Winners of Ho Chi Minh Awards in military, defence announced

A ceremony was held at the headquarter of the Ministry of Defence in Hanoi on May 17 to present the Ho Chi Minh Awards for Science and Technology to two projects in the field of military and defence.

The event was attended by President Tran Dai Quang.

The honoured projects include one on the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago conducted by 33 researchers and one on ‘researching and applying scientific and technical advances on diagnosis and treatment of primary liver cancer and some digestive, liver and bile diseases’ by Professor, Dr. Mai Hong Bang and 18 additional experts.

The second project has been applied in the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi and its techniques have been successfully transferred to many other hospitals.

Addressing the awards ceremony, President Tran Dai Quang appreciated great achievements that the military science and technology employees have gained over the past years.

The President emphasised that the two projects are the result of the research conducted by as well as the intelligence and talents of military scientists.

The Ho Chi Minh Awards are a vivid demonstration of the appreciation of the Party, State and people to Vietnamese military scientists for their notable achievements in researching and applying science and technology, significantly contributing to safeguarding the country’s independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity as well as serving people’s lives, he added.

The State leader expressed hope that the scientific and technological officials would continue to uphold the tradition to develop science and technology and make the sector become the most important driving force for economic development, environmental protection, security and defence.

The Ho Chi Minh Awards for Science and Technology have been the most prestigious awards for outstanding and high-valued projects that have had a great impact on the people’s lives as well as significantly contributed to the cause of socio-economic development and the maintenance of security.

Pacific Partnership 2017 wraps up in Da Nang 

Exercise Pacific Partnership 2017 (PP17) concluded in central Da Nang city on May 18 after 10 days of oil spill response training, medical experience sharing and community exchanges.

During the exercise, seminars and field training on humanitarian aid and disaster response were held, aiming to improve readiness to deal with oil spills at national and regional levels.

Projects to upgrade the Hoa Lien Kindergarten and Hoa Hai Clinic in Da Nang finished while another project building a multifunctional storm-proof house in the city’s Hoa Nhon ward began.

Crewmembers of USNS Fall River, the vessel for PP17, engaged in an exchange programme with students of Tuong Lai, a school for disabled children.

Meanwhile, the band of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet performed at some local schools and in some outdoor activities on Rong (Dragon) Bridge, Bach Dang street and Bien Dong Park.

US Navy Captain Stanfield Chien, Pacific Partnership mission commander, said the stay in Da Nang was a great chance to continue cooperation with Vietnamese people to promote disaster response and aid capacity and share experience in health care and construction.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said PP17 and the visit by USNS Fall River showed the depth of the two countries’ partnership.

Island commune in Quang Ngai to have solar power

Construction on a 166Kwh-solar power project will begin in the island commune of An Binh (or Be Island) in Ly Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai in June.

An agreement on the project has been signed between the Bach Khoa Investment and Development of Solar Energy Corporation (SolarBK) and the Central Vietnam Power Project Management Board.

The project, worth more than 10 billion VND (440,000 USD) will have total capacity of 96Kwp, 300 IREX panels. Construction is expected to be completed within 70 days.

Currently, 100 households on the Be island use electricity generated by 100kVA Diezel turbines installed by the Quang Ngai Power Company before the lunar New Year (Tet) Festival. However, they only get up to 12 hours of power per day.

SolarBK Company is a renowned power developers on islands. It has several projects on Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, the DK1 Platform (comprising 48 islands) in the East Sea, on Son Tra island in central Thua Thien – Hue province, Me island in north central Thanh Hoa province and Tran island in northern Quang Ninh province.

Conference debates connectivity in Long Xuyen Quadrangular

Connectivity in the Long Xuyen Quadrangular was on the table at a conference held in An Giang province on May 16-17.

Attending the event were representatives from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region, and leaders of the three localities in the Long Xuyen quadrangular sub-region: Can Tho city, and An Giang and Kien Giang provinces.

Vice Chairman of the An Giang provincial People’s Committee Lam Quang Thi said that the sub-region is facing many challenges posed by climate change and rising sea-levels.

Natural resources haven’t been exploited for agricultural production efficiently, while investment in infrastructure for agricultural production is below the sub-region’s potential, he added.

To develop the sub-region sustainably, participants proposed connecting the sub-region’s typical products, strengthening management over water resources and adaptation to climate change, and spreading information on the sub-region’s policies on trade and investment promotion.

They also emphasised the importance of farmers choosing crops suitable for the sub-region’s soil and climate.

