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Old Hanoi exhibited around Old Quarter
Hang Than, one of streets in the Old Quarter in the early 19th century
A collection of documents and photographs of Hanoi from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century will be exhibited in the capital this month.
Themed “Nostalgia for Hanoi Streets”, the exhibition will take place at the pedestrian mall around the Old Quarter from October 5 to 7 and October 12 to 14 and at the Temple of Literature on October 15.
The exhibition is being organized by the National Archives of Vietnam (NAV) to mark the 64th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10).
Visitors to the exhibition can turn back time and visit an old Hanoi with quiet streets, beautiful French-style buildings, and valuable historical relics.
The highlight of the exhibition is the Old Quarter, which has been the busiest area in the city since the 11th century, when Hanoi was selected as the capital. It was gathering point of businesspeople and artisans, creating “trade streets” named after the trade, starting with “Hang” (ware), such as Hang Bac (Silver Ware Street), Hang Tre (Bamboo Ware Street), Hang Dong (Copper Ware Street), Hang Dao (Silk Ware Street), and Hang Than (Charcoal Ware Street).
The event also provides the opportunity for visitors to gain more insight into the capital through documentary photos on its history, culture, planning and architecture. These documents will also help policymakers devise proper solutions to preserve traditional values and build a modern and prosperous city.
This is part of a collection of photos of Hanoi displayed from September 6 until December 31 at the NAV at 18 Vu Pham Ham, Cau Giay district. The showing is one activity to celebrate the 45th anniversary of relations between Vietnam and France.
“Hanoi in me - 2018” photo exhibition honors city's craft villages
The 13th “Hanoi in me” photo exhibition will showcase 80 authentic and lively photos featuring artisans’ portraits, working life and daily activities in Hanoi`s craft villages.
The Economic & Urban newspaper in collaboration with the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club and Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam Center of Scientific and Cultural Activities will host a photo exhibition titled “Hanoi in me - 2018” with theme of “Craft villages” at the Temple of Literature.
The event is set to take place on October 9 – 13 to celebrate the 64th anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation day (October 10, 1954 – October 10, 2018).
The 13th “Hanoi in me” photo exhibition is divided into three main parts: "Craft village", "Handicraft" and "Cuisine", which will showcase 80 authentic and lively photos representing artisans’ portraits, working life and daily activities in Hanoi's craft villages.
After expanding its administrative boundaries, Hanoi is home to the largest number of craft villages in the country, with some 1,350 ones, of which 272 have been recognized as craft villages and 198 are traditional craft villages.
Thanks to skillful hands, the artisans have created products with diversified models and different types, such as bamboo and rattan, ceramics, fine art furniture, lacquer mosaics, culinary specialties and so on. These products are not only consumed domestically but also exported to many other nations in the world.
Especially, the artisans coming to the capital have brought traditional crafts from their homeland. They incessantly preserve and create products so that they become more and more unique, sophisticated and diverse, contributing to linking the city’s streets and the craft villages.
The streets with their names embracing “Hàng” (meaning profession or craft) in Hanoi’s Old Quarter today have become special hallmark of the Hanoi craft culture, an attractive destination for both domestic and international travelers exploring the capital.
Editor-in-Chief of the Economics and Urban Newspaper Nguyen Minh Duc said that "Hanoi in me" is an annual exhibition organized by the Economics and Urban Newspaper in coordination with the Senior Photographers Association.
After the previous 12 events, “Hanoi in me” has become a meeting place for art and Hanoi lovers in every October. The 13th exhibition will mark an impression in the public with the sincerely love for Hanoi. As such, photographers, whether they are artists or reporters, have captured the most beautiful moments of Hanoi, Duc added.
In this 13th exhibition, “Hanoi in me” will attract the participation of numerous photographers. They are not only members of the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club, but also reporters and collaborators of the Economic & Urban Newspaper.
They come from not only in Hanoi, but also live in other cities and provinces in Vietnam.
