The Union of Vietnamese Students in France (UEVF) held its 7th Congress at the Embassy of Vietnam in Paris to review its performance from 2015-2017 and elect a new executive board to represent about 6,500 Vietnamese students across France for the next two years.

The congress took place on April 15, with celebrations for the 42nd anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam and national reunification (April 30) fast approaching.

Addressing the event, UEVF executive board member Pham Nhat Minh gave attendees an overview of what the union have done over the past two years, including hosting a festival for Vietnamese people in Europe (Festival Lumos) in August last year that attracted nearly 10 overseas Vietnamese student associations from European countries.

The UEVF also worked with the Vietnamese Embassy to organise the Study in France Forum in Hanoi, HCM City, Hue and Da Nang and partnered with the General Union of Vietnamese in France to hold celebrations for Tet holiday, Minh said.

He added that it also held exhibitions on Vietnam’s sea and islands, a beauty pageant for young Vietnamese girls studying in France and several concerts and sporting events.

He later detailed the UEVF plan for the 2017-2019 term.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Ngoc Son lauded the achievements of the union since it was launched 13 years ago. He spoke highly of its contributions to building a Vietnamese community in France and to promoting Vietnam’s image overseas.

The congress voted Nguyen Minh Duc as the new UEVF president and selected five others as members of the union’s Standing Committee.

Kien Giang develops irrigation system

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is paying heed to the development of an irrigation system to cope with climate change, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Anh Nhin has said.

From now to 2020, the province will focus on investment to build irrigation works to control salinity levels from Ba Hon in Kien Luong district to Tieu Dua in An Minh district, as well as ensure water for 800,000 hectares of rice, over 4,000 hectares of other rotating crops growing on rice land and more than 221,500 hectares of aquaculture.

It needs some 3.8 trillion VND (167.4 million USD) from the central budget development investment capital, official development assistance for the national target programme to cope with climate change and promote green growth and local corresponding capital.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will pour over 900 billion VND (39.6 million USD) into controlling salinity in An Bien – An Minh sea dyke.

Nearly 1.95 trillion VND (85.9 million USD) will be spent on upgrading irrigation systems to prevent saltwater intrusion and preserve fresh water for agricultural production at the Long Xuyen quadrangle, the eastern Hau river and U Minh Thuong National Park.

Authorities also called for central budget investment in building Cai Lon and Cai Be sewage treatment systems.

The irrigation facilities will help Kien Giang shift to growing climate change adaptive crops and animals, and develop a sustainable and environmentally-friendly agriculture.

Efforts to get 30 million people covered by social insurance

Vietnam aims to have of its workforce covered by social insurance by 2020. To achieve this target, policies are needed to increase the number of insurees.

13 million workers in Vietnam are currently covered by compulsory social insurance and 200,000 more are covered by voluntary insurance. 

Vietnam’s total workforce is projected to be 60 million by 2020, half of whom will have social insurance. 

But to increase the number of insured from 13 million to 30 million will be a real challenge, said Doan Mau Diep, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs. 

He said, "Under the 2014 Social Insurance Law, social insurance is compulsory with labor contracts of more than a month. Currently, 60% of Vietnam’s workforce works in unstructured sectors and sectors that lack formal labor relations. This law encourages those workers to voluntarily obtain social insurance.”

In the near future, a number of incentives will be implemented to make it easier for workers with compulsory insurance and those who don’t have labor contracts to obtain voluntary insurance. 

The Vietnam Social Insurance Department has increased communications to address the problems of discontinued and delayed contributions. 

Deputy Minister Doan Mau Diep said, “The 2014 Law on Social Insurance allows the Vietnam Social Insurance Department to establish and inspect collections for social insurance.”

The expansion of voluntary social insurance is expected to attract more than 40 million customers. Changes concerning insurers, contribution methods, and benefit mechanisms have been made to fine-tune incentives. These regulations will come into force in 2018. 

Grandpa walks the length of Vietnam

In Vietnam, a trip across the country is a dream for many young people. When it comes to this trans-Vietnam trip, most youths turn to motorbikes, but some even take bicycles.

Now meet 64-year-old Tran Ngoc Cong. He decided to up the ante by walking.

Cong began his adventure on February 2 after testing himself with a six-day, 170km (105 miles) walk from Huu Nghi Border Gate in the northern province of Lang Son to his home in the capital early this year.

His family disapproved of his plan at first, but the determined grandfather would not take no for an answer.

For the past two months, the old man has been walking 30km every day in all kinds of weather on his journey of self-discovery.

Cong said he spends approximately VND300,000 (US$13.2) per day and always carries fresh water, hats and raincoats.

Most of his journey has taken him down National Highway 1, but he sometimes follows Google Maps to stroll along picturesque seaside roads.

“Young people trek, climb mountains and even cross Vietnam on bicycles. I chose to walk from north to south to make the most of my trip,” the old man said.

Having already visited several different countries, Cong said there are still many beautiful places in Vietnam that he wanted to see. He said he does not regret his decision because it has given him many memorable experiences like any other “normal” tourists, such as visiting museums and natural heritage sites, or spending the night in Hoi An and having a mud-bath in Nha Trang.

The image of an old man walking alone on the streets has made local people curious. Some even stop to offer him a lift or a place to stay for the night.

“Around 39 people have offered me a free ride. Two young people even thought that I didn't have money and insisted on giving some for a bus fare,” Cong recalls.

Sometimes he had to lie and say he was undergoing treatment that requires him to walk 30km each day so that people would let him continue his trip.

He also ran into bad people. On the Co Ma Pass in the central province of Khanh Hoa, a young man drove up to him on a motorbike intending to rob him.