The Long Xuyen Quadrangular covers a total area of some 500,000ha.

Its annual rice output is about 5 million tonnes, contributing hugely to socio-economic development of the sub-region and the Mekong Delta region.

Provinces revamp disease control

Almost half the country’s provinces have set up a centre for disease control by merging their centres for preventive health, prevention of HIV/AIDS, malaria and others, and the Ministry of Health wants the rest to follow suit.

At a recent workshop held in HCM City to discuss restructure of local healthcare systems, Pham Van Tac, head of the ministry’s staff arrangement department, said each province had five, and even nine in some cases, different agencies for disease prevention.

Merging them into a single entity is one of ways in which the ministry is seeking to improve primary healthcare in the country, he said.

So far 27 provinces out of the 63 have set up a Centre for Disease Control.

Nguyen Tan Binh, head of the HCM City Department of Health, said the city would start construction of its Centre for Disease Control in District 8 at the end of this year.

All existing disease prevention agencies would be merged with it next year, he said.

Nine provinces – Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Quang Binh, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Dong Thap, and Thua Thien-Hue -- said they did not want to merge their existing centres for preventive health and diseases to set up the CDC.

Other provinces said they did not know how to revamp their staffs following the merger of various agencies.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said her ministry would soon issue a circular to guide the establishment of the CDCs.

The ministry is reforming the health system based on a road map to help provide better healthcare to the people, she said, adding that local authorities should embrace the changes despite difficulties they may face.

Musician Vinh Lai to premiere symphony at HCMC Opera House

A concert featuring the symphony, “Saigon – city of my childhood” by musician Vinh Lai will take place at Ho Chi Minh City Opera House on May 19.

The musical work presents beautiful memories and nostalgia of old Saigon during Tet.

Musician Vinh Lai, 78, graduated from the Vietnam National Academy of Music and then studied in Leipzig in Germany. He has created many works in various fields, including song, chamber music, symphony, film soundtrack, theater… The musician worked in  Radio The voice of Vietnam from 1969-1974 and HCM City Television from 1975-2002.

The 2nd part of the concert is the contemporary dance performance themed “Touching the past” by two choreographers Nguyen Phuc Hai and Nguyen Phuc Hung. “Touching the Past” is a very successful dance work created in 2013 which received much appreciation by professionals and audiences for its innovative, inspirational expression and profound meaning.

Remains of Vietnamese martyrs reburied in Quang Binh

A reburial ceremony for 26 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died on battlefields in Laos took place in the central province of Quang Binh on May 17. 

It was the first repatriation of remains of martyrs in Quang Binh this year, which were unearthed during the 2016-2017 dry season. 

Attending the event were representatives from the special working committees of the two governments and Lao province of Khammuone, leaders of Military Zone 4 based in Quang Binh, and local armed forces and residents. 

Thanks to effective direction from the Department of Labour and Social Welfare and Military Command of Laos’ Khammuone province, Quang Binh provincial Military Command Team 589 unearthed the Vietnamese martyrs who died in the fight against French and US troops.

Tree planting festival launched in HCM City

Tree planting festival in memory of  President Ho Chi Minh was held at Hung King's commemoration temple in the Ethnic Cultural and Historical Park in Ho Chi Minh City's District 9 on May 18.

The event also marks the 127th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday.

Tree planting festival was launched for the first time by President Ho Chi Minh in 1960 and has become an annual traditional event in the country.

The city has planted 36,000 hectares of forest and agriculture, 17.27 percent of all forests in several years.

The local government plans to plant one million trees across the city in 2017,  covering a large number of hectares on forest land, parks, and along rivers and canals.

Conference seeks ways to mitigate climate change in Mekong Delta

Switching rice crops to a more profitable ones, increasing water storage capacity and improving transportation should be prioritised to promote sustainable development in the Mekong Delta region, which is greatly impacted by climate change. 

The suggestions were given at a round-table conference held by the Vietnamese Business Association in the US and the Vietnamese office of Science and Technology in Washington on May 16 (Vietnam time).

The event was attended by leaders of Dong Thap and Quang Binh provinces and Can Tho city, representatives from Hoa Lac high-tech park and some environment technology enterprises in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Bac Ninh and Nam Dinh provinces.

Director of the Southeast Asia programme of the Stimson Centre Brian Eyler, who has carried out research on the Mekong Delta region for years, suggested that Vietnam work with other regional countries to speed up power production to develop the economy.

