Canada publishes horse stamp to welcome New Year 2014

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Canada publishes horse stamp to welcome New Year 2014<br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 219px' id='attachment_1417705'><a href="http://bit.ly/1bKpLYs"><img alt="The Canada Post Office in the city of Toronto has released a set of stamps with the figure of a horse to celebrate the coming of the Lunar New Year of the Horse, 2014." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="225" src="http://bit.ly/1bKpLYs" width="209"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>The Canada Post Office in the city of Toronto has released a set of stamps with the figure of a horse to celebrate the coming of the Lunar New Year of the Horse, 2014.</p><br /></div><br /><p>The information was released by <i>The Canada Post.</i> The Canada Post has published stamps with animal designations on the occasion of the lunar new year over the 18 past years. Horse is the 7^th mascot among 12 animal designations and it is the symbol of 2014. This year, the stamp set welcoming the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2014 is designed by Paprika Company, its headquarters in the city of Montreal, Quebec province.</p><br /><p>This is the second time Paprika has designed a horse stamp. The previous stamp set was designed in 2002. Speaker Eugene Knapik of the Canada Post Office said that the stamp set this year chooses red as the dominant colour. According to the conception of nations which celebrate the Lunar New Year, the red colour brings luck to people.</p><br /><p>“Using embossment technology, the stamp, highlighted with red colour like bright flames, shows the image of horse is moving strongly and full of vitality in the new year,” Mr. Knapik.</p><br /><p>The stamp sets with horse published domestically and internationally have the same dimensions of 32mm x 32mm. In addition, there is also a souvenir stamp frame with horse designed with dimensions of 40mm x 140mm.<br/><br />In particular, the stamp set for internal circulation only includes 25 stamps designed in a manner that the horse’s tail on front stamp “touches” the horse ‘s mane on behind stamp, therefore when 25 stamps are stretched in length, it will form a moving stamp strip as energetic waves./.</p><br /><br/><br />Canada publishes horse stamp to welcome New Year 2014 Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bKpLYs" width="200"/><br/></div>

Canada publishes horse stamp to welcome New Year 2014

Canada publishes horse stamp to welcome New Year 2014 The Canada Post Office in the city of Toronto has released a set of stamps with the f...

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Bieber friend rapper Lil Za charged with drug possession

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><p>(Reuters) – <strong>A friend of <a>Justin Bieber</a>‘s has been charged with drug crimes in connection with a raid on the teen pop star’s home this month, the <a>Los Angeles County</a> District Attorney’s office said on Friday.</strong> </p><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1417574'><a href="http://bit.ly/1efag0A"><img alt="Xavier Smith, 20, better known as rapper Lil Za, was charged with possession of MDMA and oxycodone and vandalizing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's jail where he was held, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the district attorney." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="295" src="http://bit.ly/1efag0A" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Xavier Smith, 20, better known as rapper Lil Za, was charged with possession of MDMA and oxycodone and vandalizing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's jail where he was held, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the district attorney.</p><br /></div><br /><p>Smith was arrested on Jan. 14 during a <a>Sheriff’s Department</a> raid on Bieber’s home in Calabasas, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles.</p><br /><p>If convicted of the three felony charges, Smith faces a maximum penalty of four years and four months in county jail. He is due to be arraigned in Los Angeles on Feb. 4.</p><br /><p>MDMA is better known on the street as ecstasy. Oxycodone is a prescription painkiller best known under the name OxyContin.</p><br /><p>Investigators were searching Bieber’s home for evidence in a vandalism case in which he is accused of pelting his neighbor’s house with eggs when they found a white powder initially thought to be cocaine, the <a>Sheriff’s Department</a> said at the time.</p><br /><p>Bieber, 19, was arrested last week in Miami Beach on charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license. The Canadian was also charged on Wednesday with assaulting a limousine driver in <a>Toronto</a>.</p><br /><br/><br />Bieber friend rapper Lil Za charged with drug possession Releated Image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1efag0A" width="200"/><br/></div>

Bieber friend rapper Lil Za charged with drug possession

(Reuters) – A friend of Justin Bieber ‘s has been charged with drug crimes in connection with a raid on the teen pop star’s home this month,...

