Vietnam Insider

Thu Duc City organized the Countdown Fest event to welcome the New Year 2024 with approximately 40,000 participants, promising an explosive celebration featuring music, fireworks, and outstanding artistic performances.

On December 14, Mr. Bui Anh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City), announced that from December 23, 2023, to January 1, 2024, Thu Duc City would host a New Year’s welcoming week with the theme “Thu Duc Convergence.”

The event officially kicked off at the Thiem River Park on the evening of December 23, 2023, marking the start of a series of spectacular events to welcome the New Year in Thu Duc City.

Countdown music festival welcomes the new year 2023 on Nguyen Hue walking street.

According to Mr. Tuan, this year’s theme, “Thu Duc Convergence,” will include various entertainment activities and community-connecting events, bringing the people the essence, colors, and beautiful sounds, serving as a convergence point between cultural heritage and modern life.

The opening of the “Thu Duc Convergence” week featured the inauguration of the Sunflower Park, with a synchronized performance welcoming more than 3,000 students from Thu Duc City.

Throughout the “Thu Duc Convergence” week, residents and visitors can participate in activities such as hot air balloon rides, paragliding, kite flying, enjoying a week-long music festival, exploring exquisite culinary delights, and fostering connections through lively sports activities.

Picturesque check-in spots capturing the skyline of Thu Thiem and the impressive Saigon River are essential components, completing the “Convergence” event and providing new experiences of Saigon at night.

Notably, the Countdown Fest New Year’s welcoming event will take place on the evening of December 31, 2023, and the moment of transitioning to the New Year of the Gregorian calendar 2024 promises to make the entire city burst into music, fireworks, and outstanding artistic performances featuring famous singers and guest artists.

In the festive atmosphere of welcoming the New Year, the Countdown Fest will offer nearly 40,000 attendees a perfect vantage point to witness a dazzling fireworks display against the backdrop of the Ba Son Bridge and the Saigon River, creating an unforgettable moment to welcome a new year filled with excitement, joy, good health, and luck.

Fireworks light up the central sky of Ho Chi Minh City from the area at the beginning of the Saigon River tunnel.

As per the plan, during the 2024 Gregorian New Year, Ho Chi Minh City will launch fireworks at a high altitude at the entrance of the Saigon River tunnel in Thu Duc City, with 1,500 high-altitude shells, 30 low-altitude sets, and 10 artful sets.

Low-altitude fireworks at Dam Sen Cultural Park (District 11) will include 90 sets of low-altitude fireworks and 30 artful sets.

The fireworks display will last for 15 minutes, from midnight to 12:15 a.m. on January 1, 2024, with funding sourced from socialization.

Alongside the fireworks, Ho Chi Minh City will organize a countdown event at the moment of transitioning from the old year 2023 to the new year 2024 on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street.

@Vietnamnet

The annual Taste Atlas rankings of the world’s top cuisines, most attractive culinary cities, and the best dishes globally have just been released.

For the list of the top 100 world cuisines, the top 20 include Italy, Japan, Greece, Portugal, China, Indonesia, Mexico, France, Spain, Peru, India, Brazil, Poland, Argentina, Turkey, the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Croatia, and Serbia.

Vietnam’s cuisine is ranked 22nd globally, according to this ranking, with an average score of 4.44/5. Top dishes include pho, bun cha, quay (fried dough), banh hoi, nem ran (spring rolls), banh xeo, bun bo Hue, and bo kho (braised beef). The rankings are based on over 400,000 votes and ratings contributing to the list of the top 100 cuisines worldwide.

Vietnamese bread is loved by international tourists

Additionally, Taste Atlas presents a list of the 100 most attractive culinary cities in the world, selected from 16,601 cities in its database, with results based on 395,205 reader votes.

The top three cities are all in Italy: Rome, Bologna, and Naples, followed by Vienna, Austria; Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Hong Kong; Turin, Italy; Gaziantep, Turkey; Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia; Beijing, China; Bangkok, Thailand, among others.

