On October 5, Most Venerable Thich Thien Phap, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS) Executive Council announced a decision on the establishment of the 19-member Vietnam Buddhist Association in Japan for the 2013-2018 term headed by Buddhist nun Thich Tam Tri.

Addressing the decision presentation ceremony, Buddhist nun Thich Tam Tri pledged her association’s best efforts to reinforce solidarity among the Vietnamese community living in Japan, help teach Vietnamese language for children who were born and grew up in Japan, thus making them remember their roots and get a better understanding about national cultural traditions.

The Association will help Vietnamese students living in difficult circumstance in Japan as well as Buddhist followers’ dharma study and facilitate their participation in social activities as contributions to the VBS’s Buddhist affairs, she said.

At the ceremony, four ashrams in four Japanese cities- Tokyo, Saitama, Shizuoka and Nagoya also received the decision from the Vietnam Buddhist Church’s Central Committee.

In his speech, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon - Acting Chairman of the VBS Executive reviewed the Vietnam-Japan Buddhism exchanges and the process of Vietnam’s Buddhism development in Japan. He said he hopes the Japan Buddhist Association will act as a bridge linking Buddhists between Vietnam and Japan, contributing to the development of Vietnam’s Buddhism.

The advent of the Vietnam Buddhist Association in Japan has marked a new step of development of the VBS, meeting aspirations of the majority of Vietnamese Buddhists living, studying and working in Japan and deepening cross-cultural exchange between the two nations.

About 1,500 people race in Run for Peace in Hanoi

About 1,500 people took part in the final round of the 41st annual Open Hanoi Moi Run Tournament on October 5 in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day (October 10).

The participants vary in age and included about 200 foreigners and 200 athletes hailing from provinces and cities nationwide.

The runners competed in events round Hoan Kiem Lake for amateur and professional racers.

Nguyen Nam Truong from Bac Tu Liem district topped the male high school students’ category while Vidineeva Veiana Alexandrovna, 13, finished first in the foreigners’ category.

Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc stated that the run is one of several major activities celebrating the 69th anniversary of National Day, the 60th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10) and the 15th anniversary of Hanoi’s recognition as a UNESCO City for Peace.

Since its launch on June 28, 2014, the tournament has drawn the participation of over 30,000 people to run in qualifying rounds, making it the biggest race so far.

Trend of gender imbalance in Vietnam rising

The trend of gender imbalance in Vietnam is predicted to rise, said participants at a seminar of implementation of a telephone switchboard to provide family planning information on October 3 in Hanoi.

Head of the Ministry of Health's General Department of Population and Family Planning Duong Quoc Trong said at the seminar that the disparity in the rate of male and female babies in the Southeast Asian is continuing to rise.

Since 2006, the average sex ratio of newborns in Vietnam has been 110 male to 100 female, but in 2013, the ratio has reached 113.8 male to 100 female, and the ratios are rising in 2014 with 114 to 100. This means that departments of population and family planning did not reach the set target to reduce sex inequality by 2015.

Mr. Trong said that the best way to cut down the gender imbalance must be to change people’s awareness of importance of a son in family. Along with this, there should be a policy to support female and issue penalties on gender of selection.

In order to provide information of population and birth control to residents the General Department of Population and Family Planning has opened a pilot switchboard 1900545586 to provide consultation.

People will be consulted with how to use the daily pills, gynecological disease and useful information for would-be mothers.

Vietnamese passengers lack awareness of flight rules

Many Vietnamese passengers have been fined for violations such as false bomb threats, opening emergency doors or using mobile phones on planes.

Some of these incidents caused delays of flights and threatened aviation safety. For example one passenger named Mai Thi Minh Ha was banned from flights for refusing to turn off his phone on a plane. Ha was banned from flying for four months on September 28. Three other passengers have been put under special security supervision for one month for falsely saying that there was a bomb in their luggage.

On March 16, the switchboard of Jetstar Pacific received threat by phone saying one of their aircraft would be hit by a rocket. Apparently a 32-year-old passenger from Thanh Hoa Province was late for a Jetstar Pacific’s flight from HCM City to Vinh. The passenger did not want to wait for the next flight and pay the additional VND450,000. It seems the passenger decided to try to delay the flight another way. The call was made at 4:30pm on that day and is thought to have been made by the passenger’s acquaintance.

