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VIETNAM

2009-10-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

Vietnam is a country rich in handicraft products, thanks to the hardworking, dexterous, and creative qualities of the Vietnamese people. For a very long time, handicraft products have been a source of culturalpride and a source of income for the people. As the varieties of handicraft products are too numerous to be fully introduced, only a few typical items and their sources are mentioned here. Woven tapestries and tho cam handbags are unique works from the skilled hands of the ethnic women living in the Northwest regions, such as Cao Bang. Embroidered articles and silk products are famous from the regions of Ha Dong, Nam Ha, Thai Binh and Hue. Wool tapestries from Hanoi and Haiphong, and jute tapestries from Hung Yen, Haiphong, Hanoi and Thai Binh, are much sought after. Ceramic and porcelain items have been produced in Vietnam for a long time. Ceramic and porcelain products glazed by traditional methods into beautiful art are well known in Bat Trang (Hanoi), Quang Ninh, and Haiphong. Copperware is fabricated by the skillful hands of coppersmiths in Nam Ha, Ngu Xa (Hanoi), Dong Son (Thanh Hoa), and Long Tho. Jewelry products and metalwork are concentrated in Hanoi, Thai Binh and Hai Hung, while stonework are mainly produced in Danang (Five Element Mountain Region). Wood products and wood carvings can usually be found in Phu Xuyen (Ha Tay), Haiphong, and Hue.There are thousands of types of handicraft products. Some of these handicrafts have been internationally recognized and popularized, such as lacquerware. While lacquer artists produce a limited number of paintings and sculptures, lacquer crafts have been part of Vietnamese life in many forms: vases, boxes, interior decorating items, jewelry, and office products. With about 2,000 years of history, Vietnamese lacquerware and other products made by a community of handicraft artists, have established a firm and growing position in the domestic and international markets.

Located in South East Asia, Vietnam starts to emerge as a major tourist attraction. Vietnam has two main cities, the political capital Hanoi and the economic capital Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon).. Located in South East Asia, Vietnam starts to emerge as a major tourist attraction. Vietnam has two main cities, the political capital Hanoi and the economic capital Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon).

In the north, the rainy season is from August until November. Typhoons are frequent, but not too much of a problem. The north can be quite chilly in winter (Dec. - Feb.).The climate in the Delta is sub-equatorial with two main seasons. The wet season lasts from May to October with short downpours occurring almost every day. The dry season lasts from November to April with the last three months of this period being very hot and humid.Annual rainfall for the South is approximately 80 inches (2,000 millimeters) while temperatures remain relatively constant - on average between 77 and 95 F (25-35 C). Between July and November, Vietnam is hit by random, violent typhoons that develop off the coast in the South China Sea. They typically hit the central and north coasts and have been with increasing frequency over the past few years.

SINGAPORE

2009-10-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

History

Nature and valuables

Arts and Entertainment

Hotels

Arts and Entertainment

Singapore is a haven for the arts all year round. Its dynamic arts scene is richly influenced by their indigenous Malay culture, the heritage of Chinese and Indian migrants, as well as the city’s international outlook. As new contemporary forms evolve, traditional art forms are simultaneously being preserved to create an arts culture that is uniquely Singapore.
The Art Districts in Singapore include Central Arts Districts, Chinatown Arts Belt, Dempsey and Tanglin, Little India, and Riverside. There are also various art museums in Singapore like the Asian Civilisations Museums at Empress Place and Old Tao Nan School, Singapore Art Museum, and NUS Museums.
Many of Singapore's performing arts venues and institutions are more than just performance locations – they are architectural marvels in their own right. These venues include the Singapore Repertory Theatre, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, The Substation and the University Cultural Centre

Singapore Tourism Board promotes a variety of events all year round for tourists. Some of the anchor events are the Chingay Parade, Singapore Arts Festival and Singapore Garden Festival.
Singapore hosted a round of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship (Singapore Grand Prix). The race, held on a new street circuit at Marina Bay, was the first night-time event in Formula One history. The event was considered an overall success due to the sheer amount of organisation, planning and hard work put into the event. Also in 2010, Singapore will host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, where the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which say the Games is expected to generate a minimum of 180,000 visitor nights for Singapore.

Hotels in Sri Lanka

2009-09-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

SRI LANKA - Read more.......

Welcome to Sri Lanka. Trust us with your holidays; we have for you a wide choice of tours, hotels & resorts. Our experts can also "tailor" a holiday to your personal wishes!
Sri Lanka is a Nature's wonder. the little island 270 km by 140 km in size has everything a nature lover will look for. The highly diversified island differs from city to city, district to district and province to province. The Network of Rivers and Streams coming down from the hills and many small tanks and reservors and the sporadic shub to sporadic jungles as well large patches of rain forests creates a luch green environment highly suitable for Wild Life Habitat.
Mountains, Geo Plains, Dashing Water Falls, National parks, Sea, Beaches Rocks, Paddy fields, Tea Gardens, Rain Forests, Rivers, Landscapes, Streams all are beautiful. The Sri Lankan nature's beauty blends in it's wild life of elephants, birds, animals, flowers and wide verity of trees.

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Thailand

2009-09-25T02:34:00.000-07:00

History, language and culture
Natural beauty
Art and Entertainment
Hotels

Totaling 514,000.00 km2 (198,000 sq mi), Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in land mass, while it is the world's 20th largest country in terms of population. It is comparable in population to countries such as France and the United Kingdom, and is similar in land size to France and California in the United States; it is just over twice the size of the entire United Kingdom, and 1.4 times the size of Germany. The local climate is tropical and characterized by monsoons. There is a rainy, warm, and cloudy southwest monsoon from mid-May to September, as well as a dry, cool northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. The southern isthmus is always hot and humid.
Thailand is home to several distinct geographic regions, partly corresponding to the provincial groups. The north of the country is mountainous, with the highest point being Doi Inthanon at 2,565 metres above sea level (8,415 ft). The northeast, Isan, consists of the Khorat Plateau, bordered to the east by the Mekong river. The centre of the country is dominated by the predominantly flat Chao Phraya river valley, which runs into the Gulf of Thailand. The south consists of the narrow Kra Isthmus that widens into the Malay Peninsula. Politically, there are six geographical regions which differ from the others in population, basic resources, natural features, and level of social and economic development. The diversity of the regions is in fact the most pronounced attribute of Thailand's physical setting.
The Chao Phraya and the Mekong River are the sustainable resource of rural Thailand. Industrial scale production of crops use both rivers and their tributaries. The Gulf of Thailand covers 320,000 km² and is fed by the Chao Phraya, Mae Klong, Bang Pakong and Tapi Rivers. It contributes to the tourism sector owing to its clear shallow waters along the coasts in the Southern Region and the Kra Isthmus. The Gulf of Thailand is also an industrial center of Thailand with the kingdom's main port in Sattahip along with being the entry gates for Bangkok's Inland Seaport. The Andaman Sea is regarded as Thailand's most precious natural resource as it hosts the most popular and luxurious resorts in Asia. Phuket, Krabi, Ranong, Phang Nga and Trang and their lush islands all lay along the coasts of the Andaman Sea and despite the 2004 Tsunami, they continue to be and ever more so, the playground of the rich and elite of Asia and the world.
Plans have resurfaced of a logistical connection of the two bodies of water which would be coined the Thai Canal, synonmous to the Suez and the Panama Canal. Such an idea has been greeted with positive accounts by Thai politicians as it would cut fees charged by the Ports of Singapore, improve ties with China and India, lower shipping times and increase ship safety owing to pirate fears in the Strait of Melaka and, support the Thai government's policy of being the logistical hub for Southeast Asia. The ports would improve economic conditions in the south of Thailand, which relies heavily on tourism income, and it would also change the structure of the Thai economy moving it closer to a services center of Asia. The canal would be a major engineering project and has expected costs of 20–30 billion

Thailand is an emerging economy and considered as a Newly Industrialized Country. After enjoying the world's highest growth rate from 1985 to 1996 – averaging 9.4% annually – increased pressure on Thailand's currency, the baht, in 1997, the year in which the economy contracted by 1.9% led to a crisis that uncovered financial sector weaknesses and forced the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh administration to float the currency, however, Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was forced to resign after his cabinet came under fire for its slow response to the crisis. The baht was pegged at 25 to the US dollar from 1978 to 1997, however, the baht reached its lowest point of 56 to the US dollar in January 1998 and the economy contracted by 10.8% that year. This collapse prompted the Asian financial crisis.
Thailand's economy started to recover in 1999, expanding 4.2% and 4.4% in 2000, thanks largely to strong exports. Growth (2.2%) was dampened by the softening of the global economy in 2001, but picked up in the subsequent years owing to strong growth in Asia, a relatively weak baht encouraging exports and increasing domestic spending as a result of several mega projects and incentives of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, known as Thaksinomics. Growth in 2002, 2003 and 2004 was 5–7% annually. Growth in 2005, 2006 and 2007 hovered around 4–5%. Due both to the weakening of the US dollar and an increasingly strong Thai currency, by March 2008, the dollar was hovering around the 33 baht mark.
Thailand exports an increasing value of over $105 billion worth of goods and services annually.[36] Major exports include Thai rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances. Thailand is the world’s no.1 exporter of rice, exporting more than 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most important crop in the country. Thailand has the highest percent of arable land, 27.25%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion. About 55% of the available land area is used for rice production.

