The Hương (Perfume) Pagoda Festival will be held after two years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The People's Committee of Mỹ Đức District has announced that the festival’s opening ceremony will be held on January 27 at the Thiên Trù Pagoda. As usual, the 2023 Hương Pagoda Festival will last for three months (from January 23 to April 23).

Tickets for festival goers cost VNĐ80,000 per adult, and VNĐ40,000 per child.  

Boat return tickets for the Hương Tích route cost VNĐ80,000 per person, while the Long Vân – Tuyết Sơn route is VNĐ35,000 per person.

The local authority has requested ticket agents distribute tickets in electronic form, replacing the previous printed form.

The reopening of festival, one of the country’s largest pilgrimage events, will contribute significantly to the country’s tourism which is on the road to recovery after the pandemic.

Located in Hương Sơn Commune, Hương Sơn Landscape Complex, also known as Hương Pagoda, consists of natural and cultural properties including Buddhist pagodas, caves and temples worshipping local agricultural gods. Aside from its religious significance, the complex also holds special values in terms of its ecosystem, landscape, architecture and history.

The complex, built under the reign of King Lê Thánh Tông (1442 – 1497), was destroyed by French colonialists but has been rebuilt with the support of the State, local residents and visitors. 

It was recognised as a special national relic site in 2018. 

Germany helps Viet Nam prevent future pandemics

The Ministry of Economics of the German State of Hessen and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development donated medical equipment worth EUR 500,000 (US$ 533,860) to help Viet Nam develop an environmental microbiology laboratory, which is capable of detecting pandemic viruses through testing wastewater samples.

The lap will be set up at Vietnamese - German University (VGU) with the support of the World University Service (WUS) of Germany.

Various studies showed that the virus can be noticed in wastewater up to 14 days earlier by evaluating tests. This will be useful in combating pandemics, for example, researchers can localize an epidemic hotspot on a certain street.

The early detection of the pandemic through the study of domestic wastewater has been developed by Dr Susanne Lackner of Germany's Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt).

The laboratory at TU Darmstadt is also one of the leading laboratories for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by genome sequencing and operates as a reference laboratory of the European Union (EU).

WUS President Kambiz Ghawami said that the cooperation reflects the friendly, deep and close relationship between the state of Hessen and Viet Nam, making an essential contribution to the cooperation in research and teaching in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Vietnam Airlines opens pilot training school in Kien Giang

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Viet Flight Training have inaugurated a flight school at Rach Gia airport, the first civil pilot training facility in Kien Giang province and the southern region.

The two have received a Level-1 Approved Training Organisation (ATO1) certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to provide Private Pilot License (PPL) training courses.

On this occasion, Viet Flight Training welcomed the first batch of 12 students attending the first PPL course.

ATO1, which allows the theory and basic flight practice training in Vietnam, will help shorten the training time abroad and reduce cost.

The Viet Flight Training was established by the Vietnam Airlines in 2008, aiming to meet 50-60%  demand for pilots meeting international standards for Vietnam Airlines and the whole aviation sector, reducing financial burden to airlines and national budget for civil pilot training activities.

Earlier, the Viet Flight Training received Level-3 ATO and Level-2 ATO certificates. In the 2021-2022 period, the facility coordinated with foreign partners to train more than 1,000 trainees from 10 countries, becoming the largest civil pilot supplier for the domestic aviation sector.

Mekong Delta begins work to keep saltwater at bay during dry season

Authorities in the Mekong Delta have taken proactive prevention measures to mitigate the impacts of saltwater intrusion in rivers in the 2022-23 dry season.

The country’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer normally faces this problem in the period between December and April and agriculture and the lives of locals, especially in coastal areas, are impacted.

To cope with the problem, the delta’s 12 provinces and Can Tho city have restructured farming and built temporary saltwater prevention dams and store freshwater.

For the ongoing winter-spring rice crop authorities had instructed farmers to complete sowing before the end of December to avoid the impact of saltwater and a water shortage around harvest time.

