Reliving the voucher years

When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world One restaurant on Nam Trang Street in Hanoi is displaying various items from the years after the American War, attracting many customers. The restaurant's owner, Nguyen Quang Minh, has spent a lot of time collecting particular items, and later decided to create a place to show and sell them. Many people in Hanoi, especially those who had lived through this period, enjoy the chance of remembering very different times in the capital during the 70s and early 80s, before new economic policies were in place. Even though this period was full of daily difficulties, it evidently has created a certain soft spot in the hearts of customers.
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Vietnamese child cancer patients get day trip

When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world Child sufferers of cancer receiving treatment at the Hue Central Hospital recently had a two-day picnic at Lang Co Beach along with their family. This was the first time that the patients from Hue Central Hospital had got to experience such as trip said Doctor Dinh Quang Tuan, Head of the hospital's Department of Paediatrics. The trip is also a chance for the parents to learn from the doctors that take care of their children. The activity was jointly organised by the Department of Paediatrics, Asian Children's Care League (ACCL), the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisations (ICCCPO) and Union for International Cancer Control. Seventy five children took part in different activities such as swimming, music and fashion show and picture drawing contests. Tran Thi Thanh Thanh, 12 years old in Da Nang City, shared, "I've never experienced such a trip before, I really enjoyed swimming with the help of my parents and helpers." "This is my second trip to the beach, but it's different this time as I've come with my parents and taken part in games on beach with my friends and volunteers. I'm so happy and its helped me forget my illness," said 14 year-old Nguyen Van Hoa, from Quang Tri Province. Trinh Thi Huy, Thanh's mother, said, "I've never been so happy to go swimming with husband and children, it's helped me to forget about the times spent in the hospital." Doctor Dinh Quang Tuan also said that, "Currently, the Department of Paediatrics has 75 children who are living with cancer, of which 20 have completed their treatment and now just come in for regular check-ups. Many of them have taken part-time jobs to help their parents. It's really cheered the medical staff up." There are plans to build a house offering a play space and daily treatment facilities for the children. Mrs. Watanabe, ACL Chairwoman, said, "I feel so happy because today we gathered here as a great family to share and exchange patient treatment methods and experience. I'll continue to pay attention to children's health."
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Old French villas to be preserved

When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world The city of Hanoi has been encouraging investors to restore old French villas, many of which are owned by multiple families, to turn them into singly-owned properties. French houses on Ly Thuong Kiet Street Hoang Tu, Chief of Division 61, under Department of Construction, said there are 1,586 old French villas in the city, but most are in a state of deterioration, adding that 562 belong to individuals, 1024 are owned by the state and 42 villas in Ba Dinh political center are publicly-owned and cannot be bought by individuals. "Many villas are badly damaged. Because some of them are home to as many as 30 families, the quality of life there is low," he said. In order to preserve these villas, the authorities have made four categories in which to place them. Villas belong to type one are those which have special cultural value for either their architecture and history. These homes are large and located in high-value areas of the city. Many of them have their original gardens intact. The second category includes those which have some vestige of their original architecture, but have been largely modified or severely weathered over the years. Tu said, "There has been a ban placed on destroying homes which fall under the first two categories because these properties have been slated for restoration." Villas in the third category are also considered to have architectural value, but have been encroached or largely rebuilt. The fourth category includes old homes that have been partially destroyed. These villas will be considered for rebuilding. However, those that are attached or adjacent to culturally important areas will need permission from the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the Department of Planning and Architecture for further work. Local authorities encourage people to limit the number of families who live in one villa, with the hopes that the homes will be sold to individual owners if possible. The municipality also offers incentives to individuals and organizations to restore such properties. Families currently living in damaged villas owned by the State will be relocated while renovation work is conducted. Tu further explained that some investors have bought villas that house numerous families, but there are outstanding issues on renovation work because the properties share common land with the State. "A new resolution will be drafted to address these issues," he said
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Songs of Dien Bien Phu: Final assaults and the capture of General de Castries

