Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the Dong Da festival in Hanoi on February 20 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year) and offered incense in tribute to Emperor Quang Trung, marking the 229th anniversary of Ngoc Hoi–Dong Da victory over Chinese Qing invaders.

The festival also saw the attendance of Head of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission Tran Quoc Vuong, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu, a long with a large number of visitors from the capital city and other localities.

Addressing the event, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Da district Vo Nguyen Phong highlighted the great significance of the Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da victory under the leadership of Emperor Quang Trung (also known as national hero Nguyen Hue) 229 years ago, during which over 20,000 Qing troops were defeated, liberating the imperial city of Thang Long and regaining national independence and freedom.

Since then, the fifth day of the first lunar month has become the traditional day marking the historic victory.

The Ngoc Hoi–Dong Da victory has also gone down in Vietnamese history as an immortal and epic struggle for national construction and defence.

Dong Da Mound reportedly witnessed fierce battles between Emperor Quang Trung’s soldiers and the Chinese invaders 229 years ago.

The festival is designed to uphold the country’s cultural values, while educating young generations about the tradition of patriotism and national pride.

This year’s festival also included a “Tuong” (classical drama) play re-enacting the victory, and dragon dancing, art performances, and folk games.

Overseas Vietnamese host activities to welcome Tet

A string of activities have been held by overseas Vietnamese around the world to welcome the lunar New Year (Tet) – the biggest festival of the year, which falls on February 16-18 this year.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Nigeria held get-togethers on February 15 and 17 for its staff and representatives from several enterprises operating in the country, together with a meeting with Nigerian friends and representatives from foreign diplomatic corps in Nigeria.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria Pham Anh Tuan extended his new year wishes to families of the embassy’s staff and foreign guests.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese Students’ Association in West Australia State organised a ‘homeland Tet festival’.

Participants were offered a chance to enjoy art performances and take part in folk games such as “con” (colourful fabric ball) throwing, “keo co” (tug of war), and “sap” (bamboo) dance.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Vietnamese people living in the Czech Republic and nearly 100 locals recently joined a Tet gathering held by the Vietnamese Association’s Chomutov city chapter.

An exhibition introducing costumes of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups was organised in Cosmopolis cultural centre in the western French city of Nantes, attracting hundreds of visitors each day.

The festival was part of a programme to welcome the Year of Dog jointly held by the Vietnamese Students’ Association in Nantes and the Vietnam-Loire Atlantique Friendship Association from February 1-18.

Visitors to the event also had an opportunity to contemplate photos featuring Vietnam’s landscapes and people which were captured by photographer Sebastien Laval.

Function of former revolutionists held in HCM City

A get-together of former revolutionists operating in the Sai Gon-Cho Lon-Gia Dinh region was organised on February 20 in Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City.

The event was attended by politburo members: Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh; Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education Vo Van Thuong; and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan.

It also saw the presence of former President Nguyen Minh Triet, former Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai, senior revolutionaries, Vietnamese heroic mothers and local people.

Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam reviewed the tradition of the Sai Gon-Cho Lon-Gia Dinh revolution.

Under the leadership of the Party, the army and people defeated the enemies, contributing to the final Victory in 1975, liberating the south and unifying the country, she said.

She expressed her gratitude to the sacrifice of heroic martyrs and mothers as well as senior revolutionists, affirming that the city will continue promoting the revolutionary tradition.

Earlier, leaders of the Party, State, Ho Chi Minh City and the Military Region 7 paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh and martyrs at Ben Duoc Martyrs’ and Gia Dinh Temples and planted trees at the Sai Gon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Revolution Memorial Complex.-

Over 18,000 people pay tribute to Uncle Ho during Tet

The President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Management Board welcomed more than 18,000 visitors who came to pay tribute to the late President during the Tet holidays from February 15-18.

Of the total visitors, more than 9,900 were foreigners, the management board said.

The board has joined hands with relevant authorities to ensure warm welcome and safety for visitors to the mausoleum. 

Over 10,000 people have been flocking to the Temple of Literature in downtown Hanoi during the lunar New Year to ask for calligraphy works created by scholars to hang at home for good luck or as home decorations, according to Le Xuan Kieu, director of the Cultural and Scientific Centre at the Temple of Literature.