On June 12, a passenger named Le Nguyen Tuan Tung caused a three-hour delay to a VietJet Air flight by suggesting to staff that they check his bag for bombs.

Several other passengers were fined for other violations, including opening the emergency door for fun or in normal conditions. Airlines have said that when an emergency door was open, it costs as much as USD10,000 to re-roll the slide for the emergency exit.

Incentives to parents who have girls may ease gender imbalance

Many are saying that Vietnam should have policies to offer incentives for families with all girls to help decrease the country’s gender imbalance.

Dr. Duong Quoc Trong, former Head of the General Director of the Population and Family Planning, made the point at a conference in Hanoi on October 2-3. He said that Vietnam’s gender imbalance has become a problem in recent years and is getting worse. The gender ratio at birth was estimated at 106.2 boys  per 100 girls in 2000 and 113.8 boys to every 100 girls in 2013. In Hung Yen Province, the ratio is 140.7 boys to every 100 girls.

He added that this is a thorny issue, as more than 4 million Vietnamese men will unable to find a Vietnamese wife in the next 15 to 20 years.

The gender imbalance is mainly attributed to the fact that couple now have access to modern medical equipment which helps to select gender, mixed with the traditional Vietnamese preference for boys.

According to Dr. Trong, it is essential to create programmes that raise awareness about the gender balance.

He noted, however, that it has taken 50 years to raise awareness about the importance of having only two children. Trong emphasised that one important measure is drafting policy that gives incentives to families with all daughters.

The General Department of Population and Family Planning will propose some such policies, government support for parents who have girls when they get old and priority for girls applying to university.

Some experts also suggested that more strict restrictions on gender selection be imposed, but such policies have not yet been implemented due to the limited budget.

The General Department of Population and Family Planning has set up a hotline, 1900 545586, in 13 cities and provinces to give advice to people on issues related to family planning, gender and reproduction.

Over 82,000 visitors flock to Hue during Gold Tourism Month

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center welcomed 82,626 domestic and foreign visitors in Gold Tourism Month (September 2-30), raking in VND6.264 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.32%.

This is thanks to the launching of a number of promotional packages and incentives for travel agents and travellers visiting to Thua Thien-Hue province.

During the special month, the centre has improved its quality of service and the tourism environment while also launching new tourism products.

Notably, visitors could enjoy discounts on entrance tickets to relics and transit services via electric buses. Discounts of 50% were applied to Nha Nhac or royal court music performances and 10-20% for other services such as souvenirs and drinks.

Tourists could also use one entrance ticket, that they could buy from the Royal Palace, Hieu Lang (Minh Mang) Tomb, and Ung Lang (KhaiDinh) Tomb to enter other monuments in the city.

Groups of 20 or more who arrive at sites together were offered a free guide and students were eligible for free entrance ticket at any site.

Thua Thien-Hue province is also implementing tourism promotional activities such as inviting Famtrip delegations from Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and Thailand to survey a number of tourism venues in central region and organising Rowshow events (brand activation) in Ho Chi Minh City to exploit new potential market in Southwestern region.

From now until the end of the year, the Centre will launch a “Golden Tourism Week” from December 24-30 with discounts to be offered to those visiting the Hue relic site.

The centre has so far greeted nearly 1.6 million, including more than 678,000 foreigners and earned VND110.93 billion from ticket sales to relic sites, achieving 88.74% of set plan in 2014.

Gov't addresses transport issues

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has told ministries to tighten up on transport activities in an endeavour to keep the road death toll below 9,000 this year. So far this year, nearly 7,000 people have died on Viet Nam's roads.

Last year, 9,369 people were killed in a total of 29,385 accidents throughout the nation.

At a National Committee for Traffic Safety meeting on Friday, Phuc, who is also chairman of the committee, asked the transport ministry to improve regulations, especially on the management of transport and the inspection of load capacities.

He said existing challenges included a huge number of traffic accidents in rural and mountainous areas and overloaded trucks on many roads and highways.

Phuc also mentioned corruption among a number of police officers as a problem.

