Rice paper festival opens in Tay Ninh

The southern province of Tay Ninh is hosting a festival highlighting the local specialty - banh trang phoi suong (rice paper exposed to the fog), which has been recognised as part of the National Intangible Heritage, with the aim to promote traditional food and handicrafts.

The event taking place from December 20-25 features 34 stalls offering the locally-made banh trang (rice paper for wrapping spring rolls), and tourists will have the chance to experience the various stages of making rice paper, from grinding the rice to baking it and drying it at night.

Various local dishes are also on offer including vegetarian food, beef, shrimp and wild vegetables.

The event also features exhibitions of traditional handicraft products from nearby areas, and is expected to receive up to 100,000 visitors. 

Banh trang phoi suong (rice paper exposed to the fog) made in Trang Bang is a special ingredient for various types of spring rolls.

According to locals, exposing the rice paper to the fog is the most important stage to ensure the rice paper is soft and flexible. The stage requires experienced people who know how long to leave the rice paper out for.

Dating back to the 13th century, the round rice paper in Trang Bang has a slightly salty flavour. Rice is soaked for 4-6 hours before being ground in water. The mixture is then filtered to remove hard substances. Some salt is added to keep it fresh in all kinds of weather. A big saucepan with water is brought to the boil, and cooks make the rice paper steamed on a cloth over the saucepan.  The rice paper is then dried under the sun for two days. Then it is baked for a short time before being put outside under fog. The fog is absorbed by the paper, making it soft and flexible. 

The technique makes Trang Bang rice paper stand out from other localities across the country.

Vietnam Clean Air Day 2018 expects to draw about 1,000 people

Children draw pictures at the event (Source: organising board)

The Vietnam Clean Air Day 2018 opened in Hanoi on December 22, expecting to draw about 1,000 people through different activities to spread information on air pollution and settlement solutions.

The two-day event, an initiative of the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) and the Live& Learn Environment Education centre, aims to raise public awareness of the current air pollution conditions, the reasons behind the situation and its impacts on the community’s health, thus promoting changes in attitude and actions regarding the improvement of air quality.

According to the organizers, an exhibition showcasing solutions to air pollution with simple measures to protect family health from air pollution will be held, along with a painting activity for children.

A game show will be organised for participants with awards being solutions to improve air quality and protect people’s health. 

Through the activities, the Vietnam Clean Air Day hopes to deliver the message that everyone can act for better air quality.

The event is the opening activity of the Vietnam Clean Air campaign held annually by Green ID and Live&Learn, which helps strengthen the community’s engagement in the process of building, completing and implementing policies related to air quality in Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Hang, Green ID coordinator for clean water and air, said that over the years, Green ID has made various efforts to deal with air pollution through supplying updated information of air conditions and measures that should be undertaken by individuals, the community and policy makers.

The centre is working to expand the public’s engagement in improving and preserving clean air for the health of all.

Soldiers’ remains, explosives discovered in Dien Bien

The Military Command of Dien Bien Phu city of the north western province of Dien Bien on December 21 started the excavation of soldiers’ remains and unexploded ordnance 

The Military Command of Dien Bien Phu city of the north western province of Dien Bien on December 21 started the excavation of soldiers’ remains and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) discovered during construction work on Hill A1.

The discovery of the remains and UXOs was made on December 19. Upon receiving the information, the Military Command of the city mobilised personnel to excavate the remains and UXOs. 

The unit will work with the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to carry out DNA tests and will dispose of the UXOs. 

Hill A1 in Muong Thanh district, Dien Bien Phu city is the site of the most famous battle of the Dien Bien Phu campaign. The 32-metre-high hill, covering 82,000 sq.m. and located 500m west of the headquarters of the French troop during the Dien Bien Phu campaign, was the scene of the fiercest fighting between Vietnamese and French armies in 1954.

