Pen-brush opening tradition enacted in localities

Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang (front, third from right) offers incense at the pen brush opening ceremony in Quang Ninh (Source: danviet.vn)

A traditional pen-brush opening ceremony was launched at the Temple dedicated to Chu Van An in Phuong Hoang mountain, Chi Linh town, northern Hai Duong province on February 13.

Chu Van An (1292-1370) is a renowned Confucian, teacher, physician and high-ranking mandarin of the Tran Dynasty in Dai Viet (the ancient name of Vietnam).

Pen-brush opening, or “Khai But”, is a tradition which has existed for thousands of years in Vietnam, when scholars and writers penned a line of prose or poetry to begin a new-year writing period.

The same day, a similar ceremony was kicked off in Ha Long city, northern Quang Ninh province, seeing the attendance of Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang. 

The event in the localities was attended by educators, including those retired, pupils, students, and state and provincial officials.

Pen-brush opening ceremony aims to promote the studious tradition of the Vietnamese people and honor the country’s education cause.

The Chu Van An Temple has hosted a lot of activities honouring role models in the education sector nationwide.

Deputy Prime Minister asks for traffic safety in post-Tet

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai has asked relevant agencies to ensure traffic safety for passengers who will return the city after the nine-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The official made the appeal while inspecting the Hanoi Railway Station, the My Dinh Bus Station and Noi Bai International Airport on February 12.

He hailed transportation companies and the municipal People’s Committee for making it easier for family reunions during the traditional festival.

As a national transportation centre, Hanoi should work to ensure smooth and safe traffic for road users, Hai said.

The official called for the involvement of the entire political system to improve transportation quality and the sector’s attitudes towards passengers.

During his inspection tour of Noi Bai International Airport, he praised the efforts of the airport, which is among top ten airports in Asia, serving about 50 million passengers a year.

As airports play an important role in transportation and in promoting images of a country to international friends, Noi Bai should pay more attention to personnel training and service quality, he stressed.-

Uprising by national heroines commemorated

A ceremony marking the 1976th anniversary of an uprising led by Hai Ba Trung (Trung Sisters) against foreign invaders was held in Me Linh district, Hanoi, on February 13.

The function was attended by Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

In 40 AD, Trung Sisters staged an uprising against the Han invaders from China. In only a short period of time, the uprising regained the entire territory of Vietnam then.

After the victory, Trung Trac – the elder sister – became King who chose Me Linh, where the fight was launched, to be the capital.

However, the Han army returned three years later and defeated the Sisters and their army.

A temple was built after their death to commemorate the dedication of Hai Ba Trung. Meanwhile, a festival is held on the sixth day of the first lunar month annually – the day the uprising began, which falls on February 13 this year, to pay homage to the Sisters.

The Hai Ba Trung Temple Festival will last until February 17 with diverse traditional rituals and cultural activities.

Vietnamese regional Tet food featured in Da Nang

Foreign tourists visiting the central city of Da Nang during Tet, the Lunar New Year, can explore Vietnamese cuisine with regional flavors specifically designed to promote the Lunar New Year festival.

The chefs from Cafe Indochine Restaurant at Furama Resort Da Nang prepare a Tet banquet featuring the cuisines of the north, central and south region of Vietnam from February 7-14.

The northern banquet features banh chung (sticky rice cake), ‘pickled small onion', ‘traditional braised white fish in clay pot', ‘traditional dry bamboo shoots with pork's feet broth', ‘boiled chicken', and ‘Thai Nguyen green tea'.

Meanwhile, the central banquet will include ‘salted pork belly in seafood sauce', ‘braised caramel with shrimp', and ‘fried meat loaf with cinnamon flavoring'.

Tourists can taste the southern banquet, which features ‘braised pork and eggs in caramel sauce', ‘stuffed bitter ground with beef broth', and ‘steamed marinated beef meat loaf'.