The transport ministry was also asked to co-operate with the Ministries of Public Security and Industry and Trade to control the illegal importation of electric bikes and motorbikes.

The Government official asked the Ministry of Public Security to expand the application of advanced technology to detect those who broke traffic rules.

From January-September this year, there were 18,697 traffic accidents throughout Viet Nam, resulting in 6,758 deaths and 17,835 injuries.

This represents a decline in the total numbers of cases, fatalities and injuries compared to the same period last year.

Forty-five localities reported fewer fatalities, including 30 per cent less traffic deaths recorded in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Kan.

However, road deaths rose in 14 other localities.

Ministry cracks down on building problems

The Ministry of Construction is seeking ways to deal with construction work that damages or has the potential to damage nearby structures.

It wants projects that threaten other buildings in any way to be forced to halt until compensation is agreed and paid.

The proposed procedure would allow stakeholders to negotiate an agreement. If they can't, the local Chairman of the People's Committee will serve as mediator.

After two unsuccessful negotiation sessions in the presence of the local Chairman of the People's Committee, stakeholders may opt to hire an authorised party to determine any damage done to structures and the amount of compensation due.

If stakeholders are still unable to reach an agreement, the People's Committee Chairman will calculate the compensation based on the average of previous evaluations.

Once the amount is determined, project owners will have to deposit the amount in full before being allowed to continue work.

If all attempts at a settlement fail, stakeholders may then proceed to file for a court decision.

In cases where extensive damage has been caused and a structure is in danger of collapse endangering the lives of residents, project owners will have to cover relocation and accommodation expenses for residents involved.

Construction sites will be shut down until this money is paid or the damage is repaired. This includes activities that cause damage to the environment or public infrastructure.

The proposed new rules is part of the ministry's endeavours to address disputes caused by construction projects that continually annoy, inconvenience or endanger the lives of people.

In March, citizens of Ky Lam ward in the central province of Quang Nam set up barriers to stop trucks from transporting building materials to a bridge project being built by contractor Cienco4-Thang Long.

The vibrations from the heavily loaded trucks caused substantial damage to residential houses along the road, degraded the living environment with dust and noise and destroyed parts of the road.

The local People's Committee negotiated and reached an agreement with the contractor on compensation for those affected.

Fake cosmetics found in capital

Thousands of boxes of cosmetic products of unknown origin were found at Ha Noi-based Bach Phuong International Trade Company Ltd last Saturday. The company's owner, Doan Thi Dung, was unable to provide the police with certificates of origin for the ingredients used in her company's cosmetics.

Further investigation revealed thousands of cosmetic products branded Ecolly. Dung admitted buying the ingredients at border markets in Lang Son, Mong Cai including cosmetic bottles and boxes.

She invented the Ecolly brand and sold it as a foreign-brand of cosmetics made with technology from France to beauty centres in Ha Noi for US$70 a set. The company was found to be making cosmetic products during a routine inspection by the Ha Noi Police's Department of Environment Crime Prevention Police.

Police have confiscated the stock and are holding further investigations.

Cigarette smuggler arrested in Ha Noi

Ha Noi Police Department"s criminal investigation branch arrested Tran Thi Phung, an alleged cigarette smuggler in Hai Ba Trung District yesterday.

Phung was reported to be carrying 50 cigarette packets of unknown origin. Further investigation revealed a stock of 2, 440 cigarette packs without any importation papers.

Vice-captain of the police branch, Vu Cong Chi, said Phung had already been sentenced for smuggling cigarettes.

Can Tho to invest VND1 trillion in riverside embankment

Can Tho City's Department of Planning and Investment has approved investing more than VND1 trillion (US$47.2 million) in Government bonds to build an embankment along the Can Tho River.

The embankment will stretch from Ninh Kieu wharf to Cai Rang Bridge, a distance of more than 10km. Two parks will be built on the mainland 15m away from the embankment and a two-lane road will connect the area to the city's downtown. The work is scheduled to be complete by 2016.

The municipal Land Fund Development Centre will compensate and relocate 569 affected households. Of these, 139 households have received compensation and 230 have been moved to resettlement areas in Thoi Nhut 2 and Cai Son-Hang Bang.

