The Get on Hanoi 2023 programme themed  “Hanoi – Den de yeu” (Hanoi – come to love) took place in pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake at the heart of Hanoi on March 11 evening, attracting crowds of visitors.

Organised by the municipal Department of Tourism in collaboration with relevant units, the event aimed to promote the image of safe, friendly and attractive destinations in Hanoi, thus attracting more holiday-makers to the capital city.

Hanoi’s tourism was introduced in a unique and impressive way at the opening ceremony through a combination of music and light performance and visual images of destinations in Hanoi, and screening of short films.

The programme was also broadcast live through social networking platforms, including the Fanpage and Youtube channel of the municipal Department of Tourism.

The Get on Hanoi 2023 programme kick-started a series of more than 50 events that will take place in Hanoi in 2023 such as the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023, the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2023, the Hanoi Autumn Festival, the Food and Craft Village Tourism Festival, and the Hanoi Ao Dai Festival 2023, aiming to welcome over 22 million visitors, including 3 million foreigners in 2023.

Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang expressed her hope that the event will contribute to supporting travel businesses and attracting more tourists, towards contributing to the capital’s socio-economic development.

In 2023, Hanoi’s tourism has focused on developing new and innovative tourism products, improving tourism environment, developing tourism infrastructure to meet the increasing demand of visitors, Giang said.

PM chairs meeting on investment plans for expressways

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 12 chaired a meeting with ministries, sectors and localities, discussing plans to invest in an expressway connecting the northern provinces of Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh and Thai Binh, and another linking Gia Nghia city in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and Chon Thanh township in southern Binh Phuoc province.

The Ninh Binh-Nam Dinh-Thai Binh expressway has a total length of 88km, while the Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh expressway is 128.8km long. The designing work of the two projects are being underway.

Participants underlined the significance of the two projects in socio-economic development and defence-security protection in the two regions, while giving proposals on their scale and investment methods as well as measures to mobilise resources from the society.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Chinh said that the Ninh Binh-Nam Dinh-Thai Binh expressway will help complete the expressway system in the northern region from Lang Son to Thanh Hoa, boosting the socio-economic growth in the eastern part of the Red River Delta.

Meanwhile, the Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh expressway is expected to better connect the Central Highlands region with economic hubs in the South, thus enabling its stronger development.

However, he said that the State budget for these projects are limited, and the public-private partnership will be a good solution.

The Government leader stressed the need for close coordination among relevant ministries, sectors and localities during the implementation of the projects.

The Government will set up working groups in charge of these projects, PM Chinh said, assigning Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha to lead the groups which will have the participation of deputy ministers from relevant ministries. Similar working groups must be established in provinces, led by the Chairpersons of the provincial People’s Committees to direct the implementation of the projects, he said.

PM Chinh asked consulting units and contractors to work carefully with the projects with the highest sense of responsibility, ensuring that the expressways have four completed lanes at reasonable costs.

He requested the localities to promptly prepare construction material mines and hand over them directly to investors and contractors. The People’s Councils of the involved provinces should approve planning schemes on land and forest to give space for the projects, the leader added.

Vietnam General Confederation of Labour delegation visits South Africa

President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Nguyen Dinh Khang led a delegation to pay a working visit to South Africa from March 10-11.

At a working session with President of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Mzwandile Michael Makwayiba in Johannesburg, Khang, who is also Vice President of the WFTU, thanked the WFTU for supporting Vietnamese people, labourers and trade unions during the past struggle for national independence and the current process of national construction and defence.

He affirmed that the VGCL is always an active and responsible member of the WFTU - the oldest centre of international trade unions that stands on the position of the working class, and a reliable support for 105 million union members around the world.

Makwayiba showed his pleasure at the VGCL's activities to realise the WFTU tasks set in the Rome Declaration 2022.

He hailed the role of the VGCL, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in implementing activities for trade union members and labourers, contributing to the common success of the world workers' movement.

Makwayiba welcomed proposals given by Khang at the WFTU Presidential Council Meeting from March 3-4 in Cyprus and at this meeting.

He affirmed that the WFTU will always accompany and support the VGCL, especially in promoting intensive research on workers and international trade unions movements as well as the model of trade unions in countries with different political institutions, while strengthening the sharing of experience and information on trade union activities, and collaborating in organising training activities and events.

