Buổi 38: Writing Task 1 – Bản đồ khu di sản: hiện tại & đề xuất (A) & thư phản ánh dịch vụ tour (GT)

The maps compare the current layout of the Thanh Lam temple site with a proposed plan for its redevelopment.

Overall, the proposal would make the site more pedestrian-friendly and provide better facilities for visitors, while the temple itself and the surrounding rice fields would be preserved.

At present, the temple is flanked by souvenir stalls to the west and a coach park to the east, and a road used by coaches and cars runs directly in front of it. Under the plan, the stalls are to be replaced by a garden, and the coach park will be converted into a visitor centre with a museum. The road will be closed to traffic and turned into a footpath for pedestrians only.

South of the footpath, the rice fields will remain unchanged. However, the coach park will be relocated to the south-east corner of the site, which means that part of the village housing will make way for it. The remaining houses will be kept in their current position, next to the rice fields.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing regarding the 'Heritage and Village Life' day tour that my wife and I took with your company on Saturday 14 November, booking reference HV2219.

According to your website, the tour included a guided visit to the Thanh Lam temple, a traditional lunch with a local family and a bicycle ride through the rice fields, with a maximum group size of twelve. In reality, there were more than thirty people in our group, which meant that we could hardly hear the guide at the temple. Lunch was served in a large tourist restaurant rather than in a family home, and the bicycle ride was cancelled without explanation, so we spent the afternoon at a souvenir shop instead.

I appreciate that unexpected problems can occur, but the description on your website was misleading in several important respects. I would therefore request a partial refund of 50% of the tour price, which was 1,600,000 VND per person, and an explanation of why the bicycle ride was cancelled.

I look forward to your reply within the next fourteen days.

Yours faithfully, Luong Van Thanh

Great guide, but the group was far too big

Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and the temple visit was the highlight of the day. However, with over thirty people, it was hard to hear her, and the advertised bike ride was cancelled. I'd recommend the company limits group sizes as promised. Worth it for the temple, but check the itinerary before booking.