#Vietnam - Hanoi joins UNESCO's Creative Cities Network

Vietnam's capital city is one of 66 cities that were designated by UNESCO in early November as Creative Cities in various categories.
Hanoi got the UNESCO honour in the ‘Design’ category for its developed design industry, opportunities for creating designs from natural materials and conditions and the presence of active design groups.

Following the designation, the city plans to issue a long-term action program and connect its policies to promote cultural industries and enrich cultural resources, municipal authorities said.

It will also help other Vietnamese cities make it into the Creative Cities Network and contribute to the network’s development.

The Creative Cities Network was launched in 2004 to promote cooperation with and between cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.

Besides Hanoi, 11 other Asian cities entered the list this time: Wonju and Jinju in South Korea, Yangzhou and Nanjing in China, Ambon in Indonesia, Asahikawa in Japan, Bangkok and Sukhothai in Thailand, Cebu in the Philippines, and Hyderabad and Mumbai in India.

The network now has a total of 246 cities in seven categories: music, arts and folk crafts, design, cinema, literature, digital arts, and gastronomy.

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By winning the UNESCO recognition, Hanoi will get opportunities to cooperate with other creative cities in the network and can market itself as an attractive destination for visitors.

Last July the city celebrated 20 years of it being granted the "City for Peace" title by UNESCO, recognizing its contributions to the struggle for peace, its efforts to promote equality in the community, protect the environment, promote culture and education, and care for younger generations.

Hanoi has a number of architectural works with a long history like the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage site; the Hanoi Opera House; the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum; and the Nhat Tan Bridge, according to the city tourism department.

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2018 was a successful year for Hanoi’s tourism sector with a record high 5.74 million foreign visitors, up 16 percent against 2017. The capital received 4.7 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of this year, up 10 percent year-on-year.

Source - VN Express

Chiang Mai bids to become Thailand’s sixth protected site

THE CHIANG MAI World Heritage Working Group has completed its paperwork and is ready to make its submission this month to Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) to make Chiang Mai a world heritage city, Woralun Boonyasurat, head of the Thai Art Department at Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, said yesterday.

If it is successful it would be the Kingdom’s sixth location to receive such protected status.

In her capacity as head of the Chiang Mai World Heritage Initiative Project, Woralun said the submission didn’t mean the northern city would automatically obtain the status yet and there was more work to be done. 

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 Chiang Mai still has some urban management issues, especially the question of how it will be developed over the next two decades. 

“Chiang Mai City has cultural sites within the old city walls and natural resources to be protected while it is developed,” said Woralun. 

“As we work on proposing it to be a world heritage site, people might wonder if this will push this city backwards into the past or not. I can say that it isn’t the case. We are doing this because we love Chiang Mai City and see the values that should be promoted and developed. 

“The world nowadays is facing a challenge in protecting and managing the cultural and natural resources and such work must be done in an integrating manner, not each group doing its own things separately. What we aim for is for people’s wellbeing and joint happiness in future.”

 

 Sirikitiya Jensen, an adviser of the Chiang Mai World Heritage Initiative Project, said Chiang Mai City with its ancient history, culture and natural environment – especially the Doi Suthep sacred forest – should be conserved and developed sustainably with all sides’ participation to become a world heritage site, in which cultural and sentimental values can be protected in parallel with the city’s development.
 Their comments were made during the World Heritage International Convention: “Integration of Historic Cities and Their Natural Settings for Sustainable Development”, which is being held at Chiang Mai University from yesterday until Friday.

During the event, deputy director of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)’s South Asia Region Gamini Wijesuriya, along with Thai and international experts and academics, are exchanging their knowledge and experiences of international heritage in relation to historic cities. They are also exploring ways to effect sustainable development to support the “Chiang Mai World” in its bid to attain World Heritage status.

Chiang Mai City has since 2015 been among the six Thailand sites on a tentative list for consideration for World Heritage status. According to the process, the sites must be on that list for at least one year before they can be nominated for full status.

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There are currently 1,092 World Heritage Sites in 167 countries and they have all had to prove they have “outstanding universal value”. 

Thailand’s five world heritage sites are currently: the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site in Udon Thani; the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex; the Historic City of Ayutthaya; the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns; and the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Source - TheNation

#Thailand - Phanom Rung Historical Park Festival 2018

Buri Ram province, in cooperation with the Fine Arts Department and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, is organising the annual Phanom Rung Historical Park Festival 2018, from March 30 to April 1 at the Phnom Rung Historical Park.

The opening ceremony is scheduled on March 31. 

The event is usually held every first weekend of April to celebrate the unusual phenomenon when the rays of the rising sun shine through all of the Khmer temple's 15 doorways at the same time.  

This awe-inspiring spectacle takes place four times a year at the Phanomrung Sanctuary and is believed to bring great blessings upon everyone who is there to witness it. For those who wish to see the magic happening in 2018, make sure to be present at the sanctuary on April 3-5.

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Several other activities will also take place as part of the event. Not to be missed include the ‘dimensional mapping light and sound show’ and the ‘special light show’ highlighting the legend of Phanomrung Sanctuary, a ritual to worship the gods and celestial beings, as well as a grand procession and Apsara dance performances.

Visitors can also enjoy shopping for local arts and crafts, as well as souvenirs, or try a wide range of local cuisine at the traditional-style flea market. 

