National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (C) starts official visit to Uruguay (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese legislator begins Uruguay visit

A high-ranking delegation of the National Assembly (NA) led by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue arrived in Montevideo on April 27 afternoon (local time), starting an official visit to Uruguay at the invitation of Senate President Beatriz Argimon Cedeira.

Hue is scheduled to hold talks and meet with high-ranking leaders of Uruguay, sign a cooperation agreement between the two legislatures, and take part in activities marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

His visit aims to consolidate and further promote the traditional friendship, solidarity and mutual support between the two countries, as well as cooperation between the two legislatures, especially when the two countries are celebrating 30 years of bilateral diplomacy this year.

Uruguay is one of Vietnam’s important partners in Latin America. The two sides will discuss ways to improve the efficiency of cooperation in various potential fields, and at the same time examine the possibility of starting negotiations for the Vietnam – Mercosur free trade agreement, cited VOV.

Vietnam and Uruguay established diplomatic relations on August 11, 1993. The two countries have maintained the fine friendship and cooperataive relations over the years.

Two-way trade between the two countries increased to more than US$100 million in 2019 from just US$27 million in 2007. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade rose 89.7% last year to US$175.1 million.

CNN names Vietnamese Banh mi among world’s best sandwiches

CNN Travel has included banh mi (Vietnamese baguettes) among its top 24 sandwiches in the world in 2023.

According to the website, Banh mi can be easily found at street vendors and food carts everywhere. This is not only a popular breakfast/lunch/dinner to Vietnamese people, but also well-known and beloved by many foreign visitors.

It is regularly ranked in the list of delicious dishes that foreign tourists must try when visiting Vietnam.

Illustrative image (Source: the Internet)

CNN said the classic version is pork-based, starring cha lua (Vietnamese-style pork roll), shredded pickled carrots, pickled daikon, cilantro leaves, mayonnaise and other ingredients. Depending on the region, travelers can taste different kinds of banh mi with various fillings. "The taste is crunchy, fresh, savory, and utterly delicious," CNN said.

The criteria for CNN’s list are being a famous sandwich that represents a country, having a delicious taste and being loved by locals.

Besides banh mi, three other Asian representatives were Shawarma and Falafel pita sandwiches (Middle East) and Katsu sando (Japanese fried pork cutlet sandwich with shredded cabbage).

Turkey honours Vietnamese rescue teams after Feb. 6 earthquakes

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 25 presented medals to 90 teams of countries and territories worldwide, including Vietnam, in recognition of their contributions to the search and rescue efforts following the deadly earthquakes.

The powerful earthquakes hit southern Turkey on February 6, claiming more than 50,000 lives. Ninety countries had dispatched 11,320 personnel, and 60 countries and international organizations had sent nearly 250,000 tents to the region.

Vietnam had also deployed two missions from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Defense to support the search and rescue work in the quake hit areas, according to VOV.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presents the honour to representatives of the Vietnamese rescue teams at the ceremony. (Photo: VGP).

“Today, we will present medals to domestic and foreign search and rescue teams who made sacrifices during the quakes on February 6,” said Erdogan.

“We will continue our efforts until the wounds are completely healed and the traces of the earthquake are completely erased,” stressed the president.

At the ceremony, Erdogan presented the honour to representatives of the two Vietnamese search and rescue teams, and at the same time presented a thank-you letter from the Turkish Government to the Vietnamese Government and the Vietnamese Ambassador to Turkey.

Activities to attract tourists during upcoming holiday

Cities and provinces nationwide are offering various tours and activities to attract visitors during the upcoming five-day holiday on the occasion of the Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30) and International May Day (May 1).

Apart from night tours of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hoa Lo prison relic site, Literature Museum and night pedestrian streets in the capital city of Hanoi, many new tours have been introduced such as cultural and spiritual tourism combined with health care in outlying Soc Son district, Bac Co - rice flower season at the National History Museum, returning to the ancient Vietnamese capital at the Co Loa citadel relic, and heritage journey at Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Bat Trang pottery village.

In the northern port city of Hai Phong, food tour has become a booming trend on the social media, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists, especially young people.

Visitors to the city could join the Red Flamboyant Flower Festival 2023 themed “Hai Phong – Shining at estuary of the sea” from May 12-14. For the first time, the Vietnam Sea and Island Folklore Festival will be held from April 28-29 with a series of scientific, sports, and cultural events.

This year, the northern province of Quang Ninh plans to launch 38 new tourism products, including the "Night Cruise Street", sailing and music on Ha Long Bay, or walking along the night and pedestrian street around Long Tien Pagoda area in Ha Long City, reported VNA.

On Ha Long Bay (Photo: VNA)

Bai Tho mountain is also reopened for tourists to experience mountain climbing, discover cultural and historical values, and check in to admire the unique beauty of Ha Long Bay and Ha Long city from above. The Ha Long Carnival Festival 2023 will get underway with many new features, promising to be a lively and colourful destination.

Localities in Quang Ninh are also launching new unique products such as the Van Don Orange Week and two pedestrian roads in Minh Chau and Quan Lan districts, camping on Ba Chau beach, Thanh Lan island, and tours of islands near the coast in Co To island district, with the first-time snorkeling to see coral reefs in Thanh Lan island commune.

The Da Nang beach tourism season 2023 will take place in the central city of Da Nang from April 28 – May 3 with various music performances, kite flying, food tasting and sport festivals.

Similar events are also scheduled in Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Quang Tri, Can Tho.

The Hung Kings Temple Festival, part of the Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week, will be held from April 20-29 in districts and townships of northern Phu Tho province, offering tourists an opportunity to experience the rituals of worshiping the legendary founders of the nation and explore unique tourism products associated with culture of the ancestral land.

On the occasion, the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage week, an international conference on tourism, culture, heritage and sustainable development of Vietnam, the Northwest Tourism Fair 2023, and the ancestral land culinary culture festival are also planned.

Le Figaro selects Vietnam as most attractive long-distance trip in 2023

French daily newspaper Le Figaro recently published an article highlighting Vietnam as one of the most attractive long-distance trips for this year.

The media outlet pointed out that Vietnam can be considered a winter destination for French tourists. However, spring is also a suitable time as tourists are able to avoid the crowds and troubles that come with travelling during the peak season.

Le Figaro also described Vietnam as the worthy destination to experience nature and indigenous cultures.

The author suggested that guests take a 16-day trip to explore the country from North to South to savour scenic views of green rice fields and gain greater insights into the tradition of knitting or dyeing indigo of the Dao and Mong ethnic communities in Sa Pa, a famous tourist destination in northern Vietnam.

Tam Coc in the northern province of Ninh Binh. Photo: viettravelo

The author also suggested that tourists spend time visiting Tam Coc in the northern province of Ninh Binh, a site which boasts sparkling rice paddies and spectacular rocky mountains and has been dubbed "Ha Long Bay on land".

Tourists can also call at the laboratory of a fragrance chemist or immerse themselves into local life on a farm run by farmers.

During the journey to the ancient capital of Hue, a local chef can take visitors directly to the market and select ingredients for a cooking class.

Furthermore, the enchanting beaches in Quy Nhon or Tuy Hoa in the central region will be the next stop before ending the journey by discovering the bustling Ho Chi Minh City.

Aside from Vietnam, the author also introduced other destinations that tourists can explore this year, including Malaysia, India, the Republic of Korea, Namibia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Costa Rica, the United States, and Iceland.

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