The southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau not only has long and beautiful beaches and scenic spots but also unique folk festivals imbued with the culture, customs, and beliefs of the people.

According to the provincial Department of Culture and Sports, the province has 12 traditional festivals bearing the influence of the traditional culture of all the three regions and have become an indispensable part of the community's cultural life there.

Local festivals - Nghinh Ong Festival in Thang Tam Ward, Vung Tau City; Dinh Co festival in Long Hai town, Long Dien district and Phi Yen's death anniversary in Con Dao district – have been recognised as national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which draws more attention from local authorities to the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values.

The province is turning such festivals into tourist products to attract visitors on yearly pilgrimages.

The People's Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has issued a plan to implement the cultural development strategy until 2030 for the conservation and development of cultural heritages, including intangible ones. At the same time, it continues to implement Decision No. 5022/QD-UBND dated December 31, 2021, of the provincial People's Committee on the approval of the implementation plan for the programme to preserve and promote sustainable cultural heritage values in the 2021-2025 period.

Tran Van Loi, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports, said that folk festivals partly reflect the typical cultural activities of the community.

They also help attract pilgrimages to the province not only for religious purposes but also for sightseeing and relaxation.

Exploiting the cultural values of the sea villages, including festivals to develop new tourism products, is an advantage that contributes to promoting the unique cultural values in the strategic orientation of the provincial tourism development, Loi affirmed.

On the 17th and 18th days of the 10th lunar month, the commemoration of Lady Phi Yen's death anniversary is held at Lady Phi Yen Temple, also known as An Son Temple - a famous spiritual tourist destination in Con Dao, honouring her virtues and chastity.

During the festival, many solemn activities are held such as the procession of Hoi An Prince - the son of Lady Phi Yen, the worshiping ritual on the main day to express the people’s respect for her and pray for peace to the country and safety to the people, favourable weather, and happy families.

The festival includes activities such as displaying fruit trays, flower arranging contests, folk games, calligraphy, and performances of Don Ca Tai Tu, attracting the attention of both residents in the island district and tourists coming to Con Dao on the festival occasion.

Meanwhile, Nghinh Ong festival at Thang Tam communal house, Vung Tau city, takes place from the 16th to 18th days in the 8th lunar month.

The festival consists of two parts - ceremonial and festive activities. The ceremonial part includes a procession and rituals for worshiping gods and offering sacrifices, while the festive part features many folk games recreating fishermen's activities such as fishing contests, net weaving, tug of war, and checkered chess competitions on sand, which are imbued with the culture of coastal inhabitants.

Dinh Co Festival in Long Hai townlet, Long Dien district, is held on the 10th and 12th days of the second lunar month.

Legend has it that about 200 years ago, a girl on her way through the waters encountered a storm, fell into the sea and died. Her body was washed to Hon Hang. People in the area buried her and set up a temple near the sea. Since then, she is said to frequently make epiphany, appear in dreams to give warnings and help quell epidemics.

Fishermen in the area honoured her as "Long Hai Than Nu Bao An Chanh Truc Nuong Nuong Chi Than.” Her temple was later moved to the foot of Ky Van mountain, which is Dinh Co relic today.

Many researchers believe that the Dinh Co Festival in Long Hai town is part of the festival system of the worship of Mother-Goddess, but the festival there is not merely the worship of Mother- Goddess. It is a combination of the fishing festival with the custom of worshiping the sea god and residents' belief in Mother-Goddess, creating a very unique characteristic for the festival.

President receives Kazakh Ambassador in Hanoi

State President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception for outgoing Kazakh Ambassador to Vietnam Yerlan Baizhanov in Hanoi on August 30.

During the meeting, the host thanked Baizhanov for his collaboration with Vietnamese authorities to successfully organise the official visit to Vietnam by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, saying that Vietnam highly values the success of the visit which opens a new chapter in the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

President Thuong expressed the belief that with the sincerity and sense of responsibility of the two countries' authorities, the all-around cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan will be strengthened in the coming time.

He appreciated the significant and effective contributions made by the Kazakh diplomat to deepening the Vietnam - Kazakhstan friendship and cooperation in recent times, stressing that the two countries share similarities in history and culture, and that they are good friends.

The host praised the ambassador’s efforts to promote culture and art exchange and cooperation, contributing to promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples and the Vietnam–Kazakhstan traditional friendship.

For his part, Baizhanov stated that his country attaches great importance to its relations with Vietnam. He noted that throughout his tenure, he received active support and coordination from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies of Vietnam.

The Kazakh diplomat showed his pleasure at the fruitful economic cooperation between the two nations, suggesting the two sides further step up partnerships in areas that are strengths of each party.

