The Vietnam Aviation Insurance Joint Stock Company (VNI) was officially launched in Hanoi on Dec. 11, 2008 with initial chartered capital of VND 500 billion (USD 30 million).
The second Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival opened in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak on the evening of December 10, 2008.
Nearly 2.5 million tourists visited the Southern Vietnamese city of Can Tho in 2008, including 848,000 overnight tourist arrivals, an increase of 22 percent against 2007, reaching 89 percent of the yearly target.
The Danang Culture, Sports and Tourism Department has reported that the city has attracted nearly 1.2 million tourists since early this year, an 18 percent increase against 2007.
Vietnamese photography lovers will have an opportunity for the first time to enjoy works by famous artists from all over the world and engage in cultural exchange with them in a photo exhibition at the Vietnam Fine Art Museum in Hanoi on December 11, 2008.
Across the country, 17 provinces and cities are attempting to preserve ca tru (ceremonial singing), including clubs, classes and festivals.
The central highlands of Vietnam embrace many mysterious charms. Tourists willing to get off the beaten path will discover pristine lakes and rivers, vast swathes of old-growth jungle, and isolated ethnic minority villages.
They may not be rich but Ta Man and his wife refuse to sell their precious relics from the pre-Christian Oc Eo era to foreign collectors. The treasures belong to the nation, they say.
A choir composed of under-privileged children studying at the Thang Long Vocational School will be performing in city hotels and restaurants from now until Christmas Eve.
The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has welcomed 20,000 arrivals of foreign tourists through Chan May Port since the beginning of this year, a four-fold increase over last year.
Hong Kong’s Royal Group will bring its five-star cruise ship, Jupiter Cruises, to Vietnam to explore the Phu Quoc – Shihanouk Ville tourist route. This service will be available before Christmas this year.
The ancient town of Hoi An will need an estimated VND 1.1 trillion to preserve and develop its cultural heritage value in the 2009-2020 period, according to a project submitted to central Quang Nam province.