The gala night was honoured with the presence of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh, and Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev.

Opening the event, Minister Avdeev said “Days of Russian Culture in Vietnam ” last year proved to be a great success as it helped increase mutual understanding between the Russian and Vietnamese people as well as strengthen the friendship, traditional cooperation and strategic partnership between the two countries.

For his part, Minister Anh said he hoped that the ongoing event will also help Russians better understand Vietnam and its people.

Artists from the Vietnam Light Music Theatre, the National Music Academy and four other art troupes performed Vietnam’s traditional dances and songs.

The show also saw the participation of well-known Vietnamese artists who had studied in Russia for years such as pianist Tran Thu Ha and violinists Ngo Van Thanh and Bui Cong Duy.

During the five-day event, various activities will be organised, including a film festival featuring international and national award winning movies, an exhibition entitled “Vietnam Culture Space” and exchanges.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will also host a seminar on this occasion to introduce the country’s tourism potential.

The event was jointly held by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the International Exchange Fund, Japanese Blue Power Sagamihara Farm Co. Ltd and Sun Travel - a Vietnamese tourism company.

At the performances, Japanese famous artist Eikou Sumura displayed the Ikebana floral arrangements by using Vietnam?s materials such as Bat Trang ceramic vases, dried leaves and branches which can be found in any streets of Hanoi.

On this occasion, artist Eikou Sumura also gave instructions on Ikebana floral arrangement to many Vietnamese.

The ship then leave for central Da Nang City.

Meanwhile, more than 1,300 Chinese tourists on board the SuperStar Aquarius visited Ha Long Bay in northeastern Quang Ninh Province, a UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage.

Saigontourist expects to receive over 1,000 tourists on board the Super Aquarius Ship at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang City on November 11, 2008.

The company has so far this year welcomed over 85,000 foreign visitors by sea, representing an 80 percent increase over the same period last year.

The poll online and offline of Vietnam’s Best Service Awards 2008, held every year since 2007, aims to identify excellent businesses in 11 categories that Vietnam committed to develop when joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), including: information services, tourism, entertainment, technical construction, distribution, education, environment, finance, healthcare, transportation and general trading.

Luxury Travel is voted among 25 businesses in tourism sector to receive the Top Trade Services Awards 2008. All of winners are businesses that have high growth speed, excellent business performance, and competitive ability and affirm its strong trademark in the market.

“We pride ourselves on being the leader in the infancy of luxury tourism market in Vietnam. The Vietnam’s Best Service Awards 2008 confirms our luxury brand among local tour operators and is an acknowledgement of our continued efforts to create the niche tourism products for high-end tourists and deliver the right experiences with best available service”, says Mr. Pham Ha, Founder and CEO of Luxury Travel Vietnam.

This is the second year in succession Luxury Travel has received The Top Trade Services Awards of Ministry of Trade and Industry with a suspended remark Vietnam’s Best Service Awards 2008 that confirms Luxury Travel provides the best and most reliable upscale travel services in Vietnam and Asia.

Donna & Peter Wilson - Sydney Australia, one of past Luxury Travel’s guests wrote “In an era where good service and true commitment to excellence is often not achieved, I can honestly say that Luxury Travel www.luxurytravelvietnam.com is the best tour company that we have ever used. We will continue to recommend Luxury Travel to any traveller to Vietnam”.

Luxury Travel Co., Ltd. (Vietnam) is a 100% fully registered and privately-owned Vietnamese company. It pioneered luxury tourism development in the early and has been emerged as one of top luxury tour operator in Vietnam. The company has won numerous travel awards and is celebrating 5 years of excellence. Among Luxury Travel’s clients are ambassadors, senators, Russian millionaires, CEOs and presidents of Oman Oil Company, royalty and Oman Royal Government ministers, French ministers, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and others.

The Vietnam’s Best Service Awards 2008 award ceremony will be live broadcast on the Vietnam National Television VTV1.