Nhan Dan launches online Russian version

Nhan Dan (“The People”) newspaper officially launched its online Russian language version at a ceremony in Hanoi on February 3.

The ceremony saw the presence of Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), and Head of the CPVCC Communications and Education Commission.

In recent times, the bilateral relations between Vietnam and Russia have been strengthened in many areas including economics, trade, security and defence, culture, tourism, education, energy, science and technology, local cooperation and people-to-people diplomacy. The Vietnamese community in Russia and the Russian community in Vietnam have made active contributions to the development of the two countries.

In his speech, CPVCC member and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan newspaper, Thuan Huu, affirmed that, along with the Vietnamese-, English-, French- and Chinese-language versions, the debut of the Russian language version of Nhan Dan will realise the instructions of the Politburo and Party Central Committee Secretariat and also mark a new development for the newspaper.

It will create an accurate, reliable and attractive channel for Russian-speaking communities around the world to understand the viewpoints and policies of the Vietnamese Communist Party, the State of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people and help foster friendship and co-operation between Vietnam and Russia, as well as members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (SNG), he noted.

Politburo member Vo Van Thuong and Nhan Dan Newspaper's editorial board press the button to launch the online Russian language version.

He added that the Russian website aimed to present Vietnam’s policies and laws, introduce Vietnam’s achievements during the Doi moi (reform) period and promote the image of the Vietnamese country and people.

Speaking at the ceremony, Politburo member Vo Van Thuong congratulated Nhan Dan’s staff on the launch of the Russian language site and urged them to work harder to bring up-to-date information to readers in a fast and accurate manner.

The Russian version of Nhan Dan Online includes nine categories: politics, world, economics, society, culture, sports, travel, video clips and photo stories.

Nhan Dan’s Russian-language website is available on the web at http://ru.nhandan.org.vn.

No fatal traffic accident recorded in HCM City during Tet: police

There has been no fatality caused by traffic accidents in Ho Chi Minh City during the 2017 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, the first time in several years.

2017 is the first year in a long time in which nobody was killed by traffic crashes in the southern hub during Tet, Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Trung Phong, head of the traffic police division under the municipal Department of Police, said on February 1.

Local traffic police had taken comprehensive measures to ensure traffic order and safety before, during, and after the traditional holiday, Lt. Col. Phong continued.

The Lunar New Year started on January 28, with preparations and celebrations often lasting a week before and after the date.

The peak period was between January 17 and 25, the week before Tet, the police official stated, adding that traffic cops applied specific methods to curb traffic jams and accidents at certain hotspots in the city, namely airports, seaports, bus stations, routes leading to the city’s entrances, and others.

The number of vehicles dropped significantly during the Lunar New Year, from January 26 to 31, as many residents left the southern hub for their hometown or vacation.

However, officers still kept regular patrols and constantly reminded citizens to comply with traffic regulations and avoid accidents, Lt. Col. Phong elaborated.

On January 31, the traffic police division began the third phase in its operation, which is to ensure safety after the Lunar New Year, as people started flocking back to the southern hub for work, he added.

According to a recent report by the city’s police department, 33 criminal offenses were recorded during the four festive days, from January 28 to 31, down 10.81% year-on-year.

From January 27 to February 1, 24 house fires occurred, more 67% less than the previous year, the report added.

People jostle in milling crowds to get ‘king seal’ for luck

Thousands of pilgrims did not mind elbowing their way through madding crowds only to receive a symbolic ‘royal seal’ of an 18th-century emperor, believed to bring in fortune throughout the Lunar New Year, at a temple in Vietnam on February 1.

February 1 was the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, or Tet holiday, when people across Vietnam visited pagodas and temples to pay homage to ancestors.

In Nghe An Province, thousands of pilgrims flocked to the King Quang Trung Temple atop Dung Quyet Mountain in the capital city of Vinh to pay tribute to the emperor who ruled feudal Vietnam between 1788 and 1792.

What pilgrims anticipated was the ritual to issue the seal of King Quang Trung – in the symbolic form of yellow papers printed with the king’s insignia in red.