The country needs power imports from Laos to reduce pressure on domestic demand growth, which stands at 11 percent per year, he said, adding that investing in renewable energy and enhancing energy interdependence are effective energy security solutions.

Representatives from the Mekong Delta region and Vietnamese enterprises talked with US businesses about investment and cooperation opportunities in clean production and renewable energy.

President of the Vietnamese Business Association in the US David Huy Ho said he will continue to connect Vietnamese and US companies to seek opportunities for Vietnam’s development.

Seminar talks turning Hanoi into smart city

Chairman of the Hanoi City People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung has stated that Hanoi will strive to become a smart city during a seminar held in Hanoi on May 17. 

Chung said the city will adopt advanced and cost-effective technologies in administrative procedures, transport, health care, education and environmental protection. 

According to him, Hanoi is enhancing cooperation with countries with advanced science-technology, especially the US, which he said could become a technology transfer partner 

The city’s leader also answered questions raised by the US side. 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Asia at the US Department of Commerce Diane Farrell  said the US creates favourable conditions for US firms to connect with partners in Vietnam. 

US business representatives presented technological solutions to build a smart city, including those used in health care and security.

3,600 jobs on offer at Job Fair 2017

As many as 3,600 jobs were introduced at the Job Fair 2017 held on May 12 by Ho Chi Minh City International University under the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

The event drew nearly 5,000 students and 70 domestic and foreign enterprises like Prudential Vietnam, Eximbank, Unilever Vietnam, World Quant, Intel Vietnam, BOSCH Vietnam and Vietnam Airlines.

According to Le Huynh Hoa, director of Eximbank’s human resource department, recruitment through the fair was fairly high, with 60-70 percent of those registering finding work.

At the fair, students had the opportunity to learn about startup and small and medium enterprise management and meet with successful businessmen.

Dak Lak inaugurates border markers on frontier with Cambodia

The Border Guard Command of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on May 17 inaugurated two border markers along the shared borderline with Cambodia after two months of construction.

Markers No. 41 and 43 are located in Ia R’ve and Ea Bung communes of Ea Sup district which borders Mondulkiri province of Cambodia. The markers are made of granite and are 1.25 metres tall. 

With the inauguration of the markers, Dak Lak and Mondulkiri have completed the border demarcation and planting of 11 major markers at seven positions as assigned by the two countries’ National Border Committees during the 2007-2017 period. 

Colonel Nguyen Quang Hung, Commander of the Dak Lak Border Guard Command, said the construction of the two markers reflects the resolve and solidarity of the two Governments in land border demarcation and marker planting for a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development. 

Dak Lak and Mondulkiri share a 73-km borderline. Over the past time, the border management work has been maintained in line with treaties and agreements reached by the two countries. 

The two provinces will continue border demarcation and auxiliary marker planting on the shared border section in the coming time.

Remains of Vietnamese martyrs reburied in Quang Tri

A reburial ceremony for 21 remains of voluntary Vietnamese soldiers and experts who sacrificed on the battlefields in Laos took place in the central province of Quang Tri on May 17. 

It was the 31st time Quang Tri has received remains of Vietnamese martyrs from Laos. 

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Thuc expressed his gratitude for Vietnamese martyrs who laid down their lives for peace in the two countries, contributing to further tightening special friendship and solidarity between the two nations. 

Since 1993, Quang Tri and the Lao province of Savannakhet found, reburied and repatriated thousands of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who died in Laos. 

Thanks to the support of the Party Committee, army and people of Savannakhet province, the Quang Tri provincial Military Command’s Team 584 discovered and reburied 21 remains during the 2016-2017 dry season.

Russian comrade of first Vietnamese space traveler dies

Russian cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko, who accompanied Vietnam's legendary first spaceman Pham Tuan, passed away in Moscow on May 17 at the age of 82, Russian news agency TASS reported.

TASS cited an industry source as saying that Gorbatko died in the intensive care unit at a hospital where he had been staying for the past two weeks.

Gorbatko was part of the first Soviet cosmonaut training camp in 1960 and ventured into outer space in 1969, 1977 and 1980.

Pham Tuan was part of the crew in July 1980 and became the first Asian to travel into outer space. At the time he was a research cosmonaut in the joint USSR-Vietnamese Space Program.

The 70-year-old is now a retired lieutenant general and director of the General Department of Defense Industry under the defense ministry.

