Da Nang emerges as popular destinations for RoK tourists

A beach in Da Nang 

The Vietnamese central city of Da Nang has become one of the most popular tourist destinations for people of the Republic of Korea (RoK) this year, according to a RoK online ticket seller. 

Da Nang ranked second in the list of the 10 most popular destinations among solo or couple travelers, Ticket Monster Inc. said, citing its analysis of air ticket reservations in July and August. Osaka of Japan topped the list.

The website said people who plan to travel abroad with family members chose Da Nang as the most popular destination.

The Vietnamese central coastal city is also the second-most popular destination among couple of travelers, followed by Bangkok (Thailand) and Guam (the US), it said.

The number of outbound RoK travelers has been on the rise in recent years with the increase of affordable tickets offered by low-cost local carriers.

Data compiled by the Korea Tourism Organisation showed more than 9.66 million Koreans traveled to foreign countries in the first four months of 2018, up 13.4 percent from a year earlier.

Tra Vinh farmers lend farmland for free to poor

Farmers in southern Trà Vinh Province are lending their land for free to poor farmers as a way of helping families escape poverty.

Farmers in southern Tra Vinh province are lending their land for free to poor farmers as a way of helping families escape poverty.

Duong Phac Ra Day in the province’s Duyen Hai district, for example, earned a profit of 15 million VND (600 USD) from his harvest of bird’s-eye chili crop on a 2,000 sq.m of land which was lent to him by Thach Tai, a farmer in Duyen Hai’s Ngu Lac commune.

Day is one of many farmers in the Mekong Delta province who have borrowed land from fellow farmers in recent years. As a result, many poor farmers have been able to escape poverty.

“I appreciate the help of my neighbour. It encouraged my family to strive for a better life,” Day said. 

Before receiving the land, Day had worked as a daily hired labourer, struggling to earn enough for his family.

In Tra Vinh, more than 1,000 farming households have lent a total of 600ha of farmland to nearly 1,400 poor farmers, helping many households escape poverty, according to the province’s Ethnic Affairs Committee. 

The province has more than 23,000 poor households, accounting for 8.4 percent of the total households. It targets reducing the poverty rate by 2-2.5 percent a year.

Farmers who lend land are classified by authorities as either near-poor or fairly well-off.

Tai of Ngu Lac commune, who is a near-poor farmer and has 6,000 sq.m of farmland, said his rice field often lacked irrigation water in the dry season, so the yield of rice was not high.

With guidance from local agriculture officials, Tai switched to one rice crop and one bird’s-eye chili crop a year beginning in 2014. Since then, he has had a stable income.

Knowing Day’s family difficulties, Tai last year decided to lend Day 2,000 sq.m of his farmland to plant bird’s-eye chili in the dry season.

“I was happy to see that his family could earn more income,” he said, adding that he would continue to lend his land to Day to grow the chili variety.

Thach Thi Hong Nghia, who has 4,000sq.m of farmland in Ngu Lac commune, has lent 2,000 sq.m to poor neighbouring farmers since 2013.

Ngu Lac, one of the poorest communes in Tra Vinh, has 4,200 households with a total of 18,000 people. Of the households, 64 percent are Khmer.

In the 2015-17 period, the number of poor families fell by 580. Many of them had borrowed land from other farmers.    

Farmers with available land lend their land to poor farmers to grow crops in the dry season or year round.

Duong Van Lieu, Secretary of the Ngu La Commune Party Committee, said about 100 farming households were lending a total of 30ha of land to poor farmers.

Ly Son Island to celebrate First Culture Tourism Week

The central province of Quang Ngai will hold the 1st Ly Son Culture Tourism Week from June 29 to July 3, the Ly Son district People’s Committee said recently. 

The week will feature a wide range of culture, sports, and tourism activities, aimed at providing meaningful and impressive events to both locals and foreign tourists. An exhibition entitled Ly Son - Di San Van Hoa Bien Dao (Ly Son - Islands and Sea Culture Heritage) will be one of the highlights of the week. 

The exhibition will display photos of daily life and beautiful landscapes in Ly Son Island, as well as maps and documents on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands. The maps and the documents are seen as historical and legal evidence proving Vietnamese sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. 

The exhibition also makes use of digital 3D technology. 

The event aims to set a Vietnamese record with about 3,000 people singing the national anthem. It also features a human formation of the national flag on Hang Câu Beach, while about 1,000 tourists will participate in a music festival during the week.

A traditional boat-race will be held, with boats named after the four sacred animals – the dragon, unicorn, turtle, and phoenix. A boat-race has traditionally been organised between the fourth and eighth days of the Lunar New Year to commemorate ancestors and combatants who sacrificed their lives to safeguard national sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. 

A ceremony to recognise Be Island as one of the province’s relics will also be held. Be Island (Small Island) is one of three islands in the Ly Son island district. The week will also feature a night food market, which has been open since early May. It is expected to attract tourists, with 40 booths selling souvenirs, dried seafood, local cuisine and other specialties of the island. 

