RoK to invest US$4 billion in Phong Nha-Ke Bang

 

The People’s Committee of Quang Binh Province has just signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ZETA Group Holding, a real estate investment organization from the Republic of Korea, to build an international leisure center at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. 

Accordingly, the project, worth US$4 billion, will include a casino area, hotels and urban facilities on the mountains, providing outdoor entertainment activities and cave exploring tours in Phong Nha-Ke Bang. 

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003, thanks to its system of 300 caves and grottos with a total length of 126 km discovered up to April 2009.

Before the discovery of the Son Doong, recognized as the world's largest cave, Phong Nha held several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways.

Source: chinhphu.vn

 

Southern provinces celebrate Khmer festival

 

A delegation from the Southwest Region’s Steering Committee, led by its deputy head Bui Ngoc Suong, visited the Khmer ethnic community in the southern province of Soc Trang on October 11 to wish them well during the 2012 Sene Dolta Festival. 

The delegation visited the provincial Patriotic United Buddhist Association and the southern school of complementary Pali education, and presented gifts to monks and nuns from the Khleang and Prek On Dok pagodas, as well as poor households in the locality. 

Later the same day, another deputy head, Huynh Minh Doan, also visited the association and people of the community in the southern province of Bac Lieu. 

Doan said that he hopes the people will promote solidarity for economic development and poverty reduction. 

On October 10, the steering committee held a get-together for officials, monks, nuns and students of the Khmer community from the Mekong Delta region. 

On this occasion, the 400-year-old Pysey Varapram pagoda in the southern province of Tra Vinh received a National Relic Site Certificate. 

During the war, the pagoda was a secret base of many prominent revolutionary leaders. 

An Giang provincial authorities also recently paid visits to 65 Khmer pagodas across the province. 

Sene Dolta is one of the largest Khmer festivals that pays tribute to ancestors and those who have made big contributions to the homeland. 

It is held from the 30th day of the 8th lunar month to the 2nd day of the 9th lunar month each year, which this year falls on October 14-16. The majority of the Khmer population in Vietnam live in the southwestern region, which counts 453 Khmer pagodas.

Source: Vietnam+

 

Hoang Su Phi terraced fields recognised as national heritage

 

According to Ha Giang provincial People’s Committee, the province will organize a ceremony on September 16th 2012 to receive the decision of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on recognizing Hoang Su Phi terraced fields as national heritage.
The ceremony will be broadcast live of VTV channel of the Vietnam Television. An exhibition on economic and cultural products in the district will be held on this occasion.
The event aims to preserve the fields and promote their tourism potential.
Hoang Su Phi terraced field is situated on six communes and established hundreds of year ago by labour force of the community and people of La Chi, Dao and Nung ethnic minority groups.
The fields were among the sites recently recongnised by the MoCST as significant parts of the nation’s heritage, including three other landscapes: the Trang An caves in Ninh Binh province, the Pusamcap cave system in Lai Chau province, and the Chua Tien caves in Hoa Binh province./.
 
Source: CPV