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Doc Island – home to wild flowers

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Doc Island – home to wild flowers<br /><p><em>VietNamNet Bridge – We came to the Mekong Delta Town of Ha Tien on a sunny day with an attractive itinerary to Doc Island on Hai Tac Archipelago.</em> </p><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1417534'><a href="http://bit.ly/LjzONf"><img alt="A corner of a beach on Doc Island off Ha Tien Town." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" src="http://bit.ly/LjzONf" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>A corner of a beach on Doc Island off Ha Tien Town.</p><br /></div><br /><p>With a ticket priced at just VND40,000, we took a cruise on Minh Nga Boat at Ha Tien Wharf at 2:30 p.m. On board, we enjoyed the cool wind, the panoramic view of the stunning Ha Tien City, the magnificent To Chau Mountain appearing in the distance and Binh San and Nai Mountains emerging in the vaporous faraway horizon.</p><br /><p>Doc Island is situated in Tien Hai District, Ha Tien Town in Kien Giang Province. It covers around 1,100 hectares and includes 16 small islands around 11 nautical miles from Ha Tien Beach.</p><br /><p>We reached the island when the sunset started coming over the sea, but were still caught in the busy ambiance of the local fishing wharf where many fishermen bring their catches from offshore fishing and bring to land for sale. There, tourists can order from locals to make fresh seafood dinners right on the beach.</p><br /><p>After pampering our stomachs with mouth-watering seafood dishes, we followed some locals to catch some sea crabs creeping on the beach during the evening.</p><br /><p>During the next evening, we woke up early to welcome the dawn rising on Ba Lua Archipelago, beaming through coconut leaves and shining on the waves crashing on the shore. That was such a peaceful moment we could never forget.</p><br /><p>We then strolled around the island and retreated into the beauty of wild flowers scattered along the beach.</p><br /><p><em>Source: SGT</em> </p><br /><br/><br />Doc Island – home to wild flowers Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/LjzONf" width="200"/><br/></div>

Doc Island – home to wild flowers

Doc Island – home to wild flowers VietNamNet Bridge – We came to the Mekong Delta Town of Ha Tien on a sunny day with an attractive itinerar...