Whenever they have opportunities to come to Hanoi and feel the beauty of the capital, these photographers will capture these moments and take it to the exhibition. Among these photos, many have received awards in prestigious photo contests, Duc stressed.
Residents are seen taking their vehicles to wade through a heavily inundated street after a downpour in HCMC in the file photo. The super-large water pump to fight flooding on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District resumed operations on October 5 - PHOTO: VGP
The super-large water pump, which was installed by the operator Quang Trung Industry JSC to fight flooding on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District, resumed operations on October 5, after months of suspension due to a lack of funds, according to the HCMC Steering Center of the Urban Flood Control Program’s representative, local media reported.
The steering center’s representative said it sent an approval document to Quang Trung JSC, allowing the investor to resume the operation of the mega-pump.
The move was announced following the directions of the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee, asking the municipal People’s Committee to revise the rental costs of the pump, as proposed by Quang Trung JSC, and finalize them prior to October 2.
In case the city government has yet to work out the specific number, it will have to advance payment to the operator for the 2017 operation costs at VND9.874 billion annually, as the government previously suggested, and finalize the service costs no later than October 30.
In addition, to avoid having to lease other pumps from a third party, as before, the steering center asked Quang Trung company to make an official announcement in advance and receive the center’s approval before it halts the operation of the water pump. Failing to do so, the operator would have to bear the cost of all consequent damages.
To date, the city and the investor reportedly have not reached a consensus on the rent.
The super-large water pump, with a capacity of 97,000 cubic meters per hour, was proposed by Quang Trung JSC to fight flooding on Nguyen Huu Canh Street beginning October 2, 2017. The operator pledged to not collect the service rental if the street was still flooded.
The city later evaluated the effectiveness of the water pump, saying that it basically worked efficiently and eased traffic flows, although six out of 23 times of operations, the street was still immersed in floodwaters.
Quang Trung proposed the annual rental fee of VND24.4 billion, while the city suggested nearly VND10 billion. During the discussion period, Quang Trung suggested the city advance payment of VND30 billion in mid-August, so that it could pay for service costs and personnel.
As the request was turned down, the operator then halted the pump’s operation, prompting the steering center to mobilize three water pumps from the HCMC Urban Drainage company, with combined capacity of 5,200 cubic meters per hour, as a temporary solution to the flooding on Nguyen Huu Canh Street.
Woman receives fine $321 for using other’s personal papers
The Noi Bai Airport Authority has decided to issue a fine of VND7.5 million ($ 321) on a passenger in Hanoi who was using other’s personal papers.
The female passenger was discovered to use other’s personal paper when completing check-in procedures for the flight VN253 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in the end of September.
The woman confessed to use her friend ID for check-in in the airport; accordingly, she received fine of VND7.5 million as per the regulation.
The Aviation Authority of Vietnam said that airport security officers have discovered that many passenger used other passengers’ personal papers who did not use the fare.
Checking personal papers involves in aviation security; therefore, such violators will receive harsh penalty.
The Authority said that in addition to ID, passengers can use other personal papers such as driving license, Party member card or other certifications with police seal.
People’s Committee has decided to cancel electronic bus fare project as per a public-private partnership (PPP) project (build, own, operate contract (BOO), said the Department of Transport.
The Department was assigned to find out a partner to carry out a pilot project of electronic payment with various payment functions for future use.
The committee said that public transport such as metro and bus rapid transit; accordingly, fare collection system should be linked so that passengers keep a smart fare each only which can pay for all types of public transport.
BOO (build, own, operate) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization builds, owns and operates some facility or structure with some degree of encouragement from the government.
Sixty-three successful farmers to be honored
At the press brief
A ceremony will be held on October 14 in Hanoi to honor 63 outstanding farmers who have good achievements in production and participation in the Farmer Association’s movements.
The Central Farmer Association, the Department of Propaganda and Training, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Nong thon ngay nay ( Present Countryside) newspaper announced the list of 63 outstanding farmers 2018 at a yesterday press brief.
