About 1.7 million students of all grades in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to return to school by February 14 at the latest, according to the municipal Department of Education and Training.

On February 7, the first day after the Lunar New Year holiday, students from the 7th to 12th grades in the southern hub continue in-person learning, which has been resumed for them since early January.

Meanwhile, kindergartens and primary schools will reopen on February 14.

Notably, primary school students are allowed to directly attend school on a voluntary basis, and schools were told to organise educational activities in a way that matches the pandemic situation in the places they are located in.

HCM City has been classified as a “green” zone, equivalent to Level 1 - the lowest in the four-level pandemic scale, for five consecutive weeks, the municipal People’s Committee announced on February 5.

Students from grades 1-6 in Hanoi's suburban districts to return to school from February 10

Face-to-face learning will be resumed for pupils from the first to sixth grades in 18 suburban districts and towns of Hanoi from February 10 after a long time of online learning due to COVID-19.

On February 5, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung signed a document agreeing with the Department of Education and Training's proposal to allow pupils from the first to sixth grades to come back to school.

The city People’s Committee asked the department to coordinate with the Department of Health to guide the district-level People’s Committees to observe anti-pandemic regulations during in-person learning activities.

Hanoi’s suburban localities are Ba Vi, Chuong My, Dan Phuong, Dong Anh, Gia Lam, Hoai Duc, Me Linh, My Duc, Phu Xuyen, Phuc Tho, Quoc Oai, Soc Son, Son Tay, Thach That, Thanh Oai, Thanh Tri, Thuong Tin and Ung Hoa.

Meanwhile, pupils of grades one to six in 12 urban districts and those in high-risk areas will continue to study online, while preschool children will stay home.

Schools are requested to meet safety requirements against COVID-19. Only fully vaccinated teachers can lead in-person classes.

Students will spend only half of a day at school. The city requires schools not to conduct day-boarding services or open canteens.

216 traffic accidents kill 121 people during nine-day Tet holiday

As many as 216 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, killing 121 people and injuring 138 others during the Lunar New Year holiday from January 29 to February 6, reported the Traffic Police Department. 

Compared to the same period last year, the number of accidents, fatalities and the injured went down 7.3 percent, 10.4 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively. 

Among them, 214 road accidents left 120 dead and 137 injured while two railway accidents killed one and injured another. 

Police in localities also found 25,723 violation cases with fines up to over 25 billion VND, detained 110 automobiles and 4,277 motorbikes and revoked 2,127 driving licenses. 

Over 1,600 drivers were found to exceed the legal limit for "drunk driving", or 6.6 percent of the total violations. 

Localities collected fines of over 100 million VND from 215 violation cases on waterways. 

Via inspections, traffic police partnered with relevant agencies to arrest 23 criminals and 32 drug traffickers during the period.

Hanoi receives 105,000 visitors during Lunar New Year holiday

The capital city of Hanoi served over 105,000 tourists during the 9-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday which lasted from January 31 – February 6, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.

The most favourite destinations during the period included Ha Noi Zoo (28,000 visitors), Bao Son Paradise Park (15,000 visitors), and Ba Vi National Park (13,000 visitors).

Tourists were mainly local residents, and those from adjacent localities such as Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An.

In the context of complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, relic and cultural destinations in the capital area have not yet been re-opened, while many spring festivals have also been temporarily suspended.

HCM City COVID risk remains low for 5th straight week

HCM City’s COVID-19 alert level remains at level 1 for a fifth week in a row, its People's Committee announced.

All 21 districts and Thủ Đức City remain designated as green zones.

Green indicates low risk of COVID.

The other colours are yellow for medium risk, orange for high risk and red for very high risk.

Of the city’s 312 wards, communes and towns, only one is at level 2 (yellow), three down from last week.

Besides, for a second consecutive week the number of new COVID cases has been less than 1,000.

The city has administered at least one dose of a COVID vaccine to every resident aged 18 and over, and two shots to 94 per cent of people aged 50 and more.

The risk level is assessed based on three criteria: the number of new cases in the community, vaccine coverage and the ability to care for people with COVID-19 in the community.

Passengers flood two largest airports on last day of Tet holiday

Authorities have estimated that Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat, the country’s two biggest international airports, served more than 1,000 flights on February 6, the final day of the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The Northern Airports Authority said Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport served over 370 flights, including 18 outbound and 20 inbound international.