Previously, the city authority invested more than VND500 billion ($24 million) to build a 2km embankment from Can Tho Wharf to Khai Luong Canal. Another 2.3km embankment connecting Ninh Kieu District and Cai Rang District will also be built, in addition to a 10,400 sq.m. park and a 2.6km traffic lane.

Tay Ninh lacks waste treatment

Most waste-treatment facitlies in the southern province of Tay Ninh are overloaded, causing environmental pollution, according to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Existing facilities have a capacity to treat 5,000cu.m of waste a day, but the total produced is up to three times higher.

The department said garment and textile factories using dyes were to blame.

Local authorities said they would order the owners of industrial zones to build their own waste treatment systems before making any discharges into common waste treatment facilities.

Help to tackle climate change

Since 2009, Viet Nam has received nearly US$1 billion in official development assistance (ODA) as well as technical assistance from international donors to cope with climate change.

The donors included the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the French Agency for Development (AFD), and the World Bank.

Using the assistance, the Vietnamese Government issued a range of climate change policies, including boosting green growth, said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha at a meeting in Ha Noi on the Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change in 2015 and beyond.

Agriculture sector aims to cut CO2 emissions

It was important to come up with ways to mitigate CO2 emissions in agriculture, which produces approximately 43 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said at a recent seminar.

Doanh announced that the ministry had already set up a working group in charge of pushing Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) to achieve this goal. The group was set up under the framework of a three-year project launched in March that organises training courses for policymakers and experts on developing NAMA plans.

The UN One Plan, a joint framework between the United Nations and the Vietnamese Government, will contribute US$700,000 to the project, while the remainder will be provided by the Vietnamese government.

A FAO representative stressed at the seminar that stronger co-ordination between sectors and strong will on the part of managers were critical for reducing GHG emissions.

By 2020, the agriculture sector aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 5.7 million tonnes, approximately 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.

The seminar was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Outstanding Vietnamese students in Czech honoured

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic on October 4  presented merit certificates to overseas Vietnamese students who achieved good academic results in 2013-2014 school year.

Recipients are those who recorded high results in their study or won prizes at district, provincial, regional and international sport and art contests.

According to preliminary statistics, currently there are nearly 7,000 Vietnamese students in the Czech Republic, including 3,000 high school and 1,200 university students . Around 100,000 Vietnamese are residing in the country.

In an interview with VNA, Ambassador Truong Manh Son attached importance to educating young generation through cultural exchanges, art performances and culinary fests, in order to remind them of their home country.

Vietnamese students strengthen link in Belgium

The Central Committee of Vietnam Students’ Association (VSA), led by its Chairman Le Quoc Phong, met with the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese Student Association in Belgium (SIVIBI) on October 4.

The event was part of VSA’s working visits to five European countries including Germany, the UK, Belgium, and France with the aim of gathering information of VSA in foreign countries, and give guidelines to their operation.

At the event, SIVIBI chairman Nguyen Ngoc Dung reviewed the association’s activities in recent years.

Since its establishment in 2011, SIVIBI has organised sport competitions, culture exchanges, music performances, and Tet celebration, attracting the participation of a large number of overseas Vietnamese (OVs) students.

SIVIBI members also taught the Vietnamese language to OVs’ children and carried out charitable activities to raise funds for needy people in Vietnam.

Dung also suggested that the VSA should provide self-funded Vietnamese students with more information to connect Vietnamese organisations and associations in Belgium.

On this occasion, VSA awarded certificates of merit to 4 teams and 12 individuals from SIVIBI for their achievements in study and social activities.

Hundreds of unexploded ordnances found in Quang Tri

Truong Son Construction Company in the central province of Quang Tri discovered hundreds of unexploded ordnances left over from the US war in Ka Tang hamlet, Lao Bao town in Huong Hoa district on October 5.

The company, a subsidiary of Troop 12, was disarming explosive materials prior to commencing the Lao Bao international border gate expansion project when workers discovered 159 unexploded ordnances 2.5m below a basement.

The weaponry, including 33 missiles of type 130, 3 missiles of type 175, 70 bombs of type M79, 3 grenades and 50 shrapnel bombs, were collected and brought to a storage facility.

