External affairs key to Ho Chi Minh City’s growth

Ho Chi Minh City needs to shift from political diplomacy to economic diplomacy in service of its development demand, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

Son made the suggestion at a conference held by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations on December 27 to review its 2016 performance and set out tasks for 2017.

The Deputy Minister noted that external activities in the City and other localities nationwide have to prioritise stronger cooperation with strategic partners and serious selection of areas for joint projects. 

He tasked the municipal department with closely working with relevant agencies in implementing cultural diplomacy, protecting citizens overseas and improving the diplomatic sector’s personnel.

Lauding external activities throughout 2016, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong recommended that the activities should continue focusing on strengthening bilateral ties in terms of authority management, environment protection, climate change adaptation, foreign investment attraction and personnel capacity building.

This aims to help develop the city as a trade, finance, science and technology hub in the region, Phong added.

He said 2017 marks a number of major diplomatic events, including the implementation of several international commitments and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events. 

Phong highlighted the city’s plan to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and other countries in 2017, particularly a cultural festival to mark 25 years of Vietnam-the Republic of Korea ties.

As heard at the function, in 2016, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations organised 18 official overseas visits for local leaders and welcomed over 140 foreign delegations.

It also participated in the organisation of an international tourism expo, a conference for overseas Vietnamese and the Ho Chi Minh City festival on integration and development, among others.

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia localities work on border security

A conference was organised in Ban Lung city, the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri on December 26 to review security and social order in shared border areas of six provinces of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

The provinces are the Vietnamese Central Highlands localities of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, the Cambodian provinces of Rattanakiri and Stung Treng, and the Lao provinces of Attapu and Se Kong.

Participants reported that the police forces have implemented the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the maintenance of border security in the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area.

They have strengthened their support for local authorities at all levels to boost the cooperation, socio-economic development, the friendship and solidarity among the six provinces.

Additionally, communication work has been promoted to raise border residents’ awareness of border sovereignty and abiding by respective laws.

Regular information exchanges have been conducted to keep the six provinces’ police forces updated on activities of border crimes and hostile forces. 

They have also actively worked together on patrolling, detecting and handling law violation cases.

During the event, officials of the provincial police forces discussed and reviewed the achievements and shortcomings during the MoU implementation.

They agreed on strengthening comprehensive cooperation in economics, national defence, thus ensuring social security and order in shared border areas of the three nations in the coming time.

VFF leader receives financial aid in support of flood victims

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on December 27 received 500 million VND (21,700 USD) in support of flood victims in the south central region. 

The sum was donated by the Foreign Ministry staff and handed over by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. 

Speaking at the event, Nhan said the financial package will be transferred to affected households within one week. 

The VFF will continue appealing for donations at home and abroad to support the victims ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year, he said. 

The same day, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines committed 2.1 billion VND (91,000 USD), which is sourced from a social activity fund raised by its staff, to seven central and south central provinces hard hit by the flooding. 

The donation was in response to the Party Committee of the Centrally-run Businesses sector’s appeal on December 20. 

Earlier in late October, Vietnam Airlines, budget carrier Jetstar Pacific and Vietnam Air Services Company carried over 35 tonnes of relief goods to the central region. 

On December 16-17, Vietnam Airlines also shipped 30 tonnes of dry food to the region.

Up to 29 people were killed and went missing in the downpours and flood in October alone, and nearly 200,000 houses and infrastructure facilities were under water and damaged in Vietnam’s central region. Losses are estimated at trillions of VND.

The central region was again devastated by more heavy rains and flood in November and December.

Vietnam social academy urged to solve social concerns

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) to become a trustworthy address to solve social concerns during a conference in Hanoi on December 27 to launch its 2017 tasks. 

Speaking at the event, Phuc said the Party and State have continually prioritised resources for VASS’s research activities over the past 63 years, both in infrastructure and personnel. 

He lauded the VASS for conducting a number of important studies to offer policy recommendations to the Party and government, especially those regarding the fields of socio-economy, culture, politics, national defence-security. 

As an independent social science consultant to the Party and government, the VASS is tasked with promoting the development of Vietnam’s social sciences, making due contributions to the human intellectual treasure and bring Vietnam’s science on par with other foreign countries’, he said. 

On development orientations, the PM required the VASS to release highly reliable estimates and use scientific research results to solve wealth gap, family issues and ethics in market economy, among others. 