Particularly, the 2018 Spring Calligraphy opening at the Temple of Literature has drawn a large number of visitors.

During the festival, which runs from February 9 to February 25, a retrospective display has been on show, helping visitors learn more about the country’s education during the feudal period.

It also features a wide range of cultural activities showcasing the value of Vietnamese traditional folk culture, including an area for handicrafts from Hanoi’s trade villages, a display of folk paintings and folk games.

The Temple of Literature hosts the Imperial Academy, Vietnam’s first national university. It was built in 1070 under the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong (1054-1072). The temple is located to the south of Thang Long citadel.

Before and during the lunar New Year, calligraphists gather outside the temple and write wishes in Han (Chinese script) and Nom (Vietnamese ideographic script) characters. These works of art are given away as gifts or are used as home decorations on special occasions.

Lâm Ð?ng fails in communal deputy chief project

After more than four years of implementation, an ambitious project to enable young people from ethnic minorities to become communal chiefs in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highland) province of Lâm Ð?ng has not met the desired level of success.

Under the province’s Project 50, young people from the Tây Nguyên ethnic minority will be selected and trained, before being assigned as deputy chairpersons of the people’s committees in remote communes.

Starting from May 2013, 43 young people have received six-month training courses that included skills in management and decision-making, as well as knowledge of the administrative procedures of People’s Committees at the commune level.

However, after four years, only 12 trainees have been recruited as civil servants at communal people’s committees while six have resigned from the project and 25 are working under temporary working contracts. The goal of the project seems to be unreachable.

K’T?u, 33, was among three young people from Project 50 assigned to work at communes in Lâm Hà District. She graduated from Ðà L?t University’s Teacher Training College in 2009 with a major in history. She started working at Liên Hà Commune’s People’s Committee in 2014.

Two years ago, one of the three had resigned while K’T?u and another are still working under temporary status at communes.

“The job is not stable with no clear position,” K’T?u said, “The working contract was signed with the title of administrator, but I have not been assigned specific tasks. I mainly do odd jobs as an intern.”

Explaining K’T?u’s situation, authorities in Liên Hà Commune said that the commune had enough deputy chairpersons.

Party Secretary of Lâm Hà District, Ph?m Th? Phúc said that like K’T?u, two other members of Project 50 in the district could not found positions as deputy chairpersons of the communal people’s committees because there were no vacancies and the candidates had not shown an outstanding level of skill.

The story is the same in other communes. Since 2003, there have been sufficient numbers of members and deputies at the localities’ people’s committees. They have also used up their assigned staffing quotas, so the placement of full-time civil servants from Project 50 is very difficult.

“In the future, my department will advise the province to work out solutions to overcome constraints and difficulties arising in order to achieve the objectives of Project 50,” said Tr?n H?ng Quy?t, deputy director of Lâm Ð?ng Province’s Department of Home Affairs.

“Accordingly, outstanding people will be assigned the appropriate position,” he said.

Quy?t said that the provincial People’s Committee had agreed to extend labour contracts to 25 members of Project 50, who are working under temporary contracts, by the end of 2018 to create conditions for them to prove their ability and take part in official recruitment.

Moscow people excited with Vi?t Nam’s T?t

The third Vietnamese street food festival themed “T?t Vi?t” is taking place at the Hanoi-Moscow trade centre in Russia from February 16-18. 

The event drew much attention from overseas Vietnamese people as well as Russian friends to taste traditional dishes on the occasion of Lunar New Year. 

Russian people have an excellent opportunity to explore Vietnamese gastronomy, especially popular cuisines such as ‘nem rán’ (fried springroll), ‘ph?’ (noodle soup with chicken or beef), ‘bánh mì’ (Vietnamese baguette), ‘bánh dúc’ (plain rice flan), ‘bánh cu?n’ (steamed rice rolls), and ‘bún thang’ (noodle soup with pork, chicken and egg). 

Other farm produce such as tea and coffee along with souvenir and handicraft products are sold at the event. 

