Torrential rains wreak havoc on Quang Nam

Many local houses have been inundated by floodwater 

Torrential rains from December 9-12 took the lives of four people and caused economic damage of 126 billion VND in the central province of Quang Nam, the provincial National Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue office reported on December 14.

Under an average rainfall of 421.61 mm, 17,600 households in Tam Ky city, Phu Ninh and Thang Binh districts had their houses inundated, with 5,991 left their homes to move to safer places.

Some 93 ha of paddy rice were ruined, 976 ha of cash crops submerged, 1.1 km of embankments eroded, 25 irrigation dams damaged, and 300 ha of shrimp farms affected, it said.

Social and political organizations and local people are taking activities to assist rebuilding efforts of the people living in affected areas.

Vietnam pays heed to legal aid for the poor

At the forum co-held by the Ministry of Justice and the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam on December 13 in Hanoi.

The Vietnamese Government has made great efforts in completing the legal system and organising law enforcement to provide the best conditions for the poor and vulnerable groups to engage in political, socio-economic and cultural activities.

The statement was made by Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Khanh Ngoc at a forum co-held by the Ministry of Justice and the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam on December 13 in Hanoi.

He stressed that taking care of and protecting the poor and vulnerable people is always a priority of Vietnam’s socio-economic development policy.

The 2013 Constitution and numerous laws enforced by the country reflect the country’s consistent viewpoint of promoting and protecting human rights, especially the rights and interests of poor people and vulnerable groups, he said.

Head of the EU delegation Bruno Angelet said the policy dialogue between the justice ministry and the delegation was an important mechanism to improve transparency in judicial activities.

With more than 20 years of cooperation between the two sides in legal affairs, the EU delegation confirmed its commitment to supporting Vietnam in developing public services with an emphasis on the inclusion of the people, civil groups and the private sector.

UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative to Vietnam Kamal Malhotra stressed the importance of providing legal support to poor people and vulnerable groups as their ability to afford legal consults is often limited. Malhotra said Vietnam’s revised Law on Legal Aid has set the foundation to assist poor people and vulnerable groups to access legal aid and more public services.

During the forum, which has been an annual exchange between Vietnam and its international partners since 2004, more than 120 delegates and experts shared insights and experience in domestic and international practices in securing legal aid and the implementation of the laws to protect and support poor people and vulnerable groups.

Vietnamese agencies honoured with JICA President Award

At the award ceremont (Source: qdnd.vn)

Two Vietnamese agencies on December 13 received the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Award 2018 for their contributions to Vietnam’s development through international cooperation.  

The National Banknote Printing Plant (NBPP) under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC) of the Health Ministry were both honoured.

The NBPP has worked with the Japanese agency to run a project to strengthen capacity in printing ink production since 2014. 

Additionally, the POLYVAC and JICA have cooperated on a technical cooperation project to improve measles-rubella combined vaccine production. 

Under the project, which has a total funding of 707 million JPY (7.51 million USD), Japanese experts have been dispatched to Vietnam for technological transfer and their Vietnamese peers have been trained in Japan. 

The annual JICA President Award was first launched in 1975 to honour individuals and organisations which make significant contributions to socio-economic development and personnel training in developing countries through international cooperation. 

Awards were presented to 38 individuals and 14 collectives this year. 

The JICA’s cooperation programmes in Vietnam focus on spurring economic growth, enhancing the country’s international competitive edge, supporting vulnerable groups and strengthening State administration.

Vietnam tourism promoted in India

Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau talks to representatives of travel agencies in India 

Vietnam has eight UNESCO world heritages, intact historical sites and breathtaking beaches, said Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau at a promotion programme in Mumbai on December 13.

Introducing Vietnamese tourism at the event, the diplomat said tourists can find Indian cultural features at local Indian restaurants and at ancient Hindu temples in Ho Chi Minh City and My Son Sanctuary in Hoi An.

Vietnam has adequate services to server visitors’ demand for shopping, entertainment, cuisine exploration, honeymoon and conference participation, he said.

Chau took the occasion to invite Indian tour operators and travel agencies to join Vietnamese tourism promotion activities and expand their operation in Vietnam.