Kazakhstan possesses strengths in information technology and digital transformation which meet state management and the demand of people, he stressed, stating that the Central Asian nation is keen to collaborate with Vietnam in these areas.

Baizhanov expressed the hope that the Vietnamese President will visit Kazakhstan as soon as possible.

Over 200 photos on Vietnam’s seas, islands on display in Binh Thuan

An exhibition themed “Vietnam's sea and island cultural heritage” opened in Phan Thiet city, the southcentral province of Binh Thuan, on August 27 with more than 200 photos and artifacts displayed.

The event running until September 2 is within the framework of Visit Vietnam Year 2023 with the theme of “Binh Thuan - Green convergence”.

The Vietnam Art and Culture Exhibition Centre under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities including Hai Phong, Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An co-organised the event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Dang Chuong, Director of the Vietnam Art and Culture Exhibition Centre, emphasised the significance of the cultural heritage of Vietnam's sea and islands.

The exhibition aims to popularise and honour the unique cultural and tourism values of the sea and islands to the people and international friends as well as to raise awareness, national pride, and responsibility of the community in managing, conserving, and promoting the values.

At the exhibition, 22 coastal localities across the country also show their marine tourism potential with their typical festivals, destinations, and handicraft products.

Vietnam has over 3,200 km of coastline and about 1 million sq.m of exclusive economic zones. It houses over 40 bays, 2,773 coastal islands, and various archipelagos including Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. In particular, the coastal area converges world cultural and natural heritages such as Ha Long Bay, Trang An scenic spot, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Complex of Hue Monuments, Hoi An ancient town, world’s famous biosphere reserves, national parks, caves, beautiful beaches and many unique traditional festivals. They together create great potential for the development of the tourism culture of Vietnam's sea and islands, contributing to the cultural identity of Vietnam.

US startup transfers water treatment technology to Vietnamese firm

ZwitterCo, a US startup that develops filtration membranes to treat the most challenging wastewaters, has successfully transferred the Nano-enabled water treatment technology to Vietnam’s technology-farm produce export-import Co., Ltd.

 Speaking at the technology transfer ceremony in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on August 27, Pham Hong Quat, Director of the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation Development (NATEC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said with the transfer of this breakthrough water treatment technology, industrial parks can use it to create a shared platform and infrastructure in order to reduce costs for businesses.

On this occasion, the National Startup Support Centre at the NATEC signed cooperation agreements with units to promote the commercialisation of technology projects in Vietnam.

Measures sought to ensure information safety in digital transformation

Apart from benefits, digital transformation has posed risks of cybersecurity to State agencies and businesses, heard a recent workshop and exhibition on information safety in the southern region.

Speaking at the August 25 event, Pham Huy Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA) - South Branch, pointed to new threats associated with ChatGPT, while many users are not fully aware of information safety.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc noted that measures are needed to ensure information safety during digital transformation – an irreversible trend.

Statistics by the National Cyber Security Centre under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC)’s Authority of Information Security show that up to 9,519 cyberattacks were recorded in July alone.

The centre averted 926 fake websites, including those in the banking sector and financial organisations, it said.

However, many agencies and organisations have yet to pay due attention to information safety, and the work has remained ineffective although up to 69% of organisations have specialised units, according to a survey by the VNISA - South Branch.

Tran Minh Triet, Vice Chairman of the VNISA - South Branch, advised businesses to protect personal information of their employees and customers, roll out solutions to ensure information safety, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), and invest more in personnel in this regard.

Party delegation pays working visit to Mexico

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and head of its Commission for Information and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia paid a working visit to Mexico from August 24-28.

While in Mexico, Nghia held talks with General Secretary of the Mexican Labour Party (PT) Alberto Anaya Gutierrez; received President of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Chamber of Deputies Alfredo Femat Bañuelos, who is also President of the Mexico-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group; and worked with Sofia Carvajal, secretary of international affairs of Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Nghia said that his visit aimed to boost friendship and cooperation between the CPV and the PT and other Mexican political parties, thus contributing to strengthening and deepening the two countries’ time-tested relations in various fields.

The CPV and the PT have many opportunities to cooperate in training and fostering revolutionary ideals for young people, thereby upholding patriotism and national pride for the next generations.

PT General Secretary Alberto Anaya Gutiérrez expressed his wish that Vietnam will continue to promote the results achieved as well as maintain the study of President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle.

Meeting Sofia Carvajal, the Vietnamese official thanked the PRI and Mexican people for supporting Vietnam in its past struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as the nation building and safeguarding cause at present.