The organizers said that jury council has selected 63 from 148 people from 63 cities and provinces. The honorable farmers are those who have greatly achieved in the Farmer Association’s movements of production; the government’s new rural plan and farmer participation in defense movement.
Speaking at the press brief, Vice Head of the Central Farmer Association Pham Tien Nam said all selected farmers are those who are not only dynamic and strong-will to make rich but also responsible for community.
Programme promotes Vietnamese tourism in Italy
At the conference
A programme named “A Soulful Vietnam”, focused on promoting Vietnam tourism, kicked off in Milan, Italy, on October 3.
The programme is part of a series of events promoting tourism in Vietnam in 2018 to Western European countries, with the participation of dozens of tourism agencies and travel companies.
The event is considered as an opportunity for the Vietnamese tourism industry to introduce tourism products and policies to develop tourism as well as to promote tourist attractions such as Ha Long Bay, Hue ancient city, Hoi An ancient town, Phong Nha - Ke Bang cave systems, or the unique tourism products of culture and cuisine of Vietnam, to Italy's potential customers.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy, Cao Chinh Thien, emphasised that the rational and effective tourism development not only brings benefits to businesses and people, but also contributes to the sustainable economic development of each country.
In 2017, Vietnam welcomed more than 58,000 Italian travellers, an increase of 13.2% compared to the previous year.
Vietnam, Cambodia cooperate in the search for remains of Vietnamese martyrs
The search for the remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia during the past war will begin on October 14, 2018 and last until the end of May 2019.
The search was agreed to in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two countries with the aim of recovering the remains of Vietnam’s fallen martyrs in Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province, which was signed by Mondulkiri vice governor Chang Sokchantha and vice chairwoman of Dak Lak province People’s Committee H’Yim Kdoh in Dak Lak on October 3.
According to the MoU, Mondulkiri authorities will create the best possible conditions for 64 members of the K51 team to search and collect the remains of Vietnamese martyrs in Senmonorom city and in the districts of Kaoh Nheaek, Pechr Chenda, Ou Reang and Kaev Seima in line with the law and customs of the local people.
In addition to this, Mr Chang Sokchantha called on provincial agencies, authorities and local people to provide information and support for the K51 team.
Around 4,000 remains of Vietnamese martyrs remain unaccounted for in Cambodia. Both Vietnam and Cambodia have been accelerating the implementation of plans in recent times in order to finish the search for the remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts by 2020.
Fifty-seven remote and rural hamlets and villages in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk is to be linked to the national power grid. — Photo pcdaklak.cpc.vn
Fifty-seven remote and rural villages in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk will soon be connected to the national power grid, according to Lê Hòa Nhơn, deputy director of Đắk Lắk Power Company.
The linkages are part of the second phase of a project to link 250 villages in the province by 2020 to the national grid.
The total capital for the second phase is VNĐ172 billion (US$7.4 million), bringing benefits for more than 70,000 households.
The large province has complicated terrain, and such conditions have make it more difficult to connect some areas to the grid, but the company is tasked to ensure that each resident has electricity access, Nhơn told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper.
The company is working with local authorities to compile an investment list and call for more sponsors for the project.
In the first phase of the project, 31 villages with 2,786 households will be supplied with electricity ahead of Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays.
The six-year project, which began in 2016, with a total investment of VNĐ887 billion (US$39.4 million), includes building and upgrading hundreds of kilometres of medium- and low-voltage lines and transformer stations.
The project will bring electricity to communes and hamlets, which need power for their households and businesses.
Đắk Lắk Province has the highest number of communes and households with electricity in the Central Highlands region.
Đồng Nai sets up cameras to monitor illegal sand exploitation
Severe landslides happen due to illegal sand-mining along Đồng Nai River. The People’s Committee of Biên Hòa City in the southern province of Đồng Nai will install cameras to monitor illegal sand exploitation on the river.