President Ho Chi Minh biopic to be screened

The documentary “Nguyen Ai Quoc-An so o nuoc Phap” (Nguyen Ai Quoc- the unknown in France), featuring President Ho Chi Minh’s activities in France, is set for release on Vietnam Television (VTV)’s VTV Special on May 18 to celebrate the leader’s 127th birthday.

The film was made using thousands of documents from French police and agents about Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh’s alias) and his activities from 1919-1923.

The period featured various revolutionary activities from the patriot, with his actions meticulously recorded in more than 9,000 pages kept at France’s National Overseas Archives and Paris Police archives.

president ho chi minh biopic to be screened hinh 0 To analyse Nguyen Ai Quoc’s activities from 1919-1923, the Department of Television for Foreign Service went to France and met with French historians. They found information on President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary activities, which will be made public in the next few days.

The late President’s four-year journey in France will be retraced with theatrical storytelling and unique background music.

The documentary will also be broadcast on other VTV channels.

Craft beer and BBQ fest in District 2

“Fire Fest”, a craft beer and barbeque festival, will be held at Oxygen in District 2 on May 20.

The festival will feature craft beers from local and foreign brewing companies and authentic American BBQ dishes from the city’s restaurants.

Three local bands, The Lost Art, Wanderlusters and Xanhstorm, will perform during the event.

The festival will take place from 11am to 10pm at 628C Hà Nội Highway in District 2.

HCM City flyover opens to traffic

The Việt Nam Urban and Industrial Zone Development Investment Corporation yesterday opened to traffic the Gò Mây flyover at the intersection of National Highway No.1A and Lê Trọng Tấn, Nguyễn Thị Tú streets in HCM City’s Bình Tân District.

It cost VNĐ511 billion (US$22.61 million) to build and has two sections, each 538.6 metres long and 12.2 metres wide with three lanes.  

The construction was completed three months ahead of schedule.

The flyover is expected to ease traffic congestion at the National Highway No 1A section between An Sương crossroads in District 12 and An Lạc intersection in Bình Chánh District.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lê Văn Khoa, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, called on IDICO to maintain the flyover in good condition.

He also instructed the Department of Transport to closely monitor and speed up work on traffic infrastructure projects to reduce traffic jams and accidents.

Nguyễn Hồng Ninh, director of IDICO, said the corporation would carry out studies for three more flyovers at intersections along National Highway No.1A. 

Soul Carnivale music and arts fest

The outdoor bar Saigon Outcast will host a two-day Soul Carnivale music and arts festival on May 27 and 28.

The event will feature live performances and workshops by local and international artists in the visual arts, theatre, dance, music, circus and street performances.

The event will be held at 188/1 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng Street in District 2. Entry fee is VNĐ60,000 for a one-day pass and VNĐ100,000 for a two-day pass.

Hospitals told to update guidelines

 Experts have urged hospitals to update their treatment guidelines in obstetrics and paediatrics to help reduce the number of maternal deaths and medical errors.

Dr Nguyễn Bá Mỹ Nhi from Từ Dũ Obstetrics Hospital said her hospital periodically updates their own guidelines and also uses those created by the Ministry of Health.

Speaking at a conference on the national action plan for maternal, infant and child health held yesterday in HCM City, she said that medical errors in obstetrics leading to maternal mortalities could be due to outdated guidelines and negligence in following the standard steps of patient care.

She said that hospitals should not wait for the ministry to update treatment guidelines and should do it themselves, as the process at the ministry level takes too much time.

Health officials often obey a “silent culture” and worry about punishment if they report irregularities, she said.

She said the reluctance to report problems had led to a lack of data and to difficulties in analysing causes that could be corrected later.

That is why the reported rate of maternal mortalities in the country is lower than the real rate.

Doctors and nurses in the country should freely report these medical errors, she said, adding that this could help correct potential errors and reduce maternal mortalities.

They should also apply IT to update database on reproductive health, especially medical errors, she added.

Nguyễn Đức Vinh, head of maternal and child health department under the Ministry of Health, said that doctors should obey the standard process of patient care to reduce medical errors in obstetrics.

“We do not accept medical errors caused by medical staff attitudes,” Vinh said, adding that if errors are due to low qualifications of staff, they will be given training.

The national action plan on maternal, infant and children health from now to 2020 aims to improve methods to help reduce medical errors.

The plan targets reducing the rate of maternal mortality to 52 per 100,000 live births from 58.3 in 2015. In 1990, the rate was 233 per 100,000 live births.

The plan also calls for improvement of the network of health facilities for emergency aid and treatment in obstetrics and paediatrics.