The Communist Party of Vietnam wants to continue tightening and further developing its traditional cooperation with the PRI in all fields for the benefit of the two countries' people as well as for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

On this occasion, the CPV delegation attended a Latin American seminar on President Ho Chi Minh's background, career and ideology jointly organised by the PT and the Mexican Senate.

Earlier, the delegation visited and offered flowers at President Ho Chi Minh's Monument in downtown Mexico City.

Vietnamese, Indian youths foster solidarity, friendship

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU)'s chapter in HCM City Trinh Thi Hien Tran held a working session with a visiting delegation of the Indian National Cadet Corps headed by Brigadier General Saikat Roy on August 28.

The two sides briefed each other on youth activities and voluntary campaigns in their respective countries, as well as exchange programmes with countries in the region and the world.

Hien said HCM City hopes for more exchanges between local youths and the Indian National Cadet Corps in order to enhance their solidarity and friendship.

For his part, Roy said the Indian National Cadet Corps gathers young people aged between 14 and 24, who are divided into groups to perform voluntary activities as required by the Government.

The Brigadier General expressed his hope that the cooperation between HCM City’s youths and the Indian National Cadet Corps will grow further.

On this occasion, Roy invited the Secretariat and members of the HCMYU to attend international youth exchange programmes to be held by the corps in the time ahead.

Hanoi launches Data4life contest

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Hanoi recently held a ceremony to launch the Data4life contest on finding AI technology to be applied in the business supply chain connectivity.

Deputy Secretary of the union Tran Quang Hung said that the contest aims to promote creative ideas to exploit data effectively to form practical technology products, solutions and services to serve the development of digital government, digital society, and digital economy.

Its purposes are also to respond to the “capital youths pioneer in digital transformation” movement, and form an ecosystem to promote data, idea and solution sharing to speed up the national innovation and digital transformation process.

Vietnamese citizens living in the country or abroad, and foreigners living in the territory of Vietnam are eligible to take part.

Entries can be sent to the portal: Data4Life.network from August 26 to September 14.

Ten outstanding works will be selected to the final round to vie for one first, one second, one third, and two consolation prizes.

Those with innovative works, products, ideas, and scientific and technological achievements that are applied to production and business activities and bring about high economic efficiency will also be honoured.

Vietnam, Cuba tighten special relations

Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Vu Hai Ha received in Hanoi on August 28 received a delegation from Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group led by its Vice President, Governor of Cuba’s Artemisa province Ricardo Concepcion Rodriguez.

Ha, who is also President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Parliamentarians Group and the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, emphasised that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people always attach great importance to and wish to further tighten the traditional relationship of solidarity, friendship, and traditional cooperation with the Party, State and the people of Cuba.

Vietnam is willing to accompany Cuba in the process of national construction and defense and to share the country’s experience so as to help Cuba overcome difficulties and challenges, he said.

Ha spoke highly of the increasingly close, effective, and practical cooperation relationship between Binh Duong province and Artemisa which contributes to consolidating and strengthening the traditional friendship between Vietnam - Cuba.

He suggested the Friendship Parliamentary Groups of the two National Assemblies strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

For his part, the Cuban official emphasised the delegation’s visit to Vietnam is an opportunity for them to learn more about the country and people of Vietnam, and of Vietnam's experiences in the national development, thereby contributing to further tightening the solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries, National Assemblies, and peoples.

He said that Cuba attaches special importance to promoting cooperation with Vietnam, especially in the context that Cuba is facing many difficulties due to the economic embargo and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official wishes to have more opportunities for cooperation between localities of the two countries in general, and between the provinces of Artemisa and Binh Duong in particular, especially in the fields that the two sides are interested in and have advantages.

Foreign-sponsored scholarships worth over 2.5 billion VND granted to students

The scientific and educational organisation “Rencontres du Vietnam” (Meeting Vietnam) on August 29 presented 175 Vallet scholarships worth 2.59 billion VND ( 107,135 USD) in total to outstanding students in five Central Highlands and two south-central provinces.

Students with disadvantaged backgrounds in the Central Highlands provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong and the south-central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan received 125 scholarships, each worth 14 million VND.

The remaining 30 scholarships, each worth 28 million VND, were granted to needy students with outstanding academic performances and those from the Universities of Da Lat, Nha Trang, and Tay Nguyen.

Established in 2001, the organisation’s Vallet Scholarship Fund has been sponsored by Professor Odon Vallet from France’s Sorbonne University. 

This year, 2,100 Vallet scholarships with a total value of 40 billion VND are planned for Vietnamese pupils and students in Vietnam ahead of the new school year which usually starts in early September.

