Berlin requiem commemorates fallen soldiers in Gac Ma battle

A requiem was held at Tu An pagoda in Germany’s Berlin capital on March 18 to commemorate 64 soldiers who laid down their lives to defend Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago 30 years ago.

The event was chaired by Venerable Thich Tu Nhon – head of Tu An pagoda, attracting the attention of Buddhist dignitaries and followers, representatives from the Vietnamese war veterans’ association in Berlin-Brandenburg, and nearly 100 Vietnamese people living in Berlin and its surrounding areas.

Participants offered incense and prayed for the fallen soldiers.

Venerable Thich Tu Nhon said that the requiem is organised annually to show the Vietnamese community’s deep gratitude to the fallen combatants.

The Gac Ma battle took place on March 14, 1988.

Last year, a memorial site dedicated to the 64 martyrs was inaugurated in Cam Hai Dong commune, Cam Lam district of the central province of Khanh Hoa.

The highlight of the site is a monument featuring the naval soldiers holding hands in an “eternal circle” to safeguard the national flag symbolising the national sovereignty on Gac Ma reef. 

The work was built with money contributed by workers and public servants nationwide through trade union organisations under a programme launched by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour.-

Vietnam Friendship Village – symbol of solidarity

AO victim children are provided with vocational training 

The Vietnam Friendship Village, set up 20 years ago, has contributed to ease the pain for Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims by giving nursing services and vocational training to AO-infected veterans and children.

The Vietnam Friendship Village, which is run by the Vietnam Veterans’ Association, was formed on March 18, 1998. It covers over 3 hectares in Van Canh commune, Hoai Duc district of Hanoi.

It is a symbol of international solidarity for peace and friendship. The village was built with cooperation of six countries – the US, Germany, France, Japan, Canada and the UK following the initiative of George George Mizo, a US war veteran who joined the war in the south of Vietnam. 

The construction was funded with over 2 million USD from the Friendship Village International Committee and the Vietnamese Government.

After 20 years of operation, the village welcomed over 6,500 war veterans, former youth volunteers who are AO/dioxin victims and 700 children of the second and third AO victim generations.

The veterans and former youth volunteers receive treatment and nursing services and have chances to join cultural and sport activities as well as visits to different places and convalescences. 

Meanwhile, almost children adopted by the village are living with disabilities, especially intellectual disability due to the toxic chemical. Along with rehabilitation, they are provided with education and vocational training such as IT, embroidery, tailoring and making fabric flowers. Many of them have managed to find jobs and earn money. The most important thing is that they can integrate into society without a complex about their disabilities.

Each year, the Friendship Village International Committee provides financial assistance for the village. The village has become a venue for international friends who wish to meet and assist the victims.

With its efforts and achievements over the past 20 years, the village was honoured with the first class of Labour Order and certificates of merit from the Government and the Party Central Committee’s Commission on Information and Education.

In the coming time, the village aims to become a model in humanitarian and charitable activities, a destination of friends at home and abroad as well as a symbol of solidarity, peace, friendship, cooperation and reconciliation.

Exhibition features anti-war-in-Vietnam campaigns of US veterans

A special exhibition titled “Waging Peace – American Soldiers and Veterans opposing the War in Viet Nam” opened at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on March 19.

Jointly held by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO), Peace and Development Foundation, and the US-based organisation Veterans for Peace (VFP), the event is displaying 80 posters, photos, and newspaper articles on past campaigns to end the war in Vietnam by US soldiers and veterans.

At the exhibition, Nguyen Van Manh, HUFO Vice Chairman and General Secretary, said Vietnam – US relations have grown stronger in the past 20 years via friendly exchange programmes of politicians, scholars, veterans, and students of the two countries.

A large number of US veterans have returned to Vietnam to take part in local charity programmes and helped promote understanding about Vietnamese people and culture in their home country, he added.

The exhibition lasts until April 15.

Vietnam helps regional countries prevent natural disasters

The National Hydro-Meteorological Service (HMS) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has played a central role in supporting Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and the Philippines in applying early risk warning systems, heard a workshop in Hanoi on March 19. 

According to HMS Deputy Director Tran Hong Thai, his agency has provided quality instructions for possible extreme weather events for these countries, helping them produce more accurate and timely weather forecasts and give early warnings of natural disasters. 