With other eastern hills, A1 created a shield protecting the central sector of the entrenched camp of Dien Bien Phu, the bunker of General de Castries. More than 2,500 Vietnam officials and soldiers and about 800 French soldiers died on the hill.

Women make up the majority of workforce in the textile industry 

Women should be free to choose the job they want to do without being hindered by discriminations on the grounds of their gender or physical capabilities.

This was the message from Pham Thu Lan, deputy head of Institute of Workers and Trade Unions under Vietnam General Confederation of Labour at a policy discussion entitled “Eight equal hours” in Hanoi on December 20.

The discussion is a part of a joint project to accelerate gender equality in the revised Law of Labour implemented by the Institute of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) in collaboration with Oxfam Vietnam, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Care International in Vietnam under the sponsorships of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australian Government’s Initiative of “Investing in Women”.

Although the 2013 Constitution, the 2006 Law of Gender Equality and the 2012 Law of Labour stress against gender-based discriminations including employment opportunities, there still remain regulations implying different treatments toward female workers.

Employers are prohibited to use female workers for 77 jobs. For example, women are banned on driving tractors over 50 horsepower.

“The list affects female workers and their rights of working, their will, employment opportunities and income. We need to have a different approach when it comes to priorities for women. They need to be empowered and to be free to make choices,” she said.

Sharing the opinion, Do Ngan Binh from the Hanoi University of Law, member of the advisory group on amending the Law of Labour, said female workers need mechanisms to have equal opportunities as their male counterparts.

In the workplaces, for example, Binh said the lack of a legislated definition of “sexual harassment” as well as rights and responsibilities of employers in preventing the issues in the current law created loopholes in applying the regulation in reality.

She suggested having appropriate mechanisms to handle sexual harassments against both female and male workers for a safer working environment for all.

Experts also touched upon equal pay for equal work and equality in approaching employment opportunities and sharing family responsibilities.

“Gender inequality at workplaces can discourage female workers, making them unwilling to contribute more. By empowering women and offering equal opportunities for all, we can motivate them to thrive and push the company forward,” said Do Thi Thuy Huong, member of Viettronics Company’s board of directors. 

RoK firms present scholarships to 90 outstanding Vietnamese students

Outstanding Vietnamese students presented with scholarships (Photo: baodautu.vn)

Representatives of Republic of Korea (RoK) companies operating in Vietnam granted 90 scholarships worth a total VND900 million (US$38,700) to 90 needy Vietnamese students who have recorded outstanding academic results at a programme held in Hanoi on December 17.

The Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam (KORCHAM) held "The Night of CSR (corporate social responsibility) by RoK Enterprises" and the scholarship presentation ceremony entitled "Together We Share" on December 17, with the aim of providing support for Vietnamese students and demonstrating social responsibilities of RoK companies.

The event is held annually to encourage RoK companies to carry out activities for the development of Vietnamese society, thus enhancing the bilateral cooperation of both countries.

Scholarship winners are students recommended by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and other agencies which have provided considerable support for the operations of RoK firms in Vietnam.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep spoke highly of social activities that RoK companies have carried out in Vietnam, noting that RoK firms have actively assisted the MOLISA in vocational training and creating more job opportunities for Vietnamese labourers.

Diep also affirmed Vietnam's commitments in continuing to advocate RoK firms in maintaining and boosting their long-term business in Vietnam.

Representatives from KORCHAM said that it will always stand side by side with RoK companies to build a better investment environment and duplicate SCR activities to support Vietnamese students for the prosperous future of Vietnam.

Tourist arrivals to Kien Giang surge in 2018

The southern province of Kien Giang estimates it will have welcomed 7.6 million tourist arrivals, including 580,000 foreigners, by the end of this year, up 25.5 percent and 57 percent against last year, respectively.

According to the provincial Tourism Department, besides Phu Quoc island - one of the hottest holiday spots in Vietnam in recent years, Kien Giang’s other destinations such as Nam Du and Lai Son islands in Kien Hai district, Ba Lua island in Kien Luong district and Hai Tac island in Ha Tien city have become more popular to both domestic and foreign visitors.

