Posted by admin on April 4, 2011 under Halong Festivals, News | 
The Week of Ha Long Tourism 2011 will be the biggest ever, with a series offestivities in support of the superb bay’s bid for the New7Wonders title this year.
The event, scheduled to take place at the Ha Long tourist site in Quang Ninh province from April 28-May 1, will cover a large range of festivities, from culture and arts, including a poetry night, to sports such as an international beach volleyball final round, culinary arts and an international trade fair.
In the spotlight will be the Ha Long carnival festival, which will entertain audiences with art performances, a parade and a public street party on the night of May 1 at the Bai Chay tourist site, with everything on a magnificent scale, said organisers.
The carnival has been designed to revive local cultural traditions such as the rituals of the Royal Citadel God procession at the famous Tra Co communal house in the northernmost township of Mong Cai and the Creator procession in the Yen Hung district.
The organising board has also invited art troupes from China.
2011 is the decisive year for Ha Long in its bid for the New Wonder of Nature, which was launched by the New Open World organisation more than 10 years ago through the www.natural7wonders.com website.
Ha Long bay has already been recognised as a World Natural Heritage site by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Source: VNS
Posted by admin on March 29, 2011 under Halong Festivals, News |
The Hạ Long – Quảng Ninh tourism week will be held between April 28 and May 2 in the Tuần Châu Tourism Area with eventful and attractive cultural, sport and tourism events.
The tourism week comprises a carnival, a promotion seminar for Hạ Long bay to be one of Seven Wonders of the World, gastronomy festival, beach volleyball final, tennis contest and music performance.
The week’s main highlights are the opening ceremony with art performance and carnival on May 1.
In addition, other cultural, tourist and sports activities will be launched in the province’s other tourism centers such as Móng Cái city and Uông Bí town.
This is a good chance to strengthen the promotion for Halong Bay, which has been recognized twice by the UNESCO as the world’s heritage.
Source: VGP
Tip: To take place this festival, you should book Halong hotels now at http://vietnamhotels.net/ to get good prices!
Posted by admin on February 18, 2011 under Halong Festivals |
Ha Long Tourism Festival Week 2011 will be held from April 28 to May 2. It will officially open in Bai Chay Beach area on May 1 with its full pomp.
The main highlights will include art performance and Carnival 2011 themed “Ha Long wonder sparkling in colour” to mark its 5th annual celebration.
Mong Cai, Dong Trieu, Uong Bi, Van Don and other localities are busy preparing to introduce their special products and cultural values at the festival.
2011 is a decisive year of the voting campaign for Ha Long Bay to become one of the world’s natural wonders, launched by New Open World (NOW) through the internet (www.natural7wonders.com).
Over the past month, Quang Ninh has welcomed 270,000 tourists, including 167,000 foreigners and earned VND260 billion in revenue, an increase of 20 percent from a year earlier.
Source: VOV
Posted by admin on February 15, 2011 under Halong Festivals, News |
The annual Yen Tu Pagoda Spring Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh opened with a ceremony on Feb. 12 (tenth day of the first lunar month).
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum to launch the start of the festival. Prominent guests at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan, the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors. All joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then renounced the throne to devote his life to Buddhism. All present also joined another ceremony to pray for peace for the country and the citizens.
According to the organizing committee, the weather this year has been so pleasantly conducive that a large number of visitors are being drawn to the Festival.
The Tung lam tour Company is making use of the cable car system to serve tourists who want to visit the Dong pagoda on Bach Van Son Mountain. Unfortunately, the 70 cable cars are still unable to meet the tourist rush and hundreds of tourists have to walk up to the Dong pagoda.
Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and the festival will last through spring for three months. Last year the festival recorded over 2.1 million visitors according to Vu Van Khoan, Vice Director of the Managing Board of Yen Tu pagoda.
Yen Tu Mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The winding route of the pilgrimage from the foot of the mountain to its peak is almost 30km. On the highest peak sits the Dong Pagoda, which is more than a kilometer above sea level.
The area’s natural beauty and awe-inspiring landscape in its surrounding setting of ancient pagodas and hermitages is said to be the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong renounced his throne to devote his life to Buddhism on this majestic Mountain. He crowned his son as heir to his empire and after becoming a monk he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect which later gave Yen Tu the recognition as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.
Source: SGGP
Posted by admin on January 29, 2011 under Halong Culinary, Halong Festivals, News |
The opening ceremony of the Halong Spring trade fair 2011 was held by the Department of Industry and Trade on 25 January.
