Hanoi recorded an estimated 24 million tourist arrivals this year, reflecting a remarkable annual increase of 27%, according to the municipal Tourism Department.

Among the total, foreign visitors reached 4 million, marking an impressive 266.7% year-on-year growth, while the remainders were domestic tourists, exhibiting a yearly rise of 16.3%.

The total tourism revenue was estimated at 87.65 trillion VND (3.65 billion USD), indicating a substantial 45.5% surge compared to the previous year.

Director of the department Dang Huong Giang highlighted the sector's focus on building tours and tourism products grounded in traditional cultural values, adding that the introduction of 15 enticing night tourism products also garnered positive feedback from tourists.

The department held various programmes to enhance its strengths in tourism products such as culinary, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), and health care tourism. In collaboration with districts, suburban areas and travel agencies, the sector offered new experiential tours that are linked with heritage and relic sites, as well as craft villages. River tourism products were also developed to connect tourist destinations along the Red and Duong Rivers, she said. 


The city also received its first-ever award as the "World's Best Golf Destination" from the World Golf Awards.  It boasted 48 out of 103 Michelin Guide-selected restaurants, with three of them achieving Michelin one-star status. According to TripAdvisor, Hanoi ranked 17th out of 25 renowned travel destinations and held the third position among the top 20 culinary destinations for food enthusiasts.

Giang revealed that next year, the city will strive to serve some 26.5 million tourists, up 10.4% annually. This includes 5 million foreign and 21.5 million domestic tourists, showing respective year-on-year rises of 25% and 7.5%. The total revenue is projected to hike by 13.8% annually to roughly 99.77 trillion VND.

Party chief chairs Central Military Commission’s review conference

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, chaired the commission’s eighth session in Hanoi on December 25 to review the fulfillment of military, national defence and Party building tasks in 2023 and roll out tasks for 2024.

In his conclusion, Trong commended the implementation of political tasks by the commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the entire military so far this year.

The Party chief requested that the commission continues to effectively perform its strategic advisory role and implement the resolution of the 13th Party Central Committee’s 8th session on the national defence strategy in the new situation, in alignment with other military and defence strategies and resolutions on socio-economic development strategies, ensuring security-defence in the country's six economic regions.  
 
He stressed that the commission has to enhance its strategic forecast capacity, and continue to advise the Party and the State in the promulgation of policies and legal documents on military and defence meeting the requirements in the new situation.

Trong suggested the commission launch cohesive and effective measures to enhance the overall quality and combat strength of the military, play a core role in building the national defence, and overhauling the organisation of military forces towards elite, streamlined and strong military in 2025.

He emphasised the need to continue expanding and improving the effectiveness of international integration and defence diplomacy, contributing to establishing a strategic balance in relations with partners, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for the country's development, and preventing risks of war and conflict.

The military should continue to actively and responsibly participate in peacekeeping missions of the United Nations, humanitarian activities, search and rescue operations, and disaster and war consequence relief, he noted.

The leader also called for increased exchange of experiences and mutual learning between the Vietnamese military and its foreign peers, as well as the successful organisation of the second Vietnam international defence exhibition in December 2024.

It is necessary to care for the material and spiritual lives of officers and soldiers, especially those serving in remote, border, and island areas, as well as to continue with the search for and repatriation of the remains of fallen soldiers, he said.

President issues order on promulgation of newly-adopted laws

The Presidential Office on December 25 held a press conference to announce the President’s order on the promulgation of the laws approved by the 15th National Assembly at its recent sixth session.

They are the Law on Citizen Identification, the Law on Forces Participating in the Protection of Security and Order at the Grassroots Level, the Law on the Management and Protection of National Defence Works and Military Zones, the Law on Telecommunications, the Law on Water Resources, the Housing Law, and the Law on Real Estate Business.

Of them, the Law on Citizen Identification, the Law on Forces Participating in the Protection of Security and Order at the Grassroots Level, the Law on Telecommunications, and the Law on Water Resources will come into force from July 1, 2024.  The others will take effect from January 1, 2025.

Notably, the 2023 Law on Citizen Identification expanded the subjects as compared with its 2014 version, targeting Vietnamese citizens, relevant agencies, organisations and individuals, as well as people of the Vietnamese origin living in the country with their nationality remaining unknown.

