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The Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter organises the programme, aiming to introduce to Hanoi’s citizens and visitors the traditional Tet space, rituals and activities of Hanoi and the Northern Delta.
Traditional rituals such as the procession to present offerings at the communal house gate, the Ceremony to declare the Thanh Hoang and worship the Craft Ancestors, and the Ceremony of erecting the Neu tree are adapted in the programme.
The procession to present offerings at the communal house started from the Heritage House at 87 Ma May street, passed through Hanoi Old Quarter area to the Kim Ngan communal house.
More than 300 people joined the procession, including up to 200 worshipers, most of whom were of the young generation.
Those participating in the procession all wear ao ngu than (traditional five-panel dress). The people performing the ceremony wear ao tac (wide-sleeved shirt), while the rest wear ao tay chen (short-sleeved dress).
The offerings are traditional Hanoi craft products such as green rice cake and sweet lotus dessert.
The programme also features traditional folk activities such as building bamboo trees, wrapping cakes, and exchanging and introducing craft village products.
"This year's procession has had a significant change, with more people wearing the ngu than instead of wearing hybrid costumes," said Nguyen Duc Binh, Chairman of the Vietnamese Village Communal Club.
"This year, the procession is completely inclusive of the Hanoi community."
"Preserving and promoting tangible and intangible cultural heritage values in the Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter area is a key task for the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem district to carry out," said Tran Thuy Lan, deputy head of the Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter.
Activities under the Vietnamese Tet - Old Quarter's Tet 2024 programme will continue until the end of Tet holiday for Hanoi’s citizens and visitors.
Man in Hung Yen arrested for anti-State propaganda
Hung Yen province's Department of Public Security said on January 30 that its Investigation Security Agency has launched criminal proceedings against and arrested a local man for the charge of "making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, and items against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" under Article 117 of the Penal Code.
The arrestee is Pham Van Cho, born in 1964, residing in Lac Dao commune of Van Lam district.
Earlier, the department’s cyber security division and hi-tech crime prevention and control found that from 2020 to November 2023, Cho managed and used Facebook accounts "Cho Pham Van" and "Nguyen Minh Tan" to make livestreams, post, and share many video clips defaming the Party and State and insulting leaders.
The acts are violations prescribed in point C, clause 1, Article 16 of the Law on Cyber Security.
At the Investigation Security Agency, Cho admitted that he was the manager of the Facebook accounts and used them to broadcast livestreams, and post and share video clips that seriously offended the Party, State, and leaders.
The case is under further investigation in accordance with the law.
Border guard force takes strong actions against IUU fishing
The Border Guard High Command has issued a plan on a peak crackdown on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing from now through April, it said on January 30.
The plan aims to effectively carry out the anti-IUU fishing tasks assigned to the Border Guard High Command by the Ministry of National Defence.
It also looks to enhance coordination with relevant forces, Party committees, and administrations of localities in taking measures to prevent and put an end to Vietnamese fishing vessels’ illegal operations in foreign waters before April 30 this year.
Under the plan, agencies and units are required to comprehensively implement measures such as communications, situation monitoring, investigation and verification, management, patrol, violation settlement, and the ensuring of security and safety for fishing activities.
The plan also assigned concrete tasks to each agency and unit.
Vietnam has been working hard to carry out the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations about IUU fishing prevention and control, towards the goal of having the EC's yellow card lifted.
The EC issued a “yellow card” warning for Vietnam in this regard in 2017. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it is not. A “red card” may lead to a ban on aquatic exports to the EU.
Vietnam participates in first Asian e-football tournament
A team of three e-football players from Vietnam on January 30 headed to Qatar to attend the first Asian e-football tournament held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) from February 1-5.
The tournament brings together 20 teams representing 20 out of 24 Asian countries with national football teams participating in the 2023 Asian Cup final. They are divided into six groups. Based on the draw results of the 2023 Asian Cup Final, at the 2023 eAsian Cup version, the Vietnam team is in the same group with Japan and Indonesia.
On February 1, Vietnam will meet Japan at 4 pm (local time) and Indonesia at 5 pm (local time). All matches of the eAsian Cup 2023 are live-streamed at youtube.com/AFCAsianCup.
The matches will be conducted on Konami's football simulation game - eFootball 2024, Console PS5 platform. Each team, consisting of two main players and one reserve player, will play two matches against teams in the same group. Each match lasts 12 minutes in a 2v2 format to calculate ranking points. The two best teams in each group and four third-placed teams with the best records in each group will compete in the knockout round.
Overseas Vietnamese help with greening Truong Sa
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on January 30 presented the Navy High Command with 1.55 billion VND (63,500 USD) donated by overseas Vietnamese (OV) to a programme on greening Truong Sa (Spratly).