Substantial industries include electric appliances, components, computer parts and automobiles, while tourism in Thailand makes up about 6% of the economy. Prostitution in Thailand and sex tourism also form a de facto part of the economy. Cultural milieu combined with poverty and the lure of easy money have caused prostitution in general and sex tourism in particular to flourish in Thailand. One estimate published in 2003 placed the trade at US$4.3 billion per year or about three percent of the Thai economy.[39] According to research by Chulalongkorn University on the Thai illegal economy, prostitution in Thailand in the period between 1993 and 1995, made up around 2.7% of the GDP. It is believed that at least 10% of tourist dollars are spent on the sex trade.
Thailand uses the metric system but traditional units of measurement and imperial measure (feet, inches) are still much in use, particularly for agriculture and building materials. Years are numbered as B.E. (Buddhist Era) in education, the civil service, government, and on contracts and newspaper datelines; in banking, however, and increasingly in industry and commerce, standard Western year (Christian or Common Era) counting prevails.

2009-09-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka, Officially Democratic Republic of the Socialist Sri Lanka called Ceylon before 1952) A island nation the majority Buddhism stay Southern Asia, Located about 31 kilometers (18 ½ miles) Off the south coast India. Water is often called Pearl of Indian Ocean. Population of Sri Lanka more than 20 million people.
Is a ramp between the maritime strategy Western Asia and South-Eastern Asia, Sri Lanka served as religious center and ancient Buddhist culture. Some people in this country Hindu teachers, Christian, Islam and other Aboriginal religion. People Sri Lanka majority (74%), in addition there are other communities Tamil, Islam, Burghers and other Aboriginal people. Famous for its production and export tea, coffee, rubber and coconut, Also has an economy of modern industrial and developing countries. Natural beauty of the forests tropical Sri Lanka, beaches and landscape as well as the wealth of cultural heritage of this popular destination known for world travelers.
After more than a thousand years under the rule of the kingdom independent and each annexed Chola Empire, Sri Lanka was Portugal and Netherlands settle before being transferred to arm British Empire. In Second World War Water is an important base to fight against Japan. A movement of political independence has appeared in the early 20th century, Sri Lanka final be returned independently in 1948. Although there was a period of democratic stability and economic development, the country has been devastated by the Civil War the bloody of Sri Lanka hold the government and separatist forces Tamil by LTTE leadership, force is required to establish an independent Tamil state in northeastern Sri Lanka. The Match tsunami by services 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake cause devastated areas south and northeast of this country, causing many people died and many others have to move their homes.

1 Name
2 History
3 Geography and climate
4 Natural Beauty
5 Government and politics
6 Economy
7 Transportation
8 Demographics
9 Culture
10 Media
11 Education
12 Sports

Name
1972, name official of the country was changed to "Republic Sri Lanka Freedom, Sovereignty and Independent "(Sri Lanka in Sinhala language (while the island Republic call themselves lankava) ilankai in Tamil). In 1978 it was changed to "Republic of Sri Lanka socialist democracy. Before 1972, Sri Lanka is known by many different name: the geography of ancient Greece called it TaprobaneWho Arabic called Serendib, Ceilao is the official name by the Portuguese when they put to the island, but perhaps the most famous name Ceylon. "Sri Lanka" (from the original Sanskrit) Is translated into "respected Lanka," Sri "means" considerable respect "and" lamka "the ancient name of the island has been verified in the book Mahabharata and epic Ramayana.

History of Sri Lanka
The human settlements from Paleolithic period have been discovered at excavations in several caves in the western plains and southwest regions Hills Center. The Anthropologists believe that some type of ritual burial and other decorations to see the similarities between the first inhabitants of the island and the residents living in South India. One of the first text refers to the island was found in the epic Ramayana of India, which described the emperor Ravana king of the Kingdom of the powerful Lanka. The text mentions other important history of the country are also found in the book chronicles Mahavansa and Dipavamsa.

The first residents on the island of Sri Lanka today may be the ancestor of the Wanniyala-Aetto, Also known as Veddahs with a population of about 3,000 people. Phonetic analysis showed a correlation Sinhalese language and languages Sindh and Gujarat, Although most historians believe that the Sinhala community have occurred after the assimilation of many different ethnic groups. Dravidian people may have started migrating to the island from prehistoric times. Some remarkable archaeological, including ruins Sigiriya, Called "Fortress in the sky", and the large public works from ancient times. Among the public works including the "water tank" or reservoir the big plays important role in storage of water for the dry season, and the system duct sophisticated, the inclination is determined only one inch per mile. Ancient Sri Lanka is one of the first country in the world has established a specialized hospital in Mihintale from the 4th century BC. Ancient Sri Lanka as well as exporters cinnamon leading, cinnamon was exported to Egypt as early as 1400 BC. Sri Lanka is the first Asian countries as ruler of women, Queen Anula (47--42 BC) Template: SriLankaHistory Ancient Sri Lanka under the management of various emirates, divided into several different areas. Island occasionally have to resist the invasion of the monarch from South India and parts of it must go through the stages of rule Chola dynasty, Pandya dynasty, Chera dynasty and Pallava dynasty. Sri Lanka was also the kingdoms of each Kalinga (Orissa modern) and the kingdom from Malay Peninsula invasion. Buddhism from India are Bhikkhu Mahinda, Son of the emperor Maurya Ashoka, Brought here from 3rd century BC. Delegation of Mahinda has captured the trust of the Singhalese king Devanampiyatissa Origin Mihintale, The king decided on the new religion and spread it throughout the Sinhalese population. The kingdom of Buddhism in Sri Lanka to build a large number of Buddhist schools and temples, and supports the dissemination of Buddhism in the region South-Eastern Asia.
Sri Lanka is always a sea port and important commercial hubs of the ancient world, and the merchant ships from Middle East, Persian, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia as well as other areas in Southeast Asia is increasingly comes outnumber. The first European explorers to Southeast Asia known to the island and Arab traders and settled in Malaysia here. A delegation of the Portuguese came here in 1505. At the time he, the island consists of three kingdoms, is Yarlpanam (UK chemical Jaffna) In the north, Kandy in the Hill Center and Kotte the west coast. Man Netherlands arrived in the 17th century. Although most of Sri Lanka were the European powers to the colonial conquest, in the region, the highlands, with the capital Kandy retain their independence. British East India Company completed the conquest of the island in 1796, declared Sri Lanka a royal colony 1802, although Sri Lanka is not connected with official British India. The collapse of the kingdom of Kandy in 1815 as the entire island was the British Empire domination. Template: Ancientcapitalsofsrilanka European colonists established a series of plantations tea, cinnamon, rubber, sugar, coffee and indigo. The British also brought a large Contract workers from Tamil Nadu to work on plantations there. City Colombo erected as the administrative center, and the British set up schools, universities, roads and churches of modern education and to impose European culture on indigenous peoples. The growing discontent about limited human rights, Unequal treatment and abuse of indigenous people of colonial administration led struggle for independence starting place from the 1930s, when Youth Federation opposition "Memorandum of Ministers," which requires the colonial administration to increase power for the school board that does not give people the right to represent the rights and personal freedom. In Second World War, The island became an important military base of the Allies. An important part of the British fleet, the United States have been deployed here, and tens of thousands of soldiers has war against Japan in Southeast Asia.
After the war, pressure from the people they claim independence grew. Day 02.04, 1948 this country gained independence as the Commonwealth of Ceylon. D S Senanayake become Prime first of Sri Lanka.

