Da Nang promotes APEC Vietnam 2017

The central city of Da Nang, which will host APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in November 2017, has worked to promote the event and the beauty of its landscapes and people.

The city’s streets were decorated with banners with information and the logo of APEC 2017.

The Department of Tourism has worked with travel agencies to organise a programme to promote Da Nang’s tourism, providing information on the city’s events and new tourism products.

To date, Da Nang has prepared nearly 22,000 rooms in about 600 accommodation establishments, including ones at international standard for the APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week.

In the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2017, leaders of Da Nang city will meet with leaders of APEC member economies and major businesses. The city will also hold field trips for guests and investors, along with exhibitions at the city’s Press Centre and the venues for the CEO Summit and the meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Established in 1989, APEC comprises 21 economies, namely Australia; Brunei; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States; and Vietnam.

Vietnam joined APEC in 1998, and hosted APEC in 2006.

First stage of Liên Chiểu Port upgrade to cost $247m

Japanese consultants have recommended that Da Nang deploys the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model for the first stage of expanding the Liên Chiểu Port, expected to cost VNĐ5.58 trillion (US$247 million).

The pre-feasibility report for the expansion was prepared by the Japan Port Consultants (JPC) company and the Overseas Coastal Area Development Institute of Japan (OCDI).

Under the Japanese experts’ proposal, VNĐ2.792 trillion ($123.4 million) will be raised from the State Budget and VNĐ2.788 (123.3) trillion from the private sector.

The development of Liên Chiểu port is one of two key projects that aim to boost the central city as a main logistics centre in ASEAN and the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) that links Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam.

It is expected that the Liên Chiểu Port will begin operations in 2022. The port project is linked with other projects including the Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Expressway, expansion of the Hải Vân Tunnel and a new railway station.

It is expected to ease the burden on the overloaded Tiên Sa Port and gradually develop as a major cargo port in Đà Nẵng. Later, only cruise ships will dock at the Tiên Sa Port.

The Liên Chiểu Port will become a logistics centre for the country’s north-south road, sea ports and railway systems.

The city will consider the use of funds from the State Budget and Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan for a dredging project and for building a sea dyke as part of building the Liên Chiểu Port.    

The port, which currently handles 50,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) container ships, will be able to handle 100,000 DWT ships with a loading capacity of 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) from 2025.

According to Transport Ministry, Đà Nẵng will handle 29 million tonnes of cargo by 2030. 

Last year, the city’s Port company commenced the second stage of upgrading the Tiên Sa Port.

The central city’s port system including Tiên Sa, Liên Chiểu and Sơn Trà is slated to become the biggest of its kind in the country.

The national seaport system development plan envisages Đà Nẵng as one of key gateways to the East Sea from the sub-Mekong region.

Notorious undersea internet cable ruptures again

Vietnam’s internet speed is likely to slow in the coming days following problems with the notorious cable that connects the country with the US, local media quoted sources as saying on February 19.

The incident took place late on February 18, and details of when the cable will be fixed have not been provided.

This is the second time that the Asia America Gateway (AAG) has been disrupted this year following several ruptures last year.

The latest repair work on the AAG was only completed in late January after it cut off on January 8.

This new disruption was triggered by a problem on the cable between Vietnam and Hong Kong.

In early January, the AAG and two other internet cables, the Intra Asia (IA) and the newly launched Asia Pacific Gateway (APG), all experienced problems and were subsequently shut down.

The APG was back up on January 23 while the IA is expected to be fixed by February 25, VietnamPlus quoted service provider Viettel as saying on February 19.

The AAG is well known to internet users in Vietnam for its frequent ruptures, which even inspired internet memes to blame the issues on "sharks".

In 2016 alone, it ruptured three times, heavily affecting outbound traffic.

Vietnam has five submarine cable systems. The AAG was connected in November 2009 with a length of over 20,000 kilometers and a design capacity of 2 terabits/second, directly connecting Southeast Asia with America.

The other main connection is the APG Submarine Cable which was hooked up in late December and was officially launched on January 3. 

The cable cost US$450 million and has a design capacity of more than 54 terabits/second.