Can Tho: Final sections of Tran Hoang Na bridge get linked

The final sections of the Tran Hoang Na bridge spanning Can Tho River in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho were linked on August 26 after almost three years of construction.

According to the municipal management board of ODA projects, the completed workload has so far reached over 88%.

The arched bridge, with three steel-reinforced concrete spans, has a total length and width of 820 meters and 23 meters, respectively. It consists of four lanes for vehicles and has a designed speed of 60 km/h.

Worth over 791 billion VND (32.95 million USD) sourced from official development assistance (ODA) funds, the project began in September 2020. The completion date, planned for July 2022, has been extended until the end of 2023.

Currently, Can Tho has three bridges spanning the river connecting the Ninh Kieu and Cai Rang districts to National Highway 1A. Once the Tran Hoang Na bridge is completed, it is expected to help enhance urban transport connectivity between National Highway 1A and the city’s central routes, reducing the traffic load and helping ease congestion during peak hours.

HCM City wishes to partner with China in Party building, governance

Permanent Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party’s Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai has expressed a wish to enhance collaboration and exchange of delegations with Chinese ministries, agencies and localities in the fields of Party building, governance and economic cooperation.

During a reception on August 26 for visiting Chairman of China's national research committee for Party building Li Zhiyong, Mai said the exchange of delegations and sharing of experience in Party building, political and economic cooperation will contribute to fostering the fine relationship between the Parties, States and people of the two countries.

As an economic powerhouse of the south and the country, Ho Chi Minh City pledges to actively follow directions of both countries’ leaders to materialise cooperation programmes between the two Parties and States, toward nurturing the friendship between the two countries, he said.

Li, for his part, congratulated Vietnam on its socio-economic achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, especially since the 13th National Party Congress.

He affirmed that the two Parties and countries share similarities and could share experience with each other.

China wishes to partner with Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, to effectively implement cooperation programmes and share experience in Party building, promote economic cooperation and facilitate the exchange of delegations at all levels, he said.

Vietnamese businesses look towards green future: seminar

A programme and a seminar on green technology and carbon credit were held in Dong Nai on August 26 as part of the Innovative Entrepreneurship Day 2023 in the southern province (Techfest DongNai) and the Dong Nai technology-equipment and trade fair.

The seminar looked into opportunities and challenges to the inevitable trend of growing green to integrate into the world, businesses’ experiences in environmental protection, and policies in support of enterprises that are looking towards green technology and green future.  

Pham Hong Quat, Director of the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation Development under the Ministry of Science and Technology, noted that Dong Nai and other localities nationwide are shifting to green technology, green economy and circular economy.

Nguyen Thanh Son, General Director of Incom Saigon, stressed that information technology helps businesses ensure sustainable administration and integrate into the world.

Vietnam will officially run a carbon trade exchange in 2028, according to a draft project on the development of a carbon market in Vietnam conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

This market will strengthen the activities of connecting and exchanging carbon credits between Vietnam with regional and international markets.

According to the draft, Vietnam will pilot the operation of this carbon credit market in 2025.

The project is built on the basis of the Government's Decree 06/2022/ND-CP. This decree details the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the protection of the ozone layer and the development of the carbon market.

Tuyen Quang faces potential flash floods and landslides

As many as 53 communes in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang are at risk of flash floods and landslides.

The areas are located in the districts of Chiem Hoa, Yen Son, Son Duong and Tuyen Quang City. 

As many as 53 communes in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang are at risk of flash floods and landslides: Photo by Phong Quang

Over the past 24 hours, Tuyen Quang has recorded 30-167mm of rainfall with Yen Son and Son Duong being hardest hit.

The province has been forecasted to continue witnessing rains.

People are warned of the bad weather to ensure safety.

On August 28, a 15-year-old boy in Yen Son District’s Kim Quang was found dead after being swept away by a flash flood.

250-kilo-bomb found at Ha Tinh road construction site

A 250-kilo bomb measuring 1.60 metres in length is found at a road construction site in the central province of Ha Tinh on August 28. Photo by VTV.

Ha Tinh Provincial Military Command on August 28 safely removed the bomb from a road construction site in Nghi Xuan District to a military area in Thach Ha District for a controlled denotation.

According to Xuan Thanh Commune People's Committee Chairman Tran Quoc Anh, said the bomb was found on the morning of August 28 while a team of workers were clearing the site for local road construction.

"The bomb left from the American War was found lying about one metre underground," Anh said. "The rusty cover made it impossible to see any information on it."