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Vietnamese catfish

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Vietnamese catfish<br /><p><em>To get more information about the raising and processing of Tra in the Cuu Long River Delta, we made a trip to the provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Dong Thap, An Giang, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau.</em> </p><br /><p>In these locales we saw how the farmers made great efforts to achieve the number one position of producers of Vietnamese Tra in the world market over the past decade.</p><br /><p><strong>Tra raising business</strong> </p><br /><p>Tra were originally raised in a family’s pond for daily consumption. When Vietnam opened its doors to the world market, Tra became a commercial product and is now exported around the world.</p><br /><p>People in the Delta have shifted the business of raising Tra from a small to a large scale. Many farms and special areas of hundreds of hectares have been established for the production of Tra. Scientific and technological applications in raising Tra have become popular on each farm.</p><br /><p>Industrial feed and veterinary medicines are used. Fries are propagated in large-scale hatcheries with a modern process, so the farmers no longer depend on natural fries as before.</p><br /><p>Since 2000 Tra raising in the Cuu Long River Delta has made a big leap forward. The fish raising areas total over 5,000ha and have been established in An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho and Vinh Long Provinces. In 2001 the Tra output in the entire Delta was only 100,000 tonnes. The number increased to over 1,000,000 tonnes in 2009, yielding a turnover of 1.4 billion USD. Many fish farmers have become rich due to the raising of Tra.</p><br /><p>In recent years, raising Tra has been developed in a sustainable way. Training courses in technology, the environment, the production of breeding fries and feed and using medicines for disease prevention and treatment have been invaluable. Ponds for raising Tra have been encoded. Observation systems in localities have been built to detect on time and precisely the environmental violations and the outbreak of epidemic.</p><br /><p>Visiting a Tra farm owned by Nguyen Huu Nguyen in My Phu Commune, Chau Phu District of An Giang Province we saw a system of ponds that included residue ponds and a water treatment system. With this advanced method, his farm was granted the SQF (Safe Quality Food) Certificate in 2003. Nguyen said that over 600 members of An Giang Aquaculture Association had this certificate and most of them had attended a training course on Global GAP (Global Good Agricultural Practices).</p><br /><p>Despite the farmers’ endeavours, Vietnamese Tra farming has suffered from many crises during the global integration process. For instance, in December, 2002 a lawsuit on cattle fish dumping into the US market negatively affected Vietnamese exporters.</p><br /><p>In another case, Vietnamese Tra products were discovered to have antibiotic residue. Hot growth also caused many environmental problems. Most recently, at the end of 2010, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) placed Vietnamese Tra on the red list which consists of the names of products that consumers in six European countries, including Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland should avoid for environmental reasons. This incident was later solved with the WWF withdrawing its recommendation after Mark Powell, a representative of WWF came to Vietnam to learn about the situation.</p><br /><p>These examples show the problems that Vietnamese Tra may face while trying to enter the world market. It was forecast early and Vietnam has undertaken many measures to develop the raising and processing of Tra in a sustainable way, with co-operation from the State, scientists, entrepreneurs and farmers.</p><br /><p><strong>Sustainable development</strong> </p><br /><p>We were told that in order to ensure the sustainable development of aquaculture in general and Tra raising in particular, many local authorities directed the implementation of a quality management programme in close co-operation with the State, scientists, entrepreneurs and farmers.</p><br /><p>In An Giang Province, aquatic product processing and exporting companies, such as Agifish, Afiex, Asia Feed, Viet An and IDI have signed agreements with the farmers to establish five concentrated material zones totaling 253.7ha. These meet the standards of SQF 1000 CM, SQF 2000 CM and Global GAP.</p><br /><p>In Chau Thanh District of Dong Thap Province, three enterprises, Vinh Hoan, Hung Ca and Docifish, have applied this model to an area of about 70ha. It is expected that in 2011 there will be five more enterprises with about 162ha. In Can Tho City, Binh An Seafood Company (Bianfishco) also has its own Tra farm to ensure a source of clean materials.</p><br /><p>To better serve fish raising, the localities also focus on developing the production of fries and feed. The number of fry production facilities has increased rapidly, from 82 facilities in the whole Cuu Long River Delta in 2001 to 5,171 facilities in 2007 and 5,633 facilities in 2008. Dong Thap Province alone has 4,300 facilities; many of them using state-of-the-art technology, thus producing up to over two billion breeding fries in 2009.</p><br /><p>Feed for industrial rearing of Tra is supplied by 142 factories (according to the data in 2008). These factories use the local existing source of materials, such as bran, soybean residues and oil-cakes to produce feed for the fish. Their feed is more hygienic, cheaper and friendlier to the eco-system than the feed of animal origin.</p><br /><p>For export processing factories, water treatment is compulsory. It is interesting to note that the farmers in the Cuu Long River Delta are intelligent and creative in treating the waste during the raising and processing of aquatic products.</p><br /><p>Over the past ten years the expansion of the raising areas and a sharp increase in output resulted in discovering a huge amount of waste from the dredging of the ponds. The farmers use this waste together with an available source of peat in the localities to produce micro-organic fertilizer which is very beneficial to the plant life and friendly to the environment.</p><br /><p>Ba Danh, Chairman of An Giang Aquaculture Association and founder of the MekoFa fertilizer plant in Luong An Tra Commune, Tri Ton Town, said proudly: “Due to an abundant source of materials from Tra raising and processing, in 2009, our micro-organic fertilizer product was awarded a gold cup prize by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and a gold medal by An Giang Provincial People’s Committee. MekoFa fertilizer is cheap and it yields higher productivity and quality. It doesn’t harm the environment, so it is much sought after by the farmers. We also have a plan to export micro-organic fertilizer to Australia.”</p><br /><p>MekoFa products are supplied to the farms growing blue dragon fruits in Ninh Thuan, farms growing durian, grapefruit and ornamental plants in Vinh Long and Ben Tre Provinces and farms growing rubber, coffee and cashew trees in Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands).</p><br /><p>Although the business of raising and processing Tra in Vietnam sometimes has difficulties, Vietnamese Tra farming stands firm and has established its position due to high productivity and cheap prices.