In addition to submarine cable systems, Vietnam has a land-based system with a capacity of 120 gigabit/second that goes through China, and there are plans to build another one.

PM asks investors to devise long-term strategies in Nghe An

Businesses to the central province of Nghe An would devise long-term and effective strategies, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a local meeting with investors on February 19. 

Apart from having an exceptional comparative advantage of being the birth place of the late President Ho Chi Minh, Nghe An also enjoys favourable transportation since it lies in the centre of the north central region and the north-south and east-west exchange route; boasts road, railway, aviation, seaway and inland waterway routes and serves as a gateway to the East Sea of the central Laos and northeast Thailand via the Thanh Thuy border gate, he reminded participants.

According to him, Nghe An is also endowed with vast land coverage and abundant human resources, including more and more intellectuals and engineers coming home to do business. It has also built eco-friendly projects and made infrastructure breakthroughs in service of socio-economic development. 

In order to become a well-off locality, he suggested mapping out a master plan for the sustainable development of industry, agriculture and infrastructure while boosting connectivity with the south of central Thanh Hoa province and the north of central Ha Tinh province and accelerating administrative reform. 

At the same time, the province should save and effectively tap natural resources, pool public involvement in science, education and health care and attract investment in high added values. Social security and safety must be ensured, especially in mountainous areas, he directed. 

The Vietnamese government is determined to develop the economy which will not be traded for the living environment, he renewed, adding that it will also be resolved to build a transparent, constructive, action-oriented cabinet which will protect people’s rights and their assets. 

The government will endeavour to develop a pro-business environment, maintain the macro-economy stability and an environment of peace and friendship, he vowed. 

The leader also pledged incentives for investors in the support and high-tech industries, and tourism, and hoped that Nghe An would take the lead in such fields and continue changing its mindset for robust socio-economic development. 

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong mentioned nine comprehensive measures to make Nghe An an attractive business destination in the near future, including simplifying administrative procedures and cutting the time for granting investment licenses to three days or even one day, and launching online public services at level 4 for business registration. 

On the occasion, the provincial authorities granted investment licenses to eight projects and signed 15 memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements valued at over 22.62 trillion VND (983.8 million USD). 

It was the ninth time the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) has sponsored the annual event, which lured hundreds of enterprises and investors at home and abroad and saw the presence of former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue. 

Over the past nine years, Nghe An has wooed 804 projects worth more than 261 trillion VND (11.34 billion USD) , including 758 ones worth in excess of 101.29 trillion VND (4.4 billion USD) and 46 foreign-invested ones with a total registered capital of over 160.43 trillion VND (6.97 billion USD).  

This year, the locality targets attracting over 100 projects worth 30-35 trillion VND (1.3-1.5 billion USD) and generating jobs for 13,000 – 15,000 workers.

Vietnamese youths active in Russia

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s chapter in Russia developed well in 2016, Le Anh Duy, Secretary of the chapter said at a meeting in Moscow on February 19.

As of December 2016, as many as 121 new members joined the organisation, raising the membership to 2,888. Hundreds of its members also become members of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2016.

The organisation also raised 310,900 RUB (5,328 USD) to support victims of floods in the central region, and gave gifts worth a total 20 million VND (880 USD) to needy students of Gia Hoa primary school in Ma Noi commune, Ninh Son district, Ninh Thuan province.

In 2017, the organisation has planned numerous activities to raise awareness and promote pride among the youth of the tradition of the Party and the nation. 

Pham Duc Vinh, Vice Secretary of the Party’s Committee in Russia hailed the achievements the youths in Russia have gained.

Vinh expressed his belief that they will continue studying to be well-prepared for joining the Party.

PM pays homage to late President Ho Chi Minh

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited late President Ho Chi Minh’s hometown in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, central Nghe An province, on February 18.

The PM laid a wreath and offered incenses at the Kim Lien national special relic site to commemorate the deceased.

He wrote in the memorial book that the Vietnamese descendants pledge to do their utmost to contribute to the cause of national construction and Party building.