The quality of services at tourist attractions has been improved, and tourism promotion activities intensified.

The locality is also speeding up construction of tourism development projects, especially those on Phu Quoc. This year, an expanded terminal was inaugurated at Phu Quoc International Airport, helping raise the airport’s capacity from 2.6 million to 4 million passengers a year.

Next year, the southern province hopes to serve 8.3 million holiday-makers. To that end, it will intensify tourism promotion at home and abroad, while focusing resources on upgrading infrastructure, improving the quality of products as well as the capacity of human resources working in this field.

The province will also put forward preferential policies to attract more investors to local tourism.

Former civil medical board honoured for excellent performance in wartime

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) greets participants in the ceremony presenting the“Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” title on December 19

The “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” title was bestowed upon the civil medical board of the former Central Office for South Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City on December 19.

The honour is the Party and State’s recognition of the healthcare sector’s role in caring for injured soldiers and civilians during the most difficult period of the resistance war against the US.

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan noted that amid the fierce struggle, the Politburo decided to set up the Central Office for South Vietnam to directly steer the revolution in the southern region.

The Central Office later established 24 units with different tasks. Among them, the civil medical board was tasked with coordinating with military medical personnel to give emergency aid to injured soldiers and civilians in temporarily occupied areas, provide training for healthcare workers, and produce medicine, vaccines and simple medical equipment.

Nhan noted the board faced countless hardships in the resistance war when they had to move their base constantly to avoid the enemy’s raids and bombing while lacking medicine, equipment and food. However, they weathered all difficulties to help the injured recover and return to the fight, contributing to the south liberation and national reunification in 1975.

At the ceremony, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan presented the “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” title to representatives of the then civil medical board of the Central Office for South Vietnam.

Quang Ninh hosts 15 millionth foreign tourist to Vietnam

James Kopenec, an US citizen, has become the 15 millionth foreign tourist visiting Vietnam, as he arrived in Ha Long City, the northern province of Quang Ninh, on December 19.

Upon Kopenec’s arrival at the Ha Long international port, a special welcome ceremony was held for him and the other two lucky guests, who came out of the cruise before and after him – Annita De Vriesere from Belgium and Masahiko Nagaishi from Japan, respectively.

The three, visiting world heritage site Ha Long Bay, are on board a cruise trip, which travels through Singapore, Thailand’s Laem Chabang port city, Vietnam’s Phu My, Chan May and Ha Long, and Hong Kong.

Minister of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien stated the event lays the basis for the tourism sector’s bid to become a spearheaded economic sector.

Recently, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a decision to establish a state-owned tourism development fund, following his approval of a project to restructure local tourism to turn it into a spearhead economic sector and make Vietnam one of the nations with the most developed tourism sector in Southeast Asia. 

The project sets a target of 45 billion USD in tourism revenue by 2025. The sector is expected to serve 32 million foreign tourists and more than 130 million domestic visitors, contribute more than 10 percent to GDP and create 6 million jobs. 

Quang Ninh has recorded a surging tourism growth rate.

It hosted 10.7 million tourists in the first ten months of this year, rising by 25 percent from the same period last year.

Torpedo removed from sea off Khanh Hoa province

The torpedo was brought ashore safely 

A torpedo discovered in the waters off the coast of An Hai commune, Tuy An district, central Phu Yen province was brought ashore safely on December 19 morning by competent forces.  

The torpedo was found on December 18, about four nautical miles offshore, by local fisherman Tran Minh Thanh. 

After receiving information from Thanh, the An Hai border guard sent officers and soldiers to the site to coordinate with local authorities and fishermen to bring the torpedo ashore. 

The torpedo, measuring 6.8m long with a diametre of 54cm, will be handed over to competent agencies for settlement.