The People’s Committee of Biên Hòa City in the southern province of Đồng Nai will install cameras to monitor illegal sand exploitation on the Đồng Nai River.
The cameras will be installed on Tân Vạn and Ba Xê isles and in eight wards along the river where violations often occur, according to the Biên Hòa City’s Party Committee.
However, some of the areas do not have electricity lines, so the People’s Committee is working with the wards to remove obstacles and speed up installation of cameras.
Võ Văn Chánh, deputy chairman of Đồng Nai Province’s People’s Committee, said the province would also set up cameras in other locations like Long Thành, Nhơn Trạch and Vĩnh Cửu districts if the Biên Hòa installation is successful.
Thi Văn Dũng, deputy secretary of Biên Hòa City’s Party Committee, said the part of Đồng Nai River which runs through Biên Hòa City has high-quality sand.
The Party Committee has also directed agencies to devise a plan to protect sand resources.
The city’s two inspection teams that began work earlier this year include members of the police and military forces, and the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
They have identified dozens of illegal sand mining violators and have confiscated many vehicles.
Stone exploitation
Besides sand, enterprises in Đồng Nai Province extracted more than 15 million cubic metres of stone in the first nine months of the year.
In the last three months, they plan to extract more 6.5 million cubic metres of stone. The total stone output this year is expected to be 21.5 million cubic metres, a drop of 10.5 million cubic metres compared with last year.
Nguyễn Ngọc Hưng, deputy director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that 32 quarries in the province had in recent years extracted 32 million cubic metres of stone annually.
To protect stone resources, early this year the Đồng Nai Department of Natural Resources and Environment began working with quarries to reduce stone exploitation.
As many as 19 quarries agreed to reduce the output.
Investigation started into Tuyen Lam Lake projects
Unlicensed projects on Lam Tuyen Lake
Various illegal construction projects have badly affected the Tuyen Lam Lake, one of Dalat City’s most popular destinations.
One of those cases is the tourism project of investor Nguyen Hoa.
Hoa rented a 4,000 square metres of water surface from Lam Dong Investment - Exploitation Management Centre for tourism service. However, this area was actually was allocated to the Tuyen Lam Lake Tourism Site Management Board.
Hoa was fined and ordered to remove the construction on the lake. Since Hoa didn't comply, Tuyen Lam Lake Tourism Site Management Board collaborated with Ward 3 People's Committee to forcibly remove the construction.
Hoa had already planted trees and created a 300-square-metre cement floor.
Lan Anh Da Lat Company also agreed to remove the unlicensed 30-metre embankment on Tuyen Lam Lake it built for the tourism and conference centre project. However, nothing had been done as of October 4.
Pham S, deputy chairman of Lam Dong Province People's Committee, asked the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to investigate how the Lam Dong Investment - Exploitation Management Centre rented out the land and why it has never been granted permits for operation within the protection area and irrigation works.
Tuyen Lam Lake was recognised as a cultural and historical heritage site in 1998. Last year, it was recognised as a national tourism site.
British Council opens new teaching and education center in HCMC
The British Council in Vietnam officially opened the British Council English Language Teaching and Education Centre on the 1st Floor, Viettel Building, 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, on October 4. Mr. Ed Vaizey, the British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Vietnam, and Mr. Simon Hunt, Director of Business, English, British Council East Asia, along with senior managers of the British Council in Vietnam, distinguished guests, partners, and students were in attendance.
The grand opening also marks an important milestone during the British Council’s 25th anniversary in Vietnam. The new center, equipped with modern facilities and equipment, meets all the requirements of new teaching methods, providing an opportunity to effectively support students to develop and improve their English skills for their future education and careers.
The British Council English Language Teaching and Education Centre is one of three newly-opened centers in Ho Chi Minh City, which demonstrates the commitment of the British Council to education as a strategic focus in its operations in Vietnam and it being an important area of cooperation between the UK and Vietnam.
The brand new, modern premises are part of a global network of nearly 50 countries and is purpose-built to the British Council’s international standards to offer a top-quality teaching and learning environment. The new Academic English and High School program for high school students will help them develop 21st century skills and the confidence needed to succeed in their future careers. The new center is equipped with a brand-new computer-based testing facility, which is especially designed for computer-delivered IELTS.
“From October, IELTS candidates can choose to take the computer-delivered IELTS test, which includes listening, reading and writing, while speaking is still conducted face-to-face,” said Mr. Jon Glendinning, Director of English and Language Services.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Donna McGowan, Country Director of the British Council in Vietnam, said that with more than 80 years of experience in teaching English and in creating educational opportunities in over 100 countries, it is more than a language and exam center and customers can benefit from opportunities to broaden their knowledge of key global issues as well as improve the skills needed to be successful in pursuing future study and careers.
“2018 marks the 45th anniversary of ambassadorial relations between the UK and Vietnam and the British Council’s 25th anniversary in Vietnam, and this new center will enable the UK to deliver more impact in cultural relations, creating more opportunities for individuals and organizations to engage in trade with the UK,” said Mr. Ed Vaizey, the British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Vietnam.
Thanh Hoa provides 1,500 tonnes of rice for flood-hit students
Muong Lat district was badly hit by serious floods in August.
The central province of Thanh Hoa has decided to provide over 1,500 tonnes of rice in flood relief for more than 21,200 students from 246 schools across the province during the first semester of the 2018 – 2019 academic year.
Any students who study at local elementary, secondary and high schools will receive 15 kg of rice per month per person from the national reserves to encourage them to pursue education amid many difficulties caused by disasters.
In the last school year, the province also offered local students a total of 2,644 tonnes of rice in aid.
Torrential rain from August 28-31 caused serious floods in Muong Lat, Quan Son, Quan Hoa, Ba Thuoc, Cam Thuy, Thach Thanh, Vinh Loc and Yen Dinh districts in Thanh Hoa.
According to statistics, floods left 12 people dead and missing while 13,000 houses were inundated and 800 others swept away, collapsed or severely damaged. Thousands hectares of crops were submerged, and hundreds of head of cattle and poultry were killed.
Critical damage was seen in roads, schools, medical stations, and telecommunication facilities.
The mountainous district of Muong Lat was among the worst-hit. Landslides have ravaged and buried 15 schools in the district together with their learning equipment, affecting the study of hundreds of students there.
Don’t further aggravate traffic woes
One of the two key bottlenecks in HCMC’s socioeconomic development is traffic congestion – the other one being chronic flooding – which has been widely known as being nightmarish to both residents and visitors, without feasible solutions in the foreseeable future. Still, the HCMC Department of Zoning and Architecture has lately put forth a proposal to expand the residential quarter in District 1, which will encompass the entire Le Loi Boulevard and adjacent areas from Ba Son quarter along Ton Duc Thang Street to the roundabout in front of Ben Thanh Market. The proposal immediately sparks concerns.
The proposed residential quarter, including peripheral areas with vehicular restriction, will cover nearly 100 hectares, and as per the suggested plan, hundreds of thousands of people living or working in this core zone will face the greatest inconvenience ever when it comes to travelling. In cases of emergency, certain simple incidents in this zone may amount to disasters as vehicles cannot access venues in the core zone to deliver rescue or assistance services.
Worse still, the traffic pressure will be passed onto other routes nearby which have already seen overload since Nguyen Hue Street became a walking street years ago. Currently, major traffic routes like Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Pasteur that cut through this proposed pedestrian zone have already seen extremely heavy traffic flows, and the traffic problem will turn unsolvable if the proposal by the HCMC Department of Zoning and Architecture gets the go-ahead.
The proposal to expand the pedestrian quarter can be seen as an effort to create a wider public space that will further entice tourists and rev up the commercial service sector, giving a more modern-looking landscape for the city. However, such a proposal goes against the development strategy of the city, whose authorities have painstakingly sought ways to ease the traffic congestion and population density by encouraging developers to move major projects to outlying districts.