The academy was also requested to streamline apparatus, adopt advanced governance mechanism to attract talents and expand international cooperation. 

Consideration should be taken into economic and geographical characteristics of each locality to build proper policies, contributing to poverty reduction and economic development, he said, adding that amid the globalisation, it is necessary to collect highly persuasive scientific evidence which lay legal foundation for the safeguard of national sovereignty. 

As 2016 is the first year that Vietnam has recorded more than 100,000 newly-established firms, the PM asked the VASS to propose effective mechanisms and policies to facilitate start-up movement, towards the goal of having 1 million start-ups by 2020. 

He also asked for closer liaison between VASS and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and hoped that Vietnamese scientists would also serve as good advisors.

Hoang Sa, Truong Sa exhibition opens in Long An

An exhibition on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos opened in Can Duoc district, the Mekong Delta province of Long An on December 27.

Titled “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa belong to Vietnam – Historical and legal evidence”, the exhibition drew the participation of local people, including students.

The exhibition introduced over 158 maps, photos and documents related to Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos from the 17th to 20th century. Some materials published in Vietnam and other countries are also on display.

They all showed the assertion, exercise and protection of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos.

The event aims to raise awareness of the importance of Vietnam’s sea and islands and responsibility in protecting the country’s sea and island sovereignty among local officials and people.

The exhibition, the second of its kind in Long An province, will run until December 30. It is expected to come to 12 remaining districts of the province in 2018.

Better health care quality needed for the elderly

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has emphasised the need to provide better health care service for the elderly by developing a standardised caring system in health facilities and in the community, especially for those in rural and mountainous areas. 

Localities should launch physical exercise movements among the elderly and make the performance of physical exercises of the elderly part of cultural festivals, he said during a Vietnam National Committee for Elderly (VNCE)’s conference in Hanoi on December 27.

The Deputy PM noted that the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Social Insurance are working together on a plan to make health records for individuals, which will firstly benefit senior people and children.

Enterprises, organisations and individuals with outstanding achievements in implementing support policies for senior people should be honoured while public buildings should be designed friendly to the elderly, he stated.

He also asked the Ministry of Education and Training and other relevant agencies to design continuous learning programmes for senior people, while encouraging those with rich knowledge and experience to join in communicating law in public education centres.

According to the VNCE, Vietnam has over 10 million senior people, who account for nearly 11 percent of the population, 18.6 percent of whom are 80 and above.

As many as 6.63 million of the senior people, or 65.7 percent, are living in rural areas, while about 22 percent are living in poor households.

As part of efforts to support the elderly, many localities have applied transportation discounts for them, along with 15 percent reduction in aviation and railway tickets.

Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan also revealed that a model of giving long-term and comprehensive health care service launched by the ministry in Hanoi’s Soc Son district is being implemented effectively, which is expected to expand to other localities.

Currently, Vietnam has 50 central and provincial hospitals having the geriatrics faculty, 302 facilities providing a check-up space exclusively for the senior, as well as 37,622 courtesy beds and 2,522 health care staff specialised in geriatrics.

However, the VNCE pointed to limitations in public awareness and support policies for the elderly, as many old people are living in poverty.

Members of the committee proposed a number of adjustments in policies for the elderly, especially for those from poor localities and ethnic minority groups.

They also asked for more resources for the implementation of policies, projects and programmes related to the elderly.

Bac Kan province inaugurates 500-bed general hospital

A 500-bed general hospital was inaugurated in the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan on December 27 after six years of construction.

Covering an area of 17.5 hectares, the hospital was built at a cost of over 982 billion VND (almost 44 million USD) sourced from government bonds.

Pham Duy Hung, Vice Chairman of the Bac Kan People’s Committee, said the new hospital will serve as a reliable medical examination and treatment venue for not only people in Bac Kan province but also residents in nearby areas in the neighbouring provinces of Cao Bang, Lang Son and Tuyen Quang.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said the hospital is expected to make a breakthrough in medical check-ups and treatment in the province, thus helping to reduce the overloads at central hospitals.

The minister also requested the hospital’s doctors and nurses to improve their professionalism as well as medical ethics and skills to use modern equipment to better serve patients.

2016’s ten most topical issues about traffic in Vietnam

As the year is coming to an end, Tuoi Tre News has prepared a list of 10 most thought-provoking issues about traffic in Vietnam this year.