Meanwhile, the amended Housing Law aims to institutionalise the policies of the Party and the State on housing development for the people, especially low-income earners, and the poor.

The Law on Real Estate Business aims to ensure the stable, healthy, transparent, sustainable development of the domestic property market, as well as the harmonious management of the land use right, labour and real estate markets.

The 15th NA’s sixth session took place from October 23 to November 29.

HCM City, northwestern region welcome 69.2 million visitors

Ho Chi Minh City and eight provinces in the expanded northwestern region hosted 69.2 million visitors in 2023, accounting for 105% of the set target and up nearly 28% year-on-year, heard a conference held in Lao Cai province on December 25 to review their tourism cooperation programme.

Tourism revenue was estimated at 205.5 trillion VND (8.47 billion USD), or 102.7% of the annual plan.

The tourism tie-up during the 2021-2025 period aims at fully tapping potential, and developing more inter-regional offerings between HCM City and the eight provinces of Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Son La, Yen Bai, and Phu Tho.

As the leader of the cooperation group in 2023, Lao Cai province chaired and coordinated with other members to outline plans, arranged expenditure, and directed other members to organise an array of activities, including the quintessence of northwestern region festival in HCM City; expanded northwestern region cultural tourism week in HCM City, Can Tho, and Hanoi; and the northwestern region and HCM City cultural tourism week in Luang Prabang (Laos).

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Quoc Khanh said the events made contributions to the popularisation of the localities’ tourism potential, destinations, and products to visitors and investors from far and wide.

With a view to strengthening tourism linkages within the group, participants at the conference agreed to step up digital transformation, especially building a national tourism database and developing safe destinations for visitors.  

The group said they will join hands to set up the “Colours of Northwestern region – HCM City” to introduce their potential, strengths, and standout tourism products, while promoting communications work on their images on flights as well as domestic and international mass media.

Besides, digital technologies will be applied into tourism linkages and promotion activities.

Phu Tho will hold the group leadership in 2024.

OVs in Russia celebrate New Year 2024

Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in Russia gathered at an art performance to welcome the year 2024 at the Russian University of Transport (MIIT) on December 24.

The event was held by the Vietnamese community in Russia in collaboration with the Vietnamese Embassy and the Association of Vietnamese Students in the country.

In his opening speech, Minister Counselor Le Quang Anh at the Vietnamese Embassy highlighted the significance of the event, saying that it contributes to promoting solidarity among Vietnamese expats living, working, and studying in Russia.

In 2023, the Vietnamese community in Russia has organised many activities, such as sports tournaments, cultural programmes, and charity activities, reflecting their effective and active integration into the host society, Anh said.

He wished OVs in Russia a New Year full of health, happiness, and success, and urged them to maintain great solidarity, support each other and look towards the homeland.

Tran Phu Thuan - Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Russia said the community is an inseparable part of the great national unity bloc of Vietnam.

OVs always strive and unite to overcome difficulties to build a strong community, and are ready to contribute to the homeland’s development, he added.

Vietnamese, Chinese provinces hold joint border inspection

The Department of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam’s northernmost province of Ha Giang and the Office of Foreign Affairs of China’s Yunnan province on December 25 held a ceremony at Marker 456 in Thuong Phung commune of Meo Vac district to launch a bilateral border inspection.

Speaking at the event, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ha Giang province Do Quoc Huong said that the bilateral border inspection helped tighten the solidarity and friendship between the two countries in general and the two localities in particular.

It also helped to create trust, enhance mutual understanding, and build the Vietnam-China border area of solidarity, friendship, cooperation, and further development.

After the ceremony, the delegations of the two provinces conducted a bilateral border inspection from Marker 449 to Marker 486. The two sides inspected the field situation of the border and boundary markers; and the implementation of legal documents on the Vietnam-China land border. They cleaned and painted some boundary markers and popularised their coordination in border management.

Bilateral border inspection activities between Ha Giang and Yunnan provinces aim to concretise the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China.

The two sides cooperated and conducted patrols to identify the borderline and border markers on the Vietnam-China border as well as promoting communications for border management authorities and people in border areas to better understand the significance of the border demarcation and marker planting between the two countries.

Vietnamese, Japanese Communist Party officials hold talks

Politburo member, Permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee's Secretariat, and Chairwoman of the CPV Central Committee's Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai on December 25 held talks with Chairman of the Presidium of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Central Committee Shii Kazuo who is paying an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of CPV Central Committee.

