Cuban experts and doctors at Dong Hoi Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospital in the central province of Quang Binh and international students at Thai Nguyen University in the northern province of the same name have been celebrating the ongoing Lunar New Year Festival (called Tet in Vietnamese) – the longest and biggest traditional festival in Vietnam.

According to Tran Tien Hung, deputy director of the hospital, every year, a cozy year-end dinner is held to connect Vietnamese staff with Cuban doctors and medical experts and help the Cuban friends enjoy interesting moments and traditional Vietnamese dishes on Tet days.

Hung said the Cuban experts are also offered more time to experience Tet. However, with a strong sense of responsibility, they are always ready to work and assist in treating patients in emergency cases that require high technical skills.

Between 2018 and now, the hospital has invited seven Cuban experts to work, aiming to improve the professional skills of the medical team, while also helping local people access high-tech services. Currently, two experts in surgery and oncology are still working here.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor, Dr. Ha Xuan Linh, head of the international faculty at the Thai Nguyen University, said this year, the faculty has 50 international students staying to celebrate Tet. It has run a pre-Tet cultural promotion programme to introduce traditional customs of this event to international students and organised Tet visits to and many support activities for those staying in the dormitory area during the festival.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Van, vice rector of the university, it now has 877 foreign students from 23 countries and territories. Considering training the group as an important task, the educational facility has consistently provided the best conditions for them to study and integrate into the local society. The Tet holiday is an opportunity for them to gain more experiences and understanding of the history, culture, and people of Vietnam in general, and of the province in particular.

With these experiences, they will become "diplomatic ambassadors" connecting the friendship between Vietnam and many countries around the world, Van said.

NA's foreign affairs - a highlight in overall achievements of Vietnam: Official

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha has highlighted milestones in foreign affairs achieved by the legislature in 2023 during an interview recently granted to the press.

Ha underscored that 2023 marked the first year the Politburo’s Resolution No. 34-NQ/TW dated January 9, 2023 on major orientations and guidelines for the 13th National Party Congress’s foreign policy has been carried out in a concerted and comprehensive manner across all pillars, including activities led by the NA and its committees, friendship parliamentary groups, the NA Office, and organs under the NA Standing Committee, helping to deepen relations between Vietnam and partner countries and traditional friends.

During his overseas trips, NA Chairman Hue delivered speeches on policy issues at research institutes or universities, shared insights into Vietnam's foreign policy in each country and region with a common spirit: Vietnam is ready to be a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, and actively and proactively integrate into the global community for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

External activities not only promoted the exchange of expertise and professional insights but also enhanced ties between the Vietnamese NA and its international counterparts. Notably, attending the 44th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in Indonesia, the Vietnamese delegation contributed initiatives pertaining to regional security, socio-economic development, and gender equality, which were applauded by international friends.

According to Ha, Vietnam also made significant contributions to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the 14th AIPA Caucus Meeting and the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians.

The NA’s foreign affairs in 2023 were carried out actively, proactively, and comprehensively in alignment with the directives, resolutions, and conclusions of the Party Central Committee, the NA and orientations on diplomatic activities of the 15th NA towards 2030, which have been approved. These efforts contributed to elevating diplomatic activities as a highlight in the overall achievements of the country.

In 2023, by enhancing relations with key partners such as the US, China, Russia, and other important countries like the Republic of Korea and Japan, along with the trend of upgrading ties with various nations, Vietnam laid a robust foundation for the foreign affairs of the Party and the State in general, and for Vietnam's diplomacy in particular.

Looking ahead to 2024, it is imperative for the Party and the State, particularly the NA, to actively and proactively implement the frameworks of relations established in 2023, Ha said.

The official emphasised the need to fully tap the benefits of harmonising Vietnam’s relations with partners in line with the spirit of "Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy" mentioned by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. This approach, he said, is vital for fostering an environment of peace and stability conducive to national development and the fulfillment of objectives set forth by the 13th National Party Congress.