The festival also features a rural market, food making performances by Vietnamese cooks, national music and dances, folk games, and calligraphy.  

Ðà N?ng to roll out 6 new bus routes

The central city plans to add more six inner-city bus routes with subsidised fares in an effort to promote public transportation beginning in the second quarter of this year.

The central city’s Department of Transport said the six new public bus routes will have new 40-seat buses connecting major mass commuter destinations including the Hàn Port, central bus station, Non Nu?c tourism site, March 29th Park, Hi-Tech Park and Vi?t Nam-Korea College in the districts of H?i Châu, Ngu Hành Son, Hòa Vang, Son Trà and Liên Chi?u.

Tickets cost VNÐ5,000 (US$0.2) per trip, or VNÐ90,000 ($4) for a monthly package. People with disabilities, students, workers in industrial zones as well as underprivileged people will get a 50 per cent discount.

Last year, the city, in co-operation with Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), launched 61 new 50-seat busses on five routes operating every 20 minutes between 5am until 9pm.

The addition means that Ðà N?ng will operate 11 public bus routes with subsidised fares, offering workers, students and local residents more options to utilise safe and environmentally-friendly transit. The new bus routes will help boost the city’s internal bus services by offering public car parking areas, bus stops and shuttle bus routes connecting residential quarters and public destinations.

The city also offered bus tracking apps on mobile devices for commuters as well as wireless internet service on the bus.

The new bus routes are part of the city’s 2016-20 public transportation development that aims to reduce the use of personal cars and motorbikes.

Ðà N?ng plans to introduce three of their first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and a BRT route connecting the Ðà N?ng International Airport with favourite destinations in H?i An City in neighbouring Qu?ng Nam Province.

Ðà N?ng currently operates five bus routes from the city to Qu?ng Nam Province cities and districts, including H?i An, Duy Xuyên, Qu? Son, Ð?i L?c and Tam K?.

The World Bank agreed to support Ðà N?ng in improving the city’s BRT network, building new roads and revamping the drainage system.

Locals make 2.1 million journeys each day, of which 80 per cent are via motorbike, according to the city’s transport department.

New investment to give Thanh Khê beach a tourism makeover

A fund of VNÐ46 billion (US$2 million) has been allocated for the development of public beaches and coastal tourism service in Thanh Khê District, which aims to become an attractive beach destination just behind tourist-favourite pristine M? Khê in Son Trà Peninsula.

Thanh Khê District’s Party Committee secretary, Nguy?n Thanh Quang, told Vi?t Nam News that the 9km long beach improvement project is scheduled to begin in the second quarter this year in hosting a summer holiday this June.

Thanh said the fund will help improve beach service, rescue, public beach cleaning, beach sport recreation, surfing, paragliding, water-skiing, sewage treatment and night beach area.

The beach in Thanh Khê District has yet to lure tourists due to poor investment in coastal accommodation, tourism service, entertainment centres and transit connections.

Ðà N?ng has 11 public beaches, but only M? Khê beach has been the most favourite public site in summer with convenient service and good infrastructure investment.

The Mikazuki hotel Group from Japan will become the biggest investor in Thanh Khê District when it committed to spend more than $100 million to build a water park and five-star hotel on the beach in the district in 2018.

Ðà N?ng also has planned An Thu?ng quarter in coastal Ngu Hành Son District as the first tourism area catering to late-night shopping and entertainment.

In 2015, the city launched its first downtown shopping centre running down a 1.1km section of Lê Du?n Street, and a night food centre in Hu?nh Thúc Kháng Street.

Ðà N?ng hosted 6.6 million tourists, of which 2.3 million were foreigners, in 2017.

However, the city has lacked international-standard night entertainment services for tourists who are spending long vacations.

New parks improve quality of life in Bình Duong Province

Two years ago, Nguy?n Th? Thu, who lives in Th? D?u M?t City in Bình Duong Province, used to exercise every day on the streets.

“It was hard to find a safe place to exercise every day at the public park. Of course, I knew that it was very dangerous, but I had no choice,” she said. .

“But things are different since the local government built public parks and flower gardens and upgraded other infrastructure,” she added. “It also provides more space for children to play.”

