The Thanh Lan commune People’s Committee in Co To island district, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, will hold a sea opening festival from February 23-24 (the fourth and fifth days of the Lunar New Year 2024).

The festival, the first of its kind to be held in the district, is among the activities to celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of the district (March 23, 1994- 2024).

During the festival, typical products of the locality will be shown at the committee’s office on February 23 while festival goers can also join folk games and enjoy musical performances.

On February 24, rituals will be performed at the whale worshipping temple in Hamlet 1, Thanh Lan commune. A fleet will set off on the first fishing trip in the Lunar New Year.   

The organisation of the festival aims to preserve the unique traditional culture as well as rituals imbued with folk beliefs of fishermen, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the people, arousing the spirit of solidarity, and creating working motivation for a new year. This is also an opportunity for people to express their respect and gratitude to the sea, praying for a peaceful new year, calm seas, and bumper hauls.

The festival is also expected to help raise people's awareness of the sea’s importance and values that the sea brings to people, thereby joining hands in protecting the marine environment, and to promote the image of the locality so to boost tourism activities.

The 50.1 sq.km. district is an archipelago in the Gulf of Tonkin, located on the east of Van Don district and boasting pristine long beaches with blue sea water and white sand along with a diverse ecosystem of primary tropical forests.

Two Vietnamese hotels given five stars by Forbes Travel Guide

The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in Hanoi and the Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam have been given five stars by magazine Forbes Travel Guide of the United States.  

The ranking list was revealed by the US magazine at the Star Awards held in February.

Accordingly, the other three hotels, including InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Park Hyatt Saigon, and The Reverie Saigon were also rated four stars.

The nation was ranked fourth in the number of five-star hotels in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia with four hotels, Singapore with four hotels, and Thailand with three hotels).

The Forbes Travel Guide identifies itself as the only global independent assessment unit in the hotel business. Only 20% of hotels rated by the organisation are five-star hotels.

The Forbes Travel Guide's five-star ranking is the gold standard in the hotel industry and only honours "superior service, state-of-the-art facilities and impeccable service quality".

Founded back in 1958, the Forbes Travel Guide is the oldest travel handbook in the US and is the first to offer a five-star rating system for the hotel industry.

Technology solutions key to Hà Nội's wastewater issues

With limited systems for water sewerage and drainage in the capital city, many experts agree that technology solutions are vital to addressing wastewater problems.

According to Dr Lê Xuân Rao, president of Hà Nội Union of Science and Technology Associations, 100 per cent of household wastewater in the capital city must be collected and treated by 2030, with 41 treatment plants that each have a capacity of 1.8 million cubic metres per day.

Hà Nội currently counts only six wastewater treatment plants, which are Kim Liên, Trúc Bạch, Yên Sở, Hồ Tây, Bảy Mẫu, Bắc Thăng Long-Vân Trì. Most of them are located along the Tô Lịch River basin.

Their combined capacity can only respond to around 28.8 per cent of the total wastewater volume requiring treatment.

Yên Xá water treatment plant, which has a capacity of 270,000 cubic metres per day, is expected to go into operation in 2025 and increase the percentage of treated wastewater to around 50 per cent.

According to the city’s plan for urban wastewater treatment and drainage system for the 2021-25 period, Hà Nội will continue working on large-scale treatment plants, building a decentralised treatment system for each area, residence or semi-urban and rural clusters situated far from the central urban zones.

In addition to infrastructure development, the capital city also plans to raise awareness of environmental protection and water drainage fees, while also allocating financial resources and promulgating policies for coordination among different stakeholders, said Rao.

Hà Nội’s drainage system in the inner city and old urban areas were built in the early 20th century, according to Dr Trần Đức Hạ, former director of the Water Supply and Sewerage Research Institute.

However, the sewer system does not cover the entire urban zone, while drainage points for household wastewater currently have yet to meet the requirements in terms of both quantity and technical conditions, he said.