The PM also visited the house of President Ho Chi Minh’s father, Nguyen Sinh Sac, at the Lotus Village. 

Visiting the village’s library, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes the management board of the relic site will collect various kinds of books to promote local readership.

President Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the central province of Nghe An. He devoted all of his life to the national liberation cause while tirelessly striving for peace and progress in the world. 

He led the nation to success in the struggle for national independence and in establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam following the August Revolution in 1945.

Students hear debate on pangolin protection

More than 400 university students attended a debate on Saturday about protecting the pangolin, the world’s most commonly trafficked mammal.

Việt Nam is known as a hotspot for yellow and Java pangolins. These two kinds of pangolin are ranked as urgently endangered animals, due to their abundant use in Chinese medicine.

During the debate, held by Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW), students heard information about pangolin trafficking in Việt Nam and China. The students were also informed of ways the animals could be protected.

Nguyễn Văn Thái, director of SVW, said that he felt hopeful about raising awareness of wild animal protection among young people.

Sơn La Police discover use of dynamite

Sơn La Police have discovered two cases of explosive substances being stored and used in the past week.

Specifically, on Saturday, the provincial police caught a man in Quang Minh Commune, Vân Hồ District, storing and using 23.5kg of industrial explosive substances.

Bùi Văn Thạo, 28, from the northern province of Ninh Bình, admitted to police that he was hired to use the explosive substances to level a piece of land.

Earlier on Monday, the police discovered Lò Văn Tốn, 55, from Mai Sơn District, using and storing explosive substances in Chiềng Lương Commune, Mai Sơn District.

Evidence collected by officers included 17 bars of dynamite. 

Police arrest two men on murder and theft charges

Bắc Ninh Police yesterday announced that they have apprehended two men wanted for murder and the robbery of more than 34 tonnes of steel on Tuesday in Thứa Town, Lương Tài District.

The two men have been named as Nguyễn Minh Liêm, 34 and Trương Việt Cường, 38, from the northern province of Hải Dương.

Liêm, who is a driver, was acquainted with Chu Văn Phong, 41, from Hà Nội. Liêm agreed with Phong that they would take some steel, which Phong was hired to transport, to sell for profit.

Liêm and Phong transported the steel to Hưng Yên Province, Liêm told Phong that Cường wanted to hitchhike.

Cường and Liêm then killed Phong and put his body in the automobile cabin. Liêm sold all 34 tonnes of steel for nearly VNĐ30 million (US$1,300).

Boats booted from West Lake

All boats and floating homes should be removed from the West Lake in Hà Nội by Monday, February, 20, local authorities have confirmed.

The Thụy Khê Ward People’s Committee said at a meeting with relevant agencies and representatives of tourism boats on Thursday that failure to meet this deadline will invite strict punishment, including forced removal.

At the meeting, representatives of tourism boats and floating homes agreed with the city’s policy, but proposed that local authorities pay adequate compensation to businesses that have been operating on West Lake.      

They also asked local authorities to consider permitting moving piers, steel bridges and boats to new positions.

However, leaders of the Thụy Khê Ward People’s Committee rejected the request for compensation saying they were handling violations, not site clearance.

Inspections of business operations and safety of boats and floating houses on West Lake found that the operating licence on inland wharves of all floating works and registration of some vehicles had expired.

The Hà Nội People’s Committee had asked Tây Hồ District authorities to ban business operations, sports activities and aquaculture on  West Lake in the first quarter of the year.

Local authorities had asked businesses to move to a planned new business area in Đầm Bảy, Nhật Tân Ward, Tây Hồ District. The new area is equipped with clean water pipes, electricity and parking areas, creating ideal conditions for doing business, according to the authorities.

However, the enterprises complained that the construction of the new area was yet to be completed and they would have to cancel a lot of tours, causing huge losses. Many businesses remained in their old locations.

On February 7, the Thụy Khê Ward People’s Committee sent an official message asking businesses to remove all boats and floating houses before 4pm on February 9.    

But boat owners have yet to comply with the order.

