The Sun Fest Street Carnival with the theme “Take me to the Sun”  kicked off on June 25 as part of “Enjoy Da Nang Summer Festival 2022”.

The carnival will take place from 7.30pm to 9.30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays until July 24, except for July 9, with ten parade cars decorated with replicas of Da Nang’s famous tourist attractions along with 160 domestic and international dancers in colourful costumes moving along the streets of the city, departing from Tran Thi Ly Bridge to APEC park on the west end of the Rong (Dragon) Bridge and arriving at a square on Bach Dang Street.

Truong Thi Hong Hanh, director of Da Nang city’s Department of Tourism said the event aims to revive tourism activities after a period of crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The street carnival is expected to bring tourists and local residents a jubilant and brilliant summer month, she said.

Taking place from June 11 to August 15 with many festivals and large events, the Enjoy Danang Summer Festival 2022 will feature three main themes, namely Enjoy Da Nang Festival & Music, Enjoy Da Nang Beach and Enjoy Da Nang Delicacy.

Besides the Sun Fest Street Festival, the "Take me to the Sun" music concerts will be organised on July 9 at the Asia Park and the March 29 Square. In August, both locals and visitors will immerse themselves in a vibrant music atmosphere at the EDM Concert at the Asia Park.

Tran To Nga’s dioxin lawsuit receives encouragement

The committee in support of Tran To Nga who sued US firms for manufacturing the toxic AO defoliant used by US forces during the war in Vietnam on June 24 offered a charitable meal in Paris to raise fund for her lawsuit.

The meal, the third of its kind after those in March and May, was participated by more than 90 people, including Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang and MP Sandrine Rousseau of the Europe Écologie les Verts (EELV) - Green Party.

Nga said she was happy and felt touched when seeing a large number of overseas Vietnamese and French friends attending this event.

She stated that this is a great honour and encouragement for her in this arduous and long battle.

In 2014, Nga, who used to be a war correspondent in south Vietnam during wartime, sued the multinational companies, including Monsanto - Bayer, that produced or supplied herbicides for the US during the war in Vietnam.

On May 10, 2021, the Crown Court of Evry city in the suburbs of Paris rejected her lawsuit, saying it did not have jurisdiction to hear the case, a ruling that disappointed the Vietnamese and international public.

However, Nga and her lawyers decided to file an appeal, and the struggle for justice for AO/dioxin victims is still underway.

India-Vietnam people-to-people exchange meet held in HCM City

The Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the Vietnam-India Friendship Association in the city, organised a people-to-people exchange meet on June 25.

Consul General Madan Mohan Sethi said that the gathering is part of the activities in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-India diplomatic ties, with a hope to strengthen mutual understanding, and consolidate and develop the solidarity and friendship between the Indian people and people of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

He noted that potential for bilateral cooperation remains huge, especially in the fields of mutual interest such as economics, trade, culture, tourism, education and training.

The diplomat committed to doing his best to connect economic and trade cooperation between the two countries’ businesses, promote cultural and educational collaboration, and organise more people-to-people exchanges to contribute to strengthening the bilateral traditional friendship.

Vice President of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association in HCM City Huynh Cong Hung said that this year, the city has held a lot of activities to mark the 50 years of the bilateral diplomatic ties, the 15 years of their strategic partnership, and the six years of comprehensive strategic partnership.

On this occasion, India’s AASTA presented the BRIA 2022 Vietnam Award to political activists, entrepreneurs and scientists who have made important contributions to enhancing friendship and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties marked in New York

The Permanent Delegations of Vietnam and Cambodia to the United Nations (UN) co-organised a ceremony to mark the 55 years of the two countries’ diplomatic relations on June 24 in New York.

Ambassador Sovann Ke, Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the UN, appreciated the good cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of politics, development, economics, trade, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as the close coordination between the two delegations.

He expressed gratitude for the heartfelt assistance from the Vietnamese people, especially Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, to help Cambodian people get rid of the Pol Pot genocidal regime.

The diplomat also informed his Vietnamese counterpart Dang Hoang Giang ofpriorities and activities chaired by Cambodia as the Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in New York in 2022.

Ambassador Giang recalled the milestones in the bilateral relations, affirming that numerous many challenges and ups and downs in history, the solidarity, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia have been consolidated and developed continuously.

He pledged to strive to preserve and promote the two countries’ shared valuable asset to deserve the contributions and sacrifices of previous generations.

Conference spotlights assessment design for future-ready students

The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES) and Cambridge University Press and Assessment co-hosted a conference, titled ‘Inspiring international - Curriculum development and assessment design for future-ready students’ in Hanoi on June 24.

The hybrid conference aims to provide a platform for understanding challenges and identifying the benefits of international integration through best practice in assessment and evaluation, integrated curriculum development and content and language integrated learning (CLIL).

It featured three sessions: curriculum development and assessment design; integrated curriculum implementation; and developing assessment standards for a competency-based curriculum.

Participants were provided with reports presented by key speakers, including Dan Bray, Director of the Assessment at Cambridge Assessment International Education; and Ta Ngoc Tri, Vice Director General of the Department of Primary Education at Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training.

Concluding the conference, the two organisers signed a memorandum of understanding and had a discussion about their action plan for 2022.

Hanoi proposes state-owned businesses for relocation

Hanoi People’s Committee has proposed the relocation of 10 state-owned enterprises out of the city’s centre within the next five years.

Hanoi Alcohol Beer and Beverage Company covers a 52,000-square metre site on Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Ba Dinh District Hanoi. After being relocated, the area would be used to build houses, a high school and a parking lot.

In Hoan Kiem District, 1,500-square metre Nhan Dan Newspaper Printing Company, a 359-square metre office of Lao Dong Newspaper and the 1,800-square metre Hanoimoi Newspaper Printing Company will also be moved.

In Thanh Xuan District, the 5,000-square metre printing facility of Vietnam News Agency and other facilities in the districts of Long Bien, Bac Tu Liem and Dong Da will also be moved.

The proposal will be considered by the municipal people’s committee at a meeting early next month.

PM issues decree on Government’s working regulations

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a decree to promulgate the working regulations of the Government.

Under the regulations, the Government makes its decision on the principle of the majority on matters under its jurisdiction.

The method for dealing with issues is discussing and deciding at Government meetings. In case the Government does not meet, a decision is made by polling Government members.

A Government decision must be approved by more than half of the total Government members. If the votes for and against an issue are equal, the final decision will be made following the Prime Minister’s opinion.

The Prime Minister is assigned to decide on behalf of the Government on urgent matters under the Government’s jurisdiction or those already agreed upon in principle by the Government.

The Prime Minister will report or assign a Deputy Prime Minister or Minister to report on behalf of the Prime Minister at the most recent Government meeting on decided matters.

The Government also delegates the power to local authorities to decide on or implement several state management tasks under their conditions and capacity.

Hue hot air balloon festival kicks off

Hue hot air balloon festival opens on June 25 at Ham Nghi yard in the area of Hue Citadel (Hue city).

This is an attractive event in the framework of Hue Festival Week 2022, attracting a large number of people and tourists.

The festival brings Hue Ancient Capital a new colour, with dozens of giant hot air balloons, and colourful and diverse shapes flying in the sky.

According to the Organizing Committee, within the framework of the festival, which will last until June 30, it is expected that there will be 10 large hot air balloons with a diameter of 25-28m, flying from 300-500m high, able to carry two tourists. In addition, there are 10 mini hot air balloons 6-10m in diameter, and 10-20m high for flying performances.

The festival is open to visitors and daily experience flights according to the time frames: free flights from 6 am – 6.30 am and 4 pm – 4.30 pm; Hanging flights and performing flights from 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm.

Tickets to see the stationary balloons will be 170,000 VND (7.3 USD) per person, while a flight will cost 5 million VND per person including insurance.

UNDP supports enhancing circular economy capacity for Vietnamese enterprises

The UNDP and the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam jointly held a training camp from June 22-24 in Ho Chi Minh City to enhance the circular economy capacity for Vietnamese enterprises.

The boot camp saw the attendance of more than 100 enterprises in various fields, including agriculture, plastics, environment, waste treatment and building materials.

The programme aimed to inspire and provide enterprises with guides and tools to build and apply circular economy models to orient the roadmap for transition.

Enterprises were also provided with knowledge of the Vietnamese government’s policies on developing the circular economy and sustainable trade requirements in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.

Further boot camps are scheduled to take place in Thua Thien Hue from June 27-29 and Hanoi from June 30-July 2.

Startup Kite contest launched for vocational education students

The contest entitled “Startup ideas for vocational education students – Startup Kite 2022” was launched by the General Department of Vocational Training under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) in Ho Chi Minh City on June 24.

The contest, marking the third of its kind, has become a venue for vocational students across the country tointroduce and promote their innovation, products and potential business ideas.

Startup Kite 2022 will take place from May to November 2022. The contest judges, consisting of educational experts and experienced entrepreneurs, will evaluate students’ products and projects on criteria such as novelty, feasibility, expertise, economic efficiency, and so on.

This year’s contest will feature three rounds: the preliminary round, the semi-final, and the final round. It is expected that the Startup Kite 2022 award ceremony will be held in Ho Chi Minh City in November 2022.

Art exhibition "Homeland through the lens of photography"

The Thua Thien Hue Union of Literature and Arts Associations and the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Photography Association jointly organised an art photo exhibition with the theme: "Homeland through a photographic lens”, on June 24.

The exhibition brings together 60 works by 54 photographers from the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association and the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Photography Association.

The Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association has 30 photographers with 30 works, while the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Photography Association has 24 photographers with 30 works.

These are selected typical works, which capture beautiful moments of the homeland of Vietnam, preserved by photographers of Ho Chi Minh City and Thua Thien Hue with artistic creativity.

In addition, the exhibition also displays a variety of other works that honestly reflect the developing life, and the beauty of contemporary life today in all regions of the country, such as professional activities, traditional crafts, and summer activities.

The art photo exhibition with the theme: "Homeland through the lens of photography" was held in response to celebrate the week of the Hue Festival with the theme "Cultural heritage with integration and development".

The exhibition is open to visitors from now until June 29 at No. 1, Phan Boi Chau Street, Hue City.

“I love my country” journey 2022 launched in Quang Ngai

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Federation has launched the journey called "I Love My Country" for 2022 in Tra Bong District in the Central coastal province of Quang Ngai on June 25.

This year’s event themed “Youth’s journey to ethnic minorities” which will run from June 25 to the National Day (September 2) will be held in the provinces of Quang Ngai, Lai Chau, Soc Trang and Kon Tum.

The program has contributed to the Government’s National Target Program on socio-economic development for ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2021-2030, and the action plan taken by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in the first phase from 2022 to 2025.

At the ceremony, delegates visited and offered gifts worth more than VND3.2 billion (US$137,000) to ethnic groups, and kicked off the construction project of eight educational facilities valued at over VND4 billion in disadvantaged areas.

HCMC strives for over 90% of population to get third Covid vaccine booster shots

Ho Chi Minh City is striving that more than 90 percent of the population will get a third Covid-19 vaccine booster shot.

The city People's Committee has just sent an urgent document to departments, agencies, and socio-political organizations in Ho Chi Minh City and the people's committee of Thu Duc City and districts on promoting the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Accordingly, the municipal People's Committee requested to continue implementing a communication campaign to mobilize people to inject the Covid-19 vaccine according to the Government document No. 2017/UBND-VX dated June 17, 2022, until the end of June 30. Local administrations in districts should drastically implement solutions to mobilize all people to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

The city People's Committee assigned the Board of Management of the HCMC Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority (HEPZA), the Board of Management of Saigon Hi-Tech Park, Quang Trung Software Park Development Company, companies, and enterprises to continue increasing communication to encourage employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Dong Nai Province in shortage of HES200 against dengue fever shock

The Department of Health of Dong Nai Province informed that amid the surge of dengue fever infections, many hospitals ordered hydroxyethyl starches HES 200,000 (HES200) and Dextran 40 against dengue fever shock but all of them are out of stock.

Similarly, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Soc Trang Province reported that by mid-June, the Mekong Delta locality recorded 350 hospitalized cases related to dengue fever, an increase of 195 cases compared to the same period in 2021.

Amid the current complicated and unpredictable disease situation, the health sector recommended the children need to be promptly taken to hospitals and medical facilities for treatment in case they have dengue fever-like symptoms with high fever for several days, headache and hemorrhagic fever on the skin.

Propaganda posters marking Invalids and Martyrs' Day publicized

An album of propaganda posters marking the 75th anniversary of Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947- 2022) has just been publicized. 

After the poster design contest had been launched at the end of March, the organizers received nearly 500 works from over 200 designers across the country.

The art professionals selected 16 best posters to offer awards and 75 typical posters to exhibit and serve propaganda works in Nghe An and Binh Phuoc next month. 

The award ceremony will be taken place in Vinh Phuc Province in July.

Hanoi Book Fair 2022 reopens after two years
 
The book fair in Hanoi is expected to raise awareness of the importance of books.

The big festival for Hanoi book lovers will open in October this year, according to Hanoi Department of Information and Technology.

The Hanoi Book Fair 2022 themed “Traditions and Integration” will take place from October 7 to 9 at the Ly Thai To flower garden and the area surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake.

The event aims to implement the “Plan to develop reading culture in Hanoi until 2025, with orientation to 2030”; celebrate the 68th anniversary of Capital Liberation Day (October 10); 70th anniversary of Publication, Printing and Distribution Day (October 10) and 55th founding anniversary of ASEAN (August 8).

According to the organizers, Hanoi Book Fair is a festival for book-lovers, where the culture of reading is honored and promoted.

Fourth fixed blood donation center opens in Hanoi
 
The fourth fixed blood donation center in Hanoi will make it easier for people to donate blood regularly, facilitating blood donation campaigns.

The fourth fixed blood donation center was launched this week at the Agricultural General Hospital in Hanoi’s Thanh Tri District, according to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT).

The center is part of an attempt to address the issue of blood shortage in the capital city.

Earlier, in June 2019, the first three fixed blood donation centers in Hanoi were opened at Hoan Kiem Clinic (26 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District), Dong Da Clinic (107 Ton Duc Thang Street, Dong Da District) and Nhan Chinh Clinic (132 Quan Nhan Street, Thanh Xuan District).

Toll stations nationwide must equipped with ETC system before July 31

The Government has demanded all all toll statations nationwide must be equipped with electronic toll collection (ETC) system prior July 31.

Ha Noi - Hai Phong Expressway takes the lead to apply full ETC on a trial basis, starting at 9am on June 1, 2022 - Illustration photo

There are now 157 toll stations with 915 gates across Viet Nam, said Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho.

Of the above stations, the Prime Minister had decided to allow 16 stations with 98 lanes to delay the installation of the ETC system or do not have to install the ETC system due to several reasons, Le said.

Among the remaining 141 stations (817 lanes), the ECT system has been equipped in 113 stations with 603 lanes, accounting for 73.8 percent, he added.

This means that 214 lanes need to be installed with the ETC system before July 31.

Vietnamese researchers, designers revive feudal-style Ao Dai

Born and raised in the ancient royal capital, Professor Thai Kim Lan has a great love for the culture and people of Hue. Although she lived away from Vietnam for an extended period, her love of home and culture brought her on a journey to find and revive what belonged to Hue. 

This imperial mantle was made from raw silk.  The thread was made from gold, silver and copper, creating a harmonious color for the dragon – the symbol of the king. 

Lan's collection dates back hundreds of years from the beginning of Nguyen Dynasty and includes many precious garments worn by King Khai Dinh, Empress Dowager Tu Cung (King Khai Dinh's wife). Still others were worn by the royal concubines of King Khai Dinh and that of other ladies and gentlemen of royal background.

Designer Tran Hong Quang Hoa spent years researching and designing many unique Ao Dai which are inspired by the feudal Nguyen Dynasty.

As a designer with a special love for Ao Dai, Quang Hoa aims to enhance the cultural value of Hue and traditional beauty of this national costume. 

The journey to preserve and revive the ao dai of the Nguyen Dynasty is not an easy task.  Researchers and designers like Prof. Dr. Thai Kim Lan and Trang Hong Quang faced the negative stigma of Ao Dai as a manifestation of feudal bourgeoisie.  However, with the enthusiasm and the love for Ao Dai, they are bringing these designs back to life with a fresh and modern breath.

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