National workshop to feature late General Vo Nguyen Giap

Statue of  late General Vo Nguyen Giap on Truong Sa archipelago, Khanh Hoa province 

A national workshop on the late General Vo Nguyen Giap will take place in Hanoi on December 21 on the occasion of the 74th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and the fifth commemorative anniversary of the late General.

The workshop will be jointly held by the research centre for ethnic cultural preservation and promotion under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, the Vietnamese Association of Historical Sciences, and the Vietnam Military History Museum.

At a press conference in Hanoi on December 19, the organising board revealed that the workshop aims to honour the significant contributions of General Vo Nguyen Giap to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese traditional culture.

The workshop will feature the General’s patriotism, humanism, and military ideology. 

The Vietnam Military History Museum will put on display new documents and objects on the life and career of the general.

A photo exhibition on General Giap will also be held as part of the event.

General Vo Nguyen Giap (1911-2013) was a Vietnamese general and politician, considered one of the greatest military strategists of the 20th century. He first gained prominence as the military leader of the Viet Minh resistance against the Japanese occupation of Vietnam and was a crucial military commander in two wars: the French Resistance War (1946-1954) and the American War (1955-1975).

He made great contributions in a number of historically significant battles: Lang Son (1950), Hoa Binh (1951–1952), Dien Bien Phu (1954), the Tet Offensive in Hue (1968), the Easter Offensive in Hanoi (1972), and the final Ho Chi Minh Campaign to liberate Sai Gon (1975). 

Gia Lai reviews “Helmet for children” project

A workshop to review the effectiveness of the project “Helmet for children” in the academic year 2018-2019 was held in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on December 19. 

Joint held by the provincial Traffic Safety Committee and Department of Education and Training, and the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, the event aims to assess active impacts of the project and seek more measures to effectively implement legal regulations related wearing helmet for children in Gia Lai, thus raising public awareness of the work. 

Addressing the event, Natalie Alya Draisin from the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society said the latest global status report on road safety of the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that the mortality rate of traffic accidents is increasing, especially in low-income countries.

Southeast Asia and Africa are the worst affected regions, she said, stressing that it is necessary to build a global movement to prevent the situation. 

Vietnam is one of countries that have made impressive achievements in increasing the rate of children wearing helmets, from only 5 percent in 2007 to 53 percent in ten years later, she said. 

Implemented from April 2018 to June 2019 in 31 primary schools in Gia Lai, central Quang Nam province and the northern provinces of Yen Bai and Thai Nguyen, the project has provided nearly 5,200 helmets for students from ethnic minority groups. 

Along with practical activities such as training courses and seminars, the project has helped raise awareness of pupils and teachers of the necessity to wear standard helmets. 

The project has benefited 12 primary schools in Gia Lai, where the rate of students wearing helmets was only 38 percent before the project was implemented. The rate climbs to 95 percent at present. 

In Vietnam, the numbers of traffic accidents, deaths and injured people remain high through they have declined in recent years. Nearly 6,600 people were killed and 11,000 others got injured by traffic accidents from January to October this year, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee. 

Although the adherence to the helmet wearing rule has been improved among adults, the rate among children is still low.

Da Lat to host 38th National Television Festival

Scene at the event (Photo: lienhoantruyenhinh.vtv.vn)

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong’s Da Lat city will host the National Television Festival for the first time during December 19-22, the organising board said at a press conference on December 17.

Some 496 entries have been sent to the festival, competing in various genres of children’s programmes, documentaries, reportage, science-education, talk shows,  programmes in ethnic minority languages, music shows, and TV serials.

A new feature of this year’s event, which is in its 38th edition, is that movies adapted from foreign works are allowed to join the competition.

As part of the event, there will be workshops on social media and television, including sharing solutions to using mobile equipment for TV production, as well as a photo exhibition.

