Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that up to now, the country has over 91,067 million health insurance buyers, reaching 91.1 percent of the population.

In particular, a number of financial mechanisms have not created motivation for the development of grassroots healthcare clinics. Furthermore, patients are still facing difficulties in paying medical examination and treatment discharges.

Proposals for changes in regulations of organ donation

Rigid regulations in Vietnam have been impeding organ donation; therefore, there are proposals to change the law.

The National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation yesterday held an international seminar on the mobilization and coordination of donated organs from brain and heart-dead people.

According to the law, any person 18 years old or older who has the civil capacity and voluntary behavior has the right to donate tissues and organs while alive or after death.

Many conference participants voiced their opinions that organ transplantation in Vietnam is facing many challenges due to the lack of sources of organs for transplantation, while patients need a huge organ transplant. Currently, Vietnam’s regulations on organ donation are big barriers, while a few people registered for tissue and organ donation, failing to meet the nation’s demand for organ transplants.

Therefore, some suggested that Vietnam needs to learn from foreign experience by putting people’s agreements to donate tissues and organs on the back of their driver's licenses. At the same time, it is necessary to amend the law that parents or guardians of deceased people should be allowed to decide on tissue and organ donation for people in need as well as allow prisoners to donate tissues and organs. If it is so, many brain-dead people can donate tissues and organs after death.

In response to the above proposals, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that in order to fix the shortcomings and limitations of the current legal regulations, the Ministry of Health is amending the Law on Donation, tissue collection and transplantation of human organs. The new law will pay attention to the age of donors, rights for donors, a financial mechanism in organ and tissue donation and transplantation, regimes and policies for medical workers who coordinate and encourage people to give tissue and organ without money to save others’ lives.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, approximately 265 people registered to donate organs in 2014, while by the end of June 2023, some 73,213 people registered to donate organs and there were 7,498 successful organ transplants. However, only 146 tissue and organ transplants were performed from taking and transplanting tissues and organs from brain-dead donors, so the number of organ transplants from living donors still accounts for more than 90 percent.

Indonesian research fellow hails Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy”

Veeramalla Anjaiah, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) and senior journalist based in Jakarta, has commended Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” for its contributions to national achievements.

In a recent article titled “New impetus for strategic ties between Vietnam and Indonesia”, Anjaiah held that with the policy, Vietnam has succeeded in maintaining its relations with powers while ensuring its national interests.

The term “bamboo diplomacy” was coined by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during a diplomatic conference in 2016 and reiterated at the first national conference on foreign affairs in 2021. During these meetings, the leader likened Vietnam’s foreign policy to bamboo, with strong roots, solid stems, and flexible branches.

The bamboo tree holds a significant place in Vietnamese history, culture, and daily life, symbolising strength, flexibility, and resilience, the article said.

Vietnam’s determination to pursue a foreign policy that draws on these characteristics, known as “bamboo diplomacy”, is seen as a pragmatic response to the challenges facing the country in a rapidly changing world.

Anjaiah described “bamboo diplomacy” as a way selected by Vietnam to promote its culture, identities as well as diplomatic ties with strategic and comprehensive partners.

He also called the country a rising star of the Indo-Pacific region and a strategic nation in Southeast Asia, with great diplomatic impacts.

Vietnam is an active and responsible member of more than 70 important international organisations and forums such as the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the article noted.

From a centrally planned economy and an isolated country under embargo, Vietnam today has become a socialist-oriented market economy enjoying an immense breadth and depth of economic connectivity, having acceded to 15 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including three new-generation FTAs of very high standards, and participating in an extensive network of economic linkages with major economies in the world.

While Vietnam only had economic and trade ties with some 30 countries and territories 30 years ago, the number today is 230. Total foreign trade turnover this year is about 600 billion USD, about 120 times the figure of the early years of Doi Moi (Renewal).
Regarding the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship, Anjaiah said it dates back even before 1945. Both countries not only shared the hardship and determination to win in the struggles for their national independence, but they have also been supporting each other to improve their citizens’ well-being.