At a working session with leaders of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) - the largest trade union under the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Khang briefed them on the socio-economic situation of Vietnam as well as the model, organisation and member development methods of the VGCL as well as Vietnam's experience in caring for, representing labourers and protecting their legitimate rights and interests.

NUM General Secretary William Mabapa shared NUM's experience in various fields, especially in building and operating a personnel training centre.

The two sides discussed priorities in their operational orientations in the future, pledging to work closely together to promote the partnership between NUM and trade unions of industries through practical and effective activities.

Earlier, the Vietnamese delegation attended the WFTU Presidential Council Meeting from March 3-4 in Cyprus, and visited Greece from March 6-7 at the invitation of the WFTU.

Culinary contest, street parade held within Hoa Ban Festival in Dien Bien

A culinary contest themed “Huong sac Dien Bien" kicked off in the northwest province of Dien Bien on March 12 as part of the Hoa Ban (Ban Flower) Festival 2023 and the 7th Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival in the locality.

The competition attracted 18 teams, including those from six restaurants and 12 community cultural tourism villages in the province.

 A bamboo dancing performance of the Kho Mu people in Dien Bien province at the festival. (Photo: VNA)
Doan Van Chi, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said with 19 ethnic communities living in the area, Dien Bien is working well on preserving and promoting cultural values of ethnic communities in the province.

The contest aims to contribute to honouring, preserving, and promoting the traditional, unique and attractive culinary culture of local ethnic minorities, and developing unique and unique dishes to serve tourists, he affirmed.

In 2020-2021, the Vietnam Records Organisation (VietKings) listed four delicious dishes of Dien Bien in the Top 100 unique dishes across the country, including boiled bitter bamboo shoots, fragrant sticky rice, dried buffalo meat, and “sau Chit” wine. In 2022, VietKings honoured two more delicacies of Dien Bien, namely grilled stream fish (Pa Pinh top) and grilled chicken with Mac khen in the Top 100 Vietnamese specialties.

Earlier, a street parade festival took place at Him Lam square in Dien Bien Phu city on March 11 night.

The festival aimed to honour cultural heritage values, contributing to promoting socio-economic development of Dien Bien in particular, and the northwest region in general.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Bien Phu city Nguyen Quang Hung highlighted the significance of the event, saying that the festival offered a good chance for visitors to enjoy unique and interesting experiences, thus awakening the potential as well as contributing to preserving cultural values of the border locality.

Da Nang ceremony commemorates fallen soldiers in Gac Ma battle

A ceremony was held in the central city of Da Nang on March 12 to commemorate 64 naval officers and soldiers who bravely sacrificed their lives 35 years ago while defending the Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) on March 14, 1988.
 
War veterans who used to be stationed on the Truong Sa and families of the martyrs spent a minute of silence to commemorate the fallen soldiers. They also offered incense and then released rafts with flowers on Han River in memory of the combatants.

Head of the liaison committee for Truong Sa veterans in Da Nang, Nguyen Van Tan, said among the fallen soldiers in the Gac Ma battle one March 14, 1988, nine were from Da Nang and one from neighbouring Quang Nam province.

Tan underlined that the Gac Ma battle showed the Vietnam People’s Navy soldiers' braveness and their willingness to sacrifice for the protection of national sovereignty over seas and islands.

The event aimed to not only pay homage to the soldiers who lost their lives in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty but also inspire patriotism among young people, said Duong Dinh Lieu, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Da Nang city.

At the ceremony, leaders of Dong A University also took this occasion to present ten gift packages, worth 1 million VND (42.24 USD) each, to the families of the fallen soldiers in Quang Nam and Da Nang.

Congratulations extended to Chinese State Councillor, Foreign Minister

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, who is Chairman of the Steering Committee for Vietnam - China Bilateral Cooperation, on March 12 sent a congratulatory message to Qin Gang, who was appointed as State Councillor at the first session of 14th National People's Congress (NPC) of China.

On the same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also cabled a message of congratulations to State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang.

