Khánh Hòa approves ambitious fisheries development plan

Aquaculture in Nha Phu Lagoon in Khánh Hòa Province’s Ninh Hòa District. 

The Khánh Hòa Province People’s Committee has approved a fisheries development plan for the period until 2025 focusing on modernising the sector.

The plan targets growing fisheries to 62-63 per cent of the south-central province’s agriculture by 2035, after rising to VNĐ10 trillion (US$439 million) by 2025 and VNĐ13 trillion ($558 million) by 2035.

But the development will not be at the cost of the environment or depletion of fisheries resources, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The plan envisages reducing fishing near shore and increase offshore fishing to improve quantity, quality and efficiency.

For this, the province will enlarge its off-shore fishing fleet from the current 1,365 boats to 1,780 by 2025 and 2,120 by 2035.

The plan targets to reduce the aquaculture area to around 3,575ha by 2020 through a 7.3 per cent reduction every year but increase investment in infrastructure and advanced techniques for better yields.

The province will focus on fostering marine species by releasing fry of endangered species into Nha Trang, Vân Phong and Cam Ranh bays and Nha Phu and Thủy Triều lagoons.

It will also establish marine and island preserves in Cam Ranh City, Ninh Hòa Town and Vạn Ninh and Cam Lâm districts and restore and protect the habitats of freshwater species.

Khánh Hòa has 385km of coastline and more than 200 islands with a diverse range of aquatic species, including lobsters, sweet snails and snout otter clams.

Its Nha Trang Bay marine reserve has more than 350 coral species, 70 kinds of crustaceans, 120 species of molluscs and 70 varieties of seaweed.    

Under the country’s fisheries development plan for this decade, Khánh Hòa is one of the country’s five largest fisheries hubs.

Its aquaculture exports are worth around $400 million a year.

Play on Gia Định’s commander to attend Tuồng Festival 2018

Artists of the HCM City Hát Bội Theatre are working on a new historical play, Lê Công Kỳ Án (Tales of Gia Định’s Commander), a production by Meritorious Artist and scriptwriter Hữu Danh. — Photo courtesy of the producer

The HCM City Hát Bội Theatre is working on a new historical play called Lê Công Kỳ Án (Tales of Gia Định’s Commander) by Meritorious Artist and scriptwriter Hữu Danh that will be presented at the National Tuồng (Classical Drama) Festival 2018 in Quảng Ngãi Province in October.   

The 90-minute tragedy depicts the controversial life and death of Lê Văn Duyệt, a national hero who contributed to the growth of South Việt Nam in the 19th century.

Duyệt was born in 1764 in Tiền Giang Province’s Cù Lao Hổ (now Hòa Khánh village). He began his career by supporting Emperor Gia Long (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh), founder of the Nguyễn Dynasty, when he was 17.

Besides working to build dyke and irrigation systems, he was known for his military talent and fight against corrupt officials and sycophantic courtiers.

Thanks to Duyệt’s management, Gia Định developed into a populous and prosperous area.

Lê Công Kỳ Án focuses on the period between 1813 and 1820, when Duyệt was the commander of Gia Định Citadel, which included Biên Hòa City and present-day HCM City.

Directed by People’s Artist Trần Ngọc Giàu and Nguyễn Hoàn, the play is staged by veteran artists Đông Hồ and Linh Hiền, who have worked with younger actors Kiều Mi, Thanh Bình and Bảo Châu on the production. 

The performance is part of a new drama project called Tôi Yêu Tuồng-Cải Lương (I Love Tuồng - Cải Lương), launched this year by HCM City Theatre Association in co-operation with local traditional theatres, including HCM City Hát Bội Theatre, one of the region’s leading State-owned theatres. 

The project offers historical shows at affordable prices, ranging from VNĐ50,000 (US$2.2) to VND100,000 ($4.4) a ticket, to attract audiences, particularly students and labourers.    

It has attracted tuồng and cải lương stars such as People’s Artist Kim Cương and Meritorious Artist Minh Vương, top talents who have developed traditional theatre for more than four decades.  

“Through our performance, we hope to preserve tuồng or hát bội, a traditional theatre of the central region that consists of singing, dancing with music, and to encourage young people learn more about the art,” said young actor Thanh Bình, who plays a leading role in Lê Công Kỳ Án

 “We received more than VNĐ500 million ($21,500) from the city budget to renovate the theatre,” said Bình, adding that he and his colleagues had worked with several organisations and sponsors that invested in the theatre’s activities.