At the talks, Mai, who is also Chairwoman of the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, congratulated the JCP on its achievements and new, important strides in the construction and development process over the past 100 years. She expressed her strong belief that the JCP will continue to gain many new achievements, and successfully organise its 29th congress in early 2024.

Mai also informed the guest about Vietnam’s socio-economic development as well as the Party building and rectification work, especially the country's achievements after nearly 40 years of "Doi moi' (renewal).

Mai affirmed Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, development, multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations. She highly appreciated the establishment of the Vietnam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world, which opened up a new stage of development in the bilateral relations.

The CPV and the people of Vietnam always treasure the traditional friendship, mutual trust and understanding with the JCP, remember and appreciate the valuable support of the JCP and the Japanese people for the Vietnamese people through different periods, she said.

Mai hoped that the JCP will continue its support for the Vietnam-Japan relations, including the relationship between the two parliaments and their people.

For his part, Shii Kazuo informed the host about the situation in Japan, the JCP's recent construction and development, and the results of implementing the supplemented and amended platform approved at the 28th congress of the JCP.

He also shared the JCP's operational orientations in the coming time, including preparations for its 29th congress in January 2024.

Shii Kazuo affirmed that the JCP always cherishes the traditional friendship with the CPV, and supports Vietnam in promoting its role, position, and prestige in the region and the world.

The JCP shares Vietnam's views on issues related to peace, stability, and development in Asia, including Southeast Asia, he said, adding that the JCP highly appreciates ASEAN's role and efforts in many fields, including the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

The official also mentioned the JCP's stand on several international and regional issues.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation between the CPV and JCP through high-level contacts and exchanges and the sharing of information, theories, and practical experiences. The two sides will continue promoting cooperation between the two countries, creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to work and study in Japan and people-to-people exchanges as well as coordinating on international issues, including forums of political parties.

More Australians keen to travel to Vietnam

Vietnam has increasingly become an attractive destination for Australian tourists as it offers them with new experiences compared to those found in other Asian destinations.

In fact, Southeast Asia has been featured on the list of popular destinations among Australians due to its near distance coupled with reasonable costs.

In particular, Vietnam has emerged as a new destination with interesting experiences serving to lure Australian travelers. Google's statistics in Australia indicate that the country ranks fourth among the 10 tourist destinations most searched by Australian people.

Most notably, Vietnam has surpassed New Zealand and Thailand to be among the tourist destinations most visited by Australians.

A report compiled by the Skyscanner platform in early November showed that Ho Chi Minh City ranked among the top 10 most sought-after destinations for Australian tourists, with a growth rate of 246% recorded over the past year.

Adam Wright, a representative from one of Australia's leading travel operator Flight Center Travel Group, revealed that more and more Australian families and couples are booking trips to Vietnam via his company.

He attributed this increase to factors such as local food, unique cultural characteristics, and diverse scenic landscapes.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines is operating direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne and Sydney, as well as from Ho Chi Minh City to Perth, with a frequency of 23 flights per week. It remains the carrier with the most direct flights between the two nations.

Catholic nuns sheltering those less fortunate in central province

60-year-old Nguyễn Ánh Tuyết from Phúc Đồng, Hương Khê District, the central province of Hà Tĩnh, has been residing at Thiên Ân Charity Centre in Tràng Lưu parish for almost 5 years.

Faced with a severe illness, unemployment and no family support, Tuyết relies on the centre, based in Lộc Yên Commune, Hà Tĩnh, for her ongoing care.

Tuyết worked as a labourer for almost 10 years but fell seriously ill and couldn't continue. Fortunately, when the Thiên Ân Charity Centre was set up, the nuns provided her with healthcare, daily meals and accommodation.

Tuyết is just one of 35 unfortunate people that Thiên Ân Charity Centre is currently nurturing, including orphans, disabled individuals, those abandoned, and elderly people without support. The centre has ten catholic nuns working alternately every day to take care of these people.

Sister Maria Hà Thị Mão shares that there are diverse circumstances and age groups here, requiring individualised care for each case. In particular, the centre has many elderly and severely disabled individuals, and the nuns have to dedicate time to care for them 24/7.