"Transport services in the district are capable of transporting tourists to the culture tourism week, with 12 express ships offering about 1,450 seats in total," Nguyen Thanh, Chairman of the People’s Committee, said at a press conference. 

"Different kinds of vehicles in Ly Son Island are also prepared to serve about 3,000 people every day,” he said.

The opening ceremony will be held at the Ly Son district centre at 7 pm on June 29.

Blood clam farmers face losing their livelihoods

Blood clam farming in Thị Tường Lake in the southernmost province of Cà Mau. — Photo laodong.com.vn

A plan to turn a lake into a nature reserve has hit a snag due to blood clam farming.

Some 640 households in the three districts of Phú Tân, Cái Nước and Trần Văn Thời around Cà Mau Province’s Thị Tường Lake make a living from seafood, with 30 per cent of them involved in blood clam farming, Lao Động reports.

For years, they have ignored request from the province’s authorities to remove their blood clam farm constructions so as to turn the 700ha lake into a natural reserve.

New oyster farm constructions keep emerging despite warnings from authorities, as blood clam farming is their only means of earning a living.

Some farmers have been making billions of đồng per year. Thái Văn Đen, a farmer in Phú Tân District who lives on the lake, earned more than VNĐ1 billion (US$43,900) in 2017 after investing VNĐ520 million ($22,800) into raising clams.

Even those that were hired to raise the sea creatures for others have made good money, about VNĐ200,000 ($8.8) per day.

“We know raising blood clams is banned in the province, but we don’t know how to survive without it,” said a local farmer.

“We would only leave if the State deliberately wants to acquire the lake,” he said.

As a result of the booming seafood business, the lake’s water surface area has sparked disputes between farmers.

Some make money by selling or renting their parts of the surface to others, while some intentionally harvest blood clams from others’ farms.

Farmer Thái Phước Lợi has had 20 years of experience in clam farming and owns 8ha of the lake’s water surface area. The large farm was accumulated over the years by different generations of his family.

“We bought [different parts of the lake], and also sold some to other farmers,” he said.

“The rental fee and purchase price of the lake’s water surface area varies, depending on the location and flow of water,” he added.  

Authorities of Phú Tân District are aware of this water surface business, but they don’t know how to deal with it.

“We have not been able to develop any preventive measures or effective solutions for the matter,” said Nguyễn Trường Sơn, vice chairman of the district’s People’s Committee.

“There are already 60 households that make a living out of the lake in one of the district’s communes alone, not to mention people from other districts who rent parts of the lake,” he said.

Turning Thị Tường Lake into a natural reserve seems a long way down the road. On the bright side, some farmers, like Thái Văn Đen in Phú Tân District, said he would consider giving up his blood clam farms to turn the plan into reality.

“If such a natural reserve is proven to provide benefits for local residents, some of my farmer friends and I will be willing to move out of the lake and return our water surface area to the State,” he said. 

Charity programme makes disadvantaged children’s dreams come true

Phụ Nữ (Woman) newspaper and New Zealand goat milk formula maker organise a charity event at the Tam Bình Social Welfare Centre for Children in HCM City’s Thủ Đức District. — Photo courtesy of Woman newspaper.

A charity programme called Giving Mother’s Love has helped turn into reality some of the dreams of children living in 11 social welfare centres and shelters in HCM City.

Đoàn Nhật Minh from the central city of Đà Nẵng, who lives in Tam Bình Social Welfare Centre for Children in Thủ Đức District, wore the uniform of a firefighter and spoke about his dream of becoming a firefighter or rescuer after watching his hometown become  flooded on television.

The programme also took him to an amusement arcade for children, where one of the attractions was simulation by visitors of many different occupations.

Đinh Thị Hoài Hương, an educator at Hoa Sen Shelter in Hóc Môn District, said through the programme she and her colleagues understood the dreams and thoughts of the children living in the shelter.

There was a drawing and writing contest for the children to express their dreams.

The two-month programme, meant for kids aged six to 14, held a review ceremony on June 2 upon completion.

It was sponsored by Phụ Nữ (Woman) newspaper and New Zealand goat milk formula maker DG.

According to the Department of Child Care and Protection, 156,000 out of 29 million children aged under 16 in Việt Nam are orphans. 

‘New-style’ Sóc Trăng cooperatives yields higher profits for farmers

Agricultural cooperatives applying Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) in Sóc Trăng Province are offering sustainable incomes for member farmers.   

The “new-style” agricultural cooperatives include Phước An Agricultural Co-operative in Châu Thành District, Đại Đoàn Kết Fruit Co-operative in Kế Sách District, Kế Thành Năm Roi Grapefruit and Green-Peel and Pink Flesh Grapefruit Co-operative in Kế Sách District, Toàn Thắng Fishery Co-operative in Vĩnh Châu Town.

Đặng Văn Nám, director of the Kế Thành Năm Roi Grapefruit and Green-Peel and Pink Flesh Grapefruit Co-operative, said the co-operative has 15 members that plant a total of 25ha of grapefruit.

Of the figure, 12 ha of green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit have borne fruit, while the remaining areas of Năm Roi, as well as green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit, have not yet produced fruit.

Each hectare of green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit has an annual yield of 45 tonnes and offers a profit of VNĐ1billion (US$44,000), Nám said.

Established in 2015, the co-operative’s green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit have received certification for VietGAP standards.

The Toàn Thắng Fishery Co-operative, which was established last May, has more than 30 members who breed 40ha of shrimp under VietGAP and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards.

Mai Văn Đấu, director of the Toàn Thắng Fishery Co-operative, said: “The co-operative is determined to produce clean products to meet market demand.”

A company guarantees to buy the co-operative’s products at a price 5-10 per cent higher than the market price.

The co-operative harvests about 150 tonnes of shrimp a year and earns a profit of VNĐ250 million ($11,000) per ha.

"The application of VietGAP standards has reduced production costs, increased profits and produced clean shrimp," Đấu said.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has 137 agricultural co-operatives, an increase of 26 co-operatives against the same period last year.

Most agricultural co-operatives are small but with the support of local authorities, have provided support for their members, including large-scale fields for production to reduce production costs.

They have also helped members find outlets for their products.

The Đại Đoàn Kết Fruit Co-operative, for instance, buys oranges from its members and transports them to the Thủ Đức Wholesale Agriculture Market in HCM City to sell.

The co-operative’s 24 members are planting 42ha of oranges, and produce about 30 tonnes of orange a month.

Huỳnh Ngọc Vân, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said co-operatives had been working effectively by supporting member farmers, helping them access new seed varieties, farming techniques, and market information and outlets.

The province will offer training for staff at co-operatives and find outlets for co-operative members, he said. 

Petrol tanker engulfed in flames

The tanker was destroyed along with the motorcycles parked nearby.—Photo giadinhvietnam.com

A tanker burst into flames while refuelling a petrol station in Cần Thơ Province yesterday. Firefighters spent half an hour getting the blaze under control. Unfortunately, the driver of the tanker sustained serious burns.

The fire started around 12:00 pm at Gas station No. 3 on Nguyễn Văn Cừ Road, Ninh Kiều District, Cần Thơ Province.

Fortunately, the fuel in the tanker didn’t leak, and the petrol station was spared from serious damage. However, the tanker was destroyed along with several motorcycles parked nearby.

The injured driver was rushed to nearby Cần Thơ Medical University Hospital for treatment.

The fire fighting force continued to monitor the area and is currently investigating the cause of the incident. 

Landslide damages provincial highway in Yên Bái

Landslide interrupts traffic on provincial highway No 174 in northern province of Yên Bái. — Photo atgt.vn

Torrential rain between Monday night and early Tuesday morning caused a massive landslide along provincial highway No 174 in northern Yên Bái Province.

The highway is now accessible only to motorists and pedestrians and not heavy vehicles as the landslide damaged the sewage system and a part of the road surface.

The highway is the only road connecting Trạm Tấu District with Nghĩa lộ Town to reach Yên Bái City and other districts in the northern province.

According to the Transport Infrastructure Management Division under the province’s Transport Department, as soon as the incident was reported, relevant agencies mobilised staff and equipment to deal with the aftermath.

The highway is expected to be cleared today.

The same highway was severely damaged by the historic flood on October 11, 2017, which isolated Trạm Tấu District. 

Electrification of rural areas makes stride over past decade

Electrification of rural areas has made great strides over the past decade. Illustrative image 

The implementation of synchronous measures to improve the power supply system has brought a facelift to Vietnamese rural areas, with 99.98 percent of communes nationwide and 98.83 percent of households accessing electricity as of 2017. 

One decade ago, the rates were 97 percent and 93.4 percent, respectively. 

The result was attributable to projects carried out by the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) in the past decade with financing from official development assistance (ODA) loans worth about 2 billion USD from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the French Development Agency, the German Development Bank, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Besides, the group has spent over 5.5 trillion VND (240.9 million USD) implementing projects to connect 369 communes with nearly 400,000 families in far-flung rural and border areas of Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Bac Kan, Nghe An, Lang Son, Khanh Hoa, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Ca Mau, and Kien Giang to the national grid. 

 EVN has invested in building power supply systems for island districts and communes to develop sea-based economy, protect the marine environment, and contribute to safeguarding the national sovereignty over seas and islands.

 It has built overhead electricity lines and cross-sea submarine cable lines at total cost of over 6.1 trillion VND (267.1 million USD) to island districts such as Co To (Quang Ninh), Phu Quoc, Kien Hai (Kien Giang), and Ly Son (Quang Ngai) as well as many island communes across the country, supplying electricity for over 140,000 households.

 Besides building the transmission networks, EVN also gradually took over the management of the low-voltage networks operated by local organisations. As of the end of 2017, the group took over the management of networks in nearly 6,000 communes in rural areas with over 6.2 million households and spent nearly 8 trillion VND on upgrading the transmission grids.

The Northern Electricity Corporation has set the goal of connecting 100 percent of households in rural areas to the national grid by 2020.

Early testing needed to minimise mother-to-child HIV transmission