vietexplorer0027

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a sudden halt to Jovel Chan’s career in F&B marketing for a prominent Malaysian airline, prompting her return to Singapore. However, it was her friends’ suggestion to relocate to Vietnam that set her on a new path. Chan arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in December 2020, only to find herself in quarantine as the city prepared for social distancing measures. But this didn’t dampen her spirits. She soon discovered a silver lining—the opportunity to truly connect with the local community and witness their resilience in the face of the pandemic. Chan recalls volunteering to deliver food to those quarantined, and the sense of camaraderie it brought. It was during this time that she also started an online discussion about the city’s restaurants—which were open and which were closed. This simple list, posted on her blog, went viral, attracting over 10,000 views in days. Chan’s blog, which started as a way to promote her fitness studio, soon became a vibran...

The Truc Bach Night cultural event, a three-day affair from November 29 to December 1, offers a unique glimpse into Hanoi’s past and has become a major draw for visitors, especially the youth, curious to experience the lives of their parents during the subsidy era of the 1980s. A Time Capsule Experience A visitor, dressed in vintage style, poses at Truc Bach Night, transporting themselves back to the subsidy era. Photo: Jenna Duong One visitor, Tran Hong Phuc, from Nam Dinh province, dressed in fashion from four decades ago, shared his excitement about the event. “It’s like stepping into a time machine,” he said, “The attention to detail in the displays and the entire setup truly transport you back to the pre-1986 era, giving us a glimpse into the lives of our parents and grandparents.” Dao Nguyet Minh, a young visitor, also appreciated the authenticity of the recreation, noting that it seamlessly blended the past with subtle reminders of the hardships faced before ...

Organized by the Da Nang Department of Tourism, the Da Nang Christmas-New Year Festival ’25 is a 3-week celebration filled with cultural, tourism, and recreational activities. Taking place from December 14, 2024, to January 2, 2025, the festival promises to create magical holiday memories for both locals and visitors, with the iconic Dragon Bridge serving as the heart of the festivities. This inaugural event, as emphasized by Nguyen Thi Hoai An, deputy director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism, aims to offer joyful and memorable experiences, solidifying Da Nang as a must-visit destination during the year-end holidays. The festival also sets the stage for future annual celebrations. The festivities will kick off with a Grand Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, December 14, at 7:30 p.m., featuring upbeat Christmas music, talented performances by children, and a special New Year wish-writing activity. This will be followed by the Grand Opening Ceremony on Friday, December 20, from 5:00 p...

“Truc Bach Night” offers visitors an enchanting and immersive experience, a unique blend of romance and nostalgia in the heart of the capital. According to Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the event space is meticulously crafted, resembling a film set with tram cars, department stores, and historic street corners. It invites guests to step back in time and relive the memories of a bygone era. Held at Pearl Island – Ngu Xa Night Food Street from November 29 to December 1, “Truc Bach Night” is a highlight of the “Hanoi Night 2024” tourism promotion program. It captivates both locals and international tourists with its peaceful portrayal of a challenging yet enchanting time during the subsidy era. Visitors are transported back in time as they pose for photos in a recreated living room of a Hanoi family from the subsidy period. Photos: Jenna Duong/The Hanoi Times Marking a significant era in Hanoi’s history, the subsidy period la...

This is the first documentary about Vietnam’s coffee culture and philosophy, produced by Warner Bros. Discovery in collaboration with Vietnamese coffee chain Trung Nguyen Legend. Discovery spent over a year studying and launching the documentary. They spent over one month filming and interviewing many people in Vietnam, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others. The post-production was completed in two months before the documentary was broadcast in Australia and New Zealand. It will be later on air in Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, India, and other Asian countries and territories on the Discovery Channel on November 30 this week. ‘The Tao of Coffee’ offers a multi-dimensional, practical, and objective perspective on Vietnam’s coffee with statistics and opinions from Vietnamese and international experts, coffee farmers, agricultural engineers, and consumers. The documentary features the potential and strength of Vietnam’s coffee sector and ...

Bologna smoked in bamboo tubes, locally known as ‘ cha bo ,’ is arguably Da Nang’s most famous gastronomic specialty. In the neighboring province of Quang Nam, Hien’s hometown, the local delicacy is ‘ be thui Cau Mong ,’ or Cau Mong roasted veal. Both of these dishes are among Hien’s favorites, and the accountant-turned-entrepreneur hopes to put a unique twist on each of them to captivate palates throughout Vietnam. Finding purpose Hien’s entrepreneurial dreams began while he was working as the chief accountant at a well-known company in Laos. Wanting to make a change, he used his savings to invest over VND2 billion (US$81,800), hire ten employees, and open a restaurant. Unfortunately, his business didn’t last long, and he was forced to move to Da Nang with almost no money left. Over the next several years, Hien tried his hand at various businesses, including an e-commerce venture specializing in traditional medicine and a lumber company. Although the former failed, the latter ...

May Academy Elementary & Middle School, led by Hung, recently held a signing ceremony to collaborate with the football academy headed by coach Park Hang Seo. On August 30, Park and his team officially launched the international football academy under his name, with the aim of promoting the development of school football in Vietnam. Park Hang Seo speaks at the launch of Park Hang Seo International Football Academy in Hanoi, August 30, 2023. Photo: VBA During the event, Lee Dong Jun, vice-president of the Park Hang Seo International Football Academy, and Nguyen Thanh Dat, a board member of May Academy, signed a memorandum of understanding, marking the beginning of a collaborative process, as announced by the academy. The signing ceremony also included Hung. Brothers Hung, Dat, and Nguyen Phu Hoang formed a notable trio of siblings who gained attention in VBA. Nguyen Phu Hoang secures the 2018 VBA championship with the Cantho Catfish. Photo: VBA Among th...

According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, the gold seal is 10.4 centimetres high, weighs 10.78 kilograms, and measures 13.8×13.7 cm. The treasure is an important cultural heritage symbolising political power during a period in Vietnamese history, marking the transition from monarchy to modern democracy in the Ho Chi Minh era. The seal was cast in 1823 under the reign of King Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, who ruled from 1820 till his death in 1841. The Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled from 1802 to 1945, was the last monarchy in Vietnamese history. It crafted and put into use more than 100 seals, often cast in gold, silver, or precious jade. Currently, the National Museum of History is storing and preserving 85 precious jade seals of the Nguyen Dynasty. An imprint of the gold seal of the Nguyen Dynasty The seal is an extremely valuable historical and cultural heritage for Vietnam, says Nguyen The Hong, representative of the Na...