Vietnam – active UNESCO member of enormous potentials, valuable experiences

UNESCO Representative to Vietnam Jonathan Wallace Baker has highlighted Vietnam’s remarkable achievements at the organisation last year as evidence of its active participation, enormous potentials, and valuable experiences.

The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Office in Hanoi said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of Tet or Vietnamese Traditional Lunar New Year that the year 2023 marked a series of highlights that Vietnam had achieved at the UN cultural agency, with the nation for the first time serving in five institutional structures of the organisation.

Vietnam currently serves as members of UNESCO Executive Board for the 2021-2025 tenure, World Heritage Committee 2023 – 2027 and UNESCO 2003 Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention’s Intergovernmental Committee 2022 – 2026.

The Southeast Asian country also acts as Vice Chair of UNESCO Committee for Protection of Cultural Expression Diversity for the 2021 – 2025 tenure and is one among 31 Vice Presidents of the UNESCO’ General Conference from 2023.

The year also saw Vietnam expanding its UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), with the recognition of Hoi An – an ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam – in craft and folk arts, and Da Lat – the largest city of the Central Highlands region – in music.

Meanwhile, the progenitor of Vietnamese traditional medicine Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac (1724 - 1791) was included in the list of eminent personalities and historical events commemorated in 2023 – 2024 passed by the UNESCO General Conference at its 42nd session in Paris last November.

According to the UNESCO representative, these achievements are certainly the evidence that Vietnam has convinced other member states of its active participation to all mechanisms of UNESCO, as well as preparation of quality dossiers that could demonstrate the enormous potentials and the valuable experiences that the nation could bring and contribute to the common knowledge and values upheld by UNESCO and all its member states.

“Most recently, the fact that Vietnam has been elected in the World Heritage Committee while it has already been serving in many other convention mechanisms indicated that it gained a high level of trust as well as the international expectations for its potential contributions,” he said.

He went on noting that: “As suggested by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay during her official visit to Vietnam and meeting with H.E Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, we hope that Vietnam could consider to host the international committee meetings which would be much meaningful during its serving terms for the demonstrations of the practical results of the UNESCO Conventions in the national context. I believe those opportunities would be highly appreciated by all other Member States and international delegates.”

“Vietnam has been a pioneer Member State in initiating the forums on the UNESCO designations and sustainable development,” Baker said, referring to the country’s efforts in preserving and harnessing UNESCO designations for economic development.

He held that each designation under different framework and mechanisms shall follow the respective operational guidelines. Some required highly monitored preservation work such as the World Heritage sites, of which the listed attributes of Outstanding Universal Values must not be undermined or diluted for any reasons; while other designations are completely open to the idea of promoting and enabling the innovation and culture creativity such as the UNESCO Creative Cities or UNESCO Learning Cities.

“There is no such one size fits all approach for all types of UNESCO designations and I find that the Vietnamese Government, together with various local partners have placed a great importance in the ultimate goal of ensuring sustainability in all programmes and actions,” he added.

According to him, that long-term vision would be fundamental for guiding immediate plans which seek to foster the creativity, mobilise the dynamics of cultural and social capitals and the young talents and creative businesses without scarifying the valuable heritage and other natural assets for the shortsighted decisions.

Talking about Vietnam’s potentials and advantages regarding cultural industry development, he said cultural and creative industries are not merely conduits of economic growth, but are pivotal to a holistic model of sustainable development. These industries resonate across the foundational facets of economic, environmental, cultural, and social sustainability.

“Vietnam demonstrates notable potentials to be further explored. The country’s historical and cultural landscape is interwoven with the dynamic threads of cultural and creative industries. These industries not only serve as vehicles for economic prosperity but also as guardians of tradition, fostering social cohesion, and driving sustainable practices,” he noted.

According to Baker, Hanoi is one of the country’s pioneers in development of cultural industry policies, thanks to its rich tapestry of cultural resources including thousands of heritage sites, traditional craft villages, and an emerging community of designers and innovators and creative spaces across the city.

