News

Ho Chi Minh City’s bar scene is booming, with new bars opening all the time. While some of the oldest and well-known bars did not seem to stand the test of time, many newcomers prove to be strong contenders with flawless cocktails, top-notch venues and great ambiance. Here we round up the best bars that should not be missed in Ho Chi Minh City.

Layla – Eatery & Bar

Pull up a chair at this hidden, chic warehouse-style bar nestled in a colonial heritage building. The food list will impress and the beer is solid but the cocktails are where they shine. You cannot go wrong with any on the list, but for a kick-back experience with friends, the whiskey sour feels right. Queues of locals and expats arrive at weekends, so head in early during happy hours or spend a weekday night here.

Snuffbox

No. 14 Ton That Dam is the kind of Saigon address you walk by without paying much attention. But if you notice a dilapidated 1950s apartment complex (which is opposite to the 1920s State Bank of Vietnam building), push the door on the first floor open and you will find a dimly lit, cosy speakeasy lounge. Inside, activity is truly buzzing as Snuffbox has become a stronghold for late-night drinks with regular events including live jazz and guest DJs. The quality cocktails are reasonably priced, the music and decor definitely echo the prohibition era, and a laid-back crowd of locals and expats are not looking to see or be seen.

Anan Saigon

A modern space with a chilled-out ambiance, Anan Saigon opened in April 2017 and features an array of great dishes by award-winning Chef Peter Cuong Franklin and equally outstanding cocktails. It prides itself on incorporating exotic techniques into the vibrant Vietnamese street food scene, creating an appealing blend of complexity and authenticity. The highlight is its rooftop bar for a post-dinner drink with amazing views of the old downtown market and the Bitexco Tower.

The Old Compass Cafe

Don’t let its name fool you. By night, the Old Compass Cafe is a wonderfully dark drinking hole situated on the third floor of a 1960s apartment building. The decor is tough to pin down to one particular style, but it feels homely, welcoming and reliable as if wherever you sit feels intimate. It has a small selection of wines and craft beer imported from Pasteur Street Brewing. With plenty of events including regular talks and live music on weekends, the Old Compass Cafe is the kind of place where you could come in skeptical and get won over.

Pasteur Street Brewing Company

With a multitude of medals to its name, Pasteur Street craft beer is often packed shoulder-to-shoulder at weekends. However, it’s worth squeezing into the long narrow taproom to sample some of its award-winning beers. A popular brew is the Cyclo Imperial Chocolate Stout which is bold and malty, infused with well-known Vietnamese Marou chocolate. Mind you, at 13% ABV, you might want to line your stomach with some bar food first, of which Pasteur Street has aplenty.

Source：Culture Trip

The announcement comes on the heels of government assurance that Phong Nha-Ke Bang will be safe from construction until 2030.

It might come as bad news for cave lovers as Quang Binh Province is not giving up on plans to run cable cars through the famous Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and it now has the support of the government leader.

The province proposed to build a cable car system across the UNESCO heritage site at a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Friday.

Phuc said that although the idea has garnered a lot of controversy, he and government agencies “agree in principle” with the plan. The cable cars are set to run 5.2 kilometers, or 3.2 miles, from a branch of the north-south Ho Chi Minh Highway to En Cave, which has gained global popularity since it was aired live in the U.S. talk show Good Morning America in May 2015.

Phuc ordered the project “not to interfere with the heritage site and not to be overexploited after opening.” He asked the culture and tourism ministry to assess possible impacts and consult UNESCO on the matter.

En Cave, a feeder to the world’s largest cave Son Doong, goes through a mountain for 1,645 meters and has been named one of the most captivating caves on earth by National Geographic. It is also known to be the world’s third largest cave, according to CNN and many adventure sites.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang is home to over 300 caves and grottos, which date back some 400 million years. Around 30 caves are now open to visitors, creating a tourism boom that has lifted up the poor, war-torn province.

Yet the tourism rush has come with conservation concerns. The cable car controversy in Quang Binh started in 2014 when the province announced plans to build a $212-million gondola lift into Son Doong.

Widespread opposition, including an online petition signed by thousands and concerns from UNESCO, eventually prompted the government to ask the province to scrap the project. The government has also guaranteed that no construction will take place in the entire cave system until at least 2030.

It’s not just in Quang Binh, cable cars draw controversy everywhere in Vietnam as people argue that the country is sacrificing nature for tourism.

Many Vietnamese tourist sites, including the world-famous Ha Long Bay and the country’s highest peak Fansipan, are already crisscrossed by cable cars.

Officials in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue are also seeking permission to build a cable car running through Bach Ma National Park, which biodiversity is considered one of the richest in the region.

Source: VnExpress International

Leaders of China, Laos, Cambodia, Russia, Cuba, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and the Japanese Emperor have cabled messages of congratulations to Vietnamese Party, State, government and National Assembly leaders on the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of National Day of Vietnam (September 2).

Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping sent congratulations to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang shared joy with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, respectively.

In messages, Chinese leaders said China attaches importance to ties with Vietnam and is ready to lift bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a greater height.

Lao leaders highlighted Vietnam’s achievements over the past years while expressing their thanks to the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their support and help to the struggle for national independence in the past as well as national safeguarding and building at present.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin believed that the continued strengthening of bilateral ties in diverse areas and effective joint work to deal with necessary global issues will meet interests of the Vietnamese and Russian peoples for peace and stability in Asia-Pacific.

Government and State leaders of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand committed to working closely with Vietnam to further enhance bilateral partnership across the board.

Japanese Emperor Akihito also sent a congratulatory message to President Tran Dai Quang on the National Day.

Hundreds of artists and singers joined a special art performance show in Ho Chi Minh City in the evening of September 2 to mark the 72nd anniversary of National Day.

The artists and singers performed a series of songs, dances and scenes at the Ho Chi Minh Monument Park to re-enact the country’s struggle for independence and post-war efforts for national development and integration.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong were among those attending the event.

On the occasion, a 15-minute firework display took place at Dam Sen Park in the city’s district 11.

Source: Vietnam+ , Vietnam+

Tourism development in the coming time must focus on improving quality of products to obtain sustainable development and high competitiveness.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Van Ai made the statement at a workshop in Hanoi on August 29.

He said Vietnam’s tourism has seen strong growth in recent years with the reception of 10 million international tourists and over 62 million domestic holiday makers in 2016. The total revenue was estimated at over 400 trillion VND (17.6 billion USD).

In 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has set the target of attracting 13 million -15 million foreign visitors and posting year-on-year growth of 30-50 percent, he said.

This is an ambitious goal, which requires maximum efforts of all sectors and people to turn the tourism sector into a spearhead economy.

Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan said Vietnam served over 8.47 million overseas holidaymakers in the first eight months of 2017.

According to the evaluation of the World Economic Forum for 2015-2017, Vietnam’s tourism competitive edge increased eight places to rank 67 out of the 136 global economies.

The country is moving to build itself as a safe and environmentally-friendly destination to lure more visitors both at home and abroad in the future.

source: Vietnam+

Some Vietnamese fashion brands are keeping calm amid the ‘foreign fashion wave’, saying they have advantages in the local market and with demand on the increase, the market is still large enough.

Many foreign brands, from high-street to luxury, including Chanel, Giovanni, Salvatore Ferragamo, Mango, Zara and H&M, all have landed in Vietnam. Uniqlo from Japan is also expected.

Realizing the high demand, Zara opened a shop in HCMC in September 2016. The Spanish fashion brand began selling products online on April 5, 2017 and will open its second shop in Hanoi.

In September 2017, H&M will open its first shop in Vietnam, located at Vincom Dong Khoi, just next to Zara’s shop. The Swedish fashion brand stated that Vietnam is among the five key markets that it is targeting. Nikkei reported that Vietnam is a strategic destination point for Zara and H&M in their plans to conquer new markets.

Inditex, which runs the Zara chain, said 280 shops would open in the 2017 fiscal year, while the brand would focus on five new markets, including New Zealand and Vietnam, with 93 new shops to open.

H&M also plans to open 430 more shops this year in some markets, including Kazakhstan, Columbia and Vietnam.

While Vietnamese fashion brands remain unruffled as luxury brands arrive in Vietnam, they seem to be worried about the presence of high-street brands such as Zara and H&M.

Luxury brands are reserved for a minority of consumers with high income, while high-street brands target middle-income earners and will be the major rivals for Vietnamese brands. Sources said Zara earned VND5.5 billion in revenue on the first day of operation in Vietnam.

Analysts said that Foci, a brand of Nguyen Tam Company, NinoMaxx (Thoi Trang Viet), Blue Exchange (Xanh Co Ban Fashion), PT2000 (Pham Tuong Garment 2000) and Canifa (Hoang Duong Trade & Service Co) will be affected by foreign brands because the companies target the same group of customers.

Online sellers are also rivals of foreign high-street brands in Vietnam. Vu Thuy Hanh in Cau Giay district in Hanoi said before Zara came to Vietnam, she could earn VND100 million a month from selling Zara’s products online and did not have to pay tax.

However, Nguyen Tiep from NEM, a Vietnamese brand, is optimistic about the company’s business performance. He said the market is large enough for all to thrive if businesses can find the right market segments.

Source: VietNamNet