The restaurant will also serve a Tet seafood buffet offering traditional dishes, such as sticky rice cake, along with regional dishes, such as ‘Hanoi-based Ho Tay (West Lake) shrimp pan cake', ‘crab meat noodle soup Hai Phong style', and a wide range of seafood, sashimi, sushi, western and Vietnamese desserts, plus a glass of sparkling wine.

Wildfire at Hoang Lien National Park successfully controlled

A forest fire that broke out in Hoang Lien National Park in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai was finally put out early morning February 11, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year (Tet).

According to Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Anh Tuan, around 8 hectares of forest were damaged.

The fire is believed to have stemmed from a large area of dead plants that were killed by heavy snowfall that hit the province last month. The dry weather along with strong gales also made the area easily flammable, he said.

The park also witnessed large-scale wildfires in 2010 and 2012, he added.

He asked relevant agencies, departments and sectors to prevent wildfires, especially in the current unfavourable weather conditions.

The fire broke out in Ta Van commune, Sa Pa district, at 13:00 pm on February 10. The burnt area is part of the buffer zone of the Hoang Lien National Park , which is over 1,000 metres above sea level.

About 200 locals, forest wardens and police were sent to tackle the fire.

After a 14 hour fight, the fire was under control, according to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Huu The.

Hoang Lien National Park covers the communes of San Sa Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van and Ban Ho in Sa Pa district, as well as part of Than Uyen district in Lai Chau province.

The 30,000-ha park was recognised by the ASEAN Secretariat as a regional natural heritage site in 2006.

Huong Pagoda Festival officially opens

The 3-month Huong Pagoda Festival, the largest in Vietnam, officially opened in Hanoi’s My Duc district on February 13 or the sixth day of the lunar New Year, with the attendance of about 50,000 pilgrims.

Going to Huong Pagoda is a spiritual journey to the Buddhist Land – where the Goddess of Mercy leads a religious life.

Sightseeing trips to pagodas, temples and caves are the main attractions at the Huong pagoda festival, in addition to ceremonies to ask favours from Lord Buddha.

Built in the late 17th century, Huong Pagoda has a large number of pagodas, temples and caverns filled with marvelous stalactites and stalagmites, about 60km from downtown Hanoi.

The Huong Tich cavern has the autograph of Lord Trinh Sam in 1770, describing the cavern as the most beautiful cave in the country.

The organising board estimated that about 200,000 tourists have flocked to Huong Pagoda over the past four days.-

Deputy PM attends opening of Dong Da festival

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the opening of the Dong Da festival in Hanoi on February 12 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year), marking the 227th anniversary of Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da victory over the Chinese Qing invaders.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Dong Da district People’s Committee Nguyen Song Hao recalled that on this day 227 years ago, Tay Son troops led by Nguyen Hue (later proclaimed Emperor Quang Trung) launched a surprise attack and defeated more than 29,000 invading soldiers right at the park.

Since then, the fifth day of the lunar first month has become an annual traditional day of historic significance to people nationwide, he said.

The victory of Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da has also gone down in Vietnamese history as an immortal and epic struggle for national construction and defence.

In 2014, the Hanoi Export-Import Company was assigned to invest in upgrading the Dong Da park with funding worth tens of billions of Vietnamese dong sourced from philanthropists.

Fire destroys shops in Ha Noi

A fire that broke out this morning in Ha Noi's Cau Giay District completely destroyed six shops, numbered 93 to 99, in Nguyen Khang Street.

No deaths or injuries were reported, but the blaze destroyed shops that sold food and interior decorations in a 200sq.m area.

Ten fire-fighting trucks were sent to extinguish the fire that was put out after an hour. The firefighters removed 10 industrial gas cylinders and a 13kg cooking gas cylinder from a food joint. Gas was leaking from some cylinders, but the leaks were plugged in time.

In a related development, a fire broke out yesterday, the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year), at a carpentry workshop that specialised in making speakers in HCM City's Binh Chanh District. The blaze destroyed about 600sq.m of the workshop and other property.

Meanwhile, a fire that lasted two hours destroyed six kiosks in the Muong Khuong Town market in the northern Lao Cai Province on Monday, the first day of Tet. No deaths or injuries were reported as everyone was on holiday for the Tet festival.