With its active contributions to the disaster prevention in the region, Vietnam has made remarkable achievements in improving capacity and sharing experience and knowledge with regional nations. 

The country has also helped promote connectivity among member countries of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) for sustainable economic development in the region, Thai said. 

He emphasised the need for the service to promote international cooperation in preventing and mitigating natural disasters. 

Participants to the workshop focused their discussion on how to improve the ability of hydro-meteorological agencies in forecasting and warning; forecasting process, scenarios that are likely to occur and the worst scenarios; analysis of forecasts; among others. 

After the workshop, which ends on March 23, the HMS will coordinate with the WMO in holding a training workshop weather forecast between March 26-30.

Bac Giang steps up investment promotion

The northern province of Bac Giang will take drastic measures from now until the end of this year to lure more investments.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Linh recently asked local departments and sectors to hasten administrative procedures to attract both domestic and foreign investors to the locality.

The Department of Planning and Investment was asked to study new policies on investment attraction, and propose measures to increase the quality of projects.

The management board of industrial zones was directed to strengthen responsibility and urge investors to speed up construction on industrial zone infrastructure, and work with districts in ground clearance to create favourable conditions for investors.

Linh also asked the Department of Construction to work with Bac Giang city and districts to inspect and supervise the granting of construction licenses, enhance its responsibility of managing construction order and solve violations.

In the first two months of 2018, Bac Giang attracted 40 domestic-invested projects with total registered capital of 498 billion VND (21.8 million USD) and 15 foreign-invested ones worth 30 million USD. More 121.3 million USD was also poured into eight existing projects in the period.

Currently, there are 1,400 projects in the locality, of which 1,062 projects worth more than 78.7 trillion VND are invested by domestic businesses and 338 are foreign direct investment projects worth more than 3.9 trillion USD.

Fireman dies in accident, another injured

A fireman of Hà Nội’s Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department died after suffering multiple injuries in an accident, the department said on Monday.

Colonel Trần Ngọc Dương, deputy director of the department, said another fireman who was seriously injured was being treated at Bạch Mai Hospital for a broken collarbone.

On Sunday afternoon, a rescue truck of the fire department with seven firemen was pressed to service to rescue the victims of a crash between a coach and a truck near Vạn Điểm-Đỗ Xá toll booth on Pháp Vân-Cầu Giẽ Expressway.

On the way, the rescue truck, which was going from Hà Nội to Ninh Bình, collided with a 45-seater coach, with the registration number 29B-078.43, coming from the opposite direction. The accident took place near Thường Tín toll booth in Thường Tín District’s Văn Bình Commune.

The victims, including five persons from the coach, two firemen with minor injuries and four firemen with serious injuries, were rushed to Bạch Mai Hospital, according to Dương.

Besides the officer with a broken collarbone, all others have been discharged from the hospital.

The victims stranded in the accident on Pháp Vân-Cầu Giẽ Expressway were rescued.

University of East Asia win VUG’s futsal

University of East Asia triumphed in the futsal category of Việt Nam University Games (VUG) in Đà Nẵng on March 19.

The University of East Asia beat Architectural University 3-2 in the penalty shootout to clinch the title. Duy Tân University came third.

The winner will represent Đà Nẵng in the national final, which is scheduled to be held in May in the Polytechnic College’s Gymnasium in Hà Nội.

The VUG event saw the participation of eight universities around Đà Nẵng City, with more than 1,000 students watching in gymnasiums.

VUG will officially kick off in the northern city of Hải Phòng on March 24.

Launched in 2013, VUG is one of the largest sporting events for students in futsal and freestyle dance.

This year, the event is expected to attract 80 universities and colleges in six cities and provinces across the country.

Russians vote across Viet Nam

A family enter the polling booth at the Russian embassy in Hà Nội, on March 18, 2018. 

Hundreds of Russians living in Việt Nam on Sunday voted for the next president across Hà Nội, HCM City and Đà Nẵng.

Many Russians began showing up at the Russian embassy in Hà Nội in the morning to cast their ballots for one out of eight presidential candidates, one of whom is the current President Vladimir Putin, who is running for a fourth term.