Every visitor to the temple wanted to go home with the seal, believing that it would bring them health, peace and good luck throughout the year.

This is the fifth year the seal-granting ritual has been held at the King Quang Trung Temple in Nghe An, according to the institution managers.

The idea of issuing the symbolic king seal to visitors at the temple was initiated by the Vinh administration and the Nghe An central library, learning from similar events at the Tran Temple in Nam Dinh Province.

“Last year we gave some 15,000 seals to pilgrims, and the number this year was around 17,000,” the temple’s deputy manager Nguyen Van Xuan told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“We put up fences and assigned staff to ensure security at the temple during the seal-granting ceremony.”

However, people were so eager to get the seal that all security measures were neutralized.

As observed by Tuoi Tre, people stood in milling crowds in front of the temple section where the seals would be distributed, with some not wanting to get in line rushing to break the fences to enter, thus causing a chaotic scene.

Speaking through a loudspeaker, Xuan repeatedly called on people to stay calm because “there [were] enough seals to give all of [them],” but the crowds did not seem to care.

One hour after the ritual began, hundreds of people still waited outside in three lines for their turn to bring home the king’s seal of fortune.

Some pilgrims, like 48-year-old Pham Thi Tam, were lucky enough to receive two seals after 30 minutes of cramming in the crowds.

“We would visit this temple every year for the seal, wishing for peace and good luck for the whole family,” she said.

This year marks the 228th anniversary of Emperor Quang Trung, also known as Nguyen Hue, defeating Chinese Qing invaders in 1789, known as the Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da Victory.

Foreign visitors to Hanoi rise at Lunar New Year

The number of tourists travelling through Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport increased over the Lunar New Year holiday, announced the airport’s customs department on February 2.

More than 1,200 flights ran during the holiday, carrying more than 11,000 passengers. Import-export turnover through the airport in the period was at about 17.5 million USD.

Up to 604 flights to Noi Bai airport were seen during January 26 to February 1, bringing 48,886 international visitors to the capital city, mainly from European countries, China, and Japan.

Meanwhile, there were 613 flights with 62,697 passengers from Noi Bai airport to other countries and territories.

Noi Bai airport’s customs department said it handled immigration procedures for over 5.5 million passengers on 47,273 flights in 2016. Total import-export turnover hit 26 billion USD last year, with 9 billion USD from exports and 17 billion USD from imports.

The department will continue to create favourable conditions for import-export activities in 2017 with customs reforms, particularly the e-customs procedures for aircraft, and the implementation of the ASEAN single window system at Noi Bai airport.

Vietnamese people in Cyprus celebrate Tet

The Vietnamese community in Cyprus has gathered in Limassol city to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet), with traditional food, music, dance and games.

Extending New Year wishes to the Vietnamese community, Limassol Governor Nicolaides Nicos said the city will create optimal conditions for Vietnamese people to integrate into society in Cyprus, thus boosting Vietnam-Cyprus ties.

Vietnamese Honorary Consul in Limassol George Christophides lauded the rich and unique culture of Vietnam, adding that each Tet festival gives him a deeper understanding of the culture in each region and ethnic group of Vietnam.

The event drew about 2,000 locals in Cyprus as well as international visitors.

Earlier on January 22, the Vietnamese community held a similar event in Cyprus’s capital Nicosia to celebrate Tet, the most important annual festival for Vietnamese people.

No deaths in Quảng Nam automobile factory fire

No fatalities have been reported in the fire that broke out in a factory in Quảng Nam Province’s Chu Lai-Trường Hải Auto Manufacture and Assembly Complex on Thursday evening.

Concerned agencies are working to calculate the damages caused by the fire, the central province’s People’s Committee said on Friday morning. 

Initial investigations have revealed that the fire burnt down a set of automobile components including tyres and specialised paints. 

At 6pm on Thursday, some workers spotted smoke coming out of a section of the factory, located in Núi Thành District and reported it to authority. Fire fighters and fire trucks were mobilised to the scene and the provincial committee officials also joined in. The fire was put out at 9pm. 

The police are investigating to establish the cause of the fire.  