Local authorities are investigating the causes of the fires.

Various activities held to welcome Lunar New Year

Various activities were held in localities across the country on February 11 (the fourth day of the first Lunar month) to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2016, reported Nhan dan newspaper.

In Kon Tum, a canoe race took place with the participation of 97 athletes from nine communes along the Dak Bla River in Sa Thay district and Kon Tum city. The event has been organised annually since 2001, attracting thousands of spectators.

The same canoe race was also held in Krong Ana district in Dak Lak province for the ninth time with the participation of 420 competitors from three local communes, aiming to entertain local people on the occasion of Tet holiday.

In Binh Dinh province, a ceremony was organised at the Quang Trung National Museum to commemorate the 227th anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da Victory (1789-2016) to honour Emperor Quang Trung for his defeat of the Chinese Qing invaders.

In southern Dong Nai province, a boat racing competition was held on the Dong Nai River with the participation of more than 11 teams including 200 athletes from Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces.

The Becamex Tokyu Bus Co.Ltd, a subsidiary of Becamex Tokyu Co. Ltd on February 11 launched a programme to provide free bus services to passengers travelling on the Japanese-style buses no. 51 and 52 on a 20-km route linking Thu Dau Mot City and Binh Duong New City.

The programme will last until February 22 to create favourable conditions for visitors to pagodas in Binh Duong.

Hanoi becomes greener in lunar New Year

Hanoi authorities launched the tree-planting festival 2016 at the site of Ly Thai To statue on February 12.

The event, annually held at the outset of the lunar New Year, is a tradition initiated by the late President Ho Chi Minh in 1960.

The tradition, eagerly joined by different localities across the capital city, has contributed significantly to protecting the environment and addressing climate-change impacts, Hoang Cong Khoi, Secretary of Hoan Kiem district’s Party Committee, said in his speech.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai, former Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung and residents of Hoan Kiem district attended the festival.

More efforts needed to ensure traffic safety

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a directive requiring ministries, sectors and localities to carry out more drastic measures to ensure traffic safety on the remaining days of the lunar New Year holiday, or February 11-14.

In the document, Phuc, who is Chairman of the National Committee for Traffic Safety, asked transport police to intensify patrols and inspections to address traffic violations regarding drink driving, speeding and helmets.

They were instructed to deploy officers to roads and key expressways prone to heavy congestion, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, when people return for work after the holiday.

Local transport departments have also been urged to tighten inspections over the quality of transportation services and vehicles.

From February 7-10, 161 traffic accidents occurred across the nation, killing 101 people and injuring 163. The figures represent a decrease of 34.8 percent in the number of cases, 28.9 percent in fatalities and 33.7 percent in injuries in comparison with the last lunar year holiday.-

Over 53,000 people go through Noi Bai airport during four Tet days

Terminal T2 for international flights at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport served more than 53,000 passengers from February 7-10 (the 29th day of the last lunar month of the Year of Goat to the third day of the first lunar month of the Year of Monkey).

According to the airport’s Customs Department, most of the passengers were overseas Vietnamese who returned home for the ongoing lunar New Year (Tet) holidays and people who went on outbound tours abroad.

In the period, the number of international flights handled at Terminal T2 increased by 15 percent year-on-year.

Customs procedures were done swiftly and timely, which reflected positive outcomes of the municipal customs sector’s reform efforts.

The T2 international terminal at Noi Bai airport was put into operation in early 2015. It has served 41,211 flights and more than 6.1 million passengers so far.

Mountain Ba spring festival in Tay Ninh opens

The 2016 Mountain Ba Spring Festival opened at the Ba Den Mountain Historical and Cultural Relic Site in southern Tay Ninh province on February 11 (the fourth day of the Lunar New Year).

Over 100,000 tourists flocked to the event on the opening day.

It is expected that about 1.5 million festival-goers will visit the landscape during the one-month-long festival.

Ba Den is the highest mountain in Vietnam’s southeast region at 886 metres above sea level.

