VietNamNet Bridge – The Christian community made a major contribution to helping Viet Nam overcome the effects of the global financial crisis and natural disasters this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem yesterday, Dec 23.

Tax Mall, located in the centre of HCM City, is colourfully decorated for Christmas. Festivities have already filled the street air in both Ha Noi and HCM City. (Photo: VNS)
He made this statement while expressing his best wishes for Christmas to leaders of the Ha Noi Archdiocese and the Vietnamese Protestant Church in the Northern Region.

In 2010, Viet Nam made many great achievements in socio-economic development and in improving the country's position in the international community. "The Christian community had a big role in those achievements," Khiem said. The success of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi was proof of the strength of the nation's unity, he added.

Khiem also reaffirmed that the nation had consistently promoted religious freedom and would create favourable conditions for people to follow the religions of their choice.

The Archbishop of the Ha Noi's Archdiocese and President of Viet Nam's Episcopal Council Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon expressed his gratitude for the State and Party leaders' care of the Christian community.

Northern region experiences Christmas chill

The northern region will experience a cold spell from this afternoon, the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre has announced.

The daytime temperature is forecast to drop to between 15-170C in lowland areas while it will fall to 11-130C in mountainous provinces.

Night-time temperatures were likely to plunge to between 7-90C, said the centre's deputy director Le Thanh Hai.

The temperature in the mountainous province of Lao Cai's Sa Pa Town was forecast to fall to zero and ice and snow were expected to appear along the O Quy Ho mountain pass. Hai warned that about three more cold spells would hit the northern region between January and February next year.

The past cold spell which started from the middle this month was accompanied with heavy winds and caused rough seas and high waves that claimed seven lives and left 48 others missing.

Chair of the Vietnamese Protestant Church in the Northern Region Pastor Nguyen Huu Mac reported to Khiem that in 2010, his church had gradually settled and created consistent activities for its followers.

In many other parts of the country, a Christmas atmosphere has spread, and in HCM City, roads such as Nguyen Hue, Le Duan, Le Loi and Dong Khoi have been decorated with fairy lights, Christmas trees and Santa Claus statues. A variety of performances including comedies, plays and an ice sculpture exhibition are also being held at Dam Sen Amusement Park.

People in the northern province of Ninh Binh, which is home to one of the country's largest Christian communities, have also been getting into the festive spirit. Kim Son District, also known as the ‘Christian capital', has seen an increasing number of tourists and visitors to the well-known Phat Diem Stone Church. The district has more than 77,000 Christians, who account for 45 per cent of its population.

Priest Doan Minh Hai from the Con Thoi Christian Community in Kim Son said that this year, celebrations would be particularly special, because it would mark the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the community's first two dioseces.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News