Da Nang receives first cruise ship

Da Nang receives first cruise ship

QĐND – Sunday, January 03, 2010, 21:1 (GMT+7)

The Azamara Quest cruise ship registered in Malta docked at Tien Sa Port in central Da Nang City on January 2, carrying 500 foreign tourists from UK, Japan, the US, Canada.

Tourists visited the Cham Museum, the XQ picture embroidery centre, shopped at the Han market and took a bus sightseeing tour of the city’s centre.

To create favourable conditions for visitors to discover Da Nang, the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism provided maps, brochures about tours and organised permanent teams at various spots to provide tourist information.

After visiting Da Nang City, Hue and Hoi An (Quang Nam), the foreign tourists will continue their journey to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2009, Da Nang welcomed 44 cruise ships with over 30,000 foreign tourists. The city is scheduled to receive 19 cruise ships with about 11,650 visitors in the first quarter this year.

Source: CPV

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Da Nang: Apartments for low-income people

Da Nang: Apartments for low-income people

QĐND – Thursday, October 29, 2009, 20:4 (GMT+7)

The People’s Committee of Da Nang on October 28^th revealed a project to build an apartment complex for low-income people.

The three 10-storey block complexes include 725 apartments, which will be sold at VND 200 – 210 million each, a kindergarten, a community house, a park and a car park.

The Duc Manh Joint Stock Company and the Investment and Construction 579 Joint Stock Company won a contract to construct the complexes at a cost of VND 194 billion. It is expected that the project will be completed in June 2010.

Source: DDDN

Translated by Hoang Anh 

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Blaze breaks out at Da Lat hotel

The restaurant of the Golf 1 Hotel in the Central Highlands City of Da Lat caught fire on October 26, destroying the eatery and surrounding structures.

Firefighters struggle against flames at the Golf 1 Hotel in Da Lat City on October 26 (Photo: SGGP)

The fire was thought to be caused by a leaking gas tank.

 

Staff said the fire started in the kitchen and that only a few employees were in the restaurant at the time. No injuries were reported.

Five fire trucks and hundreds of firefighters and police were mobilized to put out the inferno and the blaze was under control within 30 minutes.

Source: SGGP Bookmark & Share

Da Nang starts on 34-storey building

Work began on Nov. 15 on a futuristic tower that will house the offices of the Da Nang administration when it is completed in 2011.

The 34-storey Da Nang Administration on Tran Phu Street is coming up on a 65,234 sq. m site and has been designed by the Republic of Korea ’s Mooyoung Architect&Engineering Co.

The 166.8-metre tall tower will have parking space for 250 automobiles and 1,200 motorbikes.

To cost more than 1.12 trillion VND (73.89 million USD), it will house the People’s Committee and People’s Council and other public departments and agencies.-

Solid waste treatment plant planned for Da Nang

Da Nang (VNA) – The Saigon Energy and Environment Technology Joint Stock Company (Saigonentec) has been issued a permit by the central city of Da Nang to build a solid waste treatment plant.

Covering 1.5 ha in the city’s Khanh Son rubbish dump, the facility will have investment capital totaling 100 billion VND (more than 6 million USD).

It will be capable of processing 600 tonnes of nylon bags, plastic products and rubber tires a day to produce industrial oil, plastic granules and industrial coal.

Saigonentec is also permitted to treat medical and industrial waste discharged from hospitals and factories in the city.

The city of Da Nang is committed to realising its plan to become an environmentally-friendly city in the near future.-

Da Nang city luxury offices find few takers

– The tall expectations of developers in the central city of Da Nang have been belied with at least 10,000 sq.m of high-end office space lying vacant for several months.

A host of “luxury” office complexes had sprung in the city over the last few years as developers prepared for the expected influx of foreign and domestic enterprises.

However, the global economic and market crises and their domestic fall-out have rendered the real market very sluggish.

The Indochina Riverside Tower (IRT), which stands on the most prime of locations in the city, typifies the trend.

The 27 million USD complex consists mainly of high-end offices. Three months after its opening, only 40 percent of its space is leased out at between 17 USD and 21 USD per sq.m per month.