Accordingly, the Spring Trade fair in this year has about 80 local enterprises to participate with 120 stalls. There is a wide range of products such as food and drink, garment, household appliances, etc.
Particularly, the fair showcases lots of specialties of different districts and cities across the province namely Binh Lieu vermicelli, Dong Trieu rice, etc.
The annual Halong Spring trade fair aims to satisfy the locals and tourists’ demand for trading beside Tet holiday as well as create a good chance for local enterprises to seek for business partners.
The Hạ Long Spring trade fair 2011 will last until Jannuary 30.
In addition, the Halong Spring Flower Fair has also been held from Jannuary 25-30 at Hong Gai ward, Halong city with many foreign and domestic bonsais, flowers, plants, stones and birds.
Source: TW
Posted by admin on January 25, 2011 under Halong Festivals |
Place: At Thập Cửu Tiên Công Temple (Temple of the 19 Founding Fathers) in Cẩm La Commune on Hà Nam Island, Yên Hưng District.
Time: Every year, the village starts the festivities on the seventh day of the first lunar month.
Significance: In commemorating the 19 founding fathers who built dykes, created the populated island of today.
Legend: the festival opening day was the day founding fathers discovered an underground fresh water on the island, more than 500 years ago.
At Tiên Công Temple, dignitaries present themselves to the founding fathers, then choose four elderly men to assist them in the ritual of ground-breaking.
On the seventh day, the senior men of the village (all older than 70 years old), along with their children and grandchildren, arrive at the temple. The young people carry offerings (include betel and areca, wine, steamed glutinous rice, chicken or the head of a pig) on their heads to the decorative cult tables. The elderly men follow them, if need be, aided by their offspring. Every family makes its own procession. All processions join together near the temple make a jubilant and animated atmosphere but still sacred. The old men present offerings and worship Tiên Công, the ceremony generally ends at noon.
Then, comes the ground-breaking ritual: the four chosen men pick four balls of earth and build a mock dyke in front of the incense table of the founding fathers. They then perform acts of wrestling to represent the “struggle against nature”. This is to continue the cause of those who built dykes on the sea to protect the villages and hamlets of the island.
Collected by Vietnam Hotel Network
Posted by admin on January 17, 2011 under Halong Festivals, News |
The biggest annual event for singers will be held today until January 19 in the city of Ha Long bay, reported the Organizing Committee.
The musician Le Quang, a representative of Organizing Committee revealed that all of the singers, artists agreed to gather in Ha Long city because they would like to demonstrate their support for the campaign to vote for Ha Long bay to become a natural wonder of the world.
During a three- hour long conference, singers, composers, MC and directors will altogether discuss issues of interest such as celebrity culture, their artistic responsibility to the community, artists and internet, etc.
They will also have an excellent opportunity to enjoy the charming and unique beauty of Ha Long bay via a tour around the bay and magic grottoes. These celebrities will visit small islands and give gifts to poor households in fishing villages on the bay as well.
In addition, the charity gala entitled A New Day in Quang Ninh taking place on January 19 to raise funds for the province’s poor will feature all the performers.
The day is expected to attract around 200 domestic and overseas Vietnamese singers. The previous Singers’ Day was held in Quy Nhon last year.
Source: QN News
Posted by admin on January 7, 2011 under Halong Festivals |
Place: Ðình Wharf in Quan Lạn Commune, Vân Ðồn District
Time: The festivities are organized yearly on the 18th day of the sixth lunar month, but the celebration lasts from the 10th to the 20th days of month.
Significance: The festival is organized to commemorate the victory against the Mongol invaders in 1288, as well as the feats of Trân Khánh Dư, a famous Trân general. They also pray for good “harvest” from the sea.
Quan Lạn Communal House Festival is the village-wide celebration for the inhabitants of the island community of Quan Lạn: located the central area of the ancient Vân Ðồn Harbour.
Quan Lan Communal House
The 10th day of the sixth lunar month features the ritual of “closing the village”: the inhabitants cannot leave, but those who have moved away and other guests from any corner of the country are welcome.
The festivities of Quan Lạn Communal House are comprised of a traditional rowing competition: villagers are divided into two sides. They establish their particular training grounds on the 13th day of the month in order to prepare themselves. The boats used are ordinary 5 to 6-tonne fishing boats, with lowered sails and dragon-heads carved on the fronts.
The 16th day is reserved for receiving the genies. There is a procession for the funeral tablets of Trân Khánh Dư from the temple to the village’s communal house.