The donation was handed over during a visit by a delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to offer greetings to the Navy High Command in the northern city of Hai Phong ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.
The “Greening Truong Sa” programme was launched by the Vietnam People’s Navy in 2023.
Hang, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for OV Affairs, noted that during 2012 - 2023, the OV community donated over 28 billion VND for building patrol canoes and some facilities, and presenting essentials and gifts to soldiers and residents on the islands and the DK1 platforms, which are economic, scientific, and technical stations on the country's southern continental shelf.
Besides, OVs have also made practical spiritual contributions to the safeguarding of the Fatherland’s maritime sovereignty over the past many years.
Following trips to Truong Sa, they have become the key force in many activities supporting the islands such as establishing the Vietnamese people’s fund for the seas and island sovereignty in the Republic of Korea in 2015, the Truong Sa Club in Germany in 2017, along with the Hoang Sa - Truong Sa Club in Poland in 2019 and another in the Czech Republic in 2022. They have also organised a number of workshops and forums on the East Sea, she noted.
The Deputy Minister thanked leaders of the Navy High Command and relevant units for providing favourable conditions for the State Committee for OV Affairs to successfully arrange 10 trips for its staff members and OV representatives to visit soldiers and residents in the island district of Truong Sa and the DK1 platforms so far.
She voiced her belief that navy officers and soldiers will always fulfill their duties, including firmly safeguarding the maritime sovereignty as well as peace and security at sea.
Rear Admiral Do Van Yen, Deputy Political Commissar of the navy force, pledged to continue coordinating closely with the State committee to organise more trips to Truong Sa for OVs.
Expressing his hope for the OV community’s continued support for the homeland’s seas and islands, he appreciated their material and spiritual assistance and considered this as a source of encouragement for Truong Sa soldiers and residents to keep defending the country’s sacred territorial waters.
Plenty of room for Vietnam, Uruguay to boost cooperation: Uruguayan FM
Outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador to Uruguay Duong Quoc Thanh on January 30 came to bid farewell to Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar Paganini who affirmed that there is plenty of room for the two countries to further step up cooperation.
Outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador to Uruguay Duong Quoc Thanh on January 30 came to bid farewell to Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar Paganini who affirmed that there is plenty of room for the two countries to further step up cooperation.
Paganini expressed his hope that Vietnam will open its embassy in Montevideo soon to contribute to promote the bilateral partnership, and asked for Vietnam’s support for Uruguay’s joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after the Latin American country submitted its application in late 2022.
He hailed Thanh’s efforts and contributions to the development of the ties between Uruguay and Vietnam over the past years, marked with a visit to Uruguay by Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in April 2023.
For his part, Thanh thanked the Uruguayan minister for his support and assistance, and hoped that, as the President pro tempore of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) in the second half of 2024, Uruguay will speed up the negotiations on free trade agreements between the bloc and a number of Asian countries, including Vietnam.
Vietnam and Uruguay should increase trade and investment exchanges, especially in areas such as exporting beef, maize, soybeans and electronic products and construction materials, Thanh proposed.
Paganini said that he plans to visit Vietnam this year, together with a visit by Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries Fernando Mattos, with the aim of promoting cooperation agreements.
The same day, Thanh had a meeting with Intendant of Montevideo Carolina Cosse who pledged to speed up a plan to build a Vietnamese culture space on a 500 sq.m area near the international conventional centre. The city will issue a resolution in March, she said, adding that the space includes a zone for commemorating President Ho Chi Minh who once arrived in ports in Uruguay and Argentina during his journey to seek ways to savage the nation 112 years ago.
The project is expected to become a symbol of solidarity and friendship between the governments and people of Uruguay and Vietnam, Cosse said.
Thanh underlined the need to strengthen locality-to-locality collaboration, including the implementation of a letter of intent signed between Ho Chi Minh City and Montevideo.
Cosse showed her interest in cooperating with HCM City in promising areas such as building houses for low-income people, climate change response and information technology.
The capital of Montevideo is the largest and most important economic, technological, administrative and cultural hub of Uruguay and is considered the city with the best quality of life in Latin America, she said.
At a meeting with Secretary General of the Communist Party of Uruguay Juan Castillo, Thanh congratulated the Party for its rising role in the political life of the Latin American country, as well as its important contributions to the Frente Amplia, the left-wing political coalition of Uruguay.
Castillo said he hoped to further strengthen partnership with the Communist Party of Vietnam through the exchange of delegations to learn Vietnam’s experience in national construction and development.
He also hailed the CPV’s role in Vietnam’s achievements during the “Doi moi” (Renewal) cause.
OVs in Thailand, Cambodia, Mozambique celebrate Tet festival
The Vietnamese community in Thailand has grown strongly and played an important role in maintaining and cultivating the friendship relations between the two countries, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh.