Ha Tinh was among the areas hardest hit by bombs during the American War in Vietnam. Although the war ended over 40 years ago, around 800,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnance remain scattered across the country, according to data from the government.

Binh Thuan opens street festival for first time

The street festival “Binh Thuan Colours” took place in Phan Thiet city in the south-central province of Binh Thuan on August 29 evening, within the framework of the “Street Cultural Week” – an activity in the Visit Vietnam Year 2023 themed “Binh Thuan - Green Convergence”.

More than 700 people and 10 art troupes performed on the city’s major streets. Their performance features the province’s typical cultural values and heritage such as the Ka Te, fishing, and Nghinh Ong (whale worshipping) festival of various local ethnic groups.

The Street Culture Week, taking place from August 28 to September 3 in Phan Thiet city, includes a series of events such as the street festival, musical programme "Sea, Island - Heart of Vietnam", exhibitions promoting tourism, culinary, and local typical agricultural products.

In the first half of this year. Binh Thuan served 4.46 million tourists, representing an on-year rise of 86% and accounting for 66% of the targeted number for the whole year.

Hoi An Culture Days open in France

Hoi An Culture Days opened in Paris, France, on August 29, featuring folk dances, games, musical performances, and educational events.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Hoi An City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son said that the event aimed to popularise unique characteristics and culture of the ancient town to the Vietnamese community in France and international friends.

Over the past years, Hoi An has strived to become an attractive tourist destination in the central region of Vietnam. The city welcomes more than five million visitors each year.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang said that Hoi An is a favourite destination of both domestic and foreign holiday-makers, and the pride of Vietnam. The event was part of a series of activities to mark the 50 founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

Hoi An was recognised as a world cultural heritage in 1999 by UNESCO, with more than 1,000 architectural works imbued with French culture built in the early 20th century. The city is also famous for its Ho Tram which was recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2009.

UNDP official applauds Vietnam’s economic, social security, climate moves

Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam Ramla Al Khalidi has highly valued the country’s efforts in developing the economy, ensuring social security, and realising climate targets, in a recent interview granted to the Government e-newspaper.

She said the Vietnamese Government started its current tenure with numerous difficulties due to the emergence of new COVID-19 variants.

In response to the pandemic, it launched a widespread and rapid vaccination campaign in late 2021. By the end of 2022, each Vietnamese had been given an average of 2.7 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, much higher than the average in Asia (1.9) and Europe (1.8).

The success of this vaccination campaign created the basis for fast economic recovery last year, when Vietnam was the only in the region to post a growth rate exceeding the forecasts released by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Khalidi noted.

The global economic growth has slowed down in 2023 as central banks around the world have raised interest rates to curb inflation. Facing that fact, the Vietnamese Government has issued effective policies to protect domestic consumers from adverse impacts of inflation. The country recorded the highest inflation of 4.9% in January, and the rate fell to 2.1% in July.

Responding to such external challenges as the slow rebound of purchasing power and a plunge in exports, the Government has flexibly carried out fiscal and monetary measures to stimulate domestic demand, she went on.

In terms of the Government’s efforts to ensure social security, she said the social security system’s coverage has expanded considerably over recent years, especially in people’s access to health insurance.

A better social security system will provide means for directly supporting domestic demand while protecting vulnerable people and groups from suddenly falling into poverty, the UNDP official added.

Talking about Vietnam’s efforts to reach climate targets, Khalidi held that the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy will enhance energy security, reduce pollution, and stabilise energy prices in the long run.

The approval of National Power Development Plan VIII has been broadly welcomed as a demonstration of the country’s resolve to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, she continued, stressing the importance of effectively coordinating this plan with the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The JETP, pledging to mobilise 15.5 million USD to help with the local transition, is a joint effort by Vietnam and the International Partners Group, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, the EU, Denmark, Norway, and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero.

It includes ambitious targets about reducing greenhouse gas emission and coal use in power generation and also calls for protecting vulnerable groups that may face risks during the energy transition process like workers of industries and low-income earners affected by energy price increases.

UNDP is actively joining the Vietnamese Government in analysing economic and social impacts of this transition, including identifiying the groups and localities needing additional public assistance, according the official.

HCM City boosts cooperation with New York City

A delegation from Ho Chi Minh City led by Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairwoman of the People's Council Nguyen Thi Le had a meeting with representatives from the government of New York City on August 28 (local time), within the framework of their working visit to the US.

Welcoming the delegation, NYC Commissioner for International Affairs Edward Mermelstein said that relevant agencies are in the process of completing the draft of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two cities to pave the way for subsequent actions.

The two cities share numerous similarities and can intensify their collaboration in the coming time, he stressed.

