National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on January 30 attended a ceremony to launch an emulation movement and a tree planting festival in Yen Son district in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang.

Speaking at the event, Hue said that in 1948, in Viet Bac region, which now comprises Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen provinces, President Ho Chi Minh issued a patriotism emulation appeal.

Over the past 75 years, the movement has developed continuously, helping to make great achievements in the process of national building and safeguarding.

He appreciated the important results gained by Tuyen Quang’s Party Organisation, administration and people in the patriotism emulation movement, and afforestation and forest protection, and forestry economic development.

On the same day, the NA leader attended a ceremony to start construction of Tuyen Quang High School for Gifted Students.

PM inspects key transport project in Mekong Delta

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 30 examined the progress of key transport projects in the Mekong Delta.

Visiting a construction site of My Thuan 2 Bridge that crosses the Tien River and connects the Trung Luong-My Thuan and My Thuan-Can Tho expressways between HCM City and Can Tho, he asked constructors to speed up work, ensure the quality of the construction, labour safety and pay proper care to workers’ living conditions.

With a total investment of over 5 trillion VND (USD 213.22 million), the construction of the 6.61-km bridge was started in March 2020 and is expected to complete this year. By now, more than 70% of the work has been completed.

The leader added localities must proactively build intersections, organise traffic routes connecting to the bridge and the expressways to exploit new development space.

At the construction site of a section of the eastern North-South Expressway that runs through Can Tho and Hau Giang, Chinh applauded  workers for their efforts in their through the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

For more efficient infrastructure development, the PM ordered that ministries, branches, and localities actively coordinate in site clearance work, and consider inland waterway transport development as well as human resources training to prepare for a new period when infrastructure is invested.

Improved infrastructure will help reduce transport costs and increase the competitiveness of goods and services in the Mekong Delta, contributing to the socio-economic development of the region and the whole country, Chinh said.

The same day, PM Chinh visited the resettlement area in Cai Rang district, Can Tho city. The 10.8-ha area is now home to households who moved to make room for the construction of the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway that belongs to the eastern North-South expressway project.

He asked local authorities to ensure proper livelihood and living conditions for the residents in the resettlement area.

Dien Bien Airport to be closed for expansion

Dien Bien Airport in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien will close for at least six months for expansion work.

The closure will start in late March for the VND1.46 trillion (USD62.21 million) project to expand the runway, taxiway, parking lot and passenger terminal.

Work on the project is scheduled to be completed by December this year.

The investor Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) is speeding up site clearance for the project to ensure work can start as scheduled.

Once finished, the expanded Dien Bien Airport would be able to receive A320-size aeroplanes instead of the current ATR72s.

The passenger terminal will be upgraded to serve 500,000 passengers annually compared to the current capacity of 300,000.

Site clearance has been underway since 2019.

Support activities for Vietnamese workers in the RoK implemented

A working delegation of the Vietnam Centre for Overseas Labour (Colab) had a meeting on January 29 with representatives from the Counseling Centre for Foreign Workers of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Ansan city to promote the implementation of support activities for Vietnamese labourers in the RoK.

The Vietnamese centre’s Director Dang Huy Hong, who is head of the delegation, thanked the Ansan centre for supporting foreign workers in general and Vietnamese in particular when living and working in the Korean city.

He showed his hope that the centre will continue working closely with Vietnamese units to support Vietnamese workers, especially newcomers, to soon adapt to the life in the East Asian nation.

During the working visit to Ansan, the Colab delegation also met several Vietnamese labourers working in the city.

Hong informed them of new policies related to migrant workers.

This year, up to 110,000 foreign workers are allowed to enter the RoK.

Lung Tung festival opens in Lai Chau province

Thai ethnic people in Than Uyen district, the northern province of Lai Chau, held their traditional new year festival of Lung Tung (Going to the field) on January 29, drawing crowds of local residents and visitors.

Highlights of the festival, marking the start of a new farming year, are rituals paying tribute to Han (a deity that helps the Thai fight against invaders and defend their territory) and the gods of the mountains and the forest.

Then, the government's and locals' representatives went to the field to perform the plowing and sowing rituals, hoping for a year of abundant harvest.