The 65-year-old is among thousands of residents who have benefitted from the province’s decision to carry out programmes to provide more green space.  

In 2014, the Bình Duong Administrative Centre opened in Bình Duong New City, about 20km from the centre of Bình Duong Province.

Major government offices and orgnisations moved to the new city, leaving many land plots open for new uses.

In 2015, local authorities decided to use the land for new parks and public gardens to improve the quality of life of the local community.

Nguy?n Thanh Tu?n, 36, said he was surprised when the government decided to build parks. “I thought the land which was located downtown would be used for trading and used for profit. But they were turned into parks.”

Nguy?n Thu Cúc, deputy chairwoman of the city’s People’s Committee, conceded that the city would have received more money if it had used the land for trade.

However, urbanisation in Bình Duong and Th? D?u M?t City has increased rapidly in recent years.

“This has led to more environmental problems, especially air pollution, and a decrease in the quality of life,” she said. “Under urbanisation, local residents need more green areas to breathe, live and relax as well as exercise.”

In addition to building public gardens, the city also invested in exercise equipment, toys and playgrounds for children.

Thirty parks and flower gardens covering a total area of 18,000sq.m were built between 2015 and 2017, with a total investment of VNÐ30 billion from the local budget.

Despite the Govenrment’s efforts, the increase in green areas is still insufficient.  

Statistics show that Bình Duong has a population of nearly 2 million, with 500,000 people living in Th? D?u M?t City.   

“We plan to build 36 parks and flower gardens in 2018 in Th? D?u M?t City,” Cúc said.

Ð?ng Van Th?, 43, a resident of the city, said: “I’m happy since the park near my house has opened to the public. In the past, I couldn’t find a place for my son to play and relax after school. He just stayed home and used his smartphone or watched TV. I knew it was not good for the children and their growth. But what I could do?”

“Now, my son can play and talk with other kids at the park near our home,” he added. “However, there are not enough auxiliary works and public conveniences such as public restrooms.”

He said that public conveniences and places should be built, and to maintain them, donation boxes should be installed to raise funds.

An American man who has worked as an English teacher in Th? D?u M?t City for six years, said: “The local authorities have had very good policy. Urbanisation has increased rapidly in recent years, so the city residents need green places.”

Nguy?n L?c Hà, chairman of the city’s People Committee, said: “Public parks and flower gardens play a very important role in the development of the entire Bình Duong Province. They are like the lung of the city.”

“They are the ideal place for public communication and for relaxation.”

Bus catches fire on H?i Vân Pass Road

A bus carrying 29 foreign tourists travelling from Hu? to H?i An city caught fire while passing H?i Vân Pass in the central city at noon on Thursday, February 15.

All the tourists, driver and co-driver escaped to safety from the bus. The Ðà N?ng city’s traffic police said the fire on the bus (number 43B-025.31) from Ðà N?ng erupted in the engine at the rear.

A team of 30 firemen and a fire-truck were called to extinguish the fire, but the bus was completely damaged.

The accident occurred just 12 hours before the Lunar New Year’s Eve, causing hours of traffic jam on the 24-kilometre zigzagging pass road.

Police are investigating the accident.

Last week, a bus carrying 29 passengers overturned on a ring-road of the H?i Vân Tunnel in the city’s suburban area, killing two persons and wounded 11 others.

Tân Son Nh?t sees record 124,000 passengers on Sunday

The number of passengers taking flights at Tân Son Nh?t International Airport in HCM City rose to a record 124,000 in a day, according to Nguy?n Nam Ti?n, deputy director of the airport.

The number on Sunday set a record compared to previous years, Ti?n spoke on Tuesday at a meeting with the inspection team of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vi?t Nam.

As many as 827 flights were recorded at the airport on Sunday, while 794 were recorded on the peak day of 2017, Ti?n added.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vi?t Nam said the number of passengers was expected to increase by 20 per cent this year to more than 4.1 million on a total of 26,288 flights.

More X-ray machines, check-in counters and an additional luggage belt as well as aerobridges leading from the terminal to departure gates had been set up to serve passengers, he said.