Two tourists from Moscow, Alexandr and Denis, visited the polling place just minutes before departing for the airport. They were en route to Kuala Lumpur and transited in Hà Nội on election day.

“It’s good that we were able to vote,” they said.

An officer of the Russian Trade Representation in Việt Nam, Nadezhda Ilixeeva, said that she voted for President Putin as “he is the best option for the highest position.”

“I chose the one who can guard the country,” she said.

“I hope that Russia’s living standard can get better in the coming years.”

The three polling stations at the Russian embassy in Hà Nội and the consulates in HCM City and Đà Nẵng City would open from 8am throughout to 8pm Sunday, said the Russian Ambassador in Việt Nam, Konstantin Vnukov.

Early voting before election day had been also carried out at another four locations in Vũng Tàu, Nha Trang, Mũi Né and Phú Quốc, which are home to a large number majority of Russian expats and tourists.

“So far the number of Russian citizens casting their votes is tenfold compared to previous elections,” Vnukov said.

“It demonstrated that the Russians care a lot for the future of their country.”

There is not an official record of the number of Russians living in Việt Nam, but the ambassador estimated it could range between 5,000 and 6,000 people. 

High-tech shrimp breeding brings higher profits

More than two years ago, Đặng Thanh Tân, a farmer in Bình Minh Town, northern Ninh Bình Province decided to switch from breeding shrimp in traditional ponds to high-tech farming. Over the course of the same breeding period, the new technique brings about higher shrimp productivity and quality than the traditional method.

By the end of 2015, after studying shrimp breeding models nationwide, Tan decided to renovate his farm by building a green house and spreading out a layer of canvas at the bottom of the pond.

Tân said that the high-tech shrimp farming model requires breeders to build a pond with an appropriate area (2ha), as well as additional ponds assisting the main one.

Several years ago, the shrimp he raised in the traditional pond yielded low productivity as the shrimps were affected by unfavourable weather conditions and attacked by diseases. Now he uses probiotics instead of antibiotics so that shrimps have better resistance against diseases and are of a better quality.

“The biggest advantage of high-tech shrimp farming is a closed breeding process. Breeders can control the breeding environment so that they can prevent disease risks since shrimps are released to the pond until they are grown up,” he said.

“I can release only 50-70 shrimp per sq.m to a traditional pond but up to 150-200 shrimp per sq.m to a high-tech pond. The risk of death stays very low. Each kg has 40-50 shrimps,” he said.

Thanks to new technology, Tan is able to cut down on production spending. He built a separate water treatment area covering the same area as the breeding pond (2ha).

On the same area, his model helps save money compared to other models, including saving water thanks to the water treatment system which helps improve biological safety and reduces energy costs thanks to a special air pumping system.

With the traditional method, breeders have to feed shrimps. Tan uses an automatic shrimp feeding machine which helps prevent food being wasted in the water and reduces labour. Shrimps fed by this method also grow faster.

Last year, after three seasons, he harvested 50 tonnes of shrimp products worth over VNĐ8 billion (US$348,000). The total profit gained was estimated at more than VNĐ3 billion ($130,500).

Tân said that he would multiply the high-tech shrimp farming model and apply additional technologies to his farm.

The high-tech shrimp breeding model requires big investment but brings about high profits, controls diseases and addresses environmental problems. Its production is really sustainable, said Nguyễn Tiến Thành, standing deputy secretary of Party Committee of Ninh Bình Province.

He encouraged local shrimp breeders to switch to high-tech farming for higher profits.

Typhoon Damrey affected houses to rebuild in central region

The central Quảng Nam province, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Việt Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Republic of Korea, in partnership with the Việt Nam Red Cross Society, has launched the Damrey housing recovery and rehabilitation project.

As planned, the first five of 80 resilient houses will be built for households which suffered damage from the typhoon in the province this year.

The project aims to support the building of 300 resilient houses in three central provinces of Khánh Hòa, Phú Yên and Quảng Nam.

The major beneficiaries of the project are the poor and near-poor families whose houses were heavily damaged by the recent Typhoon Damrey. They also will be provided with the necessary knowledge and resources to repair and rebuild their houses to ensure that new houses can withstand future typhoons and floods.

Typhoon Damrey, which was the twelfth to hit Việt Nam last year, was the strongest one in 2017. It battered some of the poorest communities of the south-central coastal region. More than 130,000 homes were damaged, of which over 3,500 were destroyed. Dozens of displaced families have had to live in temporary and unsafe shelters.

“This project will help the typhoon-hit families to have safer houses after Typhoon Damrey”, said Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nga, Director of the Department of International Cooperation under the VNDMA.

Home is not only where the heart is, but also the biggest asset of local people. Building resilient houses is very important to save lives and mitigate the property losses.

“Helping vulnerable people to recover is one of the mandates of UNDP,” said UNDP Deputy Country Director, Akiko Fujii.

She explained that the housing recovery and rehabilitation project will ensure the safety of communities and help them enhance their resilience against future disasters.

"The Korean government is happy to join this effort to support Vietnamese people affected by Damrey in the central region by contributing US$1 million to the house repair project. As a friend and close development partner of Việt Nam, Korea will continue to support Việt Nam’s government in its efforts to overcome challenges posed by climate change. We hope that this project will bring hope and resilience back to the affected people", ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Việt Nam, Lee Hyuk said.

Director of the Disaster Management Department, Việt Nam Red Cross, Nguyễn Thu Hà said: “The support of UNDP and the Republic of Korea is very useful for the local affected communities. It can prevent them from falling back into poverty and enhance their resilience.”

Ha Tinh border guard busts drug smuggler from Laos

The border guard force in the central province of Ha Tinh arrested a man carrying 15kg of methamphetamine from Laos to Vietnam on March 18.

The arrest was part of an operation in which the local border guard has worked with the General Department of Vietnam Customs’ anti-smuggling inspection department and Vietnam Coast Guard High Command’s drug crime prevention office.

The arrested man was Thao Cu Mua, 31, from the Mong ethnic minority group in Laos’ Bolikhamsai province. He was caught allegedly smuggling 15kg of methamphetamine contained in 15 yellow plastic bags.

Mua admitted that he transported the drug into Vietnam for a Vietnamese person for 120,000 USD.

The case is under investigation.

AkzoNobel and artists complete Fresco for the Future

AkzoNobel has collaborated with professional artists and amateur art enthusiasts to paint a brilliant range of 30 dynamic 3D frescoes under the project “Fresco for the Future” in Canh Duong fishing village in the central province of Quang Binh.

AkzoNobel is a global paint and coatings company and the manufacturer of signature paint brands Dulux and Maxilite.

Starting on January 31, 2018, the project features diverse themes of history, culture, natural protection, human life, entertainment, and more.

Following the devastation caused by the Doksuri storm that ravaged the fishing village in October 2017, the frescoes help bring colour to the streets and to people’s lives as well as contributing to boost the development of the local economy. In the coming years, these frescoes will bring a new look helping to make Canh Duong an attractive tourist destination in Quang Binh.

The frescoes help bring colour to the streets and to people’s lives as well as contribute to the development of the local economy.

“The idea of this project was formed when our team saw the first fresco village in Tam Thanh, Vietnam over a year ago. We felt that the Vietnamese landscape is extremely idyllic, but poor. If we do more fresco projects like Tam Thanh in other villages, we can create a change in residents’ lives.

Therefore, we decided to go ahead with this project,” said Nguyen Viet Dung, director of GIUN9 Art Centre.

“However, we ran into some difficulties because a lot of storms hit Central Vietnam, especially Quang Binh province, while we were preparing for the project. Luckily, with the paint sponsorship of AkzoNobel Vietnam and the Quang Binh Tourism Department’s decision to turn Canh Duong into a key tourist spot of the province, we could successfully complete the project.”

The artists painted these frescoes with the premium external paint brand Dulux Weathershield—an innovative decorative paint product with a wide range of colour, which not only helps beautify the wall but also provides optimal protection from the harsh effects of extreme weather and climate change.

In order to complete this project in a very short span of time, the group of 15 artists from many provinces of Vietnam had worked hard day and night. All participating artists share the same passion for painting and dream of honouring the beauty of the Vietnamese island.

AkzoNobel Vietnam general manager Pamela Phua said: “One of the strongest commitments of AkzoNobel is to create more ‘human’ living environments across the world. And we are very proud of contributing to the success of the project.”

“AkzoNobel utilises its own key strength—protection and colours—to energise the communities and make their lives more livable and inspiring. The programme of renovating civil construction under storm-resistant standards shows our efforts to contribute to the sustainable development of Quang Binh province,” she noted.

Sakura blossoms on display at VN-Japan cultural festival this weekend

Some 50 sakura trees of different species, above 2.5m high each, and 10,000 branches of sakura blossoms will be displayed during the 2018 Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival in downtown Hanoi, starting this weekend.

The event, which will take place at Ly Thai To Park by Hoan Kiem Lake from March 23-26, aims to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties this year.

Experienced artisans from Japan are helping arrange the exhibition, the organisers said in a press briefing on March 19, adding that the Japanese sakura will be exhibited alongside local flowers.

The event will include various cultural activities, such as the introduction of the Japanese tea culture, chess, Kendama folk games and Japanese cuisine near Hanoi Children’s Palace, besides a Yosakoi dance performance by 17 teams on Dinh Tien Hoang street.

The event will also host various Vietnamese traditional arts such as ca tru (ceremonial singing), hat xam (blind busker’s singing) and folk dances.

Further, the Hanoi authorities and Japanese partners will hold a meeting to discuss tourism, health, education and economic investment.

Japanese cooks will demonstrate the preparation of traditional food, including ramen noodles, soba noodles, takoyaki cake and sushi.

Binh Duong leader congratulates Phu Cuong Diocese on Saint Joseph’s Day

Vice Chairman of the Binh Duong province People’s Committee Dang Minh Hung on March 19 visited the Diocese of Phu Cuong in Thu Dau Mot city and congratulated its Bishop Joseph Nguyen Tan Tuoc on the Saint Joseph’s Day.

Hung praised positive contributions made by Bishop Joseph Nguyen Tan Tuoc, priests and Catholic followers in building and developing the province in the past years.

He hoped that the dignitary will continue his efforts to keep the work up and further the patriotic emulation movements, making contributions to the nation’s development and solidarity.

For his part, the Bishop thanked the local authorities for creating favourable conditions for local Catholic followers to practice their religion.

Phu Tho ready for Hung Kings Temple Festival 2018

The northern province of Phu Tho has finished preparation for the Hung Kings Temple Festival, one of the biggest festival of the year, which will take place from April 21-25, or the 6th-10th day of the third lunar month, said a provincial official.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ha Ke San, who is also leader of the organising committee, the festival will be hosted by Phu Tho at the Hung Temple Complex in Viet Tri city and surrounding communes while four other provinces including Thai Nguyen, Quang Nam, Binh Duong and Kien Giang will support its organisation.

This year, the province will continue making efforts to popolarise Xoan singing and Hung Kings worshipping rituals, which were recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, he noted.

To prepare for the event, the organising committee has been set up with sub-committees and inter-sector inspection teams responsible for monitoring and examining the preparation and businesses in the festival’s areas, he said.

Holy places and stairs leading to the Hung Temple Complex have been repaired and renovated while tour guides will be arranged to instruct tourists how to practice rituals, according to the complex’s director Nguyen Duy Anh. The complex’s management board will work to ensure visitors’ safety, he added.

A series of exciting festive activities will be held during the five-day festival, including a book fair, “chung” (square cake) making contest, exhibition, cultural camp, art performances and particularly Xoan singing. 

The annual festival takes place on the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, founders of the nation, to pay tribute to the Vietnamese ancestors.

Vietnamese legend has it that Lac Long Quan, son of Kinh Duong Vuong, married Au Co, daughter of King De Lai. Au Co gave birth to a sack containing 100 eggs from which 100 children were born. 

The couple then decided to separate to populate the land, so half of the children followed their mother to the highlands and the rest went with their father to the sea.

The first child went with mother Au Co to Phong Chau, now Phu Tho province. He then became King Hung and founded the first nation in the history of Vietnam, Van Lang.         

Ruling the country for 18 generations, the Hung Kings taught the people how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for lush crops.

To honour the Hung Kings, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as their anniversary.

The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings are closely related to the ancestral worship traditions of most Vietnamese families, an important part of people’s spiritual lives.

The worshipping ritual of the Hung Kings was recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.