The Tra Vinh provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said it has given farmers sowing schedules, instructed them in farming methods to adapt to saltwater intrusion and lack of water and how to prevent pest and disease outbreaks.

This year the saltwater is expected one month earlier than normal, it has warned. Tra Vinh is among the localities hardest hit by saltwater in its rivers every year. Farmers in the delta have planted nearly 1.6 million hectares of winter-spring rice.

Around 400,000ha in coastal areas in Long An, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Kien Giang provinces are expected to suffer from the lack of water at the end of the crop when seawater enters rivers, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection and Cultivation Department.

As they do every year, coastal provinces have repaired and upgraded irrigation works, saltwater prevention embankments and sluices or plan to do so.

Kien Giang province is set to build or upgrade 119 temporary dams to store freshwater for irrigation and household use during the dry season. It expects more than 30,000 households to face a shortage. Its Irrigation Sub-department has begun to operate the saltwater prevention sluices, including in Rach Gia city and along the Cai Be River.

Ben Tre province is building several water storage works, including the supply clean water to people living in Minh riverine island and the Tan Phu and Ben Ro saltwater prevention sluices. The province has petitioned the Government for funds for several irrigation projects, including the Ben Tre water management project and Cai Be pumping station and pipelines.

Huynh Quang Duc, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said last year the province developed a number of farming models to help farmers adapt to climate change. 

They include growing organic green skin and pink flesh grapefruit in Giong Trom district’s Son Phu commune and clean durian in Chau Thanh district’s Tan Phu commune.

Authorities have also taught farmers techniques to tend crops in saltwater-affected areas.  In the 2019-20 dry season the province faced severe saltwater intrusion that caused losses worth around 1.7 trillion VND (72 million USD) to farmers.

A salinity rate of 0.2% was recorded in most areas, enough to kill 5,400ha of rice, damage 28,000ha of fruits and cause a water shortage for 87,000 households. Most plants can only tolerate salinity of 0.1%.

During this dry season 0.1% salinity is expected 54-68km deep upstream in rivers in February and March, according to the Ben Tre Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting.

Rich biodiversity database debuts

A web portal collecting data of natural resources and wildlife conservation in Da Nang City has been introduced.

It will provide information, documents, photographs and statistics from nature reserves in Son Tra and Ba Na-Nui Chua, as well as a special-use forest of South Hai Van in the central city.

The portal (thiennhiendanang.vn), was jointly-built by lecturers of Environment & Biological Resource (DN-EBR) group and Faculty of Biology and Environment from the Science and Education University (University of Da Nang), and the Centre of Biodiversity Conservation, GreenViet.

It contains 1,100 documents, with 1,000 photos and 53 video clips, from a number of organisations, photographers, biologists and the local community.

Biologist Nguyen Thi Tinh from GreenViet said the portal is the first ever data of nature, forest protection, wildlife conservation and research on biodiversity covering a total 43,722ha of nature reserves.

She said the portal will provide a database and information serving for studies and curriculum among 10,000 teachers and 300,000 students in Da Nang.

School teachers could use material from the portal to give lively lectures on nature of Da Nang to students, she said.

Tinh said the portal focuses on the conservation of two endangered primates – red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) and grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix cinerea) – and key protected flora and fauna of central Vietnam that are existing in Da Nang.

The development of the portal had received support from the UK-based Synchronicity Earth, VisualViet and Comclick, she said.

The GreenViet-managed Nature Education and Experience Centre on Son Tra Peninsula has provided nature awareness education activities for more than 25,000 school students and 3,000 local residents exploring the biodiversity of the reserve.

The European Union (EU) also funded a biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability project in Da Nang City in 2020-23 with total funding of 650,000 euros (686,000 USD).

The Son Tra Nature Reserve, 10km from Da Nang downtown, is home to more than 1,300 red-shanked douc langurs and more than 1,000 plant and 370 animal species.

It’s also the easiest site in Vietnam to see red-shanked douc langurs at close range from 30m to 50m in jungle.

The city’s People's Committee approved a master plan on biodiversity conservation in 2030 in line with long-term socio-economic and sustainable development goals.