A team had been established to solve problems at the airport, he added.

In the last several days, there were unexpected problems that delayed flights for 30 minutes to one hour. Several flights were delayed for four hours.

A representative of Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company said that 6,609 flights had been scheduled during this T?t, an increase of 978 compared to the same period last year.

The total number of passengers on these flights were expected to total nearly 1.4 million, up by 25 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The routes seeing an increase in flights were from: HCM City - H?i Phòng City, Thanh Hóa Province, Th?a Thiên-Hu? Province, Qu?ng Nam Province’s Chu Lai airport, Quy Nhon city in Bình Ð?nh Province, Khánh Hòa Province’s Cam Ranh City and Kiên Giang Province’s Phú Qu?c; and Hà N?i - C?n Tho.

Forty per cent of the total number of passengers on Vietjet flights have checked in online.

Tr?n Doãn M?u, director of Southern Airports Authority, said airline companies had encouraged customers to check in online.

Võ Huy Cu?ng of Civil Aviation Authority of Vi?t Nam instructed companies to continue asking passengers to check in online to reduce congestion at ticket counters.

"If flights are delayed, the companies should have representatives to speak to passengers," he said.

To prevent traffic jams, the airport authority should fine individuals parking more than the regulated time of 3 minutes at pick-up and drop-off areas, Cu?ng added.

Hà Tinh residents make buoy to cross river

Residents of central Hà Tinh Province made a large buoy to cross a local river after its bridge was swept away by floods in late 2017.

A community of 60 families in the province’s C?m Linh Commune in C?m Xuyên District is separated from the outside world by Khe Gin River. Following a storm in September, the small bridge across the river awas destroyed, cutting off residents.

While a new bridge is yet to be constructed, local residents used banana trees and recycled foam to create a buoy as a means of transport.

They tied a big rope from the riverbank to the opposite bank to control the movement of the buoy with hands.

The buoy can accommodate two adults at once. While some consider the buoy a smart way to travel, others fear about safety.

Ki?m Th? Ti?m, a local resident, said there have been two instances when the persons travelling in the buoy fell in the river. Fortunately, they were able to swim to safety.

Nguy?n Th? Hà, another resident, said they had to travel frequently each day for daily needs as well as to farm their lands on the opposite side. The low load capacity of the buoy, therefore, was hindering travel.

Without the buoy, locals need to travel for 4km on a rocky road to find a bridge across the river.

Tr?n Ðình Lam, the commune chairman, said the local budget was not sufficient for a 24m bridge – the estimated cost is some VNÐ3 billion. The commune has asked for supports from the district authorities, but has got no response so far, he said.

Meanwhile, for residents of Huong Th?y Commune in Hà Tinh Province’s Huong Khê District, boats are a traditional means of transport to cross the Ngàn Sâu River. There are no bridges in this mountainous locality to serve the needs of its 1,000 families.

Nguy?n Van Th?c, a boat sailor, was quoted by a local newspaper as saying that he has worked as a sailor for almost 30 years and that the local people pay him rice instead of cash.

Nguy?n Xuân Th?, the commune chairman, said travelling by boats was risky during floods. He said locals were waiting for a concrete bridge, the site for which has been surveyed, but the date to begin construction has not been announced yet.

T?t lures tourists to Ðà N?ng, Qu?ng Nam

The central city of Ðà N?ng held a warm welcome ceremony at the airport on February 16 for the first 180 tourists visiting the city in the lunar New Year.

The Hong Kong Express airline carried tourists from Hong Kong visiting the city and other areas in the central region for the T?t (Vietnamese lunar New Year) festival.

According to the city’s tourism department, more than 100,000 tourists, 75 per cent of them foreigners, have booked hotels and resorts to explore the T?t festival and other attractions.

On the occasion of T?t, a flower festival started on the same day in the Bà Nà Hills Mountain resort, 1,471m above sea level. The festival will conclude at the end of March.

Visitors at the resort have been receiving lì xì (lucky money) from February 16-21. 

In Qu?ng Nam Province, an exhibition of 60 coloured photographs was opened at the village of Tam Thanh – famous for its murals – 7km from Tam K? City.