IRT general director Ho Quang Dung says the quality and facilities offered by IRT are similar to upmarket offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City , but are priced at one-third of the rates at the major cities.

Dung says that “one year ago, it was predicted that there would be many foreign and domestic investors flocking to the city to do business. However, economic hardships have prevented this.”

“We are looking for suitable and affordable customers. We have no intention to cut the prices but will focus on improving service quality.”

The Hoang Anh Gia Lai office building began offering 4,500sq.m of office space for lease at 15 USD per sq.m/month a year ago, but it still has a lot of space lying vacant.

Six months after Green Plaza Da Nang, a 220 billion VND, 18-storey complex put 5,200sq.m of high-end offices on the market at 18 and 35 USD per sq.m/month, just 30 percent of the space is occupied, says director Le Quang Triet.

“We plant to offer preferential policies for renters including a reduction in services-related charges,” Triet says.

Many other offices complexes share the same fate, including the Vinh Trung Plaza, EVN Da Nang, Thien Kim and Savico.

Some companies had even planned to open stock exchange transaction floors, and branches of bank and insurance companies in Da Nang early this year, but have had to put these on hold.

While the local office market is very lethargic, several office building projects are continuing to be built in the city. These include the 40-storey Golden Square of the Dong A Real Estate Joint Stock Company, a 30-storey building owned by VinaCapital, the 35-storey Da Nang Centre, the 30-storey Han Riverside of the Vu Chau Long Property Company, and the 48-storey Viendong Meridian of the Vien Dong Technology Transfer and Investment Consulting Company.

Project owners expect the market gloom will lift soon, and the demand for office space will rise again, vindicating their investment.-

Da Nang luxury offices find few takers despite great expectations

DA NANG — The tall expectations of developers in the central city of Da Nang have been belied with at least 10,000 sq.m of high-end office space lying vacant for several months.

A host of “luxury” office complexes had sprung in the city over the last few years as developers prepared for the expected influx of foreign and domestic enterprises.

However, the global economic and market crises and their domestic fallout have rendered the real market very sluggish.

The Indochina Riverside Tower (IRT), which stands on the most prime of locations in the city, typifies the trend.

The US$27 million complex consists mainly of high-end offices. Three months after its opening, only 40 per cent of its space is leased out at between $17 and 21 per sq.m per month.

IRT general director Ho Quang Dung says the quality and facilities offered by IRT are similar to upmarket offices in Ha Noi and HCM City, but are priced at one-third of the rates at the major cities.

Dung says that “one year ago, it was predicted that there would be many foreign and domestic investors flocking to the city to do business. However, economic harships have prevented this.

“We are looking for suitable and affordable customers.We have no intention to cut the prices but will focus on improving service quality.”

The Hoang Anh Gia Lai office building began offering 4,500sq.m of office space for lease at $15 per sq.m/month a year ago, but it still has a lot of space lying vacant.

Six months after Green Plaza Da Nang, a VND220 billion, 18-storey complex put 5,200sq.m of high-end offices on the market at $18 and 35 per sq.m/month, just 30 per cent of the space is occupied, says director Le Quang Triet.

“We plan to offer preferential policies for renters including a reduction in services-related charges,” Triet says.

Many other office complexes share the same fate, including the Vinh Trung Plaza, EVN Da Nang, Thien Kim and Savico.

Some companies had even planned to open stock exchange transaction floors, and branches of bank and insurance companies in Da Nang early this year, but have had to put these on hold.

New projects go ahead

While the local office market is very lethargic, several office building projects are continuing to be built in the city.These include: the 40-storey Golden Square of the Dong A Real Estate Joint-stock Company; a 30-storey building owned by VinaCapital; the 35-storey Danang Center; the 30-storey Han Riverside of the Vu Chau Long Property Company; and the 48-storey Viendong Meridian of the Vien Dong Technology Transfer and Investment Consulting Company.

Project owners expect the market gloom will lift soon, and demand for office space will rise again, vindicating their investments. —

Da Nang bans containers of harmful shredded-steel scrap

DA NANG — Da Nang authorities have refused entry to 18 containers of shredded scrap imported by a local steel company since they contained “harmful substances”.