Hoi An, a UNESCO-designated site, harmoniously balances cultural preservation with economic prosperity. The creative economy thrives through traditional crafts and culinary treasures, engaging both local communities and tourists. The town's architectural treasures, combined with cultural experiences like traditional craftsmanship and culinary delights, magnetize tourists and generate revenue. This synergy vividly portrays the potential of cultural industries to not only invigorate local economies but also safeguard heritage.

“Pivoting from existing paradigms of cultural and creative industries for sustainable development, Vietnam needs to further capitalise on the potential of culture through cohesive strategies and policies. The following measures suggested by the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda can serve as a helpful point of reference for public and private stakeholders,” Baker said.

He gave some suggestions for Vietnam to develop its cultural industries and enhance the contribution of these industries to the nation’s economy.

First, policy makers should continue integrating culture into governance such as formulation and practice of development programmes and legislations.

Second, a stronger push for culture and creative industries to grow as powerful economic sub-sectors that generate employment, local development and entrepreneurship while taking into account the protection of fragile cultural and heritage assets is necessary.

Third, environment sustainability should become a new focus as sustainable environmental understanding get integrated more consistently into cultural and creative practices.

Last but not least, the local community needs to remain at the centre in culture industries for development paradigms through intercultural dialogue and knowledge transfer for social cohesion and empowerment, especially among youth and vulnerable groups.

“At the same time, the specific context of Vietnam and each region working on cultural industries in sustainability should enrich the frameworks above to ensure that policies and incentives are locally aware and based to maximise synergies and progress,” he concluded.

Hanoi's youths keep Tet spirit in style

In today's fast-paced world, many young people in the capital city of Hanoi have found their own ways to experience the Lunar New Year Festival (called Tet in Vietnamese) suitable to modern life while still preserving the essence of the traditional celebration.

Amidst the festive year-end atmosphere, to give more meaning to Tet – the longest and biggest holiday in the country, quite a few have taken matters into their own hands by making traditional Tet treats such as candied fruits and sweets. This not only ensures health and safety but also creates activities to bond family members. This is why 21-year-old Nguyen Thi Thom, in Lien Ha commune of Dan Phuong district, is excitedly planning to open a candy-making workshop in the cozy part of her home.

Thom said she loves family activities, but there isn't always enough time for everyone to gather. Only during Tet, her family gets to be together, so she wants to personally create meaningful and sentimental items for her beloved. For the past 2-3 years, Thom has been making Tet candied fruits to serve her family and give away as gifts to relatives.

She explained that by doing it herself, she ensures the cleanliness and safety of the treats. Each family member lends a hand in the process, so it doesn't feel like a burden.

Appreciating the beauty of traditional traits, Nguyen Anh Tuan, a 27-year-old resident in Hoang Mai district, applies his working skills in the creative industry to Tet-related items. He designs the lucky-money envelopes for his family, incorporating elements such as apricot and peach blossoms, and bronze drum patterns as highlights.

Generation Z, born and raised in the era of Internet development, have opted to celebrate the holiday in an "industrial" way and cherish it as they wish.

Busy young individuals, like Do Thi Anh Thu in Cau Giay district said Tet is only joyful when she gets home. “I don't want my family to have to prepare too many dishes, so I prioritise shopping online to save time. This also helps me have more time to be with them, have meals, tell stories, recall memories, and enjoy cheerful conversations.”

Thu said she thinks society is changing every day, and celebrating Tet doesn't need to be confined to a common formula. The core is ensuring the preservation of Vietnamese people’s longstanding traditions.

In the modern age, the Tet celebration is being diversified and appears in various forms thanks to the fresh perspective of youth. Their sharing shows their appreciation of and wishes to preserve and promote traditional values.

Vietnamese students in Israel celebrate Lunar New Year

Vietnamese students at the Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training (AICAT) in the south of Israel have held a get-together to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival 2024.

