Votes for Viet Nam's Ha Long Bay to become listed as one of the seven natural wonders of the world has grown faster and is now among the top positions in the voting list.
The votes increased dramatically in recent days, said the country's Tourism Ambassador, actress Ly Nha Ky.
As of early morning November 3, Ha Long Bay, which has been recognised twice by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, received more than 4.2 million online votes and more than 6 million votes by SMS.
The SMS votes for Ha Long Bay were 4 million on October 31.
Ky, who has just returned from Can Tho Medicine University for the campaign, thanked the public for its support.
Previously, as part of the campaign, she visited the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, schools in HCM City, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Ha Noi and abroad.
Text and online messages were sent. Votes are taken on www.new7wonders.com. Text messages are sent to "halong" or "hl" to number 147. Voting will close at 7.11pm on Friday, November 11.
Argentinian wine moving in
HA NOI — Hanoian vinophiles will soon be able to taste more of the fruity wines of Argentina as South American producers seek new markets in Asia.
Eighteen top Argentine wine exporters will meet today with Vietnamese importers to exchange experiences, taste and select wines, and finalise a deal for distribution.
This round of tasting and discussion follows a seminar on Argentine wines, held yesterday in Ha Noi by the Federal Investment Council and Embassy of the Argentine Republic to Viet Nam.
"The event will introduce both investors and consumers to the strong aromas and bold flavours of Argentine wines, in which one can almost taste the sea breeze and sunlight of the Western Hemisphere," said international expert To Viet.
The Spanish were the first to plant vineyards in South America at the turn of the 16th century, when they arrived in the New World to search for gold. Argentina's grape-growing region has since expanded to cover 200,000ha, allowing the country to become the world's fifth largest wine producer, with main export markets in the USA, Canada, the UK, Brazil, Sweden and Mexico.
Hue plans more electric carts
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Votes for Viet Nam's Ha Long Bay to become listed as one of the seven natural wonders of the world has grown faster and is now among the top positions in the voting list. |
THUA THIEN-HUE — Authorities in Thua Thien-Hue Province have decided to invest VND7.5 billion (US$357,000) to buy 15 electric coaches to serve tourists visiting the royal citadel in Hue City.
Currently, tourists have to dissembark at a bus-stop that is 1km away from the citadel entrance and walk to the site. The walk is often a big nuisance for the visitors because they have to navigate the heavy traffic as well as hordes of beggars, vendors and souvenir sellers.
The decision to provide the electric coaches was made in response to tourist complaints, according to the local tourism authorities.
When the service is introduced early next year, tourists will be transferred from the bus-stop to the main entrance. Tourism authorities in the city are also planning to open coach services to take tourists around the outside wall of the citadel and to other monuments nearby.
The service will consist of 14-seat, 11-seat and 8-seat coaches. A service offering tours inside the citadel is operating with 6-seat coaches. — VNS