Children’s books celebrating Tet released

Vietnam’s leading book publishers and distributors for children have released new books introducing the traditions of Tet (Lunar New Year) as well as literary works about the special holiday to celebrate the Year of the Cat.

Lion Books, a book distributor in Hanoi, has presented the picture poem book Mo Ra La Thay Tet (Open the Book, Enjoy Tet) written by author Chieu Xuan, featuring familiar images of the holiday in Vietnam.

The book has two versions. One is about Tet in the north with dao (peach blossom) flowers and banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes), and another is the holiday in the south with mai (ochna) flowers and banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cakes).

According to Lion Books, the book is printed in Vietnamese and English so that overseas Vietnamese children can learn about Vietnamese Tet. It is not only for children but also for all people who love the country’s traditional holiday.

The book, published by the Hanoi Publishing House, includes a set of stickers about traditional dishes for Tet, a set of six lucky money envelopes, a map of Vietnam, and a stop-motion video based on the book.

As usual, the Kim Dong Publishing House presents its annual special publication for Tet.

Nham Nhi Tet – Quý Mao 2023 (Book for the Year of the Cat 2023) consists of 25 interesting stories, poems, songs, paintings, and illustrations about Tet and the cat, compiled by famous writers for children from different generations.

The 170-page book includes funny and warm short stories, such as Bep Lua (Stove), Nhung Chuyen Ghe Nguoc Xuoi Don Tet (Tet Comes to Busy River) and Ki Uc Thang Gieng (Memories of the Spring).

The work also consists of the short comic story Chuyen Tren Troi Roi Xuong (Unexpected Things Happen) by Hoang Giang which is promised to bring a lot of laughs for little readers during the holiday.

The books are available nationwide at bookstores and on e-commerce websites.

New TV series focuses on family values

A new TV series will hone in on the lives of a family living in Hanoi. Duoi Bong Cay Hanh Phuc (Under the Tree of Happiness), directed by Vu Truong Khoa, will be aired on VTV1 Channel from January 2023.

Produced by the Vietnam Feature Film Centre (VFC) under Vietnam Television, the film shows a family living in a suburban area of Hanoi.

Its main character, Son, played by Kim Oanh, is a young woman who is busy taking care of her husband, children and in-law family. Son is inherently straightforward, kind, sincere and helpful to people.

However, her over-caring for others accidentally causes trouble for everyone. Being criticised, Son feels hurt and estranged even though she is living for everyone. She even risks running away from home to see "what this family would be like without her''.

However, through many events, Son understands that her husband, father-in-law and her husband's brothers may not know how to say thank you, but because of her, they can do everything.

As for Son's in-law family, they also understand that the family's happiness is everyone’s responsibility when the storm has passed. All are standing under the shade of this happy tree, so together, they must cultivate and nourish it for its growth.

The film also stars veteran actor Bui Nhu Lai who plays To, the elder brother of Son’s husband. A reputed name in stage art, Lai currently works as a director at Hanoi-based Tuoi Tre (Youth) and a lecturer in theatre, film and television acting at the University of Theatre and Cinema.encountering traditional cultural values around us in life,” director Khoa said.

VFC Deputy Director Le Manh said that he hoped the film would be loved by the audience, thanks to ordinary stories told through the perspective of the experienced director.

The film will be screened from Monday to Friday on VTV1.

Ethnic affairs committee launches 2023 tasks

The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs held a teleconference on January 4 to review its 2022 activities and launch tasks set for 2023.

Speaking at the event, Minister and Chairman of the committee Hau A Lenh said 2022 was the first year to launch the National Target Programme on socio-economic development for ethnic minority and mountainous regions for the 2021-2023 period, with the first stage from 2021-2025.

During the year, the committee, together with 15 ministries and agencies, embarked on projects and sub-projects of the programme, completed 32 out of 33 guidelines, 60 documents and processes which laid legal foundation for localities to effectively implement the programme.

Ethnic minority and mountainous regions saw progress in socio-economic development, with ethnic affairs receiving support from the Party Committees, People’s Councils and People’s Committees of cities and provinces. Timely support was given to ethnic groups hit by natural disasters and epidemics.

