United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had a busy schedule during his two-day visit to Vietnam (October 21-22). He met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, visited Hanoi’s Ngoc Son Temple, walked on Hanoi’s pedestrian street, and talked with locals and tourists. Mr. Guterres said: "Vietnam is a very special example.... You are an example of unity to benefit the people." Photo: Pham Hai.

A 3-5-day meditation and yoga tour is priced between VND 13-35 million (US$520 - $1,400) per person. This type of tour is still new in Vietnam. Candle meditation is part of the tour. Photo: Phan Tan Dat.

Duong Lam ancient village in Hanoi’s suburbs is famous for its old houses with walls built of laterite and earth. However, this ancient village is losing its uniqueness as many new houses are built around it. Photo: Nhat Sinh.
Many karaoke parlors in Hanoi are designed without a way out, except for the door on the first floor, in case of fire. In the photo: The window of a karaoke bar on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem district in Hanoi is sealed. Photo: Thach Thao.

A flash flood on October 2 in Ky Son district, Nghe An province caused 13 houses to collapse and submerged 50 others in mud. Photo: Nguyen Linh.
High tides submerged many roads in HCM City including Tran Xuan Soan and Huynh Tan Phat (District 7) on October 11. Some alleys turned into "rivers" and traffic jams occurred all day. Photo: Chi Hung.
Hanoi’s roads are often congested after rains, but during rush hour on the morning of October 7 at the intersection of Le Van Luong - To Huu, a tunnel that was opened three days earlier eased congestion. Photo: Hoang Ha.
The Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourism Festival 2022 took place on October 8-9 next to the majestic Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang province with many activities. Photo: Pham Hai.

On October 9, the Hanoi Open Dragon Boat Race 2022 took place at West Lake, Hanoi with the participation of more than 500 athletes, divided into 36 men and women’s teams. Photo: Hoang Ha.

The number of gas stations in Ho Chi Minh City that were out of stock of petrol and had to temporarily suspend operations totaled 67 on October 10. At 0:30, the line of customers waiting to buy gasoline stretched for more than 10 meters. Each customer was allowed to buy up to VND50,000. Photo: Chi Hung.

Nearly 93% of the workload of the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line (HCM City) has completed. The last section on this route is being urgently constructed. Photo: Chi Hung.
The Hue royal citadel in Hue City, Thua Thien - Hue province was submerged on October 15 due to heavy rain and water discharged by reservoirs. Photo: Nguyen Phong.
As Hanoi entered the most beautiful season of the year, young people flocked to the streets of Phan Dinh Phung, Thuy Khue and Yen Phu to take pictures of "flower bikes" of street vendors. Photo: Mr. Nguyen.
Autumn is the best coffee time in Hanoi.
Johnny Chen's real name is Tran Bich Chau, 33, from Ho Chi Minh City. Born female, by the age of 14, Johnny began realizing his true gender. Currently, Johnny Chen is deputy director cum consultant at a cosmetic hospital in Hanoi. Photo: Thach Thao.

Tangled electricity and telecommunications cables seen on a street in Hanoi, a danger to passersby. Photo: Mr. Nguyen.

Roads along canals in District 7, HCM City such as Huynh Tan Phat, Nguyen Thi Thap, and Tran Xuan Soan flood in the morning and evening lasting 4-7 days each time during high tides. A woman in Phu Thuan Street throws out water from her house after a night of flooding due to high tides. Photo: Chi Hung.

Hoang Ha