The HCM City delegation then held a working session with Hyun Kim from the UN Global Centre for Climate Mobility, in which they exchanged views on climate change, and the consequences of climate change, migration, and human resources training on economic development of nations and metropolises, including Ho Chi Minh City.

Hanoi to add more bus service for National Day holiday

The Hanoi Transport Corporation (Transerco) is planning to conduct more bus trips and add more vehicles to its fleet to serve travel demand during the National Day holiday (September 1-4).

The number of commuters in the period is forecast to double that of weekends, mostly on routes to amusement parks, entertainment and commercial centres and bus terminals.

The corporation will deploy nearly 700 buses to raise the daily number of bus trips.

Earlier, the municipal Department of Transport has requested the Hanoi Public Transport Management Centre to closely coordinate with bus transport units to mobilise vehicles to enhance services during the holiday.

PM attends inauguration of second-phase Vinh Tuy bridge

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 30 attended the inauguration of second-phase Vinh Tuy bridge, which spans the Hong (Red) River and connects Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung and Long Bien districts.

The bridge, which has a length of 3.5km and a width of 19.25m with four lanes, was built with an investment of 2.5 trillion VND (103.51 million USD). Its construction finished after two years and a half, four months ahead of schedule.

The second-phase bridge, which runs parallel with the first-phase bridge, is expected to help ease traffic congestion and facilitate travelling between the two banks of the Red River, meeting the rising transport demand between the capital's downtown and its northern and northeastern regions.

So far, Hanoi has constructed eight bridges crossing the Hong River. Under the city’s traffic planning project until 2030 with a vision to 2050, Hanoi will build an additional 10 bridges linking the river’s banks.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, PM Chinh highlighted the significance of the second-phase Vinh Tuy bridge in settling traffic congestion and completing the belt road system of the city, contributing to the local socio-economic development and paving the way for the formation of a chain of urban areas in the northern region of the capital city.

Along with the first phase, the completion of the second phase has made Vinh Tuy the largest bridge in Hanoi with eight lanes, he noted. The Government leader lauded efforts of relevant agencies and workers in the construction of the bridge despite impacts of COVID-19, ensuring good progress and quality.

PM Chinh underscored that infrastructure development, especially transport infrastructure, is one of the three strategic breakthroughs defined by the Party and State. He noted that many large-scale transport projects have been implemented, including those in Hanoi.

He asked the People’s Committee of Hanoi to promptly complete the capital city's master construction planning until 2030 with a vision to 2050 and submit it to the PM for approval.

The government leader also requested ministries, sectors and localities to work together to speed up the progress of the Belt Road No.4 of the Capital Region, and start construction of  Hong Ha and Me So bridges in 2024.

President of Thai Privy Council supports friendship with Vietnam

President of the Privy Council of Thailand Surayud Chulanont received Vietnamese Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh in Bangkok on August 29, showing his high evaluation of and support for the friendship and enhanced strategic partnership between the two countries.

Recalling his visit to Vietnam in 2006 as Prime Minister of Thailand, Surayud expressed his delight at the countries’ cooperation results in both bilateral aspects and within the ASEAN framework over the past years.

The two sides should keep strengthening cooperation in all fields, and pay more attention to cultural and educational ties and people-to-people exchanges, he recommended.

The Privy Council leader added that he hopes they will join neighbouring countries in connecting their roads early to facilitate mobility, tourism, and economic connections in the region.

For his part, Thanh asked his host to convey his thanks to the King, Government, and Royal Family of Thailand for their support for the bilateral friendship and cooperation, especially the provision of conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country to live, work, and contribute to the local socio-economic development and both sides’ connections.

He highlighted the thriving relations across the board, with economic links remaining a bright spot.

The Vietnamese Government also wishes to further promote cultural and educational ties with Thailand, including the teaching and learning of the Thai and Vietnamese languages in each other’s countries, along with the increase of exchange students.

The ambassador underlined the importance of the project on developing primary school students and teachers in Vietnam, sponsored by Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as well as the Princess’s awards for the teachers with substantial contributions to education and the community. He called on the Royal Family of Thailand to continue supporting and expanding the project to more Vietnamese localities.

Vietnam record first win at 2023 Shanghai Future Star Cup

The U16 PVF team from Vietnam’s PVF Football Academy on August 29 defeated the U16 side of the English Premier League club Manchester City 2-1 at the 2023 Shanghai Future Star Cup which is getting underway in Shanghai, China.

The U16 PVF team (in red jersey) at the 2023 Shanghai Future Star Cup (Photo courtesy of Shanghai Future Star Cup)
This was the first win the Vietnamese team have clinched at the tournament after their 1-2 loss to the Republic of Korea's Ulsan Hyundai in the opening game.