Apart from the programme, the committee continued stepping up the enforcement of other valid ethnic policies such as disseminating knowledge of ethnic affairs to officials, civil servants and public employees for the 2018-2025 period; policy for prestigious persons and a scheme to reduce child and consanguineous marriages in ethnic minority areas for the 2015 – 2025 period.

In order to fulfil goals of 2023, the committee directed following the Party, National Assembly and Government’s directives, resolutions and conclusions as well as the Prime Minister’s directions related to ethnic affairs; continuing with the National Target Programme and build ethnic projects and policies within the 2023 working agenda of the Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, NA, Government and PM, among others.

Cold weather continues in northern, north central provinces

The northern and north-central regions continue to experience cold weather while rain and thunderstorm are expected in the south-central, Central Highlands, and southern regions on January 5, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The northwestern region will see the lowest temperature of 14-17 degrees Celsius, and below 11 degrees Celsius in some areas, while the highest temperature can reach 19-22 degrees Celsius, and above 22 degrees Celsius in some areas.

In the northeastern provinces, the temperature can drop to 15-18 degrees Celsius, and even below 13 degrees Celsius in mountainous areas. The highest temperature is 18-21 degrees Celsius.

In Hanoi, the temperature is forecast to range from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius.

From January 5 to 7, the area from Thua Thien - Hue to Ninh Thuan will see moderate and heavy rain and thunderstorms with rainfall of 100-300mm and even over 350mm in some places.

The area from Quang Tri to Binh Thuan, and the eastern part of the Central Highlands will have moderate  and heavy rain, and thunderstorms with rainfall of 50-150mm and over 200mm in some places.

From the afternoon of January 5 to January 6, heavy rain and thunderstorms will be seen in some particular areas in southern provinces with rainfall of 40-70mm and 100mm in some areas.

HCM City cares for disadvantaged people, policy beneficiaries ahead of Tet

A series of activities to the benefit of the poor ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, and “zero dong supermarket” programme with a combined funding of 46.5 billion VND (nearly 2 million USD), kick started at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on January 5. 

Addressing the event, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) chapter in HCM City Tran Kim Yen said the agency has planned to coordinate with relevant sectors and political and social organisations to review and list households to subject to the benefit during the festival.

The funding for these programmes is sourced from the "Fund for the poor”, Fund “For the national sea and islands – For the fatherland frontline", and the relief fund of the city, she said, adding that beneficiaries will be those families with difficult circumstance, near-poor and disadvantaged households, people with disabilities, orphans, labourers, and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Besides, visits to military units on duty and to charity and social humanitarian establishments will be also organised, Yen noted. 

She thanked organisations, businesses and individuals for their support for the city’s social security activities in recent times.

Nearly VND29 trillion proposed for restoring Thap Cham-Da Lat railway

Da Nang-based Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading-Service Company is seeking the Ministry of Transport’s approval for a project costing VND28.9 trillion (USD1.2 billion) to restore the Thap Cham-Da Lat railway.

The railway route is 83.5 kilometres long, running from Ninh Son District in the southern central province of Ninh Thuan to Don Duong District in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, with 16 stations and stops.

Under the recommendation, the investor would restore the 76.8-kilometre section from Thap Cham Station in Ninh Thuan to Trai Mat Station in Da Lat, as well as rebuild 64 bridges, 11 stations, and five tunnels. The firm would also upgrade the 6.7-kilometre section connecting Trai Mat Station and Da Lat Station.

Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading-Service Company suggested that the project should be carried out under a public-private partnership (PPP). Among the total investment capital, VND2.16 trillion would be sourced from the state budget, while the remainder would be mobilised by the firm.

The project would begin in January 2025 and the railway route put into use in December 2029.

The Thap Cham-Da Lat railway route was one of the first two rack railways in the world. It was put into operation in 1932 after a 24-year construction period. However, due to wars, its use has been suspended since 1968.

Since 1975, only one section, running from Trai Mat to Da Lat in Lam Dong Province, has been used for tourism purposes.