When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world The Viet Minh's final phase in the battle included the assaults against the French central positions at Dien Bien Phu. The two central outposts (Eliane 1 to 7 and Dominique 1 to 6), were under the control of five culturally mixed battalions – French-born, Foreign Legion, Vietnamese colonial, Africans, and Thais. Christian de Castries, French Commander-in-chief at Dien Bien Phu In the evening of March 30, under heavy rain, Division 312 captured Dominique 1 and Dominique 2. The French artillery regiment retaliated, firing directly at the Viet Minh. French troops also opened fire on the Viet Minh with anti-aircraft machine guns, forcing Giap to withdraw his troops. On the same day, the Viet Minh's Division 316 under Colonel Le Quang Ba, captured Eliane 1 and part of Eliane 2. On the west of Dien Bien Phu, Division 308 attacked Huguette 7 but failed to take it. Shortly after midnight on March 31, the French launched a counterattack and recaptured Eliane 2 and Dominique 2. Viet Minh troops suffered heavy losses on all fronts. The resistance of Eliane 2 (known to the Vietnamese as hill A1) presented a huge obstacle for Viet Minh troops and a big headache for Vo Nguyen Giap. Feeling distressed, he also feared that his troops would lose morale. He then fell ill and stayed in bed for several days, while thinking of new tactics to overcome the French at Eliane 2. On April 5, Giap decided to change his strategy and employed trench warfare. This was to reduce casualties for his troops from small arms fire and to slowly wear out the enemy. By April 11, the Viet Minh entrenchments entirely surrounded Huguette 1 and Huguette 6. Desperate for water and ammunition as parachute supplies were hampered, Claudine, a central outpost, came to the rescue. They fought with the Viet Minh for three consecutive nights, April 15, 16, and 17. The French had some success at Huguette 6 but in the end Colonel Langlais decided to abandon this outpost. On April 22, the Viet Minh took Huguette 1 and took control of most of the air strip. On the plain, the French had ten army tanks but couldn't mobilize them through the muddy fields. Thick bushes also entangled the armored vehicles. It was the monsoon season and the combination of bombardment and flooding had turned the terrain into swamps, now filled with corpses and debris. The battle of the five hills to gain final control of central Dien Bien Phu continued until May 6, with severe casualties on both sides. Many weeks before, the Viet Minh had discovered an underground tunnel going from Eliane 2 through Eliane 3, and reaching Nam Rom River. Dien Bien Phu had become a French stronghold years earlier, with the construction of this tunnel as an escape route. Giap ordered his troops to dig a tunnel crossing the French tunnel, separating the two outposts above. They also dug another tunnel below General De Castries' bunker. The group of 25 men and women had to cut into solid rocks manually, little by little. Without oxygen inside the earthen walls, they couldn't use torches during the first phase of tunnel work. Some died from lack of oxygen. Several were killed by air raids. Despite all hardship, they completed the two tunnels at the beginning of May. The morning of May 6, under clear sky, the French bombed the Viet Minh's controlled areas, mobilizing all its airpower available on site - with 47 B26 bombers, 18 Corsairs, 26 Bearcats, 16 Helivers and 5 Privateers. In retaliation, the Viet Minh unleashed all their weapons. The impact was like an earthquake. The entire French garrison was shaken by a series of explosion. French bunkers collapsed and trenches were flattened. The entire Dien Bien Phu camp was in flames. During the day on May 6, the Viet Minh had transported one ton of TNT in a mine shaft into the tunnel below Eliane 2 and set its timer. At 8:30 pm, a very loud explosion shook the center of Dien Bien Phu and completely destroyed Eliane 2. This was the last centre of French resistance. Viet Minh soldiers celebrated the victory with the following song: We are happily reunited underground and over the forest As we have the color of green leaves Our hearts are overwhelmed by the immense sky Humanity's glorious day will be our glorious victory And for our people, there will be no more pain and misery I salute Dien Bien Phu and all of you, men and women of brain and bravery As we are tightening the enemy with a steel belt We, the fervent soldiers, in defiance of gunfire, bombs and napalm And you, the barbarous aggressors, you will be defeated Our ploughshares destroy your blockhouses and barbed wires Flashes of shells lighting up the sky, our artillery Roaring like thunder, and merging with our songs, Songs of the suppressed people Not long from now, an everlasting spring smile of the liberated people Will be shining over these barren hills…. The next morning, a Viet Minh flag was flying over General Christian de Castries' bunker at the center of Dien Bien Phu.
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Defying gravity: Is Asia’s economic miracle about to stall?

