Vietnam Breaking News

Where many Vietnamese will flock to in summer: YouTubeland

Where many Vietnamese will flock to in summer: YouTubeland
<p>New data and predictions from Google confirm that the country is very much obsessed with online content.</p>
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<p>If you had any doubt about Vietnam’s infatuation with the internet, latest stats and predictions from Google will put all your doubt to rest.</p>
<p>According to a new report from Think With Google, the research arm of the tech giant, the activities that define a Vietnamese summer are online searching and YouTube watching, apart from walking around a lake or sunbathing on the beach.</p>
<p>Internal data from the company shows that last summer, between May and August, the country’s online activity was “red hot,” especially on mobile. YouTube views doubled compared to spring, with more than 60 percent from mobile.</p>
<p>Every day during that summer, 100 million mobile searches were made on Google – that’s even more than the population. For the record, nearly 49 million people in Vietnam, or more than half of the country’s population, are online.</p>
<p><strong>What do Vietnamese watch or google?</strong></p>
<p>Summer means kids have too much free time on their hands. And if you give them a screen, many will be happy to stay in and watch YouTube. The new report says the top 40 Vietnamese kids’ channels have more than 550 million views each month and that number is growing fast.</p>
<p>Those who are not kids also depend on YouTube and Google for their entertainment choices. According to the report, 85 percent of Vietnamese research movies online before they buy tickets.</p>
<p>Last summer, there were more than 400 million search queries for movies while trailers on YouTube got more than 500 million views, up a staggering 136 percent from the summer of 2015.</p>
<p>As many blockbusters are going to hit local theaters in the next few months, the report expects this trend to continue, naming the new “Mummy” and “Transformers” among movies that should do well.</p>
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<td><img alt="where-many-vietnamese-will-flock-to-in-summer-youtubeland" src="http://bit.ly/2oUXIme" /></td>
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<p>What Vietnamese did last summer before going out for a movie. Graphic from Think With Google</p>
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<p>Summer is also the season of game enthusiasts. But they don’t just play.</p>
<p>“The explosion of the online gaming industry across the nation has not only sparked a new generation of gamers; it’s also brought about a huge surge in spectators,” according to the report.</p>
<p>And if you think gamers in Vietnam are just school kids who don’t know better, you are wrong.</p>
<p>Google data shows that one in four Vietnamese gamers are parents and that 45 percent of all gaming content watch time on YouTube in Vietnam is from users over the age of 25.</p>
<p>So when September comes and you meet a random Vietnamese on the street, this should be a good ice-breaker: “I know what you did last summer.”</p>
<p><strong>‘Toxic’ content</strong></p>
<p>On a more serious note, the new report can be interpreted as an attempt to consolidate YouTube’s position in the digital world and reassure its clients after a few bad months.</p>
<p>In March, Google Europe had to apologize for allowing ads to appear alongside offensive videos on YouTube, after big companies either pulled ads or threatened to do so.</p>
<p>The same month, Vietnam’s government called on all companies doing business in the country to stop advertising on YouTube, Facebook and other social media until they could find a way to end the publication of “toxic” anti-government information.</p>
<p>A month later, Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan told a parliamentary committee that “there are <a href="http://bit.ly/2pxuv4F">good and bad</a> people on social media.” He confirmed that his ministry had asked Google to block and remove 2,200 videos on YouTube that contained “slanderous” and “defamatory” content against Vietnamese leaders.</p>
<p>Google had reportedly removed nearly 1,300 videos as of April 12.</p>
<p>That was quite a stormy spring. No wonder why the company seems to be looking forward to summer.</p>
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<div>Related News:
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2oV0sQs">Online videos of killings pose tricky problem for Facebook</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2pxxnPf">Vietnam tells firms to stop YouTube and Facebook ads</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2oV679t">YouTube channels must win audiences before winning ads</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
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Where many Vietnamese will flock to in summer: YouTubeland Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2oUXIme" width="200" /><br />

Where many Vietnamese will flock to in summer: YouTubeland

Where many Vietnamese will flock to in summer: YouTubeland New data and predictions from Google confirm that the country is very much obsess...

