Hanoi is holding a myriad of events and tours to capitalise on the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) to popularise images of the capital and Vietnam as a whole among international friends.

The municipal Tourism Department said it has ordered management boards of local destinations, accommodation establishments, and travel companies to develop and launch new and special tourism products on this occasion, including a cycling tour of the Bat Trang ancient pottery village, night services on Son Tay and Trinh Cong Son pedestrian streets, night tours of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Hoa Lo Prison, a double-deck bus city tour, and a tour for visitors to experience Southeast Asian cultures at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Some prestigious travel companies such as Hanoitourist, Vietfoot Travel, LUX Travel, VI Travel, and Vietravel have debuted dozens of tours in which travellers can enjoy famous scenic landscapes and dishes of the capital and neighbouring localities.

SEA Games 31: Numerous special events, tours in Hanoi to promote tourism

Hanoi is holding a myriad of events and tours to capitalise on the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) to popularise images of the capital and Vietnam as a whole among international friends.

The municipal Tourism Department said it has ordered management boards of local destinations, accommodation establishments, and travel companies to develop and launch new and special tourism products on this occasion, including a cycling tour of the Bat Trang ancient pottery village, night services on Son Tay and Trinh Cong Son pedestrian streets, night tours of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Hoa Lo Prison, a double-deck bus city tour, and a tour for visitors to experience Southeast Asian cultures at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Some prestigious travel companies such as Hanoitourist, Vietfoot Travel, LUX Travel, VI Travel, and Vietravel have debuted dozens of tours in which travellers can enjoy famous scenic landscapes and dishes of the capital and neighbouring localities.

On this occasion, the Hanoi Centre for Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion will organise a tourism festival at the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian zone on May 13 - 15 and a craft village food and tourism festival on Le Quang Dao street in Nam Tu Liem district from May 19 to 23.

It is also working with CNN International to make and broadcast a video clip on local tourism with the presence of the SEA Games 31 logo. Efforts are also being made to increase introducing the city to international friends via tourism websites and social networks.

12 national treasures of Hai Phong recognized

The Hai Phong Municipal People's Committee on May 8 held a ceremony to announce 12 historical artifacts that have been recognized as national treasures by the Prime Minister in a recently issued decision.

The treasures include Long dao (blade) of the Mac Dynasty dating from the 17th - 18th centuries, the Statue of Emperor Mac Dang Dung from the 16th century CE, the Relief of the Grand empress dowager Vu Thi Ngoc Toan from the 16th century CE, and the An Bien white glazed ceramic collection from the 11th - 12th centuries.

Currently, Hai Phong is home to nearly 1,000 historical and cultural sites and vestiges, including 531 ranked, 2 recognised as special nationally and 118 recognised as national.

Vietnamese female placed first at VNG IRONMAN 70.3

Vietnamese athlete Hanh Nguyen came first in the female category at the VNG IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam, which took place in the central coastal city of Da Nang on May 8.

Attracting more than 2,500 athletes, this international triathlon covered 1.9 km swimming, 90 km cycling and 21.1 km running.

Hanh Nguyen completed the challenges in 5 hours 9 minutes 25 seconds, followed by Pannapat Krarunpetch from Thailand with 5 hours 12 minutes 17 seconds; and Agnieszka Najnigier Pierzynowska from Poland with 5 hours 24 minutes 17 seconds.

In the male category, Michael Cassinides, an Australian national, triumphed by reaching the finish line in 4 hours 16 minutes 15 seconds.  Andy Wibowo from India and Golatat Kunaborimas from Thailand secured the second and third places, respectively.

Vietnam attends 18th congress of World Federation of Trade Unions in Italy

A delegation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) attended the 18th congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) that took place in Rome, Italy, from May 6 to 8.

Opening the event that was participated by 435 delegates from 106 countries, WFTU General Secretary Georges Mavrikos highlighted the federation’s strong development in both quantity and quality over the past years, noting that since 2005, the WFTU membership has surged by 175 percent to over 105 million in 133 countries, making it the world’s largest organisation of trade unions.

Strategy needed for air freight to take off

Vietnam needs to have an appropriate strategy to promote the development of air logistics and tap its large potential, experts have said.

Le Vuong Quoc, Director of Gemix Vietnam Joint Stock Company, which exports fresh fruits, said that shipping fresh farm produce to Switzerland was not easy because this country did not have seaports. As there were no direct flights from Vietnam to Switzerland, his company must ship through a third country.

Quoc said this pushed up transportation costs, and his company could only export in a small volume.