The diplomat affirmed this at a progamme to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024 on January 30 in Bangkok, which gathered over 300 representatives of the Vietnamese community in Thailand.
The ambassador appreciated the active participation and coordination of the community in all activities of the embassy last year, expressing his hope that OVs in Thailand will continue to join hands to overcome all difficulties and challenges, contributing to promoting the friendly relations between the two countries, and the homeland’s development.
Ninh Viet Thong, Vice Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese People in Bangkok and surrounding areas, said he was especially happy that the Vietnamese National Assembly recently passed the Land Law (amended) with many new regulations, including the expansion of land-use rights for Vietnamese citizens, including those residing abroad.
This is a good opportunity for OVs to invest and live in the homeland, he said.
A get-together for Cambodian people of Vietnamese origin in northwest and southwest regions to celebrate Tet (Photo: VNA)
The same day, a get-together for Cambodian people of Vietnamese origin in northwest and southwest regions to celebrate Tet was organised by the Vietnamese Consulate General in Battambang và Preah Sihanouk provinces.
In his speech at the event, Consul General Nguyen Thanh Van emphasised that the Party and State always consider the Vietnamese community abroad as an inseparable part of the nation.
According to the Consul General, Khmer-Vietnamese Association’s chapters in seven northwestern provinces of Cambodia have organised many activities to promote solidarity among the Vietnamese community. Vietnamese businesses investing and doing business in the region have always accompanied the Consulate General in community support activities.
The diplomat expressed his hope that Vietnamese-origin people in Cambodia will strictly abide by the host country’s law, integrate more deeply into the host society, and actively promote and preserve the tradition of solidarity and cultural identity of the homeland, thus making practical contributions to the Vietnam - Cambodia cooperative relations.
Viettel Cambodia (Metfone), a subsidiary of the Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in Phom Penh and the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia to launch a Tet celebration programme for the community of Cambodians of Vietnamese origin there, during which 1,075 Tet gifts worth 22,655 USD were offered to the needy from the community across Cambodia.
An art performance at the event to celebrate Tet in Mozambique (Photo: VNA)
In a similar event organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique, Ambassador Pham Hoang Kim affirmed the agency always considers community work as one of its most important priorities.
Nguyen Quoc Huy, Deputy General Director of Movitel - a joint venture between Vietnam's Viettel Group and Mozambique's SPI company, said the firm has been supporting many Mozambican ministries and sectors in implementing digital transformation. He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in the country will enhance solidarity and promote the tradition of mutual support to overcome difficulties in work and in life in the country.
Meanwhile, Doctor Ngo Kim Trong, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Mozambique, expressed his belief that with the spirit of solidarity and willingness to share and help each other, OVs in Mozambique will continue to act as a bridge promoting the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Best youth sustainable projects towards ASEAN’s green transition awarded
Ten best projects in the Youth Sustainable Project (YSUP) Competition 2024 have been awarded by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
As an annual competition initiated by the EU Delegation to ASEAN and jointly carried out by the ASEAN Secretariat, YSUP aims to provide a platform for ASEAN youths to showcase initiatives, projects, and contributions to the community, as well as to ASEAN’s green transition process.
Thibaut Portevin, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to ASEAN, said the competition covered the areas of digital technology, healthcare, education, and research, as well as promoting clean energy, nature conservation, environmental sustainability, sustainable transport, food security, energy efficiency, and pollution elimination.
Among 152 entries submitted to the contest, the ten best projects were selected based on the criteria regarding their relevance to global priorities and the European Green Deal, as well as the potential for scalability and practical application. They focus on issues related to climate and energy, circular economy, health care, digital technology, agriculture, biodiversity, education, and research.
The "Flint Paper Battery" project by Carlo Charles from Singapore won the first prize, presenting an innovative solution to address the harmful impact of battery materials on the environment.
Launched in 2021, the competition aims to promote and support the ASEAN youth community in developing innovative capabilities and raising awareness of current pressing issues.
The organisers hoped that the competition would bring great impacts to the youth and communities to support sustainable development goals.
Vietnamese language helps popularise country’s culture: scholar
The Vietnamese language has become a bridge to connect overseas Vietnamese with the homeland while serving as a messenger to popularise the country’s culture among US people, who previously only knew Vietnam as a war-torn land, according to a scholar in the US.
Nguyen Phuong Chung, Director of the Vietnamese Language Programme under Columbia University’s Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, told the Vietnam News Agency that Vietnamese has garnered greater attention among US students, with Vietnamese-US students desiring to get a better insight into their origin, and US ones hoping to explore Vietnam’s culture, people and history.
The students said they feel closer to Vietnam each day as they gradually know more about the cultural traits of the country, including family culture and cultural behaviour which are quite different from those in the US, Chung highlighted.