The site, with an abundant spectrum of pagodas and caves, is considered one of the most famous spiritual lands in the southern region, worshipping Linh Son Thanh Mau (Linh Son Holy Mother).-

Dat Mui tourism site welcomes nearly 7,000 visitors during Tet

Nearly 7,000 holiday-makers, including hundreds of foreigners, flocked to Dat Mui in Ngoc Hien district, the southernmost province of Ca Mau, on February 7-8 (the last day of the lunar year and the first lunar day), according to the district People’s Committee.

Some 4,900 visits were made to the locality on the first day of the Lunar Year only, increasing three-fold from the same day last year.

The surge in the number of tourists was spurred by the inauguration of Ho Chi Minh Highway’s Nam Can Bridge-Dat Mui section as well as improvements of infrastructure, entertainment facilities and tourism services.

Secretary of the Ngoc Hien Party Committee Nguyen Truong Giang said that the inauguration of Nam Can-Dat Mui road has opened opportunities for the locality to promote its tourism potential. Dat Mui tourism area is expected to welcome 400,000-500,000 tourists in 2016 and greet 1 million visitors by 2020, he added.

Dat Mui, about 100 kilometres away from the centre of Ca Mau city, was discovered at the end of the 17th century. It is home to mangrove forests featuring a plethora of birds, wild animals and fish as well as other untouched landscapes.

Hanoi’s new Party leader pays Tet visits to local workers

The new Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, Hoang Trung Hai, has asked the environmental sanitation, health and electricity sectors to do their best to help the city’s dwellers enjoy a warm and safe Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

Hai visited the Ba Dinh Urban Environment Company, the Hanoi Urban Development One Member Limited Company, the 115 Emergency Centre, and the Hanoi Electricity Corporation on February 7 on the occasion of the upcoming Tet.

These companies have their employees working round-the-clock during Tet to clean up streets, handle power incidents, and give first aid for accident victims.

He asked the workers to improve their working styles to make the capital city a leader in the environmental sanitation, health care and electricity supply.

Representatives from these units informed the municipal Party chief that they have had good preparations in both human resources and equipment to timely deal with arising incidents.

On February 6, the new Party leader visited the municipal Department of Public Security and the High Command of the capital city.

Central Highlands culture shines in Hanoi

The essence of the traditional culture of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands was showcased at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on February 13.

The programme, jointly organised by the Museum and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Kon Tum province draw crowds of visitors and local residents.

Visitors were lured by traditional practices, songs, dances, and folk games of the ethnic minority groups of Xo Dang, Brau, Si La, Ede, H’mong and Ba Na, performed by Kon Tum artisans.

During the event, visitors had opportunities to exchange with experts on these ethnic minorities, played traditional music instruments, joined folk games and art performances, and enjoyed the ethnics’ signature food.

Nha Trang welcomes first international cruise liner in lunar year

Volendam, a Dutch-based cruise ship carrying some 1,400 tourists, arrived in Nha Trang city’s port on February 8, becoming the first cruise liner to visit the central resort city in Khanh Hoa province in the Year of the Monkey.

Upon their arrival, five tourists who reached the land first received flowers and gifts, under the Vietnamese custom of “Xong dat” (first visitor of the year).

A number of 600 passengers took part in a tour around the city.

The ship is scheduled to leave Nha Trang at the end of the day.

In 2015, cruising showed signs of recovery with 48 ships visiting Khanh Hoa recorded. These boats brought 47,000 tourists to the province, an annual increase of 16,300 people. Traditional programmes, such as the city tour, the countryside trip and the Cai River tour, were the most popular options for visitors.

Foreign vacationers visit Khanh Hoa, Hue on Tet holiday

The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa is expected to welcome 160,000 visitors, including 40,000 foreigners, on the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, which starts on February 8.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, there will be over 180 direct flights, mainly from China , Russia , and the Republic of Korea to Cam Ranh International Airport from February 8 to 14 (from the first to the seventh day of the lunar New Year in Lunar calendar).

