Photo: VGP

Japanese legislators pledged to support and enhance the bilateral relations between Vietnam and Japan.

Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Nukaga Fukushiro expressed his support on December 18 for simplified procedures for Vietnamese citizens to enter Japan, towards visa exemption.

In a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Nukaga sought to promote relations between the two legislative bodies.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (left) had talks with President of the House of Councillors of Japan Otsuji Hidehisa in Tokyo on Monday, as part of his trip to Japan. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

He also pledged to improve conditions for Vietnamese expatriates in Japan, especially in terms of their income amid the weakening of the Japanese yen.

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At the meeting with Pham Minh Chinh, President of the House of Councillors of Japan Otsuji Hidehisa welcomed the Vietnamese head of Government to Japan for the Commemorative Summit of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation and bilateral activities.

He said the visit will help strengthen the newly established cooperation framework and deepen bilateral relations in various fields between the two countries.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (left) had talks with Speaker of the House of Representatives Nukaga Fukushiro in Tokyo on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Otsuji pledged to promote the Vietnam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership in all fields, with priority given to strengthening close cooperation and exchanges between the two legislative bodies in the future.

In response, Prime Minister Chinh said that Otsuji's visit to Vietnam in September is one of the most important and meaningful events of the year, especially when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

He said the Japanese lawmaker's visit has helped strengthen political trust, understanding and exchanges between Vietnamese and Japanese parliamentarians.

Prime Minister Chinh suggested that Otsuji and the House of Councillors of Japan should further promote the role of the two legislatures, strengthen bilateral relations, and support and assist Vietnam in carrying out industrialization and modernization.

He added that Japan and Vietnam should promote exchanges and friendship between parliamentarians and young lawmakers of the two nations, and provide good conditions for more than 520,000 Vietnamese living in Japan.

Source: Hanoitimes - Economic and Urban Newspaper

Photo: Collected

Did you know that apart from driving you safely to your destination, Car Transfer Service of Vietnam-immi.Org can offer more such as accompanying you with a car in exploring cities or sightseeing the beauty of Vietnam?

Let’s find out together in this article!

Airport Transfers

Airport car transfer is a service that provides transportation for travelers to get picked up or dropped off at the airport and transferred to the customers' desired places.

After a long flight, you're exhausted and tired when you get to the airport. In addition, airports can be stressful places. You're trying to get to your flight on time, and there's always the possibility of delays or cancellations. If you're driving to the airport, you have to deal with traffic, looking for transport, and finding your way to your places.

Source: Collected

Our company provides a trustworthy and effective airport car transfer service that guarantees a comfortable and stylish ride to and from the airport. Our drivers are highly skilled and punctual, ensuring that you reach your destination on schedule and without any inconvenience. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, our transfer service is the ideal way to commence or conclude your journey. Don't hesitate any longer, reserve your airport car transfer now and relish the ultimate in convenience and comfort.

When using our service, we will greet you at the airport.

City-to-City Transfers

A city-to-city transfer service is a transportation service that picks you up in one city and takes you to your destination in another city. The services typically use private cars, and they can accommodate groups of all sizes.

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Are you on the lookout for a reliable and hassle-free way to commute between cities? Our city-to-city car transfer service is precisely what you need! Our team of professional drivers, along with our comfortable and spacious vehicles, ensures that you have a comfortable journey while we take care of the rest. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, we prioritize your safety and punctuality. Book your transfer today and experience seamless travel that exceeds your expectations!

Sightseeing Rides

A sightseeing rides service is a transportation service that takes you to popular tourist destinations in a city or region. When you're visiting a new city, there's no better way to see the sights than by taking a sightseeing ride service.

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Looking to explore the city in comfort and style? Our team of professional drivers will take you on a scenic tour of the city's most iconic landmarks and attractions, all while you sit back and relax in one of our comfortable and spacious vehicles. Whether you're a tourist or a local, our service is a great way to experience the city from a different perspective. Book your Sightseeing Ride today and discover the beauty of the city in a whole new way!

Source: BeeTrip

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Located in Duong Lam Commune, Son Tay District-level Town, the capital city of Hanoi, Duong Lam Ancient Village is the hundred-year-old indigenous site which still remains and honors such ethnic icons of Vietnamese countryside as banyan trees, wells, communal houses, and so on. On the way to Duong Lam Village, foreigners can see first-hand the only ancient village gate left in the North called Mong Phu Gate.

The highlight of Duong Lam Ancient Village tour is actually its culinary specialties. On January 26, 2024, at a formal event of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), Duong Lam Ancient Village is the tourism offering authentic northern dishes experience that received the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award for Gastronomy Tourism. 

OCOP Programme (One Commune, One Product Programme) has promoted many local products here such as Mía Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), sesame candy, peanut candy, ramie leaves rice cake, lotus meals in summertime, and Ban soya sauce with iconic jars filling a large front yard. Honestly speaking, one dish you cannot miss out on when visiting Duong Lam Ancient Village is chè lam (sweet rice cake) eaten with a cup of hot tea. Although chè lam is a common snack in Northern Vietnam, Duong Lam Village stands out with its own flavor that carries the soul of Vietnamese villages in general and Duong Lam Ancient Village in particular.

Photo: TTXVN

The dishes in Duong Lam Ancient Village often reflect the traditional practices of the Vietnamese countryside, with a preference for homemade techniques. 

Being awarded this noble title, Duong Lam Ancient Village is expected to contribute to the growth of tourism in Son Tay town by offering exceptional services and amenities in the area. Additionally, it presents a chance for various organizations to enhance the effectiveness of their tourism promotion efforts and showcase the country's timeless charm through the national destination brand “Vietnam Timeless Charm”.

There is more for international visitors to explore when they get to this old village of Hanoi. It typically takes around 40 to 50 minutes to reach Thang Long Avenue or Cau Giay - Ho Tung Mau - Road 32 from the central area of Hanoi if you are traveling by private transportation. You can also catch a bus heading straight to the place for less than $2.

Photto: Unsplash

What is Special interest tourism?

Special interest tourism, or specialist interest tourism, is a niche and tailored form of tourism that focuses on specific hobbies, activities, or experiences of a particular group of tourists. In Vietnam, there are some types of special interest inbound tourism such as golf/sport tourism, health tourism, and traveling by private jet that have become more and more popular to foreigners.

Why the new proposal?

Up to now, international visitors traveling to Vietnam looking for a unique experience still have to apply for a visa, causing trouble and inconvenience since they only stay in Vietnam for a short term, especially when most of them travel by themselves without tours. It is also not consistent with the general international rules about visa policies. 

Seeing this opportunity, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) has proposed to grant 30-day visa exemption for those kinds of tourism on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.

"Proposal to consider issuing visas at the border with a temporary residence period of 30 days and valid once on the basis of on-site personnel approval for both independent travelers and tourists traveling in groups", Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh said.

Vietnam has seen more and more individual visitors. Therefore, requiring tourists to have a visa application at the international border gate creates additional services, causing inconvenience to international tourists who want to enjoy their interests in Vietnam.

What is more?

In addition, to attract foreigners to buy houses in Vietnam, high-tech workers working long-term in the tourism industry and foreigners working remotely (digital nomad) into Vietnam, TAB proposes to add a new type of visa granted to foreign individuals purchasing residential real estate in Vietnam, with a validity of 5 years.

Besides all the proposals, starting from August 15, 2023, the Government has decided to issue e-visas to all foreign arrivals at 42 ports of entry with a 90-day validity period, multiple entries. Furthermore, the temporary residence period for citizens of the 13 countries that Vietnam offers a unilateral visa exemption policy will be increased from 15 days to 45 days.

Article 1 of Resolution No.128/NQ-CP

"Visa waiver will be applicable to nationals of the Federal Republic of Germany, The French Republic, Italian Republic, Kingdom of Spain, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russian Federation, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Finland, and the Republic of Belarus with a maximum temporary residence period of 45 days from the date of entry, no matter what visa types they currently hold or their purposes of entry, on the basis of eligibility for entry in accordance with Vietnamese laws."