Outbound passengers reached up to 56,000 on February 6, higher than the pre-holiday peak of 40,600 recorded on January 29 and almost doubling last year’s holiday peak of 29,000. However, the figure was far from the record of 91,000 in 2020’s Tet holiday.

Though there was a surge in the number of passengers going through Noi Bai, it was yet to reach the airport’s capacity, said Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam Tran Van Hao when checking the airport on February 6 morning.

Airlines and ground services providers had increased supporting staff at check-in counters and security checkpoints to prevent congestion, he said.

The Southern Airports Authority estimated that Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport welcomed over 670 flights with around 101,000 passengers on board, including more than 31,700 outbound and 70,000 inbound.

Hao said domestic carriers are planning to increase flights to meet travel demand post-Tet. More than 100 flights, mostly on the Hanoi – HCM City route, are expected to be added from February 6 – 12.

Trains to Hanoi and HCM City were also full on the last day of the national holiday.

Vietnam: Travel to love! Spring reunion

A video welcoming in the Lunar New Year (Tet) was officially launched by the Tourism Information Centre on January 22.

The “Vietnam: Travel to love! - Spring reunion” video is part of Vietnam’s tourism communications programme on YouTube.

It focuses on spring colours in all parts of the country and the atmosphere of a traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, with “banh chung” (chung cake), red couplets, and customs that have become a beautiful part of Vietnamese culture.

The “Vietnam: Travel to love” programme has been on YouTube since early 2021, with seven videos posted to date on topics suitable for each tourist season.

Flights increased to meet post-Tết travel demand

Airlines plan to make an increase of more than 100 flights, mostly on the Hà Nội – HCM City route, from February 6 to 12 to serve travel demand after the Lunar New Year Celebration that ended on Sunday.

Phạm Văn Hảo, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Việt Nam, said that the aviation authority asked airline operators to add more night flights to meet the demand as there were a high number of daytime flights already.

The Northern Airport Authority said that on Sunday, Nội Bài International Airport operated more than 370 flights including 168 domestic departures, 166 domestic arrivals, 18 international departures and 20 international arrivals.

The number of domestic passengers travelling from the airport reached about 56,000.

A representative of the airport said that the number of flights and passengers passing through the airport on February 5 - 6 was higher than the peak day before Tết.

PM inspects My Thuan-Can Tho expressway, My Thuan 2 bridge construction

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the construction of My Thuan – Can Tho expressway and My Thuan 2 bridge on February 6.

The 23km My Thuan – Can Tho expressway passes through five towns and districts of the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap and Vinh Long. Built at a total cost of over 4.82 trillion VND (209.5 million USD), it is expected to be basically completed this year and put into operation next year.

He asked the two provinces to ensure site clearance for contractors and complete the project one quarter ahead of schedule with guaranteed quality.

At the construction site of My Thuan 2 bridge as part of the Eastern North-South Expressway Project, he also asked contractors to complete the project three months ahead of schedule to bring benefits to residents.

The PM asked local authorities to offer all possible support for contractors, especially in vaccination for workers.

The 6.61km bridge is built at a total cost of over 5 trillion VND. Its construction began on March 16, 2020 and is due to be finished next year.

Four European-style resorts in Da Lat for Tet holiday

If you are planning a trip to Da Lat during Tet, there are four romantic resorts with European architectural styles you could stay in.
 
Situated by Tuyen Lam Lake, around 7 kilometers from the town center, Dalat Resort Wonder is a large complex comprising of 19 lakeside villas.

The resort has an infinity pool, a mini golf course and a zoo. It also offers other experiences such as picking strawberry and boat tours to take in the lovely lake.

Meanwhile, the 127-hectare resort Sam Tuyen Lam Resort takes inspiration from the French countryside for its white villas scattered amid green meadows and surrounded by pine forests.

Nestled on a hill and surrounded by pine forests, Ana Mandara Villas Dalat was built during the French colonial period in the 1920s and 1930s. Despite major renovations, it retains its French architecture.

Also inspired by French architecture, Binh An Village Resort is an idyllic spot on the bank of Tuyen Lam Lake with seven villas and 10 hotel rooms surrounded by green trees and flower gardens.

Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival begins in Ninh Binh

The Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival kicked off in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district of the northern province of Ninh Binh on February 6, or the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

This has been the eighth edition of the annual festival since the Trang An Landscape Complex in the locality was recognised as the World Cultural And Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

This year, due to COVID-19, only basic rituals are conducted, while festive activities are restricted.

