2023 was a successful year for Vietnam’s multilateral external relations and cultural diplomacy at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), according to former Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van.

Firstly, the year saw the highest number of mutual visits between Vietnam and UNESCO, contributing to deepening bilateral relations, optimising the knowledge and resources from the organisation for the country’s development.

Secondly, 2023 witnessed historical milestones in Vietnam’s multilateral external relations at UNESCO, demonstrating the international community’s confidence and support to Vietnam’s ability of making contributions to and management capacity at global multilateral institutions, said the former ambassador, underlining that for the first time, Vietnam has undertaken positions in five key management mechanisms of UNESCO at the same time, including three Vice Chair positions.

Thirdly, Vietnam won many titles and a large number of Vietnam’s heritages were honoured at UNESCO during the year. With the recognition of Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago world natural heritage site, the addition of Da Lat and Hoi An cities to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and the honoring of the progenitor of Vietnamese traditional medicine, Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac, Vietnam has so far won 65 UNESCO titles. Last year, Vietnam also successfully repatriated the seal “Hoang de chi bao” (Treasure of the Emperor), the imperial seal of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Fourthly, in 2023, Vietnam continued to make important contributions to shaping strategic issues and global policies with the hosting of the first UNESCO international conference on harnessing the values of UNESCO titles for sustainable development in Ninh Binh.
 
Fifthly, last year also saw the organisation of many important events of Vietnam at UNESCO headquarters, contributing to promoting and spreading cultural values as well as the image of the nation and people of Vietnam among international friends. The three nights of Vietnamese Heritage at UNESCO highlighted the rich tradition, diverse culture and the depth of Vietnamese culture, sending out the message of a dynamic country in reform and integration with rich tradition and strong national identity, stated Van.

Regarding measures to promote the values of UNESCO titles and heritage for economic development and vice versa, the former Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO said that the experience of Vietnam and other countries showed that in order to harmonise preservation and development, it is necessary to enhance public awareness of conserving and promoting values of titles, while improving the State management efficiency over the heritage through completing the legal document system, and designing plans for preserving and promoting the titles along with paying greater attention to the role of communities and people.

At the same time, it is necessary to speed up digital transformation in heritage management and exploitation, diversifying heritage communications and education methods, strengthening regional, national and international connectivity in protecting and empowering cultural heritage with effective exploitation of economic aspects of the heritage in order to increase their contributions to socio-economic development, stated Van.

In her opinion, at the UNESCO, Vietnam should focus on five major tasks - actively proposing ideas and initiatives and optimising UNESCO's policies in realising national targets; continuing to make the Vietnam-UNESCO partnership deeper, more substantial and effective; engaging in the building and submitting dossiers of Vietnamese heritage for UNESCO titles to create more resources and encourage sustainable socio-economic development models in localities; continuing to show strong performance in implementing the country’s positions in five key management mechanisms of UNESCO; and pioneering in popularising the image of the nation, people and culture of Vietnam to the world, Van underlined.

Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang to attend 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang will attend the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India from January 9-12 at the invitation of Chief Minister of Indian state of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel.
 
Dien Bien Airport has reopened and hosts new flights connecting Dien Bien province and Ho Chi Minh City, allowing visitors from Vietnam’s south to more easily visit the northwestern province.

Following upgrades and expansions, Dien Bien Airport is now capable of catering to large aircraft such as A320s and A321s, which serve flights between Dien Bien and Vietnam’s two major metropolises - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Since its reopening, Dien Bien Airport has welcomed 13,000 passengers and the number is growing steadily. Passengers from neighbouring provinces also take flights from Dien Bien to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

With Dien Bien Airport being upgraded and put into operation, coupled with Dien Bien hosting Vietnam’s Tourism Year in 2024, the northwestern province has set a target of welcoming 1.3 million visitors this year.

In addition to boosting tourism, the airport is also expected to be a growth engine for Dien Bien and the northwestern region at large.

Tay Ninh meeting marks 45th anniversary of southwestern border defence war victory

A gathering was held in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh on January 7 to mark the 45th anniversary of the southwestern border defence war victory and the toppling of the genocidal regime (January 7, 1979-2024).

The event, held by the Tay Ninh youth union and those of Cambodia’s Svay Rieng and Tbong Khmum provinces, aimed at raising the awareness of the young people of the traditional revolution, solidarity, time-honoured friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability between the two countries.

In three years, eight months and 20 days, the rule of Pol Pot genocidal regime killed nearly 3 million Cambodian civilians and waged terror along the Vietnam – Cambodia border line.

Leaders of the Cambodian provinces and youth unions hailed the support that the Vietnamese voluntary soldiers gave to the Cambodian people to end the horrors of the genocide, and save the life of millions of Cambodians, adding the January 7 victory opened up an era of independence, freedom, democracy, and social progress in Cambodia.  

They said that the Cambodian people always bear in their mind the sacrifice by the Vietnamese voluntary soldiers, helping liberate Cambodia from the brutal genocide.

Secretary of Tay Ninh youth union Nguyen Thanh Tung said that the province, which borders Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, and Tbong Khmum, has joined hands with the Cambodian localities to branch out Party foreign affairs work as well as state and people-to-people diplomacy, contributing to the socio-economic development and consolidation of defence-security in both sides.

He laid a particular stress on the cooperation between the youth unions of the two sides, with various activities having been held such as humanitarian collaboration, education-training programmes, culture-sport programmes, and presentation of scholarships to students.

At the gathering, the organising board presented gifts to 10 families of war martyrs, invalids, veterans, former volunteer soldiers and experts and those who made contributions to the war.    

Cambodian scholar hails youth's role in Vietnam-Cambodia friendship

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Cambodia’s Victory over Genocide Day (January 7, 1979-2024), Khmer Times newspaper has published an article highlights the role of youth in building a "friendship bridge" between Vietnam and Cambodia.   

