MGM Grand Las Vegas to open in Vietnam

Las Vegas firm invests in Vietnam luxury resort

May 29, 2011 about News, Travel

LookAtVietnam - Asian Coast Development Ltd., currently developing Vietnam’s first large-scale integrated resort, has entered an agreement to receive a US$95 million investment from Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment.
The Canadian real estate company, also known as ACDL, is the developer of the Ho Tram Strip, a group of integrated resorts located on more than 400 acres of land in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
With the agreement, Pinnacle has acquired a 26 percent interest in ACDL, marking its entry to the “rapidly growing Asian gaming market,” the casino operator said in a statement on Thursday.
Pinnacle said it will enter into a management agreement through 2058, with the potential for a 20-year extension, for the second resort of the multi-phase construction plans for Ho Tram Strip.
The Ho Tram Trip is located approximately 80 miles southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. The planned first resort of the beachfront project, MGM Grand Ho Tram, is under construction with a planned opening in 2013. It will be managed by MGM Hospitality, a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International.
“This transaction is an important endorsement for Vietnam’s growing profile as a world-class tourism destination, and we look forward to opening the MGM Grand Ho Tram in 2013,” Gamal Aziz, President and CEO of MGM Hospitality
Pinnacle said Ho Tram is “the ideal project” for Pinnacle Entertainment.
“We are delighted to be a part of Vietnam’s strategic vision for the further development of its tourist industry, an investor in ACDL and a partner on the Ho Tram Strip project,” said Anthony Sanfilippo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Entertainment. “Featuring luxurious amenities in a breathtaking oceanfront location, the Ho Tram Strip is sure to attract guests from throughout Asia.”
Source: Thanh Nien

My First Visit to Hanoi

Photo Exhibit by Monks

Photo exhibition by Minister and Buddhist monks

May 20, 2011  about Community, News, Social

VietNamNet Bridge – Nearly 100 photos featuring love for life are now displayed at the “Leica – Live” exhibition, which opened on May 18, at 29 Hang Bai Street, Hanoi.

The exhibition attracts the audiences’ attention with the participation of Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh and Buddhist monks. All photos were taken by Leica cameras by 25 amateur and professional photographers.
Of nearly 100 photos, some were taken in the 1990s. Ministeer Hoang Tuan Anh contributes only one black-and-white photo, which portrayed Professor of aesthetics Duong Viet A.
Two Buddhist monks, Venerable monk Thich Minh Hien and Venerable monk Thich Minh Phuong contribute pictures depicting the daily life at pagodas.
Named “Live”, the exhibition introduces pictures that were taken overseas, for example Tibet Code by Duc Thanh, Street Circus in Hamburg by Nguyen Chi Trung or Float Market in Seoul by Khuat Tuan Anh.
There are some “special” pictures, including one about the opening ceremony of a class in Phu Son Prison in Thai Nguyen Province, which was taken by Hoang Minh Tri in April 2011.
The exhibition has the participation of many famous photographers like Hoai Linh, Viet Thanh, Duong Minh Long and Tran Viet Dung.
The exhibition will close on May 24.
Some pictures at the exhibition:

Portrait of Prof. Duong Viet A by Minister Hoang Tuan Anh.

A photo by Venerable monk Thich Minh Hien.

West Lake afternoon by Phan Huu Lap.

K Hospital (Cancer and Turmor Hospital) by Tran Viet Dung.

Street Circus in Hamburg by Nguyen Tri Chung.

Billiard by Nguyen Minh Tri.

Taking pipe by Do Anh Tuan.

Musician Trinh Cong Son lighted a cigarette for musician Van Cao by Duong Minh Long.

A photo by Venerable monk Thich Minh Phuong.

A photo by Venerable monk Thich Minh Hien.

The opening ceremony of a class at Phu Son Prison by Hoang Minh Tri.

Pregnant woman by Do Anh Tuan.

Reading newspaper on the lakeside by Hoai Linh.

Incense producing enterprise by Viet Thanh.

Float market in Seoul by Khuat Tuan Anh.

Doing morning exercise on the lakeside by Tran Viet Dung.

Bicycle pumping service on pavement by Le Tung Anh.

LTH

Rice Fields of Vietnam

Beautiful scenes in the home of terraced fields

May 18, 2011  about Community, News

VietNamNet Bridge – Summer is here. The rice is almost ripe. If you don’t know where to go, let’s go to Mu Cang Chai, the home of terraced fields, to admire ripening rice.

Here are some pictures of Mu Cang Chai in the time of ripen rice:

On the road to Mu Cang Chai – the peak of Khau Pha hill.

Terraced fields.

La Pan Tan – a mountain village of H’mong, around 15 kilometers from

Mu Cang Chai. Before 1996, this village was the land of poppies. All families planted poppy.

All people were poppy addicts. The local government had to implement a special

policy to gradually rub out poppies.

In the first year, each old person was allowed to keep 100sq.m of poppy field.

The area of poppy for each old person was reduced in the second year,

and poppy was banned completely in the third year.

At present, rice has replaced poppy in this land.

Local H’mong people now have a better life. La Pan Tan has been r

ecognized as a national landscape in 2007.

Terraced field in La Pan Tan.

Cu Que Nha, a commune in Mu Cang Chai.

Ethnic minority women harvest rice.

Hai Anh (photo: phuot.com)

Cruisning Ha Long Bay

Partners