Geography and climate
Island located in Sri Lanka Indian Ocean, Southwest Bay of Bengal and southeast Arabian Sea. It separated Indian subcontinent by Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait. By Hindu mythology, A land bridge connected to mainland India, called Bridge of Rama, Was built in time Rama by architect vanara is Nala. It is also commonly known as Adam's Bridge, now it's just surviving, and a range of limestone shoals above sea. According to documents recorded in the temple, the ramp this nature previously existed, but has been a strong storm (possibly a tornadoes) Destroyed in 1480. Width of the Palk Strait is small from the coast of Sri Lanka can be observed furthest point near the town Rameswaram India. Island with the pellets Pearl This mainly consists of flat plains, with mountains in the central south. Mount Sri Pada with the highest point Pidurutalagala (also known as Mt Pedro), high 2524 m (8,281 ft). Mahaweli Ganga (Mahaweli river) and other major rivers that supply fresh water.
Climate Sri Lanka can be considered tropical and very hot. Located between 5 and 10 degrees latitude north of the country makes this warm climate, the ocean winds keep peaceful and provides quite a lot of moisture. The average temperature in the range from a low of 16 ° C in Nuwara Eliya in the Central Highlands (where frost may occur in some winter days) to high 32 ° C in Trincomalee in the north-east coast (highest temperature can be up to 38 ° C). The average temperature in the country from 28 to 30 ° C. Day and night temperature difference may be from 4 to 7 degrees. In January, the coldest month, the people of hills and a few other places to wear coats and sweaters. May, the hottest month, is the month rainy season. Rainfall is affected by the monsoon from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, with the terrain Central Plateau prevented, they cause heavy rains in the mountains and the area southwest of the island. Some places in the mountain wind rainfall can be up to 2500 mm per month, but the east and north-east facing, low rainfall over permanently. The periodic strong winds and tornadoes unusual cover the sky and bring rain to the area south-west, northeast, and east of the island. Period from December to March, monsoon blows from the northeast, bringing moisture from the Bay of Bengal. Humidity in the southwest and the mountains are generally higher and dependent on seasonal rainfall. For example, in Colombo, high humidity day over 70% in the year, up to about 90% in June, the monsoon season. Anuradhapura humidity day low of 60% in the monsoon period in March, but up to 79% high in the rainy season in November and December. In the highlands, humidity day in Kandy often change between 70 and 79%.

Natural Beauty
Model ecosystems Sri Lanka depends directly on rainfall. Mountains and the southwest of the country, known as "wet area" with average annual rainfall is 2500 mm. Most of the southeast, east and north of the country is "dry zone", with average rainfall in 1200 to 1900 mm. Most rainfall in the area occurs from October to January; during rest of the year, rainfall is very low, and all plant and animal species to know how to preserve precious moisture. North-western coast and southeast arid received the lowest rainfall - 600 to 1200 mm annually - mainly concentrated in the winter monsoon period short. Flowering period of plant diversity glue adapt well to the conditions so barren trees grow well on this Jaffna Peninsula. Among the species of the dry land forests, some species such as painted pepper, Ebony, set carpenterAnd Swietenia have developed on the island. In humid areas, flora species, mainly tropical green year round, the high trees, broadleaf trees and climbing plants rich. Subtropical forests green similar to the temperate forests in the higher. Previously been covered with forests almost the entire island, but to the late 20th century, the land was classified as forest and protected forest area accounts for only a fifth of the area. National Park Ruhunu in the southeast is inhabited by herds of elephants, deer and, Wilpattu National Park, where conservation and living of many water birds such as stork, Pelecaniformes, with quam and spoons. Mahaweli Ganga Program period years 1970 1980 in northern Sri Lanka, the government has established four regions with a total area of up to 1,900 km ² to establish the National Park. This island has three areas Biosphere Reserves, Hurulu, SinharajaAnd Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya.

Politics of Sri Lanka
Constitution of Sri Lanka a government regulation Republic democracy socialist in Sri Lanka, and it is also a one can state. Government is a mixture presidential system and parliamentary system. President of Sri Lanka is head of state, total commander armed forces, As well as government leaders. President is elected by popular vote for a term of six years. When enforcement responsibilities, the President shall be responsible before Sri Lanka Parliament, The mode one hospital with 225 members legislative. Appointed president and leader of a cabinet includes Ministers members of parliament. Who is vice president of Prime, Prime Minister of the majority party leader in parliament and be subject to a number of executive responsibilities, mainly for domestic work. Sri Lanka is divided into nine Province and broken down into 25 more District. Each province is managed directly by the administrative committee of the provincial people directly elected. Provinces of (capitalized in parentheses):
Center (Kandy)
North Central (Anuradhapura)
North (Jaffna)
East (Trincomalee)
Northwest (Kurunegala)

South (Galle)
Uva (Badulla)
Sabaragamuwa (Ratnapura)
West (Colombo)

Members of parliament are elected by popular vote based on a system proportional representation amended the term of six years. The most important amendment is the party receiving the most valid votes in each constituency will win the "seat bonus" only. President may summon, suspend or end a legislative session and dissolve Parliament any time after ruling that a full year. Parliament retains the right to make laws. Day 07.01, 1960 people of Sri Lanka was elected leaders the government's first ever Srimavo Bandaranaike was the Prime Minister. Her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Has served in many term prime minister and as president from 1999 to 2005. Current President is Mahinda Rajapaksa and he made Sri Lanka as one country and one nation by finishing 30 years war.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka has become a economy growing, Famous for its production and export cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, There is still a national brand for export. The development of modern seaports British rule makes this island strategic importance, became a commercial center. During World War II, the island where the military played a significant military forces of the Allies. However, the economy was growing exacerbate the poverty and economic inequality. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced to the economic policies of the government. Crops colonial dismantled, industries were nationalized and state National War given. While the standard of living and literacy rates improved significantly, national economies are affected by poor performance, slow growth and lack of foreign investment.
From 1977 the UNP government began conducting privatizationReduction control and encourage private enterprise. While production and exports tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other agricultural products still account for an important role, these countries have the transition to a robust economy with industrialization development industry food processing, textile, Telecommunications and Finance. To 1996, agriculture only accounts for 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. Total domestic product (GDP) growth average 5.5% annually in the early 1990s, until the drought and poor security makes it dropped down to 3.8% in 1996. Find the economic growth rate in the period 1997-2000, with an average annual 5.3%. Deflation in 2001 was the first economic history of the country, a consequence of the lack of energy, budget issues, global deflation and of the ongoing civil war. The signs of recovery appeared after the truce in 2002. Colombo Stock Exchange have reported high growth rates in the world in 2003 and currently Sri Lanka has the income per capita highest South Asia.

Economy

April, 2004, there were big changes in economic policy after the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe Party of National Unity union leaders were included Liberal Party of Sri Lanka and national leftist movement Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna called Freedom Union Unity People defeated. The new government stopped the privatization of SOEs and reform public sector as energy and oilAnd launched a subsidy program known Rata Perata economic program. The main objective of the program is to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in urban and rural areas and protecting the domestic economy from external influences such as oil prices, WB and International Monetary Fund. The benefits of this policy must be pulled by the importation of materials such as fuel, Fertilizer and flour making the financial sector dwarf quickly defeated. In 2004 Sri Lanka spent almost 180 million U.S. $ to subsidize fuel, by stabilizing the price of fuel is a promise the election. To reduce the number deficit is increasing for the assistance programs and public employers, the government finally had to print 65 billion for Rs (U.S. $ 650 million) or about 3% of GDP. Fiscal policy, combined with the currency as the final inflation up to 18% in January 2005, according to the Consumer Price Index Sri Lanka.

Transportation
Most cities Sri Lanka are connected to the railway network, the state-owned companies Sri Lanka RailwaysAnd administration. The first railway line was inaugurated on 26.04, 1867, Linking Colombo with Kandy. Total length of roads in Sri Lanka exceeds 11,000 kilometers, most have been asphalted. The Government has launched several programs to support the highway for economic development and national transport system, including roads Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, Colombo-Kandy Highway (Kadugannawa), Colombo-Highway Highway Padeniya and he said to alleviate traffic pressure on Colombo. There are also plans to build a major bridge connecting Jaffna the city Chennai India.
Ceylon Transport Board the state agency responsible for operating the bus service across the island. Sri Lanka also has 430 kilometers of inland waterways. The country has deep-water ports at Colombo, Trincomalee and Galle. There is also a port of agriculture, and smaller in Kankesanturai, North of Jaffna. There are 12 airports have runways and two asphalted runway airport land in Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines is carrier aviation official country, this company is part of Emirates owned and operated. The airline has been Skytrax elected as the best airline in South Asia. SriLankan Air Taxi the smaller companies, specializing in domestic air cargo, while Expo Aviation and Lankair are no private companies. Bandaranaike International Airport is international Airport only one of the country, located in Katunayaka, a 22 km north of Colombo.

Demographics
Sri Lanka is the 53rd most populous country in the world, with the population growth rate 0.79% annually. Sri Lanka has over 1,000 children at birth 15.63 and 6:49 on the death of 1000. Highest population density in the area west of Sri Lanka, particularly in and around Colombo. A small population of people Wanniyala-Aetto, Also known as Veddahs. They were the group most ancient indigenous peoples of the island. Sinhalese people is the largest ethnic group, accounting for about 74% of the total population. Sri Lankan Tamil people constitute 18% of the population and mainly concentrated in the northeast of the country. Tamil people before the British colonists brought here from India as the labor contract to work in the fields, known as the Tamil "Original India. They differ from the native Tamil who has lived in Sri Lanka since ancient times. A quantity of the population are Moors, They derived from the merchants and immigrants Arabic. They mainly live in the eastern provinces. There are also small ethnic groups such as Burghers (future of European descendants) and Malay.