According to Hà Nội People’s Committee, 13 businesses are still operating on the lake with tour boats, duck boats and canoes, as well as floating houses and structures, such as access bridges.

Love song writer dedicates concert to women

Songwriter Nguyễn Phú Quang, renowned for his love songs, will dedicate two musical nights at the Ha Noi Opera House next month to women.

The March 4-5 concerts celebrating the International Women’s Day are titled Những Bài Ca Cho em Khi Mùa Xuân Nắng Nhạt (Songs for You in Spring’s Mild Sunlight).

It will feature Quang’s most famous songs, and could include several new ones as well, the songwriter said

Quang usually hosts two musical nights of his own early in the spring and at the end of autumn, which has become a familiar, well entrenched event on the Hanoian’s entertainment calendar.

Quang said following the success of the Khi Mùa Thu Đến (When Autumn Comes) last November, many people who missed the show asked him when the next one was.

“I organise this live show as a dedication to those who could not attend my previous one. It is also a present for my song lovers,” he said.

The musical nights will include performances of singers whose names have been associated with Quang’s works for years, like Ngọc Anh, Thanh Lam and Tấn Minh.

Fresh colours are expected to be added this year with the appearance of new singers like Trung Đức, Đức Tuấn and Minh Chuyên.

Invited to perform in Quang’s musical shows for over ten years, singer Tấn Minh considers it his fortune.

“I have always been favoured to sing his new songs,” Minh said. “I have always loved Quang’s works. Whenever I perform them on stage, I’m filled with a fresh feeling as if I was singing them for the first time. The more I sing, the more I fall for the songs, and as long as I love those songs, I will never get bored with singing them.”

Renowned actress Lê Khanh, who has appeared in many of Quang’s previous shows as an MC, will continue to accompany him in this show.

“Songs for You in Spring’s Mild Sunlight is still Phú Quang’s music, but with a different stage set-up and organization. The traditional way of introducing songs or the singers saluting the audience will not be there this time. The show and songs will come naturally to the audience like reading a storybook, and Khanh will be the storyteller,” Quang said.

After the shows of his works, the songwriter will organise the Những Bản Tình Ca Dành Cho Em (Love Songs for You) show featuring love songs by three other renowned Vietnamese songwriters, Trịnh Công Sơn, Đoàn Chuẩn and Ngô Thụy Miên, and himself, on March 7-8.

For both shows, Quang will be the script writer and art director.

Hà Nội native Quang, 68,  is also known for his songs about the city. He has written symphonies, concertos, as well as film scores and soundtracks.

HCM City youth offer free painting lessons to kids from rural districts

Young artists from HCM City have launched a free workshop to teach painting to children from two rural districts.

The project, Workshop Ta Vẽ (We Paint Workshop), will offer free painting lessons every weekend at coffee shops in Tân Phú and Tân Bình districts.

The workshop includes short-term courses in watercolour and sketching for children aged four to 15.

The courses, designed to take place outside, are taught by young artists, students and members from fine arts schools and art clubs.  

Painting tools and materials, food and drinks will be offered for free.

“Young artists from the HCM City University of Fine Arts have joined our project in an attempt to help rural children learn the art,” said a representative of the project’s managing board.

“We believe painting plays a role to develop the human spirit and body, and children cannot grow without art,” she added.

The project will begin this weekend and end this year. It will expand to rural districts such as Củ Chi, Cần Giờ and Hóc Môn.   

For more information, visit the website http://facebook.com/tavegroup.

Thanh Hoa armed units told to up vigilance

President Tran Dai Quang asked all armed units in Thanh Hoa province to strengthen their regular  drills and spare no effort in building up the capacity to tackle all emergencies for maintaining national security. 

Meeting with representatives of the police, border security forces, militia and other armed units during a visit to the north-central province on February 19, he asked them to work on community-based defence and security, turning districts and provinces into strong defensive bases. 

Quang also asked the province to continue innovation in defence activities focusing in improving the qualification, training and education of members of the armed units so that they are able to discharge their national defence tasks well and alongside participating in socio-economic development. 