Currently about 80 Vietnamese students and trainees are studying and working at the centre, close to the Gaza Strip. Most of the students are away from home for the first time and they celebrated the Lunar New Year abroad in the context of ongoing conflicts.

The current war does not allow large gatherings, especially in southern Israeli localities close to the Gaza Strip. 

About 35 trainees from the agricultural settlements in Moshav and Kibutz of Idan, Hatzeva and Yahel gathered at the centre to celebrate Tet. During the gathering, they made traditional dishes, enjoyed banh chung (square sticky rice cake) and art performances which helped bring a safe and warm Tet atmosphere for everyone.

AICAT is one of the four centres for international agricultural training in Israel which regularly admit Vietnamese students, along with Agrostudies, Sderod Negev and Ramat Negev.

Tet reflects diversity of Vietnamese culture: British researcher

The Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, with its unique traditions and customs, is an important part that reflects the diversity of Vietnamese culture, according to British researcher of Vietnamese politics and history Kyril Whittaker.

Tet celebration is always an interesting experience for him, he told a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in the UK.

Whittaker, who married a Vietnamese wife and has celebrated Tet in Vietnam many times, said that it is easy to recognise a joyful atmosphere everywhere, from the city to the countryside when Tet comes. Every person and family is busy shopping for Tet. They buy new clothes and prepare food and beverages for the biggest holiday of the year. People return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet and reunite with their families after a year of hard work.

The researcher pointed out that Tet represents the diversity of Vietnamese culture, from cuisine, music and art to social interaction, through fine customs and practices such as worshipping ancestors, wrapping banh chung (sticky rice cake), xong dat (first footing), wearing ao dai (traditional long dress), performing traditional music and songs about Tet and spring, and folk games. According to him, Tet is an opportunity to foster relationships as all families welcome guests who are relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

In particular, Tet reflects the ecological culture of Vietnamese people, which is the relationship between people and land and vice versa, Kyril said. He cited typical Tet dishes such as melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, banh chung, pickled onions, fruit trays, and decorative flowers and plants during Tet like peaches, apricots and kumquats.

Another fine Tet custom that shows Vietnam's ecological culture is the New Year tree planting festival, a movement launched by Uncle Ho and maintained by generations of Vietnamese leaders until today, Whittaker said, adding that it indicates a tradition of preserving Vietnam's agricultural culture and biodiversity.

The British researcher concluded that Tet is a festival bearing the characteristics of Vietnamese culture.

Senegal ready to cooperate with Vietnam in responding to global challenges

Senegalese President Macky Sall affirmed that the African country is ready to cooperate with other countries in general and Vietnam in particular in responding to global challenges such as health crisis, climate change, regional conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and terrorism.

Speaking after receiving the letter of credentials from President Vo Van Thuong presented by Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria and Senegal Tran Quoc Khanh, President Macky Sall warmly welcomed and hoped the Vietnamese diplomat will make contributions to the development of the relationship between Senegal and Vietnam in the coming time.

Khanh affirmed he will do his utmost to enhancing the traditional bilateral relations, especially in areas where the two countries have strengths such as agriculture, marine economy, trade as well as people-to-people exchange.

Trade relations between Vietnam and Senegal have reaped fruit in recent years, reaching approximately 70 million USD a year. Vietnam’s exports to Senegal include pepper, cereals, vegetables, textiles, seafood and rice; while its imports were cashew nuts, cotton, seafood, and animal feed from the African country.

Currently, there are about 2,000 Vietnamese people who are living and doing business in Senegal. Kim Hoi, an organisation of the Vietnamese community in Senegal, was established in 2016 and has conducted many diverse activities to spread the image of Vietnam and its culture in the country.

Meanwhile,  the Vovinam Federation in Senegal is thriving with more than 3,000 martial artists across the country, serving as an important bridge to introduce to the Senegalese people the quintessence of martial arts and philosophy of peace of Vietnamese people.

