Halong bay tours: HaLong Tourism Festival 2008 gets new features
With the theme “Ha Long – Towards a world natural wonder”, the Ha Long Tourism Festival 2008 will be organized as an undersea and roadshow carnival, from April 26 to May 1. Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province, Nhu Thi Hong Lien, revealed that the opening ceremony of the Ha Long Tourism Festival 2008 is arranged meticulously, with a floating stage on the sea and a procession of ship and barge models.
Major activities will take place at the Bai Chay bridge, Cua Luc bay and support events will be held at the Tra Co tourism centre, Van Don, Ha Long and Uong Bi.
Many shows by domestic and international art troupes will be organised during the festival, including an art – fashion festival of northern provinces, unicorn-dragon dance show, a classical concert on Dau Go cave, a flag hoisting ceremony on Ha Long Bay, Miss Ha Long pageant contest, an international beach volleyball contest, a bicycle procession, an international trade fair and a food festival.
Lien said Quang Ninh invests tens of billions VND in this events and the province is now ready for the festival.
Quang Ninh currently has 13,000 rooms, including 6,000 rooms of three star standard and up and 100 ships totalling 5,000 rooms of three star standards for tourists. The province expects to welcome 15,000 visitors to the Ha Long Tourism Festival 2008.
“All activities are to call for visitors to vote for Ha Long Bay as a world natural wonder. Visitors will be exempted 50% of sightseeing fees to the bay during the festival and up to 100% on the opening day of the festival,” Lien said.
The organizing board will place computers at hotels, tourist sites, wharves, etc. to serve tourists’ vote for Ha Long Bay.
The bay is now in the top ten ranking of the selection of seven world natural wonders on website www,new7wonders,com of NewOpenWorld organization. On December 31, 2008, the top 21 sites will be chosen for the next round of selection.
Cha muc - an eating-out special of Halong
Cha muc, a fried patty of pounded squid, is the specialty of the Ha Long Bay region. The patties' unique taste arouses the desire of visitors from near and far. You can enjoy a view of the Bai Chay bridge and the flavor of Halong cha muc and steamed glutinous rice. (Photo: SGT) Usually, diners ask for a second serving of cha muc, even when tasting this food for the first time, and they want to eat it many times once they happen upon it during their trip to Halong, a renowned tourism city in Quang Ninh province that is home to a UNESCO-listed bay.
We had cha muc several times during our visit to Halong, whose sea provides a plentiful source of fresh squid for local cooks to make the fried squid paste which appeals to so many visitors.
Locals net fresh squid and then pound it by hand in a mortar until it becomes an elastic paste. Then they mix it with broken pepper and fish sauce before shaping it into cakes for deep frying in a pan until the paste cakes turn brown and smell good.
People eat cha muc when it is hot and with steamed rice rolls or steamed glutinous rice as the oily broth from the paste cakes mixes with the steamed rice rolls or rice to turn it into a delicious dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
In Halong, a dish of cha muc and steamed rice rolls or steamed glutinous rice is served with pepper fish sauce and bamboo slices pickled with slices of red chili. Such a dish helps stimulate blood circulation and keeps people warm on chilly winter nights in the north.
Visitors can eat cha muc with steamed glutinous rice at street eateries on Ha Long street, near Cong Doan hotel or near the Bai Chay bridge for VND20,000 a portion.
The flavor and reputation of Halong cha muc has gone beyond the tourist city to Hanoi, HCMC and other cities of Vietnam. However, it is in Halong where you can enjoy the authentic taste and flavor of fried squid paste.
In HCM City, Cuong Chung Co. will deliver squid paste to your door. One kilogram of regular cha muc is VND160,000 and one kilogram of special is VND220,000. Orders can be placed by calling 016 8865 6556.