The first show of  Lê Công Kỳ Án will take place at National Tuồng Festival 2018, which is organised by Việt Nam Theatre Artists Association and Quảng Ngãi Province in early October.

Book honours scientific-technological innovations

The Việt Nam Golden Book of Innovation 2018, which gathers outstanding innovative projects and solutions in science-technology, made its debut in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The book was released on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of National Day (September 2) at a ceremony with the attendance of President Trần Đại Quang.

In addition to summaries of 73 prize-winning projects in the past year, the book also lists collectives and individuals who won international awards, along with Việt Nam’s policies in support of innovation.

Addressing the ceremony, President Quang stressed that scientific-technological development and application is the country’s top priority and one of the key driving forces of socio-economic development and national defence.

He said the honoured projects and solutions are significant to Việt Nam’s science-technology as they have been effectively applied in high-tech agriculture, public health care, infrastructure development, renewable energy, climate change adaptation, and national defence and security.

The State leader urged the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Việt Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations to continue their close coordination in selecting outstanding works and solutions for the book.

This is to encourage innovation and scientific-technological application among the public, thus helping Việt Nam catch up with advanced countries in the region and the world in the fourth industrial revolution and become an industrialised nation, he said. 

Da Nang to build international paediatrics hospital

Patients attend a medical examination at Đà Nẵng city’s Paediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital. 

The Da Nang City-based Thành Đạt Group and Czech Future Investment company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an international peadiatrics hospital in Đà Nẵng.

Chairman of the city’s people’s committee Huỳnh Đức Thơ said the MoU, which was signed in the Czech Republic last week, aimed to build a high-tech hospital.

He said the city would offer the best conditions for the Czech partner if an investor is found.

Petr Mach, Vice chairman of the Future Investment Company, said the firm would transfer technology to the city as well as equipment, facilities and human resources training.

According to the city’s investment and planning department, the city is looking for around US$300 million to build the medical centre.

The new centre aims to ease overcrowding at the city’s Paediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital.

Czech Future Investments specialises in securing funding for medical centres. This would be the first project between Da Nang and Eastern Europe. 

Hưng Yên Police awarded for successfully investigating murder case

The Hưng Yên Province Police yesterday declared they have successfully investigated the murder on August 17 in Hồng Châu Ward, Hưng Yên City. — Photo vov.vn

The Hưng Yên Province Police yesterday declared they have successfully investigated the murder on August 17 in Hồng Châu Ward, Hưng Yên City.

Colonel Phạm Thế Tùng, director of the provincial police department, said the investigation showed that the suspect was Đinh Công Tráng, 41.

Searching Tráng’s house in An Tảo Ward, Hưng Yên City, the police found a knife which is believed to be a crucial evidence in the murder.

After further investigation, on Monday Tráng admitted that on the night of August 17 he went to Đặng Văn Trường’s house in Hồng Châu Ward to steal something.

After he was caught, Tráng used the knife to stab Trường, 41, and his wife Nguyễn Thị Hoa, 40 to death.

Also yesterday, the provincial leaders awarded the police VNĐ220 million (US$9,700) for their success in investigating the case.

Speaking at the awarding ceremony, Nguyễn Văn Phóng, chairman of the Hưng Yên People’s Committee, said that the province still saw many problems related to safety and security which need police’s efforts. 

Tourist ships on Ha Long Bay 

The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh welcomed 86,000 tourists, including 19,000 foreigners, during the three-day National Day holidays from September 1-3.

The figures represented year-on-years rises of 20 percent and 25 percent, respectively, according to the provincial Tourism Department.

The department attributed the increases to the inauguration of Bach Dang bridge and Ha Long-Quang Ninh Highway, which has helped reduce travel time from Hanoi, Hai Phong city and Thai Binh and Nam Dinh provinces to Quang Ninh.

It also reported that the local tourism sector earned around 170 billion VND (7.28 million USD) during this occasion. The number of tourists staying overnight reached 40,000, and the rate of occupancy at local three- to five-star hotels surpassed 80 percent.

Also during the three-day period, 1,400 ships took more than 30,000 tourists, including 12,000 foreigners, on sight-seeing tours on Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site in the province.

To lure visitors, hotels and entertainment complexes in the locality launched numerous attractive promotion programmes.

New destinations in Quang Ninh also attracted tourists, such as Van Don, Quan Lan, Minh Chau and Co To islands.

With a range of stunning landscapes, clear turquoise sea and spectacular limestone pillars together with numerous tourism investment projects, Quang Ninh boasts huge potential to develop tourism.