Vietnam-France friendship, trust fostered over the past years: Ambassador

French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet has highlighted the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries during an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the Lunar Year Year (Tet) festival.

The friendship and trust have been fostered over the past five decades, he said, elaborating that French President Francois Mitterrand visited Vietnam in 1993, opening up a period during which France has accompanied the Southeast Asian nation.   

Recalling the phone talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on October 20, 2023, the ambassador said the two sides displayed their resolve and good will to enhance the bilateral strategic partnership in the coming tenures.

The strategic partnership should grow on the basis of respect for the friendship and national sovereignty, he noted.

France wishes to help Vietnam in sustainable development, especially in the context that Vietnam is a country hard hit by climate change, he said, calling it a priority of France in the bilateral ties.

Mentioning the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), the diplomat said France has committed 500 million EUR (538.92 million USD) to the Southeast Asian nation in this field.

According to Brochet, innovation will be a cooperation priority of the two countries in the coming time, and Franche can share its technology and experience with Vietnam in this regard.

The ambassador also underlined cooperation between localities, which is growing strongly with tens of projects underway.
He said climate change response, energy transition and innovation are among the cooperation priorities in his term in Vietnam, apart from economic collaboration, particularly that through the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Noting great potential for the economic ties, he said it is seen in different areas, including energy, pharmaceuticals, medical products and food industry.

For people-to-people exchange, Brochet said it serves as a foundation for the bilateral diplomatic ties, adding French people want to learn about Vietnam and in their eyes, Vietnam is very beautiful.

Tourism remains an important channel of cooperation, as reflected through the high number of French visitors to the Southeast Asian nation last year, according to the ambassador.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, Brochet wished Vietnamese people prosperity and successes, and that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries will grow further in the time ahead.

Russia-Vietnam friendship, trust tested by time: Russian Ambassador

The relationship between Russia and Vietnam is a bond of friendship and trust, forged in the Vietnamese people’s struggle for freedom and independence, and has been tested by time, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam G. S. Bezdetko said in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2024.

Looking back at 2023, Ambassador Bezdetko emphasised that despite many geo-political changes in the world, even tragedies, the Vietnam-Russia relationship, founded by previous generations, remains stable and creates a foundation for the development of cooperation between the two countries in a new historical context. Cooperation between Russia and Vietnam developed well based on its comprehensive strategic partnership. Political dialogues at high and top levels were maintained, along with the promotion of inter-parliamentary exchanges.

He said that in the past year, important events in the bilateral agenda took place, marking a start for more extensive cooperation activities in the coming time. Direct dialogues between the leaders of the two countries have contributed to boosting the implementation of many agreements, and creating new opportunities for win-win cooperation as well as solving pending problems.

There are positive signs for bilateral trade, he said, expressing his expectations that direct flights between the two countries will soon be resumed in the near future.

He said that the two sides can cooperate more deeply not only in traditional fields but also in innovative fields such as high technology, artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy sources, e-government systems, and information security.

Russia is willing to share research and development results with Vietnam, he affirmed.

Regarding cooperation opportunities to promote modern sports, the Ambassador said that Russia has recently launched an initiative to conduct competitions in the "phygital" format which combines both traditional and electronic sports.

He hoped that Vietnam will participate in the International Multi-Sport Tournament Games of the Future that Russia will host in February and March this year in Kazan.

Regarding collaboration in culture, Bezdetko stressed that promoting cultural exchange is an important factor to further deepen the relations between the two countries. Research and promotion of languages, history, culture, traditional art genres, cinema, and cuisine are contributing to strengthening mutual understanding and making the peoples in different countries come closer to each other.

Last year, Russia organised cultural events in Vietnam, the ambassador recalled, pointing out some prominent events including the Russian Cultural Days in Hanoi and Ha Long city in July, and the performance of the world-famous art troupe "Turetskiy Choir" in Vietnam in November.