Entitled “The 45th anniversary of victory day, January 7, youths steady and build upon friendship bridge”, Uch Leang, a researcher at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, recalled the historic event more than four decades ago when Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation soldiers and Cambodian people, with the help of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and people, overthrew the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime and liberated the people and country of Cambodia from the genocidal regime.       

He described the January 7, 1979 victory as a historic event of great international solidarity between the people and the soldiers of the two countries, Cambodia and Vietnam, opening up a new page in the friendly relations and good neighbourliness between the two countries.

According to the article, during the official visit to Vietnam on December 11-12, 2023, Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet had meetings with the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, during which they highlighted the organisations' vital role in people diplomacy, cultural exchanges, humanitarian activities, and business. Talks focused on future directions aimed at maintaining and enhancing the spirit of solidarity, friendship, and mutual understanding between the two peoples, particularly younger generations, contributing to cooperation in areas such as trade, education, and tourism. 

Speaking at a dinner hosted by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during the two-day official visit, PM Hun Manet stressed the significance of educating and disseminating to the peoples, especially the younger generation, to understand the historical truth, as well as the importance and values of the close relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam.

The article said that in the meeting between Hun Many, President of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, and the delegation of the National Committee for Vietnamese Youth led by Bui Quang Huy, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, in Cambodia on May 24, 2023, the two sides pledged to enhance cooperation through visit exchanges and seek opportunities for more joint projects. Hun Many also called on the Vietnamese side to continue to encourage investors to invest more in Cambodia to promote economic development in both countries.

This reflects the reality of maintaining and enhancing the spirit of solidarity, friendship, and understanding between the people of Cambodia and Vietnam, especially younger generations, to contribute to the promotion of cooperation, entrepreneurship, education, and tourism to support the Cambodian economy to continue to develop and achieve more new achievements under the motto “Good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability”, the article noted.

Son La-funded park in Lao province inaugurated

A friendship park project funded by the Party Committee and authorities of the northwestern province of Son La was inaugurated at a ceremony in Laos’s Xaysomboun province on January 7.

Addressing the event, Thongsavanh Phosalath, Director of the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Lao province, said that the park demonstrates the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in general, and Xaysomboun and Son La in particular.

The project importantly contributes to Xaysomboun’s development, and helps the two countries’ young people understand more about the unique and special relationship in the world, he stressed.

Vice Chairman of the Son La provincial People’s Council Cha A Cua highlighted the flourishing development of friendship and all-around cooperation between Son La and Xaysomboun, saying that this has contributed to further strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

The Xaysomboun-Son La Friendship Park covers an area of 5,700 sq.m in Phouhuaxang village, Anouvong district. Its construction started in October 2022 with a total investment of over 5 billion LAK (over 243,000 USD).

Bac Ninh hosts regional qualifying tennis event

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Asia 14 & Under Development Championship 2024 Regional qualifying – South, Southeast and East Asia was kicked off on January 7 in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

The tournament features 28 athletes from seven countries and territories, namely Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Cambodia, Brunei, and Vietnam.

The athletes compete in men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. The finals and closing ceremony of the tournament are expected to take place on January 18.

Four teams with the best results will qualify for the championship finals in India from April 8-17.

Vietnamese who once lived in Bulgaria hailed

Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov met Vietnamese people who used to learn or work in the European country in Hanoi on January 7 evening within the framework of his official visit to Vietnam.

There are around 30,000 Vietnamese people who studied and worked in Bulgaria in the 1950-1980 period, and about 1,000 at present.

In the process of promoting cooperation between the two countries, these people are important factors ensuring the success of bilateral collaboration, he stated, expressing his hope that this community will bring their affection, knowledge, and experience from studying and working in Bulgaria to further tighten the Bulgaria-Vietnam friendship and cooperation.

Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union (EU), and Vietnam, a dynamic member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have huge potential for cooperation in the fields of economics, culture and education. Bulgaria can be a gateway for Vietnam to approach the European market and vice versa, and the latter a bridge for the former to access the ASEAN market, stressed the speaker.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association Nguyen Truong Son said Vietnamese people who used to study and work in Bulgaria always bear in mind the support of the host country’s Government and people.

On this occasion, Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov awarded the Bulgarian NA’s certificates of merit to six Vietnamese individuals with outstanding achievements in the people-to-people diplomacy and important contributions to the two countries’ friendship and solidarity.

Full-time legislators to scrutinise several draft laws

The 29th session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee will take place for one and a half day, starting January 8, according to the NA Office.

The full-time legislators are scheduled to opine on a verification report on the draft revised Land Law, and another on the draft Law on Credit Institutions (amended), along with the interpretation of provisions in Clause 1, Article 6 of the Law on Public Investment.

They will also look into the draft resolution on some specific mechanisms and policies to remove obstacles to and speed up the implementation of national target programmes.

Other important matters to be tabled for discussion include the supplementation of the mid-term public investment plan for the central budget for 2021 – 2025 from the common reserve, and the supplementation of the mid-term public investment plan for Vietnam Electricity (EVN) from the reserve of the mid-term public investment plan.

The legislators will work on preparations for the 5th extraordinary meeting of the 15th legislature, and personnel issues.

Vietnam - World’s leading heritage destination

Not just captivating tourists with the natural beauty of its mountains, forests, and islands, Vietnam’s rich heritage also appeals to many visitors. Cultural heritage tourism has been identified as one of the leading offerings contributing to Vietnam’s tourism brand.

A notable milestone for Vietnam’s tourism sector in 2023 was again being honoured by the World Travel Awards with the title “World’s Leading Heritage Destination 2023”.

Their comments reflect the genuine emotions travellers experience in Vietnam. Heritage destinations have become an integral part of international visitors’ exploration of the S-shaped country. 

Vietnam’s recognition as the World’s Leading Heritage Destination enhances its tourism profile and position. To sustain the title, however, the tourism sector needs to create more attractive experiences, to extend the stays of international guests.