The festival will last until the end of the third lunar month.

Vietnamese students in US celebrate Tet

Nearly 200 Vietnamese students and youths living across the US gathered at a Lunar New Year (Tet) celebration in New York on February 5 evening (or February 6 morning – Vietnam time).

The event was held by the Vietnamese Association of Students in New York after two years of disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants at the event had a chance to enjoy traditional Vietnamese food, play folk games, exchange books and join a music game show.

Snow rain covers Mount Fansipan in Lao Cai

A light rain mixed with snow occurred on Mount Fansipan in Sa Pa township, the northern province of Lao Cai on February 6, lasting about 10 minutes in the early morning.

According to Director of the provincial Hydro-meteorological Station Luu Minh Hai, the temperature in Sa Pa, a popular tourist destination in the north, fell sharply from the night of February 5 to under 10 degrees Celsius.

On the top of Fansipan, the highest mount in Indochina, the temperature was under zero degree Celsius, resulting in a thin ice layer on the ground of the mountain from the height of 2,800m.

President launches tree planting festival in Phu Tho

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 6 launched a tree planting festival at the Hung Kings Temple relic site in the northern province of Phu Tho on the occasion of the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).

In his speech, President Phuc said forest planting and protection play an increasingly important role. It is an urgent task of strategic significance to people’s lives and sustainable national development.

According to him, Vietnam will plant 204.5 million trees each year on average from 2022-2025. He also took the occasion to urge the entire people to contribute to the 1 billion tree growing programme during 2021-2025.

Vietnamese nationals arrested in UK after cannabis raid 

ESSEX - Two Vietnamese nationals have been charged by police in the UK after officers discovered hundreds of cannabis plants during a daylight raid on a busy high street.

Nguyen Phong, 22 and 26-year-old Nguyen Tam, were due to appear before a Colchester Magistrates Court on Friday accused of producing a Class B drug.

They were arrested after police raided a property on Colchester High Street and found around 500 cannabis plants on Tuesday 1 February. 

Two other men aged 39 and 58 were also arrested. One remains in police custody and the other has been released pending further inquiries.

The discovery was made in the same county in the UK where 39 Vietnamese migrants died in the back of a lorry container in October 2018.

Congratulations to Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 6 sent a letter of congratulations to British Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70-year reign.

The same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also cabled his congratulatory letter to his UK counterpart Boris Johnson.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue sent messages of congratulations to Speaker of the House of Lords of the UK John McFall and Speaker of the House of Commons of the UK Lindsay Hoyle

Vietnam and the UK set up their diplomatic ties in 1973.

HCM City to develop traffic infrastructure

Major transport projects enhancing inter-regional connectivity and reducing traffic jams are expected to create a breakthrough for HCM City’s traffic infrastructure this year, according to the director of the city’s Department of Transport Trần Quang Lâm.

About 20 ongoing key projects are expected to be put into operation by the end of this year, including building new Bưng and Bà Hom bridges, expansion of Hoàng Hoa Thám and Đồng Văn Cống streets, and an upgrade of Cộng Hòa Street.

The transport sector will begin construction of 16 urgent projects, including Metro Line No.2 connecting Bến Thành Market in District 1 and Tham Lương Depot in District 12, An Phú Intersection in Thủ Đức City, widening a section of National Highway No. 50 in Bình Chánh District, and infrastructure works to ease congestion in areas around Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Tân Bình District.

The department is working with provinces in the southern key economic region to accelerate the investment in inter-regional projects such as the ring roads No. 2, 3 and 4, HCM City- Thủ Dầu Một -Chơn Thành Expressway running from HCM City, through Bình Dương Province to Bình Phước Province, and HCM City- Mộc Bài Expressway between HCM City and Tây Ninh Province.

It will continue to remove obstacles to speed up the building of Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge, four main roads in Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area and infrastructure in a residential area located in the northern part of Thủ Thiêm Peninsula in Thủ Đức City, and a north-south axis running through 4, 7 and Nhà Bè districts.

It will focus on developing local seaport systems, waterway transport infrastructure, potential seaports, and waterway transport combined with logistics development.