To improve the wastewater quality in Hà Nội, Hạ believes measures should be taken to enhance the inner-city lakes and rivers’ ability for self-cleaning, while also combining these structures with public spaces for entertainment, cultural and religious activities.

A water quality and hydrological monitoring system is also necessary to regulate water flow and control discharge from factories and treatment plants into the rivers, he added.

Several technology solutions for wastewater treatment have been put into application in the capital city.

Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage One Member Co Ltd developed and introduced grease separators named EN 1825 and EN 858 with 90-95 per cent effectiveness, said the head of the system operations department Hoàng Thái Hà.

Removing grease in wastewater at the sources will help reduce blockages as well as dredging, maintenance and repair costs for drainage pipes, he said.

SiGen, an environmental company based in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, also produced mosquito-free odourless catch basins, which help accelerate drainage rate, prevent mosquito-transmitted diseases and ensure hygiene in urban areas.

The company has done a pilot test in several wet markets in HCM City, and believes that this invention could be beneficial for wastewater drainage and treatment across the country and in Hà Nội in particular.

Young man arrested for committing murder to take assets

A 20-year-old man was apprehended on Tuesday evening by the Thanh Xuân District Police for allegedly murdering a young woman.

Hoàng Minh Hào, hailing from Kép Town, Lạng Giang District, in the northern province of Bắc Giang, stands accused by authorities of theft on January 22 in Thượng Đình Ward, Thanh Xuân District, and of committing murder during a robbery on February 16 in Yên Hòa Ward, Cầu Giấy District, Hà Nội.

Preliminary investigations reveal that on January 22, after stealing a black Honda Vision, Hào pawned it for VNĐ10 million (US$400).

Subsequently, he rented a room near the Mỹ Đình Terminal to rest for two days before traveling to Hà Tĩnh central province by coach to celebrate the Tết holiday.

On February 16, while returning to Hà Nội by coach, Hào searched for boarding house information on Facebook and contacted L.T.T.L., who specialises in boarding house referrals and resides in Mỹ Đình 1 Ward, Nam Từ Liêm District, Hà Nội.

Hào arranged to meet L. at 5:30 PM the same day at Alley 79, Cầu Giấy Road, Cầu Giấy District, to see the guesthouse. However, he lacked the required deposit.

By 8:30 PM the same day, Hào scheduled another meeting with L. at the same location to provide the deposit.

Upon arrival, L. escorted Hào to a room on the third floor.

Observing L. alone, Hào conceived a plan to rob her. He strangled her, resulting in her death. Subsequently, he concealed the victim's body in a kitchen cabinet.

Hào then absconded with L.’s motorbike and two mobile phones.

He sought refuge in a rented room at No. 36C Alley 152, Nguyễn Đình Hoàn Street, Nghĩa Đô Ward, Cầu Giấy District, where he was later apprehended by police in Minh Khai Ward, Bắc Từ Liêm District. 

Hanoi launches Reading Cultural Ambassador Contest

The Hanoi People's Committee has drawn up a plan to hold the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest to promote the love of books among students and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day [October 10, 1954-2024].

Focusing on students from grades 1 to 12 in Hanoi, the contest aims to inspire a passion for reading among young people, thereby promoting reading culture in the community.

The competition also aims to boost the reading movement in schools and communities, forming habits and improving reading skills among students to encourage them to study and contribute to constructing the capital with concrete action.

The Hanoi Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2024 will have four levels, with the first for the school-level competition: All schools in the city will host the contest for students to involve more than 70% of students in writing articles or video clips. Each school will select 200 articles and video clips that win school-level prizes to participate in the commune-level contest.

The commune-level competition will shortlist 100 articles and video clips for the final district-level competition by May 2024. Three reading ambassadors who win prizes at the commune level are selected to participate in the district-level competition.

From the district-level contest, 50 articles and video clips from district-level winners will be submitted to the city contest by July 2024. Two Reading Culture Ambassadors who win at the district level will attend the city-level competition.