During the festival, visitors have a chance to participate in folk games, nem con (throwing a ball through a ring for good luck), crossbow shooting, tug of war and cultural exchanges.

Addressing the event, Tran Quang Chien, vice chairman of Than Uyen district’s People’s Committee said that Lung Tung festival is an opportunity to strengthen community bonds, preserving the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic groups and popularising the image of Than Uyen district to tourists.

OVs in Thailand celebrate traditional Lunar New Year

Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in Thailand gathered at a programme hosted by the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen province on January 29 to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival – the longest and biggest traditional holiday of Vietnam.

In his speech at the event, Vietnamese Consul General Chu Duc Dung briefed guests on socio-economic development achievements of Vietnam, as well as the agency’s operation, especially activities to connect Vietnamese expats in the northeast region of Thailand with the homeland.

He spoke highly of the role played by OVs for the homeland’s development, affirming that they have been contributing to preserving Vietnam’s cultural identities and values through cultural and religious exchange activities in Thailand.

The Vietnamese community abroad is an indispensable part of and important resources for the homeland's development, he stressed, hoping that Vietnamese expats in Thailand will continue to further contribute to promoting the Vietnam – Thailand relationship.

Phanthep Saokosol, deputy governor of Khon Kaen province highlighted the fruitful development of the bilateral relations, saying that the two countries always support each other and closely cooperate at regional and international forums.

Relations of localities of the two nations have been strongly strengthened, he said, adding that Khon Kaen and central Da Nang city of Vietnam has set up a twinning relationship towards expanding economic, trade, investment, tourism, and culture cooperation.

During the programme, participants enjoyed Tet dishes together, and learned more about the meaning and role of rituals and traditional foods for Tet in Vietnam.

Resolution aims for sustainable development of labour market

The Government has issued a resolution on boosting the flexible, effective, sustainable and integrated development of the labour market, aiming to speed up socio-economic recovery.

The resolution stressed the importance of improving workforce productivity and developing a fair and sustainable labour market covering all regions across the country, not just in major economic centres.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed shortcomings and weaknesses in the labour market, with nearly two million workers, mainly those without skills and training, forced to leave the market.

In addition, vocational training has not been able to meet the demand for skilled workers, especially for high-tech industries, in socio-economic development, economic restructuring, integration into the global economy, and foreign investment attraction.

In the coming decades, Vietnam must heavily invest in its workforce, said the resolution, with a key focus on educating workers, improving working conditions, and supporting vulnerable groups to join the workforce.

Meanwhile, measures must be taken to reform the labour market with an eye on sustainable development, efficiency in managing the country's human resources and greater connectivity with the regional and international labour markets.

Under the resolution, the number of skilled workers in the country is expected to reach 30% of the workforce by the end of 2025, while labour productivity is hoped to increase 6.5% annually and the unemployment rate is hoped to be kept under 3% nationwide.

In 2025, the Government hopes for 45% of eligible labourers joining social insurance, and 35% paying unemployment insurance.

Policies will be issued to limit unemployment and increase labour quality, restore and stabilise the labour market, promote sustainable job creation and effective use of the workforce.

The resolution stressed the importance of balancing the labour market and other economic sectors to maintain economic stability, help connect employers and workers, and anticipate the demand of foreign companies in the coming years.

Nearly 19,500 surgeries performed during seven-day Tet holiday

Hospitals across Vietnam conducted 19,435 surgeries during the seven-day Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, up 11.4% from the same period last year, reported the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration.

Check-ups and first aid were given to 381,216 patients in the period, up 38.2% year-on-year, it said. Of the patients, 173,351 had to be hospitalised, up 38.9%.

As of 7am on January 27 - the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, nearly 127,400 patients have been receiving under treatment at medical establishments nationwide.

During the seven-day holiday from January 20-26, healthcare facilities provided emergency aid for over 3,440 cases due to fighting, and 30,000 patients related to traffic accidents, up 10.4 percent. 

The number of emergency cases related to food poisoning, firecrackers and explosive materials also increased, with 813 patients due to food poisoning and digestive disorder, accounting for 0.2% of the total number of examinations and emergencies.

There were 13,950 medical examination and emergency cases relating to labour accidents in the period, including 23 deaths.