2024 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s tourism sector. The country has placed much hope and efforts to boost its appeal further, and to turn tourism into a leading and environmentally-sustainable economic sector by 2030.

Vietnam treasures bilateral relations with Cambodia: President

Vietnam always attaches importance to the good traditional friendship with Cambodia, President Vo Van Thuong told visiting Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun during a meeting in Hanoi on January 7.

Hosting a reception for the Cambodian guest, President Thuong highly valued the fact that Vietnamese Deputy PM Le Minh Khai and his Cambodian counterpart Savoeun delivered speeches which spotlighted the flourishing relations between Vietnam and Cambodia at a meeting to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the victory of the war defending the southwestern border and, together with the Cambodian troops and people, defeating the genocidal regime (January 7, 1979 - 2024).

He emphasised that Vietnam always remembers the righteous support of the Cambodian people to Vietnam's struggles to defend the nation as well as in the national construction and defence today.

Along with geographical and cultural connections, the two peoples have stood side by side to fight common enemies, overcome difficulties and hardships, and now cooperate for development, he said. 

He expressed his pleasure as Cambodian leaders wish to continue deepening the traditional friendship through recent visits to Vietnam by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, President of the Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Khuon Sudary, and other high-ranking leaders of the State and Government of Cambodia. 

Thuong spoke highly of the comprehensive development of cooperation between the two countries in all fields, saying that the 10-billion-USD trade value between the two sides is a basis for further elevating trade and investment cooperation.

The defence and security cooperation is an important pillar, contributing to creating a stable environment for development, he said, adding that  people-to-people exchanges, especially in border areas, have been enhanced and the two countries regularly have initiatives to form new cooperation mechanisms across channels of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly, and other organisations.

He said he hopes that the relationship between the two countries will continue to grow stronger and deeper in the future, expressing his belief that under the wise reign of King Norodom Sihamoni, the CPP led by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, and the Cambodian government headed by Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia will develop strongly and its position and role in the region and the world be improved.

The two leaders expressed their joy at the fruitful and practical development of the bilateral relations, and close cooperation in socio-economic development. 

Savoeun showed his honour to attend the celebration, and conveyed New Year wishes from Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Samdech Techo Hun Sen, and Prime Minister Hun Manet to Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, and other leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam.

He expressed his hope that the two countries will continue to strongly promote people-to-people exchanges, thereby further nurturing the bilateral relations.

Vietnam, Canada hold huge cooperation potential in agriculture: Canadian insiders

Agriculture has an important role to play in the cooperative ties between Vietnam and Canada, according to Canadian insiders.

Managing Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Insitute Tyler McCann said that the two countries hold huge potential to enhance agricultural cooperation, which should be given a top priority as it is related not only to the trade ties but also the exchange of expertise and academic experience.

Working with Vietnam will help Canada better access the Indo-Pacific market, he said, elaborating Vietnam is the regional centre for several sectors of agriculture.

Meanwhile, Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley Lenore Newman highlighted Canada’s progress in several fields such as genetic technology that helps create an abundant and climate-resilient fauna and flora system, and application of advanced technologies into food production and processing.

Fraser Valley is looking for partners in Vietnam to transfer its technologies, she said, adding the exchange aims at developing a Pacific Rim ecosystem of agricultural technology for all countries in the region.

Over the past years, Vietnam and Canada have paid due regard to agricultural cooperation so as to contribute to the global security and ensuring food supply chain.

The Canadian Government has sponsored the projects “Food Safety for Development” and “Smart Coastal Community Adapting to Climate Change” in Vietnam, helping the nation develop safe and sustainable agriculture.

Thanks to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which came into force in late 2018, trade of agricultural products between the two countries has risen from 623 million USD in 2017 to more than 1 billion USD at present.

Transport infrastructure construction poised to drive economic growth

Major transport infrastructure completed in 2023 is expected to drive GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent that the Government targets in 2024.

Economists explained that transport infrastructure has a large spillover effect, with investment of VNĐ1 yielding returns of VNĐ1.25 - 1.4 and impacting fields like real estate, education and culture.

Places with convenient connectivity always attract investments, leading to the development also of neighbouring areas.

The Mekong Delta has for instance developed various transport infrastructure projects and attracted a number of foreign investors.

Japanese businesses forecast great opportunities in Cần Thơ City following the development of new infrastructure.

According to Shiraishi Hideyuki of the Japanese consulate general in HCM City, Cần Thơ now has great potential to strengthen economic relations with Japan, pointing out that it used to take four hours to drive there but now takes only two and a half hours.

Transporting products from Cần Thơ to ports in HCM City is easier, and so expanding trade with it is easier.

In 2023 the Government prioritised investment in modern transport infrastructure, encompassing roads, railways, marine and inland waterways, and airports.

Construction of 12 North-South expressway projects kicked off at the start of the year.

By mid-year, nine additional traffic projects were inaugurated, and four more were completed by year-end. Approximately 475 km of expressways were added, bringing the total length to 1,892 km by the close of 2023.

Other key transport projects initiated in 2023 included three east-west expressways, the Tuyên Quang - Hà Giang Expressway, the T3 passenger terminal at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, the Long Thành International Airport, Phú Bài Airport, Điện Biên Airport, Mỹ Thuận 2 Bridge, and Vĩnh Tuy 2 Bridge.

The Ministry of Transport reported the completion of several expressway sections on the Eastern Expressway, acting as a significant catalyst for socio-economic development.

Notably, the Phan Thiết (Bình Thuận) - Dầu Giây (Đồng Nai) and Vĩnh Hảo (Bình Thuận) - Phan Thiết (Bình Thuận) expressways were opened to traffic, stimulating tourism in the region.

Việt Nam's total road length now stands at nearly six million kilometres, including 25,600 km of national roads (comprising national highways and expressways).

The national railway network spans 3,143 km and has 277 stations.