Culture
Sinhalese and Tamil are the two official languages of Sri Lanka. English about 10% of the population used, and most are used for education, science and commerce. Members of the Burgher community use variations Creole language Portuguese and Dutch in varying degrees. Sri Lanka always religious diversity. Nearly 68% of Sri Lanka are Buddhists. Hinayana Buddhism the school of advantages, with distinct and Worship Ramanna Nikaya, Amarapura Nikaya same Siam Nikaya is the most revered gods are. Buddhism in Sri Lanka have been affected by the profound beliefs and indigenous traditions, as well as influence from other schools of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Sri Dalada Maligawa or "Temple Dental" famous since ancient times the temple Buddhism of Sri Lanka, and traditionally that's where stored Buddhist. Each year, millions of faithful to this. Many famous places other religions in Sri Lanka also appeals to many visitors every day. Hinduism with 18% of the population are Catholics, mainly in the Tamil community. Faithful Christian up from 7-8% of the population, especially the Burgher community in Portugal and the Netherlands. While most faithful Christian in Sri Lanka Christianity, Also has a significant number of the faithful Dutch Reform Church and British group sects.
This island is where the two derived culture traditional culture Sinhalese (centered in the ancient city of Kandy and Anuradhapura) and the Tamil (centered in the city of Jaffna, the public library was destroyed in 1983 here is the center storage Treasury Tamil literature of the world). Appeared more recently than the culture of England and later Sri Lanka, particularly in urban areas, and affected a lot from the west. For example, just recently, the majority of Sri Lanka living in villages often eat traditional food, manufacturing and traditional maps to express themselves through traditional arts. But economic growth plus growing competition from the developed countries led Sri Lanka to change the method of production, Western goods, lost identity and assimilated.
Sri Lanka who was introduced to western influence daily diet as Rice and curry, pittu (mixed fried rice mixed with fresh coconut milk, then cooked in bamboo tubes). Kiribath (Special rice cooked with coconut milk into sweet dessert with not very spicy condiments called "; lunumiris), wattalapam (Map desserts Malay origin made of coconut milk, sugar Thot, seeds overturning seeds, eggs, and various flavors of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg) kottuAnd hublong ( "appa"), dough cooked quickly in a hot pan, add eggs, milk or flavor. Sri Lankan food also influenced from the Netherlands and Portugal, the island's Burgher community maintain this culture through traditional food favorites such as Lamprais (rice cooked in banana leaves and grill book), Breudher (Dutch Christmas cake) and Bolo Fiado (Portuguese-style cake).

As one producer tea world's largest (Royal Family United Kingdom always use Ceylon tea) of Sri Lanka drink more tea.
Religion plays an important role in the life and culture in Sri Lanka. Community Buddhist most are held Poya day, each month the Lunar. Faithful Hindus and Islam also held their own holidays. Many temples Buddhism in Sri Lanka and mosques, Temple Hindu as church around the island. North and east of the island has many mosques and Hindu temples by a large part of Tamil and Islam living in these areas. Many churches along the south coast where concentrated by the Christian faithful, especially Christian Roman. Inside the island with the majority of Buddhists, but in fact anywhere in this country have all the Buddhists.

Media
Radio Ceylon is radio stations The first operation in Asia, is Edward Harper Established in 1923, just three years after radio stations began to appear in Europe. This is one of many programs are tracking the most in Asia, waves of it to the neighboring Asian countries. Stations do Combination radio Sri Lanka management and broadcast programs in English Sinhalese, Tamil, English and Hindi. Since the 1980s, a large number of private radio stations as Raja FM, Shree FM and Sooriyan FM appeared and gained commercial success. Wireless networks most popular of ETV, ARTv, Sirasa TV and Shakthi TV. The international television network from India, Southeast Asia, Europe and America are also people we track regularly, cable television and satellite television is increasingly middle class Sri Lanka to track comments . The publication of the newspaper crowded English Daily Mirror and The Sunday Observer and The Sunday Times. Dinakaran vva Uthayan Tamil newspapers are more readers, and Lankadeepa and Lakbima Report language is Sinhalese. Most newspapers are state-owned companies by Lakehouse Press owned and operated. Jewish community Sri Lanka also has a magazine of their own, *- Serendipity magazine

Education in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has the highest literacy rate of South Asia and most other developing countries, with more than 96% read and write. One free education system was Dr C. W. W. Kannangara, Minister of education made Sri Lanka. Dr. Kannangara to establish Maha Vidyalayas (Great Central Schools) in many different areas of the country to educate people to the rural Sri Lanka. 1942 a special commission on education has proposed extensive reforms to establish a system of education quality and efficiency for the people. Recent decades, a large number of private schools and the state were opened across the country. International Baccalaureate and Certified education Edexcel Level Two education is common.
There are many schools and hospital by Buddhist and Christian organizations. Here students are taught about religion and modern education. Number of madrassah are increasing in the country. Sri Lanka also has a large number of public and private universities. Most of them operate under the model of universities and colleges in England. Royal College, Colombo is Sri Lanka's oldest schools, founded in 1835. The most famous schools in Sri Lanka consists University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Moratuwa, University of Peradeniya, Jaffna University, University of RuhunaAnd University of Eastern Sri Lanka.

Sports
Airport SCC, in March 2001 in Colombo, (The match between Sri Lanka and England set)
Ambassador country is subject criket Muttiah Muralitharan. National sport in Sri Lanka is Volleyball, While water sports, athletics, football,Tennis and rugby also popular. There are many sports clubs public and private sector in Colombo. Schools and universities often Sri Lanka held its own sports teams, to compete with national and provincial. Water sports such as rowing, surfing, swimming and Local restaurants and compression on the coast, attracted a lot of people in Sri Lanka as well as tourists. Sri Lanka has many stadiums, including Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, R. Premadasa Stadium vva Dumbulla Rangiri Stadium in Colombo as well as Galle International Stadium in Galle.
Although cricket or football matches occasionally interrupted by heavy rain or concerns about the security forces from the LTTE, Sri Lanka has been host Asia Cup and various other awards. Is also co-organizer 1996 Cricket World Cup India and Pakistan, And will co-organizer 2011 Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka national cricket team has achieved great success in the 1990s, the position from Male sides to reach the championship in 1996 World Cup and Asia Cup in 1996 and 2004. Sri Lanka has produced a lot of sports legends such as Roy Dias, Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama, Marvan Attapatu, Muttiah MuralitharanAnd Chaminda VAAS. Mahela Jayawardene holds the record for the highest recorded score of a person in Sri Lanka test cricket. Muttiah Muralitharan, Famous for master off spin bowling has been more than 600 wickets in test cricket, turning him into the most successful bowler in cricket history. Criket team currently do Mahela Jayawardene lead, there are some promising young players like Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga and Lasith Malinga while there is a service of the veteran players like Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda VAAS.

2009-09-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Hanoi Hotels - City Centre

Luxury Hotels ( ***** Stars )
Sofitel Metropole Hotel Hanoi
The most famous hotel in Hanoi - near Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter with French period architecture, a long history, cordon bleu cuisine, efficient friendly service and an ambiance redolent of the heydays of colonial grandeur
Hanoi Hilton Opera Hotel
A recently built Hanoi hotel with exceptionally well executed colonial-style architecture within easy reach of Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter of Hanoi
Daewoo Hotel Hanoi
High-rise city hotel located on a busy junction about 10 to 15 minutes drive to city centre depending on the traffic
Hanoi Sheraton Hotel
New high-rise hotel beside Hanoi West Lake, 10 minutes drive to city centre

Deluxe Hotels ( ***** Stars )
Horison Hotel
Melia Hotel
Nikko Hotel
Sofitel Plaza Hotel

Superior Hotels (**** Stars )
De Syloia Hotel
Fortuna Hotel
Guoman Hotel
Hanoi Hotel
Sunway Hotel

Mid-Range ( *** Stars )
Zephyr Hotel
Army Hotel
Chains First Eden Hotel
Church Hotel
Galaxy Hotel
Golden Key Hotel
Green Park Hotel
Hoa Binh Hotel
Lakeside Hotel
Majestic Salute Hotel
Sunny Hotel
Thang Loi Hotel
Thien Thai Hotel

Ha Long Bay Hotels

Deluxe - ( **** Stars )
Au Lac Hotel
New villa-style hotel about ten kilometres from the Bai Chay tourist area, part of the Tuan Chau Island Tourism Complex
Ha Long Plaza Hotel
(high-rise building, overlooking the Bay)
Dream Hotel
New high-rise building in the centre of Bai Chay tourist centre
Heritage Hotel
High-rise building, overlooking Bai Chay Beach
Mithrin Hotel
New high-rise hotel, 5 minute drive from Bai Chay tourist centre
Royal Hotel
Large newly opened hotel, near Bai Chay Beach
Saigon-Halong Hotel
High-rise building with some villas overlooking the bay

Mid-Range - ( *** Stars )
Ha Long 1 Hotel
Moon Light Hotel
Post Hotel
Sunlight Hotel
Thang Long Hotel
Van Hai Hotel