To reach the plan’s goals, the health ministry’s maternal and child health department has issued updated treatment guidelines on reproductive health care services.

Đinh Anh Tuấn, the department’s deputy head, said that local health officials should create their own action plans on maternal, infant and children’s health suited to their areas and facilities.

Long delayed Hà Nội railway gets capital injection

China Eximbank has disbursed US$18.25 million for Hà Nội’s Cát Linh–Hà Đông Railway Project, said Vũ Hồng Phương, Deputy Director General of the Railway Project Management Unit under the Ministry of Transport, on Tuesday.

The amount, part of a delayed $22.75 million, has been transferred to the Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) contractor, to be paid to sub-contractors. 

The project has completed 90 per cent of construction work. Equipment installation is underway, Phương said. 

However, the delay in capital disbursement has hindered the project’s progress. 

The Railway Project Management Unit and relevant bodies will supervise the payment process for sub-contractors to ensure they have finances for construction. 

It will also push the EPC contractor and sub-contractors to speed up construction to make up for the delay. 

The project is scheduled to begin trial runs in October and be officially operational in the second quarter of 2018. 

Originally slated to be finished two years ago, capital issues have hindered the progress of the capital’s first metro line, threatening to derail the project. 

The Cát Linh-Hà Đông urban railway will have 12 stations and one depot area. Out of the initially projected investment of $552 million, $419 million (76 per cent) was sourced from Chinese loans, with the rest matching funds by the Vietnamese Government. 

Construction started in 2011 but since then costs have risen to $886 million, exceeding the original figure by $250 million, or a 160 per cent increase. 

An additional preferential loan worth $250.62 million, negotiated three years ago, was signed between the Ministry of Finance and China Eximbank on May 11. 

Arts Crafts Market Hanoi to debut Saturday

The first Arts & Crafts Market Hanoi will be held this Saturday, from 9am to 5pm at 1B Đặng Thái Thân Street.

With an aim to create and organise the first and only downtown arts and crafts market -- and to emphasise and promote artists, craftsman, designers and creative people in a central location -- the Arts & Crafts Market Hanoi, organised by IESV (International Education Services Vietnam), will take place on the 3rd Saturday of every month.

This event will be an opportunity for cultural exchange between Hà Nội locals and expats, creatives and intellectuals, and it will also be a real family event with kids’ entertainment and live music. Folk music performance by Hanoi Trio will be from 2pm to 5pm.

Some of the names to take part in this first Arts & Crafts Market Hanoi include: Mekong Quilts, Work Room Four, GỐC Studio, Reddoor Lacquerware, AROMASIA organic and natural product, Hazari Gul Indian crafts, by Campioni art design interior and jewelry.

Admission to the event is free.

HCM City triumph at national finswimming championships

HCM City triumphed at the National Age Groups’ Finswimming Championships which wrapped up in Đồng Hới City in the central province of Quảng Bình on Wednesday.

The team bagged 21 golds, nine silvers and eight bronzes. Đà Nẵng came second with 12 golds, 14 silvers and eight bronzes. National Defence Sports Centre 5 was third with seven golds, nine silvers and seven bronzes.

The three-day event attracted the participation of 16 teams nationwide, competing for 54 sets of medals.

On the last day of the competition, Nguyễn Tiến Đạt of HCM City pocketed the gold medal in the U15 boys’ 50m LC with a time of 15.55secs. Nguyễn Duy Anh of Đà Nẵng and Nguyễn Dương Huy of HCM City took the silver and bronze medals.

In the U16-17 boys’ 50m LC, Nguyễn Tuấn Phúc of HCM City won the gold medal with a time of 15.56secs. Trần Trung Thành of HCM City and Phạm Văn Quang of Hà Nội were the runners-up.

Once this event ends, the National Age Groups’ Swimming Championships will begin today with the participation of 25 teams. Young swimmers will vie to gain 105 sets of medals in three age groups --16-18, 14-15 and under-13.

The event has been co-organised by the Việt Nam Aquatic Sports Association and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

HCM City theatre to stage Lovesong

The Dragonfly Theatre Company in co-operation with the SOUL Live Project will stage British playwright and sreenwriter Abi Morgan’s play Lovesong from May 24-28.

The play is about the married life of a couple who have lived in a foreign country for 40 years. Their story is told by the couple in their old age.

Lovesong will be directed by Anne-Marie Astley, who has worked as a theatre director for 12 years.

The four performances will begin at 7.30pm at SOUL Convention Complex, 214-216 Pasteur Street, in District 3.