Photo: baodantoc.vn

Foreigners probably have heard about the Kinh people and learned Kinh Vietnamese through media or even first-hand in their trip to this Southeast Asian country. Is that all? In fact, Vietnam is home to 54 minority ethnic groups, and each group is proud to maintain its own distinct legacy, language, and way of living within one territory, which makes Vietnamese culture more diverse and welcoming to international visitors. Let’s find out more about some large ethnic groups in Vietnam in this article! 

1. The Tay

Residing primarily in Northern Vietnam such as Lang Son, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, and Bac Kan, the Tay is the second largest minority group with more than 1,7 million of the total population. They are also known to be among the first people to set foot in ancient Vietnam from inland East Asia about 500 BC.

From decades ago until now, the Tay still inhabit far-flung areas of the North that get extremely cold during wintertime and full of wild animals danger, forcing them to build and stay in stilt houses - one of the symbols of minority ethnic groups in Vietnam.

In addition, due to some shared cultural elements and the proximity to the Kinh, Tay ethnic people were heavily influenced by the mass Vietnamese culture, from language (picking up words) to costumes (black trousers and a shirt, and the distinctive feature is that the shirt is buttoned under the right armpit, adorned with rings of unique blue material both there and at the lower sleeves). Therefore, travelers may find it hard to tell the difference between the Tay and modern Viet Kinh.

2. The Thai

Thai or Tai people are also one of the densest ethnic groups in Northern and North Central Vietnam, which accounts for 1,89% of Vietnamese. If you have a chance to travel to Son La or Lai Chau province, you can meet this beautiful Thai ethnicity from several popular Tai groups such as Black Thai and White Thai.

Tai-Kadai languages are the main language of Thai people, even though their ancestors originated from Yunnan (mainland China). The customary attire of the Thai people typically includes a colored button blouse (commonly of green, blue, pink, or purple) featuring a unique line in the middle and along the front. The bottom is a long skirt, accompanied by an intricately embroidered and notably distinctive stripe scarf.

To immerse in the authentic Thai minority culture, tourists can stay at their symbolic stilt houses and eat such specialties as sticky rice, bamboo-tube rice, rượu cần (stem liquor), and grilled meat with local herbs. During Tet Holidays, the Thai in each village also celebrate and organize festivals for visitors featuring unique Xoe dances, singing poems, and rich love exchanges. 

3. The Muong

Muong people are the fourth largest minority in Vietnam, with about 1,45 million Muong population locate in the Northern provinces of Vietnam (Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, Son La), and North Central Region such as Thanh Hoa.

As for their origin, the oldest generation is said to share a connection with ancient Vietnamese people, so their subculture is quite similar to the Kinh. Muong people use the Viet-Muong language group (Southern Asian language family), and their staple has been replaced by rice, which used to be dominated by glutinous sticky rice in the past. However, the Muong still distinguish themselves from other ethnic groups by some main features. For example, the traditional costume of women consists of a headband (a rectangular piece of white fabric) a blouse (typically in white) featuring a short body with a V-shaped neck, and an ankle-length skirt comprising two main components: the skirt body and the intricately woven skirt waist - infused with the cultural elements of the Dong Son civilization.

4. The Khmer

The Khmer are found mainly in the Mekong Delta, formerly owned by the Khmer Empire, explaining why this is the largest concentration of Khmer people outside of Cambodia. Soc Trang and Tra Vinh are two provinces with the widely spread Khmer population (27.43% and 24.11% of all Khmer in Vietnam respectively). Remember to travel to these parts of Vietnam if you love to explore the Khmer Krom culture.

The Khmer culture expresses itself through numerous distinctive cultural legacies such as traditional ancient music and dance. The vibrant dances and songs of the Khmer community encapsulate unique cultural and spiritual values. Widely appreciated art performances like the Apsara dance and Robam Khotho dance showcase the Khmer people's artistic talent and finesse. Furthermore, traditional festivals like Chol Chnam Thmay and Dolta serve as occasions for the Khmer community to gather, offer prayers, and pay homage to their ancestors.