A number of cultural activities will be held on the occasion, including lion dance competitions, street performances, and the “Co Nguoi” contest (a variety of chess in which humans are used as chess pieces, and the ground or floor is used as a chessboard).

To ensure social order and environmental sanitation, the provincial authorities have also set up a hotline to help visitors.

The province is now home to 615 accommodation facilities with over 20,400 rooms, including 10,600 three-star hotel rooms and above.

Khanh Hoa has become an ideal destination for both domestic and foreign travellers thanks to its intriguing sea and island tourism, gentle climate, stable price and quality services.

Meanwhile, over 85,000 tourists including 45,000 foreigners have registered to visit the ancient imperial of Hue on Tet holiday, according to the central Thua Thien-Hue province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Revenue from tourism on the occasion is expected to reach 63 billion VND (nearly 2.4 million USD).

New tours have been introduced to vacationers, aiming to enable them to experience traditional Tet atmosphere and festivities.

On the last Tet holiday, the province welcomed over 75,000 tourists, including 40,000 foreigners.

Accident-related hospital admissions increase during 2016 Tet

Nearly 17,300 people were hospitalised for injuries suffered in road accidents during three days of the Lunar New Year holiday from Saturday to Monday, a 113 per cent increase year-on-year.

Nearly 1,930 of them suffered head injuries and more than 180 underwent surgery.

Ninety-eight people were hospitalised for injuries from firecracker explosions, double the number year-on-year. No deaths were reported.

About 1,970 people were hospitalised after getting injured in fights, an 83 per cent fall year-on-year. Ten of them died.

There were 104 road accidents across the country from Sunday to yesterday, in which 64 people died and 98 were injured, the National Traffic Safety Committee said.

Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, director of the Medical Services Administration under the health ministry, asked medical stations and hospitals across the country to ensure the examination and treatment of patients as well as hospital security during the remaining days of the holiday.

Medical stations must have people on duty during the holiday, including leaders, doctors and nurses, administrative workers and security guards. The people on duty must be ready to deal with cases of mass food poisoning and accidents and should prevent shortage of medicines, blood and other medical necessities.

Earlier, the health ministry set up six inspection teams to check the work of 52 medical stations across the country to ensure health examination and treatment quality during the holiday.

Master plan on anti-wastefulness approved

The 2016 Government’s master plan on thrift practice and anti-wastefulness was designed to utilize all social resources for economic growth and social security.

Under the PM’s newly-approved master plan, 2016 represents a significant year for the implementation of the 12th Party Congress Resolution and the five-year socio-economic development plan (2016-2020).

Thrift practice and anti-wastefulness were considered as the top tasks for all levels, sectors, and localities and were expected to contribute to the successful realization of the five-year socio-economic development plan (2016-2020) and the ten-year socio-economic development strategy (2011-2020).

The master plan sets to save 10% of regular spending (excluding wages) and 12% of expenditures on seminars, reception of guests, celebrations; and at least 15% of foreign travel.

It also tasks all sectors to seriously implement the Law on Public Investment; submit to the National Assembly the medium-term Public Investment Plan in 2016-2020 for approval.

Public investment restructuring will be conducted in line with Decision 339/QD-TTg, approving the overall scheme on restructuring the economy in association with the transformation of growth model towards increasing quality effectiveness and competition capacity during 2013-2020.

The master scheme sets to reduce or temporarily suspend unnecessary or inefficient projects.

Especially, it aims to cut 100% of ground-breaking and inauguration ceremonies, excluding those for projects with national importance./.  

Fishermen enter Lunar New Year with hopeful fishing trips

Fishermen in Pho Thanh commune, Duc Pho district, the central province of Quang Ngai, embarked on the first fishing trips of the Year of the Monkey on February 10, with high hopes of a bumper catch.

The launch of the fishing trips was preceded by a traditional festival which is organised on the third day of the Lunar New Year and prays for a bountiful catch.

It includes rituals worshipping the God of Nam Hai (God of the Sea), along with folk songs and dances.