Unique Range
The Emeraude
First Class quality traditional cruise boat
Quan Lan Resort
Ten unit basic wooden bungalow resort on Quan Lan Island - solitude at a bargain price and one of the best beaches in Vietnam
Traditional Junks
Superior quality wooden junks modelled on Imperial Court vessels

Sapa Hotels

Unique Range
Hoa Sua Hotel
Unusual bijou hotel run by the Hoa Sua Training School in Hanoi
Topas Eco Lodge
Twenty-five bungalows overlooking a magnificent valley - a good example of sustainable tourism
Sapa - Others
Victoria Hotel****
Sapa Hotel***
Auberge Hotel
Sao Mai Hotel

Dalat Hotels
Dalat Palace Hotel****
Classic French Colonial architecture, on a small hill overlooking the Xuan Huong Lake near the town centre - a stylish Sofitel Viet Nam hotel managed by the Accor group
Dalat Novotel Hotel****
A four-storey refurbished French Colonial hotel near the Dalat Palace, also managed by Accor
Mid-range
Empress Hotel***
A pleasant small Vietnam hotel overlooking the Xuan Huong Lake on the City side

Hue Hotels
La Résidence Hotel ****
Lang Co Resort****
Pilgrimage Hotel****
Saigon Morin Hotel****
Century Hotel****
Huong Giang Hotel****
Festival Hotel***
Morin Bach Ma Hotel

Danang Hotels
Furama Resort Hotel*****
Sandy Beach Resort Hotel****
Bamboo Green Riverside Hotel***
Saigon Tourane Hotel***

2009-09-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tourism - List of Hotels

Vietnam is a country lesser known for tourism and more for the horrors of the Vietnam War. More recently Vietnam has also been known internationally as the home of the Nobel Peace Prize winner nationalist leader Aung San Su Chi. However, Vietnam today is emerging as an Asian nation with diverse culture, beautiful terrains, natural beauty and exquisite cuisine encouraging Vietnam tourism and developing various Vietnam tourist attractions.
Tourism in Vietnam is given a facelift today with an excellent blend of the new and the old. Vietnamese cities are influenced by the Chinese and French culture but have maintained their uniqueness by combining their ethnic lifestyles with the new external influences. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is the perfect example of this combination .It has retained its French colonial influences but has embraced capitalist reforms with great enthusiasm. The streets here are crowded with mopeds and scooters and the markets are chaotic and busy.
Juxtaposed to this scene is the Mekong delta where floating markets on paddled boats selling fruits and vegetables are a daily feature. There are huge patches of green paddy fields everywhere with cattle and farmers busy tilling and farming their land. There are several villages concentrated more in the mountainous regions of the country. Life here continues as it has been for centuries with proudly worn traditional costumes, traditional food and style of living. The coastal area is no less exciting with the chalk islands in the Halong Bay, Vietnam in the South China Sea, a great place for Vietnam tourism.
One of the major historical tourist attractions in Vietnam is Hue. Hue, Vietnam carries a legacy of being a capital of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-0945) with various artifacts and structures standing to tell the tales of its time. It lies in central Vietnam on Huong River (Perfume River). At present Hue is an important trade centre with Vietnam tourism and manufacture of textile and cement being its chief industries. Some other must visits with regards Vietnam tourist attractions are Hoi An, Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts in Vietnam have a close relation to the culture of Vietnam. These works of art by the Vietnamese have been used over the ages to decorate both temples and houses. Vietnam has been home to beautiful works of art and craft dating back to the Neolithic age. Ceramics from around this period have been discovered enriching the history of Vietnam. Ceramics had an important place during the 11th century as they were required for the religious rituals of Buddhism. The ceramic arts and crafts in Vietnam are tour de forces in the art scenes around the world. Their beauty and elegance drew the attraction of the royals who became their patrons. The making of these ceramics involved generous use of whitish ivory and jade green glazes for ornamentation. The 15th and 16th century witnessed more liberal use of ornamentation. Blue-white ceramics was introduced in Vietnam with the coming of cobalt blue.
Vietnam arts and crafts hold a prominent place in the international art arena. Vietnam is now regarded as the land to have introduced the art of woodcuts which were used for book illustrations and pictures. Another famous work of art from Vietnam is that of woodcarving. It is practiced on ironwood, ebony, reddish mahogany and rosewood. These woods have a beauty of their own which is imprinted on the work. They are colored to look more beautiful.

Music and Dance

The rich heritage of the culture of Vietnam has given rise to the unique music and dance in Vietnam. It has both indigenous and foreign influences which has given it a character of its own.
Music and dance in Vietnam has been strongly influenced by the trends in the royal courts. For instance, Nha Nhac is the kind of Vietnamese music synthesized by the Nguyen Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. It was played in the royal court. The court also had dances mostly on the theme of wishing long life for the king and prosperity for the country. These dances are even performed today.
Quan ho is the other form of music in Vietnam. It is most popular in Bac Ninh Province and Bac Giang Province. Many variations to this Quan ho exist especially in northern Vietnam. Sometimes it is also improvised and is used in courtship rituals. Ho is somewhat the southern version of Quan ho with love, courtship and the countryside as the common themes.
Post 1986, musicians like Pham Van Ty have played a huge role in reviving the rhythmic and trance-oriented hat chau van or hat van. This form of music in Vietnam is used to raise spirits during rituals. Another popular folk music in Vietnam, ca tru is mostly sung by female singers.
Another form of Vietnamese music is the nhac dan toc cai bien. It is a comparatively new form of folk music arising in the 1950s. It is a fusion of traditional music and Western musical notations. It has been strongly criticized for diluting the traditional music. Tan nhac, meaning modern music, was developed in the 1930s by Nguyen Xuan Khoat.
Music in Vietnamese theatre includes hat tuong, hat cheo and cai luong. Cheo is the oldest surviving form of Vietnamese opera. It began in the 11th century while tuong arrived in the 13th century from China for the entertainment of the royalty. The themes of tuong were historical or concening the laws of social decorum. Cai lu’o’ng originated in the 12th century. The theme of Cai lu’o’ng was historical and contemporary.
The traditional musical instruments of Vietnam include Dan bau, Dan gao, Dan nguyet, Dan nh?, Dan tam thap l?c, Dan tranh, Dan ty ba, and T'rung. Music and dance in Vietnam is renowned for the versatility and variety. Vietnamese dance forms today include the ancient Cham and Hmong dance, ballet and modern dance.
There is the Lion’s dance, a popular dance in Vietnam, that is celebrated in North Vietnam on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Year, and the Unicorn dance in South Vietnam on the Tet holidays. While in the north the dance takes place at night, the people in the south perform it during the day.
A sturdy of music and dance in Vietnam will help you understand the customs and traditions of the Vietnamese, their beliefs and aspirations and their dreams.

History,Language and Culture

2009-09-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Great Thai
Thailand is one of the few countries in the world which has never been colonised.The first independent Thai Kingdom was established in 1238, but the origins of Thailand and the Thai people go back much further.

Pre-History
The central area of Indochina from the Maekhong River valley to the Khorat Plateau was inhabited as far back as 10,000 years. Linguistic scholars can trace origins of ancient Chinese to an earlier Thai language. Archaeology gives us several pointers to early development of the human race in the area. For example, in the Ban Chieng area of north-east Thailand:
Rice may have been cultivated as early as 4,000 BC (China was still largely growing and consuming millet, although evidence does suggest that rice was first cultivated in the Yangtze valley c. 6500 BC)
Bronze metallurgy began c. 1700-1500 BC.
This pre-historic cultural development formed a nucleus of migrating people. A linguistic map of south China, north-west India and South-East Asia, as far as the islands of Indonesia, clearly shows the presence of these early Thai migrants. They settled in river valleys from the Red River (Hong River) in south China and Vietnam to the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

During the second half of the 13th century a growing pressure with the rise of the Mongol hordes under Kublai Khan forced the south China Thais to retrace their steps and return to their roots.

Sukhothai
The greatest concentration of these early Thais first appeared in the north of modern Thailand, around Chiang Saen and valleys to the south. They formed themselves into principalities, some of which later became independent kingdoms.

A union of Thai princes took Haripunchai from the Mons and formed Lan Na Thai (which means ‘Million Thai Rice Fields’), today often referred to simply as Lanna, and drove the Khmers from Sukhothai (which means ‘The Dawn of Happiness’).

The Kmer influence can still be seen in these Sukhothai Phrangs

The Sukhothai kingdom declared independence in 1238. Sukhothai is considered to be the first true Thai kingdom. Today many Thais view the Sukhothai period as the golden era of Thai history, an ideal state, a land of plenty, governed by just and paternal kings who ruled over peaceful, contented citizens. It developed a distinct style of its own. During this period the first Thai writing system was evolved, which became the basis for modern Thai, and the Thai form of Therava Buddhism was codified.