Get-together held for Cambodian alumni once studying in Vietnam

Cambodian alumni who had studied in Vietnam, and representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, and Vietnamese businesses investing in the country gathered at a get-together in Phnom Penh on March 11.

Hosted by the embassy, the event saw the participation of nearly 400 delegates, including many high-ranking officials from Cambodia's ministries and sectors, who represented thousands of Cambodian students who had studied in Vietnam.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang highlighted the significance of the event, saying that it offered a chance for Cambodian alumni to recall their memories of Vietnam and its people.

He said that many practical activities were organised in 2022, contributing to deepening the “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability” between the two nations.

The Vietnamese Embassy and businesses in Cambodia will do their best to support and cultivate the good bilateral relations, Tang stressed, expressing his hope that Cambodian alumni will always serve as solid bridges promoting the friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam.

On behalf of the Cambodian alumni, Dr. Vann Phal, Vice President of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association, reviewed the historical ups and downs of Cambodia for nearly a century associated with the Cambodia-Vietnam friendship.

Vann Phal thanked Vietnam’s universities and lecturers for granting scholarships to and training thousands of Cambodian students.

On this occasion, Tang presented souvenirs to representatives of the Cambodian alumni.

Can Tho hosts 23rd Francophone Festival of Mekong Delta Region

The 23rd Francophone Festival of the Mekong Delta Region opened in Can Tho city on March 11, aiming to encourage the movement of teaching and learning French, thus boosting Vietnam-France relations in all fields.

The festival was part of activities to celebrate International Francophonie Day (March 20) and the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France (April 12, 1973-2023).

Addressing the event, Anne Laure Vincent, French Cooperation Attaché at the Consulate General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, expressed her impression at the bustling French studying and research activities in the region.

She pledged to step up exchange and connection activities between the two countries in all fields.

Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee, said that in recent years, Can Tho has promoted the teaching of French in local schools. Hien said that programmes and projects funded by the French Government and non-governmental organisations have practically contributed to the socio-economic development in Can Tho.

Can Tho has also coordinated with the French Consulate General to organise many political and diplomatic activities between the two countries, including the 10th meeting on cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities, and the signing of a cooperation agreement and the establishment of twinned relations with Nice city and La Seyne-sur-Mer of France, said the leader.

Hien said he hoped French diplomatic representative agencies will continue to bring French investors to Can Tho to explore investment opportunities in areas of the city's demand such as infrastructure development, transport, health care, and tourism.

The festival comprised various activities, including an exhibition on typical products of the two countries, an art contest for French-speaking students of Vietnam, and a conference and training session to improve the quality of French teaching and studying activities.

2nd Vietnamese translation contest held in Moscow

As many as 21 students from Russian universities took part in the 2nd Vietnamese translation contest held on March 11 by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), its ASEAN Centre, the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, and the Russia-Vietnam cooperation promotion fund "Traditions and Friendship".

Addressing the opening ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Olga Maslovets, Dean of the Department of the Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Lao Languages, affirmed that the second contest of this kind has showed its importance in training Vietnamese language experts, as well as developing the relationship between Russia and Vietnam.

Maslovets said based on the number of candidates, it can be seen the increasing interest in studying the Vietnamese language and the relationship between the two countries in Russia.

The interest in Vietnamese language is not only because Vietnam is an important partner of Russia in ASEAN, but also because of Vietnam's impressive economic growth over the past decade despite global challenges, she said.

Mai Nguyen Tuyet Hoa, First Secretary in charge of education at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, said the  embassy highly valued the organisation of the contest, expressing her hope that it will help discover talents among learners of Vietnamese language in Russia, and contribute to promoting the Vietnam-Russia friendship relations.

Andrey Tatarinov, former Russian Ambassador to Vietnam, head of the contest jury, said he saw the prospect from contestants, adding that many candidates want to improve their Vietnamese skills through the contest.

For his part, Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the Traditions and Friendship Fund said the candidates have made progress in knowledge of international relations, so their vocabulary is richer.

He  affirmed that the contest not only helps promote the role of Vietnamese and Russian languages but also contributes to training highly qualified experts to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

In the framework of the contest, a round-table seminar on the history of diplomatic relations between Russia and Vietnam was also organised.