The maritime infrastructure includes 34 seaports, and there are 22 airports, consisting of nine international and 13 domestic ones.

The transport sector's noteworthy achievements in 2023 created a favorable premise for economic growth in 2024, as Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng emphasised.

Looking ahead to 2024, the ministry aims to complete two sections in the eastern part of the North-South Expressway. The ambitious goal is to complete 2,021 km of expressways nationwide during the year.

Việt Nam's vision for 2025 includes having 3,000 km of expressways, essentially completing the eastern part of the North-South Expressway.

Furthermore, the government projects a total expressway length of 5,000 km by 2030.

The commitment to major transportation projects is evident in the special attention paid by the Government.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has actively monitored the progress, making numerous working trips to expedite disbursement of public investment and help mitigate problems in expressway development.

On New Year’s Day he issued an official communication urging everyone involved to uphold the highest sense of responsibility and accelerate the investment and construction progress of transport projects.

These actions underscore the determination to maintain the momentum of breakthroughs achieved in 2023 and ensure sustained progress in transportation infrastructure development.

National foundation for science development strives to fulfil designed tasks

The National Foundation for Science & Technology Development (NAFOSTED) under the Ministry of Science and Technology has worked to reconcile the rigours of international standards, the free spirit of science and the need to meet the strict requirements of the national financial framework over the past 15 years.

NAFOSTED was founded under Decree No. 122/2003/NĐ-CP of the Government of Việt Nam and officially started operation in 2008.

Former Minister of Science and Technology Hoàng Văn Phong said that everyone thought NAFOSTED's activities were similar to those of international organisations, but in reality, it was operated both as a State financial institution and a public non-business unit.

At the time NAFOSTED was established, the budget for science and technology was still modest, only about VNĐ2.5 trillion (US$103.2 million) per year.

The science and technology ministry was not allowed to spend the entire budget, as it was also allocated to 63 provinces and cities and 41 central agencies including ministries and other organisations, he said.

Therefore, NAFOSTED's operating capital was only about VNĐ200 billion ($8.2 million) at that time, approximately 10 per cent of the budget for science and technology activities for the nation, he added.

Last year, some private sector funds also sponsored science and technology.

This competition with private sector funds led the foundation to innovate, from funding categories and the amount of funding to how to evaluate proposals and implementation results. It also strengthened the foundation's position as a national science funding organisation, a scientist at the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology told Khoa học & Phát triển (Science & Development) online newspaper.

According to the scientist, in advanced countries, generous budgets are poured in every year to create more working opportunities for scientists. The GDP of advanced countries is large, so their funds for developing science and technology based on GDP are large.

In Việt Nam, the funds for developing science and technology are small because our GDP is small.

That was the reason why although the foundation wanted to expand its sponsorship categories, diversify its sponsorship activities or give more funds to young researchers, it could not.

“We don't have too much funding, so we focus on sponsoring some core content because our (annual budget) is only a thousandth of theirs (advanced countries),” said former head of the foundation Đỗ Tiến Dũng.

According to Decree No. 19/2021/NĐ-CP of the Government, which amended and supplemented a number of articles of Decree No. 23/2014/NĐ-CP, the funding and financial management for the fund/foundation follows the annual budget allocation mechanism.

This led to funding for the foundation being significantly slow. In 2021 and 2022, the foundation could not sponsor new topics in the Basic Science Research Programme. In 2023, the funding resumed but the budget was less than VNĐ300 billion ($12.4 million).

Nông Văn Hải of the Institute of Genome Research under the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology said that VNĐ300 billion ($12.4 million) to invest in basic scientific research in Việt Nam each year was too small.

“If it wants to develop the science sector, the State must invest strongly in scientific research. If the State only invests moderately, it is a waste,” he said.

In response to the situation, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Trần Hồng Thái told the foundation to urgently make proposals to improve the legal structure and remove obstacles so that the foundation can operate in accordance with its original design as an agency that sponsors and supports scientific and technological research with international standards, attracting and receive funding from both inside and outside the State budget. 

Quảng Bình focuses on afforestation to capitalise on carbon credit potential

With a vast forest area of 590,000ha, Quảng Bình central province ranks second in the country in terms of forest coverage with 68 per cent, representing significant potential for generating forest carbon credits and giving the opportunity for the province to participate in the forest carbon credit market.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Mai Văn Minh said Quảng Bình will receive VNĐ235 billion for reducing more than 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions during 2023-2025.

This is the amount that the province will receive under the emission reduction agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank, with Quảng Bình being one of the six provinces in the northern central region participating in this agreement.

The money it received in late 2023 will be used for paying forest owners, local people and communities to manage, protect and develop forests, he said.

Participating in the forest carbon credit market will help forest owners enhance the productivity of planted forests, improve sustainable livelihoods, contribute to the protection of existing forest areas, and increase forest coverage, Minh said, adding that this opens up new opportunities for local residents to develop the economy through forest conservation, especially when the exploitation of forest products under the canopy is challenging.

More than 469,300ha of forest to claim carbon credits in the year, he said, highlighting that the province will review the forest area and forest coverage to work with its partners who want to purchase carbon credits, to increase income for local people.

Nguyễn Đức Sự, a resident from Cao Quảng Commune, Tuyên Hóa District, said he cared for the trees in his forest every day.

Five years ago, he decided to green the hills in Cao Quảng Commune with native tree species.

Currently, the young trees have grown well, with over 5,000 large trees covering more than three hectares of previously vacant land and bare hills.

"I feel very happy whenever I enter the forest and see the trees growing well. It takes 20-30 years to have such native forests, and our future generations will benefit from them," Sự told Tin Tức (News) newspaper.

According to Nguyễn Quang Huy, vice chairman of the People's Committee of Cao Quảng Commune, the locality has a large forest area and high forest coverage.

The forests are not planted for timber sales, but many households engaged in forest planting have achieved good incomes from harvesting non-timber forest products, such as planting short-day crops and medicinal plants under the forest canopy.