"For the elderly and small disabled individuals who are not mobile, the nuns have to assist each one with eating, bathing, and changing diapers regularly to maintain hygiene. For mildly disabled or orphaned children who can go to school, the nuns help them in their learning process and provide transportation to school," Mão adds.

Established in 2015, Thiên Ân Charity Centre supports disadvantaged cases from various regions, including Thanh Hóa, Quảng Trị and Hà Tĩnh provinces. The centre’s limited finances mainly rely on contributions from generous individuals, posing challenges to caring for these individuals.

Sister Maria Trương Thị Lý, the centre's manager, notes ongoing facility and daily necessities challenges. The nuns operate a bottled water facility for income, but it's not sufficient. They aim to repair and renovate facilities for better living conditions and seek assistance from compassionate individuals and benefactors, both near and far.

Another notable charity organisation is Hồng Phúc Shelter for Orphans and the Disabled, located in Thổ Hoàng Parish (Điền Mỹ Commune), currently taking care of over 20 unfortunate people, including orphaned children, abandoned ones, or those with congenital disabilities.

Sister Nguyễn Thị Nhường of Hồng Phúc Shelter mentions her facility's founding in 2009, initially accommodating eight individuals without a place to stay.

Over the years, the shelter has welcomed numerous exceptionally challenging cases, offering them a place of support, love and protection.

These charitable homes in Hương Khê District have become a shared home for those in need, helping them have a family and bringing more hope to these unfortunate lives. To provide some support and encouragement to these centres, local authorities frequently visit and give gifts on occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Children's Day and Christmas.

Hà Văn Đàn, Chairman of the Hương Khê District Fatherland Front Committee, shares that the voluntary centres in the district affiliated with Catholic establishments offer unbiased care to those in need, irrespective of religious beliefs. The district party committee and local government consistently support these centres in infrastructure, regular visits and festive gift-giving.

According to Đàn, in the future the committee hopes that organisations, individuals, and compassionate people will continue showing interest and providing resources for these centres to fulfil their mission — supporting the elderly living alone, the sick and disabled, and orphaned children in integrating into the community. 

Residents donate more than 60ha of land to build roads for new rural areas in Thanh Hóa

Residents of Thanh Hóa Province have selflessly contributed land for road construction, fostering a new rural way of life.

In the province, many roads were initially just two to three metres wide. Thanks to the generosity of the locals, these have been expanded to five to seven metres.

Nguyễn Hữu Đảng's family in Văn Châu Village, Đông Văn Commune, Đông Sơn District, stands out for donating over 100sq.m, the largest amount of land.

Đảng recalled that the road outside his home was a mere two metres wide two years ago.

He not only gifted his land but also personally levelled the pond in front of his house to increase the road's width.

The road now spans seven metres.

Đảng noted that, like his family, many others dismantled gates, fences, and outbuildings to surrender their land to the authorities for road improvements.

Another outstanding example is Phạm Sỹ Giới, lives in Hiền Đông Village, Quảng Lưu Commune in Quảng Xương District.

He used his own money to concrete a 105-metre road in the village with total funds of VNĐ250 million (US$10,300).

In addition, he donated VNĐ100 million ($4,100) to install security cameras and VNĐ50 million to install public lighting system in the village.

Quản Văn Dũng, head of the Quản Xá Village in Thiệu Hợp Commune, Thiệu Hóa District, has also done good work.

He donated 95sq.m of land, worth more than VNĐ150 million ($6,200) to widen local roads.

With the position of village head, Dũng encouraged locals to join the campaign of building a new rural lifestyle.

He has called for 187 households in the village to donate more than 3,800sq.m of land. 

Traditional reformed opera doyen to be honoured

A TV show featuring People’s Artist Kim Cương, a cải lương doyen with 65 years of experience in the art form, will be released on the Hồ Chí Minh City Television on January 9.

The show Nghệ Sĩ Tri Âm (Live for People) will feature the life and career of Cương, and her contribution to cải lương (reformed opera), a 100-year-old theatre form of the South, and modern drama.

It will also outline the development of traditional theatre between the 1950s and 1990s in the South.

Cương will talk about her memories of famous cải lương artists including late People’s Artist Phùng Há, her teacher, and late actress Bảy Nam, her mother, who were pioneers and played an important role in developing the art.

