My Son Sanctuary’s Sanskrit texts to be translated

May 04,2018 09:02 AM

Sanskrit texts inscribed on relics at My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Quang Nam province, will be translated into Vietnamese and English with the assistance of Indian experts. The move is expected to reveal more about the cultural, historical, religious and architectural values of the towers within the complex. There are currently 31 steles with Sanskrit texts carved into bricks and stones, the main materials used in the architecture at My Son. The biggest challenge in the translation work is that many of the steles are broken and some fragments have been lost. In addition to translating the inscribed texts, the Indian experts are also helping Vietnam restore the relics as part of a project funded by the Indian Government from 2016 to 2021.

First mural road finished in “Kingdom of Ginseng”

August 05,2019 09:43 AM

A new mural road has been completed in mountainous Nam Tra My district in central Quang Nam province. The road is some 600 meters long and features 32 works, each 2.5 meters in height and 5 meters in width, depicting the beautiful local scenery, daily life, traditional songs and dance of local ethnic minority groups, and, especially, images of the district’s famous Ngoc Linh ginseng. The murals were painted by teachers and students at schools in the district to call for forest and environmental protection and the preservation and development of Ngoc Linh ginseng. According to local ginseng experts, the stems and roots of Ngoc Linh ginseng contain 52 saponins (the main component of ginseng, with the more saponins the better). Of the 52 saponins, 26 are commonly found in Korean, American, and Japanese ginseng, while the other 26 have only just been discovered, making it one of the world’s rarest ginseng.

Quang Nam targets zero plastic waste from tourism

October 07,2019 11:19 AM

Central Quang Nam province’s focus on sustainable tourism development is being represented by a range of initiatives to build a friendly tourist environment, in which reducing plastic waste is among the key measures undertaken.

The rapid development of tourism in the province has been accompanied by multiple challenges as the rising number of visitors results in an increase in the amount of waste such as plastic bottles and packaging.

The province has released an action plan to cut plastic waste, which is also a focus of local tourism agencies. The waste challenge has been turned into opportunities in some cases, such as involving tourists in garbage collection in local tributaries.

Quang Nam has also strived to promote green and accessible tourism products in the tourism value chain and created an innovative startup environment and creative design in tourism. It encourages suppliers and manufacturers of alternative materials to allow easy purchase by local people and tourist accommodation providers.

Tra Que vegetable village tours open

January 02,2020 02:26 PM

Hoi An ancient town in central Quang Nam province has officially begun ecological tours to the famed Tra Que vegetable village in Cam Ha commune, which possesses the most abundant and varied vegetables in the area.

Costing VND35,000 ($1.35) per person, the tours allow visitors to learn about the lives of local farmers and the vegetable growing process in the village, and they can also be involved in planting crops. Nearby relic sites are also within reach, as are the area’s many delicacies.

Noting the success of pilot tours to the village conducted by several travel companies, Hoi An’s tourism authorities approved a project on community-based tourism development in Tra Que. The new tour is part of this project and aims to provide a new and interesting destination for visitors to explore peaceful and hospitable Hoi An.