The Reading Cultural Ambassador city heats are expected to be completed by 15 August 2024. The final round will be held at the open-air stage in the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian area or the Dong Anh District Culture, Information and Sports Center from August 20 to 25.

Based on the jury's evaluation, the organizing committee will award Prize A (first prize), Prize B (second prize), Prize C (third prize), a consolation prize, and thematic prizes to individuals and teams.

Launched in 2019, the Reading Culture Ambassador competition was held nationwide. In particular, the first edition of the contest saw the active participation of visually impaired students from Nguyen Dinh Chieu Secondary School in Hanoi.

In recent years, under the government's project "Fostering a Reading Culture in the Community with an Orientation to 2030", a wide range of activities have been held to promote and develop reading culture not only in Hanoi but nationwide.

The Reading Culture Ambassador Contest has become an annual cultural activity that has gained appreciation and interest from the community and has produced positive results.

It not only celebrates the reading culture and contributes to creating a learning society but also serves as an opportunity for people to improve their understanding of the rich national culture.

In Hanoi, the 2021 edition of the Reading Culture Ambassador contest was the first to be organized in the city by the city's Department of Culture and Sports in coordination with the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

With the results of the first contest, it is expected that "Hanoi's Reading Culture Ambassador" will become a practical activity that will spread throughout the city to continue the campaign of learning and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style.

To promote reading culture among local youth, Hanoi authorities have planned to open mobile libraries in 50 suburban schools with 120,000 books for 40,000 students. Another 50,000 books will be distributed to 125 libraries in the community, schools, prisons, and private libraries.

Keng Loong and Xen Muong Festival are National Intangible Cultural Heritage

Keng Loong is an indispensable spiritual dish of Thai ethnic people in Mai Chau highland district, especially during festivals such as the New Rice Celebration, Xen Ban, Xen Mu.

On February 19, Mai Chau district held a ceremony to receive the certificates for Keng Loong National Intangible Cultural Heritage and Xen Muong Festival.

In Decision No. 3436/QD-BVHTTDL dated November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized Keng Loong as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Keng Loong is a unique form of folk cultural activity associated with the existence and development of the Thai ethnic people in Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province.

According to folk artists, "Keng" means "knock", and "Loong" is a large, sturdy wooden trough with many years of age and a clear sound.

Keng Loong is the act of holding a pestle and hitting a trough in working, as well as performing rituals and beliefs.

Meanwhile, the Xen Muong Festival of the Thai ethnic group in Mai Chau district is a traditional folk festival. This festival is also an important cultural and religious activity for the community in the district.

Xen Muong Festival aims to pray for the water god to bless good rain, good winds, lush crops, prosperous homes, and peaceful villages.

Including unique social practices and beliefs of Keng Loong and Xen Muong Festival in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list affirms the unique cultural identity of ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh province.

At the same time, this helps Mai Chau district have specific policies to preserve and promote heritage values, contributing to local tourism development.

Quang Ninh’s beauty introduced to Clipper Round World Yacht Race’s sailing teams

Members of sailing teams competing in the 2023-2024 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, have joined numerous sightseeing activities and cultural exchanges in Ha Long Bay of Quang Ninh province after docking at Ha Long International Cruise Port on February 18-19.

Addressing a ceremony to welcome members on February 21, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Thuy Yen said the Clipper Race is a special event, offering an opportunity for the locality to promote the image of Ha Long Bay and local destinations.

Quang Ninh is famous for its unique nature and culture and friendly people, and Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage, she said.

Yen expressed her hope that ship crews will experience wonderful moments in Ha Long, thus introducing the beauty of Ha Long to places they visit.

Through this race, Quang Ninh wishes to introduce and promote its tourism potential and destinations, as well as opportunities and investment projects in the province to potential investors, she added.

The Clipper Race was first organised in 1996 in the UK. Since then, almost 6,000 race crew from diverse backgrounds representing more than 60 nations have undergone training and taken part in the competition.

The race, drawing nearly 400 sailors aboard 11 sailing yachts, is divided into eight legs and 16 separate races, including six ocean crossings. They can choose to either complete the full circumnavigation or opt for one or multiple legs.