Within the walls of Sukhothai are the ruins of twenty wats (temples) and monuments, the greatest of which is Wat Mahathat. Still splendid in its current day setting.

These Sukhothai Wats show how the beauty of water was used to enhance their spiritual aspect.

The giant Buddha at Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai before and after restoration.
Under the rule of king Ramkamhaeng (Rama the Brave) the Sukhothai kingdom flourished and expanded as far as Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south, to the upper Maekhong River valley in Laos, and to Bago in Burma.
In 1287 Ramkamhaeng formed an alliance with two northern Thai princes, Mengai of Chiang Rai and Ngam Muang of Phayao. Mengai founded Chiang Mai (’New Town’) in 1296 which became the capital of Lanna.
The southern kingdom of Ayutthaya expanded rapidly by teaching the importance of religion over military might, and extended control over the Chao Phya River valley. With the rise of Ayutthaya the Sukhothai influence declined and in 1378 their seat of power moved to Phitsanulok. Sukhothai’s population followed and by 1438 Sukhothai was a deserted city.

Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya began as an ancient settlement named after Rama’s legendary kingdom in India.
It’s importance in Thai history began when a cholera outbreak forced Phya U-Thong, the ruler of the principality of U-Thong (today known as Suphan Buri), to evacuated his people. He officially established his seat in Ayutthaya in 1350, after three years of preparation, when he assumed the title Ramathidibodi I.
The Ayutthaya kings became very powerful moving east to take Lopburi a former Khmer stronghold and then, in 1431, on to Angkor the great capital city of the Khmer empire.

Angkor, Cambodia
The image shows the temple complex of Angkor. The large bluish-black rectangle is the Western Baray (reservoir), part of Angkor’s famous irrigation system. The large square to its east is Angkor Thom, a fortified city. The brown spot at the centre of the square is the Bayon, a monumental structure. To its south is the fabled temple of Angkor Wat, surrounded by a wide moat. Other temples and the Eastern Baray are located round the complex. The road running south from Angkor Wat goes to the nearby town of Siem Reap. The wide bluish strip to the south is the flooded lake of Tonlé Sap. Although the Thais were responsible for the decline and eventual collapse of Angkor, the Ayutthaya kings adopted Khmer court customs, language and culture. Unlike the paternal rulers of Sukhothai, Ayutthaya’s kings were absolute monarchs and assumed the title devaraja or God King.
Ayutthaya became one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in Asia, rivalling London in its influence. From the early 16th century the Portugese established trade and supplied mercenaries to fight in continuing campaigns against the rival kingdom in Chiang Mai. They taught the Thais cannon foundry and musketry.
Ayutthaya is situated on an island in the Chao Phraya River, at the junction of the Lop Buri River and the Nam Pasak River, about 80 km north of Bangkok.To appreciate the city as a 17th century vistor might have done, travel up the Chao Phraya River from Bangkok.

Weakened by the wars with Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, was attacked by King Tabinshweti of Burma in 1549. Aided by the Portugese, the attack was repelled, but in 1569 Ayutthaya eventually fell to Tabinshweti’s brother in law, King Bayinnaung. The invading Burmese forces ransacked and plundered the city, forcibly transporting most of its population to Burma.
Naresuen, the eldest son of the defeated king’s leading deputy, was held captive in Burma until he reached the age of 15. As soon as he returned he immediately began to gather armed followers, which he trained in guerilla warfare. He took the opportunity to declare Ayutthaya’s freedom in 1584, whilst the Burmese rulers were weakened by revolts in their own provinces.

Although the Burmese made numerous attempts to retake Ayutthaya, Naresuen was able to assume full kingship upon his father’s death in 1590. He rebuilt his kingdom and turned the tables on the Burmese with repeated attacks until the Burmese Empire itself disintegrated. He finally subdued the Khmers on his eastern border. He became known as ‘Naresuen the Great’ and under his rule Ayutthaya prospered, becoming the great and thriving metropolis described by 17th century European visitors. Ayutthayan war elephants as seen through the eyes of a 17th century French artist.

A long period of peace and tranquil prosperity was ended when a village headman united the Burmese Empire which attacked Ayutthaya in 1760. The Burmese army was repelled but in 1767 a second Burmese invasion succeeded in capturing Ayutthaya, after a siege of 14 months. The withdrawing Burmese army sacked the city, burning and looting and melting down the gold from Buddha images. They took their booty back to Burma, together with members of the royal family and 90,000 captives.

2,000 Spires clad in gold
At one time Ayutthaya had a population of a million. Europeans wrote accounts of the fabulous wealth of the courts and the ‘2,000 spires clad in gold’. The 1767 Burmese invasion left the city largely destroyed.

During the seige, a Thai general named Phya Taksin broke through the encircling Burmese and took a small band of followers to Chantaburi on the southern coast. There he assembled an army and navy. Seven months after the fall of Ayutthaya the general and his forces sailed back to the capital and expelled the Burmese occupying garrison.

He immediately moved his capital to the west bank of Bangkok, known as Thonburi, and was proclaimed king. During his reign he liberated Chiang Mai and the rest of northern Thailand from the Burmese and his generals brought Cambodia and most of the present day Laos under Thai control. When a revolt broke out in 1782, Taksin was forced to abdicate.

The Chakri Dynasty
Upon his return from the Cambodian campaign general Chakri was offered the throne. He became known as Rama I. He moved his headquarters to the more spacious Bangkok on the opposite bank of the river.
He set about restoring the confidence of his war-shattered people. Buddha images were transported from Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. Bricks from the old capital were floated down the river to build the new city walls. Master craftsmen designed and built the first permanent building in the new capital, Wat Phra Kaew, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Bangkok began as a city of canals and elephant paths on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, just a few kilometres from the sea. The first of the new structures ordered by King Ramathibodi, later known as Rama I, was the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which was later surrounded by the grounds and buildings of the Grand Palace.It was built in the style of the Royal Temple of the Grand Palace of Ayutthaya.
Modern Thailand is indebted to Rama I for his cultural revival programme. He and his successors up to the present King Bhumibol, Rama IX, have transformed their country from a war-torn Asian land to a modern nation.

Da Nang

2009-09-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

Danang is located on the 1,500km World Heritage Road stretching from Vinh to Dalat along the coastline of central Vietnam. From Danang, traveling along Highway 1A, visitors can easily and conveniently access to the four of five UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites in Vietnam - invaluable property endowed by Nature and created by Forefathers consisting of Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park, Hue imperial city, Hoi An old town, and My Son holly land.

On regional and international scale, Danang is considered one of the important gateways to the sea of the central Highlands of Vietnam, and Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Northeast Asian nations via the East-West Economic Corridor linking Tien Sa Seaport as an end point. Situated in one of the international sea and air routes, Danang City has a very advantageous geographic location for quick and sustainable socio-economic development.

Da Lat

2009-09-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

Amidst the immense mountains and forests of Lam Dong province, suddenly emerges a beautiful town which many visitors have likened to a Western city. A tourist, after a week's rest at Dalat, said that his health had improved visibly. Before leaving the city, he said: "In a near future Dalat will be a Switzerland in South-East Asia". This remark comes from the fact that Dalat captivates all those who have been there once.

Nestled on an elevation of around 1500m above sea level among the pitching hills of the Langbian Plateau, the city of Dalat is Vietnam's premier hilly destination with beguiling streets, picturesque churches, bounteous vegetable gardens and splashing waterfalls, all suffused with the intoxicating scents of pine trees and wood-smoke .The city's more fanciful historians swear its name is an acronym of the Latin, "dat aliis laetitium aliis temperiem", (offering pleasure to one and freshness to another), though a far likelier derivation renders it as the stream ("da") of a local hill-tribe, the Lat.
With a population of 135,000, Dalat is like a small European town with fresh air and a cool climate - the annual average temperature is about 18oC. The city is decorated with a wide variety of flowers. Beautiful flowers such as rhododendron, cherry, mimosa, hydrangea, rose, daisy, and dahlia are all grown here. Dalat offers a harmonious combination of natural scenery and historical sites. So far the city has been considered as one of the leading tourist centers of the country. Dalat is also well-known as an "academic city" with several academic centers such as the University of Dalat, the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute, the Military Academy, the Teacher Training College, and the Vaccine Institute.

With such unique characteristics, Dalat is a prosperous center of cultures, tourism, and subtropical agriculture of Central Vietnam and particularly the West Highlands area, Thousands of visitors come to Dalat to enjoy their holidays or their honeymoons every year. In addition, Dalat is only 300 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City and 200 km from NhaTrang (a coastal city). So visitors can travel to Dalat by car or by plane.