“Nghệ Sĩ Tri Âm will tell the audience about the challenges and sacrifices that People’s Artist Kim Cương has made in pursuing cải lương. We hope this show will help theatre lovers learn about the art in particular and Vietnamese culture and lifestyle in general,” said the show’s producer Minh Hải.

Cương and veteran theatre performers Hữu Châu, Lương Thế Thành and Lê Phương will perform in the show.

They will perform famous extracts from Lá Sầu Riêng (Durian Leaf), a dramatic play about southern women written and directed by Cương.

The play was first staged in Sài Gòn (now HCM City) in 1963 and has been staged many times by troupes across the country.

Born into a traditional family in 1937, Cương’s love for cải lương came through her parents, the late talented performers Nguyễn Phước Cương and Bảy Nam, owners of the Đại Phước Cương Troupe, one of the region’s leading troupes.

She started her professional career when she was 17, performing with her mother, Nam, and actresses Phùng Há and Năm Phỉ, who are recognised as some of the region’s most talented cải lương performers.

In the 1960s, Cương became involved in modern drama and worked to combine it with cải lương.

She later established the Kim Cương Drama Troupe that grew to have more than 70 actors as its members. They performed dozens of plays written by Cương, mostly on the topics of women, love, family and social problems in the South.

Cương wrote and directed 50 plays during her career, most of which highlighted southern women and their character.

Fans can learn about Cương and her art by visiting the website https://kynukimcuong.vn.

Law helps promote transparency in bidding activities: Insiders

The 2023 Law on Bidding, which will take effect from January 1, 2024, is expected to contribute to ensuring transparency and openness in bidding activities – an area that can pose risks of losses and economic waste if not tightly managed.

Director of the Public Procurement Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment Tran Hao Hung said with significant amendments, the law will remove bottlenecks in the bidding process across sectors, especially challenges and obstacles in the procurement and bidding for drugs, chemicals, testing materials, and medical equipment.

It will enhance the self-reliance and responsibility of public healthcare facilities in deciding the procurement of medicines and medical equipment, Hung said.
 
The law will allow public healthcare facilities to decide on selecting bidders for procurement packages funded by loans, excluding State-invested credit capital, ODA-re-lending loans, and concessional loans from foreign sponsors, thus contributing to ensuring transparency, openness, economic efficiency, and accountability in procurement activities using capital from State-owned enterprises, Hung noted.

To prevent corruption in bidding activities, the law’s regulations regarding information disclosure and establishment of national database of contractors were amended, aiming to minimise cases of fraud, substandard goods, or products not meeting the demands, he went on.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Research Department for Social Issues of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) Ho Cong Hoa said the addition of preferential mechanisms in selecting contractors and investors for environmentally friendly goods and services to the law will be an important motivation to promote sustainable bidding, which is one of the measures to increase the value of Vietnamese goods in the global supply chain.

Martial arts club keeps medical staff away from clinic violence

In Chợ Rẫy Hospital, HCM City, a martial arts club has been established to improve physical fitness and provide self-defence training for medical staff.

Nguyễn Thanh Phương, a nurse and a martial arts master in charge of the club, said it was founded in 2014 under the HCM City Vovinam - Việt Võ Đạo Federation.

The club organised many classes to train its members but some circumstances interrupted them in later years. It was not until July 2023 that the classes could start again.

Now, every class is filled with about 20 students, who predominately come from local hospitals such as Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Bình Dân Hospital, and HCM City's Pasteur Institute.

"Classes are often held on weekend evenings and with no fixed location. They can be at Chợ Rẫy Hospital's clinic site or its Oncology Center's main hall," said Phương.

Nguyễn Hữu Nghị, a perioperative nurse, participates in the classes every Friday. He has found himself much stronger physically and spiritually. Stress at work has also eased as he has learned how to keep his mind at peace.

"I can train to improve my health and meet many colleagues with the same passion here," said Nghị.

Phạm Trương Tuyết Phương, a graduate of Phạm Ngọc Thạch University of Medicine, is another member of the club who has never skipped a class since her admission. She attends classes regularly to make friends with seniors from whom she learns life experience, and, more importantly, to learn martial moves against those who can't control their anger at her clinic.

"I learn martial arts to protect myself from aggressive patients and their family members who accompany them," said the graduate.