Congestion has stood out as the most topical issue, which is considered a nightmare by local residents as well as an all-too-familiar problem by foreign visitors.

In an effort to eliminate traffic jams in major cities, local authorities have come up with a variety of measures and drastic changes which have met with mixed feedback and different responses from citizens.

Topping the list is Ho Chi Minh City’s most recent decision to change multiple major streets into one-way roads, in a bid to minimize traffic gridlock in downtown areas and at the entrance of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

This will affect Cong Hoa, Truong Chinh, and Hoang Van Thu Streets in Tan Binh District; Phan Van Tri and Le Quang Dinh Streets in Go Vap District; and Hai Ba Trung, Pham Ngoc Thach, Tran Quoc Thao, and Le Quy Don Streets in the city center from next year.

While many residents have expressed their support for the change, others have aired their doubt as to its effectiveness, especially businesses that think one-way traffic will cause them to suffer losses.

Coming in second place is another initiative put forward by Ho Chi Minh City leaders to combat traffic jams.

Many plans have been set to limit the number of personal motorcycles and automobiles coming into the downtown area, which have also stirred a public debate.

Ranking third is Ho Chi Minh City’s effort to prevent drunk driving.

In the first 10 months of this year, traffic police dealt with a total of 21,195 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol, of which 498 were car drivers while the others were motorists.

Flooding is an issue that has been a headache for many residents with its impact on the local lifestyle and traffic.

In a bid to cope with the situation, authorities in the southern Vietnamese hub decided to elevate Kinh Duong Vuong Street in Binh Tan District.

Hundreds of households along the street were fenced off by a brick wall in preparation for the large-scale road surface elevation, earning this story the number-four spot in the top-ten list.

In fifth place, a new government decree taking effect in August stated that a VND2 million (US$87.9) would be imposed on car drivers and VND400,000 (US$17.58) on motorists who fail to follow the yellow light signal.

Ranking sixth is the reality that multiple tollbooths of BOT (build-operate-transfer) projects have mushroomed along many highways in Vietnam.

The State Audit Office announced on May 6 that it would carry out an audit at 86 BOT tollbooths across the country.

Coming in seventh place is the collapse of the Ghenh Bridge, a railway bridge spanning over the Dong Nai River in southern Vietnam and an important section of the north-to-south train service, on the morning of March 20.

Railway operations were largely affected until the structure was rebuilt on June 26.

At number eight, a Ministry of Transport circular coming into force in March stipulates that the speed limit in urban areas in Vietnam would be increased by 10kph from the previous level.

The ninth spot is occupied by Ho Chi Minh City’s solution to prevent passenger buses from picking up passengers in the middle of the streets, posing risks of traffic accidents and congestion.

Last but not least, the Hanoi People’s Committee on January 18 officially put into operation the largest flyover in the Vietnamese capital, which is located in Long Bien District.

Woman accused of poisoning soup pot at Saigon noodle stand

A woman in Ho Chi Minh City is being investigated after she was accused of putting rat poison in the broth at a noodle stand, allegedly due to family conflicts.

Tran Thi Bach Tuyet, 37, who owns the sidewalk food stand in District 9, came back from the market early on December 25 and noticed a strange smell and color in her soup pot.

She found a bag of rat poison discarded nearby and called the police. She had not served any customer yet.

CCTV camera footage showed that Ho Thi Ngoc Diep, Tuyet’s aunt-in-law, tampered with the broth.

woman accused of poisoning soup pot at saigon noodle stand hinh 0

The noodle soup pot suspected to have been poisoned. Photo by VnExpress/Quoc Thang

Diep, 52, then admitted to poisoning the pot, saying there was a land ownership dispute going on in the family. Diep also runs her own noodle stand nearby.

Tuyet went to the police on December 26, asking them to drop the investigation. However, police said this is a serious crime.

An officer said that Diep could be charged for "murder." In Vietnam, attempted murder is treated the same as murder in the prosecution process, but lighter sentences could be considered later.

Tuyet said she used to work for the aunt for VND100,000 (US$4.40) a day. But she needed more money to take care of her four children, so she decided to open her own noodle stand, which she said serves "a lot of customers" every day.

"I really don't want her to go to jail," Tuyet told local media.