Hoa Binh’s Khai Ha festival thrills visitors

The 2023 Khai ha (going down to the field) festival, the biggest traditional folk event of the Muong ethnic group in the northwestern province of Hoa Binh, took place at the provincial level for the first time from January 27 – 29 (the sixth to eighth day of the lunar new year).

The enticing festival featured a series of cultural, art, sport activities, and folk games, including a Muong Bi night market, Muong ethnic costume fashion show, musical exchange, and demonstrations of traditional crafts, among many others.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khanh said the annual event, preserved by local people, embodies many traditional, cultural and historical values and attracts a large number of locals and tourists.

In 2022, the Khai ha festival of the Muong people in Tan Lac, Lac Son, Cao Phong, and Kim Boi district was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The festival, also dubbed as the ploughing or forest opening festival, has connection with the wet rice cultivation which carries a sign of civilisation of the ancient Vietnamese. It has become an indispensable cultural activity of the Muong people in the new year.

Khai ha in each Muong region takes place at different times and places. Each site is associated with the history of the gods meriting the land and the ethnic community.

Traditional ploughing festival held to pray for bumper crops

The traditional Tich dien (ploughing) festival took place in Tien Son commune of Duy Tien town, the northern province of Ha Nam, on January 28 (the seventh day of the first lunar month) to pray for bumper harvests and prosperity.

According to historical records, the Tich dien ceremony was first organised at the foot of Doi Mountain by King Le Dai Hanh in the spring of 987 and then became a tradition practiced every spring.

The festival, restored in 2009, aims to pray for good weather and bumper crops, encourage agricultural production, inspire people’s industriousness and patriotism, and educate the young on the traditional culture.

It featured the procession of the memorial tablet of King Le Dai Hanh from Long Doi Son Pagoda to the foot of Doi Mountain, where it merged with the procession of the local tutelary god and the founder of the Doi Tam drum making craft. After that, the joint procession moved to the rice field where King Le Dai Hanh was said to plough during Tich dien ceremonies in the past. At the rice field, incense was offered to the God of Agriculture and the Le Kings. A local elderly was then invited to plough the field, followed by local officials and elderly people, marking the beginning of a new year of farming. 

The event also included a wide range of festive activities such as sports competitions, folk games, buffalo decoration contests, singing performances, and displays of typical farm produce and handicrafts.

Provincial and local officials along with a large number of visitors attended the festival.

Anti-Vietnam war activist Victor Navasky passes away

Victor Navasky, a US journalist and activist who actively participated in movements against the war in Vietnam, has passed away in New York at the age of 90, local media reported on January 25.

His death, in a hospital on January 23, was caused by pneumonia, said his son, Bruno Navasky.

Born on July 5, 1932 in New York, Victor Navasky worked for The New York Times as an editor and then served as a longtime editor and editor-in-chief of the Nation - one of the US’s oldest magazines.

Neu pole lowering, seal opening ceremony celebrates new year

A ceremony was held at the Hue Imperial Relic Site in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s Hue City on January 28 (the seventh day of the first lunar month) to take down the Neu pole (a tall bamboo pole with red garment strips used to ward off evil spirits during the lunar New Year) and open the New Year seal.

According to Director of the Hue Relics Preservation Centre Hoang Viet Trung, under the Nguyen Dynasty, the rituals marked the end of the Lunar New Year holiday and the start of work and normal activities.

The Neu pole was erected on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, marking the beginning of Tet. It coincides with the day when the Kitchen Gods are believed to ride a carp to Heaven to report on events from the past year.

During 143 years of its reign (1802 – 1945), the Nguyen Dynasty held an annual ceremony to plant the Neu at the Imperial Citadel. The pole carried ritual items on its top, like a royal seal, a paper scroll and pen, which implied that the royal court stopped working during Tet. After the royal ceremony, ordinary people would erect their own Neu and start celebrating Tet.

The Neu was intended to ward off ghosts and demons from entering the community during Tet, and guide the spirits of ancestors on the way home for the Lunar New Year festival. The custom is also practiced in some Asian countries besides Vietnam.

It was taken down on the seventh day of the first lunar month to mark the end of the Tet celebration.