Vietnam attends meeting of Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments

A delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Secretariat is attending a meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) in Manama capital of Bahrain from March 11 to 15.

The annual meeting is held in parallel with the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

This year’s event covers such issues as citizens’ participation in parliamentary activities, gender inequality in parliaments, parliamentarians and conflicts of interest, the role of parliaments in the climate change combat, and questionnaire to create a best practice guide for digital parliaments.

It also includes an ASGP Executive Committee session on the reform of administrative processes in parliaments, and the election of the executive committee’s membership.

Leading the Vietnamese delegation, Bui Van Cuong, Secretary General of the NA and Chairman of the NA Office, is scheduled to deliver a speech at the plenary session on March 13 morning (Bahrain time).

The ASGP, convening the first meeting in Oslo (Norway) on August 16, 1939, is a consultative body of the IPU and a forum for secretaries general of parliaments to share experience and reach consensus on advice about globally important issues needing attention to be submitted their respective parliaments.

It is also tasked with studying laws, procedures, practices, and working methods of different parliaments to propose reforms while enhancing relations among the bodies assisting parliaments and among secretaries general.

Phu Quoc ramps up efforts against IUU fishing

Phu Quoc island city, along with other coastal localities in the southern province of Kien Giang, has been concertedly rolling out solutions and exerting great efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Doan Van Tien said between now and May, Phu Quoc will continue the communications work to raise public awareness, especially among the boat owners, captains and fishermen, of the Fisheries Law 2017 and relevant issues.

The city is resolved to complete the registration and licensing of fishing vessels with a length from 6m to below 12m within the first quarter of this year, establish inspection teams, and deregister 1,146 fishing boats that are no longer operational.

It will coordinate with competent forces and agencies to enhance the inspections, supervisions and handling of wrongdoings by vessels at fishing grounds, Tien said, noting that all of the boat owners and captains should be committed to not violating foreign waters and fishing regulations.

Notably, since the beginning of this year, groups of the city’s steering committee on IUU fishing combat and its assistance forces have been set up via Zalo communication app, enabling them to stay updated and exchange information.

Inspections have been tightened over the installation and operation of the vessel monitoring system (VMS) on fishing vessels measuring from 15m in length. At the same time, all of the seafood handled at local seaports has been undergone product traceability.

Tien said such efforts have led to the absence of cases of illegal fishing in foreign waters by fishing boats registered in the city so far this year.

On October 23, 2017, the European Commission (EC) issued a "yellow card" warning to Vietnam, after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against IUU fishing.

The commission is scheduled to conduct an inspection over IUU fishing in Vietnam in June 2023.

NA Vice Chairman meets with IPU President, Lao counterpart in Bahrain

Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man had separate meetings with President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Duarte Pacheco and Vice President of the Lao NA Sounthone Xayachak in Manama, Bahrain, on March 12 on the sidelines of the 146th IPU Assembly.

Meeting with IPU President Duarte Pacheco, Man affirmed that since Vietnam became a member of the IPU in 1979, the country has always actively and responsively engaged in its activities, including the successful hosting of some big events such as the 132nd IPU Assembly and the IPU Asia-Pacific conference on climate change response.

He said that Vietnam’s hosting of the upcoming IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians once again affirms the country’s commitments, as well as its great attention to the role of the youth in global issues.

Man hailed the role of IPU leaders over the years, especially in strengthening the collaboration between the union and member parliaments for common targets of peace, democracy and prosperity.

He said that the Vietnamese NA always considers the engagement in IPU activities as an important multilateral diplomatic task that aims to seek solutions to urgent global issues. The IPU provides a forum for the Vietnamese legislature to learn good practices of other parliaments in the world and enhance its operational efficiency, Man added.

For his part, Pacheco said that the IPU and the Vietnamese NA share common values of a better world. The union always defines dialogue as an effective tool to narrow differences and settle crises and conflicts, he said, expressing his hope that the parliaments of all UN member states will become members of the IPU.

The IPU leader welcomed Vietnam’s hosting of the 9th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in September, affirming that the union will work closely with Vietnam for the success of the event.

Pacheco said he believed that Vietnam will continue to be a responsible member of the IPU with the contributions of valuable ideas to the union and the willingness to perform tasks in the IPU in the time to come.

