The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is rolling out measures to protect and develop red-headed crane (Grus antigone) population, an endangered bird species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species spotted at Tram Chim National Park.

Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap People’s Committee Nguyen Phuoc Thien said that in recent years, due to climate change impacts and changes in the ecological environment, the number of the cranes returning to the park has fallen sharply. They even did not arrive in the park in some years. Therefore, the locality is implementing a project to preserve and develop their population.

The restoration and development at Tram Chim National Park are of great significance in the conservation of biodiversity as well as in the cultural and spiritual life of local people. The success of the project is expected to make important contributions to the protection of the species of the lower Mekong River region, while proving Vietnam's commitment and high sense of responsibility in implementing international institutions, he said.

Located in Tam Nong district of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, the park boasts a rich biodiversity that turned it into the world’s 2000th Ramsar site in 2012. Established in 1985, the 7,313-hectare Tram Chim became a national park in 1998 and then the fourth Ramsar site in Vietnam.

The park’s plentiful green vegetation is inhabited by more than 130 species of higher plants featuring six main types of floristic societies. Water life in the park is also bustling with the presence of over 150 species of freshwater fish, some listed in Vietnam’s Red Book like clown feather-back fish, common archerfish and giant barbs, nearly 180 algae species, 26 epifauna species, 350 species of plankton and 34 species of amphibian. Tram Chim is home to 198 bird species, including 16 rare ones.

According to leaders of the park, the project will focus on expanding the sarus crane herd by rearing and releasing them into the wild. In the 2023-2033 period, it aims to release 150 sarus cranes to the wild, of which 100 individuals are expected to survive.

At the same time, the living environment of the bird will be improved, an organic farming area developed around the park, and environment education and communications strengthened, along with the improvement of livelihood for the local community basing on organic agriculture.

The project has a total cost of about 92 billion VND (3.92 million USD).

Recently, the People’s Committee of Dong Thap signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam Zoo Association (VZA), the International Crane Foundation, and the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand (ZPOT) on the conservation of sarus cranes.

Under the document, the organisations will provide technical support and experience to Dong Thap in preserving sarus cranes and chicks.

Richard David Beilfuss, ICF President and CEO, said that the ICF supports the project to protect and develop sarus cranes of Dong Thap and will provide best conditions for cooperation among programmes to restore the bird population in Dong Thap in particular and Vietnam in general, as well as the coordination between Thailand and Vietnam in the work.

Ninh Thuan Grape - Wine Festival on the horizon

The Ninh Thuan Grape - Wine Festival will take place in the south central province of Ninh Thuan from June 13 - 18, the provincial People’s Committee announced at a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on May 5.

The biennial festival seeks to build a brand for the province’s grapes and honour various ethnic cultures.

This year’s festival will be bigger than the previous ones with fairs, musical performances, a grapevine trellis contest, vineyard tours, and conferences on the development of grape farming and processing.

Ninh Thuan is home to 1,060ha of grape cultivation, which is expected to double to 2,000ha by 2030.

Festival attendees can also visit the province’s Bau Truc Pottery Village, My Nghiep Brocade Weaving Village and Nui Chua Biosphere Reserve.

On this occasion, there will be a ceremony to receive a certificate from UNESCO that acknowledges the art of pottery-making by the Cham people as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The pottery-making art was inscribed in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding by UNESCO on November 29, 2022. Cham pottery products are mainly household utensils, worship objects, and handicrafts such as jars (called “jek”), pots (gok), food trays (cambak), and vases (bilaok).

Pottery making is direct demonstration of the creativity of Cham women intimately connected to the history of knowledge in their community.

Notably, instead of using turntables, Cham women move around blocks of clay to shape objects. The products are not laid with enamel but dried and baked outdoor in wood and rice straw fires at about 800 degrees Celsius for 7 - 8 hours.

According to Tran Quoc Nam, Chairman of the People’s Committee, Ninh Thuan aims to attract 3.5 million tourists by 2025 and earn 2.9 trillion VND (123.68 million USD) from the tourism sector.

This year, the province expects to welcome 2.7 million visitors, of whom 20,000 are foreigners.

Luxembourg media positive of Vietnam-Luxembourg cooperation potential

Over the past few days, many Luxembourg news channels have reported on the official visit to Vietnam by Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel from May 3-5, assessing that it will contribute to further strengthening the bilateral relationship in the coming time.

The website of the Luxembourg Government - gouvernement.lu - announced that Prime Minister Bettel's official visit is conducted at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and in response to PM Chinh's visit to Luxembourg in December 2022.