Representing Vietnam on this list are Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, featuring standout dishes such as bun bo Hue, banh beo, nem lui, cha gio, che, pho, and banh mi.

In the list of the world’s top 100 dishes, Vietnam’s banh mi thit (ranked 14th) and pho (100th) are recognized. The best-rated dish in 2023 is Picanha, a Brazilian-style grilled meat, followed by Malaysia’s Roti Canai and Thai-style Phat Kaphrao stir-fry.

Taste Atlas is renowned as the “world culinary map,” specializing in introducing the local cuisines of different countries to inspire the adventurous spirit of travelers.

@Thanhnien.vn

Hoi An aspires to become the first city in Vietnam where the consumption of dog meat is eliminated, as there are currently only two establishments engaged in this trade in the area.

Nguyen The Hung, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoi An City (Quang Nam Province), expresses the hope that Hoi An will be the first city in the country to completely stop the consumption of dog meat.

Mr. Hung recalls that the project sponsored by FOUR PAWS International to discourage the consumption of dog and cat meat in Hoi An has concluded. The local authorities have successfully persuaded two out of four dog meat businesses to transition their operations.

Hoi An City wants to become the first dog meat-free city in the country

“The two remaining establishments are located in Cam Pho Ward and Thanh Ha Ward. The city is focusing on raising awareness and encouraging these dog meat businesses to convert their operations in line with the project’s objectives. While the use of dog meat is not legally prohibited, it would be better not to use it, and businesses could switch to more suitable alternatives,” says Mr. Hung.

Furthermore, responsibilities related to food safety, taxes, business, and state regulations will continue to be enforced, according to Mr. Hung.

The other two dog meat businesses in the area are still undergoing efforts by the authorities to persuade them to change their occupations.

Previously, the project aimed to develop Hoi An as a pet-friendly tourist city that does not consume dog or cat meat, and it supported the eradication of rabies with assistance from FOUR PAWS International, with a total funding of over 1.1 billion VND (equivalent to 50,000 USD).

The project, implemented from September 2022 to December 2023, aimed to transform Hoi An into a pet-friendly tourist city that abstains from consuming dog and cat meat. Additionally, it sought to raise community awareness about the importance of rabies vaccination and the health risks associated with the illegal trade of dog and cat meat. The project also aimed to provide technical support and improve the vaccination rate for rabies in dogs and cats, ultimately reducing the risk of rabies in humans.

@Vietnamnet

The People’s Committee of Nam Dinh City has just announced a plan to launch fireworks for 15 minutes, from 12:00 AM to 12:15 AM on February 10, 2024 (New Year’s Eve of the Lunar New Year).

In order to mark the moment of transition from New Year’s Eve to the new year 2024, creating a joyful, lively, and healthy atmosphere for the people to welcome the Lunar New Year , from 12:00 AM to 12:15 AM on February 10, 2024 (New Year’s Eve of the Lunar New Year), Nam Dinh Province will organize a fireworks display at three locations with 360 sets of fireworks of various types from the 21 Chemical Company Limited, a member of the Defense Industry General Department.

Fireworks display locations include: Vi Xuyen Lake (Vi Hoang Ward, Nam Dinh City), Tran Cultural Park (Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City), the square behind Nam Cuong Hotel (Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City).

The funding is ensured from socialized sources.

The provincial military command instructs units to prepare thoroughly, paying attention to detail; conduct technical training and organize fireworks displays rigorously, ensuring absolute safety for personnel, equipment, and technical vehicles of the military, as well as the property of the people. Coordination with the provincial police is required to ensure security and safety during the preparation and execution of the event.

@Vietnamnet

Euromonitor’s ranking assesses the top cities worldwide based on criteria including tourism, sustainability, economic efficiency, health, and safety.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are among Euromonitor’s top 100 cities in the world. Photo: General Department of Tourism.

The Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Railways Corporation) is increasing the number of train services on all routes during the 2024 Gregorian New Year holiday, in addition to the regular train pairs between Hanoi – Saigon, Hanoi – Vinh, Hanoi – Lao Cai, and Hanoi – Hai Phong.

Specifically, on the Hanoi – Vinh route, in addition to the daily NA1/NA2 train pair, there will be additional trains departing from Hanoi to Vinh: On December 29, the NA3 train will depart at 22:15, arriving at 6:00; the NA7 train will depart at 22:40, arriving at 6:40. On December 29, 30, 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024, the SE35 train will depart at 13:40, arriving at 20:25.

Railways will increase dozens of trains in the North for New Year 2024.

For trains from Vinh to Hanoi, additional services include: On December 29, 30, 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024, the SE36 train will depart at 13:00, arriving at 19:47. On January 1, 2024, the NA4 train will depart at 20:45, arriving at 4:20; the NA12 train will depart at 13:35, arriving at 20:45.

On the Hanoi – Thanh Hoa route, an additional TH1 train will depart from Hanoi on December 30, 2023, at 7:10, arriving at Thanh Hoa at 11:05. In the opposite direction, on January 1, 2024, the TH2 train will depart at 13:15, arriving at 17:30.

For the Hanoi – Hai Phong route, in addition to the regular daily train services, on December 30, 2023, two additional train services will depart from Hanoi: The LP9 train will depart at 7:15, arriving at 10:07; the HP3 train will depart at 10:00, arriving at 12:45. On January 1, 2024, the LP10 train will depart at 16:00, arriving at 19:03; the HP4 train will depart at 14:35, arriving at 17:15.

On the Hanoi – Lao Cai route, in addition to the regular SP3/SP4 train pair, additional trains include: The SP1 train from Hanoi to Lao Cai on December 28, 29, 30, 2023, will depart at 21:35, arriving at 5:15. The SP4 train from Lao Cai to Hanoi on December 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024, will depart at 20:55, arriving at 4:35.

During this period, the railway will continue to apply discounted fares for various groups, including war heroes, the elderly, veterans, severely disabled individuals, children, students, and trade union members.

@Cafef

Recently, Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang Tourism Association, stated that despite the difficult period due to various reasons, tourist arrivals to Phu Quoc are increasing again, and there are high expectations for a significant surge during the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2024. Particularly, after January 16, 2024, many markets such as Taiwan, China, and Mongolia will have flights to Phu Quoc.

Furthermore, some flight routes from other markets such as South Korea, Malaysia, and Hong Kong to Phu Quoc have seen an increase in frequency. Therefore, it can be predicted that from now until the end of 2023, the number of international visitors to the “pearl island” will continue to rise, making the tourism market vibrant. However, according to Mr. Huy, the current domestic flight ticket prices to Phu Quoc are quite high. This pricing is expected to impact domestic travelers visiting Phu Quoc.

“In addition, flights from Can Tho and Nha Trang to Phu Quoc have been temporarily suspended for several months. I hope that airlines will reopen these routes soon to serve domestic travelers visiting Phu Quoc for sightseeing and year-end vacations,” Mr. Huy said.

According to the report from the Kien Giang Tourism Department, in 2023, the total number of tourists visiting Kien Giang is estimated to exceed 8.5 million, an increase of 15.3% compared to the same period, surpassing the annual plan by 2.8%. International visitors accounted for nearly 600,000, a 203.3% increase compared to the same period, exceeding the annual plan by 63.8%.

To achieve the above target, Mr. Bui Quoc Thai, Director of the Kien Giang Tourism Department, mentioned that in addition to focusing on developing domestic tourism, the department has also strengthened management efforts to attract international tourists back to Phu Quoc. They encourage tourism businesses to create new products and emphasize improving service quality to meet the growing demands of tourists.

Mr. Thai added that in 2024, the tourism industry of Kien Giang province aims to welcome 9.2 million visitors, including 680,000 international tourists, with a total revenue of 20,000 billion VND.

@Cafef