Meanwhile, the seal opening marked the start of a new working year of the ancient central administrative system with the hope that the whole year will be smooth and successful and the country will be peaceful and prosperous.

The traditional rituals of the Nguyen Dynasty have been revived for many years at the Hue imperial relic site. 

During the seven-day Tet holiday from January 20-26, the Hue imperial relic site welcomed over 66,000 visitors, including 12,848 foreigners, earning nearly 5 billion VND (23,060 USD).

Ministry of Public Security hosts New Year concert 2023

A grand concert to welcome the Year of the Cat was held at Hanoi Opera House on January 29 with the performance of the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) and the People’s Public Security Theatre.

The New year concert 2023 was sponsored by the Ministry of Public Security as a present to officers, soldiers and their relatives on the occasion of the new lunar new year. 

Following the success of the first one in 2022, the concert has been made an annual event on the 8th day of the first lunar year. 

The event this year gathered about 100 artists. It introduced a number of famous songs of Vietnam re-composed for the symphony orchestra such as “Mua xuan dau tien” (The first spring) and “Nguoi Ha Noi” (The Hanoian); and other western and eastern classical pieces about Spring.

Mekong Delta - An ideal destination for foreign visitors

Boasting a network of canals, immense rice fields and fruit orchards, the Mekong Delta has become a favourite destination for foreign visitors who wish to explore the life on the water and the original culture of the southwestern region. 

Located on the lower part of the Mekong River with rich alluvial soil, interlacing canal networks, and temperate climate, the region has the best conditions for growing fruit trees. It is the country’s largest fruit growing area with fruits such as rambutan, mango, durian, longan, guava, orange, and plum.

Many orchards in the Mekong Delta are known nationwide, including Cai Be, Vinh Kim and Cho Gao in Tien Giang province; Cai Mon in Ben Tre; Cu Lao An Binh in Vinh Long; and My Khanh in Can Tho city. These orchards have not only brought in agricultural income, but have become attractive destinations for visitors to the Mekong Delta.

Apart from beautiful orchards, the region lures visitors to an original water lifestyle where people live and trade on boats, forming large floating markets like Cai Be in Tien Giang, Cai Rang in Can Tho, Nga Nam in Soc Trang, and Phung Hiep in Hau Giang.

Above all, the Mekong people’s fervor, hospitality, and generosity make the region a truly worthwhile place to visit.

The provinces in the delta have taken all these advantages to develop original tours to Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Can Tho and Long An where visitors can see beautiful fruit-laden orchards and explore the life of southwestern farmers.

From Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can go to My Tho by bus and from there they can take a boat tour to explore Thoi Son, one of the four popular islands in Tien Giang province.

From a beautifully decorated boat traveling the Tien River, people can see Thoi Son Island appearing behind the greenery of immense orchards.

On this tour, tourists can visit orchards to enjoy rambutans, bananas and sapodillas fresh from the gardens and drink honey tea. They can also go to craft villages in the area and learned the process of making coconut candy, girdle cakes and chocolate - the region’s known specialties.

The tour also offers a chance for travellers to join such activities such as rowing a three-plank boat, bailing out water to catch fish in a pond, walking on a monkey bridge, which is a very popular type of bridge in the Mekong Delta. It is a simple, handmade bamboo or wooden bridge over a stream or channel.

Vietnam attends fifth International Conference For World Balance

A Vietnamese delegation led by deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Affairs Le Anh Tuan attended the fifth International Conference For World Balance in Havana on January 24-28.

Themed “With all and for the good of all”, the event was one of the activities honouring Cuban national hero José Martí on the occasion of his 170th birth anniversary (January 28), with over 1,100 delegates from 87 countries globally taking part.

This world forum of plural and multidisciplinary thought is convened by the José Martí Project for World Solidarity every three years, enabling hundreds of professors, social activists and intellectuals in general, from all latitudes of the planet, to reflect on the main contemporary problems.

As the first guest to address the opening ceremony, Tuan underlined that together with the people across the globe, the Vietnamese people always aspire to live in a world of peace, democracy with the long-term goal of wealthy people, strong country and a democratic, fair and civilised society.