Tageblatt.lu - a daily newspaper in Luxembourg - ran an article saying that Vietnam has become an attractive trade partner globally. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Southeast Asian nation has opened up to the world under reform orientation since late 1980s and has become an important economy not only in the region but also in the world.

According to the article, in terms of foreign policy, Vietnam wants to have friendly relations with all countries, while in terms of foreign relations, Vietnam relies on independence, and supports bilateral partnerships and multilateralism. Due to geopolitical uncertainties in the world, Vietnam is increasingly sought by Western companies as a new partner, including Luxembourg. The European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has brought many new opportunities for Luxembourgish businesses that operate in the service and financial sectors. Currently, many Luxembourg enterprises are operating in Vietnam.

The article also highlights positive trade relations between Luxembourg and Vietnam in recent years including bilateral trade reaching more than 160 million euros (about 179 million USD) in 2022, up from 120 million euros in 2020.

In another article published by the newspaper, it is said that during Prime Minister Bettel's visit to Vietnam, the two sides signed many bilateral cooperation agreements, including those on aviation cooperation, the extension of an agreement to avoid double taxation, and cooperation against climate change through green funds. Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation (LuxDev) will launch two projects worth 2 million euros in Vietnam. Luxembourg-based airline Cargolux will soon receive a license to fly to Ho Chi Minh City besides Hanoi.

The article quotes Prime Minister Bettel as expressing optimism about the possibility that Luxembourg tourists in the future can enter Vietnam without a visa when the National Assembly of Vietnam considers extending the visa-free policy at its meeting late this month.

Luxembourg's online newspaper virgule.lu has just published an article about the prospect of Vietnamese electric vehicles entering the country's market. The article said Prime Minister Bettel and Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Minister for Tourism Lex Delles visited Vinfast's facility and experienced test driving its electric vehicles.

Other Luxembourg newspapers such as Today.RTL.lu, diegrenzgaenger.lu also reported on Bettel’s visit to Vietnam.

State President meets British, Cuban leaders in London

State President Vo Van Thuong had separate meetings with British and Cuban leaders, as part of his trip to the UK to attend the coronation of King Charles III from May 4 to 6.

The Vietnamese leader met with the UK’s House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, House of Commons Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly, and Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, among others British officials.

During the meetings, Thuong rejoiced at positive developments of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership in the context that the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties.

The British officials shared their view on the significance of Thuong’s visit, stressing Vietnam is a leading partner of the UK in the region as the European nation is accelerating the implementation of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

They also noted with pleasure the dynamic developments of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership over the past more than 10 years in all fields, and agreed to continue increasing all-level delegation exchanges in all the channels of Party, State, Government, parliament and people-to-people exchange, while further fully and effectively materialising the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and bilateral cooperation mechanisms like the defence policy dialogue and the Vietnam-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

The two sides expressed their wish to expand and deepen the bilateral cooperation in such potential spheres as national defence-security, green economy, climate change response and renewable energy.

Thuong suggested the UK help Vietnam in finance and technology, and raising the country’s capacity within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Partnership, towards fulfilling its commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which took place in the UK in 2021.

Regarding cooperation at regional and international forums, the two sides agreed to closely coordinate and support each other in multilateral frameworks like ASEAN-UK cooperation, the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council for 2023-2025, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The British officials affirmed their support for Vietnam’s and ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea, the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China.

In a meeting with Vice President of Cuba Salvador Valdés Mesa, Thuong emphasised that the relationship between Vietnam and Cuba is exemplary in terms of purity, rarity, exemplar and loyalty.

Mesa, for his part, said the bilateral political ties have been constantly consolidated and strengthened, as reflected through regular all-level delegation exchanges, and expressed his belief that the relationship will grow further in the time ahead.

PM urges Hanoi to mobilise all resources for development

Hanoi should maximise all resources for development investment, especially the public-private partnership, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a meeting between permanent Cabinet members and the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee on May 6.

The leader urged the capital city to quickly complete its master plan and other relevant planning schemes, and handle shortcomings in the real estate and corporate bond markets.

Attention should be paid to the growth engines of investment, export and consumption, he continued, asking the city to continue streamlining administrative procedures and improving its business environment.

He stressed that greater efforts are needed to restructure the industrial sector, targeting the industries that have advantages and potential, promote support industries, and prioritise the services with added values and sectoral linkages like finance, logistics and e-commerce.

The PM also suggested Hanoi establish green, smart industrial parks, optimise scientific-technological applications to raise productivity and competitiveness, and promote tourism.

Socio-economic development should go in tandem with cultural conservation and environmental protection, he said, asking the city to roll out  better social welfare policies and invest more in education and health care.

Apart from ensuring national defence and security, and social order and safety, Hanoi needs to improve the efficiency of external relations and international integration, and give more heed to Party building, Chinh said.

According to a report presented at the working session, Hanoi’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) grew 5.8% in the first quarter of this year, and 5.86% in 2021 and 2022.

In the first four months, its budget collection reached nearly 178 trillion VND (7.59 billion USD), completing 50.4% of the estimate, up 21.6% year-on-year.

Hanoi now ranks second nationwide in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction with over 7,000 projects worth 61.7 billion USD. Between January and April, the city lured 1.71 million USD in FDI, representing a year-on-year rise of up to 260%.

Vietnam, Cambodia agree to promote tourism, sports cooperation

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung held a working session with Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon in Phnom Penh on May 6 to review bilateral collaboration in terms of delegation exchange and tourism promotion.

To boost the work, the two ministers agreed to prioritise the implementation of bilateral cooperation activities within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism cooperation signed between the two ministries and the minutes of the 3rd Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Tourism Working Group Meeting in 2022. Enterprises and localities of the two sides are encouraged to cooperate in studying and building new and unique tours to serve the needs of tourists from both countries and from third countries, while businesses will get support to participate in tourism fairs organised by each country.

The two sides agreed to continue implementing measures to strengthen tourism links, connecting the world heritage sites of Vietnam and Cambodia, creating favourable conditions for international flights between tourist destinations of both countries, as well as those from the third countries. Localities are encouraged to cooperate in connecting seaports between the two countries.

The two ministers also committed to enhancing the sharing of best practices in tourism training and education.

Tourism investment flows between the two countries will be boosted through forums and events which aim to promote investment opportunities.

At the working session, the two ministers signed an MoU on tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia which is intended to push up tourist flows between the two countries by promoting cross-border cooperation activities, facilitating cross-border tourism, and increasing the frequency of direct flights between the two countries.

Earlier on May 5, Minister Hung had a meeting with Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron, during which they exchanged solutions to strengthen cooperation in physical training and sports.

The two sides signed a cooperation agreement that aims to enhance exchanges and collaboration in terms of physical education and sports between localities in their border areas.

Da Nang to host Asian Film Festival 2023

The Danang Asian Film Festival 2023 is scheduled to get underway in the central coastal city of Da Nang from May 9 to May 13, with the event attracting the participation of Asian countries leading the way in cinema such as the Republic of Korea and Japan.     

The festival will open with the theme of "Vietnam & Asia Cinema - Cooperation for Development" and will be an unique cultural event that helps the country's cinema industry to accelerate comprehensive integration, promote close international ties in culture and cinema, as well as developing the Vietnamese film industry. 

The event is expected to offer an opportunity to elevate the image of Da Nang to both domestic and international friends, whilst developing tourism and service industries in the central city moving forward. 

Organisers revealed that as many as 20 Asian and Vietnamese films are set to be screened at the event. Furthermore, a number of workshops will be held during the course of the event to help participants share experience and select talented young filmmakers for training under the guidance of international and Vietnamese film experts.

Free woodblock printing classes open in Đường Lâm ancient village

Visitors to Đường Lâm ancient village on the outskirts of Hà Nội will have a chance to try their hand at woodblock printing under the instruction of local artist Nguyễn Tấn Phát.

Located just 44km away from Hà Nội’s centre, the village is an open-air museum housing interesting cultural value, landscape and architecture typical for a rural area in the Red River Delta. It has long been a popular tourist destination in the capital.

To promote interest in art and introduce a new tourism product of his hometown, lacquer artisan Nguyễn Tấn Phát has opened a free woodblock printing class for all children and visitors to Đường Lâm Village.

“The experience of making woodblock prints presents a unique opportunity for tourists to discover local cultural values through the lens of traditional art,” said the 40-year-old artisan.

“It will also nurture tourists’ artistic creativity, enabling them to interact with villagers and have exciting memories during their trip,” he added.

Joining the class, attendees will be directly instructed by the artisan in the necessary techniques and skills to create their artworks, which they could bring home as Đường Lâm’s souvenirs.

Since its opening in late April, the class has attracted over 100 tourists. It is held weekly at Phát’s studio in Đường Lâm Village.

Phát was born in Hà Nội's Sơn Tây Town. As the only lacquer artist in the town, he has contributed to passing down the craft to the next generation, inspiring young artists in his homeland, and creating jobs for dozens of residents.

In 2017, he was among the youngest artists honoured as a typical “Hà Nội Artisan” by the municipal People's Committee.

Woodblock printing is a long-standing sculptural art form present throughout the development of Vietnamese art. Wood carving and sculpting are graphic printing techniques that use a wooden block with relief images to create a desired artwork.

The art form flourished in Việt Nam in the 16th century and has been practised by generations of artists since.

Health Ministry warns of Covid-19 vaccine surplus
 
Some localities want to return excess Covid-19 vaccines as lots of people are hesitant to be vaccinated, leading to the possibility of the vaccines expiring before they can be used.

In a report sent to the National Assembly, the Ministry of Health said that Covid-19 vaccines have a short shelf life, require strict storage conditions, and vaccination rates depend heavily on the progression of the pandemic and public perception. Many people still remain reluctant to get the vaccination due to concerns about the side effects. As a result, some localities want to return the vaccines.

Between February and March, around 10,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine were administered every day nationwide. The figure dropped to just 6,500 doses inearly April.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has encouraged people to ensure they have enough Covid-19 vaccinations, particularly those with underlying medical conditions, the elderly and pregnant women.

Earlier, around 257,549 doses of Covid-19 vaccine in HCM City expired.

By May 3, Vietnam administered 266 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. Of these, 51.6 million people aged 18 and over have received a third dose. But there are significant disparities between cities and provinces as many localities have recorded booster coverage rates below 80 percent.

Cold spell to hit northern region following heat wave
 
A light cold spell is forecasted to hit the northern and central region from Sunday evening, ending the baking hot weather which has plagued the regions over the past week. 

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, the cold spell will cause rains and thunderstorms in the two regions, which may last until May 15.

From May 8, temperatures in the northern localities are forecasted to decrease by 7-8 degrees Celsius to between 29-30 degrees Celsius.

On May 6 and 7, the region will continue to face extremely hot weather with temperatures of between 36-40 degrees Celsius. The northwestern and central localities will see hotter weather reaching up to 41 degrees.

300 young people clean beach in Quang Ninh Province

The Quang Ninh Communist Youth Union and border guard force organized a provincial-level campaign, “Clean the Beach”, for 2023 on April 23, according to thanhnien.vn.

Over 300 young people and officers from various organizations, including the Ha Long City Communist Youth Union, Quang Ninh Coal Industry’s Communist Youth Union, border guard and military forces, cleaned the area around Halong Bay and Bai Chay Beach in Halong City.

The campaign aimed to make people more aware of protecting the environment, creating a civilized lifestyle and developing cultural norms toward environmental protection.

This was one of the province’s practical activities to celebrate the 48th anniversary of the Reunification Day of Vietnam and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Quang Ninh Province.

It contributed to raising environmental protection awareness among local people and tourists before, during and after the April 30 and May 1 holidays.

Nha Trang Sea Festival returns 

After being suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Sea Festival is set to come back this year in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, featuring over 60 cultural and sporting events.

The opening ceremony of the event is scheduled for June 3 at April 2 Square in Nha Trang City, with an exciting theme, “Khanh Hoa-Aspiration and Development”. A spectacular international drone light show will be held instead of the traditional fireworks display, according to tuoitre.vn.

The closing ceremony of the festival will take place on June 6, with the theme “Khanh Hoa – Unity for the Future”. This marks the 10th time Khanh Hoa Province has organized the Sea Festival.

The event features various activities, such as the Bodybuilding Championship 2023 Cup, the Beach Soccer Cup, the Billiards Championship, the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa International Kite Festival 2023, the National Championship Karate Tournament 2023, bicycle parades, tree-planting activities and exhibitions.

Ha Tien-Nam Du ferry service launched

Superdong, a local waterway transportation service provider, inaugurated a new ferry service connecting Ha Tien City and Nam Du Island off Kien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta on May 6.

The ferry service between Nam Du Island and Phu Quoc Island is resumed as the firm has suspended the service due to bad weather.

Passengers traveling on the Phu Quoc-Nam Du route will depart at 7:40 a.m. while those going from Nam Du Island to Phu Quoc Island will leave at 12:40 p.m.

Fares range from VND320,000 to VND400,000 per ticket for the Ha Tien-Nam Du service and VND250,000 per ticket for the Phu Quoc-Nam Du route.

Superdong now offers 10-20% discounts.

Nam Du Commune, part of Kien Hai District, is one of the top tourist attractions in Kien Giang Province.

The tourism services are expected to enhance connectivity between mainland Kien Giang and its islands and promote local socioeconomic development.

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