+ Read more »

Where you will find most Vietnamese in summer: YouTubeland

Where you will find most Vietnamese in summer: YouTubeland
<p>New data and predictions from Google confirm that the country is very much obsessed with online content.</p>
<div>
<p>If you had any doubt about Vietnam’s infatuation with the internet, latest stats and predictions from Google will put all your doubt to rest.</p>
<p>According to a new report from Think With Google, the research arm of the tech giant, the activities that define a Vietnamese summer are online searching and YouTube watching, apart from walking around a lake or sunbathing on the beach.</p>
<p>Internal data from the company shows that last summer, between May and August, the country’s online activity was “red hot,” especially on mobile. YouTube views doubled compared to spring, with more than 60 percent from mobile.</p>
<p>Every day during that summer, 100 million mobile searches were made on Google – that’s even more than the population. For the record, nearly 49 million people in Vietnam, or more than half of the country’s population, are online.</p>
<p><strong>What do Vietnamese watch or google?</strong></p>
<p>Summer mean kids have too much free time on their hands. And if you give them a screen, many will be happy to stay in and watch YouTube. The new report says the top 40 Vietnamese kids’ channels have more than 550 million views each month and that number is growing fast.</p>
<p>Those who are not kids also depend on YouTube and Google for their entertainment choices. According to the report, 85 percent of Vietnamese research movies online before they buy tickets.</p>
<p>Last summer, there were more than 400 million search queries for movies while trailers on YouTube got more than 500 million views, up a staggering 136 percent from the summer of 2015.</p>
<p>As many blockbusters are going to hit local theaters in the next few months, the report expects this trend to continue, naming the new “Mummy” and “Transformers” among movies that should do well.</p>
<table>
<tbody>
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<td><img alt="where-you-will-find-most-vietnamese-in-summer-youtubeland" src="http://bit.ly/2oUXIme" /></td>
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<p>What Vietnamese did last summer before going out for a movie. Graphic from Think With Google</p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<p>Summer is also the season of game enthusiasts. But they don’t just play.</p>
<p>“The explosion of the online gaming industry across the nation has not only sparked a new generation of gamers; it’s also brought about a huge surge in spectators,” according to the report,</p>
<p>And if you think gamers in Vietnam are just school kids who don’t know better, you are wrong.</p>
<p>Google data shows that one in four Vietnamese gamers are parents and that 45 percent of all gaming content watch time on YouTube in Vietnam is from users over the age of 25.</p>
<p>So when September comes and you meet a random Vietnamese on the street, this should be a good ice-breaker: “I know what you did last summer.”</p>
<p><strong>‘Toxic’ content</strong></p>
<p>On a more serious note, the new report can be interpreted as an attempt to consolidate YouTube’s position in the digital world and reassure its clients after a few bad months.</p>
<p>In March, Google Europe had to apologize for allowing ads to appear alongside offensive videos on YouTube, after big companies either pulled ads or threatened to do so.</p>
<p>The same month, Vietnam’s government called on all companies doing business in the country to stop advertising on YouTube, Facebook and other social media until they could find a way to end the publication of “toxic” anti-government information.</p>
<p>A month later, Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan told a parliamentary committee that “there are <a href="http://bit.ly/2pxuv4F">good and bad</a> people on social media.” He confirmed that his ministry had asked Google to block and remove 2,200 videos on YouTube that contained “slanderous” and “defamatory” content against Vietnamese leaders.</p>
<p>Google had reportedly removed nearly 1,300 videos as of April 12.</p>
<p>That was quite a stormy spring. No wonder why the company seems to be looking forward to summer.</p>
</div>
<div>Related News:
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2oV0sQs">Online videos of killings pose tricky problem for Facebook</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2pxxnPf">Vietnam tells firms to stop YouTube and Facebook ads</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2oV679t">YouTube channels must win audiences before winning ads</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<br />
Where you will find most Vietnamese in summer: YouTubeland Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2oUXIme" width="200" /><br />

Where you will find most Vietnamese in summer: YouTubeland

Where you will find most Vietnamese in summer: YouTubeland New data and predictions from Google confirm that the country is very much obsess...

+ Read more »

Vietnamese go back to history and nature on holiday weekend

Vietnamese go back to history and nature on holiday weekend
<p>Families in Ho Chi Minh City flock to the historic Independence Palace or enjoy a day out in the zoo.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend" src="http://bit.ly/2oLuwmw" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">The Independence Palace in downtown Ho Chi Minh City becomes the top attraction on Sunday as the country celebrates 42 years of reunification. Many families from neighboring provinces also come here.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-1" src="http://bit.ly/2qljAcj" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Long lines in front of the ticket counter as foreign tourists join locals.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-2" src="http://bit.ly/2oLwdjT" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">The famous round dragon carpet of the palace.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-3" src="http://bit.ly/2qljAJl" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">It’s a time for veterans to catch up with their friends…</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-4" src="http://bit.ly/2oLveAe" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">… and for families to take pictures with the legendary tank No 843, which drove into the gates of Saigon’s presidential palace on April 30, 1975.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-5" src="http://bit.ly/2ql6dc5" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Many also bring their families to Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens on the second day of the four-day break.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-6" src="http://bit.ly/2oLHMHJ" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">The elephants are always the children’s favorites.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-7" src="http://bit.ly/2qlic9K" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">A father from Dong Nai Province has to buy a mini-fan because his daughter cannot take the early summer heat.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-8" src="http://bit.ly/2oLzcJ3" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Other children choose to play with water, sort of.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="vietnamese-go-back-to-history-and-nature-on-holiday-weekend-9" src="http://bit.ly/2ql5uIc" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Picnic time!</p>
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Vietnamese go back to history and nature on holiday weekend Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2oLuwmw" width="200" /><br />

Vietnamese go back to history and nature on holiday weekend

Vietnamese go back to history and nature on holiday weekend Families in Ho Chi Minh City flock to the historic Independence Palace or enjoy ...

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Speedboat service to Vietnam’s Con Co Island suspended on safety grounds

Speedboat service to Vietnam’s Con Co Island suspended on safety grounds
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="Speedboat service to Vietnam's Con Co Island suspended on safety grounds" src="http://bit.ly/2qfZZgN" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">The speedboat service to Con Co Island, Quang Tri Province, has been suspended due to safety concerns. Photo by Hoang Tao</p>
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<p>The free service to the unspoiled island in the central region was launched just two weeks ago.</p>
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<p>A speedboat service which this month started to bring tourists to Con Co, an island in the central province of Quang Tri, has been suspended over safety concerns.</p>
<p>The decision was made by local officials after the operator, Greenlines DP, said the size of its boats may not be suitable for the service. The preemptive suspension was to avoid accidents, it added.</p>
<p>Con Co was a heavily militarized island during the Vietnam War. It is now known for pristine beaches and a diverse tropical ecosystem, mostly untouched by humans.</p>
<p>There are currently a dozen families living on the island, around 85 kilometers northwest of Hue.</p>
<p>The speedboat service, launched on April 9, carried tourists to the island from Cua Viet Port in Gio Linh District. A one-way trip took about an hour.</p>
<p>Greenlines DP is reportedly looking for a different vessel type to resume the service.</p>
<p>The short-lived service brought about 700 tourists to Con Co over the past two weeks.</p>
</div>
<div>Related News:
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<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2prFSJw">War-torn Con Co Island in central Vietnam finally opens to tourists</a></li>
</ul>
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Speedboat service to Vietnam’s Con Co Island suspended on safety grounds Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2qfZZgN" width="200" /><br />

Speedboat service to Vietnam’s Con Co Island suspended on safety grounds

Speedboat service to Vietnam’s Con Co Island suspended on safety grounds The speedboat service to Con Co Island, Quang Tri Province, has be...