Meeting with his Lao counterpart Sounthone Xayachak the same day, Man underlined that Vietnam always gives the highest priority to the reinforcement and enhancement of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, and always accompanies and supports Laos during the country’s national protection, construction, reform and development.

Regarding the relationship between the two legislatures, Man said that he is pleased at the effective implementation of the cooperation agreement signed in May 2022.

The two sides have actively shared experience in law building and supervision, contributing to supporting the post-pandemic economic recovery, he noted, suggesting that the two sides continue to work together in realising their cooperation agreement, while promoting the mechanism of high-level meeting of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV)’s parliaments, and collaborating in supervising the implementation of international conventions that the two sides have signed, especially those on trade and investment, thus strengthening the connectivity between the two economies.

Sounthone highly valued the outcomes of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2022 as well as the partnership between the two legislatures at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums over the years. He agreed with his Vietnamese counterpart on the enhancement of ties in supervising bilateral investment and cooperation projects, contributing to removing obstacles facing them and enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Sounthone expressed his hope to collaborate with Vietnam and Cambodia to organise the first meeting of the CLV’s NA leaders in December.

He also asked for the Vietnamese NA’s support for the Lao NA to complete its tasks as the AIPA Chair in 2024.

Vietnamese version of book on My Lai massacre released

The Vietnamese version of the book “My Lai: Vietnam, 1968, and the Descent into Darkness” by Howard Jones has been published by the Su that (Truth) National Political Publishing House, giving readers anther insight into the US invasion of Vietnam.

Titled "My Lai: Viet Nam, 1968 - Nhin lai cuoc tham sat" in Vietnamese, the over-700-page book, translated by Manh Chuong, provides a full, comprehensive, and truthful description of one of the “darkest” events in the US’s military intervention in Vietnam.

It came as a result of an almost decade of research by Howard Jones, University Research Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Alabama.

Of the three parts, the first touches upon the causes of the pain by My Lai residents, the second analyses the massacre’s aftermath and the US administration’s cover-up, and the last is about what the US administration had to pay for the crime.

"The best book by far on the My Lai massacre and its aftermath—exhaustively researched, persuasively argued, and a page-turner to boot. A must-read for anyone interested not only in the Vietnam era, but also in how things can go terribly wrong in the midst of armed conflict, the laws of war notwithstanding. Truly exceptional!", according Ralph B. Levering, author of “The Cold War: A Post-Cold War History”.

In the morning of March 16, 1968, US troops entered four hamlets, namely My Lai 4, My Khe 4, Binh Tay, and Binh Dong of Son Tinh district, the central province of Quang Ngai, located near the demilitarised zone called "Pinkville" by the US. After three hours, more than 500 unarmed villagers, mostly women and children, were killed by US troops.

The atrocity, the My Lai massacre, took its name from one of the hamlets.

Vietnam’s bobsled team wins medal at Asian Championships

Tran Thi Doan Trang bagged a bronze medal for Vietnam in the women’s monobob event at the Asian Championships held by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) in PyeongChang, the Republic of Korea (RoK) on March 12. 

Nguyen Van Khanh came forth in the women’s skeleton event with a two-run total of 1 minute and 54.38 seconds.

Meanwhile, in two-man bobsleigh event, The Vietnamese team ranked forth with a two-run total of 1 minute and 47.7 seconds.

Vietnam’s bobsled team left the country for training at the Olympic Pyeongchang Complex in the RoK in late 2020 for the Winter Olympics dream.

The training “New Horizon Sliding Champions” programme developed by the PyeongChang 2018 aims at helping athletes from non-winter sports countries to develop skills and train in sliding sports in order to secure a place at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The team consists of six individuals and athletes who have achieved outstanding results in several sports.

Da Nang to launch public bike rental service in late March

The central city of Da Nang will launch a one-year pilot programme on providing public bikes from March 29 in the hope of curbing personal vehicles, reducing environmental pollution, and promoting smart sustainable transport, according to the city’s Transport Department.

A total of 61 stations with about 600 bikes will be opened across five districts in the city. The stations are built near bus stops and crowded areas to attract users.

The bikes used in the programme are designed with an anti-theft lock, an ID card, locating device, and a solar charger.

