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The signs in the B52 Museum are all gold
plated, and must have been produced at
some expense, so for them to be riddled
with so many mistakes is inexcusable.
And it is not just the boards ex-
plaining the history - warning signs,
directions and even maps are also com-
monly afflicted. For example, a notice
at the Thien Duong (Paradise) caves in
Quang Binh province warns guests that
there should be ‘No doing negative ac-
tivities to the nature.’ It also asks them
to ‘Strictly execute the fire prevention.
No marking fire, carrying explosive and
flammable materials or weapons into
the tourist site.’ Finally, visitors are cau-
tioned that ‘Drunk and mental illness
people are not allowed to visit the site.’
To have an important sign filled with
so many mistakes looks unprofessional
and lazy.
When putting up signs and publish-
ing visitor guides, it is not good enough
to rely on Google translate. The English
language, like any other, is full of intri-
cacies, especially when being used to
shed light on complicated and impor-
tant historical events. As such, it needs
to be checked by experts to ensure that
it is correct and clear.
This is an issue that has been re-
ported throughout Asia, inspiring many
websites and blogs intent on publicising
the worst offenders. I have seen muse-
ums and tourist hotspots in China, Thai-
land and Cambodia that have the same
problems. However, I was surprised on
a recent visit to the Philippines to find
that the English at tourist destinations
was for the most part impeccable, not
only grammatically and typographically
correct but also informative, under-
standable and vivid.
Other countries, too, have been
making an effort to get this right. Au-
thorities in Chinese Taipei have tried to
create an English-friendly environment
by inviting people to correct mistakes or
poor use of English on the city’s street
signs and in official publications. If a
person spots more than three mistakes
then they win a small prize. This is an
initiative that could work well through-
out Vietnam, creating a sense of com-
munity at the same time as pointing out
where mistakes have been made. It’s a
small thing, but it would make a huge
difference.
So, to Vietnam’s army of tourism
specialists I suggest that while concen-
trating on the long-term sustainable
future of the sector, you should make
sure to get the little things right first.