Following the festival, dozens of fishing vessels headed for Sa Huynh seaport to begin their trips.

With more than 1,000 fishing vessels, Pho Thanh commune plans to catch 42,000 tonnes of seafood this year. It also plans to build 10 new fishing boats and upgrade and repair 150 others.

Meetings with overseas Vietnamese (OVs), who are returning to the fatherland for Tet, were organised in Hai Phong city and Nghe An province on February 12.

At the meeting with OVs in Hai Phong, Secretary of the Hai Phong municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the Hai Phong municipal People’s Committee Le Van Thanh welcomed and extended best wishes to the OVs. He briefed the OVs on the city’s socio-economic situation and investment in infrastructural facilities, including the Lach Huyen International Port, the Cat Bi International Airport, the Hanoi-Hai Phong Highway and the Quang Ninh-Hai Phong-Thai Binh coastal route, which are expected to strongly stimulate growth in the city.

Chairman of the Hai Phong OVs Association Nguyen Manh Cuong expressed his pleasure to return to the city for Tet and promised to make further contributions to building the motherland.

At the gathering, the OVs presented nearly VND150 million (US$6,750) to the city’s Association of Agent Orange Victims and School for Blind Children.

During the meeting with OVs in Nghe An province, contributions of the OVs to the province and the county were highlighted. Over 55,000 OVs working abroad and around 10 projects funded by OVs from Nghe An province, worth approximately VND7 trillion (US315 million), are helping to develop the province, creating jobs for local workers and contributing to innovating the province’s economic structure and boosting the socio-economic development.

OVs are always supported by local authorities and facilitated to invest and live in the fatherland.

Tree-planting festival 2016 launched in Hanoi

Hanoi authorities launched the tree-planting festival 2016 at the site of Ly Thai To statue on February 12.

The event, annually held at the outset of the Lunar New Year, is a tradition initiated by President Ho Chi Minh in 1960.

The tradition, eagerly joined by different localities across the capital city, has contributed significantly to protecting the environment and addressing climate-change impacts, Hoang Cong Khoi, Secretary of Hoan Kiem District’s Party Committee, said in his speech.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai, former Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung and residents of Hoan Kiem District attended the festival.

Filipino rescued off Khanh Hoa

Soldiers on Sinh Ton Island in Khanh Hoa Province's Truong Sa Island District yesterday rescued a Filipino who had been cast adrift after strong waves flipped his canoe.

The man was brought to the island in the central province in an exhausted and weak condition. He told the soldiers that his name was Anthongradulet, a 34-year-old resident of Nasungpo District in Batangas Province of the Philippines.

His canoe, which was carrying four other people also, was reportedly part of a boat, Jerme, which was captained by a man named Otoi. The boat carried 10 other small canoes too. The team departed from Batangas Province on February 3.

Anthongradulet was the only one who managed cling to the canoe when the incident occurred. There is no information yet about the other four people who were with him.

The island's doctors are taking care of Anthongradulet and are trying to contact authorised agencies for resolving the case.

Binh Dinh police crack down on drunk drivers during Tet

Nearly 600 fines, costing violators up to VND2 billion (US$88,900), were handed out in southern Binh Dinh province to crack down on drunk drivers and motorists prior to the Tet (Lunar New Year).

The violations were reported nearly three weeks after checkpoints on Highway No.1 and No.19 were set up.

Among those using breathalyzer tests, 140 drivers of cars and trucks were fined for having blood alcohol concentrations exceeding permitted levels, said Major Ngo Duc Hoai, deputy head of the provincial traffic police department.

Hoai added that the police also discovered many vehicles travelling at high speeds and ordered their drivers to stop for alcohol tests. Many drivers were reluctant to follow police orders and some did not accept the punishment, claiming that they drank only a few bottles of alcohol.

Hoai warned that in the days before Tet, the number of people and vehicles on the road had increased. Drunk drivers were at higher risks of causing traffic accidents, he noted.

On Friday, a drunk driver named Nguyen Phi Dung, 31, was driving a container truck at high speeds on Highway No.19, where he killed one person. Dung was later detained by Binh Dinh traffic police while trying to flee from the scene.

Under current regulations, drunk drivers with triple the allowed alcohol levels face a fine of VND12.5million ($556). Their driving licences are also taken away for two months.

Fines for drunk drivers with twice the alcohol blood levels may be fined VND7.5million ($333) and lose their drivers licence for one month.

Drunk motorists with lower alcohol levels are fined VND750,000 ($33.3) to VND2.5million ($111) and lose their drivers licences for seven days.

Number of travellers to Hanoi during TET soars

The foreign traveller count to Hanoi increased this TET Lunar New Year holiday season, with a growth rate more than one and one-half fold that of last year, says the Hanoi City Department of Tourism.

The Department says an estimated 85,000 foreign travellers came and went, which sets a new city record for all-time high equal to a 63% overall growth rate compared to last year’s holiday season.

Most of the inbound visitors came from the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, France and Taiwan (China) says the Department, while the number of local visitors to the capital city also reached a record 223,000.

Total tourism revenue for the Tet holiday season has also been estimated to have increased by 4% to US$44 million (VND984 billion).

Hanoi will celebrate Valentine’s in cold drizzle

The north of Vietnam is going to say goodbye to the Tet Lunar New Year holiday with a lot of sunshine before a heavy cold spell hits the region on February 14 night, a perfect reason for a cozy Valentine’s night.

The national weather forecast center said temperatures in the northern region increase significantly from February 12, ending the cold streak from early this month.

Hanoi’s daytime temperature peaked at 26 degrees Celsius on February 12, compared to 20 degrees the previous day, while some places in the northwestern region can be as hot as 30 degrees, the center said.

But the region will receive a heavy cold spell from February 14 night when temperatures in the northern highlands will drop to between 7 and 10 degrees and the plain areas to 12-15 degrees.

Hanoi will still be warm during daytime February 14 but temperature will drop from the evening to around 12 degrees, with a little drizzle, the center said.

The temperatures will maintain for the following week, it said.

Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces meanwhile will be very hot in the coming days, with common temperatures at around 35 or 36 degrees.

Ho Chi Minh City sees coldest Tet in 17 years

Temperatures in Ho Chi Minh City and other localities in the southern region were measured as low as 14.1 degree Celsius on February 8, making it the coldest Lunar New Year's Day since 1999, a local meteorologist has said.

Fog could be seen in many places and last until noon, according to Le Thi Xuan Lan.

Eastern localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Province, saw a decrease of 2-4oC in their temperatures from the previous day to below 18oC, she said, adding that the record temperature was measured in Dong Nai's Long Khanh Town.

Temperatures in most of Mekong Delta or western localities such as Can Tho City and Tien Giang Province, on the other hand, were measured at 19-20oC on February 8.

Lan forecast that the weather will continue to be cold on the second and third days of Tet before warming up.

Vietnamese celebrate the Tet Lunar New Year holiday on February 6-14.

Fireworks show brings chaos to Quang Ngai Province, six injured

Doctors confirmed that six people were hospitalized recently for injuries caused by a fireworks debacle in the central province of Quang Ngai.

Online cellphone footage circulated online depicting the mishap in Pham Van Dong Square, during a celebration of the final evening of the lunar calendar.

Thousands of people chaotically fled the square after fireworks shoot into the crowd.

Two patients were transferred to Danang due to serious facial burns, three others were admitted to Quang Ngai General Hospital and another patient was discharged with minor burns, said the hospital director, Pham Ngoc Lan.

“Three patients in Quang Ngai are in stable condition,” he told the media.

Vuong Dinh Tam, 16, said he was watching the display when blazing explosives suddenly whizzed toward he and his friends.

“Fireworks were exploding everywhere; everyone was terrified. I suffered burns on my chest and belly,” Tam said.

Quang Ngai authorities have yet to comment on the incident.

Vietnam banned firecrackers in 1994 for safety and security reasons while fireworks may only lawfully be discharged by government agencies during competitions and special events.

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