</p><br /><p>It is nutritious, delicious and suitable for different cuisines around the world. Vietnam’s processed Tra products are diverse and satisfy most of the needs of the world market, including selective ones, such as the US. Vietnamese Tra products have been exported to over 100 countries and territories, accounting for 99% of the world’s market.</p><br /><p>Vietnamese Tra products have developed steadily. In the near future a Tra raising association will be established to support and protect its members’ interests. With these solutions, surely Vietnamese Tra farming will prosper and continue to affirm its position and win the customers’ trust.</p><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417247'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPYC5"><img alt="Tra are carefully selected before reproduction." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="360" src="http://bit.ly/MGN53U" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Tra are carefully selected before reproduction.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417248'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPYCa"><img alt="A fish farm in Chau Thanh District, Dong Thap Province." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="373" src="http://bit.ly/1knPVWU" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>A fish farm in Chau Thanh District, Dong Thap Province.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417249'><a href="http://bit.ly/MGN2Fi"><img alt="This system of fish raising ensures high quality." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="320" src="http://bit.ly/MGN2Fk" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>This system of fish raising ensures high quality.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417250'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPYSv"><img alt="Industrial feed for fish." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="343" src="http://bit.ly/MGN53Y" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Industrial feed for fish.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417251'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPWde"><img alt="Feeding the fish that are raised to be bred at Nguyen Khanh Farm in Chau Thanh District, Dong Thap Province." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="321" src="http://bit.ly/MGN2Fm" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Feeding the fish that are raised to be bred at Nguyen Khanh Farm in Chau Thanh District, Dong Thap Province.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417252'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPYSA"><img alt="Tra rearing strongly develops in the Cuu Long River Delta, Southern Vietnam." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="309" src="http://bit.ly/MGN2Fo" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Tra rearing strongly develops in the Cuu Long River Delta, Southern Vietnam.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417253'><a href="http://bit.ly/MGN544"><img alt="Fish are going to be harvested." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="341" src="http://bit.ly/1knPWdk" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Fish are going to be harvested.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417254'><a href="http://bit.ly/MGN546"><img alt="Harvesting catfish." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="340" src="http://bit.ly/1knPYSE" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Harvesting catfish.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417255'><a href="http://bit.ly/MGN548"><img alt="Nguyen Huu Nguyen, one of many Tra farmers in An Giang Province has been awarded the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certificate." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="341" src="http://bit.ly/MGN2Fs" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Nguyen Huu Nguyen, one of many Tra farmers in An Giang Province has been awarded the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certificate.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417256'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPWdm"><img alt="Processing catfish for export at IDI Aqua-products Processing Factory in An Giang Province." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="296" src="http://bit.ly/MGN54a" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Processing catfish for export at IDI Aqua-products Processing Factory in An Giang Province.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417257'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPZ8V"><img alt="A processing system for fish." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="319" src="http://bit.ly/MGN5ky" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>A processing system for fish.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417258'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPZ91"><img alt="Processing catfish fillets before freezing." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="299" src="http://bit.ly/MGN2VL" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Processing catfish fillets before freezing.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417259'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPWdw"><img alt="Packing catfish for export." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="341" src="http://bit.ly/1knPZ9b" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Packing catfish for export.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417260'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPWtK"><img alt="A waste water treatment tank at IDI Aqua-products Processing Factory." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="341" src="http://bit.ly/1knPWtM" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>A waste water treatment tank at IDI Aqua-products Processing Factory.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417261'><a href="http://bit.ly/MGN2VX"><img alt="IDI Factory's General Director Truong Vinh Thanh checks the waste water after it is treated." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="384" src="http://bit.ly/1knPWtS" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>IDI Factory's General Director Truong Vinh Thanh checks the waste water after it is treated.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417262'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPWtU"><img alt="Producing organic fertilizer from the left-over materials of raising and processing Tra at the Mekofa Factory." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="341" src="http://bit.ly/MGN5kG" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Producing organic fertilizer from the left-over materials of raising and processing Tra at the Mekofa Factory.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 522px' id='attachment_1417263'><a href="http://bit.ly/1knPWtZ"><img alt="Packing the product at the Mekofa Factory. Source: VNP" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="341" src="http://bit.ly/MGN2W1" width="512"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Packing the product at the Mekofa Factory. Source: VNP</p><br /></div><br /><br/><br />Vietnamese catfish Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/MGN53U" width="200"/><br/></div>

Vietnamese catfish

Vietnamese catfish To get more information about the raising and processing of Tra in the Cuu Long River Delta, we made a trip to the provin...

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Eight Tet must-see attractions in HCM City

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Eight Tet must-see attractions in HCM City<br /><p>(VOV) – Like Hanoi, HCM City also has the Calligraphy Street during the lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, but its other attractions include the Nguyen Hue Flower Road, Book Street Festival, and City Theatre.</p><br /><ul><br /><li><a href="http://bit.ly/MGDUAE">Six major Tet tourist destinations in Hanoi</a> </li><br /></ul><br /><p><strong>1. Calligraphy Street</strong> </p><br /><p><a href="http://bit.ly/Lj9Vgz"><img alt="eight-tet-must-see-attractions-in-hcm-city-1417158-calligraphy-street-hcm-city" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="279" src="http://bit.ly/Lj9Vgz" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>The Street of Calligraphers has been a treasured Tet tradition for HCM City residents since 2007. It can be accessed at the corner of Pham Ngoc Thach Road, in front of the HCM City Youth Cultural House, and opens from January 19-30.</p><br /><p>Families gather to request traditional decorative scrolls from artisans as the young savour the spring atmosphere of apricot blossom branches and lanterns. The street is open from 8AM to 10PM.</p><br /><p><strong>2. Nguyen Hue Flower Road</strong> </p><br /><p><a href="http://bit.ly/MGDSsl"><img alt="eight-tet-must-see-attractions-in-hcm-city-1417158-nguyen-hue-flower-road" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" src="http://bit.ly/MGDSsl" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Nguyen Hue Flower Road is open from January 28 to February 3. Themed “HCM City—My Beloved City”, the road is beautifully decorated with floral, fruit, and vegetable displays. The street’s pedestrian space is adorned with horse graphics.</p><br /><p><strong>3. Book Street Festival</strong> </p><br /><p><a href="http://bit.ly/Lj9XF0"><img alt="eight-tet-must-see-attractions-in-hcm-city-1417158-book-festival-in-hcm-city" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" src="http://bit.ly/Lj9XF0" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Adjacent to Nguyen Hue Flower Road, the book street’s display areas are open to business from January 28 to February 3. Subject matter covers culture, history, national sovereignty, children’s literature, and e-books. Visitors can also learn more about the revolutionary cause and life of the late revered General Vo Nguyen Giap.</p><br /><p><strong>4. Spring Flower Festival</strong> </p><br /><p>Tao Dan Park is hosting the 2014 Spring Flower Festival from January 25 to February 5. The festival is a celebration of flowers, birds, ornamental fish, bonsai, fruit trays, and floral art. Visitors will be treated to acrobatics, traditional dragon dance performances, puppetry shows, Don ca tai tu (amateur singing), and calligraphy.</p><br /><p><strong>5. Dam Sen Cultural Park</strong> </p><br /><p><a href="http://bit.ly/MGDSsn"><img alt="eight-tet-must-see-attractions-in-hcm-city-1417158-floating-race-sggp" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="269" src="http://bit.ly/MGDSsn" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Dam Sen Cultural Park is home to a famous floating market, a tea inn, a floating cargo junk, and renowned art exhibitions.</p><br /><p><strong>6. Zoological and Botanical Gardens</strong> </p><br /><p>The gardens are open from 8AM to 6PM. The rare plants and animals throughout the grounds make them ideal for family walks with young children. A nearby circus holds regular performances.</p><br /><p><strong>7. Suoi Tien Amusement Park</strong> </p><br /><p><a href="http://bit.ly/Lj9XF2"><img alt="eight-tet-must-see-attractions-in-hcm-city-1417158-suoi-tien-park" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="281" src="http://bit.ly/Lj9XF2" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Particularly popular with local residents, visitors may also admire the square’s 22m tall Buddhist statue while their children enjoy the Land for Future Talents and Magic Castle.<br/><br /><strong>8. Drama Stage</strong><br/><br />City theatres may be ideal destinations for local residents who want to have a taste of classic plays on this holiday. Art lovers can select an appropriate time as theatres such as Idecaf, Ben Thanh, and Phu Nhuan offer different shows during the day.<br/><br /><a>[MM1]</a>Centre?</p><br /><br/><br />Eight Tet must-see attractions in HCM City Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/Lj9Vgz" width="200"/><br/></div>