Biggest Bac Lieu – Ca Mau bridge starts operational

Tran Van Som bridge was opened to traffic on December 27, becoming the biggest of its kind that connects the two Mekong Delta provinces of Bac Lieu and Ca Mau.

Spanning the Bac Lieu – Ca Mau river, the bridge was built at a cost of VND540 billion (US$2.37 million), sourced from the Government bond funding. The facility is over 650 metres in length and 15 metres in width, with three consecutive spans.

The construction of the bridge began in 2012, aiming to facilitate goods transport from Ganh Hao sea mouth, a major fishery hub in Bac Lieu’s Dong Hai district, to neighbouring areas for processing and export.

Vice Chairman of the Bac Lieu People’s Committee Phan Nhu Nguyen said the bridge is part of a local plan to develop transport infrastructure by 2020.

This is also an important route of the Ho Chi Minh road that provides the shortest travel from the west sea to the east sea through Ganh Hao, he noted.

Bomb weighing 225kg safely defused in Phu Yen

An unexploded bomb weighing 225kg has been defused in Hoa Xuan Tay commune, Dong Hoa district, the south central coastal province of Phu Yen.

The bomb was found 200 metres from a residential area in Thach Cham village on December 27 by the provincial Military Command and the bomb clearance team of the Corporation 319 under the Ministry of National Defence.

The bomb lied about two metres beneath the ground. It has the code of MK82 and is about 1.54m long.

Right after discovering the bomb, the bomb clearance team and local military forces quarantined the site and safely defused the explosive device.

A preliminary survey in 2002 showed that nearly 9,300 communes with 6.6 million hectares of land across Vietnam were contaminated with unexploded ordnances (UXOs), accounting for 21.1% of the country’s land area. The central region is the most contaminated. 

UXOs claimed 42,135 lives and injured 62,163 others from 1975 to 2000. The State has spent tens of millions of USD every year on UXO disposal and providing vocational training to and resettling UXO victims.

More storm shelter for fishing boats built in Ben Tre

Local authorities of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on December 27 kicked off a project to build an integrated storm shelter and fishing port in Ba Tri district, with total investment of VND253 billion (US$11.1 million).

The sum consists of VND190 billion (US$8.3 million) from State budget for the sustainable aquatic development programme and VND63 billion (US$2.7 million) from the provincial budget in 2016-2020 period.

The project, invested by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, is built on a total area of 43 hectares and expected to complete in 2020.

The new port and storm shelter in Ba Tri district aims to create favourable conditions for fishing vessels’ operations and meet the logistics demands of those ships. 

The port is hoped to be a driving force for the development of seafood industrial zones and coastal economic zones, serving the local sustainable fishery development.

The storm shelter in Ba Tri district is the second of its kind in Ben Tre province and can serve over 500 fishing boats. 

In 2012, the province inaugurated a storm shelter in Binh Dai district, costing VND47 billion (US$2.06 million).

Encourage diaspora’s return: Deputy PM

Local mass organisations should work closely with each other and advise the Government on policies to ensure the rights of Overseas Vietnamese and encourage them to contribute more to Vi?t Nam’s development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ph?m Bình Minh said yesterday.

Minh was speaking at a conference held in Hà N?i to review co-operation between the Vi?t Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs from 2010 to 2016 and to identify measures to foster ties over the next five years.

The Deputy PM noted that the majority of Vietnamese people abroad were highly qualified and successful in their careers, forming a great source of brainpower for the home country. 

He said that the Vietnamese diaspora, especially younger generations, should be encouraged to return and serve the development process in their homeland. Effective communication and stronger co-operation between the VFF and the State Committee for OV Affairs had an important role in this regard, he added. 

Minh also pointed out some shortcomings in co-operation between the two agencies, including limitations in popularising the policies of the Party and State, information exchange and dissemination of information about guidelines relating to Overseas Vietnamese affairs. 

He said that in the coming five years, the two agencies should continue implementing agreements reached on co-ordination, work together on revising legal documents and policies related to Overseas Vietnamese so as to propose timely amendments and supplements. 

VFF Central Committee President Nguy?n Thi?n Nhân suggested that a meeting with the Overseas Vietnamese community be organised during the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival to collect their feedback on all relevant issues. 

He also affirmed that from 2017 onwards, the VFF will organise regular meetings with OV experts, scientists, scholars and intellectuals to get their advice and opinions. 