On the 18th day at about 3:00 PM (every year at this time the tide reaches the temple’s wharf), the boats start. The “soldiers” on one side wear a white jacket and blue pants, while the other group wears gray or black clothing. When the opposing generals meet each other at the communal house, the “soldiers” and spectators shout resoundingly; the noise echoes throughout the region. The two generals make sword-tracings in the air, and the two troops meet each other three times: symbolizing the three victories during the Trân Dynasty. Following the third meeting, they assemble before the shrine, and the rowing contest begins.
The Quan Lạn Communal House Festival bears characteristics of traditional village festivals, but is particularly grandiose, expressing the military spirit of the Vietnamese in the struggle against foreign invaders.
Tip: Stay in a Halong hotel and you can travel to Quan Lan the next day by boat.
Posted by admin on December 29, 2010 under Halong Festivals |
Besides many beautiful attractions and excellent Halong hotels, Quang Ninh is also famous for many exciting festivals every year. The Bach Dang Festival is organized at Tran Hung Dao Temple – Vua Ba Shrine and other temples and communal houses in Yen Hung District, on the ninth day of the fourth lunar month, some years last 4 days and nights.
The festival celebrates the Bạch Ðằng Victories of national heroes struggled against foreign aggression: Ngô Quyền (938); Lê Hoàn (981); and Trần Hưng Đạo and the famous generals of the Trần Dynasty (1288).
Bạch Đằng River has been etched into locals’ memories as a site where national heroes struggled against foreign aggression. These included: Ngô Quyền who planted sharp wooden stakes into the riverbed to defeat a Chinese invasion force (938); Lê Hoàn (981); and Trần Hưng Đạo and the famous generals of the Trân Dynasty (1288).
The ceremonies are comprised of the usual incense burning and offerings in Trần Hưng Đạo Temple and Vua Bà Temple. The populations of the village stage a procession along the banks of the river, and also have a boat race. Bamboo leaf-shaped kayaks gliding across the water surface with the shouting of spectators celebrate the victories of days gone by.
Along with the boat races, other entertainment is organized for the festival, such as wrestling, human chess playing, and cock-fighting.
Posted by admin on December 25, 2010 under Halong Festivals |
A popular saying goes: “Even after 100 years of virtuous religious life, if you don’t come to Yen Tu you cannot be called a true religious person”. Pilgrimage to Yen Tu Festival in respect of Buddha and sightseeing is so meaningful…
Yen Tu Festival commences annually on the 10th day of the first lunar month and lasts for three months. Tens of thousands of pilgrims begin their journey to the uppermost shrine after a solemn ritual held at the base of Yen Tu Mountain.
During the festival, the people near and far flock to Yen Tu which was regarded as the Buddhist land to show their belief and aspiration or to get rid of all sorrows and sadness. Other go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region. Foreign visitors come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist attraction. Many cultural and historical values are carefully preserved in Yen Tu, where is also home to a rare ecosystem in Vietnam.
In the wide ensemble of vestiges in Yen Tu, there are 11 pagodas and hundreds of shrines and towers. One form of entertainment is to climb the peak to where the Dong Pagoda was built (1,068m above the sea). On the way, you will see pagodas, a tower, a stream and a forest. At the top, after having burned joss-sticks, you seem to be lost in nature somewhere between the sky and the earth. When clear, you can perceive almost all of the northeast area from here.
The route of the pilgrimage from the foot of the mountain to the pagoda is nearly 30 km. The highest point of Yen Tu is Dong Pagoda, which is located 1,068 m above sea level. You can get to Hoa Yen Pagoda at the altitude of 534m by the cable car system recently put into operation and will see on this peak two 700-year-old frangipane trees. From there, you will continue walking up stairs to pagodas of minor note lined up along the path leading to Dong Pagoda. There you will feel like walking on clouds. If the weather is agreeable, from this summit you can admire the dramatic landscape of the northeast of Vietnam.
The complex of historical sites and beauty spots in Yen Tu features various pagodas, shrines or stupas now appearing now disappearing under the thick foliage of the primary show their belief, or doing away with all sorrow and sadness. Others go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region. Foreign visitors come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist attraction. Anyone who makes all the way to the Bronze Pagoda feels the magnificence of Yen Tu and forests. Atop Yen Tu Mountain, one feels like standing by the Heave Gate shrouded in white cloud. On clear days one can have a partial view of the northeastern region…
Source: http://vietnamhotels.net