Trường Hải Automobile JSC (Thaco), which owns the factory, is now working to resume operations. The company has invested US$400 million in the construction of the Chu Lai-Trường Hải Industrial Complex, which has a logistic centre, car production factories, a vocational training college, a sea port, storage facilities and shipping services in the Chu Lai-Trường Hải Mechanical Automobile Industrial Zone.

Hải Phòng fire destroys 3 hectares of forestland

A forest fire broke out on Monday in Thuỷ Nguyên District’s Một Mountain in Hải Phòng Province, burning down at least three hectares of eucalyptus trees.

The fire started around 2pm and took around an hour to put out, but more than three hectares of forest vegetation was totally damaged within that time.

The district’s forest rangers said that there are many graves on the mountain and that the fire may have been caused by people who visit on Tết and burn incense, fake banknotes and paper clothes at the graveside of their loved ones.

Kaoshing Truth beat Saigon Heat at ABL

Kaohsiung Truth of Chinese Taipei defeated Việt Nam’s Saigon Heat 85-71 in the eighth match of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) at Kaohsiung Municipal Senior High School on February 1.

It was a huge win to start their three-game home stand, which will be their best shot at building a lead against the other two teams chasing the final spot in the playoffs.

On January 14, Heat had beaten Truth by 99-85.

On Friday, Truth will take on the league-leading Slingers, while Heat will travel to Davao City to face Alab Pilipinas of the Philippines again on February 5.

Capital festival honours nation’s heroic king

A celebration was held this morning on the occasion of the 228th anniversary of King Quang Trung’s decisive victory against Chinese-Quing dynasty’s force  in Việt Nam in 18th century. 

Quang Trung’s Tết campaign went down in the nation’s history as one of the most brilliant and successful military campaigns in which he used the element of surprise to overwhelm a much larger force. An estimation of a quarter million Chinese soldiers were eliminated with the rest of their force allowed to leave the country in an orderly retreat. 

Quang Trung, whose capital was set up in Phú Xuân, Huế, later went on to unify the country under his rule until he died in 1792 at the age of 40. Vietnamese people would often refer to him as The Cloth-robe Hero for his humble upbringing in a farmer family. 

Dubbed - Đống Đa hill festival - by locals, the event is among the capital’s most popular and oldest Tết events with the city’s residents gathering en mass at the Đống Đa Culture Park, one of many historical sites where the battle for the capital took place in 1788. 

It is traditionally held  on 5th day after the New Year, making it an inseparable part of the capital’s Tết.  

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc was among the honoured guests attending the ceremony this year.

Travellers flock to Mũi Né and Đà Lạt to celebrate new year

The number of people visiting Mũi Né in Bình Thuận Province and Đà Lạt in Lâm Đồng Province rose sharply on the fourth day of the new lunar year (January 31, 2017).

According to the Bình Thuận Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, the January 27-31 period saw around 190,000 people visiting tourist sites and landscapes in the province’s Phan Thiết City, including Hài Cham Towers, Bãi Dương and Hòn Rơm (Rơm Islet) Beaches and the Hòng Hill in Mũi Né. Luxury resorts in Mui Né reported occupancy rates of around 90 per cent during these days.

The popular sites in Đà Lạt were the Prenn and Datanla waterfalls, Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery, Love Valley, and Lament Lake.

Trần Hoài Ân, head of the management board of Đà Lạt City’s Garden, said it received over 12,000 visitors in the first three days of Tết and an additional 6,000 on the fourth day of the new lunar year.

HCm City Tet festivals draw millions, huge success: organisers

The Book Street Festival held in HCM City as part of its Tết (Lunar New Year) celebrations was a resounding success, surpassing expectations, organisers said.

The festival, held on Mạc Thị Bưởi, Nguyễn Huệ and Ngô Đức Kế streets in District 1 attracted more than a million people and earned revenues of nearly VNĐ3.4 billion (US$149,000).

Bestselling works included Nhân tố Enzyme (Enzyme Factor); Hoàng Tử Bé (the Little Prince) and Lịch sử khai phá vùng đất Nam bộ (History of Exploring the Southern Land).