Her fear of being assaulted by patients and their family makes sense as martial arts master Phương himself was a victim of such assaults.

The assault he remembers most vividly was the one involving a foreign patient, who, irritated by the language barrier between the nurse and himself, took a urine pot to attack him.

Being a martial arts master, Phương quickly evaded the attack and left the clinic to bring in another nurse who could speak foreign languages to calm the patient.

"If I hadn't learned martial arts, I would have been struck on the head by that urine pot," said Phương.

It saddened him deeply to know that clinic assaults keep happening occasionally over the past few years. He urged assault-prone medical staff to participate in Vovinam classes to learn "not only the techniques to dodge and block punches and kicks but also the art of dealing with traumatic experiences."

"It is essential to have a gentle and empathetic conversation with patients, which could help avoid misunderstanding and quarrels," said Phương.

Nurse Nghị, meanwhile, called for heavy penalties on those who commit clinic assaults to "ensure a safe working environment for medical staff." 

Talented illustrators display their works

The best illustrations by 15 Vietnamese artists are currently on display in Hà Nội, a culmination of a year-long collaboration between British and Vietnamese partners.

The exhibition, titled The Return of the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper, showcases 30 illustrations by artists who participated in a workshop in Hà Nội with two UK artists, Jan Fearnley and Jane Buckely.

This project, a collaboration between the UK children's literature development agency Pop Up Projects, Vietnamese Nhã Nam Publisher, and UK children's publisher Simon & Schuster, involved a nationwide competition. The 15 selected artists developed a story from children's writer Trang Nguyễn.

Trang Nguyễn's story, also named The Return of the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper, is a new narrative nonfiction picture book text. It narrates the tale of a near-extinct bird species making a comeback in Việt Nam, thanks to conservationists' efforts to restore and protect its habitats.

In Việt Nam, home-grown children's picture books are rare. As a result, most Vietnamese children grow up reading picture books that do not represent the cultures and communities they are part of.

During a two-week picture book course in Hà Nội last September, best-selling illustrator Jan Fearnley, known for her 26 children's books, and Simon & Schuster's award-winning art director Jane Buckely guided the illustrators in developing their unique, diverse approaches to illustrating the story.

Each artist submitted four spreads from the 30-page story only a few weeks after the course.

"We hope that the exhibition and the workshop will help Vietnamese artists to be more confident," said Đào Phương Thu, Nhã Nam Publisher's head of Communication Desk.

"After the workshop, the artists will not be skilled in painting, but they will write a story to make a completed picture book."

This exhibition allows each illustrator to tell one part of that story through 15 double-page spreads, presented sequentially, along with the text for those pages. And 15 additional pictures, extracted from the sequence as stand-alone pieces, are also presented throughout the exhibition.

The Return of the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper will be published by Nhã Nam, featuring the work of just one of the illustrators in this exhibition. The ultimate aim of this project is that all the participating illustrators will go on to make picture books that continue to reflect the people and places of Việt Nam and will travel beyond Việt Nam to reach young readers everywhere.

The exhibition was presented at the Royal Over-Seas League in London from November 24 to December 3 and at Manchester School of Art's Vertical Gallery at Manchester Metropolitan University from December 11 to January 7.

Nguyễn Vũ Xuân Lan was a representative of the artists, and Nhã Nam Publisher's representative attended the exhibitions in the UK.

The Hà Nội-exhibition runs until December 29 at Lotte Mall West Lake Hanoi, No272 Võ Chí Công Road.

Biodiversity photos on show in central city

A collection of 63 photographs, chosen from 774 submissions by 109 artists from 11 provinces and cities, is currently on display at APEC Park in the central city, showcasing Đà Nẵng's rich biodiversity and commitment to environmental protection.

This exhibition, organised collaboratively for the second time by the city’s National Resources and Environment and the Photographic Artists Association of the city, aims to enhance community and artist engagement in the protection of nature reserves and the unique biodiversity of Đà Nẵng.

The best 15 photographs, capturing the vibrant lifestyles of wildlife and the beauty of flora and fauna in the nature reserves of Sơn Trà, Bà Nà-Núi Chúa, and the Special-use South of Hải Vân forest, were honoured with awards and a total cash prize of VNĐ100 million (US$4,000).