In order to build a better world, the Vietnamese delegation suggested further strengthening the role of the legislature and lawmakers in fine-tuning laws; overseeing the enforcement of policies; ensuring equality and non-discrimination in terms of gender, ethnicity and religion in the fields of politics, socio-economy, culture, labour, health care, education - training; and settling conflicts and disputes via peaceful means in line with international law; among others.

On the occasion, Tuan also held working sessions with Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Ana María Mari Machado and President of the Cuban National Assembly’s Commission on Foreign Relations Yolanda Ferrer Gómez.

Problems must be settled for Long Thanh airport construction: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 29 asked the southern province of Dong Nai to complete the handover of cleared ground for the first-stage construction of Long Thanh international airport by the end of this first quarter. 

During a working session with ministries, agencies, localities and stakeholders of the project after making a fact-finding trip earlier the same day to the construction site, he assigned them to responsibility for the work under their watch and solve existing issues.

The Government has directed the establishment of a working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to oversee and speed up the project, PM Chinh revealed.

At the construction site, he asked ministries, agencies, localities and investor to hasten the implementation of the project, with quality guaranteed.

Covering a total area of more than 5,580 hectares, the Long Thanh international airport will spread across six communes in Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province. The airport’s total investment is 336.63 trillion VND (14.6 billion USD), with construction divided into three phases.

In the first phase, a runway and one passenger terminal along with other supporting facilities will be built at a cost of 109.112 trillion VND to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo each year.

The project started in 2021. Once fully completed by 2050, the airport will be able to handle 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo annually.

Located 40km east of Ho Chi Minh City, the airport is expected to relieve overloading at Tan Son Nhat international airport in the southern metropolis, now the country’s largest airport.

Reviving horse racing tradition in Lao Cai’s Bac Ha

Bac Ha horse racing festival was recognised as a national intangible heritage on May 31, setting the scene for the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai to foster preservation of its distinctive north-western cultures.

Horses are close friends of tribal villagers across Lao Cai as they have been used for transportation for generations. In the late afternoon when the sun sets behind mountains in the west, the horses patiently carry crops harvested from remote upland fields all the way through rocky bumpy mountain roads to the village.

The horse racing event is held every spring at the foot of Ba Me Con Mount in the heart of Bac Ha district, which is endowed with magnificent landscapes and rich in ethnic minority culture.

Neither a commercial nor professional race, the festival at Bac Ha features farmers and their pack horses which normally carry maize, rice and stone. Horsemen ride their horses without harness and stirrups, just a horse belt, with two iron hooks tied to ropes on either side of the horse’s mouth for control.

Bac Ha horses are dubbed as the most beautiful breed in Vietnam.

According to local residents, the horse race was revived based on stories handed down through generations since the old time when immense forests were adorned with white plum and apricot flowers and local people flocked to the edifice of the King of local Mong ethnic group, who was known as Hoang A Tuong, to see the horse race.

During the competition, the horsemen in well-fitting dress were ready to gallop when a shot signalled the start. Approaching the finish line, they jumped from their horses, fired five shots in succession, took a red ball, remounted and carried on.

The winner was the man with the fastest horse and the most points.

However, during the wars against the French and American invaders, the race was not held for many years as the horsemen were conscripted to protect national independence.

In 1975, Bac Ha residents celebrated victory in the anti-American war with a big parade of more than 200 horses.

In the spring of 1980, the horse race was once again launched by the Bac Ha Military Command, attracting more than 50 jockeys from across the district.

But it wasn't until 27 years later, in 2007, that the horse race was officially restored as part of cultural activities, and then as part of the annual tourism development co-operation programme among eight north-western provinces.

Exploring terraced rice fields in Yen Bai province

Having been well-known for its most breathtaking terraced rice fields, Mu Cang Chai in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai has been repeated among travel lovers and photographers, especially in late September and early October - the best time for capturing the most beautiful landscapes of terraced fields in the mountainous district.

Located more than 300km to the northwest of Hanoi and 1,000 metres above sea level, Mu Cang Chai is now a familiar destination for tourists.

Mu Cang Chai features enchanting scenery and gracious people whose way of life is so startlingly different than most in the world; it is endearing and lovely to visit such a beautiful, majestic landscape with kind people.

Passing the Khe pass and then the Bo Hon slope, visitors arrive in Tu Le - a popular stopover on the way to Mu Cang Chai.