Publication houses that earned big revenues during the festival included Fahasa, Phương Nam and Phan Thị.

Another book street festival in HCM City, organised on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street over two weeks, attracted more than 100,000 visitors and earned revenues of over VNĐ1 billion ($44,000), double that of last year.

The city’s flower festival, which ended Wednesday, was also a success, organisers said.

More than 1 million people visited the festival which was themed “The City named (after) President Hồ Chí Minh – glorious inspiration.”

With the constant flow of visitors, municipal authorities decided to extend the festival by one more day, until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

This is the second time that flower festival was organised on the Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street.

Organisers said no instances of flowers or plants being damaged were reported this year.

The Nguyễn Huệ Flower Festival 2017 is jointly organsied by the city’s People’s Committee and Saigontourist.

This year was the 14th consecutive year that the flower festival was organised to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

380,000 passengers travel by BRT in January

An estimated 380,000 passengers travelled on the bus rapid transit (BRT) in January – the first month Hà Nội has operated the new public transport service.

The bus, which provides free trips for passengers until February 05, runs a 14km route from Kim Mã Street to Yên Nghĩa Bus Station, and takes between 30-45 minutes. The buses have free Wi-Fi service for passengers

Đỗ Minh Thu, a 30-year-old passenger from Đống Đa Street, said she felt the BRT’s service was okay.

Announcements on the BRT for passengers to get on and off at boarding points were clear and useful, she said.

“The BRT driver is very friendly,” she said.

However, Thu also named a couple of issues she found to be inconvenient. First, the placement of seats facing backwards was more likely to cause motion sickness for some users.

Thu preferred rows of seats facing the same direction, like on a normal bus, she said.

Second, the distance from her home on Đê La Thành Street to the boarding point on Giảng Võ – Láng Hạ was quite far, and she had to take a motorbike taxi because of a lack of pavements, she said.

Nguyễn Hoàng Hải, director of Hà Nội Public Transport Management and Operation Centre said data showed that on a normal day, the average number of passengers was about 40 on each BRT.

However, during Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays, the number dropped to about 10-15 passengers, mostly the elderly, he said.

Over the past month of operating the BRT, many vehicles were found driving in the BRT-only lane.

According to the Traffic Police Office under Hà Nội’s Public Security Department, traffic police would start to impose fines on violators found driving in the BRT-only lane from this month.

Traffic police would fine violators directly, and violations would also be caught by traffic cameras, the police said.

Following Government Decree 46/2016/NĐ-CP issued in 2016, automobiles driving in the BRT lane would receive a fine of VNĐ800,000-1.2 million (US$35-53), and motorbikes VNĐ300,000-400,000 ($13-17).

The city has planned to run eight BRT routes by 2030.

Doctors on duty through Tết holiday

Doctors and nurses on duty during Tết (Lunar New Year) have little time for relaxing and meeting up with their families.

Doctor Nguyễn Trung Cấp, deputy head of the emergency department at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases has had to be on duty for four consecutive years.

“Tết is the busiest time for healthcare workers. I know that when they choose the job, doctors have to accept some sacrifices, including the joy of welcoming the New Year with their families,” Cấp said.

There are usually a high number of emergency cases during Tết, so doctors can expect long hours and difficult shifts.

According to the Department of Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, medical facilities nationwide handled more than 71,000 emergency cases and conducted over 6,300 operations in the four days from December 29 to January 3 of the lunar calendar.

In the north, Việt Nam-Germany Hospital is a hotspot. Up to 724 patients went to have check-ups or suffered emergencies in the same four days. Among those, 423 cases resulted from traffic accidents.

Doctor Lê Tư Hoàng, deputy head of Treatment Department 1C of Việt Nam-Germany Hospital said that nearly 400 medical staff were on duty during the holiday. Doctors not on duty were asked to stay close to Hà Nội in case of urgent situations.

More than 2,000 people were admitted to Chợ Rẫy Hospital, a large hospital in HCM City, from lunar December 28 to January 4. Of these, 530 were the victims of traffic accidents.

HCM City Trauma and Orthopedic Hospital received about 100 to 150 emergency cases each day during the festival. Injuries consisted of mostly broken legs and arms. Surgeons had full schedules of operations.

Phạm Thị Giang, a nurse from the artificial kidney department at Thủ Đức District’s Hospital in HCM City spent almost all of the holiday at work. The young single nurse was ready to help her colleagues on duty from New Year’s Eve until the second day of the New Year.

“Not being at home to welcome the New Year with my family makes me a little sad. But I get used to the schedule. We were cheered up by a visit from the hospital’s board of directors on New Year’s Eve,” she said.

A midwife at HCM City-based Thủ Đức Hospital told Lao Động (Labour) newspaper that she felt sad leaving for work on New Year’s Eve. However, the happiness she felt from helping mothers deliver newborn babies highlighted the meaning of her work.

Farmers cut Tết holiday to resume production

armers in suburban districts of Hà Nội resumed work even as other residents continued their Tết (Lunar New Year) celebrations.

Warm weather in the northern region around Tết created favourable conditions for the 2016-2017 Winter-Spring crop, prompting the early return to the fields, the Kinh tế & đô thị (Economic and Urban Affairs) newspaper reported on Thursday.

In Quang Tiến Commune, Sóc Sơn District, farmers were back in the fields on Wednesday, or the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

One of them, Nguyễn Thị Quý, said they had to prepare rice seedlings for transplanting by the end of next week or they would miss the winter-spring crop season.

In Đại Đồng Commune, Thạch Thất District, some farmers had already started transplanting the rice seedlings while others worked the soil and embanked the fields’ edges.

The rice fields, which were covered with water a few days ago, were fresh green with the colour of rice seedlings.

Farmer Hoàng Thị Ngân of Đại Đồng Commune said that during very first days of Lunar New Year, her family members took turns to visit their field and nurse the seedlings.

“Tết is not over but it’s time to transplant the seedlings,” she said, adding that weather has been quite good for farming so far.

Also on Wednesday morning, farmers in Phúc Thọ District’s Tam Hiệp, Ngọc Tảo, Phụng Dương and Phúc Hòa communes said they were eager to resume farming.

Nguyễn Thị Hòa said that her family wanted to cultivate 2 mẫu (a mẫu is 3,600 square metres) of rice in this year’s Winter-Spring crop and over the last two days, they’d transplanted rice seedlings on almost on one mẫu.

Bùi Thị Mão, a farmer in Tam Đồng Commune, Mê Linh District, said that farming activities there usually faced a water shortage, so they’d started storing water before Tết.

“The water was pumped from canals into the fields so that farmers could start transplanting seedlings,” Mão said.

Nguyễn Vĩnh Liên, head of Irrigation Division under the city’s agriculture department, said that five irrigation companies in the city worked through the festival to operate the pumps and provide water for agriculture production.

He said the city plans to have 98,000ha for the 2016-2017 Winter-Spring Crop and 45 per cent of this area has received water for cultivation, helping farmers resume work early.

Vegetable growers in Vân Nội Commune, Đông Anh District were also busy in first days of new Rooster Year.

The vegetable gardens of Vân Trì Hamlet in Vân Nội Commune is a major source for markets in Hà Nội, providing about 100,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables every year.

Bùi Thị San said that vegetables grew well in ongoing weather conditions and growers like San were happy to see increased demand and consumption for vegetable during Tết celebration.

Flower growers across the city including those in Mê Linh and Bắc Từ Liêm districts have harvested the last flowers and started preparing the soil for new crops.

Nguyễn Thị Tý of the Tây Tựu Flower Village said that her family grew 1.5 mẫu of lilies for Tết, but suffered losses because of unfavourable weather conditions.

As she removed dead lilies and tilled the soil, she said she would grow roses for Valentine’s Day this month and Women’s Day next month, and hoped the weather would be good.

At a year-end conference of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc praised the agriculture sector for impressive gains made in the face of formidable odds including repeated natural disasters and the massive fish deaths in April.

Last year, natural calamities caused a loss of about US$1.7 billion to the national budget, equal to almost 1 per cent of the country’s GDP.

Last year, for the first time, export turnover of vegetable and fruits of Việt Nam reached $2.4 billion.

“We have to say ’Thank You’ to farmers, fishermen and salt makers who went through hardships to make such achievements,” Phúc said.

He called for stronger restructuring of the agriculture sector with a focus on production-supply links, value chains and food processing.

He also asked for further investment in infrastructure in rural areas, particularly for improving resilience to natural disasters.

Hi-tech agriculture needs more easy credit: PM

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Thursday asked the State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV) to increase the preferential credit package for hi-tech agricultural firms from VNĐ60 trillion (US$2.6 billion) to VNĐ100 trillion ($4.34 billion). 

Speaking at the launching ceremony of VinEco farm, an investment by the VinGroup in the northern province of Hà Nam, he said agriculture is a key pillar of the national economy and the central bank should direct commercial banks to establish more forms of support to raise the value of the package.

He said the country’s agriculture sector was still facing big challenges, including the adverse effects of climate change, underdeveloped cultivation methods, and unsafe and unhygienic agro-produce.

The agriculture sector needs the involvement of private enterprises and co-operatives to solve the problems that it is facing. Start-ups in agriculture should be further encouraged, the PM said.

He wanted more attention paid to developing human resources geared towards hi-tech agriculture, and to expanding markets, popularising trademarks and improving packaging, thus ensuring stable consumption. 

The PM also emphasised the need to develop organic and safe agriculture as well as smart farming that is export-driven and meets the demand of markets and the people.

The Government will create favourable conditions for enterprises and co-operatives to engage in hi-tech farming, Phúc said.

“I myself will, together with related sectors, directly introduce high-tech, high-quality and clean farm produce to the world.”

At the ceremony, Phúc pressed the button to launch production at the VinEco farm. 

One of 14 VinEco farms invested in by VinGroup, the VNĐ300 billion ($13 million) project sprawls over 180ha, including a large-scale model field of about 130ha, and a 5ha greenhouse area using Israeli technology and manufacturing facilities. 

The Greenhouse No 1, using Israeli drip technology, covers an area of 8,300sq.m and is capable of producing around 150 tonnes of leafy vegetables per year. 

On the 130ha model field, VinEco Hà Nam will develop nearly 15 kinds of key produce with a daily capacity of 20-30 tonnes for domestic and foreign consumption. 

Earlier in the morning, the PM visited Japan’s Sumi Việt Nam Wiring System Company in Đồng Văn II Industrial Park in Duy Tiên District and the Hà Nam High-tech Agriculture Investment and Development Company in Nhân Khang Commune, Lý Nhân District.

Another year, another TET holiday record in Hoi An

Hoi An enjoyed more than 45,000 visitors during the TET (Lunar New Year)holiday, according to numbers released by the Hoi An Centre for Culture and Sports.

The Centre reported that approximately 12,000 visitors, including 9,000 foreign travellers, purchased tickets for the period January 27-31 to visit the Old Quarter.  In Hoi An the TET festivities will continue to run through February 5.

In the coming days, the City will host a Light Festival and Nguyen Tieu festival along with several traditional festivals at the Kim Bong Carpentry and Tra Que Vegetable Villages.

Number of tourists to Vietnam surges during Tet

Vietnam saw a huge spike in tourist numbers during the Lunar New Year Festival or Tet.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigontourist Travel Service Company served over 50,000 visitors, up 20% from last year. Most foreign tourists came from France, Germany, China, Russia, and the US. 

In Hanoi, customers booking for tours during the festival with the Vietrantour Travel Company rose 150%, amounting to 30,000.

Tens of thousands of visitors flocked to botanical gardens and entertainment centers in Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi received more than 230,000 visitors, 7.5% more than last year. 

More than 70,000 tourists, including 31,500 foreigners, visited relic sites in the Hue Imperial City during the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, which lasted from January 26 to February 1.

The provincial tourism sector grossed more than US$3.7 million in revenue.

Meanwhile, the central city of Danang attracted 206,000 tourists during the Tet holiday.

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