Even in Asia, where gains in wealth have been unparalleled, policymakers are finding it harder and harder to improve the welfare of the common man. Nelson Ching / Bloomberg via Getty Images Pedestrians cross an intersection during the morning commute in the central business district of Beijing, China, on May 28, 2012 As the West struggles to recover from the 2008 financial crisis, it is only natural that many have looked to Asia with envy. While Americans contend with a housing bust and joblessness, and Europeans suffer through their debt crisis, much of Asia (except Japan) seems to gain economic power, wealth and competitiveness year after year. The East looks like it is eating the West's lunch. Much of that storyline is true. The rise of Asia is the single most important economic trend of the past half century. But at the same time, looks can be deceiving. Asia has its own share of economic troubles, which threaten to derail its heralded economic miracle. We can see that in the current slowdown in the region. Despite Asia's burgeoning wealth, its economies are still to a great degree dependent on the advanced economies of the West, and as the recovery there sags, so have Asian exports, manufacturing output and GDP growth. China is likely to post its worst economic performance in 13 years in 2012. South Korea notched its slowest growth rate in nearly three years in the second quarter. Growth in India has fallen precipitously as well. The IMF predicts the economies of developing Asia will expand by 7.1% in 2012 – not bad, of course, but a sharp drop from the 9.7% recorded in 2010. Clearly, there is a limit to how much Asia can defy the gravity of the global economy. Most in Asia assume that this slowdown is a temporary, cyclical phenomenon, fixed by a bit of easy money and the eventual global recovery. That is likely accurate – to a point. A recent study by HSBC economists Frederic Neumann and Sanchita Mukherjee asks the uncomfortable questions: Is the current downturn a signal that something deeper and scarier is going on? Will the region's billions, accustomed to rapid progress, have to get used to slower growth? Simply put, is Asia losing its mojo? The challenge Asia will face in coming years is, ironically, a result of its gains in wealth. History tells us that the richer economies become, the more difficult it is to achieve very lofty rates of growth. As Neumann and Mukherjee point out, Asia was able to accelerate growth through massive gains in productivity brought about by shifting cheap labor from farms to industry and adding in healthy doses of new technology provided by foreign investment. The problem is that as this process increases wages and economies become more industrialized, new gains in productivity have to come from improvements in efficiency, advances in technology and better management, both at a corporate and a national level. That's not easy. Not many developing countries have successfully jumped into the ranks of the truly advanced. Those that fail get stuck in what's called the "middle-income trap," in which they hit a ceiling in income levels before they reach the highest echelons of the global economy. How vulnerable is Asia to falling into the 'trap'? In their study, Neumann and Mukherjee uncovered a few worrying trends. First, they noted that growth has slowed down in Asian countries as they become richer. They charted income levels (on a purchasing power parity, or PPP, basis) versus average annual GDP growth over the past decade and found that low-income nations grew about two percentage points faster than those with high incomes. Secondly, Neumann and Mukherjee discovered that income gains in some Asian countries have already been less stellar than you'd probably expect. The two economists plotted PPP income as a share of U.S. income in 1970 and 2009. Here's what they found: On this measure, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines have not markedly improved their position with respect to the United States. China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, however, have graduated from low income to middle income status, while Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong have moved from the middle to the high income bracket. However, when Neumann and Mukherjee used real (inflation-adjusted) data, India and Indonesia remained stuck in low-income status, while Thailand and China moved into the middle income category "surprisingly slowly when measured over the span of four decades." What does all this mean? The study concluded: Even in Asia, a region accustomed to higher, and more sustained, growth rates,…it cannot be taken for granted that countries swiftly graduate from one income bracket to another. Development is a long and arduous process. Yes, it is. The fact is that jumping from a poor country to a middle-income one is relatively easy. It just requires a generally stable policy framework that allows under-utilized resources (labor and capital) to get tossed into building an industrialized economy. Taking the next step from there requires a degree of reform that in certain respects is much more challenging. Companies have to transform themselves from simple manufacturers to innovators and designers. Education systems must churn out workers with creative thinking skills, not just basic skills. Policymakers have to forge an environment in which entrepreneurs and executives are willing to take risks by investing in R&D. Those Asian countries that have not achieved significant gains in income in recent years – such as Malaysia – have tailed to take these steps. Even more, some Asian countries are suffering from a similar problem to those in the West – widening income inequality. Even in a rapidly growing nation like China, the average guy isn't gaining as much as he should from the high rates of growth. That's because the structure of the economy remains biased in favor of investors and against consumers. In other words, if Asia wants to keep its economic miracle alive, it needs to engage in some pretty serious reform. The question is: Will Asia's policymakers take those necessary measures? If they don't, Asia could find itself mired in many of the same problems the West is facing today. When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world
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Mau Son offers cool summer break