The director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), Nguyen Dieu, said on Tuesday that the import of the shipment – by Thanh Loi Steel Joint Stock Company — violated the country’s environment and natural resource protection laws.

The decision was made at a meeting between the DNRE, environment police, customs, and testing agency Vinacontrol Da Nang last Saturday, six days after Vinacontrol tested the contents of the containers.

In its report it described the shipment as scrap containing “harmful substances” rather than “toxic” waste.

The consignment was not “cleaned” before it entered the country, the report said.

The Vinacontrol report revealed that extraneous matters represented from 4.35 per cent to 6.78 per cent of the imported scraps, 8 to 10 times higher than the permitted under 0.5 per cent mentioned in the contract signed between Thanh Loi and Italy-based Global Real Estate and Service Company.

“The 434 tonnes of shredded scrap must be destroyed if Thanh Loi does not re-export it, and the company must bear the costs,” Dieu said.

The company would also be fined VND15—70 million, he added.

Thanh Loi Co. sent a letter to the Da Nang People’s Committee on Monday saying it disagreed with the verdict.

The customs said a further 20 containers with 546 tonnes of shredded scrap were en route to Da Nang Port. Thanh Loi signed a contract to import 1,000 tonnes of shredded scrap with an Italian company.

Huynh Van Tan, director of Thanh Loi, said however the company had not customs cleared the second shipment.

“[It] now means a waste of time and money,” he said.

According to the Embassy of Italy, the Global R.E. & Service on Monday contacted the Embassy, informing that it had provided the Vietnamese client Thanh Loi Steel JSC with all the documentation and certification demonstrating that all the shipment was controlled at the origin by an internationally recognised surveyor. The Italian supplier is ready to work with the Vietnamese authorities to clarify the issue.

The Embassy of Italy in Ha Noi said in a letter to Viet Nam News that “it is waiting to learn the results of the controls done by the relevant Vietnamese authorities. We are obviously ready to co-operate with the Vietnamese authorities, should they request our collaboration on the case.” It also said it had not released any statement regarding the origin of the shipment as reported earlier by local newspapers.—

Da Nang triumph in ASEAN U-13

HA NOI — SHB Da Nang beat Malaysia 4-0 on Wednesday to win the crown for the ASEAN U-13 Football Yamaha Cup at the central city of Da Nang’s Chi Lang Stadium.

With the support of more than 5,000 home fans, SHB Da Nang played with confidence throughout the match. Thanh Quoc scored their first goal with a free kick in the 16th minute.

Five minutes later, Viet Nguyen took Xuan Linh’s pass, which split the Malaysian defence, and doubled the score for Da Nang.

With fast attacks from the sides and good plays throughout the centre, Da Nang were the superior players and kept their Malaysian opponents under constant pressure.

Even after the break, Malaysia could not regain their footing, and in the 40th minute, Viet Nguyen completed his hat trick before Thien Chi scored an easy goal for the home team in the 60th minute.

Elsewhere, Thailand bagged the bronze medal after trouncing Phu Yen 3-1 in the fight for third place.

The three-day tournament attracted six teams in a round robin format: Thailand, Singapore and Da Nang played in group A and Malaysia, Indonesia and Phu Yen in group B.

Vu Quang Vinh, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Football Federation said that this was the first time a tournament of this kind had taken place in Viet Nam, and was a good chance for young players to learn from and get to know players from other ASEAN countries.

The tournament was co-organised by the Viet Nam Football Federation, the HCM Communist Youth Union Central Committee, Japan’s Yamaha Motor Corporation and the municipal Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. —

WB to help pollution treatment in Da Nang

The World Bank (WB) will provide 150 million USD to a 210 million USD project on pollution treatment and infrastructure in the central city of Da Nang .

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Van Minh told the press on July 16 that the city has submitted the project to the Government for approval.

The project is scheduled to be carried out in five years with the aim to basically remove pollution in the city, focusing on waste water systems at river and sea banks.-