The company cooperated closely with the border guard force at Lao Bao border gate to expand the search on the area, where, according to local residents, farmers frequently found bombs and bullets.

Previously, it disarmed a number of shrapnel bombs remaining from the war.

An estimated 800,000 tonnes out of the 7.8 million tonnes of explosives dropped by US forces on Vietnam failed to detonate, affecting over 20 percent of the country.

Quang Tri is the most heavily contaminated province. More than three decades after the war, it is still affected by explosive remnants of war (ERW) which have killed and injured 7,081 people (1.2 percent of the total population) since 1975.

Mekong Delta localities boost new-style rural area building efforts

The Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang aims to have an additional six communes meet the 19 requirements of the national new-style rural area building programme by late 2014.

The six expected communes meet 15-18 out of the criteria, but do not fulfill the requirements on the environment, per capita average income, and cultural and educational facilities.

It is estimated that the locality will need more than 150 billion VND (7.05 million USD) to implement measures to fulfill the remaining criteria. Local authorities have allocated 30 billion VND.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Cong Chanh said over the last three years the locality mobilised more than 21.5 trillion VND (1.01 billion USD) to construct and upgrade transport infrastructure, irrigation and water supply systems, cultural and educational services, medical facilities and production support for local residents.

So far, only three communes meet all 19 criteria of the programme, including Dai Thanh (Nga Bay town), Vi Thanh (Vi Thuy district) and Tan Tien (Vi Thanh city).

During the same period, the Mekong Delta province of Long An mobilised approximately 13.3 trillion VND for its new-style rural area building programme, focussing on upgrading and developing basic infrastructure, such as roads, cultural facilities and schools, while improving environmental protection efforts and promoting economic development.

As a result, 8 communes in the locality meet the programme’s 19 criteria.

Local authorities are working hard to receive recognition of 36 communes as new-style rural areas by 2015.

The programme is contributing to the reinvigoration of rural areas in the two provinces, improving physical and spiritual living conditions for local residents.

The national programme to build new-style rural areas, initiated by the Government in 2010, defines 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics and security–defence, aiming to give Vietnam’s rural areas a facelift.

Measures include building infrastructure, improving production capacity, constructing public facilities, protecting the landscape and environment, and promoting local traditions and cultural identities.-

Dramatic police chase in HCMC after thieves snatch foreigners’ bag

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested two young men who snatched a handbag from two foreigners in downtown District 1 on Friday.

Le Hoang, 27, and Truong Thai Ngoc, 23, were detained yesterday on charges of “property theft by snatching,” pursuant to Article 136 of the Penal Code, the district police said.

Hoang has a previous conviction on charges of murder, while Ngoc has already been convicted of theft.

The victims were both foreigners – a man and a woman – whose names have not been announced.

Around mid-day yesterday, while patrolling on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, a motorcycle police team followed two suspicious men on a motorbike.

When they reached the intersection of Nguyen Thai Hoc and Pham Ngu Lao Street, the two men approached the foreigners who were walking together, and Ngoc snatched a bag from the woman.

Hoang then sped away while the police team pursued them.

During the chase, Ngoc threw his helmet at the police officers, while Hoang continued at full speed.

One of the officers fired a shot into the air to warn them. Hoang then slowed down so Ngoc could get off the bike and run towards 23/9 Park with the bag in his hands.

The officers continued to pursue both thieves and, with the help of passers-by, arrested Ngoc in the park.

Meanwhile, other officers caught up with Hoang and kicked him off the bike. Hoang tried to run away, but he was caught as well.

Vietnamese mark Gen Giap’s 1st death anniversary

A large number of visitors flocked to his house in Hanoi and resting place in central Vietnam to commemorate legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap’s first death anniversary on Saturday.

A group of local veterans are seen paying homage to Vietnam's legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap at his house in Hanoi on October 4, 2014, one year after his death. Tuoi Tre

People flooded Gen. Giap’s house at 30 Hoang Dieu Street in Ba Dinh District to mark one year of his death.

Yellow daisies offered by visitors were placed neatly from his house’s entrance to the altar where his photo is laid for worship.