Cool in summer and invigorating in winter, Mau Son Mountain, where the sky seems to be within hand's reach is a perfect getaway after a long day. Mau Son is located in Loc Binh District, about 30 kilometres from Lang Son City and some around 800 to over 1,500 metres over sea level, providing stunning nature scenery. Lying near the border between Vietnam and China is Phia Po, the highest mountain in a cluster of 80 peaks that offer marvellous views of the north east region. The winding path through the white clouds will lead to the peak of Mau Son, where the ruins of a French military base and villas can still be found weathering under the bright sky. To reach the site's original inhabitants villages, members of the Dao ethnic minority, you have to go through another menacing path between steep mountains. But along the snake-like road are the beautiful rice terraces or the small waterfalls. When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world
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Banks told to crack down on money laundering

Vietnamese banks should urgently classify depositors to prevent money laundering. Vietnamese banks should urgently classify depositors to prevent money laundering.Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu, an independent member of the Management Board of ABBank, said the depositor classification has been done in many countries, but no bank in Vietnam had yet to adopt the policy. "A black list of depositors should be made, depending on their risks. For example, the lowest-risk group are state employees and small traders; while the highest-risk group include real estate investors, cross-border traders, gold importers and gamblers must be frequently supervised by banks," he proposed. Some economists said, foreign banks operating in Vietnam face less risks of money laundering than domestically-invested institutions because they pay more attention to preventive measures. The National Assembly approved the Money Laundering Prevention Law in June, which is expected to provide a firm foundation for Vietnam to control money laundering activities. However, experts said the State Bank of Vietnam needs to have strict sanctions to force commercial banks to invest in tools to prevent money laundering. This may prove a major challenge as this would require investments of around USD1 million. Loose control Under Decree 74/2005/ND-CP on money laundering prevention and control, credit organisations have to supervise and inform the State Bank of Vietnam of suspected cases, particularly transactions of over VND200 million (USD9,500) in cash or VND500 million (USD23,800) or more in deposits. The report must be made no later than 48 hours through documents, emails or even phone calls. However, despite the circular being issued, banks were afraid of losing customers, and in reality, only a small number of banks have conformed with the circular. The circular has been in effect for seven years, however, only a few money laundering cases have been detected to date. Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu warned that Vietnamese habits of using cash and loose control by local banks over deposits have offered ideal opportunities for money laundering. Nguyen Van Ngoc, Head of the Anti-Money Laundering Information Centre under the State Bank of Vietnam said the detection and elimination of money laundering activities in Vietnam was mainly conducted through banks, but few institutions took the work seriously. Le Nhu Duong, Head of the Anti-money Laundering Department at Vietcombank, said, few banks have paid due attention to preventing and controlling money laundering activities. However, so far this year, Vietcombank has concentrated more on the issue and detected tens of billions of VND being moved in suspicious circumstances. When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world
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Ho Dynasty Citadel now World Cultural Heritage

 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on June 16 presented a certificate to Vietnam, officially recognising the Ho Dynasty Citadel as the World Cultural Heritage.

