Despite the strong cold spell over recent days, people have flocked to famous peach-tree gardens in Nhat Tan and Tu Lien villages to purchase a beautiful peach branch or tree to welcome the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year festival.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Cu Chi Tunnel, Mekong Delta region, Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Ha Long and Sapa are seen as favourite destination for foreign tourists coming to Vietnam,

The average age of the 12th Party Central Committee’s 200 members is 53, as according to the list announced by the 12th National Party Congress on the afternoon of January 26.

“The Food Safety Law, containing overlapping provisions and legal loopholes, tends to protect the benefit of chemicals manufacturers,” said Dr Tran Tuan, director of the Research and Training Center for Community Development (RTCCD).

VietNamNet Bridge - The problems of the Chinese economy have had a negative impact on Vietnam’s economy, including the financial market.

VietNamNet Bridge - Analysts commented that IT firms will have too many jobs as the government’s Resolution 36 on e-government has been released. However, small firms fear they may not get the jobs.

 Officials, Party members and people nationwide have expressed their trust in the new crop of Vietnamese leaders who were elected to the 12 th Party Central Committee during the ongoing 12th National Party Congress in Hanoi on January 26.

VietNamNet Bridge - Working at national standard schools turns out to be a heavy burden for many teachers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s husbandry sector has begun to feel the heat from the ASEAN Economic Community establishment, expected to prompt a rise in foreign foodstuff imports and livestock investment.

 The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile,

 VietNamNet Bridge - Many rich people are willing to pay a lot of money to buy rare ornamental animals and trees such as pheasants, Mandarin ducks, Dong Tao chickens and Sapa ancient roses for display at Tet (lunar New Year).

 VietNamNet Bridge – Of more than 200 countries and territories that Viet Nam had trade relations with last year, there were 29 countries that the country had export turnover of more than $1 billion.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Transport of Ha Noi has asked its inspectors to stiffen punishments of violating vehicles in order to ensure traffic safety during the Lunar New Year Festival.

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam was Ford’s third biggest market in Southeast Asia in 2015, after Thailand and the Philippines, said Mark Kaufman, director of the US car marker in the region. 

 Vietnam's national futsal team defeated Malaysia 5-4 in the first leg of a friendly match in HCM City on January 25.

The list of newly elected members of the 12th Party Central Committee was announced on January 26 afternoon at a plenary session of the 12th National Party Congress, with 180 official and 20 alternate members.

VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly 200 home appliance shops opened in 2015 as retailers expanded their business at ‘lightening speed’. However, the home appliance market posed challenges and many of them had to leave the market.

On January 24-26, the tourist town of Sa Pa (Lao Cai province) was completely covered with snow. As the temperatures fall below 0 degrees Celsius, people have to go out with a blanket wrapped around their body.

 More than 10,000 visitors are estimated to have descended on the northern resort town of Sapa on January 24 to catch a glimpse of the snowfall - a rare occurrence in a tropical country like Vietnam.

Photographer Le Bich evokes the Tet atmosphere with Traditional Villages in Tet exhibition, one of the opening events for Lunar New Year programme at the Hanoi's Old Quarter.