The U16 Man City are supported by young talents such as Leke Drake, a midfielder with market value of GBP450,000, Regan Heskey, son of former player Emile Heskey, and David Chigwada, a Zimbabwean player with impressive speed, posing a serious challenge to the Vietnamese side.

However, Doan Huy Long suddenly opened the scoring for Vietnam with an accurate shot in the 12th minute before Jose Roca earned an equalizer two minutes later.

Good coordination and strong performance by the U16 PVF team challenged goalkeeper Whatmuff, while the U16 Man City relied on David Chigwada's lightning speed on the left wing to seek scoring opportunities. However, no more goals were scored in the first half.

After the break, the U16 Man City increased their pressure but failed to hammer the ball home. Meanwhile, it’s Doan Huy Long again who completed his brace for Vietnam in the 51st minute.

The score 2-1 in favour of the Vietnamese side was maintained until the end of the game.

The U16 PVF are set to play the U16 team of Qatar's Aspire Academy on August 31.

The 2023 Shanghai Future Star Cup kicked off on August 28 at the SAIC Motor Pudong Arena in Shanghai, China.

The tournament gathers English Premier League clubs Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Portugal's FC Porto, Japan's Cerezo Osaka, the Republic of Korea's Ulsan Hyundai, Qatar's Aspire Academy, and Vietnam's PVF Football Academy, as well as a local Shanghai team.

After a three-day round-robin phase, teams will progress to the knockout round, with the semifinals to be played on September 1 and the final on September 3.

Music competition honour the late composer Mộc Quán

A cải Lương competition will be hosted to honour the contributions of the late composer Mộc Quán/Nguyễn Trọng Quyền in Cần Thơ City in September.

Cải lương (reformed opera) is a typical theatrical genre in the South, featuring the hopes and dreams of southern people.

The competition will consist of three stages, culminating in a final round in December.

The competition is open to artists and actors currently active in the field of cải lương theater nationwide.

Prizes include seven Gold medals with each medal receiving VNĐ20 million, eight Silver medals with each medal receiving VNĐ10 million and five sub-prizes with VNĐ5 million for each.

Finalists and awardees will receive a crest and certificates of merit from the organizers.

The competition is co-organised by the Việt Nam Stage Artists Association and Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Cần Thơ City.

Mộc Quán, also known as Nguyễn Trọng Quyền, was born in 1876, in Thạnh Hoà - Trung Nhứt village, Định Mỹ canton, Thốt Nốt District (now Trung Kiên ward, Thốt Nốt District, Cần Thơ City), which is in the southern region of Việt Nam.

Mộc Quán is known for his contributions to the development and innovation of the cải lương art form. He had a 50-year career as a Tuồng composer and performer.

He is credited with inventing Cải Lương Tuồng Tàu, which is a variation or adaptation of tuồng with a unique blend of cultural elements.

Tuồng (classical drama) is a form of traditional Vietnamese theater that involves music, singing, and stylized movements that began in the 17th century. 

New show about social issues to be staged

Artists from the HCM City-based private drama troupe Hoàng Thái Thanh are working on a new play about social issues based on a short story by famous female author Nguyễn Ngọc Tư. 

The play, Trả Lại Lia Thia (Returning Home), is a production that uses literary elements written by Tư, winner of the Southeast Asian Writers Award from the Thai Royal Family in 2008 and the Literaturpeis Prize 2018 from the Frankfurt Book Festival. 

The 90-minute show depicts realistic images of southern farmers who are now working and facing challenges in a modern market economy. 

Southern culture and lifestyle are also highlighted. 

“Our show, Trả Lại Lia Thia, is a story of southern farmers who have different difficulties and opportunities to be free to work, talk, share and love together for a better life here,” said the play’s producer Ái Như in her interview with local media. “Our artists will offer drama in the style of the South. They will bring a lively taste of Vietnamese drama to audiences.” 

Như invited young talents Kỳ Thảo and Ma Ran Đô to perform as lead characters. Meritorious Artist Thành Hội, Trí Quang and Kim Huyền are also featured. 

“Writer Tư’s works highlight the lives of farmers in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta River region. I asked my actors to learn about Southern history and culture. This helped to breathe life into the play,” said theatre producer-actress Như, owner of Hoàng Thái Thanh Drama Troupe.

Begun in 2010, Hoàng Thái Thanh Drama Troupe features 20 professional artists. The theatre offers shows staged especially for young people. Its performances have attracted more than 13,000 spectators. 

