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The cold spell will ease the extreme humidity during hot days with extreme humidity.
Medium rains coupled with thunderstorms are forecast in the northern region from April 24 afternoon to April 25 while low land areas are at risk of flooding, and strong winds and high waves expected in the north of the Tonkin Guft.
In the southern region, the temperature remains between 35-37 degrees Celsius and even over 37 degrees Celsius in some places.
Meanwhile, the highest temperature in the Central Highlands region is 35 degrees Celsius.
Top short filmmaking contest kicks off
The 2023 CJ Short Film Making Project, a prominent national contest in the genre, has kicked off in HCM City.
Vietnamese residents aged 18-40 are encouraged to send their entries to the contest by May 28 at http://duanphimngancj.cgv.vn.
Eligible entries include short films (not animation or documentary) made in the last three years, an outline for a new film project, and a detailed plan for filmmaking.
The contests will be judged by the country’s leading directors, including Phan Đăng Di, Nguyễn Hoàng Điệp, Trịnh Đình Lê Minh, and Trần Thanh Huy, and film producer Trần Thị Bích Ngọc.
The judges will seek 10 projects for a Q&A session on June 14, and then select the best five projects which will be given VNĐ300 million (US$13,000) each to make the films.
They will also become the mentors of the final five during the filmmaking process to ensure that the films meet qualifications for international film festivals.
The winner of this year’s contest will be announced in December.
The CJ Short Film Making Project was initiated by the CJ Cultural Foundation and CJ CGV Vietnam in 2018, aiming to bring works by Vietnamese filmmakers to top international film festivals.
Poetry contest for authors of all ages launched
The Hồ Chí Minh City Writers’ Association and Tạp Chí Văn Nghệ Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh (HCM City Literature & Arts ) magazine have launched a poetry contest for professional and amateur authors.
The 2023 Poetry Writing Contest to celebrate National Reunification Day on April 30 and May Day seeks works by Vietnamese writers of all ages in the country and overseas with themes about life, love and people.
Traditional culture and lifestyle, and natural heritage values are also featured.
Women and children living in remote areas are encouraged to submit works.
It aims to find and support new and talented writers, and bring writers and publishers together to offer new, quality works to readers.
Famous poets Hồ Thi Ca and Trần Hữu Dũng are invited to be part of the jury.
A staff of well-known authors will guide the contest’s participants, if they want, before they submit their work.
One first prize of VNĐ15 million (US$600), two second and three third prizes worth a total of VNĐ70 million (US$3,000) in cash will be presented.
Participants in the 2023 Poetry Writing Contest must submit their work to the organising board at 81 Trần Quốc Thảo Street, District 1 in HCM City. Entries should be sent by January 29, 2024.
The best works will be published in Tạp Chí Văn Nghệ Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh Văn Nghệ every month before the prize presentation ceremony scheduled in April, 2024.
Renowned Vietnamese designer’s show impresses audience in Australia
SIXDO Exclusive, a fashion show with many impressive designs by renowned Vietnamese designer Do Manh Cuong, took place at the campus of the University of Sydney, Australia, on April 22.
Aside from the designs oriented towards all people - “SIXDO for all”, there were also limited-edition ones with higher prices.
He also brought to the event his spring - summer 2023 and evening dress collections.
The show featured four parts with 160 designs performed by 66 models, including famous ones from Vietnam and others from three Australian-based model agencies.
Cuong said that fashion is the creativity reflecting the soul and identity of each person. Many of his designs at the show could be too strange-looking compared to what people often think about him, but all were created in the spirit of minimalism, elegance, luxury, and femininity.
Phú Thọ promotes heritage, spiritual culture in schools
Education authorities in the northern province of Phú Thọ have led the way in preserving intangible heritage and spiritual culture by adding them to the mainstream curriculums of schools.
A new model themed Trường Học Gắn Với Di Sản (Schools Attached to Heritage) is being actively implemented in 100 per cent of primary, junior and high schools in the province. With this model, the province aims to promote the value of heritage and foster love among the young generation.