The city still retains its old horse Carts, with their hoops clattering on the roads, evoking the famous symphony "Persian Market". Sitting on a horse cart at Dalat, tourists do not have to pull down the hood as in cold countries, and can have a panoramic view of the surrounding landscapes.
Dalat is renowned as a city of pine-trees, waterfalls and flowers. Flowers of all colors, with many species, the most numerous of which are orchids. More than elsewhere in Vietnam, Dalat sees flowers vie with one another in blossoming in spring. It has many precious species of orchids including 71 species of dendrobium, 33 species of habenaria, 31 species of pria, 22 species of liparis, 19 species of bulbophyllum, 12 species of cymbidium, 10 species of vanda, etc.
Dalat abounds not only in wild orchids but also in land orchids (dialan), that is the kind grown in earthen vases.
Dalat has few rivers and canals but many picturesque waterfalls. It takes tourists several days to visit all the waterfalls in the area. The famous Cam Ly Falls, only 2 km from the heart of the city as the crow flies, is high on the tour programs.
The Prenn Falls, also called Thien Sa. 13 km south of Dalat, is a pride of its people, who always advertise it to
tourists in the first place. The falls are the first place to be seen by tourists, the first rendezvous between them and Dalat
Standing before the Prenn Falls, man blends with Nature, and feels free from the earthly world. The water pours down from a height of 15 m (49 ft) like a white curtain hiding a frog-mouth- shaped cave inside which tourists will cross a small bridge and sneak behind the falls. Around the Prenn Falls are the Thousand Flowers Valley and green pine hills.
The Ankroret Falls (also called Golden Stream Falls) is very beautiful in the sunny season, as its water falls on a bed of granite, attracting flights of butterflies.
The Da Tanla Falls, about 6 km south of the city , cascades on two tiers of tone hemmed in by high rocky walls, creating a wild beauty.
The Lien Khuong Falls, 30 km from Dalat, is a big cascade whose noise blends with the chirping of wild birds. l
The Gougah Falls, commonly called O Gad (pot-hole} Falls, 38 km from the heart of the city, pours its water from a height of 20 m (65 ft). Its silvery water, reverberating the sun, creates many bright colors, with the hues and tints of a rainbow.
The Pongour Falls, like as mystic picture, lies deep in a thick forest, 50 km from the heart of Dalat. It evokes primeval forests. with the footprints of wild beasts that prowl and play there at night. Its water, falling from a height of 30 m (98 ft), makes it one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Indochina. In the rainy season tourists can hear it even from a distance of 3 km (1.86 mi).
If tourists choose one of the most picturesque falls to see in the morning, they should reserve the late afternoon for a visit to the Love Valley and the Than Tho (Whispers) Lake, both of which are covered with dense pine forests.
More than in other cities of Vietnam, roads and streets in Dalat are rendezvous of lovers. Not only in the late afternoon, but even at noon, the mist, like a thin cloud, hovers over the roads and streets. making them look more eerie.
Taking the national culture as the background and assimilating the world culture, the tourist service of Dalat is striving to develop an elegant style-allying the antique and the moderm receiving tourists. It is restoring its infrastructure, its existing hotels and restaurants, boldly transforming and upgrading them to keep pace with the advance of the modern world.
In Dalat, on fine days, tourists can get up early in the morning to welcome dawn on the highlands. Opening their windows, they will have a breath-taking view of nature, and inhale the fragrance of wild flowers wafted by the clouds which fly in as lightly as silk yams.
Twilight on Dalat also brings many pictures and sensations. The silhouettes of mountains are dimmed while the fragrance of night rises up. It is the time of lovers. As a poet says. Dalat is a "city of honey- moons", a "city of love". The clouds, skimming the ground, reveal off and on couples of young lovers strolling on the roads, clasping each other.
In Dalat tourists can see many couples of young lovers walking under the light drizzle, holding umbrellas of different colors.
In the morning, the Dalat market -a harmonious architectural work -gathers people of all ethnic origin, wearing
multicolor traditional costumes, and coming from surrounding villages. Dalat abounds in fresh vegetables and fruits, which are piled up like mountains. One of the most appreciated of them are avocadoes which are rich in lipids, and strawberries which are much bigger and more fragrant than mulberries. Vegetables and fruits are daily sent by truck- loads from Dalat to Saigon. They are also exported to many countries.
At the Dalat market, tourists can see and buy a wide range of art and craft articles made by the skilful hands of people who have come here from various parts of the country .These include fur clothes and hats, rattan boxes, handbags made of "ivory bamboo" tapes, pressed flowers, wooden logs for grafting orchid flowers, and especially engravings on pine wood with a "fire-pen" devised by a family still reserves the copyright.
In Dalat, tourists can visit villages and hamlets inhabited by ethnic minorities such as the Mnong, Koho, Ma, etc. who live on hillside farming, hunting, gardening, coffee, tea and tobacco planting... They will keep unforgettable memories of the customs and ways and especially the village festivals of this Central Highlands area.
Many tourists have written their Vietnamese friends, saying that they still feel lovesick of Dalat... Dalat, with the wind rustling through the pine leaves, the roar of waterfalls, the chirping of birds, the clatter of horse hoofs, the pure and wholesome atmosphere... How they miss this mountain resort..

Sapa

2009-09-04T02:17:00.000-07:00

Located 38km from Lao Cai City, Sapa is a mountainous district of Lao Cai Province. Sapa District is very well-known with Sapa Townlet, a beautiful and romantic resort.
At the height of 1,600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter.
Visitor to Sapa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day. In the morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather of spring and autumn. At noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as the weather of summer. And it is cold in the evening. With no advance warning of a thunderstorm short and heavy rains may come at noon on any summer day. Subsequently, a rainbow appears, transforming Sapa into a magic land, which for years has been a constant source of poetic inspiration, lights up the whole region.
The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa travel is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air

Sapa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m. Hoang Lien Mountain Range is also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan Mountain is not only the highest peak in Vietnam, but also in the Indochina Peninsula. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.
The first thing you notice when approaching the resort town are some detached wooden mansions and villas perched on a hill top or hillside, behind thick pine forests and almost invisible on this foggy morning. Old and new villas with red roofs now appear and now disappear in the green rows of pomu trees, bringing the town the beauty of European towns.
Fresh and cool air in Sapa is an idea climate condition for growing temperate vegetables such as cabbage, chayote, precious medicinal herbs, and fruit trees such as plum, pear…
Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink colour of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids. Here, orchid lovers are even amazed by the choice, when trekking in the forest filled with several hundred kinds of orchids of brilliant colours and fantastic shapes, such as Orchid Princess, Orchid of My Fair Lady's Shoe. Some orchids are named after lovely singing birds such as the canary, salangane's nest, and more.
Sapa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods and products. Market sessions are also a chance for locals to promenade and young men and women in colorful costumes to meet, date or seek sweethearts.
Visitors to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents.
Bac Ha Market
Coc ly market
Can Cau Market
Fansipan mountain
Ban Ho Village
Lao Chai Village
Ta Van Village
Sapa love Market

Ha Long

2009-09-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

Halong Bay is located in the Northeast of Vietnam, belonging to QuangNinh Province. It is in the coastal area stretching from 1060 56’ to 1070 37’ east longitude and 200 43’ to 210 09’ north latitude. To the west and northwest, Halong Bay stretches from Yen Hung District, and includes the large urban areas of Halong City and Cam Pha Town, as well as Van Don Island District. To the south and southeast, it is adjacent to the western Tonkin Gulf and to the west and southwest lies Cat Ba Island in the province of Hai Phong. On the world map, Ha Long Bay borders to China in the north and in the east it is adjacent to the East Sea.

“Ha Long” is literally translated as "Bay of Descending Dragons." Prior to the 19th century, this name was not recorded in any document or archive. When mentioning the present-day Quang Ninh Sea or Ha Long Bay, old historical books often referred to them by the names of An Bang, Luc Thuy or Van Don. Not until the late 19th century did the name of Halong Bay appear on a French Marine Map. “The Hai Phong News”, a French newspaper of the time, had an article, “Dragon appears on Ha Long Bay”, reporting the following story: In 1898 a sub-lieutenant named Lagredin, captaining the ‘Avalanse’ reported seeing a huge sea snake on Ha Long Bay. This was also witnessed by many of the crews. Thus emerged the European image of the Asian dragon. Whether this appearance of a strange animal looking like a dragon resulted the name of Ha Long Bay is not known (Reference “Quang Ninh: Art and Culture” published in 2002).
There is also a local legend, which has been handed down, relating to the name Ha Long Bay, which tells the following tale:“Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching massive attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky. They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade stone islands the moment they touched the water. These islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces.
After the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was called Long Vi, the present-day Tra Co Peninsula with its soft sandy beach stretching many kilometers.”
On 2nd December, 2000, at the 24th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, the World Heritage Committee unanimously decided to recognize the universal geological value of Ha Long Bay for the second time according to criteria (i) of the International Convention on the Protection of the World National and Cultural Heritage.