The beauty of a pagoda associated with a craft village’s culture

There is a pagoda where the two values of village culture and Buddhism are intertwined. A place that boasts the beauty of both landscapes and spiritual culture. A place with the traditional architecture of pagodas in the Red River Delta. It is Tieu Dao Pagoda in Giang Cao village, Bat Trang commune, in Hanoi’s Gia Lam district.

The ancient pagoda was built on a total area of 8,000 sq m. Before 1945, it was a hiding place for documents, books, and newspapers belonging to revolutionary cadres. It was also where late revolutionary musician Van Cao used to stay. His song “Tien Quan Ca” was produced on-site.

Not just a revolutionary pagoda, Tieu Dao is also imbued with the soul of a craft village - Bat Trang. The villagers of Giang Cao have introduced unique handicraft products, creating a unique cultural identity. And this is considered a way for them to preserve the values of traditional craft villages.

Tu Linh boat racing festival in Ly Son features national ritual, culture

As part of the national intangible cultural heritage, the Tu Linh boat racing festival in Ly Son island district in the central province of Quang Ngai is organised annually to pay tribute to national ancestors.

The tribute is also paid to soldiers who fought for the country’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos. 

The Tu Linh boat racing festival is associated with a long history of the country when Vietnamese residents from the mainland settled in Ly Son island between the late 16th century and the early 17th century, under the Le Trung Hung Dynasty and Nguyen Lords.

National fine arts museum displays folk paintings for Tet

A set of folk paintings displayed at Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts is highlighting the Lunar New Year and the first days of spring.

The display entitled Sắc Xuân (Colours of Spring) is a collection of four-scroll woodblock prints of the museum. 

Four-scroll woodblock print or quartet scroll is a set of four printings that depicts a wide variety of topics such as the four seasons of the year, the stages of human life, episodes from literature and legends, or the four idealised female figures. 

The sets of painting include Tứ Quý (The Four Season); Tố Nữ (Beautiful Maidens); Ngư - Tiều - Canh - Độc (Fisherman - Woodcutter - Farmer - Scholar) and Historical Quartet. 

Tố Nữ paintings feature four young ladies in traditional costumes with four different postures including dancing with fans and playing musical instruments.

All the pieces of the quartet depict the beautiful appearance and soul of traditional Vietnamese women.

Some of the series have been enhanced with beautiful Han Chinese or Nôm (Vietnamese ideographic) calligraphy calling for wealth and peace and providing a textual counterpart to the colourful images.

The exhibition runs until February 28 at the Temporary Space, Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. 

Trang An eco-tourism site officially reopens

The Trang An eco-tourism site, part of the Tràng An Landscape Complex in northern Ninh Bình Province, attracted a large number of visitors when officially reopening on February 2 after a long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The site management board said before reopening, the safety of all boats as well as health of all staff members and sailors had been examined. Police and security guards have also been arranged across the site to ensure security, order, and traffic safety.

The eco-tourism site is open from 7am to 5pm every day.

The Tràng An Landscape Complex was recognised as a world cultural and natural heritage site by UNESCO in June 2014. 

Spring festival programme to launch in ethnic culture village

The annual "Spring Colours in Every Region of the Nation" programme will be organised from February 12 to the end of the month at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in the western outskirts of Hà Nội.

The event will be low-key ensuring cost-saving and pandemic prevention safety, according to the organisers.

Party and State leaders will visit ethnic minority representatives at the village, join a traditional tree-planting ceremony, open a traditional house of Nghệ An central province and traditional wooden house of Quảng Nam central province as well as enjoy traditional festivals of ethnic groups in the village.

The village is in Đồng Mô District, 45km to the west of Hà Nội’s centre. 

HCM City tourism industry sets plan for 2022

HCM City’s tourism sector hopes to attract 3.5 million international visitors and 25 million domestic travellers this year.

When the pandemic is efficiently controlled, the city aims to welcome 3.5 million international tourists.

Meanwhile with domestic tourists, the city expects to attract 25 million arrivals if the pandemic situation is well controlled and 18 millions if unexpected events occur.

In order to achieve this goal, director of the HCM City Department of Tourism Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa said the sector needed to strive for effective management and create favourable conditions for a healthy competitive environment for business and the tourism community to develop.

New attractive tourism products significant to the unique charm of the city, further application of information technology in tourism promotion, better cooperation in tourism development within and outside the country and more quality human resources are key in 2022.

Source: VNA/VOV/VNS/VNN/SGT

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES FEBRUARY 6

COVID-19: New cases on February 5 total 12,170