According to Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading-Service Company, the Thap Cham-Da Lat railway restoration project is expected to spur tourism development in Ninh Thuan and Lam Dong.

Ho Chi Minh City targets to receive 220,000 units of blood in 2023

The Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation held a conference on January 4 to review the city’s blood donation drive in 2022 and launch the Red Spring Festival 2023.

The festival, held simultaneously in two venues including the Youth Cultural House and Ton Duc Thang University, attracted the participation of nearly 1,000 students and young volunteers.

Running until February 28, the event is expected to collect 44,000 blood bags.

The committee reported that in 2022, the city mobilised nearly 245,000 blood bags with more than 337,000 units of blood, up over 70,000 bags against 2021.

In 2023, the committee targets to receive 220,000 units of blood, ensuring the blood provision for treatment in 150 hospitals throughout the city.

Vietnam Literature and Art Awards 2022 honours 67 outstanding works

The Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations held an awards ceremony in Hanoi, on January 4 to honour 67 outstanding literature and artworks of 2022.

In 2022, the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations received nine most outstanding works, from nine central literature and arts associations and 396 works by authors and a group of authors, from 61 local literature and art associations.

The jury presented nine prizes worth 20 million VND to authors with excellent works, from nine of the central literature and art associations.

From the 396 works by authors and a group of authors, from 61 local literature and arts associations, the jury council selected and presented 58 excellent works, including five A prizes, ten B prizes, 19 C prizes, 22 consolation prizes and 2 young author prizes.

Addressing the ceremony, the Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, Associate Professor, Dr. Do Hong Quan, said that the annual Literary and Art Awards was increasingly being expanded in scale, gathering the participation of a large number of artists across the country.

Regarding the quality of the award, he said that this year's literary and artistic works have shown exploration and innovation, but the content and themes still adhere to the life and moral traditions of the nation.

In particular, many works go into the current topics of the country, such as the issue of protecting the sovereignty of borders and islands.

The organising committee hopes that in 2023, the Awards will receive all works from all 10 of the central literature and arts associations, and 63 local literature and art associations across the country, said Do Hong Quan.

HCMC organizes zero- dong mini supermarket for the poor

The “Zero- dong mini supermarket” program is set to take place in three days, starting from January 5 to January 8 to serve 20,000 cases with a total estimated cost of more than VND10 billion (US$427,667).

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City Tran Kim Yen visit a booth for Tet.

Accordingly, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City this morning organized a caring program for the Lunar New Year 2023 and opened the “Zero- dong mini supermarket” for the people with difficult circumstances in District 1, districts of Phu Nhuan, Binh Tan, Hoc Mon and Thu Duc City.

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City Tran Kim Yen attended the event.

Speaking at the program, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City Tran Kim Yen emphasized that after the Covid-19 pandemic, the city has recovered and developed strongly with positive results.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has left severe consequences. Tens of thousands of people lost their relatives. Therefore, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City requested its divisions to implement many social security programs to support and share a part of difficulties with disadvantaged families.

Of these, the program “Zero-dong mini supermarket for Tet holiday” was organized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City along with a companion unit of Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ) and other units that simultaneously takes place in the city’s five districts with numerous difficult workers, migrant employees, poor and near-poor households and disadvantaged people.

Each eligible case will receive a ticket worth VND400,000 (US$17) to buy essential goods, food and Tet products.

Northern hydroelectric reservoirs about to release 4.9 billion m³ water

The hydroelectric reservoirs in the North are planning to discharge 4.9 billion m³ water to the downstream areas for irrigation purposes in the upcoming dry season.

Accordingly, Deputy General Director Vo Quang Lam of Vietnam Electricity (EVN) informed the press yesterday that EVN has agreed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the schedule to release water from its Northern reservoirs to the midland and Hong River delta area to serve farming activities in the 2023 winter-spring crop.

Dispatch No.8073 of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry states that the time to receive water lasts 12 days in total, divided into two stages. The first begins at 12:00 a.pm on January 6 until the end of January 9 (4 days), and the second from 12:00 a.m. on February 1 to the end of February 8 (8 days).