The commune aims to achieve 90 per cent forest coverage, gradually increasing the natural forest area and reducing the planted forest area. The locality is also encouraging residents to protect and develop sustainable forests, planting native trees for long-term sustainability and generating carbon credits for the market.

In recent years, authorities in Tuyên Hóa District have encouraged local residents to protect and plant large timber forests with native tree species. The growers have been also supported with seedlings to develop forest.

Every year, Quảng Bình Province plans to plant about 9,000ha of concentrated forests and millions of scattered trees, aiming to maintain and enhance forest coverage.

According to the roadmap, by 2025, the province's raw material forest planting areas will exceed 100,000ha, including more than 16,200ha of large timber forests.

Ea Sô Nature Reserve still encroached by local people, threatened by poachers

Ea Sô Nature Reserve, covering an area of nearly 26,850ha with a diverse ecosystem of precious wood and wild animals, continues to be encroached by local people and threatened by poachers in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk.

The nature reserve has administrative boundaries bordering Krông Pa District in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, and Sông Hinh District in the coastal central province of Phú Yên.

Although some hills in Ea Dăh Commune, Krông Năng District in Đắk Lắk Province, belong to the management and protection area of the nature reserve, local people are still growing corn on them.

Đỗ Hải Hoàng, a staff member of the nature reserve’s Forest Ranger Station No 2, said that people living in the areas surrounding the nature reserve were poor and still depend on the forest for their income. This issue has led to their continued encroachment of forest land for farming.

Hoàng said when the dry season came, the people living near the nature reserve often chopped down bamboos and small trees in the nature reserve’s forest.

Lê Minh Tiến, director of the nature reserve’s Management Board of Ea Sô, said there was significant pressure on the board to protect the forest, but the area it had to manage was very large and adjacent to many localities.

According to Tiến, in the area bordering Krông Năng District, forest land encroachment and illegal agricultural cultivation still continued.

Local people were still found illegally logging and hunting wild animals in the nature reserve’s sub-areas No 619, 614 and 632.

The nature reserve discovered and handled 19 cases of Forest Law violations such as illegal forest exploitation, forest land encroachment and violations of general regulations on forest protection in 2023.

The problem of illegal exploitation and transportation of forest products on Highway No 29 running through the nature reserve was ongoing.

The illegally-exploited timbers were mainly rare and endangered species such as sandalwood (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) and makha tree (Afzelia xylocarpa).

Poachers are increasingly aggressive. Many poachers fought back against forest management and protection forces with homemade weapons, causing serious injuries to officials and forest rangers over the past time.

Most recently, a serious incident occurred on December 2 when Nguyễn Kim Anh, acting head of the nature reserve’s Forest Ranger Station No 2 inspected an area where local people often deforested and encroached on forest land for farming purposes, adjacent to Giang Đông Village, Ea Dăh Commune, Krông Năng District.

At about 3:00pm on the same day, the authorities discovered Anh dead in a corn field. The preliminary report indicated that he was shot in the abdomen with a home-made shotgun, with 14 bullet wounds. The authorities are investigating and clarifying the case.

Tiến also said the forest management and protection forces had to work in poor living conditions, especially at stations deep in the forest and bordering other provinces.

The remuneration policies for the forest management and protection forces were not commensurate with their tasks and responsibilities, he added.

Therefore, many people working in the forest management and protection forces asked for early retirement or quit their jobs.

This sharply decreased the number of forest protection staff in the nature reserve, posing added challenges for forest management and protection activities.

Additionally, the management board also had to apply a streamlining policy according to rules, he said.

Tiến said the management board had conducted more patrols to detect and deal with serious violations, including the case of prosecuting dozens of defendants.

Under his suggestion, in the long term, the nature reserve requested central level agencies, ministries and sectors to issue more-appropriate policies for the forest management and protection forces, because the forces were the units directly maintaining and protecting the forest.

Policies should especially focus on seniority allowance, job allowance and hazard allowance for forest management and protection forces.

The authorised agencies were also asked to consider not to apply the streamlining policy at the nature reserve, because the forest management and protection forces were currently small while their tasks were huge, he said.

The authorised agencies were advised to invest more to help improve the livelihoods of local people in the buffer zone of the nature reserve.

Local authorities in areas bordering the nature reserve should strengthen dissemination so people living in the bordering areas would properly implement forestry policies and regulations, thereby, reducing violations related to forest protection.

The nature reserve has many rare types of wood and 279 species of wild animals, including 69 rare species such as Dhole, golden deer, bison, Sunda flying lemur, gaur and Indochinese serow. 

Futsal plans change to support teams’ best results

The Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) will organise four national futsal tournaments with the national team taking part in four international competitions this year.

VFF General Secretary Dương Nghiệp Khôi has signed a new plan for the national activities following changes to international schedules.

Khôi said it was changed to give clubs and national teams the best possible conditions and time to have comfortable preparation for competitions.

Accordingly, the men's and women's futsal tournament of the Asian Indoor Games will be held in November instead of February as it was planned while the Southeast Asian Futsal Championship is taking place in May.

The national teams will compete in the Asian championship from April 17-28; regional championship from May 11-19 and the Asian Indoor Games in November.

Based on the international competition time table, the National Futsal Championship will be organised in two periods from February 22 to March 7 and June 1 to July 31. Previously it was planned from May 14 to August 10.

The championship will feature eight clubs than can each register one foreigner and one Vietnamese overseas player.

In the three-month break between two periods, the men's team will train and compete in the Asian championship, which is the Futsal World Cup 2024's qualifier, and the regional event.

The National U20 Futsal Championship will begin in August while the National Futsal Cup will begin in December.

The last local event is the National Women's Futsal Championship will be held on September 6-25. 

Internationally, the national men's team will have friendly matches with two world top 10 teams in preparation for the Asian championship and World Cup later this year.