Indonesia was also the first Southeast Asian nation to set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

Since being established on December 30, 1955, the bilateral relations and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries have been nurtured and developed by generations of leaders and people of the two countries. President Ho Chi Minh came to Indonesia on a 10-day trip in February 1959.

In 2013, the Indonesia-Vietnam relationship was advanced into a Strategic Partnership.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held a telephone conversation with President Joko Widodo on August 25, 2022, during which the Vietnamese leader proposed that both countries heighten party-to-party relations and enhance mutual understanding and political trust through high-level meetings.

In May 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also visited Indonesia's Labuan Bajoto attend the 42nd ASEAN Summit.
During their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, PM Chinh and President Joko Widodo agreed to further bring into play their traditional, close-knit friendship to create momentum for the strategic partnership to reach a new height.

At the end of his article, the journalist said hrough its bamboo diplomacy and economic potential, Vietnam must ensure sufficient flexibility, resilience, and adaptability to maintain its strategic autonomy, good partnerships, and sound relations with all nations. Its relationship with Indonesia is expected to grow to even greater heights in upcoming years.

HCM City, Australia’s CSIRO discuss growth directions for sci-tech, innovation cooperation

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Duong Anh Duc received Jonathan Law, executive director of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in the southern metropolis on June 29, to discuss orientations for promoting cooperation between the two sides.

Duc took the occasion to acknowledge the remarkable progress of the Vietnam – Australia relations across fields, including politics, defence, security, investment, trade, culture, education, science, and technology.

Recognising the role of CSIRO, he proposed that the city and organisation step up cooperation regarding open innovative startup models and the connection of their startup ecosystems; and share experiences in developing the triple helix model of innovation (Public-Private-Academia).

The official also suggested that the two sides implement strategies to commercialise research outcomes from universities, policies, and strategic models to attract the private sector’s participation in developing the innovative startup ecosystem.

Speaking highly of these suggestions, Law said the Australian national science organisation has experience and strengths in developing the triple helix model as well as in turning scientific research from universities and research institutes into commercial products for daily life. CSIRO is ready to share such experiences with HCM City, he affirmed.

CSIRO is willing to join the city’s innovation and digital transformation week (WHISE) at the end of this year and looks forward to exchanging knowledge and experiences in technology development and innovation with the southern economic hub of Vietnam, he said.

CSIRO has a close relationship with Vietnam, with the sides collaborating on projects in the fields of aquaculture, space science, and future technology. The organisation is one of the sponsors and managers of the Aus4Innovation programme, which has been implemented in Vietnam since 2018.

Deputy PM urges prioritising administrative reform in business

Administrative regulations and procedures in investment and business should be simplified and reformed first, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang said at a recent meeting on administrative reform and improving the efficiency of policy consultation to the Government and the PM.

The Government Office on June 29 issued a notice on the Deputy PM’s conclusions at the meeting, which pointed to limitations in the work and the causes like the low sense of responsibility of some agencies, especially of their leaders, loose coordination between agencies, and a lack of decentralisation.  

Quang emphasised the need to streamline administrative procedures in the areas directly relating to production and business activities and people's life such as construction, real estate, taxation, customs, electricity, energy, agricultural production and processing, export-import, education-training, and health care.

Ministries, agencies and localities must also fully and accurately publicise procedures on the national database on administrative procedures, the Deputy PM said.  

Other tasks include assessing the quality of services, and regularly supervising performance by relevant officials and agencies, and strictly handling wrongdoings.

The Ministry of Justice, legal affairs divisions in ministries and ministry-level agencies, and Justice Departments of provincial-level People's Committees must further strengthen the verification of administrative procedures in proposals, projects and draft legal documents to ensure that only those procedures which are really necessary, reasonable and legal are promulgated.  
The Ministry of Home Affairs is assigned to coordinate with the Government Office and other ministries and agencies in reviewing and proposing plans on consolidating inter-sectoral organisations, including the PM’s policy advisory group. The work must be done within next month.  

The Government Office is tasked with working together with relevant ministries and agencies to devise a plan on major administrative reforms from now to the end of this year, which will be submitted to the PM in July.