 

  Eric Falt, UNESCO Assistance Director General for External Affairs and Public Information, delivered the honour to representatives of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and Thanh Hoa province, where the 14th century citadel is located. Photo: DTiNews

The citadel, also known as the Tay Do, An Ton, Tay Kinh or Tay Giai citadels, was Vietnam’s former capital under the Ho Dynasty from 1400 to 1407. Built in 1397 on an area of about 150ha, the structure was supervised by Ho Qui Ly, a top Tran Dynasty mandarin, who later took the throne in 1400 and moved the capital from Thang Long (the former name of Hanoi today) to the citadel. The stone structure, one of very few fortresses of its kind in the world, has four arched gates facing north, south, east and west. Despite the passage of time, the four gates remain intact.

It was recognised by UNESCO as the World Cultural Heritage on June 27, 2011. According to the UN organisation, the citadel buildings "represent an outstanding example of a new style of Southeast Asian imperial city".
Addressing the ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung congratulated Thanh Hoa province on having an ancient architectural work honoured globally.
“The Ho Dynasty Citadel, together with other world tangible and intangible heritages, will enrich the thousand-year-old civilisation of the Vietnamese nation, helping international friends further understand Vietnam and its people, and opening up new opportunities for tourism development and cultural research in the country,” said Hung.

He said that the recognition requires Vietnam to conserve and promote cultural values of the citadel and other heritage sites in line with the Vietnam Heritage Law and the UN Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Thanh Hoa province, about 150km south of Hanoi, plans to pour more than US$1 million into the restoration of the citadel to make it an attractive destination for domestic and foreign holiday-makers.
It will launch two special tours of the citadel to introduce heritage tourism potential in the province. Apart from the Ho Dynasty Citadel, Vietnam has six other natural and cultural heritages recognised by UNESCO: the former imperial capital of Hue, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, and Thang Long royal citadel in Hanoi.

The citadel, which is the remaining relic of Dai Viet civilisation in the late 14^th and early 15^th century, was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site on June 27.  After 600 years, the citadel remains an imposing building in the eyes of local people and visitors. 

 

In showroom, Trinh Thi Lan, explaining how bricks and stones were used to build the citadel six centuries ago

 

 

 

 

A farmer and an ox cart passing through the gate of the citadel

Buffalo boys sitting in the shade of the citadel, away from the hot sun at noon

   A yellow-ripen rice-field inside the citadel

 

From the observation post at the main gate of the citadel, visitors can see Don Son mountain stretching to the south

A mixed rhythm of life

An old communal house newly restored but unchanged from its hundred-year-old original design

 

 

When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world
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Over 3.3 million int’l tourists visit Vietnam

 Vietnam welcomed over 3.3 million int’l tourists visit Vietnam overseas arrivals in the first six months of this year, up 13.9 percent against the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office.

 

Vietnam’s major tourism markets include the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, China and the US.

Of the total, nearly 3 million arrived in Vietnam by air while 27,000 came via sea routes and 500,000 by land.

However, June saw a slight year-on-year drop of 6.6 percent, with just more than 417,000 arrivals.

The contraction is attributed to the impacts of the global economic turmoil that leads to the tightened spending on tourism.

The number of Chinese tourists registered the largest reduction at 12.3 percent, followed by that of Cambodian visitors at 2.6 percent.

When you visit vietnam, Hue city the first choice. Nowaday Tourist Vietnam is developing and the friendly destination for everyone in the world
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