Ha Long Bay is on the fifth leg within the Asia-Pacific Challenge where sailors will take part in the race and different activities during the 10-day event. Before arriving at the Vietnamese destination, the boats departed from Coral Sea Marina Resort (Airlie Beach in Whitsunday, Australia's Queensland state).

As scheduled, the boats will leave Ha Long Bay on March 2, continuing their journey to Jiuzhou Port (Zhuhai city in China’s Guangdong province).

"The Sound of Hanoi" song composition contest debuts

The Hanoi People's Committee has launched a song composition contest under the theme "The Sound of Hanoi."

The competition aims to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day [October 10, 1954-2024] and promote the image of Hanoi as a city of beauty with friendly and hospitable people.

It aims to highlight Hanoi's cultural and artistic values and promote the creative ability of writers and musicians to write songs that vividly and deeply reflect the life, cultural, and historical traditions, integration, and development of the capital city.

The contest is expected to create a playing field for professional and non-professional songwriters to exchange and share experiences on how to respond to the artistic demands of the public.

The Hanoi Municipal People's Committee has asked the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports to take the lead and coordinate with district and city People's Committees nationwide to promote the competition to all songwriters, professional and amateur musicians, members of songwriting clubs and the general public nationwide.

The content of the works must reflect and praise Hanoi as a heroic capital city - a city for peace - a creative city where the quintessence of national culture comes together and spreads throughout the country. The songs should also praise the Hanoi people for their magnanimous, elegant, and loving virtues.

Each songwriter can submit three songs, which must be in line with Vietnamese national traditions and customs; unpublished or submitted to any competitions.

The Organising Committee is accepting entries from now until July 30. The committee is expected to review the winning works in September and October 2024.

Prolonged heat wave scorches southern Vietnam

The Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station has warned that an intensifying heat wave is scorching HCMC and other southern provinces, with temperatures far higher than in previous years.

In recent days, daytime temperatures in the region have soared to 36-37 degrees Celsius, with certain areas facing a daily high of 38 degrees Celsius. The heat wave is forecast to persist throughout March and April.

Global hydrometeorological stations have forecast temperatures for the first four months of this year to be 0.7-1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the 10-year average.

The excessively high temperatures have led to widespread fatigue and dehydration, particularly among those who work outdoors.

The heat wave, which is attributed to the El Nino phenomenon and climate change, poses a major risk of drought and saltwater intrusion, according to experts.

As water levels in canals and waterways continue to decline, there is a high possibility of land subsidence and landslides. Residents are advised to exercise caution.

Hanoi’s Do singing becomes national intangible heritage

Liep Tuyet Hat Do or Do singing on Hanoi's outskirts of Quoc Oai has been inscribed as a new national intangible cultural heritage.

Founded in Hanoi's rural district of Quoc Oai, Hat Do or Do singing is a special traditional art form that carries rich Vietnamese cultural identity and aesthetic values.

With a history dating back several centuries, the singing is associated with the legend of Tan Vien Son Thanh or the Saint of Tan Vien Mountain.

Tan Vien Son Thanh is one of the four immortals in traditional Vietnamese mythology. He is said to have ruled all creatures on land. He taught people how to grow crops, hunt animals, catch fish, practice martial arts, and hold festivals.

Do singing was found and practiced to show locals' desire for good natural conditions and life of happiness and prosperity.

Do singing is divided into three genres: Hat Tho or Worshipping Singing that is usually practiced inside the temple; Hat Truc and Hat Mua Bo Bo or informal Do singing that is practiced outside the temple. 

Performed without instrumental accompaniment, with only beats and fans as props, the singing also includes songs praising the beauty of nature and demonstrates man's desire to conquer nature.

According to ancient customs, the singers must be young and unmarried women who are not mourning any dead relatives.