Phú Thọ education authorities have particularly included the two UNESCO recognised heritages of xoan singing and Hùng King worshipping in its local teaching programme under the new general education scheme since the 2021-2022 school year.
The programme has helped provide students with basic knowledge and a better understanding of traditional culture and the history of the nation.
It also helped equip students with necessary skills in protecting, collecting pictures, drawing, composing, propagating and promoting cultural heritage, customs and practices of ethnic minorities in the province.
Accordingly, teachers of related subjects have compiled their teaching materials to integrate them with content about heritage and historical, cultural, artistic and tourism values. They also provide students with scientific knowledge about the environment and protecting heritage in the lessons, and at the same time, organise practical activities such as sightseeing tours and competitions.
Gia Cẩm Primary School and Phong Châu High School have made remarkable efforts to integrate xoan singing and Hùng Kings worship belief into their curriculum. The schools have established a well-organised plan for xoan singing, with all classes learning and performing it.
A xoan singing club has been established for students in Gia Cẩm School to connect with local experts in the field and to perform at political events.
Meanwhile, Phong Châu High School has included the protection of Hùng King worshipping in the curriculum and extracurricular activities, such as visits to historical sites and museums, as a model of preserving this cultural heritage.
With these initiatives, Phú Thọ Province sets an example for other provinces in Việt Nam to follow in preserving their unique cultural heritage.
OVs conclude visit to Truong Sa island district, DK1 platform
Forty-seven overseas Vietnamese (OVs) from 22 countries around the world and 200 domestic delegates concluded a programme to visit people and soldiers in Truong Sa island district and DK1 platform on April 23.
According to Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, the trip was the 10th of its kind to be held for OVs by the Foreign Ministry's State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOV), and the High Command of the Navy.
The visits from 2012 to 2023 were joined by a total of over 500 OVs, he noted, adding that nearly 1.3 billion VND (over 55,000 USD) and essentials were donated by OVs during their trips over the last 11 years, helping reduce difficulties faced by officers, soldiers and people in Truong Sa.
During their tour from April 18-23, delegates visited the islands of Sinh Ton Dong, Len Dao, Da Tay B, Truong Sa, and the DK1/16 platform on Phuc Tan Bank.
They also engaged in many activities, including exploring the daily life of locals in the island district, offering incense to heroic martyrs and President Ho Chi Minh.
The island district of Truong Sa is part of the central province of Khanh Hoa. Meanwhile, DK1 platforms are offshore economic, scientific, and technical service stations on Vietnam’s southern continental shelf.
Short film by Vietnamese students wins US award
The short film Safari by Vietnamese students Nguyen Hoang Phuc Nghi and Nguyen Cat Vu has won the Award of Excellence in the Animation category at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival (NWBIFF) in the US.
This award was given to "entries of exceptional artistic and technical merit".
Safari is a stop-motion animated short film that takes viewers on an exploratory journey through natural habitats. The journey is told by a traveler who witnesses a landscape being ravaged by humans through deforestation and hunting. By showing the destruction of plants and animals due to human needs, the film raises awareness of the urgency of protecting the environment.
The short film will also be submitted to other international film festivals in the hope of spreading its powerful message.
Nghi and Vu originally developed the film as part of the Pixilation Animation course, one of the specializations offered by the Digital Media program at RMIT Vietnam.
Fireworks festival elevates Da Nang tourism to new height
More investment is needed to upscale the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) to a prominent event of the central city, helping to elevate the central beach city’s tourism and turn it into a leading event and festival destination in Asia, according to travel agencies in the city.
The DIFF - an iconic tourism product of the city, will return for its 11th edition on June 2 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, with eight participating teams from Vietnam, Australia, Canada, Finland, the UK, Italy, Poland and France.
Themed “The gioi khong khoang cach” (World without borders), the event is expected to present eye-pleasing performances while celebrating the strong recovery of the world’s tourism after the pandemic.
Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the municipal Tourism Association said that the DIFF has become a magnet to both home and foreign visitors. He proposed that the city and the DIFF organiser ask the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism make a list of national tourism events, including the DIFF, on fixed dates, in order to create favourable condition for tourists to make plans for travel.
Dung also opined that Da Nang develop an "ecology" for DIFF, with quality services for visitors, so as to encourage them to spend more and stay longer, and build a strategy to build the festival's brand in association with the Da Nang trademark as Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination.
According to him, the DIFF has helped the city win recognition as Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination in 2016 and 2022 by the World Travel Awards.
People near Đà hydro-power reservoir facing severe shortage of clean water
People of Đà Bắc District of the northern province Hoà Bình have been suffering a severe water shortage for years despite residing right in the Đà River basin.
This is a paradox because the area has a rich water source with an average annual water flow of 1,602 cu.m per second, which should guarantee production and daily life for the whole district.
However, in the first months of this year's dry season, little rain fell and dried-up streams caused many households in the upland district of Đà Bắc to suffer from water shortages for daily life and production.
People in eight villages of Vầy Nưa Commune have been suffering the most.
Previously, the Khé stream in Dướng village ran all year round, and people in the area hardly had to worry about water.
However, since 2022, the stream has dried up. Hundreds of interlaced pipes bringing water to homes were left dry by the stream.
Đặng Thị Mùi, a resident living near the stream, said that for nearly two years, her family has had to build tanks to store rain water or carry water from other locations far from home for daily use.
Meanwhile, households in Dướng Village have to save every drop of water.
Bàn Văn Thích, a villager, said that people have had to install pipes to bring water home from its source in the mountains 500 meters away.
The people wanted the local authorities to build tanks to store water to ensure enough water for people's daily life, especially in the dry season, he said.
Chairman of Vầy Nưa Commune Xa Văn Si said that the lack of rain for a long time has created water shortages for daily life and production.
Earlier this year, the commune provided VNĐ104 million (US$6,000) for domestic water works such as repairing water storage tanks upstream and water pipes, and dredging canals in villages with an aim to reduce the difficulties of the local people.
The shortage of daily-life water also occurs in some residential areas in Hiền Lương Commune, which is located in the area of Đà Hydro-power reservoir.
According to the commune’s authority, there have been a number of water supply works carried out but the prolonged drought situation caused many works to fail due to a lack of water.
In addition, some construction built many years ago is now damaged and degraded.
For example, in Dưng Village, a self-flowing clean water project, which was built more than 30 years ago to bring water from Gốc Tăng stream to serve more than 10 households, has been completely damaged, causing many families to suffer severe water shortages.
Đinh Thị Yên, a resident in Dưng Village who used to benefit from the clean water project, said that the water source upstream is quite stable but due to damage to the pipe leading to tanks, households do not have water for daily use.
Due to difficulties in upstream water, last year, households in the village had to contribute money to drill wells at a cost of over VNĐ10 million. But not all wells have water.
The villagers said that the well water is convenient for daily life, but for irrigation, it increases costs due to the need to use electricity to run the pumps.
Along with Vầy Nưa and Hiền Lương communes, many residential areas in Đà Bắc District have been facing severe water shortages.
People expect that the authorities of Đà Bắc District and Hoà Bình Province will continue to pay attention to repairing and building more clean water supply works to ensure water for people's daily life and production, especially as this year's dry season is forecasted to be even more unpredictable and harsh than previous years.
Germany to recruit 160 Vietnamese nurse practitioners
As many as 160 local nurse practitioners are set to be recruited in Germany, giving them the opportunity to both study and work in the Central European country with a monthly salary of between VND27 million and VND33 million, according to the Department of Overseas Labor.
The move will see candidates able to participate in a 12-month German language course scheduled to run from June this year to July, 2024, with learners aiming to achieve a B2 level upon completion of their training in Hanoi. In addition, candidates will also learn specialised German and German customs, culture, and law.
Vietnamese candidates will also be paid a fee for the first exam for the German B1 certificate and have their meals and boarding covered. They will also receive a free medical check-up, visa application fees, and air tickets to Germany.
Upon arrival, Vietnamese candidates will be able to get involved in a three-year training course in order to become a general practitioner and receive a German national certificate.
After successfully completing the course, they will then be considered for a long-term residence permit in the Central European nation in accordance with German law.
During the apprenticeship held at training institutions in Germany, Vietnamese trainees are entitled to earn a minimum salary of between VND27 million and VND33 million.
HCM City launches action month for workers
The 15th annual Workers Month was launched on April 22 in Ho Chi Minh City with a number of activities meant to improve employee engagement and take care of employees' needs.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Tran Doan Trung, Standing Vice Chairman of the HCM City Labour Federation, said the month is the city’s annual event honouring the value of labour, and the positive contributions of local cadres, union members and workers to the city's development process.
He expected the workforce to continue promoting the tradition of dynamism and creativity in order to create more value for agencies, units, businesses and society, thereby building a better life, a happy family, and a prosperous country.
The event this year will focus on strengthening dialogue and negotiations with employers about salaries, bonuses, wages, allowances, and measures guaranteeing occupational safety and health for workers.
It will organise many meaningful activities to thank workers and increase employee engagement, a forum called “Workers for businesses, businesses for workers” and a programme called “Dialogue in May”.
It will support the establishment and operation of all grassroots-level trade unions, and introduce elite union members to the Party for consideration and admission.
Meetings between local authorities, businesses, trade unions, and workers, and job fairs and skills contests will be included.
A programme called “Each grassroots trade union, one membership benefit" responding to the Action Month for Labour Safety and Hygiene in 2023 also kicked off on the same day.
Phu Tho: Festival honours UNESCO intangible cultural heritages across Vietnam
A festival to honour and showcase Vietnam’s UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritages of humanity is underway in the northern province of Phu Tho from April 22 to 24, as part of the local 2023 Hung Kings Temple Festival and Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land.
Visitors are treated to performances in 15 cultural heritage genres, with the involvement of nearly 1,000 artisans and artists from 13 provinces and cities nationwide which possess the heritages, including Hue court music, Bac Ninh’s Quan ho (love duet) singing, Central Highlands’ space of gong culture, Phu Tho’s Xoan singing, and the art of Don ca tai tu music and song in southern Vietnam, among others.
Nguyen Dac Thuy, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the exchange and performance of intangible cultural heritages this time are expected to help artists and artisans to learn about the value of heritages from across the country and make contributions to protecting and promoting their value.
Phu Tho authorities will create the best conditions possible for participating delegations to exchange experiences in heritage management, conservation, and promotion, he stated.
Also within the Hung Kings Temple festival and culture-tourism week, the People’s Committee of Viet Tri city, Phu Tho, in collaboration with the Phuong Ly Media company, on April 22, organised a show of Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress). The event broke three Guinness Vietnam records for the longest ao dai that features a 178-metre flap and weights 200kg; the longest runway of over 500 metres; and the highest number participants wearing ao dai, at nearly 4,000.
Health Ministry urges quickening vaccination against COVID-19
Amidst the rapidly increasing number of new cases of COVID-19, the Health Ministry has urged continued efforts to accelerate vaccination against COVID-19, with priority given to groups of high risks of developing serious symptoms and even dying when contracting the virus.
During the week from April 16 – 22, Vietnam counted 12,700 new cases, the highest weekly number since the beginning of the year.
The total number of COVID-19 cases so far rose to 11,54,059, with 10,616,725 patients having recovered.
At present, 123 patients are in serious conditions needing breathing support, including 24 requiring invasive machine ventilation.
One death from COVID-19 was reported in Hanoi on April 22, raising the total fatalities from the pandemic so far to 43,187.
More than 266 million doses of OVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far.
Vietnam making thorough preparation for AFC U17 Asian Cup finals
Freshly wrapping off their first training session of 16 days, Vietnamese U17 players are about to embark on a carefully designed plan in preparation for the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup, which will take place from June 15 to July 2 in Thailand.