The play Trả Lại Lia Thia is staged to celebrate the 78th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945-2023). 

Its first show will start at 8pm on September 2 at 139 Bắc Hải Street, District 10. It is scheduled to be staged on Saturday and Sunday in September and October. 

Top legislator hosts President of Japan’s Constitutional Democratic Party

Vietnam always attaches importance to enhancing relations with Japan through all channels including Party, State, ministries, sectors, locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges, and business connections, said Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.

Receiving President of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CPD) Izumi Kenta in Hanoi on August 30, the NA leader appreciated Japanese political parties’ high level of consensus on further supporting and enhancing cooperation with Vietnam, saying it is an extremely important foundation for preparing for and shaping the next five decades of cooperation between the two countries.

Lauding Vietnam's dynamic development, Izumi said the CDP’s prioritised direction is to create a stable and safe environment for workers, including Vietnamese in Japan.

He affirmed the stance of the party and himself in continuing to support the enhancement of the countries’ cooperation as well as Vietnam's goals to become to become an upper middle-income developing country with a modern industrial base by 2030 and a developed and high-income one by 2045, and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.  He vowed to closely cooperate with Vietnam during its realisation of these goals.

Host and guest agreed that the two countries need to strengthen joint work in high technology, climate change adaptation, and socio-economic development. They also emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability, and resolving disputes through peaceful means, based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Hue hoped that the CDP and Izumi himself will support collaboration between the Vietnamese and Japanese legislative bodies, especially their exchange of high-level delegations, friendship parliamentary groups, young parliamentarians, and women parliamentarians.
 
Izumi said Japan is preparing to send a delegation to the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians to be hosted by Vietnam in mid-September.

144 golfers to compete at BRG Open Golf Championship Danang 2023

The BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang 2023 – the first tournament of the Asian Development Tour in Vietnam – will take place at the central coastal city from August 31 to September 2, attracting 144 professional golfers.

Among them, there will be 24 Vietnamese and 120 foreigners from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, India, and China, among others.   

The tournament is set to follow an individual stroke play format over three rounds. The qualifiers will be determined after two rounds of play. The total prize money this year is 100,000 USD, an increase of 25,000 USD compared to 2022.

The championships will be broadcasted live on golfnews.vn, Vietnam Cable Television VTV’s On Golf, and the Facebook page Danang Fantasticity. It is expected that 4,500 tickets will be issued over the course of the three-day competition, allowing fans to witness top-notch performances from international professional golfers.

At a press conference of the event on August 30, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Trong Thao said the hosting of the tournament is to promote Da Nang as a premier venue for events and festivals in Asia and to build the city's image as a friendly and welcoming tourist destination.

Cultural exchange helps promote Vietnam-Thailand friendship

A Vietnam-Thailand cultural exchange programme took place in Ho Chi Minh City on August 30 with the aim of enhancing understanding and connectivity between people of the two countries.

It was co-organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO)'s representative office in the southern region, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's chapter in HCM City, the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association in HCM City and Thailand’s Consulate General in the city.

The programme marked the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership (2003-2023), said Tran Hoang Khanh Van, deputy head of the VUFO’s southern region office.

Van highlighted the good relations between the two countries across fields, from politics to defence-security, economy, trade, culture and education, calling people-to-people exchange a basic foundation for them to build up their friendship.  

The programme featured traditional art performances of both Thailand and Vietnam.

Da Nang boosts cooperation with prefecture Nagasaki of Japan

Da Nang and the Japanese prefecture of Nagasaki have great potential for stronger cooperation in tourism and human resources training, especially for the medical sector, Le Trung Chinh, head of the Da Nang municipal administration told Oishi Kengo, governor of Nagasaki, at a reception on August 30.

Chinh applauded Japanese businesses’ successful operations in Da Nang, and proposed that the governor encourage businesses of Nagasaki to come and invest in Da Nang’s potential fields such as tourism, information technology, high-tech industries, startups, innovation, and seaport development.

Governor Oishi Kengo for his part noted that Da Nang is one of the safe, friendly, green - clean - beautiful tourist destinations in Vietnam, leaving good impressions on international tourists.

These are also similarities with Nagasaki Prefecture, and the two localities should therefore enhance cooperation for shared development, he suggested.  

According to the Japanese governor, Japan is in dire need of young human resources in the nursing industry, and Nagasaki has close cooperation with Dong A University and Phuong Dong College in training and exchange of nursing interns.

He proposed that Da Nang continue to support and cooperate with Nagasaki in the field of human resources exchange. He assured that Nagasaki would provide maximum support for interns to study and work in the locality.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes