Ecotree Group, a sustainable forestry company focusing on carbon removal and biodiversity preservation, will team up with Germany's NGUYEN GmbH Chau Au to implement a carbon dioxide reduction project in Vietnam under an agreement signed on May 31.

Under the project, Ecotree will plant 1 million ha of forest in Vietnam and manage them in line with European standard.

According to Le Thanh Tung, Chairman and General Director of Ecotree Group, its strategy is to attract foreign direct investment to Vietnam, contributing to boosting the country's socio-economic development and GDP growth.

To date, Ecotree has worked with 16 provinces and cities across the country, of which six have approved proposals on conducting surveys to pilot a carbon credit project for planted and natural forests.

He went on to say that Ecotree experts have begun conducting field surveys in some provinces such as Ca Mau, Gia Lai and Binh Dinh, which will serve as a foundation for signing cooperation agreements with local forest owners.

According to Raphael Thomas, an environmental expert, Vietnam has a very large forest area and great potential to develop the carbon credit market. He estimated that the project can absorb 12 million tonnes of CO2 each year and earn about 120 million EUR (130.4 million USD) per year.

Truong Thanh Ha, deputy head of Gia Lai province’s Forest Protection Department, spoke highly of the project, saying said that it does not only brings CO2 credits but also creates a better living environment, and improves income for people engaging in forest planting at the same time.

According to Ecotree Group, the CO2 reduction project will be deployed this year and its implementation results will be reviewed in each phase./.

Festival hoped to awaken river tourism potential in HCM City

The second Ho Chi Minh City River Festival, kicked off on May 31 evening, promises to leave lasting impression on local residents and visitors about this distinctive riverside metropolis.

Rivers, canals, and waterways imbued with unique cultural values of the riverine region have contributed to tourism development in HCM City.

The Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi Wharf and Saigon Cruise Port are bustling on these days with preparations for the opening ceremony and a series of festive activities. Over 1,000 artists and actors/actresses have been practising around the clock for an outdoor grand opera titled "The story of a river Season 2 - The legendary voyage".

Consisting of five chapters, the play combines history, cinematography, and entertainment characteristics to convey meaningful messages and stories about the development of Saigon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City, a land of waterways.

The programme will also use 3D mapping technology, water screens, water stage platforms, drone performances, and boat parades, among others, to create a colourful extravaganza party celebrating the river culture. Artistic fireworks displays will also be a highlight of the opening ceremony.

Meanwhile, a fruit week themed "Tren Ben Duoi Thuyen" (On the Wharf - In the Boat) will be held from June 4-10, featuring the distinctive cultural space of the southwestern waterways region.

A wide range of other activities will also form part of the festival such as cultural and artistic spaces, a culinary competition, a river swimming tournament, a stand-up paddleboarding race, and performances of water motorcycle, parasailing, and sailboats. Besides, discounts ranging from 10 to 60% will be offered for over 50 waterway tours.

Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa expressed her hope that the annual festival will help establish the city as a riverside metropolis with rich cultural identity.

With nearly 1,000 km of rivers and canals, HCM City holds the potential for developing attractive waterway tourism products connected with diverse historical and cultural relic sites in the city and other southern provinces.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung highlighted the significance of the event to the southern hub’s socio-economic and tourism development, saying that the municipal authorities will continue investing in the River Festival so as to form a chain of unique cultural and tourism events, thus helping HCM City attract more domestic and international tourists./.

Hà Nội official requests early trial, strict inspections to stop repeat of  tragic fire

Authorities have been told to spare no effort and move swiftly to charge anyone responsible for the fatal fire which killed 14 in Hà Nội a week ago.

The permanent deputy secretary of the Hà Nội’s Party Committee Nguyễn Thị Tuyến has ordered authorities to discover who caused the fire and prosecute, saying a quick trial will serve as a deterrent for similar violations in the future.

In Official Dispatch No 1150-CV/TU, she said the fatal fire was not only serious and took people's lives and property, but it threatened security and order.

Fire fighters managed to bring the blaze, on May 24, down a narrow alleyway in Trung Kính Street in Cầu Giấy District, under control in just ten minutes, but the dead were trapped inside.

Inspections of multi occupancy buildings, rentals, boarding houses and high rises are being ramped up across the capital, while landlords and investors have been ordered to make sure that their buildings are safe.

The Standing Committee of the city's Party Committee ordered the the Inspection Committee to check and revise fire precaution rules and fire fighting regulations in the district and report to the Party Committee before June 30.

All relevant agencies were ordered to inspect every house in the capital, including boarding houses, rental houses and houses for both business and rental purposes.

At the same time, the committee assigned all districts and towns to coordinate with the city's Police Department in re-evaluating conditions and standards of fire fighting and prevention, especially in high-rise apartment buildings, densely populated areas, mini apartments and houses for rent in the city.

Investors, managers and owners of any buildings have been ordered to quickly fix any safety issues to prevent any fires like this happening again.

The city’s Police Department has been told to tell people to stop leaving EVs on charge without keeping watch and to never leave them on charge overnight, or when there is no adult at home.

The Party Committee of Cầu Giấy District has been asked to quickly make available financial support to the fire victims and their families. They will be offered money from a fund which must be made public and transparent and be allocated by May 31, the dispatch said.

In another development, on Thursday morning, five people were rescued from a fire at a rental house in the suburbs of Hà Nội.

The Hà Đông District's Police Office said the fire broke out around 5:30am on Thursday on the ground floor of a residential house with rental rooms in Phú Lương Ward.

The district police sent two fire engines and several firefighters to the scene and the blaze was extinguished in a few minutes and people were led to safety.

There were no casualties from the fire, the cause of which is now being investigated by police.

Hà Nội to issue Judicial Record Certificates via the VNeID free of charge

Hà Nội will issue Judicial Record Certificates via the VNeID application free of charge for citizens from June 1 in order to encourage residents to use the app for these procedures.

On May 15, the capital People’s Council issued Resolution No. 11/2024 stipulating support for fees related to providing judicial record information via the VNeID application within the city.

During the pilot perios, between April 22 and May 29, the department received 5,235 applications and dealt with 2,961 applications via the VNeID application.

However, the department encountered some technical difficulties.

To facilitate transaction processing, the department had assigned FPT Corporation to address the errors.

On Thursday, the city’s Justice Department worked with the Ministry of Public Security, the People’s Committee of Hà Nội and other relevant agencies to finalise technical procedures.

Issuance of Criminal Record Certificates via the VNeID application provides citizens with an additional method to request a Criminal Record Certificate, alongside issuance through the public service of the city (https://dichvucong.hanoi.gov.vn), the postal service system and direct request at the One-stop shop of the Department of Justice.

Issuance of Criminal Record Certificates via the VNeID application is eligible for Vietnamese citizens with level-2 electronic identity accounts.

Criminal Record Certificates issued electronically via the VNeID application have legal validity equivalent to the original paper Criminal Record Certificate.

VNeID is a mobile phone app developed by the National Population Data Centre under the Ministry of Public Security to replace traditional documents and provide utilities serving digital citizens, digital government and digital society. 

Two people swept away in Lao Cai flash flood

A teenager has been found dead after being swept away with her brother in a flash flood in the northern province of Lao Cai's Van Bai District.

The incident occurred at 6 pm on May 30 when Hau A Tuc, 23 and his 12-year-old sister, Hau Thi Mo, were walking home.

"As they were crossing the shallow Kham Spring, a flash flood suddenly descended and swept them away," local authorities said. "Some people tried to save them but failed due to the strong water currents."

Mo's body was found on Friday morning, while local authorities are still searching for Tuc.

Some northern provinces have seen heavy rains since Thursday afternoon due to the effects of a tropical depression. Some localities recorded rainfall of over 100 mm from 7 pm on May 30 to 3 am on May 31 including Dien Bien (150 mm), Hoa Binh (125 mm).

Late Thursday afternoon, a flash flood also caused serious flooding in many areas of the neighbouring province of Yen Bai.

Heavy rains will continue throughout the northern and central regions on Friday.

Diplomat hails UNICEF’s support for Việt Nam in child care, protection

Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Việt Nam’s Permanent Representative to the UN, has spoken highly of UNICEF’s support for the nation in protecting and promoting children’s rights, particularly those related to education, health care, nutrition, and vaccination.

Receiving Director of UNICEF’s Public Partnerships Division June Kunugi in New York on May 30, Giang affirmed that as child care and protection are a leading priority in its socio-economic development strategy, Việt Nam has devoted necessary resources for child development.

He expressed his hope that UNICEF and Kunugi, who will take up her role as Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific this summer, will continue assisting Việt Nam to mobilise resources, develop policies, and enhance specific and practical cooperation programmes and plans to achieve more positive results in this regard while helping the National Fund for Vietnamese Children realise the targets on children.

Kunugi, for her part, expressed her impression of and commended the achievements that Việt Nam has recorded during its nearly 40 years of Đổi mới (Renewal), describing them as a foundation for the country to reap encouraging results in child care and protection.

UNICEF highly values Việt Nam’s proposed resolution on the International Day of Play, which was recently adopted by the UN General Assembly, she said, affirming that the organisation will join hands with the group of core countries to organise the first celebration on June 11 to make it a meaningful event for the comprehensive development of children across the globe.

The two sides concurred to work together for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Việt Nam - UNICEF partnership. They will also discuss measures to improve UNICEF operations' efficiency in mobilising resources, implementing programmes and projects, and promoting cooperation and coordination in Asia-Pacific. 

Tropical depression likely to turn into storm

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, at 1 am today, May 31, the centre of the tropical depression was located north of the Paracel Islands.
 
In the next 24 hours, the tropical depression would move mainly northwards at a speed of 15-20 km/h and is likely to intensify into a storm.

By 1 am on June 2, the eye of the tropical depression would be on the south of Guangdong Province in China and weaken gradually.

Due to the tropical depression, many mainland areas in Vietnam's northern and northern central regions have been raining.

This morning, central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh faced heavy rains and strong winds with a 20-50mm rainfall. Some areas even had rainfall of up to 100mm.

Meanwhile, the Central Highlands and southern regions will have rain starting this evening.

Murals added to Quang Nam fishing village

More than 100 mural paintings were added to Tam Thanh Commune in the central province of Quang Nam, making the village more colourful.

A group of 120 volunteers painted the murals, including 20 drawn on local house walls, 33 on basket boats, and 50 on paddles.

The volunteers are from Hanoi and other areas nationwide.

The decoration of the village in 2024 is intended to make it more attractive to tourists. 

A road section running through Hoa Thuong and Hoa Ha villages has been covered by murals featuring environmental protection and the beauty of fishing villages as themes.

Tran Thi Thu from Hanoi said that since 2017, she has been involved in the mural projects in Tam Thanh fishing village. She is happy to contribute to the village's promotion.

Tam Thanh Commune in Tam Ky City adds more murals to local villages every year. Tam Thanh was awarded the 2017 Asian Townscape Award for its colourful murals. In 2023, the commune was officially recognised as a tourist destination.

Con Dao Island coral dying from El Nino

A vast area of coral off the Con Dao Islands has been bleached and died due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Con Dao National Park announced on May 30 that coral had been bleached and died after a check conducted in some areas starting on May 28.

"The coral bleaching has happened in waters off the Con Dao Islands since April due to hot weather," the park said, adding that coral grows well in temperatures of between 24-30 degrees Centigrade. However, the local seawater has temperatures of over 32 degrees Centigrades due to the El Nino phenomenon, resulting in coral bleaching.

"It will be very difficult for the coral to recover and develop if the high temperatures continue," the park noted.

The centre also warned that the El Nino phenomenon would continue with prolonged hot weather, worsening the situation and killing the bleached coral reefs.

In 1998, 2010, and 2016, the sea off the Con Dao Islands also saw coral bleaching due to the El Nino phenomenon, which caused coral deaths in some areas. Con Dao National Park managed to revive the coral later.

Firework displays to open HCM City River Festival

The second HCM City River Festival will kick off on Friday evening with firework displays at three locations on the Saigon River.

The fireworks displays will start at 9.30 pm in three locations along the Saigon River: the Saigon River bank in Thu Duc City, Ba Son Shipyard in District 1, and Landmark 81 Park in Binh Thanh District. The three fireworks shows will be displayed one by one, each lasting 15 minutes.

Traffic will be banned on 29 surrounding streets between 7-10.30 pm for the fireworks shows.

A fruit week will be held from June 4 to 10, featuring the distinctive cultural space of the southwestern waterways region.

A wide range of other activities will also form part of the festival such as cultural and artistic spaces, a culinary competition, a river swimming tournament, a stand-up paddleboarding race, and performances of water motorcycle, parasailing, and sailboats. Besides, discounts ranging from 10 to 60% will be offered for over 50 waterway tours.

Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa expressed her hope that the annual festival will help establish the city as a riverside metropolis with a rich cultural identity.

With nearly 1,000 km of rivers and canals, HCM City has the potential to develop attractive waterway tourism products connected to diverse historical and cultural relic sites in the city and other southern provinces.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung highlighted the significance of the event to the southern hub’s socio-economic and tourism development, saying that the city authorities will continue investing in the River Festival to form a chain of unique cultural and tourism events, thus helping HCM City attract more domestic and international tourists.

HCM City sees strong growth in tourist arrivals

HCM City welcomed more than 2.28 million foreign tourists in the first five months of the year, up 32 per cent year-on-year, driven by a series of festivals and tourism promotion events, according to its Department of Tourism.

During the period, nearly 14 million domestic tourists visited the city.

Tourism revenue surged by 14 per cent during the period to VNĐ76 trillion (US$2.98 billion).

The city plans to organise a range of festivals and tourism promotion events throughout this year to boost tourism.

The second HCM City River Festival will take place from May 31 to June 6, featuring a wide range of culture, cuisine, and entertainment activities.

More than 100 businesses have announced their promotion programmes for shopping, dining, sightseeing, and tour packages for locals and tourists during the festival.

More than 50 tour packages with discounts from 10-60 per cent have been launched, including Sài Gòn River sightseeing by double-decker water bus, and Sài Gòn-Củ Chi and Sài Gòn-Cần Giờ river tours.

There are 17 waterway tourism products, including seven regular routes and 10 new ones, serving locals and tourists.

The department hopes that the festival will attract a large number of domestic and international tourists.

HCM City has set a target of receiving six million international tourists and 38 million domestic tourists this year. Tourism revenue is expected to total VNĐ190 trillion ($7.8 billion).

To realise this goal, the city will continue to diversify tourism products and events and improve tourism products and services. 

Children's festival welcomes summer

The Kids Festival 2024 will include a wide range of cultural activities and art performances. It will take place at the city’s Cultural House for Children in District 3 from May 31-June 2.

HCM City will host a festival for children to welcome summer this week.

The Kids Festival 2024 will include a wide range of cultural activities and art performances. It will take place at the city’s Cultural House for Children in District 3 from May 31-June 2.

Its highlighted events include a music gala, called Trẻ Em Hôm Nay - Thế Giới Ngày Mai (Children Today - Tomorrow the World), to celebrate International Children’s Day (June 1).

It will feature music, theatre, dragon dances, and puppet and circus shows staged by young artists from leading art troupes and theatres. Childhood, friendship, school, and family will be the themes featured in their art.

A series of workshops for children to discover digital technologies, chess playing, painting and pottery making will also be organised.

Reading zones will provide young readers with many books and comics of different types.

Fashion shows, singing and dance contests highlighting traditional Vietnamese culture will take place on June 1 and 2.

“Through our Kids Festival 2024, we hope to encourage people, particularly teachers and parents, to give more love, share, and support our children. We hope all children will have a fun time in summer,” said Trịnh Thị Hiền Trân, deputy secretary of the HCM City Youth Union, who is also a member of the event’s organising board.

Kids Festival 2024 is expected to attract more than 15,000 children and their parents, many of whom come from neighbouring provinces.

Cultural centres from rural districts Nhà Bè, Bình Chánh, Cần Giờ and Củ Chi will organise cultural programmes during the summer, starting from June 1. These events are expected to attract several thousand children and their parents.

In addition, Đầm Sen Tourist Park in District 9 and Suối Tiên Theme Park in Thủ Đức City will offer entertainment activities and art shows with themes of love, honesty and bravery.

Many games, exhibitions, and painting and sports competitions will also be featured.

Suối Tiên Theme Park has launched a mini zoo, a flower field and several farms such as a ship farm, a coconut farm and a grape farm to serve children this summer.

The farms have many flowers, fruit trees, and plants to provide visitors with a natural, fresh and green space. 

Vietnamese students place second in East Asia at video competition

Students from Thanh Xuân Secondary School in Hà Nội won second place at a video competition held by the British Council across the East Asia region.

The 'Your World' video-making competition is a flagship activity for British Council partner schools across a global network.

Vietnamese students from a school in Cầu Giấy had previously won the competition in 2023, beating more than 750 other video entries from thousands of students across the globe.

Now in its eighth year, the theme for the Your World 2023-24 competition was Climate Change: From Crisis to Action, linking directly to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13.

"The experiences throughout the process, from writing the script to recording, from editing to completing the product submitted to the contest, have provided us with new insights and many unforgettable memories," said a representative from the school in the capital's Thanh Xuân district.

"Our group has gained valuable experiences and learned numerous lessons, contributing to our continuous improvement and further development.

"We would like to thank the British Council for providing us with a new and beneficial platform to participate and achieve valuable accomplishments."

Thanh Xuân School's video focuses on climate change and solutions to cope with the issue.

By participating in this competition, students develop core skills which enable them to grow into well-rounded, creative and critical citizens, ready to engage with job markets and shape the future for themselves and future generations.

Through Your World, the British Council hopes to inspire students to be drivers of positive change.

"Việt Nam’s winning video from Thanh Xuân Secondary School used simple animation which told the story well," said Davide Guarini Gilmartin, Senior Academic Manager for English Programmes at the British Council in Việt Nam during the award ceremony.

"The video’s creativity, organisation and presentation were logical and could easily be used globally, not just here in Việt Nam."

This year, there were more than 600 video entries submitted for the competition, with over 3,000 students taking part from British Council Partner Schools across a global network.

In 2023, the global winner was Việt Nam's Cầu Giấy Secondary School, which beat out video entries from over 3,500 students around the world, all of whom are studying the UK school curriculum.

Last year's win made history as the first time a school from the East Asia region won the global award. It was Việt Nam’s first school with triple winning titles for Country, East Asia Region and Global.

Việt Nam to host first WBA Asia Convention

Top continental boxing experts will gather together in Việt Nam for the World Boxing Association Asia Convention on August 9-11 in HCM City.

It will be WBA Asia's first regional convention, the first professional and largest scale event in the country and will be held at the MerPerle Crystal Palace.

Over three days WBA Asia aims to bring together all the important WBA personalities, leaders, boxers, referees, judges, promoters and allies of professional boxing in Asia. 

At the convention, delegates will review WBA Asia’s activities, the introduction of professional boxing in Việt Nam, as well as issues concerning the regional tournament plans, rankings and local commissions.

It will be an opportunity for organisers, referees and athletes to get news on the latest professional boxing developments, to expand their network of connections and find opportunities to promote cooperations.

The conference attendees will also share topics, problems and limitations of the professional boxing industry in the Asian region, and discuss the latest medical procedures and competition laws, along with discussing honesty and transparency.  

The full agenda of the event will be announced soon but online registration to participate in this historic event is now open at https://shadow.com.vn/wbaconvention/.

According to the Việt Nam Boxing Commission (VBC), the body mandated by the Vietnamese government to regulate boxing activity, boxing in Việt Nam growing rapidly.

The WBA, founded in 1921, is the oldest championship belt awarding organisation and also one of the four major professional boxing organisations in the world.

The upcoming convention is organised by Shadow Entertainment Company under the guidance and coordination of the Việt Nam Boxing Federation's, VBC. 

Athletes to shoot medals at Munich World Cup

Vietnamese shooters will compete at the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup 2024 in Germany.

A team of 10 athletes, including two Paris Olympians Trịnh Thu Vinh and Lê Thị Mộng Tuyền, will compete in seven categories in the Munich competition.

They will have two days, May 31 and June 1, to train before taking aim from June 2 to 7 when the competition gets underway.

The World Cup will be the last major tournament for Olympic participants to prepare for their Summer Games. Meanwhile, other competitors are hoping to up their positions in the world rankings.

"The Munich event plays a key role in helping Vinh and Tuyền sharpen their technique and strengthen their mentality," said Vũ Anh Đào of the Việt Nam Shooting Federation.

Vinh will compete in the women's 10m air pistol and 25m sports pistol events, in which she stands No 54 and No 27 in the world, respectively.

Tuyền, meanwhile, places No. 39 in the women's 10m air rifle.

Hân wins VGA Junior Tour’s fourth leg

Nguyễn Việt Gia Hân won the fourth leg of the Việt Nam Golf Association (VGA) Junior Tour at the Vinpearl Golf Hải Phòng on May 30.

Playing in strong heat, Hân performed well during the three days of competition in which organisers applied the match-play format for the first time.

Hân not only led the girls' U18 category but also sealed the top place in the tournament's overall ranking. It was her first win of a VGA Junior Tour title.

Nguyễn Đức Sơn, who won the boys' U18 category, came second and Lê Minh Nghĩa placed third.

In the boys' U15 class, Nguyễn Quang Za Vinh took the top position, followed by Đỗ Dương Gia Minh and Trần Việt An.

Organisers also presented awards to top three of the boys' and girls' U11, U13, and U8-9

Registration for the fifth leg has opened and will take place on June 10-11 at the West Lakes Golf & Villas in Long An Province. 

Vietnamese youth teams prepare for championships

The ASEAN Football Federation has conducted draws for the regional U15 and U19 championships which will be held in Indonesia, in June.

In the U16 tournament, defending champions Indonesia have been placed in Group A alongside Laos, the Philippines and Singapore.

Group B features Việt Nam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Brunei while Group C consists of Thailand, Malaysia, Timor Leste and Australia.

The matches will be held from June 21 to July 7 in Surakarta. Teams will compete in the round robin format in the group stage. Three top teams of each group and one best second-placed team will qualify for the semi-finals.

Coach Trần Minh Chiến and his players have been practising at the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre for week in preparation for the tournament.

They will have three friendly matches with local clubs next week, before leaving for Indonesia on June 19.

In the meantime, in the ASEAN U19 Boys’ Championship, defending champions Malaysia are in Group C against Thailand, Singapore and Brunei.

Group A features Indonesia, Timor Leste, Cambodia and Philippines while Group B consists of Laos, Việt Nam, Myanmar and Australia.

The event will also be held in Surabaya from July 17-29 with the same format with the U16 competition.

Under coach Hứa Hiền Vinh, players are training at the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre. They will take part in an international event against South Korea, Uzbekistan and hosts China from June 4-10 as a warm-up for the regional championship.

The Việt Nam Football Federation leaders held a meeting with both two teams after a draw on May 30 in Hà Nội.

Coaches Chiến and Vinh reported their plans and professional progress. Both managers promised that despite no targets given from the VFF teams would try their best for highest positions which would push them at the qualifications of the 2025 Asian U17 and U20 championships.

VFF President Trần Quốc Tuấn appreciated efforts from players and coaches and encouraged them to deliver high performance at both events.

Tuấn said the younger teams play a key role in building a strong national team and the VFF always prioritises youth football.

The U19's China event is one of many activities of the VFF's plan in 2024 which also includes training camps in Japan and South Korea before they take part in the Asian U17 and U20 qualifications early 2025. 

TimeOut lists Ho Chi Minh City among world’s 20 best cities for food

British magazine TimeOut has placed Ho Chi Minh City in fourth position among its list of the world’s leading 20 cities for food.

Boasting a range of tastes such as sweet, spicy, fragrant, and fishy, Vietnamese cuisine never compromises on flavour, meaning that food lovers all over the world can sample the very best of it when visiting Ho Chi Minh, the article wrote.

According to the British media outlet, beyond the streetside food stalls and bustling markets hawking banh mi, snails, broken rice, and offal stew are a clutch of Bib Gourmand and Michelin-starred restaurants serving up creative versions of classic dishes. However, by far the most mentioned dish in TimeOut’s survey was Phở, a type of local noodle soup.

The warming noodle soup in the south is typically heavily garnished with basil, coriander, chilli and hoisin sauce, whilst it is a Vietnamese staple that can be found across the city, TimeOut shared.

“Though Hanoi might be the birthplace of Vietnamese cuisine and culture, Ho Chi Minh City has emerged as the country's most exciting dining destination,” Ho Chi Minh City writer Dan Q Dao said.

TimeOut suggested a visit to Ănăn Saigon, chef Peter Cuong Franklin's ‘new Vietnamese’ restaurant that has nabbed the city's sole Michelin star; Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa, a 30-year-old street food institution specialising in French-influenced Vietnamese baguette sandwiches; and Tre Dining restaurant and gastro-focused wine bar Little Bear.

Topping the list is Naples with the must-eat dish Pizza margherita, followed by Johannesburg with Kota sandwiches.

Others cities to make the list include Lima in Peru, Beijing in China, Bangkok in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Mumbai in India.

Winners of Hong Kong Int'l Music Festival’s Vietnam regional finals announced

Many talented students were honoured at the regional final round of the Hong Kong International Music Festival (HKIMF) in Vietnam which recently got underway in Hanoi.

The event was the regional final round of the competition and drew the participation of nearly 300 contestants from Australia, the Republic of Korea, China, the United States, and host nation Vietnam.

Nine-year-old Nguyen Lee Hieu playing the guitar ultimately came first in the amateur category. Elsewhere, the second and third prizes went to violinist Wang Shang En, 12, and drummer Le Ha Linh Chi, 13.

In the professional category, Giang A Hang, a 22-year-old H’Mong ethnic man hailing from Sa Pa town, took the first prize. Pianist Tran Nhat Minh, 17, and guitarist Duong Anh Duc, 18, were awarded the second and third prizes, respectively.

Moving forward, three top students Giang A Hang, Tran Nhat Minh, and Duong Anh Duc will perform on Chinese woodwinds, the piano, and the guitar, respectively, at the HKIMF final round which is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong (China) from August 15 to August 21.

HKIMF was first held back in 2013, attracting about 3,000 participants. This year marks the 11th edition of the festival.

The event has attracted plenty of talents, thereby promoting musical exchanges and further contributing to the development of music culture in Asian region.