According to the Vietnam Football Federation, the team and their coach, Hoang Anh Tuan, will gather in Hanoi on May 3 for a training session lasting about two weeks in the northern province of Phu Tho. Then they will go to Qatar for further training from May 19 - 22, during which the squad is set to have a friendly match with the host nation’s U17 team on May 21.
The Vietnamese players will continue getting their skills sharpened in Japan from May 22 to June 6 through various friendly matches with local football clubs.
Following the trip to Japan, they will come back home for a final training session in Vung Tau city in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau before heading to Thailand for the tournament.
Topping Group F of the qualifiers, Vietnam are in Group D of the finals together with strong rivals – defending champions Japan, India and Uzbekistan. The finals will take place from June 15 to July 2.
Vietjet aircraft bearing Ho Chi Minh City tourism symbol lands at Tan Son Nhat airport
As part of activities to promote Vietnam tourism, a Vietjet aircraft bearing the vivid and impressive symbol of Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism has landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the southern metropolis.
Aircraft bearing the tourism symbol of Ho Chi Minh City, which carries the message promoting a friendly, hospitable Ho Chi Minh City which welcomes tourists around the world, will be operated on all Vietjet’s domestic and international routes to Australia, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Kazakhstan.
Not only offering people and tourists opportunities to use the world’s leading modern transportation means, Vietjet has also pioneered in painting on it aircraft the tourism symbols, meaningful images and messages such as I love the Fatherland, Protecting the Green Planet, as well as symbols commemorating diplomatic relations between Vietnam and other countries.
President attends launch of 2023 National Humanitarian Month
President Vo Van Thuong attended an event to launch the 2023 National Humanitarian Month and mark the 160th anniversary of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 23.
At the event, which was co-organised by the Central Committee of Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) and the municipal People’s Committee, over 485 billion VND (21 million USD) was raised for the month.
President of the VRCS Central Committee Bui Thi Hoa announced that the Politburo has assigned President Thuong to serve as VCRS Honorary President for the 2022-2027 tenure.
Since the National Humanitarian Month was first launched in 2018, the VRCS has raised over 2 trillion VND and gave support to 4.3 million poor and disadvantaged people. This year, it strives to hold at least one sustainable humanitarian project, programme or activity with the support of the local community and people in each city and province.
Tourism demand increases sharply on Reunification holidays
In a few days, the Reunification Day and International Workers' Day holidays will arrive, and many travel companies in Ho Chi Minh City have reported high demand for tours, with 80-90 percent of their business plans being fulfilled.
For busy travelers who want to experience tourism in HCMC for a day or two, many travel companies are ready to offer various attractive and unique tours.
According to Saigontourist, their sightseeing products in HCMC, such as the double-decker bus tour, food tours, cruises to enjoy food and admire the Saigon River at night, and the "Following Saigon Commandos' Footsteps" tour, always have regular customers.
In addition, tourist sites such as Dam Sen in District 11 and Suoi Tien in Thu Duc City have also launched a series of unique art programs combined with discounts and promotions that are attractive enough to draw visitors.
Moreover, the new feature of tourism in HCMC during this period is that the HCMC People's Committee Head Office, located at 86 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, will open its doors to welcome visitors to explore the 114-year-old national architectural and artistic monument on April 29 and 30.
Domestic and international tourists traveling in groups should register through the HCMC Tourism Department in advance. Meanwhile, invitations will be sent to children, exemplary members of organizations, and members of the Veterans Association to participate.
Longer group tours are also quite vibrant. According to Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing Director of Vietravel Tourism Company, the company served over 21,100 customers during this holiday, with nearly 53 percent of them being foreign tourists. For domestic tours, tourists are mostly interested in beach tours such as Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Ninh Chu.
Vietravel has proactively worked with partners to increase the variety of destinations and experiences for tours in the Central Highlands. For international tours, tourists are currently showing a lot of interest in Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, South Korea, and Japan.
Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes
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