Many from other provinces covered hundreds of kilometers to pay tribute to the general at his house.

Vo Tan Van, Nguyen Van Duan, and Le Manh, who are from Quang Ngai Province in the central region, rode their bikes through an almost 1,000km distance to the capital city to pay their homage.

Manh said that though it was quite an exhausting trip, the three were determined to visit the revered general.

Le Thi Duong, 62, from Nghe An Province also in the central part, shared that she, her children, and grandchildren had traveled a long way by bus to offer incense to the general.

Duong and her family waited for two hours and a half yesterday but still were not allowed in. Later, the whole family managed to get in and pay homage to Gen. Giap.

People also crowded Gen. Giap’s resting place in Vung Chua in Quang Binh Province, located in the central region, on Saturday.

Among them, Dang Hoai Nam’s family of 11 members – including kids and the elderly – came all the way from Binh Duong Province in the southern part of the country.

Nam said that his entire family was resolved to visit the general’s tomb at least once in their life.

“Last year, I came to Quang Binh Province to bid the last farewell to the general, but couldn’t approach his tomb, as it was too crowded. My wish has now come true, as I’m here, right in front of his tomb,” shared Duong Thi Hanh, Nam’s mother.

There are several deeply moving stories of the visitors’ special emotions for the general which are indelibly imprinted on their minds.

In January 2014, a group of people from the Mekong Delta visited the area.

Among them was a 93-year-old woman, who could hardly walk without someone’s support.

The visitors said that the old woman hitched a ride on their bus to the general’s tomb, as she could not afford the fare to Quang Binh Province and had to wave at passing buses.

The story moved the guards who are tasked with protecting the tomb area to tears.

“Now that I’ve visited Gen. Giap’s tomb, I can die satisfied at any moment,” she said.

Nguyen Huyen, Gen. Giap’s former secretary, shared that he feels as if the general was still here with him.

He expressed his hope that a museum dedicated to the general will be built soon, so people from across the country – particularly the young – can learn more about the general’s life, career, and devotion.

Vo Hong Nam, Gen. Giap’s son, shared touching stories about the bonds between people at military bases in the northwestern region with his late father.

Ethnic people kept inquiring about Gen. Giap. A 90-year-old ethnic minority woman who is a former cook at Gen. Giap’s base in the area insisted that Nam bring home her jar of forest bee honey and place it on the general’s altar.

In front of his tomb are 103 lush apricot trees, which stand for his age of 103, according to the Vietnamese’s calculation, when he passed away.

Gen. Giap, the first four-star general and the former commander-in-chief of the Vietnam Army, passed away on October 4 of last year in Hanoi, more than a month after he celebrated his 102nd birthday.

The 3.5km road section from National Highway 1 to the tomb area has now been concreted.

Work is also about to start on other components including a guest-welcoming house, restrooms, and parking lots, which are all estimated to cost a total of VND30 billion (US$1.41 million).

In August 2014, the Quang Binh People’s Committee gave the green light to three projects in honor of Gen. Giap: a statue and a park in the province’s Dong Hoi City, and a commemorative house in his hometown of Le Thuy District.

Seasoned historian Phan Huy Le, chair of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that with his family’s consent, he will propose to the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism that a house be built at Le’s own residence at 30 Hoang Dieu Street, Ba Dinh District in commemoration of Gen. Giap.

Born in 1911 in Quang Binh, Gen. Giap started his career as a history teacher before joining the military, eventually becoming the legendary general who led the Vietnam Army to victory against the French and U.S. forces in 1954 and 1975, respectively.

He commanded several major operations, including at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and Saigon (the former name of Ho Chi Minh City) in 1975.

Gen. Giap served as Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister from 1975 to 1980. From 1981 to 1991, he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

His funeral attracted thousands of locals who queued for hours to pay tribute to the general.

A large number of locals left burning candles around his house in Quang Binh Province late last month to commemorate his first death anniversary in accordance with the lunar calendar.

According to the team guarding Gen. Giap’s tomb area, over 1.35 million visits have been paid to his resting place since the general passed away last year.

The area sees an average of over 4,000 visits a day, and up to 30,000 during peak days.

VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND