balcony rooms and suites with magnificent views of Nha Trang Bay.

Each room of 35-79 square meters is luxuriously furnished and elegantly styled to cater to the most discerning business or leisure travelers. Romantic souls can ask for a room with their very own outdoor Jacuzzi facing the bay.

The diverse culinary fare is another specially attractive feature of the hotel.

Customers can enjoy elegant dining serving European and Asian delicacies amidst the ambience of colonial splendor at the Imperial Restaurant.

The Vietnamese restaurant, “Huong Viet,” meaning Vietnamese fragrance, is an ideal place to get the real taste of local cuisine. The restaurant is located in the lobby area, with indoor and outdoor dining options.

Japanese cuisine lovers are recommended to try the Hanabusa Restaurant in the Annex Building on the ground floor, which is set in traditional Japanese surroundings. Just across from Hanabusa is Nha Trang’s only pub with an authentic Irish design and ambience – “Jolly Leprechaun.”

The beach is a great place for guests who want to relax on a sundeck, watch the waves and spacious blue bay while enjoying a variety of cocktails and snacks.

For a fully refreshing experience, the Sunrise Spa which is a short wander from the hotel, is a must visit destination. The cozy spa is built into two separate floors for men and women, including a gym, a sauna, a steam room, Jacuzzi and VIP rooms especially designed for couples. Its interior deco of balance and harmony ensures a superbly relaxing, rejuvenating experience.

Both leisure and business travelers will find necessary services, amenities and facilities served by professional staff exceeding your expectations.


Source Thanh Nien News

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A Mediterranean retreat in Saigon

Au Parc restaurant
23 Han Thuyen street, Ho Chi Minh City

Au Parc is one of the most elegant restaurants in one of Ho Chi Minh City's most historic and beautiful areas near the Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace and the lovely April 30th Park.

The restaurant has an atmosphere of Parisian café with a touch of Mediterranean art. There are tables on the sidewalk outside the eatery facing the park and the ground floor is always a bit more crowded than upstairs.

Upstairs is divided into two dining rooms (smoking and non-smoking ). The non smoking room has vibrant Moroccan atmosphere with yellow walls, domes and colorful cushions, plus paintings featuring middle eastern ladies napping to avoid the heat outside.

But the best view belongs to the second upstairs dinning room.

There is a big glass wall-window offering sight of the park's giant old trees and the grass below.

From this window, life in Saigon suddenly becomes more romantic as the small streets surrounding the park don't teem with traffic the way they do in other parts of downtown.

From a distance, the motorbikes are almost swallowed by the park's small forest of trees.

Sometimes I stay until late afternoon reading and writing, watching the light gradually disappear atop the trees to be finally replaced by the darkness of the peaceful evening.

In the afternoon, Au Parc is a quiet, perfect place to chill out with camellia tea or a coconut. The friendly staff fills my cup of water whenever the glass is empty.

Au Parc offers Mediterranean cuisine at reasonable prices. You can choose a two courses menu (VND190,000) or a three-course menu (VND230,000). One of my favorite three-course menus includes a lentil salad with roasted tomatoes and feta cheese, sea bass with fennel confit couscous and petit pois, and a cup of Earl Grey-flavored crème brulee.

Cuisine at Au Parc is a journey around Mediterranean countries. The restaurant's highlights are a Greek salad with roasted tomatoes and feta (VND87,000-side, VND130,000-main); marinated lamb with chickpea salad with lemon-coriander-olive, oil dressing (VND210,000); and the lahmacun-Turkish pizza with chopped salad and cucumber yoghurt sauce (VND68,000).

By To Van Nga

Source Thanh Nien News

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Blue Ocean Resort, Muine

Blue Ocean Resort in Mui Ne is inspired by the Vietnamese village where nature predominates. On entering the resort, guests are greeted by the green of a coconut grove, lawns, water grass, and water lilies in small ponds.

Last weekend I checked into a room in a white villa with a thatched roof. It was in the coconut grove in front of the beach giving me views of the swimming pool, garden, and the beach.

It was very relaxing to sit on the sofa in the porch, looking at squirrels running up and down the coconut trees. On the right was a swimming pool where other guests were chilling out in the shade of coconut trees.

At noon, some gardeners come to prune the coconut trees, a hard job considering many of the trees were very tall. One of them linked his two legs together and clambered like a frog. He proceeded to chop off bunches of big, green coconuts.

A housekeeper who cleaned the villa insisted that I have a coconut. In more ways than one, it was like the countryside where people who have little wholeheartedly give to others.

Blue Ocean is managed by Life resorts group, so the villa, in typical Life resort style, has wooden curtains, mosaic art walls in the bathroom, and a latticed glass screen door which maximizes views of the garden, swimming pool, or beach.

The décor focuses on natural and traditional materials such as wood, silk, bamboo, and lacquer.

After a day on the beach, I wanted an hour’s body massage at the spa.

A path with white pebbles led to the spa where a foot masseuse brought a small bowl with lemon slices, salt, and sliced lemon grass on a bamboo tray. After cleaning my feet with water, she started massaging them with lemon mixed with salt and finally with the thin slices of lemon grass.

“Salt and lemon help to kill the bacteria and the lemon grass makes the skin smoother,” she explained.

In the morning I saw it was an international buffet breakfast. There were cheeses, cold cuts, omelets with vegetable and mushroom, fresh fruits and drinks, and much more. But the best of the lot was the fresh noodle dumpling soup which was very tender and tasty.

By To Van Nga, 

Source Thanh Nien News

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Rail fares to increase by 12 percent

Train fares will increase by 12 per cent on an average from May 15 to September 4, 2012, announced Vietnam Railways on May 14.

For instance, the price of a soft bed in an air-conditioned coupe on the North-South train route will go up by 13 per cent while a hard seat without air-conditioning will go up by 15 per cent. Other seats will go up by 12 per cent. Moreover, fare for a soft seat in an air-conditioned carriage on the high quality train SE3/4 will be VND1,200,000 (US$57.6) and will be different for carriages on the rest of the train. 

The lowest price on the Thong Nhat train TN1 will be VND530,000 and the highest VND1,300,000. Standing seat prices, passengers’ premium, luggage shipping rates and free discount tickets for beneficiaries of social policies apply under the current rules. During this time, the company will not discount for collective tickets. 

Moreover, it will not conduct deduction for returning tickets or changing tickets which are around 20 per cent. The Railways announced reduction in prices for beneficiaries of social policies as follows: people about sixty years of age will enjoy a 20 per cent discount; hero mothers will get a 90 per cent reduction while wounded soldiers and disadvantaged students from special schools will be offered 10 per cent reduction. 

Children less than five years of age with height under 1.05 metres will enjoy exemption of fares while children from five to 10 years of age will get a 50 per cent discount. 

By Quoc Hung – Translated by Uyen Phuong

Source SGGP

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