He advised armed units at all levels to closely cooperate with local people and other sectors to keep a close watch on happenings related to defence and security so as to help relevant agencies take proper and prompt countermeasures for settling local and national security issues. 

To protect national sovereignty, the police, military and other armed units in Thanh Hoa should increase their leadership capacity and build pure and strong Party organisations, Quang said. 

He asked officers and soldiers to thoroughly grasp Party and State guidelines on external affairs and external defence relations, as  well as the task of building borders of peace, friendship, cooperation and development with neighbouring countries. 

Handling border issues requires high resolve, patience, prudence, and flexibility, and the province should also cooperate closely with neighbouring Laos to ensure completely safe border areas, he said.

Japanese police thank Vietnamese for saving man from freezing canal

A Vietnamese man in Japan just received an official thank-you note from local police for jumping into a canal in freezing temperatures to save a strange man on Christmas Eve.

Police in Fukuoka met with Dang Van Mong, 27, on February 17 to hand him a framed thank-you letter. The meeting was reported by several Japanese news outlets and aired on television as well.

Mong, a student who is working as an intern at a local company, was on the street near midnight on December 24 last year when he heard someone screaming for help, media reports quoted officers as saying.

He jumped into a canal, around 1.6 meters deep, and saved a 51-year-old local man, police said.

He carried the man looking for help, waving several cars but they did not stop.

They finally reached a convenience store around 50 meters away, where the victim was warmed up and given first aid.

The victim said he would have died in the freezing canal. The temperature was around two degrees Celsius at the time.

Mong said he felt like Santa Claus doing something nice on Christmas Eve.

Erosion-prone village near Hoi An now a thriving ecotourism site

A village once plagued by soil erosion has emerged as an alluring eco-tourism destination for green-fingered travelers to central Vietnam.

Triem Tay Village, located in Dien Ban Town, approximately two kilometers from the UNESCO-recognized Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam Province, has begun to earn a reputation in recent years among foreign and local ecotourists as the epitome of pastoral life in Vietnam.

Both visitors and locals have been amazed by the village’s breathtaking transformation from an erosion-plagued hamlet into a bustling tourist destination.

Just a stone’s throw from Hoi An Ancient Town, Triem Tay Village, an ‘oasis’ nestled along the iconic Thu Bon River, boasts pristine charm adorned with meandering paths lined with lush areca palm trees and neatly pruned tea hedges.

This village is perhaps one of the few places left in Vietnam where teeny alleys bear names.    

The area has turned into a countryside retreat for holidaymakers wishing to take advantage of the idyllic landscape by unwinding in refreshing breezes and allowing themselves to become just a little closer to nature.

Other pastoral delights include a first-hand peek into daily life in rural Vietnam with visitors having the opportunity to partake in daily routines such as weaving sedge mattresses, cooking mi Quang (the central region’s signature noodle soup), and tending to ornamental plants and organic vegetables.                         

Tourists can also visit 300-year-old buildings owned by descendants of the Vo Thi and Vo Dai lineages.

In an effort to transform the village, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labor Organization jointly offered English classes to villagers in 2014.

Their ongoing efforts to improve the area have also included training local residents in skills instrumental to community tourism development and waste management over the past two years.

Other factors contributing to Triem Tay Village’s success are the opening of the Cam Kim Bridge a few months ago, which brought about a complete overhaul of the hamlet’s image.

The changes made by UNESCO intervention and improved infrastructure have left few aware that villagers from Triem Tay were once victimized by relentless soil erosion and infertile land.

Nguyen Hien, director of Triem Tay Community Tourism Cooperative, said many have left the area in search of a better life elsewhere.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine such dramatic changes,” he added.

The locals have already begun to benefit from each of these initiatives. Pham Thi Khanh, 58, a mattress weaver, said thanks to the English courses, she and other seasoned craftspeople in the village are now armed with an acceptable command of the English language to aid them in the effort to bring more tourists to the community.

Her husband used to cross the Thu Bon River in his sampan in the early morning hours to peddle wares in Hoi An.

“Now we receive many Westerners who snap photos around our house and buy my mattresses. My husband now works for the tourism cooperative,” Khanh added. 