Eight Tet must-see attractions in HCM City

Eight Tet must-see attractions in HCM City (VOV) – Like Hanoi, HCM City also has the Calligraphy Street during the lunar New Year (Tet) Fest...

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Tet in former imperial Hue city

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Tet in former imperial Hue city<br /><p>(VOV) -People in the former imperial city of Hue, central Vietnam, celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival in a unique and special way.</p><br /><ul><br /><li><a href="http://bit.ly/1nxwf5g">Savoury Cake village busy for Tet holiday</a> </li><br /><li><a href="http://bit.ly/1fiHZ5U">“Homeland Spring” brings warm Tet to OVs</a> </li><br /></ul><br /><p><strong><em>Flower shining on streets</em> </strong> </p><br /><p>Despite historical changes, Tet celebrations in Hue are different from other parts of the country due to the traditional culture and lifestyle of the local residents.</p><br /><p>In the lead up to the Lunar New Year’s Eve, flowers blossom on almost every street corner in Hue city and flower markers are bustling from dusk until mid-night.</p><br /><p><a href="http://bit.ly/1nxwgGq"><img alt="tet-in-former-imperial-hue-city-1417139-tet-hue-flower" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="281" src="http://bit.ly/1nxwgGq" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>As well as the big spring flower markets in urban areas, rural flower markers like Dien Hoa and Phu Bai also attract swathes of customers and visitors. Various kinds of flowers from Hue’s famous flower-growing area are available to buy on the streets, one of the most common are the lotus flower decorations very popular with the local Hue people who mostly follow Buddhism.</p><br /><p>Hue residents also love apricot blossoms which symbolise prosperity and good luck in the new year.</p><br /><p>Cultural researcher Ho Tan Phan says Hue people flock to flower markets to select flowers with the hope of bringing a new positive change in their family. The change may in time generate a better future for people, he adds.</p><br /><p><strong><em>Going to year-end market</em> </strong> </p><br /><p>Attending the year-end market has become a cultural highlight for Hue people. Going to the market several hours before the New Year’s Eve is a local tradition, not only to buy essential goods for Tet but also to have a look at the vast array of products available and soak up the colourful, cozy atmosphere.</p><br /><p>Fruit jam, nuts and green teas are traditional items in Tet baskets of Hue people. For low-income earners, the year-end market is considered a good venue to buy Tet goods at reasonable prices, and most try to save money to spend at the Tet market.</p><br /><p><strong><em>Religious rituals</em> </strong> </p><br /><p>Hue residents usually go to the pagoda on the first day of the first lunar month to pay tribute to the Buddha and pray for happiness, prosperity, good health, and good luck.</p><br /><p>They also ask for Phuc (Happiness) from Buddhist dignitaries, hoping for a good start in the new year.</p><br /><p>Local people are very careful about what they say and their first foot on others’ houses in the early morning of the first new year day.</p><br /><p>In recent years, many people, particularly youngsters gather at the Hue Royal Complex’s Dai Noi (Mandarin’s House) to watch firework displays before returning back home for New Year’s Eve. Those people who are said to be unlucky in the year of horse will not return home until a first footer visits their house.</p><br /><p><strong><em>Traditional Tet dishes</em> </strong> </p><br /><p>Cultural researcher Nguyen Dac Xuan says Hue people are influenced by various cultures from different communities. However, almost all of them attach huge importance to ancestral worship. They prepare traditional dishes for worshiping during Tet in order to show their respect and gratitude for ancestors.</p><br /><p>Popular Tet dishes include beef, pork pie, spring rolls, and Banh Chung (a square-shape cake made of sticky rice, green bean and pork fat). Ginger jam is also common at Tet Xuan adds.</p><br /><p>Those living far from native Hue feel homesick when the new spring knocks on their door as they remember Tet celebrations in their hometown.</p><br /><br/><br />Tet in former imperial Hue city Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1nxwgGq" width="200"/><br/></div>

Tet in former imperial Hue city

Tet in former imperial Hue city (VOV) -People in the former imperial city of Hue, central Vietnam, celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festiv...