Đà Nẵng boasts a rich ecological system spanning 66,000 hectares – 51 per cent of its land area – and is home to 1,300 red-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus), an endangered species of primates. These langurs inhabit a 4,400-hectare area within the Sơn Trà Nature Reserve.

The first exhibition, which was organised in 2020, drew 450 photos from 90 artists.

In conjunction with the New Year celebrations, a painting exhibition titled "The Essence of a Pearl" will be open to the public free of charge on the 4th floor of Madame Lân Restaurant at No 4 Bạch Đằng street in Đà Nẵng.

Marking its first-ever display, the exhibition showcases masterpieces by professors and alumni of l'École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, from 1925 to 1930, also known as the Indochina College of Fine Arts. The central themes of the exhibition are Vietnamese women and landscapes.

The event features 35 artworks by 14 renowned artists from l'École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, including pieces in lacquer, oil, wood engraving, and silk. It highlights the significant artistic contributions of Mai Trung Thứ, Lê Phổ, Tô Ngọc Vân, Joseph Inguimberty, and others.

Designed to create a shared space for the public that combines cuisine with various art forms, embodying the richness of Vietnamese culture, the exhibition is open daily from 9am to 8pm, starting December 23 through to January 7.

Visitors can register to attend the exhibition at: https://bit.ly/the-essence-of-a-pearl.

Liêm honoured on the world chess golden board

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has released a comprehensive list of winners throughout the history of the World Blitz Chess Championship, and among them is Vietnamese chess player Lê Quang Liêm, who secured the title in 2013.

In 2013, Liêm claimed the World Blitz Championship with an impressive score of 20.5 out of 30 points, surpassing formidable opponents such as Russia's Nepomniachtchi and Azerbaijan's Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. He also emerged victorious in the blitz event at the Asian Continental Championship that same year.

This year, Liêm has made significant progress in the global chess rankings, reaching the 15th position in August. His championship title at the Biel Chess Festival contributed to his accumulation of more points, resulting in an Elo score of 2740.

However, Liêm faced challenges in two important tournaments, namely the FIDE World Cup and the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD 19), where he did not achieve favourable results.

The World Blitz Chess Championship is an annual chess tournament organised by FIDE to determine the world champion in chess played under blitz time controls. Since 2012, FIDE has combined the rapid and blitz chess tournaments into a joint event known as the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.

FIDE recently announced the historical championship titles on its official page in anticipation of the upcoming World Blitz Chess Championship, scheduled to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from December 29 to December 30. The list includes renowned chess grandmasters such as Aleksandr Grischuk from Russia, who won the title in 2012, and Sven Magnus Qen Carlsen from Norway, the 2014 champion. 

Vũ Tiến Thành appointed director of LPBank HAGL Football Academy

Coach Vũ Tiến Thành has been appointed as the director of LPBank Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Football Academy.

Thành said after starting his new role: "I have a great affection for the HAGL team and HAGL Academy. When Đoàn Nguyên Đức, the chairman of HAGL Club, invited me, I gladly accepted the offer and joined the team.

"I believe I can contribute to the revival of HAGL Academy and help it regain its former prominence. Since the first generation of the academy, its development hasn't been satisfactory, so it needs to undergo some changes in order to produce more talented players."

Thành revealed that he turned down several invitations from V.League 1 teams in order to take on this responsibility. He did not provide a specific timeline but emphasised that youth football requires a long-term commitment.

Prior to this appointment, Thành had an impressive track record as a youth football coach in HCM City. He subsequently served as an assistant to various foreign coaches across multiple generations of the Vietnamese national football team. Recently, he had coaching stints with Saigon Club and HCM City before parting ways with the latter at the end of November.

Deputy PM orders greater efforts in IUU fishing fight

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has requested ministers, heads of relevant agencies, and chairpersons of the People's Committees of coastal localities to implement strategic and long-term solutions, and realise urgent tasks and priorities to have the European Commission (EC)’s "yellow card" warning against Vietnamese seafood removed as soon as possible.

Concluding the 8th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Prevention and Control, the official also asked them to focus on mobilising resources for combating IUU fishing following the direction of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat, the Government, and the Prime Minister, and conclusions of the head of the National Steering Committee on IUU National Steering Committee, as well as related documents.