The VFF plans to invite Iran, Morocco and New Zealand to an international four-side tournament in March in HCM City. The event is considered a warm up for teams ahead of the Asian championship.

World No 7 Iran are one of the continental top teams. They were World Cup's third team in 2016 and in top eight in the previous edition.

In the latest meet between Việt Nam, world No 38, and Iran, the visiting side won 8-1 in the 2022 Asian championship's quarter-finals.

Both Việt Nam and Iran target the Thailand's 2024 Asian championship's top four to earn their spots at the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan in September.

Morocco are world No 8 and No 1 in Africa while New Zealand place No 49 in the world and are the only representative of the Oceania Football Confederation at the upcoming World Cup.

Four teams will compete in round robin format and the one with highest points will take the trophy.

“In 2023, my players improved a lot compared to 2022, individually and collectively," said head coach Diego Raul Giustozzi.

"I have researched each player's position and ability to have a current team which in the future can confidently compete with every opponents including those rank above us. I am extremely excited about my goals for 2024." 

Mekong Delta province promotes agricultural tourism

The Mekong Delta province of Đồng Tháp has managed to achieve robust growth in agricultural tourism by utilising farming landscapes, local cuisines, handicrafts, and fruits to elevate tourists’ experience.

The province is richly endowed in all these aspects.

There are 72 agri-tourism spots that allow visitors to get first-hand experience of farm work and traditional crafts and taste fresh fruits and other agricultural produce as well as local cuisine specialities, according to the provincial Department of Cultural, Sports and Tourism.

Known as the floral kingdom of the Mekong Delta, the century-old Sa Đéc flower village is a major tourism spot that attracts millions of visitors a year.

It grows around 2,000 varieties of flowers and ornamental trees.

The first Sa Đéc Flower- Ornamental Festival held from December 30 to January 5 showcased them and promoted local agricultural products and agri-tourism.

During the festival the province unveiled four new experience tours, highlighting cultivation of flowers and ornamental trees, craft villages and cultural heritages in Sa Đéc and Cao Lãnh cities and Lai Vung, Lấp Vò, Cao Lãnh, and Tháp Mười districts, Huỳnh Thị Hoài Thu, the director of the department, said.

It has utilised its agricultural and cultural heritages, developed craft villages and promoted OCOP (One Commune One Product) agricultural products to boost tourism, she said.

It has 357 OCOP products rated three-to-four stars and one rated five, the programme’s highest level.

Phan Bửu Toàn, vice rector of the Sài Gòn Tourism College, said the combination of OCOP agricultural products and tourism is vital for developing rural economies and new-style rural areas, preserving cultural heritages and protecting the environment.

The province has utilised OCOP agricultural products to develop tourism and enhance the tourist experience, he added.

Senior programme manager for tourism and hospitality management at RMIT, Dr Jackie Ong, said agricultural tourism can be a catalyst for overall rural development.

Centred around agriculture, farmers and rural landscapes, it can provide a comprehensive and immersive experience that is entertaining and educational, she pointed out.

While statistics are limited, anecdotal evidence indicates growing participation in agri-tourism, which brings incomes to people and economic development.

It can also play a pivotal role in cultural preservation.

With educational elements infused into agri-tourism experiences, visitors gain a deeper understanding of local traditions and cultures, and the importance of sustainable practices.

The province received around four million tourists in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent.

Its tourism revenues were estimated at VNĐ1.9 trillion (US$78.3 million). 

Filipino famtrip delegation survey tourist attractions in central Vietnam

A famtrip team comprising of 60 Filipino travel firms conducted a trip to the coastal city of Da Nang, Hoi An Ancient City, and Hue from January 6 to January 11 in order to survey popular tourist attractions around the localities.      

The delegation visited a number of famous tourist attractions in Hue upon their arrival, including a complex of Hue monuments and Thien Mu pagoda, whilst also taking part in a food tour to Dong Ba market.

Over the next few days the delegation will tour around Sunworld Ba Na Hills complex and Linh Ung Pagoda in Da Nang.

They will also have the chance to explore Son Tra Marina which looks like a mini Santorini with its aesthetic Mediterranean-inspired architecture topped with fantastic ocean views.

Their final destination will be Hoi An Ancient City which boasts renowned tourist destinations such as the old quarter, Vinwonders Nam Hoi An, and a safari.

Furthermore, foreign tourists will be introduced to the Hoi An Memories Land which was voted as the World Leading Cultural Tourism and Entertainment Complex 2023 at the 30th annual World Travel Awards held in Dubai of the United of Arab Emirates in December last year.

Filipino travel firms greatly appreciated the hospitality shown by residents, whilst they were also impressed with the beautiful landscape and local cuisine on offer. The trip is therefore expected to help them to decide on the most suitable tourism products for customers in the Philippines.

Kien Giang to sell carbon credits for 30,000 hectares of paddy this year

The Mekong Delta  province of Kien Giang is expected to sell carbon credits for around half of its 60,000 hectares of high-quality rice paddy this year. Last year Kien Giang had over 712,800 hectares of land under rice cultivation, 97.10% of it for growing high-quality rice.

This year, the province will have 60,000 hectares of rice under the project of growing one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta by 2030, according to Nguyen Duy Tan, deputy director of the management board of the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project (VnSAT) in Kien Giang,

The province is striving to expand the area for high-quality, low-emission rice to 100,000 hectares by 2025 and expects to sell carbon credits for around 40,000 hectares.

Currently, nine localities in Kien Giang are restructuring their rice cultivation, transitioning from monoculture rice farming to rice cultivation combined with aquaculture to help increase the average income by VND85 million per hectare per year.

The formation of specialized farming areas linked to the restructuring of the production system in the province aims to raise incomes of rice farmers, protect the environment, adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus contributing to fulfilling Vietnam’s 2050 net-zero commitment to the international community, said Tan.

Over 150,000 Vietnamese children born with assisted reproductive techniques

Vietnam has reportedly so far more than 150,000 children born with assisted reproductive techniques, mainly in vitro fertilization (IVF) bringing happiness and hope to couples and families.
 
Tu Du Hospital yesterday organized a conference on challenges and solutions to improve the effectiveness of reproductive support to update the latest advances in the field of reproductive support as well as improve the quality and effectiveness of infertility treatments.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Dinh Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health under the Ministry of Health said that there have been many assisted reproductive techniques such as injecting sperm into the uterus, in Vitro Fertilisation, injecting sperm into the oocyte; in vitro oocyte maturation method, IVF oocyte donation, embryo hatching support, sperm retrieval surgery, cryopreservation of embryos, sperm and oocytes carried out Vietnam which have produced good results.

Vietnam has more than 150,000 children born from assisted reproductive technology, mainly in vitro fertilization (IVF), said Dr. Dinh Anh Tuan. He also revealed that couples who want to carry out the special techniques are facing high costs. Worse, more people have taken advantage of legal loopholes to sell sperm, sell eggs, sell embryos, and even sell children.

According to Director of Tu Du Hospital Doctor Tran Ngoc Hai, since 1997, the hospital has implemented IVF technology; as a result, the first three children were born for the first time on April 30, 1998. To date, more than 17,000 children have been born by assisted reproductive methods, especially IVF at Tu Du Hospital accounting for about 20 percent of the country.

Leading medical experts in the field from big hospitals presented the latest and hottest topics in the field of assisted reproduction including new trends in fertility preservation with ovarian tissue storage techniques, application of platelet-rich products with endometrial regeneration, new perspectives on the role of progesterone before embryo transfer, Timelapse application in modern IVF, and individualization of ovarian stimulation with Gonadotropin.

HCMC strives to gradually become ASEAN regional healthcare center

The Ho Chi Minh City health sector will continue to promote its gained achievements, improve the quality of medical examination and treatment and strengthen international cooperation in 2024.

The goal was set at a conference summarizing the city health sector’s activities in 2023 and deploying directions and tasks for 2024 organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health this morning.

Reporting at the conference, Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen Anh Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City said that in 2023, the city’s health sector concentrated on synchronous implementation of activities to improve epidemic prevention and control capacity, community healthcare, grassroots health, development of emergency medical service system outside hospitals to soon form a regional health care center.

The results in 2023 showed that the city’s health sector started to strongly recover in all healthcare activities compared to the pre-Covid-19 pandemic period, with a surge of 11 percent and 6 percent of outpatient turns in 2022 and 2020 respectively.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc delivered a speech at the conference. He highly appreciated the achievements, especially the in-depth achievements of the city's health sector.

Over the past time, the city's health sector has well implemented epidemic prevention and control, continued to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment and met the increasing demand of patients.

Besides, the local health sector has proactively developed and consulted the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to promulgate key projects and realize the Party and State's policies, thereby helping Ho Chi Minh City gradually become an ASEAN regional health care center.

Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Duong Anh Duc required that in 2024, the city’s health sector will continue to promote the gained achievements during the passing time, widen the connections between Ho Chi Minh City and regional provinces and cities, strengthen professional activities and continue the enhancement of health check quality and international cooperation.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health should promptly build plans and ensure the progress of implementing projects, key contents approved and issued by the city; well implement the public investment disbursement for key health projects to soon put them into use.

On this occasion, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and People's Committee rewarded two team works of doctors from Tu Du Hospital and Children's Hospital No.1 for successfully performing open-heart valve surgery on a fetus with a birth defect in its mother's womb.

That is a new step in specialized techniques on par with developed countries in the region, showing increasing improvement in training and professional quality of the health sector as well as helping Ho Chi Minh City gradually become a health care center in the ASEAN region.

Le Tuan Minh triumphs over Hikaru Nakamura in 2024 Bullet Brawl

Vietnam's chess grandmaster, Le Tuan Minh, kicked off the year 2024 with a notable victory by clinching the top spot in the 2024 Super Blitz Bullet Brawl chess tournament.

The 2024 Super Blitz Bullet Brawl chess tournament concluded on January 7, with participants engaging in online blitz chess matches. The competition occurred regularly on weekends each month. Le Tuan Minh secured the first-place position in the first tournament of January 2024. Notably, he outperformed the world's second-ranked player, Hikaru Nakamura from the US, to claim this victory.

According to the regulations, each player is given just one minute for the entire match, making the competition exceptionally fast-paced. Following the conclusion of the games, Le Tuan Minh achieved an impressive record with 58 wins, five draws, and 14 losses, accumulating a total score of 193 to earn the top spot.

In his final match, Le Tuan Minh faced the talented chess player Vi Pranav from India. After 51 moves, our player emerged victorious, solidifying his overall first-place position in the tournament.

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura claimed the second position with an impressive record of 57 wins, seven draws, and 16 losses. The third spot was secured by Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky from the US, who notched up 55 wins, 13 draws, and 11 losses.

Last year, in the 2023 Bullet Brawl chess tournament, Hikaru Nakamura displayed dominance by clinching 15 victories, earning him the top spot in the overall rankings. Meanwhile, Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky secured second place overall with ten wins.

Vietnam Sports awarded Olympic Scholarships for Athletes “Paris 2024”

The Sports Authority of Vietnam had a meeting to discuss the Scholarship Program of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics to identify some athletes in the categories of weightlifting, archery and swimming to receive scholarships.

The Olympic scholarship is an annual program funded and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in terms of professional techniques to help the Olympic Committees of countries and territories select outstanding athletes preparing for qualifying tournaments and winning tickets to the Olympics.

The scholarship is dedicated to training activities and competitions abroad comprising meals, airline tickets, hotels, nutritional medicine and so on.

In order to receive the scholarships, apart from being recognized as the outstanding athletes, each individual has to perform professional and financial reports every four months. The reports must be signed and sealed by the National Sport Federation and Vietnam Olympic Committee.

The Olympic Solidarity Fund will verify with the international federation in advance of the selecting athletes following the proposal of the Vietnam Olympic Committee and the National Sport Federation.

In order to effectively implement the scholarship program, Director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam Dang Viet Ha required heads of each sport to collaborate with the relevant units to build plans of training, joining qualifying tournaments and the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics for athletes registering for scholarships to be implemented soon.

Previously, Vietnamese athletes in cycling, karate, fencing and gymnastics and so on received such scholarships at the Olympic Rio 2016 and Olympic Tokyo 2020.

Art exhibition aims to strengthen Vietnam -US relationship

A cultural and art exhibition to strengthen friendly ties between Vietnam and the United States is now being held in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association organized an art photo exhibition named ‘Once in America’ by five authors including photography artist Doan Hoai Trung, photography artist Huynh Cong Ba, photography artist Ngo Thi Thu Ba, journalist Vu Kim Son and doctor Trinh Van Anh.

The exhibition taking place from now until January 12 displays 105 works about the landscape and people in the US’s locations such as California, Nevada, Arizona, New York City, tourist destinations such as Yosemite National Park, Grand Cayon Ravine, Hoover Dam, Sedona Mountains, Mount Lemmon. The photographers of the exhibition took pictures in September 2023.

At the exhibition, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs Tran Phuoc Anh said that many works of the photo exhibition specifically contribute to strengthening the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the United States.

Moreover, he added that the Department of Foreign Affairs particularly and other departments generally do their best to support such similar activities to help raise the understanding and affection of Vietnamese people with overseas Vietnamese in the US, as well as Americans and other strategic partner countries.

While the group of authors was taking photos in the US, US President Joe Biden visited Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The two countries have upgraded their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Most recently, at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation attended the 2023 APEC Summit Week and combined bilateral activities in the US in November 2023. In response to these important events, the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association organized the exhibition 'Once in America', hoping to bring to the audience some of the landscapes and people of America.

Hanoi to host peach blossom and kumquat festival

Hanoi, along with relevant agencies, will host the 2024 Spring Festival of Peach Blossoms and Kumquat Trees and the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) exhibition from January 26 to February 1.

The event aims to pay tribute to artisanal villages specializing in peach blossom and kumquat cultivation in Tay Ho District and Hanoi.

According to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the festival will be held on the pedestrianized Trinh Cong Son Street in Tay Ho District.

The event will feature 100 booths on a 3,000m2 exhibition area showcasing peach blossoms, kumquat, flowers and OCOP products from districts and towns in Hanoi and regions across the country.

There will be OCOP products rated three stars and above, key products and specialties from different regions, and potential OCOP products on display.

During the festival, the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in cooperation with TikTok Vietnam, will host a Tet (Lunar New Year) livestream event, a Vietnamese Tet Street for photo opportunities, online Tet experiences, and various other events.

Registration for the festival is currently open until 20 January at the Office of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, 38 To Hieu Street, Ha Dong District, Hanoi.

QR codes seen in cultural and historical attractions

Information signs are no longer seen in cultural and historical attractions but QR codes instead. Thanks to QR codes, these special destinations become more vivid thanks to multi-dimensional connections.

At first glance, the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space at the Ho Chi Minh City Cadre Academy is similar to many other places with a statue of Uncle Ho placed in the central lobby area along with many pictures, paintings, and documentary books about Uncle Ho and his teachings.

However, the highlight of the place is that most of the materials displayed in the space have QR codes. Therefore, visitors to this place can scan codes to read books, watch documentaries or even download documents to study and research completely free of charge. Diversities of books in the place include Ho Chi Minh's journey from Sen village to Ba Dinh, Following in Uncle Ho's footsteps, Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh on the path of the Communist Party plus documentaries such as Ho Chi Minh in the land of Lenin, Vitality of a manifesto, Torch of the century, Ho Chi Minh - portrait of a politician guest.

A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Cadre Academy said that QR codes attached to the books aim to create conditions and maximize the opening of the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space so that everyone can access it easily.

Instead of having to stand on the spot to find out information, through QR codes, visitors can flexibly choose to read books or watch documentaries, and can even take a photo of the code and send it to friends to access from anywhere. This approach also aims to increase visitors’ experience and draw people’s attraction compared to the traditional way as before. At the same time, it meets the powerful digital transformation trend in Ho Chi Minh City.

Moreover, during the four-day journey to Northwestern provinces organized by the Propaganda and Education Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, at most relic sites, there were always signs printed with QR codes so visitors could scan and find out more information in addition to tour guides.

At the 52nd Tay Tien Regiment relic site at Na Bo hill in Moc Chau town in Son La Province’s Moc Chau district, a person scanned the QR code, they saw a link displaying basic information and images of the relic site. At the special national monument of Son La prison at Khau Ca Hill in Son La City, after scanning the QR code, visitors seemed to enter the vivid world of a virtual tour to have a unique panoramic view. In addition to the introductory video with narration and basic information, there are also images of different areas of the monument with a 360-degree display to create a realistic feeling.

At present, QR codes have existed in every corner of life. Compared to traditional barcodes, QR codes are more convenient because they can provide more information, bringing viewers to the necessary links to access images, sounds and videos. With Internet-enabled mobile phonesthe whole world seems to be compressed into one compact code.

For cultural spaces or historical relics, QR codes need to be widely applied to increase multi-dimensional experiences for visitors. When people are viewed, listened to, read and downloaded at the same time, providing detailed, complete, and vivid information without taking up too much space or actual area. At the same time, information can be continuously edited, updated, and supplemented easily. QR code application also brings proactive access to information, instead of having to depend on guides and narrators.

With the available technology platform, how to build an impressive and attractive archive of documents behind each QR code also needs to be thoroughly considered to create more pervasive and effective effects; Otherwise, the presence of QR codes just becomes a waste or a formality.

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