Tourists who are aged between 7 and 16 will enjoy a 20% entrance fee discount when visiting Ha Long Bay from next year. Quang Ninh Province’s authorities have approved a decision on reducing the entrance fees for visitors to Ha Long Bay. A corner of Ha Long Bay Visitors from 7 to 16 years old will be offered a 20% discount from January 1, 2019. Children of this age currently have to pay the same price as adults. Meanwhile, children aged below 6 or those shorter than 1.2 metres receive a 50% discount. This is also applied to people aged over 60 and those who are war invalids or come from remote and disadvantaged areas. Entrance fees for Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays have different levels. Day tours range from VND200,000 - 250,000 per person, while overnight tours vary between VND500,000 - 750,000 (USD22.72-34.09). Pham Dinh Huynh, deputy head of Ha Long bay management board, said this year’s entrance fees of Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays would reach VND1.17 … [Read more...] about 7-16 year-olds enjoy Ha Long Bay discount
70 year old birthday cake
Saigon building rings history with 100-year-old telephone booths
The French built the Saigon Central Post Office in the 1886-1891 period. Located then on Cong Xa Paris Street, District 1, the building, designed by a French architect, combines European and East Asian styles. According to the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports, the Post Office has been listed as a national monument since 2010. Visitors have many things to admire about this, starting with its architectural features. It also functions as a museum in how it allows visitors to explore the history of Saigon, be it a mailbox, an old-fashioned telephone booth or a hundred-year-old bench. The façade of the building has arched windows with a domed top and European-style decor. The domed ceiling creates a sense of spaciousness even when the building is crowded. The large arch is supported by four pillars located at four corners. Each pillar supports four iron rails spreading out on four sides. In the hall, there are 14 telephone booths that are no longer in use, having become … [Read more...] about Saigon building rings history with 100-year-old telephone booths
A visit to Ha Tinh hundreds-year-old houses
The authorities in Truong Loc Commune in the central province of Ha Tinh are trying to preserve 10 old houses which were built hundreds of years ago. Besides the Phuc Giang School Woodblocks and the Envoy’s Journey to China which were recognised as documentary heritage in Asia and the Pacific under UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, Truong Loc Commune is also known for 10 houses which are built hundreds of years ago. Most houses have a garden and are well-kept by generations in the families. The wooden houses are famous for the beams and pillars made from the ironwood. The carvings are delicate and an attraction of the houses. In old traditions, the houses also have an odd number of rooms. The oldest house is built 400 years ago and belongs to Nguyen Huy Than in Phuong Son Village. According to the locals, the houses in the old times must not be higher than pagodas and temples. Than's house is located in prime location with its back to the forest while facing … [Read more...] about A visit to Ha Tinh hundreds-year-old houses
A 105-year-old tea shop in Ben Thanh Market area
Around Town A 105-year-old tea shop in Ben Thanh Market area Nguyen Quy Friday, Jan 12, 2018,21:28 (GMT+7) A 105-year-old tea shop in Ben Thanh Market areaNguyen Quy The 105-year-old tea shore called “O Tong Ky” in Ben Thanh Market area has been out of business for years but the 87-year-old Quyen wishes to keep it intact - PHOTO: HOANG PHONG In the busy Ben Thanh Market area, curious foreign tourists often drop by an old and shabby house which has been known as the oldest and most famous tea store in the city in the early 20th century, with a history of nearly 105 years. Located at 13 Phan Chu Trinh Street at the West gate of Ben Thanh Market and next to crowded shops, the tea shop, previously called “O Tong Ky”, captures the attention of many sightseers, especially those from abroad. It has ancient features and interesting stories about the history and development of the market and HCMC as well, though … [Read more...] about A 105-year-old tea shop in Ben Thanh Market area
Korean descendants of Vietnamese king ripped apart for 70 years
"Grandmother! Mother! Soon Nyeo!" These were Lee Young-taek’s tearful last words. The 75-year-old man’s cry of anguish called out for his loved ones in North Korea as he took his last breaths in Incheon, South Korea. It was late 1978. Since leaving his hometown in North Korea a quarter of a century earlier, Lee had never had a chance to meet with his daughter Soon Nyeo. His mother had died earlier, and his grandmother was 80 when they bade each other goodbye. Lee's sad story is not uncommon in Korea, South and North. Technically, the two Koreas are still at war with each other, with the Korean War ending with a truce instead of a peace treaty. Over the past three decades, more than half of 131,000 South Koreans registered as member of separated families died before getting to reunite with their relatives in North Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korean government data. The 800-year Vietnam connection The six family members at … [Read more...] about Korean descendants of Vietnamese king ripped apart for 70 years