ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng officially decided to fine six Chinese nationals for the illegal operation of tourist services and violations of resident laws in the city with VNĐ20 million (about US$890) each.

The city administration said the six Chinese tourists, who temporary live in a rented house in Ngô Thì Sĩ Street in Ngũ Hành Sơn district, had violated regulations on immigration, residence and labour.

These Chinese tourists, 15 days after entering Việt Nam, did not declare to the local administration their intention to reside and worked in the country without permission.

They (Chinese nationals) had entered Việt Nam as tourists, but they worked as tourist guides serving Chinese tourist groups visiting the city and destinations in central Việt Nam.

Following the decision, the city assigned the immigration public security force to supervise the legal enforcement on the Chinese nationals Huang Wei, 26, Yang Chuan, 44, Xu Zhenghua, 37, and Wu Mengxing, 24, in addition to Yang Chuan, 24, and Li Guangping, 37.

Their working illegally as native language tourist guides was discovered by local Vietnamese guides, who recorded a video clip and photo of a Chinese guide, Xue Chun Zhe, distorting the history and culture of Việt Nam during a tour of the Linh Ứng Pagoda and Mỹ Khê beach.

Vice Director of the city’s tourism department Trần Chí Cường said the department had received a review from Vietnamese tour guides (Chinese speaking guides) on the illegal operation of Chinese guides and the incorrect presentation of culture and history of Việt Nam.

The Vietnamese guides also said that at least 60 such Chinese guides were working illegally in the city, and most of the Chinese travel agencies serving Chinese tour groups disguised operations with a Vietnamese licence, which were directed by Chinese managers.

In a meeting in January, the city’s tourism association, Huỳnh Tấn Vinh warned that illegal operations of Chinese and Korean travel agencies in Đà Nẵng would spoil the tourist trademark of the city and spread chaos in tourism.

He said local guides would face unfair competition against native language guides.

According to the latest report from the Đà Nẵng tour guide club, there are over 2,000 local guides working in the city, of whom 300 are Chinese speaking.

Deputy General Director of the Việt Nam Tourism joint-stock company (Vitours) Lê Tấn Thanh Tùng also said that inbound services in Đà Nẵng had been occupied by travel agencies from China and Korea.

Earlier, the city’s tourism department revoked the business licence for nine months of a local travel agency after one of its Chinese tourists burnt Vietnamese money at a bar in the city downtown.— VNS