He said Russia will continue to introduce to Vietnamese audiences works of famous Russian poets and writers such as A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, A.P. Chekhov, L.N. Tolstoi, music composers like P.I. Chaikovskiy, M.I. Glinka, D.D. Shostakovich and contemporary Russian directors.

Besides, he assessed that Vietnam's traditional culture and arts draw Russians' interest. Since the Soviet era, medium and short stories by well-known Vietnamese authors have been translated into Russian. Recently, "Truyen Kieu" (Kieu Tale) - a precious gem in Vietnamese literature - was published in Russian.

The Ambassador expected that this year, Vietnam will participate in the second International Music Festival "Cosmic Sounds" and the Melikhovo Spring Theatre Festival organised in Russia.

As a person who has been attached to and learned about Vietnam since he was a university student, Ambassador Bezdetko said Vietnam has become his second homeland where he explores its diversity and richness of its culture, national identity, friendliness and hospitality of the people.

On the occasion of the New Year 2024 and Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year celebration, he wished Vietnamese people good health, peace and prosperity. He also wished that Russia-Vietnam relations will continue to develop strongly.

Russian students interested in learning about Vietnamese Tet culture

The Vietnam Club at the Moscow State Linguistic University (MGLU) of Russia has organised a special course, attracting most of the students of the Vietnamese language from universities in Moscow to discuss about “Tet” (the Lunar New Year) festival.

Because they have chosen a future career related to the Vietnamese language, learning about Vietnamese culture is something that Russian students are very interested in.

Topics related to the customs of home decoration, peach blossom and apricot blossom markets, making Chung (square sticky rice) cake, banh tet (cylindrical sticky rice cake), and lucky money to pray for good luck and health for grandparents, parents, and children during Tet are interesting cultural lessons for Russian students studying the Vietnamese language.

Currently, the Vietnamese language is taught widely in Russia. In the 2023-2024 school year, for the first time the Diplomatic Academy of Russia enrolled students majoring in the language.

2024 drones light up Hanoi’s night sky on New Year’s Eve

The highly awaited "Hanoi Art Light Festival - Resplendent Thang Long" took place in Hanoi’s Tay Ho district, on the New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar, drawing the audience of thousands.

The most prominent part of the show was the 15-minute performance featuring 2024 drones, which set a Southeast Asian record in terms of number of unmanned vehicles involved, followed by high-altitude fireworks show from 00:00am when the Year of the Dragon began.

The show depicts beautiful stories and images of the Dragon symbol in Vietnamese culture and the famous scenic spots of the capital city Hanoi.

It aims to promote the image of the capital to both the local people and international tourists, and serves as a significant highlight programme to ring in the new year with vigour and joy, according to the People's Committee of Tay Ho district.

Localities welcome first tourists in Lunar New Year

The Da Nang International Airport in the central city of the same name welcomed more than 125 domestic and international flights carrying over 17,000 passengers on February 10, the first day of the Year of the Dragon.

The airport served 53 international flights with some 7,500 passengers abroad on the day.

Up to 894 domestic and international flights are expected to arrive at the airport during the seven-day holiday, beginning February 8, up about 16% year-on-year.

The municipal Department of Tourism, the airport, the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation JSC and air carriers jointly held a ceremony to welcome the first holidaymakers.

The same day, the central city welcomed the first international cruise ships in the lunar year with more than 1,800 passengers.

Last year, the city served 22 cruise ships with more than 18,000 passengers. The numbers are expected to reach over 45 and more than 50,000 this year, respectively.

The northern province of Ninh Binh, known for its Trang An Landscape Complex that was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in 2014, has organised a range of activities to welcome the first tourists in the lunar year, striving to fulfill the yearly target of serving 7.5 million visitors, of them 900 are international ones.

Residents in Sa Pa's flood-hit village look forward to better life in new year

In Liên Minh Commune, Sa Pa Town, in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai, houses have been repaired and fish farms have been rebuilt after the historic floods that killed seven people in September 2023.