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Music gala kicks off Ha Long Tourism Week

Music gala kicks off Ha Long Tourism Week
<p>The event saw the participation of around 20,000 local residents and visitors, bringing together many popular Vietnamese singers and artists from Ukraine.</p>
<p>Songs and dances featured at the gala highlighted the natural beauty and diverse culture of Ha Long city, its dynamic life as well as the city’s achievements in its international integration process.</p>
<p>A series of cultural, sports and tourism events are scheduled during the Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2017, which will be on till May 7. The events include the Asian Beach Volleyball Championship, a tennis tournament, a singing festival, and a badminton tournament.</p>
<p>Speaking at the event, Vice-Chairwoman of Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee, Vu Thi Thu Thuy, stressed that Quang Ninh has seen rapid changes in a bid to become one of the country’s major centres of tourism.</p>
<p>Thanks to efforts made by local authorities and its people as well as the support provided by businesses and investors, many new, authentic and attractive tourist products have been designed to attract more visitors to the locality.</p>
<p>The province has welcomed around 4.6 million visitors since the beginning of this year, including 1.6 million foreigners. The city’s hospitality sector has earned VND 5.89 trillion (US$257 million) during the first four months of 2017, an increase of 20% over the same period last year.</p>
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Music gala kicks off Ha Long Tourism Week Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200" /><br />

Music gala kicks off Ha Long Tourism Week

Music gala kicks off Ha Long Tourism Week The event saw the participation of around 20,000 local residents and visitors, bringing together m...

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A day in the life of a Vietnamese intelligence agent

A day in the life of a Vietnamese intelligence agent
<p>From his small home, 90-year-old Colonel Nguyen Van Tau remembers the day the war ended 42 years ago.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="a-day-in-the-peaceful-life-of-a-vietnamese-intelligence-agent" src="http://bit.ly/2pI66uo" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Colonel Nguyen Van Tau, 90, is better known by his alias Tu Cang. He used to head the H63 intelligence network with many famous agents, including the legendary spy Pham Xuan An. He now lives with his wife in a small home in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.</p>
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<p>“I joined the revolutionary forces when I was 17,” he said. “In 1954, I changed my name to Tran Van Quang when I moved to the north. Five years later I returned to the south for my missions.”</p>
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<p>“When the H63 network was set up, Pham Xuan An was our top spy, working as a deep cover agent within the enemy. I was leading the whole network until the reunification in 1975.” The veteran was also the political commissar of the famous Brigade 316. In April 1975, commando units of his brigade took over the Rach Chiec Bridge, a strategic point of Saigon, paving the way for the revolutionary forces.</p>
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<p>On the morning of April 30, 1975, he was leading his units from Hoc Mon to downtown Saigon. “After my mission was completed in the evening, I drove right back to Thi Nghe to see my wife after years of being apart.”</p>
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<p>As an intelligence agent, he could hardly ever meet his wife Tran Ngoc Anh during the war. “We were both in Saigon but rarely met. She raised our daughter alone and waited for me for nearly 30 years,” Tau said. Anh is now 88.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="a-day-in-the-peaceful-life-of-a-vietnamese-intelligence-agent-5" src="http://bit.ly/2qpqMDu" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">This U.S. military revolver is one of the memorabilia items in his house. Tau said he was one of the best shooters in his team.</p>
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<p>Now he’s spending most of the time writing. “I used to write about my glorious and fierce days of the war in my books. But now I’m old, and I usually just write short stories for newspapers.”</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="a-day-in-the-peaceful-life-of-a-vietnamese-intelligence-agent-7" src="http://bit.ly/2qoZXiY" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">The colonel said he was also a journalist during the war. He speaks English and French fluently.</p>
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<p>He can’t live without his birds and garden…</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="a-day-in-the-peaceful-life-of-a-vietnamese-intelligence-agent-9" src="http://bit.ly/2qpaaMm" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">… and his dogs.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="a-day-in-the-peaceful-life-of-a-vietnamese-intelligence-agent-10" src="http://bit.ly/2pI9xRF" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">And he will continue to share his stories.</p>
</div>
</div>
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<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2qpjXlr">Demystifying the secret war in Laos</a></li>
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<br />
A day in the life of a Vietnamese intelligence agent Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2pI66uo" width="200" /><br />

A day in the life of a Vietnamese intelligence agent

A day in the life of a Vietnamese intelligence agent From his small home, 90-year-old Colonel Nguyen Van Tau remembers the day the war ended...