"Apart from its myth, Do singing is a wonderful human creation. It is truly a precious jewel in the nation's cultural heritage that must be preserved and passed down from generation to generation," said Professor Dr. To Ngoc Thanh, Chairman of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association.

The Do Singing Festival lasts from the 10th to the 15th of the first lunar month. Since the event takes place every 36 years, folk singing exists almost by word of mouth and is in danger of being forgotten.

Sacred dragon exhibition in Hanoi

 The “Sacred Dragon” exhibition, which features 15 dragon paintings and seven Buddhist-themed paintings on Do (poonah) paper, is now on display at the Nam Vien Phu (Vietnamese Garden Palace) Cultural Space in Chuong My District on the outskirts of Hanoi.

In oriental cultures, the dragon has long been a symbol of nobility, eternal vitality, and cosmic power. In particular, the Dragon is an extremely important and sacred symbol in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese. According to popular belief, the zodiac sign that rules in 2024 is also the source of creative inspiration for many artists, including painters Vo Hoang Minh and Nguyen Duc Thanh.

The images of the sacred dragons were beautifully and gently depicted on Do paper paintings by Vo Hoang Minh in his works entitled "Two Dragons Adore the Moon", "Pair of Dragons Bring Luck", "Hidden White Dragon in the Clouds", "Majestic Black Dragon", and others.

Meanwhile, two colorful oil paintings by artist Nguyen Duc Thanh, titled "Mighty Dragon" and "The Mythical  Dragon Dominates Water", show the splendid, colorful beauty of the mascot that only exists in legends.

The cultural event was attended by many Vietnamese cultural enthusiasts, including Ali Akbar Nazari, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Vietnam, and his family. "My family and I are very happy to live in Vietnam, where everyone is humble, warm, and friendly," he said.

Visitors will also be introduced to basic Zen and meditation practices by Master Le Thai Binh, founder of the Zen Vien Wellness Center and director of the Healinglife Zen Academy. This will help them increase mindfulness, emotional well-being, awareness, kindness, compassion, and compassionate joy.

Founded by Master Le Thai Binh, Nam Vien Phu is a place where local and international friends, and lovers of Vietnamese culture and heritage are welcome.

Vietnam seeks stronger cooperation with French city in different fields

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang visited Grenoble city from February 17-20 as part of activities to enhance cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and French localities.  

At a meeting with Mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle, Thang appreciated the sentiments and whole-hearted support from the local authorities to the Vietnamese community and students there.       
 
The ambassador highlighted Grenoble’s cooperation with Vietnam, especially in higher education, scientific-technological research and high-tech, expressing his hope for stronger collaboration in the areas.

For his part, Piolle noted his readiness for cooperation in the areas of Vietnam’s interests and Grenoble’s strengths, and held that apart from the above-said fields, the two sides should take new steps in economic and trade ties, and pay more attention to cultural collaboration.  

Within the framework of the trip, Thang had working sessions with representatives of investment and trade agencies in the Grenoble Alpes region, and visited some research and training facilities in Grenoble.

At the meetings, the diplomat affirmed that Vietnam is a developing country with many needs in infrastructure, industry, energy, microelectronics and healthcare, and expressed his hope to develop partnerships with Grenoble in these spheres.
Highlighting the prospect for cooperation between enterprises from Vietnam and Grenoble region, Director of Invest Grenoble Alpes Métropole Nicolas Béroud spoke highly of the Southeast Asia’s impressive growth in the region.

He held that Vietnamese startups could roll out their projects in Grenoble, especially those in the areas of semiconductor, digital technology, healthcare, and new energy.

Meanwhile, Pierre Emmanuel Chaux from Grex International under the Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry described Vietnam as a potential market, saying Grenoble boasts strengths in industry, new energies and high technologies – the areas that Vietnam wants to branch out during its development process.

He suggested both sides think of cooperation projects in these fields in the time ahead.

During his working trip to Grenoble city, Ambassador Thang and his spouse attended a Tet gathering held by the General Union of the Vietnamese People in Isère region and the Association of Vietnamese Students in Grenoble.

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