Although life has not returned to normal as before the floods, local people are trying to rebuild a new village and regain trust in a better future to together welcome the new year ahead.

More than four months after the historic floods on the night of September 12, 2023 that killed seven people, injured six and damaged 61 cold-water fish farms with about 610 fish ponds, traces of the severe damage still haunt local people.

Liên Minh, a remote commune of Sa Pa Town, is located over 40 km from the town centre and is home to Mông, Dao, Tày, Xa Phó ethnic groups.

Among them, the Dao people account for the largest proportion.

Standing on uneven ground which used to be green rice fields, Tẩn Chằn Quyên from Nậm Cang Village is still shocked.

During the floods that night, he saw all of his family's properties, including 13 cold-water fish tanks, swept away without being able to do anything.

He said the land was given by his grandparents. No floods had been recorded for hundreds of years. When natural disasters hit the village last year, local people were too surprised to take any action.

"Tens of billions of đồng were lost. During a difficult time that seemed impossible to recover from, my family was fortunate to receive assistance from authorities, donators and other villagers to help clean up and comfort us,” he told Vietnam News Agency.

After the cleanup, he plans to borrow money from the Bank for Social Policies to rebuild a salmon farm.

Phàn Lổ Xeng, another villager of Nậm Cang Village, will celebrate the Lunar New Year festival in a new one-floor house built thanks to the help of local authorities worth more than VNĐ100 million.

“During that terrible night, my family was having dinner when a sudden flood came. Our family survived thanks to climbing to the top of a big tree near the house,” he said.

"We might have died if we had climbed three minutes later,” he said.

The budget used to build the new house came from VNĐ40 million donated by the local Fatherland Front Committee and others sourced from neighbours' donations.

According to chairman of Liên Minh Commune People's Committee Phàn Phủ Seng, the provincial Fatherland Front Committee handed out over VNĐ2.8 billion and the Sa Pa Town Fatherland Front Committee supported with over VNĐ600 million for families of those killed and affected by the floods.

They also set up savings books for four children who lost their parents due to the floods.

Seng said in order not to leave people in flooded areas without Tết, organisations handed out presents to the flood-hit families.

The locality has mobilised maximum resources to stabilise local livelihoods soon. Those who had houses damaged by the floods have been relocated to resettlement areas.

Damaged roads and bridges have been repaired. After the flood, Nậm Cang stream was buried. After the embankment of the stream is completed, villagers will take the next steps to restore production, he said.

Local authorities encouraged residents to reinvest in fish farms and stay far away from areas prone to landslides and flash floods, he said. 

Young female talents develop cải lương

Young theatre actress Nguyễn Quỳnh Như is travelling around her homeland, Bạc Liêu Province, to offer cải lương (reformed opera) concerts for many villagers during the Lunar New Year or Tết holiday. 

Như and her colleagues introduce a very unique form of cải lương - a 100-year-old gerne of Vietnamese theatre in the South. 

They have performed in a series of plays on Vietnamese history and culture. The beauty of southern people and their lifestyle are also included. 

“I was a rural girl living in a small village of Bạc Liêu. I loved singing cải lương when I was a kid. I hope my art will entertain audiences, particularly youngsters, and bring best wishes to every family in Tết,” said Như, winner of the Bông Lúa Vàng (Golden Rice) Contest 2023, a national cải lương competition launched by the People’s Voice of Hồ Chí Minh City (VOH). 

The event closed in December and attracted 500 contestants aged 16 to 35 in Việt Nam. 

The participants performed vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes) songs and cải lương plays in praise of the country and patriotism. Their performances aired live on VOH to serve millions of viewers around the country. Audiences voted for the winners.  

Như won the first prize titled Golden Rice worth VNĐ100 million (US$5,000) in cash after showing her wonderful singing and dancing skills. 

Her biggest competitor, 23-year-old Nguyễn Quỳnh Như of An Giang Province, received second prize.  