The programme of Vietnamese language study, which has been run for almost five years, is designed to serve the needs of Columbia University’s undergraduates and graduates in Vietnamese studies, Chung said, adding extra-curricular activities have been arranged to introduce Vietnam’s traditional culture, people and land such as performance of “ca tru” singing (a traditional ceremonial art form in the northern region) and screening of the film “Once Upon Bridge Vietnam”.
She shared that many US students, who went to Vietnam to study the language, travel around and explore the Vietnamese culture, said they love Vietnam and wish to have an opportunity to live and work there.
Johnathan Formella, a student from Columbia University who spent nearly one year in Vietnam, said the Southeast Asian country impressed him with its dynamic development, people’s hospitability and diverse culture.
He hoped that he could use Vietnamese to help more US people have a better understanding about the S-shaped nation.
Donning in Ao dai (traditional long dress), Sophie Arnstein from Boston University said she initially started to learn Vietnamese just because she wanted to understand more about her best friend – a woman with Vietnamese origin.
The more she studies, the more she loves Vietnamese and the country, she said, stressing the language has opened the door to a unique culture.
Having visited Vietnam’s renowned destinations such as Hoi An ancient city, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ha Long Bay, she said she wishes to live and work in Vietnam in the near future.
Meanwhile, Luu Thi Tuong Vi, born into a Vietnamese family in San Diego city, said she learns Vietnamese to better communicate with her family members.
Vi held that Vietnamese-US people should preserve their mother tongue so as to maintain a strong link to their origin while contributing to popularising the Vietnamese culture and people among foreigners.
Building inaugurated in Cambodia for preservation of Vietnamese martyrs' remains
A building for preserving remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who had laid down their lives during wartime in Cambodia was inaugurated at a ceremony held on January 31.
Located in the Cambodian northwestern province of Pailin, its construction worth approximately 18,000 USD began on December 29 last year and was funded by Metfone, eMoney, and GIS Cambodia – affiliates of Vietnam's telecoms group Viettel in Cambodia.
Speaking at the ceremony, Metfone CEO Cao Manh Duc stated that over 45 years ago, Vietnamese volunteer soldiers stood shoulder to
shoulder with the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation to conduct a campaign to rescue Cambodia from the genocidal Pol Pot regime. In this battle, tens of thousands fell, with the remains of many of them lying across various Cambodian provinces and cities.
Duc noted that Metfone and with partner enterprises have so far constructed two memorial houses of this kind in Battambang and Kampong Thom provinces.
General Ek Sam Oun, Commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ 5th military region, who also attended the inauguration ceremony, told the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Cambodia, that the Cambodian people remember the significant sacrifices made by Vietnamese volunteer soldiers. He also emphasised Cambodia's duty to collaborate with Vietnam in locating their remains to send them back to their families and homeland.
Over the past two decades, Team K73 of Vietnam’s Long An Military Command have left their mark across Svay Rieng, Phnom Penh, Battambang, and Pailin, searching for and repatriating over 2,000 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers.
Vietnam Airlines carries disadvantaged workers back to their hometowns
A reunion flight, designated flight number VN218, was organised by Vietnam Airlines on the evening of January 29.
The purpose of the flight was to transport disadvantaged workers from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, allowing them to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with their families in their hometowns. Many of these workers had been away from home for several years due to the challenges of making a living, and the limited economic conditions they faced made it difficult for them to afford the cost of travel.
The workers selected for the reunion flight had not had the opportunity to return home for many years, and this flight provided them with a rare chance to be reunited with their relatives and families.
The workers planned to stay in their hometowns during Tết to earn additional income for their families. The flight was a source of immense happiness for these individuals, who saw it as a dream come true.
Prior to the flight, many workers gathered at Tan Son Nhat airport in preparation for their journey home.
The reunion flight departed from Tan Son Nhat at 6:00 p.m. and landed at Noi Bai at 8:15 p.m. All workers on the flight received 100% free airfare support. Vietnam Airlines also arranged transportation from Nội Bài airport to various locations in order to help the workers reach their hometowns quickly. This assistance aimed to alleviate the burdens faced by these disadvantaged workers and enable them to enjoy a complete and warm Tet celebration with their families.
Dang Anh Tuan, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines, expressed his sentiments about the reunion flight, stating that the airline received applications from workers who were facing extremely difficult circumstances. Some of these workers had not been able to go home for many years, while others had never been able to return to their hometowns or meet their grandparents and relatives since their birth.
Despite the fact that Vietnam Airlines had organised similar flights in previous years and had read letters like these before, they were still deeply moved by the stories and situations of the workers. This emotional response served as the motivation for Vietnam Airlines to continue organising the annual Dream Flight - Reunion Journey programme.
Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes
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