Having visited the Phanom Rung Sanctuary, tourists can also explore other attractions in vicinity including Muang Tam Sanctuary in Prakhonchai district, Wat Khao Angkarn – the Buddhist temple on an extinct volcano, the silk and cotton weaving village of Tambon Charoensuk, and Lamnangrong dam of Non Dindaeng district. 

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Another awe-inspiring place of interest in Buri Ram is the i-Mobile Stadium (Thunder Castle), which is currently the largest football stadium in Thailand and becoming a new magnet attracting visitors to Buri Ram. This 32,600-seat football stadium is owned by the Thai Premier League club Buriram United – a rising-star football club in Thailand. Also not to be missed is the Chang International Circuit, which will host the MotoGP 2018 in October. 

This year’s event joins the action-packed Thailand Tourism Year 2018, which promotes the time-honoured cultural events and festivals, as well as helping to spread tourism income to local communities across the country.

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Source - TheNation

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#Indonesia and #Malaysia compete in Tanjung Pinang International Dragon Boat Race.

A total of 42 teams from Indonesia and Malaysia competed in Tanjung Pinang International Dragon Boat Race that was held at Carang River, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands on Oct. 21.

The Dragon Boat Race, which was a part of Riau Islands Marine Festival, was opened with Makan Sirih traditional dance performed by seven female dancers, dressed up in red-colored Malay traditional costumes.

Tanjung Pinang mayor Lis Darmansyah explained that Dragon Boat Race was first held in 1992, previously named Bintang Dragon Boat Race. “The Dragon Boat Race came from a tradition of one of the ethnic groups in Tanjung Pinang,” Lis said.

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In the early days, the race was always held on the ocean but since 2014, Carang River has been appointed as the main location for the race. The river was chosen due to its calmer waters and no ship traffic. “There’s a ruin of the Malay kingdom located near Carang River called Rebah City Castle site,” Lis added.

Apart from the race, the festival also featured other competitions such as kayaking, middle school yel-yel (cheer chants) competition and a barongsai (Chinese dragon dance) performance.

The committee had prepared a total prize of 150 million rupiahs for winners of the Dragon Boat Race and 15 million rupiahs for winners of the Kayaking competition.

Meanwhile, winners of the yel-yel (cheer chants) competition received gifts from sponsors.

Source - TheJakartaPost

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#Macao International Dragon Boat Races, 2017

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Macao is a Chinese special administrative area located about one hour's ferry ride from Hong Kong, where its 30-square-kilometer area is packed with East-meets-West cultural fusion. 

Portuguese-Cantonese heritage-imbued nuances colors every corner of the two islands and peninsula that make up the area. The old and the new mesh between the bright city lights and old-town squares of Macao. 

Home to a unique combination of Cantonese-Portuguese elements, Macao's vibrant cultural heritage often falls in the shadows of its blinding city lights and glittering chandeliers inside its grand hotel hallways.  

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The Chinese special administrative area, which is infused with European roots across its 30-square-kilometer land, is located a short hour-long ferry ride from Hong Kong. 

Its preserved history still evident in the nooks and crannies across the city, while clusters of lavish hotel complexes, most of which host extensive casino grounds and luxurious shopping malls, greet guests upon arrival. 

is admirable about Macao’s tourism strategy is that the administration tries hard to maintain not only gaming but also tourism as its economic backbones. From having well-maintained historical buildings, hosting movie events, entertainment and world-class live performances, Macao clearly wants to expand its image.

According to Macao’s official website, http://en.Macaotourism.gov.mo/index.php, there will be 2017 Macao International Dragon Boat Races in Macao. The event will be held from May 27 to 30.

The House of Dancing Water live aquatic show in the City of Dreams in Cotai is one example. Built in a permanent venue called the Dancing Water Theater, the most expensive show in Macao features a love story, spectacular stage, music, dances, acrobatics and martial arts. With a 2,000-seat capacity and a pool holding more than five times the volume of an Olympic swimming pool, it is dubbed the world’s biggest water-based show.

When the show was first launched in 2010, people wondered whether it could create a new image of Macao. But now seven years have passed in a blink and the show that was created and directed by Franco Dragone of Cirque du Soleil continues to be successful.  

Macao also uses the appeal of the film industry to attract movie buffs. It is not unusual to hear someone say that want to visit the shooting locations of their favorite films – from the hugely popular South Korean Drama Boys Before Flowers to Now You See Me 2. Last year, the region hosted the first International Film Festival and Awards Macao (IFFAM), celebrating cinema and featuring international and Asian movie debuts.

If you want to go around the city, just hop on the free shuttle bus widely available at hotels to reach the center of attractions downtown. Public buses also ply as many as 18 different routes. 

Macao comprises the Macao peninsula and the two islands of Taipa and Coloane. The peninsula and Taipa are connected by three bridges, while Taipa and Coloane are linked by the 2.2-kilometer Taipa-Coloane Causeway.

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#Cambodia - Khmer New Year festival brings in more income

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Angkor Sangkranta, Siem Reap’s largest cultural festival held over Khmer New Year, raked in a total income of $95 million on the back of 1.6 million domestic and international visitors, a 23 percent year-on-year increase, state news agency AKP said yesterday. 

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The report quoted Minister of Tourism Thong Kong who said that total visitors continued to increase steadily while international visitors topped out at 31,800, up almost 8 percent from the year before. 

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The festival, held near Angkor Wat, was the fifth year in a row to be organised by the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia.

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