The water is normally released from the hydropower plants of Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba. Even though the current water levels stored in upstream reservoirs in the Northern region begin to lower, for the sake of balancing between production activities and electricity supply in the upcoming dry season, EVN has decided to discharge 4.9 billion m³ water to the downstream.

To ensure sufficient water for irrigation and electricity for pumping activities as well as supply in the 2023 dry season, EVN has directed the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) to regulate the water flow logically in order to conserve water.

Meanwhile, to avoid water waste, EVN has proposed that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of related provinces and cities devise a plan to store this water amount sensibly for further use.

HCMC’s annual Tet festival 2023 to open on January 5

The HCMC’s annual Tet Festival 2023 will take place at the municipal Youth's Cultural House from January 5-26 (on the 14th day of the last month – the 5th day of the first month of the lunar calendar).

The event that has been organized over the past 16 years includes a wide range of activities honoring Vietnamese cultural identities in Tet holidays and introducing beautiful images of a peaceful spring in HCMC to visitors.

This year’s event themed “The city I love” will consist of programs, such as a calligraphy street, a space of yellow apricot trees, art performances, and charitable and social works supporting disadvantaged people.

The calligraphy street will introduce to visitors an indispensable Vietnamese New Year tradition. Nearly 50 calligraphers wear traditional costumes and write and sell nice words written in calligraphy to customers on the corner of Pham Ngoc Thach and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai streets. Buying calligraphic works is believed to bring purchasers good luck and prosperity. Calligraphic works are written in Vietnamese, Chinese, English, and other languages with a special kind of ink.

In the garden of more than 100 yellow apricot trees, visitors will have an opportunity to enjoy performances of the traditional crafts of To He, toy figurines that are made of rice dough; handmade paintings; a food fair, and stalls of Ao Dai.

There will be Kylin and dragon dance, music shows, performances of Don Ca Tai Tu (southern amateur music), cai luong (reformed opera) and hat boi (Vietnamese classic opera), a fashion show, and more.

On this occasion, the municipal administration will carry out programs caring for children affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, offering Tet gifts to kids in childcare centers, and organizing free buses for workers and trade union members to return to their homes to enjoy Tet.

Project supporting women-managed cooperatives approved

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on January 3 signed a decision approving a project on supporting cooperatives which are managed by women and create jobs for female labourers.

The project, to be implemented until 2030, aims to develop and improve the efficiency of cooperatives managed and operated by women, thus bettering the material and spiritual life of their members and workers.

It is expected to promote the development of the collective economic sector, and encourage the entrepreneurship spirit of members and women, contributing to realising the goals of socio-economic development, international integration and gender equality.

By 2030, at least 1,500 cooperatives will benefit from the project, while 10,000 cooperative groups will be established, creating stable jobs for 30,000 female members of cooperatives and 100,000 female members of cooperative groups.

100% female managers of cooperatives will be provided with training courses to enhance their  management and administration capacity.

The project also targets raising awareness of members of cooperatives and women about the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws on cooperative economic development.

HCM City exhibition spotlights 1968 Spring General Offensive and Uprising

A photo exhibition opened in Ho Chi Minh City on January 4 to mark the 55th anniversary of the 1968 Spring General Offensive and Uprising.

In his remarks, Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan said the occasion marks a strategic turning point in the resistance war against the US.

Despite failing to achieve its ultimate goal, it truly dealt a “thunder-like” blow to the US’s “local war” strategy and attracted global attention, forcing the US administration to deescalate the war and resign itself to taking part in the Paris peace talks. It also opened up conditions and opportunities for following attacks, the peak of which is the great victory in the 1975 Spring that successfully wrapped up the resistance war against the US, liberated the South, and reunified Vietnam, he noted.

The official added 55 years have passed, but the fight remains a demonstration of the revolutionary traditions of the Party organisation, administration, and people of HCM City.

The exhibition is concurrently taking place at Lam Son Park, Dong Khoi street, and Thong Nhat (Reunification) Hall.

It will last through January 15.

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