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Travel Briefs

Dong Da festival, Vietnam

The Dong Da festival, commemorating Emperor Quang Trung’s defeat of Qing (Chinese) troops in 1789 on Dong Da Hill, located in modern Hanoi, is held annually on the fifth day of the first lunar month of the Vietnamese calendar (Feb. 20 in 2018). 

Festivities begin at Khuong Thuong temple in Hanoi, then a procession heads up Dong Da Hill with the Thang Long Fire Dragon, a symbol of victory made of straw and paper. A small reenactment of the battle is performed by martial artists, and the story is retold. Performers wear traditional costume.

Cold War museum, Lithuania

In Kaunas, Lithuania, a bunker that was built 20 feet underneath a factory during the Soviet era became a private museum in 2014. It holds more than 1,200 items relating to the Cold War, many of them still functioning, including gas masks, radiation detectors, medical equipment and KGB spying devices. 

Visits to the KGB Atominis Bunkeris (Raudondvario Pl., 164 A, Kaunas, Lithuania; phone +370 8 682 66666, www.atominisbunkeris.lt/en) must be arranged in advance. €6 (near $8).

Austria smoking ban

Beginning May 1, 2018, smoking will be banned in Austrian restaurants and bars. Fines of up to €1,000 (near $1,776) will be charged to anyone caught smoking in restaurants. Smoking in hotels will continue to be allowed in designated rooms.

Lake District steamboats

On Ullswater, the second-largest lake in England’s Lake District, visitors can take a cruise aboard a historic steamboat operated by Ullswater ‘Steamers’ (phone +44 17684 82229, www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk). 

Operating five boats (the oldest first launched in 1877) all year, Ullswater “steamers” travel about 8 miles across the length of the lake, stopping at four piers along the way. During high season, March 26-Oct. 28, “steamers” depart roughly every 20 minutes. Each is equipped with indoor and outdoor seating, a licensed bar and bathrooms. 

Incheon Airport layover tours

Travelers with a layover at Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea, can choose from any of a number of free Transit Tours that fit their flight schedule, each led by an English-speaking guide. Tours are available in one- to 5-hour lengths and can include visits to historic sites and shopping. 

To book a tour, visit one of the three Transit Tour desks in front of gates 25 and 29 on the second floor or, on the first floor after Immigration, at desks 41 and 42 in front of gate 8. Entry fees and meals are not included.

Azalea festival, Tokyo

In Tokyo’s Bunkyo¯ Ward, more than 3,000 azaleas of at least 100 species can be found on the grounds of the Nezu Shrine (1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo¯, Tokyo 113-0031, Japan; www.nedu jinja.or.jp [in Japanese only]). 

Each April and May, the Tsutsuji Matsuri, or Bunkyo¯  Azalea Festival, celebrates the blooming trees. In 2018, the festival will be held April 7-May 4, with performances at the shrine daily.

Modern African art

In Cape Town, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (V&A Waterfront Silo District, S. Arm Road, Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa; phone +27 87 350 4777, zeitzmocaa.museum) opened on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront on Sept. 22. 

Spread across nine floors, more than 100 galleries are dedicated to 21st-century African art. The Zeitz MOCAA, built from a former grain silo, is the largest modern art facility in Africa. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except Tuesday. ZAR180 (near $13.30); under 18 years old free.

New Malaysia tourist tax

As of Sept. 1, 2017, all international visitors staying in any accommodations in Malaysia will be charged a tourist tax of MYR10 (near $2.40) per night. This tax will not be reflected in hotel reservation costs and must be paid on location at the time of stay.

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