Cong gave him his old backpack, which had some clothes and a bottle of water inside. It made the robber think that I had mental health issues and was just wandering around,” he said.

Given all ups and downs of his journey, Cong has finally reached the finish line in Ca Mau Province in mid-April as scheduled.

For him, the support he received from family, friends and strangers is the most valuable thing he got out of the adventure, which many would consider too risky for an old man.

Off-site citation to be imposed on expressway linking Saigon, Dong Nai

CCTV footage of traffic violations on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway in southern Vietnam will be provided to local police for off-site citation starting May 1.

The plan was announced by Vietnam Expressway Services Engineering (VECE), a joint stock company in charge of operating the expressway, which connects Ho Chi Minh City with neighboring Dong Nai Province.

The 55-kilometer expressway runs from the southern metropolis through Long Thanh Town in Dong Nai Province before reaching its end at Dau Giay Town in the same province.

The VND20.63 trillion (US$920.98 million) expressway was built over a period of six years, completed in August 2015.

According to VECE, starting May 1 it will provide relevant authorities with images and footage collected from surveillance cameras installed along the expressway for penalizing traffic violators.

Violations including wrong-way driving, parking or stopping in undesignated areas, speeding, overloading and littering on the expressway will be submitted to authorities for review, VECE said in its announcement on April 15.

The company is also looking to publish images of violating vehicles that have been confirmed by relevant authorities on media platforms to inform citizens against such violations.

Nguyen Thi Hoai Phuong, deputy director of VECE, said the move was aimed at ensuring obedience of traffic regulations on the expressway, thereby improving its safety records and service quality.

Last month, a smart control center incorporating an intelligent transportation system (ITS) was launched, providing 24/7 surveillance over the southern expressway with its system of 68 cameras connected to monitors at the center via a closed circuit.

Traditional Musical Instrumentalist and Ensemble Festival opens

The Traditional Musical Instrumentalist and Ensemble Festival 2017 opened in Thanh Hoa city, the central province of Thanh Hoa on April 15.

The event features the participation of over 900 artists and actors from 35 public art units, music academies, conservatories, institutions of cultural and art training across the country.

Scheduled to run until April 23, the festival offers audience members an opportunity to enjoy 80 traditional musical instruments performances at some 35 shows.

The festival aims to popularise and promote values of national music, especially Vietnam’s traditional musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments and percussion.

The Traditional Musical Instrumentalist and Ensemble Festival is part of cultural activities to celebrate the cultural day of ethnic groups in Vietnam.

The ethnic culture day is held annually to preserve and promote traditional cultural values of the country’s 54 ethnic groups. It also helps consolidate solidarity, attract tourists and popularise cultural heritages.

Bamboo and rattan weaving honoured at Hanoi ‘s Old Quarter

A wide variety of bamboo and rattan weaving products from Phu Vinh village, Chuong My district, Hanoi, are being displayed at a programme which began on April 14 at Kim Ngan Temple in Hang Bac Street, Hoan Kiem District.

Kim Ngan Temple was transformed into an installation arts space, with various products made from bamboo and rattan, including lanterns, paintings, vases, baskets, tables, chairs and decorative boats. They were weaved by talented bamboo and rattan weavers in Phu Vinh trade village.

In addition, visitors to the exhibition can find information introducing the handicraft of bamboo and rattan weaving in Phu Vinh village, from its origin, tools, techniques and outstanding artisans.

Notably, artisan Nguyen Van Trung, who has spent his whole life working as a bamboo and rattan weaver, will perform different stages of bamboo and rattan weaving.

In addition, he will talk about the history of the craft as well as his passion for preserving this traditional handicraft.

Phu Vinh bamboo and rattan weaving village is one of many well-known traditional trade villages in Hanoi with a history of nearly 400 years. It was officially recognised as a traditional trade village in 2002.

With their creativity and skillful hands, Phu Vinh artisans have created hundreds of different weaving techniques to make highly attractive products that have been sold widely on both domestic and foreign markets.

The programme honouring Phu Vinh bamboo and rattan weaving products and artisans is expected to help promote the capital’s traditional cultural values to Vietnamese people as well as international friends.

The programme will run until May 7.

Film month celebrates National Tourism Year 2017

A film month marking the ‘Lao Cai - Northwest National Tourism Year’ 2017 will take place nationwide from April 25 to May 23.

The film month will also celebrate major holidays such as Liberation Day (April 30) and International Labour Day (May 1) and President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19).

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism assigned Cinema Department coordinating with Nam Phuong (Hongngat Film) Media Company Limited, Thien Ngan Film Joint Stock Company, Central Science and Documentary Film Company Limited, Department of Culture and Sports, Department of Culture, and Sports, Cinema Companies and Film Distribution and Screening Centre of provinces and cities.

The films including ‘Bien cuong’ (Boder), ‘Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh’ (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), ‘Tren dinh A Mu Sung’ (On top of A Mu Sung), ‘Quay phim chien truong’ (Filming the battleground).

The 2017 National Tourism Year, themed ‘Northwestern Colours’, aims to attract more local and foreign investors to the northwestern region.

The region will focus on eight typical tourism products, including community-based tourism, terraced rice fields, flower seasons and mountain trekking. The region has 12 areas reserved for development under the national strategy on tourism development in the period through 2020, including the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the Ban Gioc Waterfall, Mau Son Mountain, Ba Be Lake, Tan Trao, Dien Bien and Hoa Binh Reservoir.

Four national tourist attractions that feature in the strategy are Lao Cai city (Lao Cai province), Pac Po historical site (Cao Bang province), Lang Son city (Lang Son province), and Mai Chau district (Hoa Binh province). The northwest region comprises eight provinces, namely Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Son La and Phu Tho.