The province has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and over 2,000 islands, two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam. The spectacular stretch of coast connects the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay with majestic natural scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and Co To islands and Tra Co beach with Cat Ba National Park in the northern port city of Hai Phong.

Along with the renowned Ha Long Bay, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Dai beaches in Van Don island district and Tra Co and Vinh Thuc in Mong Cai city have grown in stature among domestic and international tourists thanks to their breathtaking sea and coral reef.

Together with the Bach Dang bridge and Ha Long-Quang Ninh Highway, Van Don International Airport, which will begin serving commercial flights in late 2018, is also expected to help attract more foreign holidaymakers to the province.

The airport is set to cater for nine air routes and be capable of serving some 7,000 passengers per day. It is hoped to have annual capacity of 2 – 2.5 million passengers by 2020 and 5 million by 2030.

By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16 million tourists, including 7 million foreigners, and rake in 30 trillion VND - 40 trillion VND (1.3 billion USD - 1.7 billion USD) in revenue. The tourism sector is expected to contribute 14-15 percent to the gross regional domestic product (GRDP).

Last year, Quang Ninh received 9.87 million tourists, including 4.28 million foreigners, up 18 percent and 23 percent respectively. The tourism sector pocketed over 17.88 trillion VND (786.9 million USD), up 30 percent compared to the previous year, and contributed 3.2 trillion VND (140.8 million USD) to the State budget, accounting for 11.9 percent of the local budget collection.

It welcomed 9.2 million tourists during the first eight months of this year, up 25 percent year-on-year and completing 77 percent of its target for the whole year. 

The provincial Department of Tourism reported that the number of international holidaymakers to the locality exceeded 3.2 million, a rise of 18 percent against the same period last year, and fulfilling 65 percent of the yearly target. 

During the period, the local tourism sector completed 73 percent of the yearly target, earning more than 16 trillion VND (685 million USD), up 29 percent year-on-year. 

This year, the province aims to attract over 12 million visitors this year, including 5 million foreigners.

Ngoc Linh ginseng, medical herbs centerpiece of exhibition

Ngoc Linh ginseng 

An exhibition focusing on Ngoc Linh ginseng and other medical herbs opened in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on September 4.

The four-day event features 20 stalls of local enterprises and a number of firms from the Republic of Korea, the country also known far and wide in the world for gingseng.

It is part of activities aiming to develop the herbal medicine sector based on domestically-available materials, offering an opportunity for Kon Tum to popularise its herbal resources, seek partnerships, and exchange experience in the field.

Forest coverage amounts to 62.3 percent of the total area in Kon Tum, creating a diverse source of natural herbs, such as Ngoc Linh gingseng, dang shen, Anoectochilus setaceus, and five-flavor berry. 

The Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng), a rare medical root containing 52 saponin compounds helpful to health, was found on Ngoc Linh Mountain on the boundary between Kon Tum and the central province of Quang Nam in the late 1960s.

In June 2017, Ngoc Linh ginseng was included in the list of national products by the Prime Minister.

Kon Tum built a conservation centre for the Ngoc Linh ginseng in 2004. The province now has more than 400 hectares of the ginseng, of which over 320 ha are managed by the Kon Tum Ngoc Linh ginseng joint stock company. The plantation is for preservation and expansion, with products from local Ngoc Linh ginseng yet to be available in the market.

Thua Thien-Hue spends 1.5 million USD to support fishermen

The People’s Committee of central Thua Thien-Hue province has decided to allocate over 35.8 billion VND (1.5 million USD) to assist local fishermen in offshore fishing. 

Accordingly, Phu Vang, Phu Loc districts, Hue city and Huong Tra township will receive 25.97 billion VND, 9.75 billion VND, 425 million VND, and 350 million VND, respectively, to encourage and support aquaculture and offshore fishing.

This is the second time the province has disbursed to assist local fishermen in line with the Government’s Decree 67/2014/ND-CP on policies for fishery development (Decree 67). 

The provincial authorities have requested localities to manage and use the money for the right purposes and contents prescribed in the inter-ministerial Circular No. 16/2012/ TTLT-BNN-BQP-BTC dated on April 11, 2012 by the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance and National Defence.

Previously, the province spent more than 16 billion VND to encourage aquaculture and offshore fishing activities, and exploitation services in the above-mentioned localities. 

In the first phase, Phu Vang and Phu Loc districts received 10.9 billion VND and 4.76 billion VND respectively, while Hue city and Huong Tra township was provided with 500 million VND each to help local fishermen buy fuel for fishing trips. 