Natural Beauty

2009-09-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

Ha Long

Sapa

Da Nang

Da Lat

After completion of the May 18 kilometers Co Ma-Dam Mon route, Van Phong is a promising tourist destination. It takes just over an hour from Dam Mon to Nha Trang in Van Phong Bay on an 89 km stretch of road, which is expected to be a breathtaking trip.Anyone traveling by sea to Tam Island, Mot Island or other islands in Nha Trang, is still amazed at the unspoiled natural beauty of Van Phong. The Dam Mon peninsula makes its first impression with strips of sand. Going along the strips of sand, the tourists could take pleasure not only on the Co Don hill behind a grove of ancient trees Tuan Le, known as a rendezvous between Courting couples on moonlit nights, but also other hills in Dam Mon. On the ship around Dam Mon peninsula, tourists can see large rocks naturally shaped into bears, elephants, dogs and chickens, etc.. which look like masterpieces of a talented sculptor. Located in the circle of large rocks, Ong Island stands out for its distinct beauty, particularly the cottage roofs of Vietnam lying side by side on the beach.Located in the beach Xuan Dung, Xuan Dung village is recognized by only 11 houses of the Dang Ha people. Local people will treat tourists to cool fresh water taken from the artesian waters under the layers of sand. Local people earn their living by catching cuttle-fish and crabs, the inhabitants often use traps to catch the crabs and cuttle-fish on the hook small boats at night. These kinds of seafood can be purchased by tourists. Also, the village is unique for not having paths for transportation because the villagers choose their water or neighbouring doors for movement, rather than land. Xuan Dung beach is also famous for its pile of stones overlapped like a small oasis.In Van Phong, tourists are also attracted by diving at beach Me and Lach beach, and enjoying the pristine natural environment. A new hotel at Van Phong will welcome tourists to spend the night there to wait for sunrise on the sea. Tourists, therefore, have the chance to see the first sunbeams to the country in Mui Doi, while listening to the waves in the charm of a starry night.Along with making a key Van Phong economic area with Hyundai-Vinashin Shipyard Co., Ninh Thuy Industrial Zone, etc, Khanh Hoa province is also about to turn Van Phong into an international tourist area for health treatment.

History,Language and Culture

2009-09-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

HISTORY
From the 1st to the 6th centuries, the south of what is now Vietnam was part of the Indianised kingdom of Funan. The Hindu kingdom of Champa appeared around present-day Danang in the late 2nd century and had spread south to what is now Nha Trang by the 8th century. The Chinese conquered the Red River Delta in the 2nd century and their 1000-year rule, marked by tenacious Vietnamese resistance and repeated rebellions, ended in 938 AD when Ngo Quyen vanquished the Chinese armies at the Bach Dang River. During the next few centuries, Vietnam repulsed repeated invasions by China, and expanded its borders southwards from the Red River Delta, populating much of the Mekong Delta. In 1858, French and Spanish-led forces stormed Danang after several missionaries had been killed. A year later, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) was seized. By 1867, France had conquered all of southern Vietnam, which became the French colony of Cochin-China. Communist guerillas under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh resisted French domination. Ho Chi Minh's declaration of Vietnamese independence after WWII sparked violent confrontations with the French, culminating in the French military defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Accords of 1954 temporarily divided Vietnam into two zones (the Communist north and the anti-Communist, US-supported south). Political and ideological opposition quickly turned to armed struggle, prompting the USA and other countries to commit combat troops in 1965. The Paris Peace Agreements, signed in 1973, provided an immediate cease-fire and signalled the withdrawal of US troops. Saigon eventually capitulated to the Communist forces on 30 April 1975. Going straight from the fat into the frying pan, Vietnam had barely drawn breath from its war with America when it found itself at loggerheads with Khmer Rouge forces along the Cambodian borders. A protracted round of fighting eventually saw China enter the fray in support of Cambodia and the killings continued until the UN brokered a deal, with Vietnamese forces being pulled out of Cambodia in 1989. Although the Khmer Rouge continued to snipe from the borders, it was the first time since WWII that Vietnam was not officially at war with any other nation. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR in 1991 caused Vietnam and Western nations to seek rapprochement. In July 1995 even intransigent America re-established diplomatic relations with Hanoi although the diplomatic handshake appeared limp-wristed and begrudging when Hanoi refused to sign trade agreements with the US in 1999. The US, on their part, talked about normalising relations but 25 years later there's still a lot of soul-searching, hand-wringing and post mortems going on, accompanied by a slather of angst-ridden films and a handful of unplugged guitar tunes. Matters aren't helped by spokespersons such as John McCain who, on a recent visit to Hanoi, talked about 'the wrong guys winning the war'. Vietnam went through something of a postwar economic boom but in recent years the economy has slowed and the country is at a crossroads, although some commentors predict it will be the next Asian 'tiger'.

LANGUAGE
The Vietnamese language belongs to a language group which was established a long time ago in East Asia. Changes in material conditions over many centuries and the increasing demands of cultural life have influenced the Vietnamese language. While adopting many elements of the Chinese language, the Vietnamese people changed many Chinese words, gradually creating Han-Viet (Chinese-Vietnamese) which incorporated purely Vietnamese words. Vietnamization not only applied to the Chinese language, but also to French and other language groups, creating a diverse vocabulary for the Vietnamese language. When the multi-ethnic Vietnamese nation was taking shape, a great monarchy was established in the North, and it began a southward expansion. The Vietnamese nation underwent thousands of years of Northern domination. This was why Chinese was used for a long time as the official written language. Local mandarins of various levels were allowed to sit for examinations in the Northern Court (China), and were recruited into the administrative machinery of foreign invaders. Based on Chinese characters, the Vietnamese worked out a unique writing system of their own called Chu Nom. In Chu Nom, two Chinese characters were usually combined, one of which indicated the meaning of the Vietnamese word, while the other indicated pronunciation. Chu Nom was welcomed and widely used by the masses in their daily life, as well as in transcribing their national history and literature. According to researchers, Chu Nom probably originated around the end of the Northern domination period and early in the 10th century (the independence period). The oldest evidence of Chu Nom currently available is a stele in the Bao An Pagoda in Yen Lang, Vinh Phu province, dating back to 1209 AD (Ly Dynasty). It was not until the 13th century under the Tarn dynasty that Chu Nom was systematized and used in literature. Nguyen Thuyen (alias Han Thuyen) and Nguyen Si Co wrote poems in Chu Nom. Ho Quy Ly (1400 AD) made Chinese textbooks which translated the Vietnamese language using the Chu Nom writing system. He also used Chu Nom to write royal proclamations and ordinances. In the 15th century, Nguyen Trai, a national hero, used Chu Nom to write 250 poems in Quoc Am Thi Tap (Collection of Poems in the National Language). The Chu Nom literature continued to be developed from the 16th century onwards and totally dominated national literary circles. Ba Huyen Thanh Quan (the wife of the Chief of Thanh Quan district), Cao Ba Quat and Kieu Story of Nguyen Du, and the translation of Chinh Phu Ngam (Lament of a Wife Whose Husband has Gone to War) by Doan Thi Diem were quite noteworthy poems. In conjunction with the development of the nation, the Vietnamese language was constantly developed and improved. Around the 17th century, western missionaries came to Vietnam and learned Vietnamese in order to disseminate Catholicism. They developed a romanced script to represent the Quoc Ngu (meaning national language) in order to translate prayer books and catechisms. A number of Portuguese and Italian missionaries used Quoc Ngu to compile catechisms and Portuguese-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Portuguese dictionaries. Based on these works, Alexandre de Rhodes, a French Jesuit missionary, published the Vietnamese Portuguese-Latin dictionary which was a fundamental catechism in Rome from 1649-1651. After Alexandre de Rhodes, Quoc Ngu was further improved by foreign missionaries and Vietnamese scholars. In 1867, some colonial schools began to teach Quoc Ngu. It was not until early in the 20th century that Quoc Ngu became widely used in the local primary educational system. The introduction of Quoc Ngu constituted a new step in the development of the Vietnamese language. While romanization received a reserved welcome in other Asian countries, it recorded extraordinary success in Vietnam, creating favorable conditions for cultural and intellectual development.

CULTURE
The vast majority of the population is Vietnamese with minute percentages of Chinese. The Viet culture originated on the delta of the Red River and the Ma River where the Viet people cultivated paddy fields. They led a simple farming life in small villages, usually living around a communal house. Today the people living in the countryside follow this lifestyle. The Viet people are influenced by Confucianism, in particular the principle of respect for their elders. In spite of the immense suffering of the Vietnamese and the somewhat ruined state of the country, they are generally warm and friendly, and surprisingly, the Vietnamese bear little if any resentment or bitterness toward Americans. Children in the streets will commonly greet visitors with the name Lien Xo, which means Russian, but they will easily be corrected if you respond, Hello! or Good morning and explain you are an American. Ethnic Groups: The country is predominantly 85-90% Vietnamese, 3% Chinese, ethnic minorities include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham, and other mountain tribes. Languages: Vietnamese is the official language; French, Chinese, English, Khmer and tribal dialects (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) are also spoken.

Arts & Entertainment

2009-09-03T20:20:00.000-07:00