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Long Thanh Golf Course maintains leading position in Vietnam

Long Thanh Golf Course maintains leading position in Vietnam
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<p>The various awards that Long Thanh Golf Course has received over the years are testaments to the course’s quality.</p>
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<p><img alt="Long Thanh Golf Course is located in the southern economic triangle, about 40 minutes’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City centre." src="http://bit.ly/2pfeMH6" title="Long Thanh Golf Course is located in the southern economic triangle, about 40 minutes’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City centre." /></p>
<p>Long Thanh Golf Course is located in the southern economic triangle, about 40 minutes’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City centre.</p>
<p>It was designed by Ron Fream – the founder of Golfplan-Fream & Dale Golf Course Architecture, with more than 35 years experienced in designing, building, and maintaining golf courses throughout the world.</p>
<p>Of the over 350 hectares in land-scape area, the golf course has around 100ha for high lawn hills. Two thirds of its circumference is surrounded by branches of the Dong Nai River. Hence, it has very cool, fresh climate, with poetic natural scenery consisting of rows of palms, artificial pools and lakes, and tumbling falls. The grass for the course is Paspalum grass dedicated to golf courses, which not only helps golfers make exact shots but also contributes to making them feel more relaxed.</p>
<p>At present, Long Thanh Golf Course is being operated with 18 rounds on Hilly Course, and 18 rounds on Lake Course, both delicately designed to bring attractive challenges to professional golfers and beginner players as well. The lighting system meets international standards and can serve golfers at night.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://bit.ly/2qhxNHb" /></p>
<p>The experienced staff are very courteous and well trained in golf rules, foreign languages and services, by an expert from the British Professional Golf Association. Long Thanh Golf Course is serving more than 1,000 members, more than 60 per cent of whom are from Europe, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, China and Thailand.</p>
<p>Most recently Long Thanh Golf Investment and Trading JSC, operator of the golf course, has received the Biggest Charity Fundraising Golf Award in May 2016 from the Asia Book of Records. In 2015, World Records University conferred on Le Van Kiem – chairman of Long Thanh Golf Investment and Trading JSC the honorary degree of Doctorate in record Breaking Hanoris causa for: “The Creator and Initiator of the largest Charitable Golf Tournament”. In 2014 Long Thanh Golf Investment and Trading JSC received the Global Ethics Awards from the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations.</p>
<p><em>Hong Anh</em></p>
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Long Thanh Golf Course maintains leading position in Vietnam Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2pfeMH6" width="200" /><br />

Long Thanh Golf Course maintains leading position in Vietnam

Long Thanh Golf Course maintains leading position in Vietnam The various awards that Long Thanh Golf Course has received over the years are...

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Tourists jump for their life in Vietnam hotel fire

Tourists jump for their life in Vietnam hotel fire
<p>The fire reportedly started from the ground floor and many decided to save themselves before firefighters arrived.</p>
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<p>At least two people broke their legs after they jumped down to escape a fire at a five-star hotel in the central province of Binh Thuan on Saturday morning.</p>
<p>More than 20 guests at the hotel were awoken by the fire alarm at around 5 a.m., when the fire broke out from the ground-floor parking lot.</p>
<p>“I opened the door and saw smoke filling up the hotel. Many people were screaming for help,” said a guest who was on the ground floor at the time.</p>
<p>He and several others laid out mattresses for people to jump from higher floors.</p>
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<p>The fire destroyed vehicles at the hotel. Photo by VnExpress/Tu Huynh</p>
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<p>The guests then tried to escape.</p>
<p>A couple broke their legs during the attempt and has been sent to hospital.</p>
<p>Some people were rescued by firefighters later.</p>
<p>The fire was put out around one hour later.</p>
</div>
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<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2qhtUSQ">Fire descimates Hanoi warehouse complex</a></li>
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Tourists jump for their life in Vietnam hotel fire Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2qhlue5" width="200" /><br />

Tourists jump for their life in Vietnam hotel fire

Tourists jump for their life in Vietnam hotel fire The fire reportedly started from the ground floor and many decided to save themselves bef...

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And the holiday begins! Vietnamese, tourists battle traffic mess

And the holiday begins! Vietnamese, tourists battle traffic mess
<p>Many in Ho Chi Minh City just grab their bags and run to the airport while bus stations in Hanoi are also packed.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">Roads leading to Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City are jammed on late Friday afternoon, as people leave for the long Refunification weekend. Vietnamese will have a four-day break through May 2 to mark Reunification Day on April 30 and Labor Day. Many will take a vacation or go back to their hometown.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">Traffic around the airport is heavy every holiday. It has become much worse this time due to construction work for new flyovers.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">This woman decides to walk to the airport after her taxi is stuck in traffic.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">These foreign tourists also leave their cab and run to catch their flight.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">This 23-year-old man has to run more than one hour with his bags. His trip to the central resort town of Nha Trang doesn’t have a great start.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">Another traveler asks a xe om to carry his luggage to the airport.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">In Hanoi, travelers also have to face a similar ordeal. Many bus stations in Hanoi are packed on Friday afternoon.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">Many line up for hours to get their tickets and some accept to pay twice the normal fare to black market dealers.</p>
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<p>“I bought a 4 p.m. ticket but the bus arrived two hours late,” says a man as he jostles to get on a bus to Quang Ninh Province, home of Ha Long Bay.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text">A sleeper bus leaves Hanoi with too many passengers.</p>
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="and-the-holiday-begins-vietnamese-tourists-battle-traffic-mess-10" src="http://bit.ly/2pePuZA" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">A man raises two fingers to indicate how many hours he has waited to get on this bus to the central province of Thanh Hoa.</p>
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<div>Related News:
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2qhe8Hq">Road construction turns traffic to Saigon airport from bad to worse</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2peU5Ll">Grab your bags and run: How Saigon airport congestion triggers holiday stress</a></li>
</ul>
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And the holiday begins! Vietnamese, tourists battle traffic mess Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2peONzH" width="200" /><br />

And the holiday begins! Vietnamese, tourists battle traffic mess

And the holiday begins! Vietnamese, tourists battle traffic mess Many in Ho Chi Minh City just grab their bags and run to the airport while ...

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Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days

Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days
<p>Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days</p>
<p>Anh Nguyen</p>
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<td><img alt="Tasty food at Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel in HCMC’s District 1" src="http://bit.ly/2oFkEKZ" title="Tasty food at Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel in HCMC’s District 1" width="500" /></td>
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<td>Tasty food at Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel in HCMC’s District 1</td>
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<p>Hotels and restaurants of Saigontourist Holding Company have prepared special food programs for revelers to celebrate Vietnam’s Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1).</p>
<p><strong>Royal Hotel Saigon, 133 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1, HCMC, tel: (84-8) 38225 914:</strong></p>
<p>The hotel will host a gala buffet program called “Tastes of summer night”, which feature more than 48 tasty dishes like salted shrimp, steamed crab with garlic, grilled beef, and Go Cong-style shrimp cake. All dishes will be prepared by the chef who won the Golden Spoon 2015 competition. Diners can also enjoy a special music show and a lucky draw with many attractive gifts during the buffet. Guests who buy tickets before April 30 will get a 20% discount. Tickets are priced at VND599,000++ per adult and VND299,000++ per kid, including a free flow of beer, soft drinks and mineral water.</p>
<p>The buffet will be available from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 30.</p>
<p><strong>Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel, 17 Ton Duc Thang St., Dist. 1, HCMC, tel: (08) 38 271717:</strong></p>
<p>Starting at 6 p.m. on April 29, April 30 and May 1, the hotel’s Central Restaurant on the first floor will offer a seafood buffet dinner. There will be a wide selection of fresh seafood such as salmon, tuna sashimi and sushi, and traditional Vietnamese food as well as Western food like Australian beef tenderloin, grilled lamb chops and Asian dishes like chicken cooked with holothurians.</p>
<p>The price starts from VND799,000++ per adult and VND449,000 per child.</p>
<p><strong>Liberty</strong> <strong>Hotel Saigon Parkview, 265 Pham Ngu Lao St., Dist. 1, HCMC, Tel: 08 3826 4556:</strong></p>
<p>Diners will have a chance to experience the “Taste of the South” buffet program with over 70 Asian specialties such as Hue-style rolls, curry, and grilled seafood.</p>
<p>The buffet is available from April 28 to May 1 at the hotel. Guests who buy 10 tickets can get one free, plus attractive promotions. Tickets are priced at VND329,000++ per adult and VND169,000++ per child.</p>
<p><strong>Arc-en-ciel Hotel, 52 Tan Da St., Dist. 5, HCMC, Tel: 08. 38553472:</strong></p>
<p>A Vietnamese-Cantonese culinary program will be run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 30, with a variety of 40 savory dishes. The buffet will be accompanied by a magic show, a lucky draw and karaoke service. Tickets are VND299,000 per adult and VND199,000 per child. For every 10 tickets bought, you get one free.</p>
<p><strong>First Hotel, 18 Hoang Viet St., Tan Binh Dist., HCMC, tel:</strong> <strong>08.3846 2944:</strong></p>
<p>The hotel will pamper its diners with an outdoor buffet at its swimming pool area. The buffet menu has 90 dishes such as grilled crayfish, grilled oyster with chopped green onion, grilled salmon with chili salt, grilled ribs with honey, deep fried crab with passion fruit sauce, seafood hotpot, and Norwegian salmon noodle soup.</p>
<p>The buffet is available from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. Tickets are VND475,000 per adult and VND250,000 per child. Guests buying 10 tickets before and on April 29 can get one free.</p>
<p><strong>Dong Khanh Hotel, 2 Tran Hung Dao B, Dist. 5, HCMC, Tel:</strong> <strong>08.39234838:</strong></p>
<p>Guests should come to enjoy a BBQ gala buffet featuring German food at the hotel’s Cat Tuong Hall on the fourth floor.</p>
<p>Starting at 6 p.m. on April 30, the buffet dinner will have fried beef with breadcrumbs, German sausages, and chicken rolled in ham and cheese. The chef will be on hand to show how to prepare German sausages.</p>
<p>The buffet will be accompanied by a karaoke service, a lucky draw, and a <em>free</em> flow of <em>soft drinks</em> and mineral <em>water</em>. Each diner can also get a free mocktail or German beer.</p>
<p>Tickets are priced at VND265,000 per adult and VND160,000 per child.</p>
<p><strong>Saigon-Ban Me Hotel, 01 Phan Chau Trinh St., Buon Ma Thuot City, Daklak Province, tel: 0500.3635.666:</strong></p>
<p>A buffet gala dinner will be available from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on April 30 at the hotel’s Bazan 1 Hall, featuring 45 optional dishes. In addition, diners will have a chance to enjoy live music performances and lucky draw. The first five guests buying two tickets each will get a breakfast buffet voucher.</p>
<p><strong>Saigon-Rach Gia Hotel, 844 Nguyen Trung Truc St., Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province, tel: 0911642333:</strong></p>
<p>The hotel’s Saigon Restaurant will put on a buffet program from 6 p.m. on April 29, April 30 and May 1.</p>
<p>The buffet will feature 40 favorite dishes of the restaurant’s patrons. Diners can find Japanese sushi and Udon noodle soups as well. Live music and lucky draw will be offered at the buffet.</p>
<p>Tickets are VND380,000 per adult and VND190,000 per child. Buy 10 tickets, get one free.</p>
<p><strong>Dam Sen Park, 3 Hoa Binh Street, Dist. 11, HCMC, tel: (08) 39632483 – 39634963:</strong></p>
<p>Dam Sen Park will hold an entertainment program called “Colors of Five Continents” to celebrate Vietnam’s Reunification Day and International Labor Day.</p>
<p>There will also be a variety of recreational events such as Carnival Colors, Street Colors, Childhood Colors and Music Colors from April 29 to May 2.</p>
<p>In addition, the park will hold a culinary festival featuring specialties of five continents, and those of the three regions of Vietnam from April 29 to May 2.</p>
<p>On the occasion, the De Men Stage will organize two new plays – <em>Ke Tinh va Nhung Nang Tien</em> (Chicken Monster and fairies) and <em>Chuyen Than Tien Xu Phu Tang</em> (Fairy Tale in Japan).</p>
<p>Tasty food at Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel in HCMC’s District 1</p>
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="" src="http://bit.ly/2oSWrNy" width="500" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Dam Sen Park will hold multiple activities to entertain guests during the upcoming holiday – PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SAIGONTOURIST</p>
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Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2oFkEKZ" width="200" /><br />

Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days

Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days Saigontourist hotels prep for Reunification and Labor Days Anh Nguyen Tas...

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