Duong Phu Thu, another resident, shared that his family had planned to move to another village after the plot next to his home gave way in 2009.

He was filled with doubts as rumors began circulating that someone had rented the area and planned to turn it into a tourism attraction.

Thu’s and others’ disbelief evaporated as soon as the tourism project came into shape.

He attributed the project’s success to the hard work of Bui Kien Quoc, a 72-year-old overseas Vietnamese architect now living in Hoi An City.

Struck by the village’s pastoral, untouched landscape during his first visit, Quoc made up his mind to initiate the project, he said.

“The greatest headache is how to anchor soil without harming the landscape and ambiance. I especially try to stay away from concrete dykes, as leaving plots unequally eroded and bunkered may impact areas in the vicinity,” he added. 

His project was met with disbelief by locals as even bamboo, known for its sturdiness, has previously succumbed to the sheer power of coastal erosion.

Locals then recommended reed and co rui (a type of grass), which can survive flooding and soil erosion.

The architect then came up with an eco-friendly three-layer dyke. 

The first layer is made up of reed, capable of rooting in water at a depth of around one meter.

The second layer is comprised of co rui with sturdy roots which can withhold soil effectively and minimize impact on the dykes.

The third layer, at a depth of approximately three meters, is vetiver grass, best known for its ability to persist in deep water and protect soil against erosion with its finely structured root system.

Quoc’s dykes have survived four seasons and remain intact, unlike the dyke system along Cua Dai Beach, a gem of Hoi An City, part of which has been relentlessly engulfed by encroaching seawater in recent years.

“The sturdy dykes have saved money for the local government’s budget, anchored residents’ homes, and allowed them to earn stable incomes,” Quoc noted.

“Triem Tay, which has grown into the district’s most promising tourism site, no longer sees its residents leaving home to work elsewhere. Instead, it draws workers from other localities,” Duong Van Ca, a local official, said.

Petrol stations suspected of polluting Dak Lak water

Dozens of households in Dak Lak Province's Buon Ma Thuot City are concerned that their water wells contain high levels of oil.

The water in Ju Village, Buon Ma Thuot City recently has developed a foul smell and the residents can set fire to the water.

Tran Van Que, a villager, said his family started smelling bad odour from the water in their well since last August. There is a yellow substance on the surface and the water also leaves a slippery feel like oil on the skin. Que immediately informed other people and they found out that water in the nearby wells had also been polluted. 

The water from Que's well also caught fire easily and gave off black smoke. The fires quickly spread to the pump.

After the receiving reports from the residents, local authorities have taken samples. The result show that the wells contain a large amount of oil. There are two petrol stations in this area and one warehouse that hasn't been used since 1992.

Nguyen Van Tuyen, head of the Office of Water resources, Hydro-meteorology and Climate Change, under the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said the Department of Industry and Trade were checking the locations of underground fuel storage tanks of the petrol stations in the area to find the cause of the pollution.

First train for Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway handed over

The first train imported from China for the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway route in Hanoi has been transported to Hanoi, according to General Director of Railway Project Management Unit Le Kim Thanh.

Earlier, the consignment arrived in Haiphong Port on February 12 containing two railway engines and two passenger carriages of the first train. Each engine weighs 35 tonnes ,measures 19m long and 3.8 metres wide. Each carriage weighs 32 tonnes.

Customs clearance procedures are being completed before the consignment is taken to Hanoi. The engines and carriages have been covered with canvas before being transported.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway is scheduled to be put into trial operation in October this year and officially launched on December 31, according to the Railway Project Management Board under the Ministry of Transport on February 2.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said 90% of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway has been completed.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway, which will stretch over 13km, will have 12 stations and a depot linking Dong Da district's Cat Linh street and Ha Dong district's Yen Nghia bus station.

Once completed, the trains, which are being manufactured by China's Beijing Subway Rolling Stock Equipment Ltd., will be able to serve up to 2,110 passengers with an average speed of 35km per hour and a maximum speed of 80km per hour.

Trains of six to eight carriages each will run every two minutes from 5am to 11pm every day.

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