Pre-sale tickets priced at VNĐ350,000 can be purchased at the venue or at Mekong Merchant in District 2, or via www.soulliveproject.com.vn. Tickets at door cost VNĐ500,000.

Nghe An: Festival honours late President Ho Chi Minh

“Le hoi Lang Sen” (Sen Village Festival 2017) opened in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the central province of Nghe An on May 17 as part of activities to mark the 127th birthday of late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19).

The event features a wide range of events such as incense-offering ceremonies at the Uncle Ho Statue and the Kim Lien relic site, a procession carrying photos of President Ho Chi Minh, a parade, traditional games, film screenings, sporting events, photo exhibitions, and kite flying. 

The highlight of the festival, that runs until May 19, is expected to be the performances of nine art troupes from across the nation.

The annual Sen Village Festival, first held in 2003, helps visitors from across the country and abroad to understand more about the life of President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s preeminent hero and a world cultural icon.

The Information and Communications Publishing House under the Ministry of Information and Communication has recently launched two books to mark the 127th birthday of the President and the 70th anniversary his book “Changing Working Style”.

The books are entitled “Historic and practical values of Changing Working Style” and “Outstanding individuals in learning and following President Ho Chi Minh's moral example”.

Religious rituals start Ba Chua Xu Festival in An Giang

The Ba Chua Xu Festival, a national intangible cultural heritage, began in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, on May 17.

The annual festival takes place at Ba Chua Xu Temple in Nui Sam, Chau Doc city from the 22th – 24th of the fourth lunar month, which falls on May 17-19 this year, to honour the sacred Ba Chua Xu, a local tutelary goddess.

It recreates five folk ceremonies, including a procession of the statue of Ba Chua Xu from Sam Mountain down to the temple, and washing the statue.

The event is being held during the celebration of An Giang’s 2017 tourism month with various activities, such as dragon dances, boat racing, Khmer cow racing and traditional art performances.

About five million people make a pilgrimage to Chau Doc every year for the festival.

It is said that the temple of Ba Chua Xu was built with leaves and bamboo in the 1820s. It was rebuilt and is now a beautiful site in the Sam Mountain area.

Located in the That Son (Seven Mountains) area, which is the delta’s roof, Sam Mountain has many cultural heritage sites, including ancient Tay An pagoda, and the mausoleum of Thoai Ngoc Hau (1761 – 1829), a renowned general of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Vietnamese images promoted in Chile

Various Vietnamese cultural products were showcased at the Exponor 2017 international exhibition of the mining industry on May 17 in Chile’s northern province of Antofagasta.

The Vietnamese Embassy displayed photos, books and stamps on Vietnamese ethnic groups, bronze drums and ao dai to promote the country and to boost friendship between Hanoi and Santiago, Chile’s capital.

Vietnamese handicraft products were also displayed at the event.

Previously, photos and publications and handicrafts were showcased at Cumbres Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama town in Antofagasta, attracting many Chileans and tourists.

This was the first cultural diplomatic activity of Vietnam in Antofagasta, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile Ngo Duc Thang, stressing the potential to boost bilateral ties between Vietnam and Chile.

The event enhanced Chilean’s understanding of Vietnam and solidarity between the two nations.

HCM City 1 beat HCM City 2

Defending champions HCM City 1 crushed HCM City 2 7-0 in the third match of the second leg of the National Women’s Football Championships in HCM City on Wednesday.

With better skills and experience, HCM City 1 controlled the match from the moment referee Lê Thị Thanh Mai blew her whistle.

Trần Thị Thu opened the score for HCM City 1 in the 16th minute. Just 14 minutes later, a player of HCM City 2 made an error in the penalty area and Huỳnh Như raised the score to 2-0 for the defending champions.

After receiving a spectacular pass from Thùy Trinh, Lê Hoài Lương scored one more goal for HCM City 1.

Following the break, HCM City 1 continued to dominate the game and easily scored four more goals.

In the other match, Việt Nam Coal and Mineral (VCM) beat Sơn La 4-0 to top the rankings.

VCM played attack and created many chances to score goals in the first minutes of the game but failed to convert them into goals.

In the 32nd minute, Phạm Thị Hằng succeeded in opening the score for VCM.

In the second half, VCM’s Nguyễn Thị Thúy Hằng, Hà Thị Ngọc Uyên and Nguyễn Thị Vạn scored more goals in the 59th, 78th and 85th minutes, respectively.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE