Photos honour rural women’s contributions to sustainable development

The photo 'Net xua', taken by Le Thi Kim Lien, wins the third prize of the photo contest (Source: Australian Embassy in Vietnam)

The top 40 entries of a photography contest on rural women and sustainable development in Vietnam are being displayed at an exhibition which opened at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi on October 10.

The contest, launched on this year’s International Women’s Day (March 8), was organised by UN Women Vietnam with support from the Australian and Canadian embassies to the country.

The collections show photographers’ views on female contributions to rural development in multiple areas, such as technology, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, business, leadership, decision making, and gender equality.

Addressing the exhibition’s opening ceremony, Elisa Fernandez, head of the UN Women Vietnam office, said that even without words, photos can provide an honest reflection of society and convey messages with simplicity and ease. She believes that photography is a strong tool to improving awareness of and promoting positive development in society.

She added that when looking at the photos, she is reminded of the positive changes in the empowerment of rural women in Vietnam.

Women constitute a critical workforce in agricultural production. According to the 2015 report of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, in rural areas, 63.4 percent of working women are in agriculture, compared to 57.5 percent of working men. Rural women are significantly contributing to the country's economic growth. 

However, women and girls living in rural areas are among those statistically speaking most likely to be poor; to lack access to productive resources such as land, modern inputs, technology and financial services, education, health care and other social protection services; and to be hit hardest by climate change. On almost every measure of development, rural women, due to gender inequality and discrimination, fare worse than rural men. 

The exhibition will run through until November 10.

An Duong – Thanh Nien flyover open to traffic

The flyover over the An Duong – Thanh Nien intersection seen from above. 

The flyover over the An Duong – Thanh Nien intersection, one of eight major traffic projects aimed to ease congestion in Hanoi, was opened to traffic on the morning of October 11.

Present at the opening ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for Traffic Safety, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai, and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung.

The construction of the An Duong – Thanh Nien overpass was completed after 10 months, coinciding with the celebration of the capital city’s 64th liberation day (October 10, 1954 – 2018), according to Director of the Hanoi Traffic Project Management Board Pham Hoang Tuan. 

It was built with total investment of nearly 312 billion VND (13.43 million USD), he added.

The flyover is 271 metres in length and 10 metres in width. The project includes modifications to the structure of a section of the Huu Hong dyke on the right bank of the Red River. 

In his remarks at the event, Chung said the overpass will be significant to curbing traffic congestion in Ba Dinh and Tay Ho districts and facilitate travel between Ba Dinh, the city’s political hub, and Noi Bai International Airport.

Following this project, Hanoi will consider implementing another project connecting Thang Loi Hotel with the Nhat Tan Bridge, Chung noted. He revealed the city will ask the government for a special mechanism to speed the project up.

Fight against drug crimes on Vietnam-China border proves fruitful

Police of Hechi city, the Chinese southwestern province of Guangxi, have busted a transnational drug trafficking gang involving the transportation of drug from China-Vietnam border areas to the city’s Xuanzhou district.

In the first half of 2018, while probing into a drug case, Hechi police discovered that the case involved a ring trafficking drug from China-Vietnam border areas to Xuanzhou district.

After over four months of investigation, they successfully cracked down on this gang, arresting 11 suspects and seizing over 10kg of drug.

This is one of the many transnational drug trafficking cases that Guangxi police have busted since the year’s beginning.

Over the past years, China and Vietnam have set up a joint action mechanism to fight drug crimes in border areas and enhance cooperation in this field.

In the first six months of 2018, in the joint combat against drug crimes along the countries’ borderline, China uncovered 420 cases relating to Vietnam, including 22 involving Vietnamese nationals.

Vietnam and China has a total border length of almost 1,450 km, including 1,065.6 km on land and 383.9 km on water. It traverses seven Vietnamese provinces (Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, and Quang Ninh) and China’s Yunnan province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Vietnamese tourism promoted in RoK’s Gwangju city

Vietnamese artists and delegates to the workshop introducing Vietnamese tourism in Gwangju city on October 10 

Vietnamese tourism was introduced to nearly 100 representatives of travel firms, hotels, aviation companies and media of the Republic of Korea (RoK) at a workshop in Gwangju city – one of the biggest economic, cultural and education hubs of the RoK – on October 10.

The Vietnamese side highlighted the achievements in tourism promotion between the two countries, along with cooperation prospects in the future.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Department for International Cooperation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), said people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and the RoK dated back nearly 900 years when princes of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam arrived in the Korean Peninsula to settle down, and their descendants have always acted as a bridge linking the two nations’ cooperation and friendship.

With time-tested connections, similarities in history and culture, complementary economies, and joint efforts by the two countries’ governments and people, bilateral relations have witnessed considerable attainments in various spheres, he added.

The workshop was an occasion for Vietnam to introduce its tourism products, attractive destinations and tourism investment chances to businesses and media of Gwangju.

At the event, Vietnamese Tourism Ambassador to the RoK Ly Xuong Can (Lee Chang-kun), who is a descendant of the Ly Dynasty, delivered a speech about Vietnam’s tourism. Budget carrier Vietjet Air also presented the flights linking the two countries.

This is the 10th year the MCST has organised events to promote Vietnam’s culture and tourism in Gwangju.

Also on October 10, the MCST delegation, led by Nguyen Trung Khanh, had a meeting with Chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council Kim Dong-chan.

Kim said the RoK always considers the Southeast Asian nation a good friend and an important market.

He affirmed that the Gwangju administration will give the best possible conditions for Vietnam’s cultural, sports and tourism activities, as well as the 15,000 Vietnamese people living in the city.

Over the past years, the RoK has continually been one of the three biggest sources of foreign tourists to Vietnam, surpassing 2.5 million in the first nine months of 2018. The number of Vietnamese visiting the RoK has also been on the rise, reaching over 350,000 in 2017.

New centre to be built to support medical treatment for dioxin victims

The National Steering Committee for Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences plans to build a centre providing medical support for victims of toxic chemicals including dioxin during the period from 2018 to 2020. 

The centre is part of the steering committee’s working programme for 2018-2020 which was approved in Decision 406/QD-BCDKPBMHH signed by the committee’s head – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. 

The working programme is designed to accelerate the settlement of consequences caused by post-war UXOs and toxic chemicals to basically fulfil the goals set by the national plan of actions in the field for 2010-2025. 

The specific targets set by the programme include remove UXO in 50,000 hectares of land each year in order to reduce the rate of UXO contamination to under 15 percent of the country’s total area, and detoxify 35 percent of soil volume contaminated by dioxin in the Bien Hoa airport (southern Dong Nai province). 

Another goal is mobilize international support in various forms from financing, human resources, equipment and technology for the country’s efforts to settle consequences of post-war UXO and toxic chemicals. 

The committee will direct the implementation of several pilot projects on detoxifying dioxin and other toxic chemicals in order to seek a suitable technology for Vietnam. It will build and carry out a project on treating pollution caused by dioxin and toxic chemicals at Bien Hoa airport using non-refundable aid from the US government and legal financial sources of organisations and individuals. 

The committee will provide support to localities in carrying out projects to help UXO victims re-integrate into the community, while upgrading rehabilitation facilities for UXO victims at hospitals, among other tasks.

15th WTA Hi-tech Fair kicks off in Binh Duong province

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and WTA President Her Tae Jeong look at tech product at the event 

The 15th edition of the World Technopolis Association (WTA) Hi-tech Fair opened in the southern province of Binh Duong on October 11, as part of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the WTA.

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, WTA President Her Tae Jeong, Binh Duong authorities, and nearly 100 businesses.

On display are 30 pavilions from firms of 48 countries and territories.

The 15th WTA Hi-tech Fair showcases cutting-edge technologies and services in the construction sector and smart city development, such as smart lighting and smart energy systems.

It also offers a highly-interactive platform for companies, universities, and research institutes of WTA member cities to strengthen international cooperation and exchange advanced technologies.

The event is also a rendezvous for delegates to share ideas, experiences, and information in order to bolster business opportunities, seek potential partners, and build global connection.

The fair will run until October 13 at the Binh Duong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Binh Duong became the first location in Vietnam to be selected as an official member of the WTA, which has 106 members from 48 countries and territories. 

The WTA has been implementing collaborative projects with UNESCO towards the development of sustainable urban science and the governance of cities.

Various activities to mark Vietnamese Women's Day

Vice Chairwoman of Vietnam Women's Union Nguyen Thi Tuyet speaks at the press brief. (Photo: phunuvietnam.vn)

Various activities will be held across the nation in the upcoming days to celebrate the 88th anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) and Vietnam Women's Day (October 20).

The most prominent events are the 88th anniversary celebration of the VWU and the awarding of the Vietnam Women's Award 2018 for five collectives and 10 individuals with outstanding achievements and contributions to the nation’s development, VWU Vice Chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Tuyet said at a press brief held by the VWU in Hanoi on October 10. 

Founded in 2002, the Vietnam Women's Award is one of the largest annual events dedicated to Vietnamese women, aimed at recognising the contributions, talents and creativity of Vietnamese women to national development and defence. The ceremony for this year’s awards will be held in Hanoi on October 15.

Another meaningful activity will be held for the first time at the national level is the Women's Start-up Day, aiming to unlock potential and creativity of women in economic development and start-up, contributing to raising the public awareness about the role of women in economic development and encouraging enterprises/cooperatives to improve product quality and brand building in Vietnam. The event will honour 20 excellent projects, expressing the spirit of passion and innovation in start-up.

In addition, an exchange between female scientists and outstanding female students from the University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, will take place on October 13.

The eighth annual meeting of the Asia and Pacific Nations Network (APNN) will be jointly held by the VWU and the Vietnam Association for Intellectual Women in Hanoi from October 18-20, gathering some 200 female scientists in the Asia Pacific.

In addition, the Mottainai Programme will enter its sixth season in 2018 to raise funds to support children who are victims of traffic accidents, among other meaningful activities.

Painting exhibition featuring Russian landscape opens in Hanoi

Visitors at the exhbition 

A painting exhibition featuring Russian landscapes has opened in Hanoi, as part of activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture.

The event was attended by delegation of the Vietnam-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Russian ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov; and Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), Eleanora Mitrofanova.

On the display are 50 works on different materials featuring landscapes in Russia by famous Russian painter M.V. Stoyachko.

According to Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam National Arts Museum, the event is a vivid manifestation of the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Russia. This is an occasion for Vietnam's art lovers and painters to meet and share experience with renowned Russian painters.

The three-day exhibition runs through October 12 at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum.

On the same day, under the framework of the series of events, the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Hanoi organised the cultural programme at the Hanoi Opera House by a troupe from the “Gzhel” Moscow National Academic Theatre of Dance.

The theatre was founded in 1988 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the existence and development of one of the most well-known and most recognisable traditional Russian handicraft creations, Gzhel ceramics. The theatre is known for having Russia’s most outstanding talented and creative artists.

HCMC, Cuba implement signed agreements

Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCM City Nguyen Thanh Phong on October 9 hosted a reception for Ms. Indira Lopez Arguelles, Cuban Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City.

At the meeting, the city leader highlighted the cooperation relations between Vietnam and Cuba.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, the HCMC City delegation’s visit to Cuba in June aimed at implementing agreements which were signed between leaders of the two countries, especially in the fields of health, education and tourism.

He believed that Cuban Consul General will continue to be an important bridge in promoting the relationship between HCM City and Cuba. The municipal authorities will create advantages to strengthen the relation between the two sides.

As her part, Ms. Indira Lopez Arguelles said that Cuba plans to enhance health cooperation, bringing doctors and medicine to the city. The country will also join biddings and supervise the implementation of its projects as well as promote Cuban tourism in HCM City.

American photographer to launch photo book on daily life in Vietnam

American photographer Michael Groissl will launch a photo book entitled “The Daily Life in Vietnam – The North” on October 6 and at the same time will be holding an exhibition showcasing some of his photos from October 6 to 19.

The book features Michael’s works for the last two years documenting the daily life in Northern Vietnam. It is divided into three beautiful sections namely landscape, city, and people, with high-quality photos in color and black & white.

“I fell in love with Vietnam the moment I crossed the Laos-Vietnam border, so I decided to make a photo book and combine my passion for photography and love for Vietnam,” Michael Groissl said.

“I will personally take you around Northern Vietnam and share with you some of the places from the book. I will offer a few different routes depending on your comfort level. It will be a trip of a lifetime that you'll never forget. Riding through the mountains of Ha Giang, eating with the locals in small villages, seeing Vietnam and China divided by a beautiful waterfall.”

Michael Groissl is a photographer with his sights set on documenting culture, travel, and adventure. Photographing different places and immersing himself in various cultures have become his passions over the last few years, as photography continues to take him to remote places all over the world.

Photographing everything from portraits and landscapes to food and anything else not native to his life growing up in the Western world, he placed all of this in this book in an attempt to document life in Vietnam and the north in hopes to convey the beauty surrounding the ways and life of the Vietnamese people and their surroundings.

Danang government rejects airport relocation plan

The Danang city government has rejected the relocation plan of Danang International Airport, as it was just a tentative proposal put forth at a recent seminar, Tran Van Mien, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, stated at a meeting on October 2, the local media reported.

A resident raised the question at a meeting with the municipal delegation of National Assembly (NA) deputies, asking whether reports of an airport relocation plan publicized on mass media were accurate since no confirmations had been given by the municipal government.

In response to the question, Mien asserted that the city did not have any plans to relocate the airport.

Mien added that several delegates had proposed replacing Danang International Airport with Chu Lai Airport in the neighboring central province of Quang Nam at a conference, titled “Orientations on planning and developing the Danang metropolitan region,” held by the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association in early September. However, the city did not make any official plans to pursue this proposal.

As for the plan to upgrade Danang Airport, the municipal government has worked with the Ministry of Transport to develop the airport’s third phase until 2030, aiming to accommodate 28 million passengers per year. In the near future, the city plans to renovate the airport, serving the demand for Danang’s development, as well as map out appropriate solutions, stated Mien.

The Danang delegation of NA deputies held the meeting with local residents in Danang’s Thanh Khe District to respond to their questions on multiple issues and to prepare for the sixth session of the 14th NA. The suggested airport relocation had sparked widespread public concern, along with other hot-button topics addressed at the meeting.

Food safety inspectors collect $1.7 million of fine in nine months

Inspectors check a catering kitchen 

Food safety Inspectors collected VND42 billion ($1.7 million) food safety fine in the first nine months, said the Food Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health at a meeting to implement food safety task and the government’s Resolution 15/2015 yesterday.

In the nine months, inspectors paid visits to 401,653 enterprises detecting 77,105 violators of them accounting for 19.2 percent. They handled 24,603 violations and issued fines to 21,613 units. Total fines of VND42 billion had been collected.

In addition to administrative fines, inspectors also ordered to suspend products of 195 units as well as forces 3,926 units to destroy foodstuffs which failed to meet requirements.

Because of more violation in food safety, head of the Food Administration of Vietnam Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the government’s resolution No. 115/2018 on food safety which take effect on October has raised fine on food safety violations.

Hungarian Film Week opens in HCMC

A scene in the film "Kincsem"

A Hungarian Film Week aiming at strengthening the friendly and cooperative bonds between Vietnam and Hungary opened in HCM City from October 9-11.

The event introduces to local movie lovers 10 films, including The Fly which received the Academy Award for the Best Animated Short Film in 1981, Kincsem, Think of me, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, While palms and others.

The organizers, the HCM City Movie Association and Hungarian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City hope the film week would help Vietnam people understand more Hungary.

The pictures are screening at Cinestar, 135 Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1.

HCMC’s annual concert raises fund for the poor

The 18th art program called “Thanh pho nghia tinh –Ket noi yeu thuong” (City with sentimental attachment – Love connection) is co-organized by the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and HCM City Television (HTV).

This year’s event will include an exchange with special guests who are beneficiaries of the event share the challenges they face in daily life to the city's audiences.

The concert will be broadcast live on HTV9 and HTV1 channels.

The event has collected more than VND 1,706 billion (US$71 million) to build 28935 charity houses, repair 15404 houses for the poor, grant over 43,532 scholarships, hand over 9,061 means of transport to students, offer 83,779 medical insurance cards and provide capital for business over the past 18 years.

Russian Center of Science and Culture celebrates 15th anniversary

A series of Russian cultural activities are taking place from October 10 to 17 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Russian Center of Science and Culture.

The celebrations start with performances by a troupe from the Moscow State Dance Academic Theater, Gzhel, on October 10 in Hanoi and October 12 in Ho Chi Minh City. The theater was founded in 1988 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the existence and development of one of the most well-known and most recognizable traditional Russian handicraft creations, Gzhel ceramics. The theatre is known for having Russia’s most outstanding talented and creative artists.

Gzhel is the name of a picturesque district situated some 60 km southeast of Moscow, where famous Gzhel ceramics are produced. Gzhel follows old Russian traditions of folk arts and crafts and its masters paint every item exclusively by hand. Ceramics can be described as faience or majolica, a type of pottery made from burnt white clay and covered with painted glaze. Its traditionally blue and dark blue ornaments and floral designs against the background of white glaze make Gzhel easily recognizable.

An exhibition themed “Russian Landscape” from famous Russian painter M.V. Stoyachko will be displayed at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi on October 10 to 12 and the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum from October 12 to 14.

Four Russian films - “Opera House”, “Moving Up”, “Flight Crew”, and “Salute” - will be screened on October 13 and 14 at the National Cinema Center in Hanoi, the Le Do Cinema in the central city of Da Nang, and Cinestar in Ho Chi Minh City.

A gala presided over by Ambassador of Russia to Vietnam, H.E. K. Vnukov, and Director of the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Vietnam, N. Shafinskaya, will take place in Hanoi on October 17. There will be a combination of traditional and contemporary art and music performed by both Russian and Vietnamese artists.

These events are open to everyone and entry is free. They are expected to attract some 5,000 visitors in total.

Nearly $560,000 lost in fishing boat fire

The fishing boat was engulfed in flames. — Photo courtesy of An Thới Port’s Border Checkpoint

A fishing boat caught fire on Tuesday night while it was anchored off Bãi Xếp Beach in Kiên Giang Province’s Phú Quốc District.

The boat is owned by Huỳnh Văn Sửu, who resides in Hòn Đất District.

According to Đặng Hữu Danh, chief guard of An Thới Port’s Border Checkpoint, the incident took place when the boat was undergoing repairs.

As soon as the alarm was raised, 14 staff from the checkpoint arrived at the scene to coordinate with local residents in stamping out the fire.

Fishing boats in the vicinity were asked to move away to prevent the blaze from spreading.

However, the firefighting work wasn’t easy as there was 10,000 tonnes of oil and two gas cylinders onboard the vessel.

The boat was engulfed in flames for two hours.

No casualties were reported. The losses are estimated at VNĐ13 billion (US$557,000).

An investigation into the incident is underway. 

Hòa Lạc-Hòa Bình Highway put into operation

The Hòa Lạc-Hòa Bình Highway was opened to traffic on Wednesday, cutting the travel time from Hà Nội to the northern province of Hòa Bình to one hour. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

The Hòa Lạc-Hòa Bình Highway was opened to traffic today on the 64th anniversary of Hà Nội’s Liberation Day, October 10th, 1954.

Built at a cost of VNĐ2.7 trillion (US$116 million), the 26km-long highway will shorten travel time from Hà Nội to the northern province of Hòa Bình by half compared to two hours on existing National Highway No 6.

Vehicles are allowed to drive on the highway with maximum speeds of 80km per hour.

The highway will start to collect fees from November 1 until March 10, 2046.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Thế Hùng, deputy chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee said the highway will make an important contribution to the socio-economic development of Hà Nội and Hòa Bình.

Nguyễn Văn Thể, Minister of Transport, said the project will promote regional connectivity, helping the province to attract more investors as well as create more jobs for local residents.

Constructed under a Build-Operate-Transfer model, the project is aimed at meeting the demand for transport on the road corridor between the northwest region and Hà Nội and increase the efficiency of the Thăng Long Boulevard route. It will be the driving force for socio-economic development in the northwest in general and the province of Hòa Bình in particular.