As part of the programme, the Vietnam Embassy delegation held meetings with leaders of localities and businesses to discuss cooperation in culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

Earlier, the embassy held a similar programme in the capital New Delhi on December 4. These events were opportunities for travel agencies to connect and boost tourism activities between Vietnam and India.    

In 2018, tourist volume between the two countries reached about 200,000 and is projected to increase in the coming years.

Dong Nai strengthens Vietnamese teaching to pre-school, primary students

The People’s Committee of the southern province of Dong Nai plans to implement a project to teach Vietnamese to pre-school children and primary students from ethnic minority groups in 2018-2020 with a vision to 2025.

According to the committee, most of the ethnic minority children do not have adequate Vietnamese language skills when they enter the first grade. 

Therefore, strengthening Vietnamese teaching is necessary for them to complete pre-school and primary education programmes, while contributing to enhancing the living quality of the groups, the committee added.

The project also aims to improve the capacity of officials and teachers at education facilities, supply more teaching tools to them and foster coordination between schools and parents as well as the community to enhance the quality of Vietnamese teaching.

From now to 2020, the province will call for at least 25 percent of ethnic minority children in nursery ages and 65 percent of children at pre-school ages to attend the classes.

The province targets all local ethnic minority children being able to communicate in Vietnamese fluently but still maintain their mother languages.

In 2025, the province expects 40 percent of ethnic minority children at pre-school ages and 85 percent of ethnic minority children at nursery ages to attend the classes, along with all primary school children.

All pre-schools and primary schools of Dong Nai are also expected to receive support in equipment and teaching tools.

The project will be paid for by the State budget.

3 VN cities among cheapest to work remotely: Australian TV

Nha Trang beach in Khánh Hoà Province. 

Australian TV channel Nine has listed Nha Trang, Hà Nội and Đà Lạt in its top 10 cheapest locations to work remotely.

The list is based on factors such as cost of living, internet speed, weather, the cost of beer, and friendliness.

Ranked number one in the list is the beach town of Nha Trang in the central Khánh Hoà Province.

Hà Nội ranks fifth, with the site saying the city is very easy to navigate by foot and an expat could live comfortably on $859 a month. Đà Lạt slots in behind Hà Nội at number six.

HSBC’s latest Expat Explorer report released in October ranked Việt Nam 19th among the world’s best destinations for expats in 2018. The average annual income for expats in Việt Nam is $90,408. 

New bus service from Tân Sơn Nhất airport to Vũng Tàu

A new bus on HCM City’s Tân Sơn Nhất Airport - Bến Thành route. — File Photo

The HCM City People’s Committee has instructed the Department of Transport to operate a bus service between Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport and the resort city of Vũng Tàu 110km to the east.

The bus, to start this month, will run from midnight to 11.30 pm. The new bus will be equipped with Wi-fi and air conditioning. Assistance regarding flight booking, check-in and luggage will also be provided, according to the news source.

The fare is expected to be VNĐ180,000 ($7.72). 

Saigontourist launches festive season tours

An aerial view of Phú Quốc Island. — Photo bnews.vn

Saigontourist Travel Service Company is offering numerous inbound and outbound tours for the upcoming festive season.

They include two- and four-day trips by bus departing on December 29, 30 and 31 to Nha Trang, Hồ Tràm, Phan Thiết, and Đà Lạt costing from VNĐ3 million (US$ 134) and to the Mekong Delta costing from VNĐ2 million ($89).

There are also three- to five-day tours by flight to Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, Tuy Hòa, Quy Nhơn, Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Huế, Quảng Bình, Hà Nội, Ninh Bình, Hạ Long, Sa Pa, Lào Cai, Phú Thọ, Mộc Châu, Sơn La, and Điện Biên.

Saigontourist has also announced outbound tours, including the 11-day Premium Travel US tour covering New York, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Universal Studios, and Los Angeles and costing VNĐ105 million ($4,700).

The travel agency also operates a number of tours to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Egypt, Dubai, and Southeast and East Asia. 

Island adds more speed boats for travel

A speedboat docks at Lý Sơn Island. The island district, off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province, has added more speedboats to serve travellers and commuters between the island and mainland. 

Lý Sơn Island’s transport co-operative has launched a 148-seat high-speed boat for travel between the mainland Sa Kỳ Port and the island during summer and Tết (lunar New Year) holidays.

Chairman of the Lý Sơn Island co-operative, Nguyễn Văn Định said the An Vĩnh Express boat, the fifth of its kind, was prepared with total investment of VNĐ24 billion (US$1 million) will operate from next month.

He said the co-operative is operating five boats from 148-seat to 266-seat daily on the 30-nautical mile route between mainland Quảng Ngãi Province to the island.

The new boat will help cut travel time from one hour to 30 minutes between Sa Kỳ Port and Lý Sơn Island, while a ticket costing from VNĐ160,000 ($7) to VNĐ170,000 ($7.5) per trip.

Vice chairwoman of the island district’s people’s committee, Phạm Thị Hương said the new boat would help during high season of tourism and weekends between April and September.

She said three more new boats are scheduled for operation later this year.

Hương said the island’s 11-boat fleet could serve a maximum of 7,000 commuters travelling between Quảng Ngãi and Lý Sơn Island each day.

Lý Sơn Island, 30kms off Quảng Ngãi, is home to about 21,000 residents. Most make their living fishing and farming garlic and spring onions.

The island is also a top destination during holidays, with 230,000 tourists visiting so far this year. 

HCM City tackles stagnant projects

The authorities in HCM City are going to suspend or adjusted 180 projects which are suffering from slow progress, according to official document sent to related agencies on December 13.

The proposal was made by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Those projects will also be publicly named.

According to Vice Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) will report about the difficulties and solutions to 100 projects which failed to follow the land use plan approved by the authorities for 2015-2018 period.

Meanwhile, the HCM City People's Council will review and deal with 80 projects whose land should be recovered. The DNRE will consult and report about the cancellation of these projects in the people's council's meeting session in January.

A total of 812.9 hectares have been allocated for those projects. District 10 leads the list with 22 projects. Binh Chanh District has 17 projects. District 9 and Thu Duc has 15 and 13 projects respectively.

The hotel, office and shopping complex project located at the junction of Tran Hung Dao. Nguyen Thai Hoc and Pham Ngu Lao is the most talked-about. In 2007, the city authorities started a tender process but the result was scrapped due to various wrongdoings. An affiliation of four companies then proposed to use the project but failed to fulfil the requirements to ensure the project's progress.

Four years later, the city authorities started another tender process. They are still unable to find capable investors for the project.

The Trong Dong Theatre in District 1 is a VND740bn project. It covers 47,732 square metres with a shopping area. However, nothing has been done since 2010 due to difficulties in legal procedures. Its design was recently changed again.

According to the DNRE, a large number of the projects still can't find suitable investors or have to be converted for another purpose. Some projects were stagnant due to lack of funds, difficult ground clearance issues, and adjustments in the city's urban planning.

Stagnant projects which cannot be cancelled such as Xuyen Tam Canal or the Ring Road 3 will be divided into smaller parts for easier ground clearance work.

Vietnam’s tourism promoted in Kuwait

A seminar promoting Vietnam’s tourism in Kuwait was co-organised by the Embassy of Vietnam in Kuwait and the Western Asian country’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry on December 12.

The event was participated by nearly 30 travel agencies of Kuwait and representatives of Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways, two major carriers in the Middle East which are operating flights to Vietnam.

At the seminar, Vietnamese tour operator Vietravel briefed the participants on the potential and growth of Vietnam’s tourism over the years, along with tourism products that meet demand of holidaymakers from Kuwait and other Gulf countries.

Representatives from Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways also introduced air routes from Kuwait to Vietnam and price support for travel tours from Kuwait.

The event formed part of a series of activities of the Vietnamese Embassy to tap into the high quality tourist market of Kuwait which is worth 13 billion USD per year. 

Following the seminar, the embassy will join hands with Vietravel and Kuwaiti leading travel company Souq Safar to arrange activities to introduce travel tours to Vietnam and the country’s cuisine and music to Kuwaiti people.

Programme motivates reading culture among pupils

A reading festival has recently been held in Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City. It is a kick-start for a series of similar programmes in other suburban districts under the goal of encouraging the reading habits of local students.

The hundreds of book titles to choose from at the mobile library have given the pupils of Nguyen Thi Nuoi Primary School in Hoc Mon district much to be excited about.

A wide variety of books – from literature and comics to scientific resources and life skills books – have helped students gain access to a broader range of knowledge and encouraged independent learning.

The programme also brings students a number of activities with the aim of motivating their love for reading, such as games, exchanging old books, and talks with authors.

Farmer earns higher income from rabbit farming

A farmer in Vu Ban district in the northern province of Nam Dinh has found a stable income for his family from rabbit farming. With more than 8,000 animals, his farm is the largest of its kind in the Red River delta province, opening up a new path for farming in the locality.

Located far from residential areas is a 2-ha rabbit farm with more than 8,000 rabbits from New Zealand, owned by Mr. Trieu Dinh Hoi – a local resident of Hop Hung commune.

In order to avoid  market fluctuations, Mr. Hoi managed to sell his rabbits to a business based in Ninh Binh province.

Every month, Hoi sells the company 1,30001,500 rabbits, earning a net income of more than 2,100 USD.

Province reduces poverty by teaching households new farming models

Breeding gà nòi lai tàu chickens is one of the effective farming models Bến Tre Province trains poor households in to escape poverty. – Photo baodongkhoi.vn

Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre have taught poor households effective farming models to help them escape poverty.

The models include breeding all male giant river prawns in rice fields, raising hybrid chickens, intercropping green skin and pink flesh grapefruits in coconut orchards, and raising oxen, cows and goats.

Many households in Thạnh Phú District’s Mỹ An Commune are raising male giant river prawns in rice fields with instruction from the Agriculture Extension Centre.

Lê Hoàng Dũng said he keeps juvenile prawns in a pond for three months before releasing them into the rice field.

A crop lasts around seven months since the creatures cannot survive high salt content in the water, he said. The commune has freshwater for six months in a year and saline water for the other six.

Poor households breeding the prawns should co-operate with each other and together buy machines for grinding food for them, according to the centre.

The food is made by grinding fish and bran.

Nguyễn Văn Trường, chairman of the Mỹ An Commune People’s Committee, said a farmer can earn VNĐ60 -70 million (US$2,580 – 3,000) per hectare by raising the prawns.

This year 81 households in the commune managed to escape poverty, 15 by breeding male giant river prawns, he said.

The centre has bred gà nòi lai tàu chickens, a cross between gà nòi and gà tàu, two popular varieties in the country.

The survival rate of this hybrid bird is 95 per cent, the centre said.

Ngô Quang Tiệp, who breeds gà nòi lai tàu chickens in Mỏ Cày Nam District’s Tân Trung Commnue, said poor people who have a few hundred meters of farmlands could breed the chicken.

The cost of making pens for them is low, he said.

They lay more eggs than gà nòi chicken -- 180-200 a year to 120.

The chicken, which can be raised in gardens, weighs about 1.7 -1.8 kilo at three months of age.

Intercropping green skin and pink flesh grapefruit in coconut orchards offers farmers an additional income.

Intercropping five to six grapefruit trees in a 500sq.m orchard fetches VNĐ2.5 million ($107) a year from the fruits, according to farmers.

Huỳnh Quang Đức, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said poor households with small pieces of farmlands should adopt the horticulture – aquaculture - animal husbandry model.

It helps them produce more products and use all available resources, requires little investment and offers a higher income, he said.

Besides teaching households effective farming models, the province also helps provide them with vocational skills to do business or go overseas to work and soft loans to do agriculture or a business or work overseas.

The province had more than 61,200 poor and near-poor households in 2016, accounting for 16 per cent of the total number of households, according to the province’s statistics.

More than 14,700 of them managed to escape poverty in 2016-17.

The province targets reducing the poverty rate by 1.5 percentage points a year in 2015-20. 

ADB’s $188m project to upgrade roads in northwest region

A man drives his motorbike on a local road in the northwest mountainous region. 

Some 198km of roads in the northwestern mountainous region will be upgraded under a project costing US$188 million, borrowed from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The improved roads, connecting remote areas of the region to the Nội Bài-Lào Cai Expressway, are expected to boost the area’s trade with two neighbouring countries, China and Laos.

The project is also expected to provide the area’s residents with reliable access to basic social services such as education, health care, job training and emergency disaster relief.

“The project will help the Government of Việt Nam develop the region by enhancing agriculture, tourism and border trade,” said ADB Principal Transport Specialist Mr. Witoon Tawisook. “It will also connect the underdeveloped region with the economic centres of the country, attract private investment and create jobs for the local population.”

The northwest region, consisting of the provinces of Điện Biên, Hòa Bình, Lai Châu, Lào Cai, Sơn La and Yên Bái, lags behind the rest of the country in economic and social development.

The poverty rate was estimated at 45 per cent in 2016, while the number is only 18 per cent nationwide. The region relies on small-scale industrial companies, such as stone, lime, and metal ore exploitation and processing firms.

The ADB said the region has yet to benefit from the backbone of the northwest region’s road network, the Nội Bài-Lào Cai Expressway, which is part of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Kunming-Hải Phòng Transport Corridor connecting Hà Nội to China’s Yunnan Province.

This disconnect is due to the incomplete national and provincial road networks and the poor condition of existing roads.

The existing roads are also prone to natural disasters made more likely by the effects of global warming such as flash floods, landslides and wildfires, the bank said.

The project aims to help the region overcome those difficulties by ensuring high standards for road construction and addressing the risks posed by climate change. 

Domestic violence going underreported prevention work needs accurate numbers

The reported number of domestic violence cases in Việt Nam has not reflected reality, with huge differences in the numbers of cases reported by relevant sectors, a conference in Hà Nội heard on Wednesday. 

The reported number of domestic violence cases in Việt Nam has not reflected reality, with huge differences in the numbers of cases reported by relevant sectors, a conference in Hà Nội heard on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism which leads in implementing the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, domestic violence in Việt Nam has become serious in the past 10 years since the law took effect.

“Countries around the world, including developed ones, have to fight domestic violence. In Việt Nam, domestic violence has left trauma, affected the economy and labour productivity. The estimated annual losses account for 1.78 per cent of Gross Domestic Product,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện said.

Domestic violence studies show 58 per cent of married women experience at least one of types of domestic violence, while the issue is the cause of 80 per cent of divorces each year.

Between July 2007 [when the law came into force] andl July 2018, the Supreme People’s Court handled more than 1.38 million divorces, among which one million involved domestic violence.

According to conference participants, the current Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control has not clarified definitions and responsibilities of officials, while punishment for the violence has not been imposed strictly enough.

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said Việt Nam has made progress in passing legalisation against domestic violence.

“Fighting against domestic violence is of significance and a necessary action to protect human rights, especially to protect children’s rights and ensure gender equality,” he said.

“Besides summarising achievements, we need to look at the weaknesses to make amendments to the law,” he said.

He asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to collect feedback for the law adjustment.

Localities and sectors need to report accurate statistics on domestic violence. Only when the facts are truly reflected can sectors come up with effective solutions, he said.

Campaigns aimed at raising public awareness need to be stepped up so the community understands domestic violence is no longer a private family matter but an illegal action, he said, adding that domestic violence prevention and control is not only a task for local authorities but needs the involvement of organisations, enterprises and the community. 

Forum highlights need for gender-responsive human resource policies

Phạm Văn Thinh, CEO of Deloitte Vietnam, speaks at the 2nd Việt Nam Corporate Forum on eliminating gender barriers for effective governance and human resource development in HCM City on Wednesday.

Gender responsive human resources policies are a key factor in a company’s development by helping improve labour productivity and loyalty towards the employer, experts told the 2nd Việt Nam Corporate Forum held in HCM City on Wednesday.

The forum, on eliminating barriers for effective governance and human resource development, highlighted the need for gender equality at workplaces.

Experts said gender discrimination and inequality are barriers to human resource governance and development.

Phạm Thị Mỹ Lệ, chairwoman of Le & Associates, a company that offers recruitment, training and HR counsulting services, said her company often gets a mandate from employers to hire only men or women.

Enterprises should avoid connecting jobs with a particular gender, and her company often advises its clients to focus on the capacity and efficiency of candidates instead, she said.

Trịnh Mai Phương, vice president of human resources at Unilever Vietnam, said jobs in the supply chain and sales are often thought to suit only male employees.

The gender discrimination begins at the university level, and companies and universities should collaborate with each other and improve communication to eradicate this, she said.

Her company has many programmes to improve girl students’awareness, she said.

Vũ Đức Thịnh, country manager of Lazada Express Việt Nam, said it is very important that women employees have ambitions to develop their career.

“If they want, they will do it.”

He said in the e-commerce sector 70 per cent of the workers are women, and so his company has many policies to encourage and create opportunities for them to develop.

Many delegates at the forum blamed social discrimination, enterprises’ policies which do not create opportunities for women employees to develop, women’s perceived responsibility for taking care of the family, and their lack of ambition for preventing them from advancing in their career.

Võ Trí Thành, an economist and director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy, said there should be no gender discrimination if there is to be development.

The forum also discussed how the fourth industrial revolution would affect work in future as many new kinds of jobs appear in the country.

Tôn Nữ Thị Ninh, president of HCM City Peace and Development Foundation, said universities and other educational institutions should collaborate with companies to train students in skills and ways to adopt to the revolution and overcome challenges it might bring.

Delegates said both employees and employers should change their mindsets to keep pace with the changes brought by the fourth industrial revolution.

The forum was held by Việt Nam Economic Times magazine, the Vietnam Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, the Australian embassy, and  the Investing in Women Project.

Three companies, the Southern Airports Services Joint Stock Company, Electricity of Việt Nam in HCM City and Maritime Bank were honoured with an Economic Dividends for Gender Equality certificate for fostering gender equality at their workplaces. 

Former Government Chief Inspector passes away

Nguyễn Văn Trân

Former Government Chief Inspector, Comrade Nguyễn Văn Trân, passed away last Friday at the age of 101 at the 108 Military Hospital in Hà Nội.

The information was announced on Wednesday by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, the National Assembly, the President, the Government, and the Central Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front.

He died after a period of serious illness despite the best efforts of doctors and his family.

He was born on January 15, 1917 in Yên Phong District, northern Bắc Ninh Province.

Trân held other positions, including former Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee, former Minister of Transport and Post, former Minister of Heavy Industries and former Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission. 

He made great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation through the resistance wars and periods of national construction and defence at various positions he held. He was awarded the Gold Star Medal, a badge honouring his 80 years of Party membership and many other medals in recognition of his contribution.

A State funeral will be held for Trân next Monday. 

Kon Tum Province’s Culture Tourism Week kicks off 

Gong dances will be highlighted at the Kon Tum Province’s Culture Tourism Festival from December 14 to 17 in Kon Tum City. 

The Tây Nguyên’s (Central Highlands) province of Kon Tum’s Culture Tourism Week opened on December 14 in Kon Tum City.

The four-day event features the folk culture of ethnic groups who live in the Central Highlands, their gong dances, as well as traditional costumes and cuisine.

The festival will open with a gala concert “Sắc Thắm Pơ Lang” (Colour of Red Cotton Tree) featuring People’s Artist Vy Hoa and Meritorious Artists Ánh Tuyết and Tạ Minh Tâm.

The concert will begin at 7pm at the May 16 Square.

The event will attract more than 700 artisans, musicians and performers from the region, and from provinces in the central and Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta regions.

Gong dances and folk music performances with traditional music instruments of different ethic groups will be featured.

A wood sculpture exhibition and workshop will also be set up at a communal house where tourists and visitors can interact with artisans and learn crafts from them.

An exhibition introducing the Central Highlands’ cultural heritage will be held at the province’s museum.

The festival will also include presentations of the region’s traditional rituals, a cuisine fair, a street art festival and traditional games.

A number of trips around Kon Tum City and its neighbouring districts of Kon Plông, Kon Rẫy, Ngọc Hồi, Tu Mơ Rông and Sa Thầy will be offered to promote home-stay services and the province’s natural landscapes.

The organisers expect to welcome 200,000 visitors during the festival, which will close on December 17.