While pedestrian quarters are deemed good additions to a city in dire need of more breathing spaces, such quarters should be developed in areas where conditions still permit, such as in districts 2 and 9 to the east, District 7 and Nha Be to the South, or other areas to the west and northwest, so as to discourage the people from moving into the downtown zone.
Until public transport means like metro lines and bus lines are developed and able to decently meet the people’s travel demand, until inner-city ring roads are built to ease the traffic demand in the core zone, and until thoroughfares or passageways such as the under-planning North-South Corridor are completed to connect different residential quarters, any plan to cordon off the downtown area for pedestrians and for commercial services should not be tabled. Such a plan will simply worsen the traffic congestion in the city and turn the people’s livelihood upside down.
V-League 26th round: Nam Dinh and Can Tho in relegation showdown
The 26th round of the Nuti Cafe V-League 1 – 2018 will be held across the country on October 8th.
Nam Dinh are set to play Can Tho at their home ground, the Thien Truong Stadium with kick off at 5pm on October 8th.
Nam Dinh are currently sat in 13th place with 23 points, their goal difference is -12. Can Tho meanwhile are at the foot of the table in 14th place with 20 points and a goal difference of -17 after 25 rounds of matches.
The upcoming match will decide which team is relegated from the V-League.
FLC Thanh Hoa will also host Khanh Hoa on the same day with the match kicking off at 5pm. Both teams are level on 43 points, ranking second place after 25 rounds of matches.
The final match of the season will decide which team finishes second in the V-League.
As scheduled, Haiphong will meet the champions Hanoi at their home ground at 5pm on the same day. Whilst SHB Danang take on Quang Ninh at home.
Vietnam ranks 4th in liver cancer fatality rate
On average, 23 people per 100,000 die of liver cancer in Vietnam, among the highest rates in the world.
A report by the World Cancer Research Fund International, a leading organization on cancer-prevention research related to diet, nutrition and physical activity, ranks Vietnam fourth among 25 countries with the highest rates of liver cancer this year.
The report is based on the latest statistics from Globocan, an interactive web-based platform with cancer statistics from 185 countries.
It shows that the liver cancer rate among the country’s male population is three times higher than among women, with 39 men out of 100,000 succumbing to the disease, third in the world behind only Mongolia and Egypt.
Heavy smoking and alcohol abuse contribute to the increasing liver cancer mortality rate among Vietnamese men, health experts said.
The International Agency for research on cancer has put beer and alcohol among the top factors in liver cancer deaths.
Vietnam has one of the world's heaviest drinking populations.
Shin Young-soo, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s regional director for the Western Pacific region, said beer consumption among Vietnamese has reached an alarming rate. He said a Vietnamese adult above 15 years of age drinks 8.3 liters of pure alcohol per year on average, much higher than in China (7.2 liters), Cambodia (6.7), the Philippines (6.6), and Singapore (2).
A new ranking published last month by WHO has placed Vietnam at 78th out of 172 countries in the number of cancer patients worldwide, with 165,000 new cases diagnosed in 2018.
Liver cancer is among the five most common cancers and kills 782,000 people around the world every year, WHO said.
Nguyen Chan Hung, head of the Vietnam Cancer Association, said diagnosis and treatment of cancer only occur in the latter stages in over 88% of cases when the chances of curing have greatly decreased.
Viral hepatitis B and C infections are the major causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer in Vietnam.
Vietnam, with a population of some 95 million, currently has 7.8 million hepatitis B and 991,000 hepatitis C patients, according to the health ministry.
Among the hepatitis B patients, over 51,000 suffer from cirrhosis and more than 14,000 others from liver cancer. Among the hepatitis C patients, over 13,000 suffer from cirrhosis and nearly 6,000 from liver cancer.
Viral hepatitis B and C are highly infectious, often transmitted through blood and unprotected sexual intercourse.
Symptoms include tiredness, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and unusually yellow urine.
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