Implementing Decree 67, Thua Thien-Hue province has actively coordinated with local authorities of coastal communes to support local fishermen in accessing preferential credit, thus building and upgrading 40 vessels, including four steel-hull ships with capacity of 829CV upwards and 36 wood-hull ships with capacity of 400 to 800 CV.

Phu Vang district has the largest number of newly-built fishing boats, bringing its total number of offshore fishing ships to 170.

La Phuc Thanh, Chairman of the district’s People's Committee, said that the implementation of the decree help expand offshore fishing areas in traditional fishing grounds, thus increasing the district’s catch output. 

The province now has 40 ships built under Decree 67. Local fishermen are enabled to borrow capital to build big ships for offshore fishing.-

Thua Thien-Hue enhances animal protection in nature reserves

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has decided to establish a biodiversity corridor connecting the saola reserve with the Phong Dien Natural Reserve (Source: WWF)

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has decided to establish a biodiversity corridor connecting the saola (an endangered bovine, scientifically known as pseudoryx nghetinhensis) reserve with the Phong Dien Natural Reserve.

The project looks to improve the quality of the local ecological system and maintain the current forest coverage of 83 percent in the biodiversity corridor, as well as protect the natural landscapes and habitats of native creatures.

The biodiversity corridor also seeks to protect various animals aside from the saola, including the red-shanked douc (pygathrix nemaeus), the northern white-cheeked gibbon (nomascus leucogenys), and the pygmy slow loris (nycticebus pygmaeus), and more.

The project also aims to raise public awareness of biodiversity protection and forest development, especially amongst forest owners. Its results are hoped to contribute to new policies on biodiversity corridor management and rational use of  natural resources, as well as the potential of local ecosystems.

In addition, it will improve livelihoods to increase incomes for local residents through the implementation of forest protection, poverty reduction, and rural agriculture activities.

Thua Thien-Hue province has also expanded the saola reserve to nearly 15,520ha and linked it with other saola centres in Quang Nam, Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien-Hue, and Laos’ Xe Sap National Protected Area – altogether creating a large and united forest system in the region.

The province’s saola reserve, with an area of primary forest in central Truong Son, is also home to more than 1,200 fauna and flora species, including many rare ones. 

Books by late author Sơn Nam republished

Twenty books by late cultural researcher and author Sơn Nam of Kiên Giang Province, a leading writer of the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta region, have been reprinted by the Trẻ Publishing House.

The publication celebrates the writer’s 10th death anniversary.

The books include collections of short stories, novels and research works selected from many works of the writer. All of the publications feature Mekong Delta cultures, southern people and their lifestyles. 

Books on Gia Định-Sài Gòn developments over 300 years are also included.   

Highlighted research books are Đình Miễu & Lễ Hội Dân Gian Miền Nam (Temples & Folk Festivals of the South) and Đồng Bằng Sông Cửu Long - Nét Sinh Hoạt Xưa - Văn Minh Miệt Vườn (Cửu Long River Delta - Traditional Lifestyle - Orchard Civilisation).

Readers call Sơn Nam “a living dictionary on the southern land” because his writing features his love for and knowledge of the southern region.

Many of his works recall the process by which people in the past claimed new land.

Some works were adapted to films.

He wrote 60 fiction and non-fiction books, and more than 400 short stories.

Nam was born into a poor farmer family in U Minh Hạ in Rạch Giá Province (now Kiên Giang) in 1926.

He studied in Cần Thơ and took part in the resistance war against the French in 1945.  

After the Geneva Agreement in 1954, he moved to Sài Gòn (now HCM City) to write books and articles for local newspapers.

Nam wrote more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books, 400 short stories and many research works. His books have been reprinted several times, attracting millions of readers from different generations. 

One of his most famous novels, Hương Rừng Cà Mau (Scent of Forest in Cà Mau), was translated and taught at Paris University Diderot.

Another book, Mùa Len Trâu (Flood Season), was made into a film, titled Buffalo Boy, by Vietnamese-American director Nguyễn Võ Nghiêm Minh in 2003.   

Minh’s film portrays the lives of local farmers in Đồng Tháp Province. It also features the delta region’s beauty with picturesque scenes of rivers, forests, boats and buffaloes, and haunting folk songs. Daily life affected by floodwaters is also highlighted. 

Impressed by Nam’s Mùa Len Trâu the first time he read it, Minh asked the author for permission to film the book.

Minh, a graduate in cinematography at the University of California, received financial support from two European production companies, France’s 3B Productions and Belgium’s NOVAK.

The film Buffalo Boy was screened in Australia, the Europe and the US, and sent to international festivals and won several awards.

Nam passed away in HCM City in 2008.