The Deputy PM also instructed the Government Office to submit a proposal to the Prime Minister on the establishment of a task force on administrative reform of the PM, which will instruct, monitor and push the implementation of programmes, plans and projects on administrative reform, identify difficulties and obstacles and remove them in a timely manner, prioritising pending ones.

Quang also urged upgrading the national database on administrative procedures in the third quarter of this month.

Nha Trang Dolphins finish first VBA stage with 88-77 win

Nha Trang Dolphins struggled to secure a 88-77 win over bottom-placed Danang Dragons on game 19 of the 2023 VBA season on June 28 in Hà Nội.

It was both two teams' last match in the first stage of the tournament. While the Dolphins needed a win to improve their overall ranking, the Dragons were seeking their first win of the season.

Despite their losing streak, the Dragons' performance made supporters excited in all five of their previous games. The sixth match was the same as they launched into open attacks from the beginning.

Youngsters Nguyễn Anh Kiệt and Dương Đức Trí quickly pushed the Dragons ahead to take an early lead.

However, the Dolphins also had a plan. Heritage player Dominique Tham and his teammates successfully reduced the Dragons' pace while locking their forwards. The first quarter ended at 21-17 for the Dolphins.

Tham, who was not only good at attacking but also strong in defence, continued pressuring the Dragons in the second quarter.

He made the Dragons defenders work hard in the three-meter line to protect their basket. When he was in defence he made a strong wall, denying the efforts of Yevgen Sakhniuk and Jermaine Marrow.

The Dolphins, who set the league record for most three-pointers on Sunday, continued to their peak performance with seven three-points in a row stunning the audience and increasing the gap with their rival to 51-29 at halftime.

The Dragons warmed up slowly as usual. They could only rise up in the second half of the match.

Marrow, who has so far scored an average of 28 points per game, became the highlight of the team. He earned 23 points in the third quarter, five times his performance in the first 20 minutes, and had another run of 10 points in the fourth.

His outburst inspired his teammates. Sakhniuk, Kiệt and Từ Dương Huy helped the Dragons regain control and scored more points to narrow the gap to 71-78 with just four minutes left.

However, the Dragons failed to maintain their streak. Marrow wasted two free throws while Madarious Gibbs of the Dolphins made his mark with five points with just one minute remaining.

The Dolphins closed the match at 88-77, pocketing their fourth win to stay strong in second place in the standings.

Gibbs took the Player of the Game title with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Marrow made his mark as a key member of the Dragons with 33 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

In the second stage which is organised in the away-home format, the Dolphins will play Thang Long Warriors on July 8 while the Dragons also host the Warriors on July 11. 

Women's team focuses on fitness ahead of World Cup

Players of the national women's football team are targeting peak fitness in the new training timetable to ensure the best performance at the Women's World Cup next month in New Zealand.

The team arrived home on June 27 from their European camp and had their first training session on June 29 in Hà Nội, starting from 8am.

According to coach Mai Đức Chung, his players have to practise at this time to get familiar with the time-zone differences. Their matches will kick off at 1pm local time, which is 8am in Hà Nội.

In the first session, Chung asked his players mainly focus on improving their fitness in the gym before running and practising in the field.

Chung said the coaching needs to have a suitable training schedule so players can reach their top potential at the World Cup.

"We have been preparing our physical strength for a long time, especially during our three weeks in Germany where you could see the players were of full energy," said Chung.

"During a friendly match with the German national team, they were in good condition until the end of the game. Forward Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã was a prime example as she ran really fast and scored a beautiful goal in the additional time.

"We're continuing with our training plan at home to improve skill and fitness. We need to ensure this isn't an issue when we're facing the powerful teams of the US, Netherlands and Portugal," he said.

Chung added that recently players' diet and nutrition, which played an important role in players' strength, were greatly improved. Each player enjoyed meals costing a total of VNĐ1 million (US$42.5) per day alongside nutritional supplements from the main sponsor Herbalife.

Herbalife has been a partner of the VFF since 2021. In addition to financial backing, the company also supplies nutritional supplements and sports nutrition information to help players enhance their physical strength and endurance in training and competitions.