He echoed the Deputy PM’s call to encourage members of the OV community to return to the homeland to establish startups.

Nhân also called for the organisation of more art performances and contests to boost the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese culture among OV communities. 

He affirmed that the 4.5 million OV are an inseparable part of the nation and authorities must adopt measures to help them lead better lives and encourage them to return to the homeland. 

HCM City acts to improve communal-level health care

Nguy?n Ð?c Hu?nh, a 32-year-old patient from HCM City who suffers from chronic kidney failure, is no longer worried about travelling a long distance to the district hospital early in the morning to receive hemodialysis, a treatment for the disease.

Local patients like Hu?nh can now enjoy high-quality health check-ups at Bình Chi?u Ward medical station, thanks to a pilot project to strengthen communal-level medical facilities launched by the city’s Th? Ð?c Hospital in July.

"I often had to get up as early as 4:30am so that I could arrive at Th? Ð?c Hospital in time for treatment" he said, adding that he went there three times a week.

" The service helped save time and money travelling to the district hospital," he said, having been diagnosed with the disease in 2008.

Quách Th? Hoài, a resident from Th? Ð?c District, said she felt secure with the service at Hi?p Bình Chánh Ward medical station as it was equipped with advanced equipment and medical staff from the district hospital.

Nguy?n Minh Quân, director of Th? Ð?c Hospital, said the hospital has decided to expand the service at local levels in a bid to reduce traveling and treatment costs for patients as well as ease the load at the hospital.

"Most patients suffering from chronic kidney failure are poor people who have difficulties travelling due to their poor health. Thus, the district has installed two kidney dialysis machines in June to make it convenient for them," he said.

Every day the hospital receives 5,000 patients, much more than the hospital’s capacity, he said.

It plans to turn all 12 health centres in the district into satellite ones in 2017, Quân said.

Nguy?n Van Phúc, head of Bình Chi?u Ward medical station, said more and more people are visiting the station after its innovation.

"About 150 patients come to the centre for health checks ups and treatment every day, compared with 20 in the past," he said, adding that over 400 patients with chronic kidney failure were being treated at the station a month.

"Thanks to the installation of modern facilities, we could perform advanced techniques on patients instead of transferring them to the central hospital like we did," he said.

He also said the centre was capable of check-ups and treatment in various major fields, from internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics to ear-nose-throat and teeth.

Besides Th? Ð?c District, the strengthened communal-level medical facilities project is also being applied at HCM City’s District 2.

At present, the satellite health service has been deployed to medical stations at Th?ch M? L?i, Bình Khánh and Th?o Ði?n, aiming at helping the number of patients who use local medical facilities.

Tang Chí Thu?ng, deputy director of HCM City’ Health Department said while general and specialised hospitals in the city were overburdened with patients because the high number of people being admitted from other provinces, grassroots-level hospitals didn’t operate at full capacity.

As such, the City’ health department has decided to equip communal-level health stations with modern facilities and high-skilled doctors to reduce the load for hospitals at higher levels.

Hundreds of doctors have been sent to communal-level health stations in Th? Ð?c District and District 2.

About 1,000 doctors would be dispatched from district-level to grassroots-level by the end of 2018 and the number would rise to 2,000 by 2020, Thu?ng said.

The department has also set up treatment plans for various fields with the help of doctors with professional qualifications from district-level hospitals to ensure the feasibility of the project.

In addition to upgrading key health centres at highly-populated areas and those far away from the city centre, HCM City authorities plan to invite private investors to pour their money into these facilities.

Nguy?n T?n Bình, director of HCM City’s Health Department said a number of investors wanted to open general health clinics at six health stations in District 3.

"The fact that most health stations in the city’s central districts implement health prevention and vaccinations causes waste in both facilities and human resources. The Department will pilot the lending of health stations to enterprises to take advantage of existing facilities and help improve health workers’ income," he said.

He also said local residents would benefit from the pilot project as they would have to pay lower costs in comparison with other clinics.

The project would be implemented at district 3 first. Once it brought about positive results, the departments would expand the model to other districts, he said.

Hoàng Phuong Nam Phú Nhu?n win first round

Former champions Thái Son Nam enjoyed a win of 6-1 over Tân Hi?p Hung in the first match of the National Futsal Cup yesterday in HCM City.

Most valuable player of the match Minh Trí scored a double before Tr?ng Luân, Ng?c Son, Xuân Du and Ð?c Hoà, respectively netted one each, while Trí Ki?t netted the only goal for Tân Hi?p Hung.

Thái Son Nam will play Cao B?ng in the semi-final round.

Cao B?ng yesterday won 3-2 over Sanatech Khánh Hoà in a penalty shoot-out after they drew 3-3 in official time.

Defending champions Hoàng Phuong Nam Phú Nhu?n had a good start, beating Thái Son B?c 4-3.

In the last-four round, they will play Sanna Khánh Hòa who defeated new comer Sài Gòn FC 2-1 in an earlier match at the R?ch Mi?u Gymnasium.

The final match is scheduled for December 30 with the winners walking away with VNÐ50 million (US$2,200). The second- and third-place teams will also receive a cash prize.

The organisers will hand out additional prizes for best player, best goalkeeper and fair-play team. 

Activities mark 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Korea diplomatic relations

A special art performance featuring traditional cultures of Vietnam and South Korea opened at Ho Chi Minh City Opera House on December 25-26. 

Artists of the traditional Bong Sen (Lotus) Song and Dance Theater and 22 Korean artists joined in the show.

The concert is part of the activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

In addition, the Korea – Vietnam Cultural Night presenting several traditional and modern art performances was also held at the Korean Cultural Center in Hanoi on December 27.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam – Korea giant lantern festival 2016 was organized for the first time at LePARC shopping mall in Hanoi a week ago. The event had main activities, displaying giant lanterns in different themes, art performances featuring Vietnamese and Korean artists, Kpop cover dance contest, over 200 booths selling Vietnamese and Korean goodies. 

The events also marked the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

National Tourism Year 2016 wraps up in Kien Giang

The National Tourism Year 2016 – Phu Quoc – the Mekong Delta, themed “Discovering the Southern Land”, came to an end at a ceremony held in Phu Quoc island district, Kien Giang province on December 25. 

During the year hosted by Kien Giang, a series of national and global-scale events were held in Mekong Delta cities and provinces and several localities nationwide. 

Chairman of Kien Giang provincial People’s Committee Pham Vu Hong said as a result of the year, the province has attracted 15 tourism projects and served over 5.4 million visitors, up 24 percent annually. 

Of them, over 319,200 are foreigners, a 31.4 percent increase from last year. 

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam hailed the efforts of the tourism sector, local authorities, mass organisations and local communities in improving tourism environment, contributing to the success of the National Tourism Year 2016.  

Revenues from tourism activity rose 18.6 percent while the annual number of international tourist arrivals surged over 26 percent to reach 10 million for the first time ever, he said. 

The Deputy PM expressed his hope that the National Tourism Year 2017, themed “Northwest Colours” and hosted by the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, will further propel Vietnam’s tourism forward.

Celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Bắc Kạn Province start

Various events highlighting the culture and history of the northern province of Bắc Kạn will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the province’s establishment. 

“The celebration will promote patriotism and deeper understanding of local history and culture. The events aim to encourage local people to boost production and construction for future development,” said Phạm Duy Hưng, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

An photo exhibition featuring the establishment and development of the province will kick off today and run until Friday.

A football tournament for young people, a volleyball tournament for middle-aged and old people as well as some cultural activities have been organised to celebrate the anniversary.

The celebration will also include an art performance featuring local culture on Thursday.

On the same day, an exhibition entitled Việt Nam’s Spratlys and Paracel - Historical Evidence will be held.

On display are numerous documents, maps, artefacts and publications by researchers and scholars from Việt Nam and abroad that demonstrate that the island chains have historically belonged to Việt Nam.

Especially, there are documents in Vietnamese, Chinese and French languages dating from the 17th to the 20th century, along with 95 maps published by Việt Nam, several Western countries and China since the 16th century. Notably, these maps show that the southernmost border of China is Hainan Island.

The exhibition also includes many photos and documents reflecting the process in which Việt Nam exercised and defended its sovereignty over the Spratlys and Paracel archipelagos since 1930, until China used force to occupy the Paracel on January 19, 1974. 

The Information and Communications Ministry has conducted 35 exhibitions with the same theme nationwide since 2013. This time, the ministry will organise the exhibition with Virtual Reality 3D (VR3D) technology. Each visitor will have a virtual guide with headphones.

The exhibition will run until January 2.

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