Prompted by her love for Vietnam, since the 1990s, Mika has created many paintings depicting major changes in Vietnam during the process of national industrialisation and modernisation.

Mika organised exhibitions in Hanoi in 2003 and the former imperial city of Hue two years later. She is planning to join hands with the Japan Culture Centre in Vietnam to hold another show at the Temple of Literature and Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum from December 6-25, 2010.

On October 16, a seminar highlighting Vietnamese and Japanese cultures took place at the 1,300-year-old Yakushiji temple, a UNESCO world heritage site.

While talking of cultural and historical similarities between the two nations and between Nara and Hanoi in particular, speakers emphasised the fact that a Vietnamese Buddhist monk brought folk songs with him when he came to manage the Todaiji temple in Nara prefecture in the 8th century. That was vivid evidence of cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Japan.

Within the framework of the trip, the visitors will explore famous tourism destinations in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi as well as the coastal city of Halong and Siem Reap Province in Cambodia.

The tour is seen as a valuable opportunity for the national flag carrier to introduce its services and promote the Indochinese region to senior officials from the French tourist industry, especially as the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi is rapidly approaching, said Le Dung, Director of the representative office.

Vietnam Airlines have also signed a cooperative agreement with Air France, under which Vietnam Airlines will operate eight out of the 11 flights that are jointly conducted by the two carriers.

(Source: VNA)

The hotel also boasts three restaurants, two bars, a fitness club, a swimming pool, four meeting rooms and a luxury conference room.

It is the only hotel in Vietnam to be featured on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2008 Hot List, garnering the honour for its “sublime” waterfront locale.

(Source: VNA)