"The supplements by Herbalife improved our physique and assured us we wouldn't run into doping issues from using lesser-understood substances. That helped us to be confident when looking towards the World Cup," said Chung.

Recently, five athletes of Việt Nam were banned from competitions due to doping violations after using a new type of nutritional drug.

Vietnamese players will practise for about a week in Hà Nội before Chung shortlists his squad to 23 players who will fly to New Zealand on July 5.

They will play the hosts in a friendly on July 7 at McLean Park Stadium. Five days later, they will have another friendly match against Spain - their last tough before the Australia/New Zealand World Cup begins on July 20.

Việt Nam is in Group E playing in New Zealand and will meet with defending champions the USA on July 22, Portugal on July 27 and the Netherlands on August 1. 

HCM City: 163,000 labourers find jobs in H1

More than 163,000 labourers in Ho Chi Minh City found jobs in the first six months of 2023, up 0.21% year on year, while more than 79,900 new jobs were created, a rise of 0.25%, reported the municipal Department of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs.

In June alone, economic sectors in the city employed more than 26,500 labourers and created nearly 12,000 new jobs, with most jobs in the areas of trade, services, and industrial production.

Tran Le Thanh Truc, head of the Employment – Labour Safety Office under the city Department of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs said that in the first half of 2023, the city organised 59 online job fairs, providing employment consultations to more than 69,700 labourers and helping over 43,200 labourers successfully find jobs.

The department processed nearly 59,000 out of 64,000 requests for unemployment allowances, and issued 512 decisions to give vocational training support to unemployed labourers.

It also received information from 245,400 labourers who wanted to seek jobs, she said, adding that the department also gathered information recruitment demands of 42,800 local businesses.

In the Jan-June period, HCM City sent more than 3,900 labourers to work abroad, 1,000 cases higher than that in the same period last year, mostly to Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China).

In the period, nearly 7.639 foreign workers in the city received work permits, down nearly 900 from the same period last year, the department reported.

The Hug Project returns for second year, aiming to further promote child protection efforts

The Hug Project, with the purpose of combating violence and promoting child protection, officially returns with new meaningful activities in 2023.

In its second year, the project aims to work with the community to make practical changes by providing useful information and connection activities to jointly identify, understand and take action for the safety and happiness of future generations.

The project is implemented by ChildFund Korea with the sponsorship of Hanwha Life Insurance.

Coming back in Việt Nam’s ‘Family Month’, the Hug Project continues to convey the message of love for children, "A warm hug to soothe all wounds".

This year, the project focuses on helping adults recognise children’s thoughts, emotions as well as internal issues in the relationship between parents and children, while providing opportunities to heal the ‘cracks’ in the connection between family members.

From there, the project hopes to encourage adults to understand and be willing to change themselves, to give full hugs and nurture the seeds of happiness.

Some prominent activities of the project in its second year include: practical counselling programme (online discussions analysing real-life conflict situations between parents and children, with the advice of experts), "Warm Hug" festival with family bonding activities, and a series of child protection programmes including guidance sessions for students and families at some primary schools in Huế and HCM City, in collaboration with the Việt Nam Association for the Protection of Children's Rights.

In addition, the official Facebook fanpage of the Hug Project Cái ôm ấm áp will continue to provide readers with useful information on issues facing children, child rearing and children's rights, as well as how to identify and report violent behaviours.

Vietnam and Cuba bolster communications co-operation

A delegation led by Le Quoc Minh, editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper, by a paid a visit to Cuba from June 25 to June 29.

Minh is also a member of the Party Central Committee and deputy head of its Commission for Information and Education. 

During the course of the visit, the delegation met with Roberto Morales Ojeda, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee (PCCCC), and Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, secretary of the PCCCC and head of its Ideological Department.

At the meeting, both sides showed their elation at seeing the strong relationship develop between the two Parties and two countries in general, as well as the process of concretizing bilateral agreements beneficial to both Cuba and Vietnam. The meetings also offered opportunities for the two sides to exchange and discuss efforts in the fight against political-ideological subversion campaigns, especially amid digital technologies and social networks booming.

The Cuban side therefore thanked Nhan Dan, the official newspaper of the Vietnamese Party, for supporting its Cuban counterpart Granma. They affirmed that the support will help Granma newspaper cope with increasingly severe limitations due to the impacts of the embargo placed against Cuba, keep up with the trend of the times, and meet the information needs during the country’s development.

For his part, Minh reaffirmed the solidarity that exists between the two countries and stressed that the support for Nhan Dan given to Granma is only part of what the Vietnamese people want to do for the Cuban people.

During the visit to the Caribbean nation, the delegation had meetings with leaders of Granma newspaper and the Cuban Journalists Association, offered floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the park named after him in Havana, and visited the Fidel Castro Centre.

HCM City, Australia’s CSIRO discuss growth directions for sci-tech, innovation cooper

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Duong Anh Duc received Jonathan Law, executive director of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in the southern metropolis on June 29, to discuss orientations for promoting cooperation between the two sides.

Duc took the occasion to acknowledge the remarkable progress of the Vietnam – Australia relations across fields, including politics, defence, security, investment, trade, culture, education, science, and technology.

Recognising the role of CSIRO, he proposed that the city and organisation step up cooperation regarding open innovative startup models and the connection of their startup ecosystems; and share experiences in developing the triple helix model of innovation (Public-Private-Academia).

The official also suggested that the two sides implement strategies to commercialise research outcomes from universities, policies, and strategic models to attract the private sector’s participation in developing the innovative startup ecosystem.

Speaking highly of these suggestions, Law noted that the Australian national science organisation has experience and strengths in developing the triple helix model as well as in turning scientific research from universities and research institutes into commercial products for daily life. CSIRO is ready to share such experiences with HCM City, he affirmed.

CSIRO is willing to join the city’s innovation and digital transformation week (WHISE) at the end of this year and looks forward to exchanging knowledge and experiences in technology development and innovation with the southern economic hub of Vietnam, he said.

CSIRO has a close relationship with Vietnam, with the sides collaborating on projects in the fields of aquaculture, space science, and future technology. The organisation is one of the sponsors and managers of the Aus4Innovation programme, which has been implemented in Vietnam since 2018.

UK newspaper hails impressive achievements of Vietnamese women’s team

Dan Evans, a football journalist of UK magazine Sports Gazette, has published an article hailing the outstanding achievements of the Vietnamese women’s football team and its head coach Mai Duc Chung.

In the article, Evans said that after having played only their first match as a team as recently as 1997, qualification for this year’s version of the World Cup should be seen as a landmark moment for women’s football in Vietnam.

“They have established themselves as a dominant force in Southeast Asian football in the first two decades of the 2000’s, and were only denied a place at the 2015 World Cup by a playoff defeat to perennial rivals Thailand,” Evans wrote.

According to the British journalist, Vietnam’s moment finally came after they beat both Thailand and Chinese Taipei in 2022 during the qualification phase. He noted that this was followed by calls to make the domestic women’s league professional as football fans in the country hope that participation in the World Cup can become a regular occurrence.

Dan Evans stressed that the Vietnamese women’s team travel to compete at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in good form, having won the Southeast Asian Games in May.

However, he added that a daunting group stage draw will see their first experience World Cup see them take on both the Netherlands and four-time world champions the United States.

With regard to head coach Mai Duc Chung, Evans said that Vietnam could hardly have the benefit of an experienced leader who can guide the national women’s team at this year’s World Cup.

“Chung has been in charge for six of the eight gold medals that the side have won at the Southeast Asian Games over the past two decades,” the journalist highlighted.

The UK journalist also praised Vietnam’s key player Huynh Nhu, who is currently the only female Vietnamese to play her club football abroad and represents the team’s focal point as both captain and record goal scorer.

“Having represented Portuguese side Vilaverdense since 2022, the striker will be hoping to add to her remarkable international scoring record of 67 strikes in 72 appearances at the World Cup,” he concluded.

As scheduled, the upcoming World Cup finals will see the Vietnamese team face defending champions the US on July 22, Portugal on July 27, and the Netherlands, the runners-up of the previous tournament, on August 1.

All of these matches will take place in New Zealand.

Before that, the team will also play two important friendly matches against Spain and New Zealand on July 10 and July 14, respectively.

Erosion affects households by HCM City canal

As many as 13 households located by Thanh Da Canal in HCM City’s Binh Thanh District have been severely hit by erosion.

Over the past week, around 120 metres of the canal shore near Kinh Bridge has eroded.   

Nguyen Van Cac, 69, who lives by the canal, said that his house had seen cracks due to the erosion.

Nguyen Thi Cong, 88, said that her house was in the same situation with cracks found on the walls. This was the second time she had experienced the problem.

The house of Nguyen Thi Cong has cracks on the walls.

The city’s Department of Transport has reported the situation to local authorities and urged Binh Thanh District to urgently relocate the 13 affected households.

The erosion has mainly been attributed to recent frequent high tides and heavy rains.

In 2006, HCM City authorities approved a project to consolidate Thanh Da Peninsula which was divided into four phases.

However, as of the end of 2019, only the first phase was completed, with delays based on several factors including site clearance issues.

Two rare monkeys in Hue to be released into the wild

A family in the central province of Thua-Thien Hue has handed over two rare monkeys to local authorities to be released into the wild.

The monkeys, which were kept at the family in Kim Long Ward in Hue City, have the scientific name of Macaca Mulata. They belong to an endangered species.  

According to the family, the monkeys were given to them by their relatives as a present.

Hue’s forest management board have completed procedures to receive the animals to release them at Phong Dien Natural Reserves in Phong Dien District.

A man in Phu Van District’s Vinh Thanh Commune previously handed over a three-kilo wild cat to the local forest management board. The animal with the specific name of Felis bengalensis was also named in the list of rare and endangered species.

Book company supports building bookcases for lifelong learning promotion

In response to the movement of building 100 community bookcases across the country, a book company will give books to build bookcases for families or communities to join hands to promote the lifelong learning spirit.

As a way to support the lifelong learning movement, Omega Plus Book Company has just decided to embark on a program to build 100 community bookcases specifically for individuals and organizations that want to build a bookcase for their families or in the community and in schools.

Accordingly, the program will support individuals and organizations with book support packages, including a pack of 100 books approximately worth VND30 million (US$ 1,270) or a package of 200 books worth VND60 million and a package of 500 books worth around VND150 million.

The list of books in the program is classics and foundation books selected and published by Omega Plus in the past 7 years with many different topics, including Vietnamese history, world history, politics, economy, physical science, children's literature, education, medicine, art, and music.

Readers can choose the titles and the number of books according to the specified price packages. Individuals and organizations can contact the company directly through the website omegaplus.vn.

The program runs until July 31.

HCMC's District 6 launches street of traditional Vietnamese wedding gifts

The People’s Committee of District 6 in HCMC launched a street specialized on selling traditional Vietnamese wedding gifts on June 29 to provide an additional tourist attraction to draw more visitors.

The section from Ngo Nhan Tinh Street to Nguyen Thi Nho Street located on Le Quang Sung Street includes 16 shops selling traditional gifts for Vietnamese weddings, such as betel leaves and areca nuts, wines, fruits, cakes, and tea.

Ms. Thuy, owner of a shop, spending more than 30 years of trading betel leaves and areca fruits, indispensable gifts in engagement and wedding ceremonies, said that sellers were very joyful with the inauguration of the street.

In the heyday, the market had hundreds of large-scale stalls that were bustling with trade activities every day, especially in the wedding season at the end of the year that daily saw thousands of visitors and trucks carrying betel leaves and areca fruits waiting in line until 2-3 a.m. every night.

The goods are transported directly from Hoc Mon District in HCMC or provinces, such as Ben Tre, Quang Ngai, and others. Currently, a set of a bunch of 40 areca fruits, betel leaves, and slaked lime costs around VND200,000.

Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of District 6, Vuong Thanh Lieu said that the launch of the “Street of traditional Vietnamese wedding gifts - Cho Lon betel leaves and areca nuts” is expected to contribute to diversifying trade and tourism activities of the district and Binh Tay commercial and service center as well as preserving the beauty of Vietnamese traditional and cultural beauty.

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