The local Mong ethnic group has used that word to describe Khau Pha as a horn rising to the blue sky, and also to indicate the degree of danger. The whole pass is more than 20km long, with mostly cloudy all year round.

Along the road to Mu Cang Chai town are terraced fields stretching from the top of the mountain down to streams.

Mu Cang Chai terraced fields have long been well-known and considered a must-visit place for tourists to the northwestern region of Vietnam. These are the terraced fields on mountain slopes, which cover an area of about 2,200 hectares in the three communes of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh in Mu Cang Chai district cultivated by the Mong people for centuries.

Mu Cang Chai district is home to 500 hectares of rice terraces in La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh communes, cultivated by the H’mong people for centuries.
Terraced fields in Mù Cang Chải are beautiful year-round. Visitors in March can see glittering ponds before locals transplant rice seedlings from April to May.

After May, the hills are covered in green until the fields start to turn yellow with ripe rice in early September.

During the harvest in October, the golden rice fields stand out amidst green forests. 
Yen Bai province said it will continue to conduct conservation activities and promote the value of relics and heritage in the area.

Besides, the province will also promote tourism development. From now until 2025, Mu Cang Chai District will become a tourist district and Nghia Lo town will become a cultural – tourist town.

Mu Cang Chai terrace fields in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai was included into the list of the 50 most beautiful places in the world in 2020 by Big 7 Travel.

“When you imagine magnificent Asian rice fields swirling on the slopes of velvet green hills, you’re picturing Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam,” wrote the website.

Centuries of careful cultivation have shaped what is easily some of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world, it continued.

Ranking 21st in the list, Mu Cang Chai is also full of hiking trails and vibrant local culture. It is a draw to both domestic and foreign tourists and among places where travellers want to come back.

The ranking was drawn up by Big 7 Travel after it asked its 1.5-million-strong social audience for their opinion, mined data from Pinterest and analysed the most-liked images on its Instagram profile this year.

Big 7 Travel provides current and curated recommendations, aiming to helping millions of people discover the world.

Cultural diplomacy raises Vietnam's position worldwide

After a year implementing the strategy on cultural diplomacy to 2030, Vietnam has achieved marked results in the field, helping promote its relations with other countries across all channels of the Party, Government, National Assembly, and people, affirmed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, the official noted that Vietnam has focused on including the cultural content into the activities of high-ranking leaders during their overseas trips and the country’s reception of foreign leaders; and on promoting deep and wide integration in the fields of culture, science and education at international forums.

According to him, Vietnam hosted significant regional and international conferences and events last year, including the 31st SEA Games and the Vietnam day programme in the Republic of Korea, Austria and India. The country was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-2026 term with the highest number of votes.

The first official visit to Vietnam by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay was a highlight, putting the country, its culture and people on the radar of international media, Ngoc said.

The guest said she was impressed by Vietnam’s achievements in the fields of culture, science and education, he added.

The diplomat highlighted that last year Vietnam had four heritages and titles recognised by UNESCO; and that many localities successfully organised big cultural and diplomatic events serving the conservation and promotion of regional heritage and cultural values, attracting investment, and creating resources for sustainable development goals.

Ngoc said these achievements show the international community's appreciation for the heritage and cultural values of the nation, making Vietnam an attractive destination and putting it on the map of cultural and natural heritage and documents of the world.

Access to regulations and commitments set out by UNESCO has helped Vietnam raise the standard of management, conservation and promotion of heritage values, integrating heritage protection in local development strategy planning and striking a balance between conservation and development towards sustainable development.

He recommended that the country promote its national image, culture and people to the world; make cultural promotion activities part of its trade promotion programmes; and build national and local brands so that culture becomes an endogenous force attracting external resources, especially intellectual, technology and investment for socio-economic growth.

Furthermore, cultural diplomatic activities must be deployed more and more creatively with the smooth coordination of ministries, branches, localities and overseas Vietnamese, the official added.

In the fourth industrial revolution, cultural diplomacy needs to quickly access new knowledge to make the most of resources that serve the country's sustainable development, especially in the fields of cultural industry, creative industry and international cooperation in science and technology and education and training, Ngoc stated.

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