The photographs have been put up on sidewalks of the village road to attract tourists during the lunar New Year.

The village gets almost 500 tourists every day, while some 2,000 young, offbeat travellers and backpackers visit to enjoy the colourful paintings on the walls of old houses in the fishing village.

Last year, the Tam Thanh art community village was awarded the 2017 Asian Townscape Award for its colourful murals. It is the first commune in Vi?t Nam to have colourful murals painted on its moss-covered walls by artists from Korea. —

Peach blossom festival in L?ng Son

Thousands of locals and tourists are flocking to the first-ever Peach Blossom Festival held in the northern province of L?ng Son.

About 350 peach blossom plants raised in 11 districts throughout the province are exhibited in L?ng Son City’s downtown. The event includes art performances and lion dances on the streets.

The event will last until March 15.

Peach blossoms symbolise luck, peace and happiness. L?ng Son hosts various varieties of valuable and beautiful peach blossoms with different colours of flowers.

Local authorities hope the event will be a unique trademark for local tourism, making contributions to preserving and developing local peach blossom plants. 

Chilly thief given a warm welcome

A homeless man was caught red-handed nabbing clothes that were hung up to dry outside a house in the northern city of Vi?t Trì. Desperate for warmth, he had no idea he was being watched by a security camera. Three men quickly came out to stop him.

It must have been one of the thief’s lucky days because instead of being taken to the police he was told to pick up a broom. The men, who took pity on him after he told them he was very cold and hungry, decided he would pay penance by sweeping the floor before being invited to join them for a late supper.

The north of the country is shivering through one of the coldest winters in recent memory, with temperatures dropping to well below 10 degrees Celsius in some parts. Many schools have shut and frost was spotted in mountainous areas. As families are gathering to celebrate the Lunar New Year, let us not forget that there are needy people out there and it’s a season of mercy.

Cinema gets a ribbing over condom promo

With Valentine’s Day coming up there are all sorts of discounts and promotions on offer for lovebirds. But perhaps none was more thoughtful than a cinema in Hà N?i who will include a ‘special’ gift with every two tickets purchased… a free condom.

In a country where sex remains a touchy subject, the cinema’s generous promotion drew the ire of conservative film fans. Critics wasted no time in saying the cinema was poisoning young minds, especially teenagers and children.

In its defense, the promotion was a joint effort between the cinema and the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) to raise awareness of safe sex among young adults. CCIHP is a non-profit organisation that has been working for nearly 20 years to promote better healthcare for all, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender-based violence prevention.

By now, some people have realised they overreacted. To quote the cinema’s representative: “Obviously, we won’t be handing out condoms to children,”

The representative also stressed that the cinema does not, in any way, encourage or condone inappropriate behavior within its premises.

Prof babysits infant so mother can take exam

Among the tasks a university professor is expected to perform, babysitting an infant should be very far down the list. Last week, however, an accounting professor at the Hanoi College of Technology and Trading took on the unusual job so his student, the infant’s mother, could finish an exam.

The mother was quite taken by the unexpected turn of event. “There was nobody who I could ask to take care of my six-month-old baby,” said the young mother, “I was pleasantly surprised when he offered to take care of the baby so I could finish my exam.”

According to other students who took the same exam and later shared the story on social media, their professor was quite good at his side job. The baby was only loud a few times during the exam, which lasted for two hours.

“We are, quite frankly, at a loss as to what to do. There is no rule in the examination guideline that says a mother cannot bring her baby and her professor cannot offer to babysit,” said the college’s representative.

If teaching doesn’t work out for this professor at least he now knows he has other marketable skills, some mothers would kill for the ability to keep an infant quiet for two hours!

700,000 visitors flock to Cần Thơ during Tết

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ received 700,000 tourists during Tết (Lunar New Year), 10 per cent higher than last year, according to its Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Lê Minh Sơn, the department’s deputy director, said they included 65,000 people who stayed overnight of whom 16,200 were foreigners.

Holiday-makers flocked to well-known destinations such as Cái Răng floating market, Southern Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery and Mỹ Khánh Tourist Village.