He underlined the need to resolutely handle organisations and individuals who do not fulfill their responsibilities and tasks, and those that violate legal regulations.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) must fulfill its role in inspecting, guiding, and urging coastal localities to comply with the EC’s provisions and recommendations on preventing IUU fishing. It also has to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in providing and sharing information to ensure the effective implementation of diplomatic activities.

The ministry was demanded to perfect the Vietnam Fisheries database system (VNFishbase) and promote the application of information technology and software for managing the entry and exit of fishing vessels at ports to closely control their operation, and the installation of electronic traceability systems to monitor the transparency and legality for the origin of aquatic products for export.

The Ministry of Defence was asked to collaborate with the MARD and the People’s Committees of coastal localities and relevant agencies to conduct a peak inspection patrol and deploy appropriate measures until April 30, 2024, to resolutely prevent, minimise, and move towards ending the infringement of fishing vessels in foreign waters.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security will be responsible for directing local police to allocate forces for investigating, preventing, and handling acts of brokering and connecting fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit seafood in foreign waters.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was required to direct the Vietnamese Embassies in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand to actively and promptly collect and provide information about fishing vessels and fishermen arrested and handled by foreign countries.

Chairpersons of the People's Committees of coastal localities will be responsible for reviewing documents, and issuing decisions to completely punish cases of violations.

The Deputy PM requested the establishment of local fisheries inspection forces with sufficient capacity to carry out state management tasks related to seafood exploitation and protection of aquatic resources following regulations of the Law on Fisheries and the Law on Organisation of Government.

Relevant ministries, sectors, and localities were demanded to enhance communications activities to widely popularise legal regulations on preventing IUU fishing, and raise legal compliance awareness of coastal communities.

They will have to complete the assigned tasks on schedule, and report results to the MARD before the 15th of each month for reporting to the Prime Minister and the head of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention and Control.

According to a report from the MARD, despite encouraging results, the fourth inspection session of EC’s inspection team from October 10-18 revealed some drawbacks in Vietnam’s efforts to stop IUU fishing in waters outside Vietnam’s boundaries.

Illegal fishing in international waters continues to occur, law enforcement is yet to be concerted, and gaps remain in enforcement against violations.

The inspection team will conduct its 5th inspection at the end of the second quarter of 2024, the results of which will help decide whether the warning can be removed.

Vietnam a leading destination for French visitors: French daily

Despite belt tightening as a result of gloomy global economic situation, French could not give up their travel temptation. 
Vietnam, along with Japan and Thailand, was the top choice for French vacationers during Christmas holiday, according to French daily Le Figaro.

Le Figaro quoted president of travel firms association Valérie Boned as saying that although costs are high, the French want to go somewhere to celebrate their holiday; however, they gave a more careful consideration to the tours.

The rise of Asia, and increasing geopolitical tensions and inflation rates in Europe and the Middle East have resulted in the change of the French’s travel map.

Asia’s tourism industry bounced back strongly this year, said Guillaume Linton, Director General of Asia Voyage– a leading tour operator in Asia-Pacific, adding that Vietnam, Japan and Thailand’s tourism markets were on a good recovery in 2023 as they recorded higher revenue than four years ago.

While the Middle East is experiencing mounting geopolitical tension, Asia has become a safe destination for travelers, he said.

Although prices surged from 25-30%, there was an increasing number of French registering for tours to Asia, he elaborated.

Last month, Vietnam’s tourism potential and opportunities were spotlighted at a seminar held at the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Paris.

Australian fund helps Ba Ria – Vung Tau improve quality of refraction service

The Fred Hollows Vietnam (FHFVN, Australia) has provided a 3.6-billion-VND (nearly 150,000 USD) aid package for the Eye Hospital of the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau to improve the quality of refraction services in the locality.

This non-refundable project, to be implemented in the next five years, aims to enhance community access to two standard eyeglasses service facilities, and the access of eyeglasses and prescription eyewear service facilities to refraction training courses, thus improving the quality of refraction and prescription eyeglasses services in the locality.

The provincial People’s Committee has ordered the hospital to take full responsibility for managing, implementing, and completing the project on schedule and in line with the commitment to the sponsor.

The hospital will coordinate with Fred Hollows Vietnam and related agencies to implement the project following the provisions in a decree of the Government on the management and use of non-refundable aid not in the form of official development assistance of foreign agencies, organisations, and individuals for Vietnam.

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