Charges must be paid in proportion to the time of use, 5,000 VND (0.21 USD) for every 30 minutes, and 50,000 VND per day for each trip lasting 7.5 hours at maximum.

Bike users can pay via e-wallets including Zalopay, MoMo, and Payoo.

Bui Hong Trung, director of the city’s Transport Department said that after the pilot period, the department will review and consider expanding the public bike programme if it proves to be effective.

Hanoi strives to end HIV/AIDS by 2030

The People’s Committee of Hà Nội has set up a plan of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in the city by the year 2030.

The plan, known as 55/KH-UBND dated February 20, aims to reach the goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths and end the AIDS epidemic in the city by 2030 as well as minimise the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on socio-economic development.

According to the plan, this year, the city strives for 90 per cent of people living with HIV will know their HIV infection status while 90 per cent of people living with HIV on the management list are treated with anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs and 98 per cent of patients on ARV have an HIV viral load below the suppression threshold.

The plan also sets out specific targets that this year 500 new HIV infections will be detected, 80 per cent of drug addicts will have access to a needle and syringe programme, 65 per cent of female prostitutes will have access to a condom programme, and 65 per cent of men who have sex with men (MSM) will have access to a condom and lubricant programme.

Under the plan, the health care sector will complete 300 key monitoring samples as prescribed by the Ministry of Health, and ensure 14,350 people living with HIV/AIDS will maintain on antiretroviral therapy while 633 HIV-infected people will start antiretroviral therapy, and 11,112 people living with HIV/AIDS who are on ARV will be tested for HIV load in monitoring ARV.

To achieve the above objectives, the municipal People's Committee proposed three groups of solutions including prevention and harm reduction interventions; HIV/AIDS testing and surveillance; and treatment and care for people living with HIV.

Specifically, for the solution of prevention and harm reduction interventions, the city will improve the quality of information, education and communication work; reduce stigma and discrimination related to HIV; and expand and renew interventions to reduce harm and prevent HIV infection.

Regarding testing and surveillance, the health care sector must increase HIV testing counselling, diversify HIV testing and counselling services, promote HIV testing in grass-roots health facilities, expand testing in the community and mobile testing and self-testing at home.

It is necessary to strengthen co-operation with projects and NGOs to implement testing activity and HIV detection in the community.

In addition, the city will enhance the sharing and use of data in HIV/AIDS prevention and control and establish systems of case monitoring from HIV infection to treatment participation, treatment facility transfer, treatment quality, and treatment adherence for each HIV-infected person.

HIV infected persons will be treated with ARVs as soon as they are diagnosed.

HIV/AIDS treatment in prisons and drug rehabilitation establishments will be maintained while HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment will be provided to those who are at risk of HIV infection.

The committee asked the health department and relevant offices of all districts and communes to set key targets for the implementation of the HIV/AIDS prevention and control plan in 2023.

Moreover, it is necessary to accelerate the work of education and dissemination on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Accordingly, civil servants and public employees should actively approach and mobilise relatives and friends, especially those at high-risk of being infected with HIV to test and access consultation and treatment.

The people's committees of districts, communes and towns shall develop plans and monitor, inspect, and assign targets for the implementation of the city’s HIV/AIDS prevention and control plan in 2023. 

Cà Mau-Nam Du-Phú Quốc boat service to resume on March 18

A high-speed boat service linking the southernmost province of Cà Mau, the Nam Du Archipelago and Phú Quốc Island in Kiên Giang Province will be resumed on March 18.

According to the Cà Mau Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the reopening of the boat service aims to meet the rising demand of visitors and boost the recovery of the travel industry after two years of suspension due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Phú Quốc Express Joint Stock Company, a high-speed boat service operator, has announced that the boat service will run once a week on Saturday for the first two weeks (March 18 and 25).

It will depart at 9am from Ông Đốc Passenger Port in Sông Đốc in Cà Mau Province.

From March 28, the service on the Cà Mau-Nam Du and Nam Du-Phú Quốc routes will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, the Phú Quốc-Nam Du and Nam Du-Cà Mau routes are scheduled for Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The company will offer the service every day starting from April 8.

Each trip on the Cà Mau-Nam Du-Phú Quốc route takes about three hours and 15 minutes.

It uses catamaran passenger boats able to carry 600 passengers each.

The boat service was put into operation in July 2020 and was expected to offer a new travel experience to tourists and help boost tourism in Cà Mau and Kiên Giang provinces. However, the pandemic outbreak caused the service to temporarily stop.

Nam Du Archipelago and Phú Quốc Island are among the most popular tourist destinations in Kiên Giang, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists each year.

The Nam Du Archipelago consists of 21 islands that stretch for an area of more than 901 hectares in An Sơn and Nam Du communes.

The islands offer visitors scenic beauty, pristine white-sand beaches, dense tropical jungle, and fresh seafood.

Phú Quốc Island has been named as one of the world's best 15 islands to retire to, thanks to its beaches, low cost of living and rich culture.

The island has become a top tourist destination after it built an international airport in 2012 and the Government rolled out a 30-day visa-free policy for foreigners in 2014. 

Family of writer Sơn Tùng donates unseen Hồ Chí Minh documents to national archive

More than 1,000 photos and documents on the activities of the Party, the State, and the personal life of late President Hồ Chí Minh and other key figures have been donated by writer Sơn Tùng's family to the National Archives Centre III.

Trần Việt Hoa, Director of the National Archives Centre III, Department of Records and State Archives (Ministry of Home Affairs), said that these documents contain photos related to late President Hồ Chí Minh’s life, including many that have never been published.

The Centre also receives valuable documents about writer Sơn Tùng's life and career. This is the second time they received a large volume of documents from writer Sơn Tùng.

Hoa said that writer Tùng is highly esteemed for his writing about late President Hồ Chí Minh. She mentioned that every anecdote in his novel 'Green Lotus Bud', which depicts the childhood and early life of Hồ Chí Minh, serves as an exemplary lesson for people to learn and follow.

Bùi Sơn Định, the son of writer Tùng Sơn, spoke about his father's decision to donate valuable documents to the National Archives Center III. He shared that although he wished to keep the documents, it would be challenging to fulfil this desire. Obtaining the documents was a challenging process, and his parents had to go to great lengths to acquire them.

Currently, the documents have been temporarily arranged according to the provisions of the storage and follow strict preservation rules.

Writer Sơn Tùng was born in 1928 in a poor family in Hoa Lũy village, Nghệ An province. He was active in revolutionary activities for 10 years (1944-1954) in the locality and met Nguyễn Thị Thanh, late President Hồ Chí Minh's sister.

After the end of the war against France, he came to Hà Nội to study and work. In 1967, he volunteered in the Southeastern Theater and was severely wounded.

After the war, he continued to write and learn about late President Hồ Chí Minh and his family, and wrote numerous works on the subject.

Special activities at a festival fit for a king

An annual commemoration ceremony for the Hùng Kings, considered the founders of Việt Nam, will bring Việt Trì City alive with colours, sounds, rituals and festivities. 

The 10-day event, beginning on April 20, will also be a platform for the Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land in the northern province of Phú Thọ.

The ceremony includes the celebration and incense offering to Lạc Long Quân and Âu cơ - the progenitors of Việt Nam as well as the celebration of Hùng Kings and the flower offering at the famous site where late President Hồ Chí Minh met with the Vanguard Army.

Legend has it that the eldest son of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ was crowned as the ruler and he designated the name Văn Lang to the country, and established the capital city in Phong Châu (present-day Việt Trì City), which marked the beginning of 18 Hùng Kings' dynasties. 

The festival begins with the "Hùng Temple Festival and Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week in 2023" and the "UNESCO-listed Intangible Cultural Heritage Week".

Other activities include an international conference on Việt Nam’s tourism, culture, heritages and sustainable development, a swimming and stand-up paddle board competition, the northwest tourism fair 2023, and the Hùng Kings Cup of football and volleyball tournaments. 

Visitors can enjoy the Northwestern Tourism Fair in 2023, the Northeast - Phú Thọ trade fair in 2023, the Land Father Food Culture Festival, and a Cultural Camp and Art Festival to celebrate the legacy of the Hùng Kings.

Tourists can also immerse themselves in the rich cultural offerings of Việt Nam at the "Xoan (folk) singing in the ancient village," featuring traditional performances such as water puppet shows, pounding rice performances and bronze drumming.

Foodies can showcase their skills in contests to make bánh chưng (sticky rice cake) and bánh dày (glutinous rice cake), while fashion enthusiasts can admire the beauty of the Vietnamese national áo dài costume at the Vietnam Áo Dài Festival "Towards the roots".

For those looking for a more active experience, there are traditional sports competitions and bicycle races hosted by Vietnamese clubs. Additionally, organisers have arranged a farm trip group called "The Colourful Journey to Midland".

Other cultural, sports, and tourism activities include the exhibition "Cultural and tourism heritage of Việt Nam's capital areas," the display of documents and artefacts about festivals and beliefs of the Hùng Kings era, and the art photo exhibition with the theme "Homeland, people of Phú Thọ". 

Developers seek to create theme park in Đắk Lắk

A project to construct a theme park in Đắk Lắk Province’s Buôn Ma Thuột City has been submitted to the province’s People’s Committee.

The project named Nguyễn Tất Thành Park is proposed by the Construction Investment Project Management Board of Buôn Ma Thuột City.

The park is named after an alias of late President Hồ Chí Minh.

It will cover an area of 2.8ha located in Nguyễn Tất Thành Street in Tự An Commune.

Its main theme will be elephants, featuring many elephant sculptures, gardens, lakes, entertainment zones and restaurants.

The project is expected to have a total investment of VNĐ30 billion (US$1.2 million).

Upon its completion, the park would be the biggest ever in Đắk Lắk.

The project will help promote Đắk Lắk tourism and introduce the Tây Nguyên (central highland) province’s culture and lifestyle to people nationwide, said Lưu Quốc Bảo, director of Construction Investment Project Management Board of Buôn Ma Thuột City.

Đắk Lắk is hosting the 8th Buôn Ma Thuột Coffee Festival between March 10 and 14.

Its opening ceremony themed Buôn Ma Thuột – Destination of the World’s Coffee included a contest for farmers who are growing coffee by applying smart technology and adapting to climate change. The contestants come from eight provinces including Sơn La, Quảng Trị and Bình Phước.

Traditional games, artistic performances, and cooking and sports competitions are highlights of the festival.

“We expect to receive some 46,000-50,000 guests during this five-day 8th Buôn Ma Thuột Coffee Festival,” said Thái Hồng Hà, director of Đắk Lắk Culture, Sports and Tourism Department. 

Bến Tre Province expands forest cover with eye on climate change

The Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre plans to increase its forest cover, especially by growing mangroves, to mitigate the impacts of climate change and combine them with aquaculture to increase people’s incomes.

It will protect existing forests and grow new ones for environmental protection, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Đoàn Văn Đảnh, director of the department, said the province plans to plant 171ha of new forests this year.

It now has 4,470ha of forests, all in the coastal districts of Ba Tri, Bình Đại and Thạnh Phú and comprising 2,247ha of protective forests, 1,868ha of special-use forests and 355ha of commercial forests.

Most are mangrove forests that have low commercial value but play a key role in mitigating the impacts of winds and waves and preventing erosion along coasts.

The province has allocated more than 2,800ha of mangrove forests to households and organisations to protect and exploit, according to the protective and special-use forests management board.

The households are poor, do not have much farmlands or recently switched livelihoods.

They can breed aquatic species in the forests using extensive farming models to ensure a steady livelihood.

Lâm Văn Đồng in Ba Tri District’s Bảo Thuận Commune has been allotted two hectares, which has improved the life of his family.

Besides a sum of money he is paid every year for tending the forest, he also earns more than VNĐ10 million (US$400) a month from selling shrimp, mud crab, fish, and oyster he raises in the forest, he said.

The programme has helped many households escape poverty.

Last year the province planted 395,000 trees to create 140ha of forests.

It is implementing a project to plant 10 million trees in residential areas and forests in 2021-25, and plans to strengthen advocacy to enhance public awareness of the benefits of forests.

With a coastline of 65 kilometres and a dense network of rivers and canals, planting trees helps protect dykes and environment, according to the department.

The province aims to have forest coverage of 2 per cent by 2025.

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