Third prize went to 37-year-old Huỳnh Thị Bé Nhiên, a professional actress from HCM City. 

The three were chosen from a field of 20 finalists. Their performances captured the hearts of judges and audiences during the four-month contest.

 "I will improve both my skills and creativity to advance the power of cải lương,” said Như, who added she wanted to bring her art to greater heights.

Bông Lúa Vàng Contest began 30 years ago and has discovered many new talents in theatre. Many winners have worked for leading traditional art troupes in the region. 

It has aired more than 1,500 shows and has become the longest-running radio programme on VOH.  

The annual contest encourages young people to learn about cải lương, vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes) and đờn ca tài tử (Southern folk music), which are the south’s popular theatre forms.  

Đờn ca tài tử originated in southern Việt Nam 100 years ago. It is the prototype for cải lương and vọng cổ, which are often performed during festivals and special occasions such as weddings and death anniversaries in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces of Cần Thơ, Vĩnh Long, Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau.

In 2013, the music was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

“Our contest encourages young artists to develop their careers. Many Golden Rice winners introduce cải lương in a new and experimental concept to attract young people,” said general director of VOH Lê Công Đồng, a member of the 2023 contest’s organising board. 

Spring book street promises exciting activities during Tết

A Spring Book Street programme is taking place on Hanoi Book Street, inviting visitors to a wide range of activities from now through the Lunar New Year (Tết) holidays.

The annual event, held by the People’s Committee of Hoàn Kiếm district, aims to encourage reading culture in the community and create a cultural space for local residents and tourists to enjoy at the start of the Year of the Dragon.

Aside from existing stores, more book stalls and an area of entertainment activities for children were also added to the street.

Coming to the programme, visitors can read and buy the latest books, newspapers, and other types of publications, meet authors, receive their autographs, and join them in discussions about various topics.

Visitors can learn about the art of calligraphy and writing Tết decoration couplets while children can paint pictures and take a turn at making traditional toys. A book reading space and an exhibition of folk paintings are available throughout the event.

Performances of both traditional and modern singing and dancing, along with a children’s fashion show will also form part of the programme.

The organisers have also opened mini games on the Hanoi Book Street fanpage on this occasion.

Book publishers and distributors are also holding different activities on their own and offering promotions to attract readers.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Hoàn Kiếm People’s Committee Nguyễn Quốc Hoàn said the Spring Book Street event on Hanoi Book Street has become a cultural activity and also an attractive destination in the capital city whenever Tết arrives. It also marks the start of reading encouragement activities in the city this year.

The programme is open from 8am to 10pm every day through February 14 (the fifth day of the Year of the Dragon). 

First foreign visitors receive Tet gifts in Danang

Foreign visitors to the central city of Danang were welcomed with gifts on the first day of the Lunar New Year on Saturday morning.

A foreign visitor is welcomed in Danang City on the first day of the 2024 Lunar New Year on February 10.

The Danang City Department of Tourism held a ceremony to welcome the first international flight of the 2024 Lunar New Year arriving from Thailand at 6 am on February 10.Landing at Danang International Airport on the first day of the Lunar New Year, visitors were welcomed by a lion dance show and given some local specialities as gifts for the Tet Lunar New Year. There was also a lucky draw event where visitors could win tourism vouchers to enjoy free services while staying in the city.

The same morning, Danang Airport also received other domestic and international flights. All passengers were given Tet gifts including conical hats and some local traditional Tet foods.

The airport expects to receive over 125 flights with over 17,000 passengers, including 53 international flights carrying 7,500 foreign visitors on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

It is estimated that Danang Airport will serve 894 flights during the seven days of the Tet Lunar New Year Holiday from February 8-14, an increase of 16 percent compared to the same period last year.

Vice director of the Danang City Department of Tourism, Tan Van Vuong, said that the rising number of flights to the city on the first days of the Lunar New Year showed positive signals for the local tourism sector this year.

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