To maximise visitors’ experience, the city has organised electric vehicles for sightseeing, cruise ships and a festival showcasing giant lanterns.

Tourism revenues during the holidays topped VNĐ75.8 billion (US$3.3 million), up 10 per cent from last year.

The city had enjoyed strong tourism growth in 2017 due to a series of international political and cultural events such as the APEC Food Security Week, Việt Nam-Japan Culture and Trade Exchange, and the Southern Traditional Cake Festival.

The number of tourist arrivals and revenues had surged 40 per cent to 7.5 million and 61 per cent to VNĐ2.9 trillion ($127.3 million).

Southern province awards outstanding individuals

Some VNĐ1 billion (US$44,000) was awarded by a local talent fund in the southern province of An Giang yesterday to 173 teachers and students who displayed outstanding academic performances.

They included 16 teachers and coaches, recognised for their outstanding teaching initiatives, and 157 students and athletes who won prizes in national and international competitions in 2017.

Each individual received VNĐ2-12 million ($88-523), depending upon their achievements.

About 1,000 individuals have received awards from the fund in the past 8 years.

The awards are of great importance in building high-quality human resources for the province, said Nguyễn Thanh Bình, vice chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee.

Quang Ninh province to go vibrant with Yen Tu spring festival

The Yen Tu Spring Festival will open on February 25 (the 10th day of the Lunar New Year), in Uong Bi city, the northern province of Quang Ninh, kicking off the National Tourism Year hosted by the locality.

Key events held within the festival include the opening ceremony, Cherry Blossom and Yen Tu yellow apricot blossom festival and Hang Son Pagoda Festival.

This year, Uong Bi city will work to ensure social order and traffic safety and prevent fire and explosion. Kiosks will be arranged to introduce tourism products and services to visitors.

In preparation for the festival, investments have been made in infrastructure in the Yen Tu spiritual tourism site, including the upgrade of the road to Yen Tu relic site and the construction of a new cable car system to prevent traffic congestion.

The province is also working to complete the first phase of the Yen Tu festival tourism services centre, which features Truc Lam palace, a Zen village, a pilgrimage village and the King monk Tran Nhan Tong museum.

Last year, Yen Tu relic site attracted more than 2 million visitors, including 250,000 foreigners, up 200 percent against 2016’s figure.

Yen Tu Mountain is located about 50 kilometres from Ha Long City. The area has awe-inspiring scenery, surrounded by ancient pagodas and hermitages.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third King of the Tran dynasty, ascended to the throne when he was just 21. He is famed for defeating Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.

The King abdicated when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practicing and propagating Buddhism. He founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong” or Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen on the 1,068m-high Yen Tu Mountain. The 20,000ha site is considered the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Yen Tu became a major Buddhist Centre and King Tran Nhan Tong became its first leader under the religious name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang Tran Nhan Tong. He ordered the construction of hundreds of religious buildings on Yen Tu Mountains for teaching and following a religious life.

Besides numerous temples, it also preserves many old religious and cultural documents such as precious prayer-books and monks’ writings.

Yen Tu was officially listed as a special national relic site in September 2012.

UN to build 4,000 flood-resistant houses in coastal areas

The General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control and the United Nations Development Programme's Director Caitlin Wiesen transferred 37 houses to people in Quang Ngai Province on February 13.

This is part of the project to improve the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change organised by the UNDP, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Construction.

The houses can withstand huge storms and protect poor people living in the flood-prone areas. The UNDP has provided USD1,700 to each household and started the project in Quang Ngai Province. In the coming years, the UNDP will build 300 houses in Quang Ngai. The rest will be built in Quang Nam, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

Wiesen said houses were people’s most valuable assets so was important to have a sturdy house that can adapt to the environment in coastal areas. This is also the first project in Vietnam that is supported by the Green Climate Fund.

The project also aims to increase the rate of mangrove coverage and provide reliable information to help with disaster management planning and response to climate change. The project is set to be implemented from 2017 to 2022 with a USD29.50m grant.

Doan Thi Tuyet Nga from the General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said, "37 houses were completed before the Tet holiday which will help poor people enjoy the holiday better."