According to head of the organising board and Director of the Lam Dong radio-television station Nguyen Tan Loc, the host has made meticulous preparations for the festival, which will take place in Palace Da Lat Hotel, Du Parc Hotel, and the Lam Dong Labour Culture House.

More specifically, audiences will have the chance to enjoy television works competing at the festival as eight screening rooms have been arranged at Palace Da Lat Hotel.

Up to 30 tourism service providers have registered to offer free services to participants at the event, he added.

Kien Giang attempts to fight illegal fishing

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has adopted various measures to inspect, monitor and control fishing activities in an attempt to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing among ship owners and fishermen.

Since early this year, Kien Giang authorities have inspected 1,132 fishing vessels and dished out 470 fines for using forbidden fishing tools, lacking registration, fishing in foreign seas and other violations.

At waterfront border stations, local authorities have also intensified communication to raise local people’s awareness.

Despite the fact 58 fishing vessels and 553 fishermen have been captured by foreign sea patrols, this number is still considered a huge improvement compared to 2017, implying a rise in local people’s awareness. Some communes has even recorded no IUU and foreign sea fishing violations.

Goods smuggling ring busted in Lang Son

Sacks of contraband goods seized in the case 

Police in the northern border province of Lang Son have caught 24 suspects red-handed trying to smuggle over 100 tonnes of contraband goods into Vietnam from China.

The suspects, consisting of two foreigners and 22 Vietnamese, were caught at 9:30 pm in Cao Loc district’s Cao Lau commune on December 14. They were moving sacks of contraband from two foreign nameplate cars to five local ones.

The police temporarily arrested eight of the suspects and seized 100 tonnes of contraband, including herbal medicines, spare auto parts, and family goods, worth billions of VND.

Further investigation is underway.

Ministry strives to speed up One Commune-One Product programme

Farmers harvest tea buds in the Song Cau tea farming area of Dong Hy district, Thai Nguyen province 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has asked heads of the steering committee for national target programmes and leaders of localities to apply various measures to speed up the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) programme.

The committee and localities were requested to direct advisory agencies towards completing project plans that realise the OCOP programme, and submit them to heads of the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities for approval.

At the same time, they must arrange the implementation of the OCOP – which focuses on developing agricultural and non-agricultural products with high potential, as well as services in each locality based on the value chain, in line with the Prime Minister’s Decision No.490/QD-TTg. 

They should assign specific tasks to each provincial and district agency, while launching surveys to choose strong products for each commune and district to promote, and joining national trade promotion programmes and OCOP product contests at the end of 2019.

Over the past few years, the MARD has coordinated with ministries, central agencies, and advisory units to support localities in building plans to realise the OCOP programme. 

So far, the programme has already been underway in many provinces and cities.

At the same time, the MARD has honoured 22 provinces and cities that have finished their approval of projects and plans to conduct the programme, including Bac Kan, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Dak Nong, and Ha Giang.

In particular, Quang Ninh has started the second phase of the project; while Bac Kan, Ha Tinh, and Quang Nam have launched the national OCOP process.

Vietnam needs to make more efforts for green growth

Six provinces and cities have built their own green growth action plans with the assistance of a foreign-funded project in strengthening capacity and institutional reform for green growth and sustainable development in Vietnam. 

The project, with a budget of over 4.12 million USD funded by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and US Agency for International Development (USAID), was carried out during 2015-2018 by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

At a meeting on December 21 to review the project, it was reported that the northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, Bac Kan and Ha Nam, along with Hanoi and HCM City had developed their action plans for green growth. 

The project also designed a plan of action for Vietnam’s strategy on renewable energy development and funded train courses on green growth for 1,728 government officials.

Hanoi has shown its strong commitment in managing waste, setting up rooftop solar panels on public building and using CNG eco-friendly buses.

Scott C. Bartos, Environment Team Lead of the Environment and Social Development Office under USAID, stressed upon the cooperation of the government, private sector and international organisations in striving to reduce GHG, improving environment and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.