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Why are spring festivals imbued with the atmosphere of Tet?

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><strong>Once, on the occasion of the Santa Lucia Festival organized by the Swedish Embassy, Former Ambassador Borge Ljunggren noted that folk festivals are mirrors reflecting and preserving a nation’s identity.</strong> </p><br /><p>A man with a passion for Vietnamese folk culture, Mr. Ljunggren might make the same point about the spring festivals organized by villagers in the Red River Delta, the cradle of Vietnamese culture.</p><br /><p>For thousands of years, Vietnamese peasant have handed down this folk song about the lunar year:</p><br /><p><em>The first month is for enjoyment,</em> </p><br /><p><em>The second, for gambling,</em> </p><br /><p><em>The third, for festival!</em> </p><br /><p>Around the world, folk festival center on weather, religion, farming rituals, and socio-economic life. Sometimes, one factor dominates.</p><br /><p>In Viet Nam, the biggest and most popular festival is Tet (Lunar New Year), when people allow the soil to rest and let themselves relax after the year’s hard labour.</p><br /><p>At Tet, Vietnamese rejoice in nature, spend time with family and friends, and pay homage to their ancestors.<br/><br />The Tet spirit pervades spring festivals to the third lunar month, villagers begin their festivals during or just after Tet and continue them throughout the three months of spring.</p><br /><p>Vietnamese folk festivals release some behaviors usually fettered by strict conventions of social morality. According to Fred, a folk festival allows acceptable excesses whereby, in the name of festival, people violate normal social prohibitions.</p><br /><p>Drunkenness, lasciviousness, and carnival-type behavior are tolerated during festivals as ordinary people escape their daily routines.</p><br /><p>Freedom in relationships between men and women characterized early Vietnamese culture. However, Confucianism’s two-thousand-year hold on Vietnamese morality restricted the festivities of the fertility cult.</p><br /><p>Nevertheless, some early customs still appear during spring festivals. For example, Van Trung Commune (Lap Thach, District, Vinh Phuc province) organized its Ceremony of Catching Small Eels in a Big Jar from the ancient past until the beginning of the 20th century.</p><br /><p>In ancient times, organized lined five big jars – one for each of five young couples – in front of the communal house.</p><br /><p>Each jar was two-third full of water and contained small eels, which the young couples had to catch, using only their hands. As the competition began, each member of a couple placed one arm around the other’s back, leaving only one hand free to catch the eel.</p><br /><p>The man also had to caress the woman’s breast to the cheerful approval and encouragement of the onlookers, while the judges jeered any man who was shy. The winning couple received a rose handkerchief, tea, money, or cups of wine.<br/><br />Another example is the Jostling Festival of Nga Village in Bac Ninh province. The festival began after the Ceremony of Worship in My Nuong Temple in the moutain.</p><br /><p>At first, young and old men jostled against young and old men. Later, the women took their turn jostling the men; their jostling was so strong the men would run away or fall on the ground.</p><br /><p>During this ceremony, men could press women’s breasts or touch their bodies. The last night of the festival brought the Ritual of the Blown-Out Lamps, which allowed young people to flirt openly with the opposite sex.</p><br /><p>When the lamps were lit again, a couple could leave the festival for some other rendezvous. The villagers did not punish women who became pregnant that night./.</p><br /><br/><br />Why are spring festivals imbued with the atmosphere of Tet? Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Why are spring festivals imbued with the atmosphere of Tet?

Once, on the occasion of the Santa Lucia Festival organized by the Swedish Embassy, Former Ambassador Borge Ljunggren noted that folk festiv...

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