In addition, air freight rates in Thailand were always around 30 percent lower than in Vietnam, plus there is a direct route from Thailand to Switzerland, which makes it difficult for Vietnamese firms to compete with Thailand.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T& T Group Import – Export Company, said transporting agricultural products by air would ensure quality and shorten the time compared to by railway or by sea. However, high air logistics charges remained a limitation.

Tung pointed out that many Vietnamese airlines had not yet built routes to countries like Switzerland, Canada and the US, and shipping largely depended on foreign airlines.

In a recent workshop, Wackerbauer Lars, senior advisor of IPP Air Cargo, the first cargo airline in Vietnam, said that more than 80 percent of Vietnam’s logistics market was in the hands of foreign companies. Meanwhile, the freight demand kept increasing, fuelled by the boom of e-commerce.

SEA Games 31: U23 Laos resolve to get three points in match against Cambodia

After being held to 2-2 draw in a game with U23 Singapore, the national U23 football team of Laos is gearing up to win in the match against Cambodia on May 9 as part of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Laos’ Vientiane Times newspaper reported that despite the result, local fans were satisfied with the performance of the team in the match against Singapore.

It said that the team plan to arrange a more solid defense in the match against U23 Cambodia on May 9, with a high resolve for a victory, or at least a draw. U23 Laos must not lose if it wants to go further in SEA Games 31.

Laos's upcoming matches in Group B are not likely to be easy as it will face strong rivals of Malaysia and Thailand on May 11 and May 16, respectively.

SEA Games 31: U23 Myanmar beat U23 Timor Leste 3-2

Myanmar’s U23 team gained three points after winning Timor Leste 3-2 in a match on May 8 at Viet Tri Stadium, the northern province of Phu Tho, in the framework of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31). 

Myanmar led 2-0 in the first half of the match. However, Timor Leste showed strong resilience and balanced the game by scoring two goals in the second half.

Aung Wunna Soe became the hero of U23 Myanmar after he scored a decisive goal in the last seconds of the extra-time to help his team snatch a 3-2 win over U23 Timor Leste.

Earlier, Timor Leste lost 0-4 against the Philippines during their game on May 6.

Timor Leste will face U23 Indonesia on May 10 and U23 Vietnam on May 15

Vietnamese kickboxers get off to good start ​​​​​​​to SEA Games 31

Vietnamese kickboxers had a strong start to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) at Bac Ninh Gymnasium on May 8. 

Nguyen Thi Hang Nga started the defence of her title with a 3-0 victory over Teo Vireen of Malaysia in the quarter-finals of the women’s 48kg full contact category.

Bui Hai Linh also bested Nao Srey Pov of Cambodia 2-1 in the women’s 52kg low kick, while Nguyen The Huong defeated Nehyeban Carlos Alvarez of the Philippines 3-0 in the men’s 67kg full contact.

However, in the quarter-finals of the men’s 57kg full contact category, SEA Games defending champion Nguyen Xuan Phuong suffered a surprise loss to Arunno Sivapan of Thailand.

The kickboxing event will finish on May 13.

Front Central Committee discusses key draft report

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee convened its 12th conference on May 8 to discuss its draft report on the summary of opinions and recommendations by voters and people for submission to the 15th National Assembly’s 3rd meeting.

In his remarks, President of the Committee Do Van Chien affirmed the importance of the report, adding that comments will be taken into account for its completion.

Ha Thi Nga, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union Central Committee, said the draft should reflect more clearly voters' concerns about domestic violence and abuse of women and children in the recent past.

First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee Nguyen Anh Tuan suggested the Ministry of Education and Training carefully consider the teaching and learning of history in the general education programme.

Quang Ninh: Co To island’s Ho Chi Minh memorial site granted special national relic title

A memorial to late President Ho Chi Minh on Co To island in the northeastern coastal province of Quang Ninh received its certificate as a special national relic site at a ceremony on May 7.

On May 9, 1961, President Ho Chi Minh visited the island, the only destination he allowed to erect a statue of him during his lifetime. The memorial was built in 1968, recognised as a national relic site in 1997, and received its latest accreditation in mid-January this year.

At the ceremony, an art programme to kick off the island's tourism year 2022 also took place.

Earlier, on April 26, a 27.9m flagpole was officially inaugurated at the site, affirming Vietnam's territorial sovereignty and promoting national pride and patriotism.

Ninh Binh’s national park receives five rare wild cats

The Cuc Phuong National Park in the northern province of Ninh Binh has freshly received five wild cats to take care of at its centre for species rescue, conservation, and development.

Earlier, the centre sent its staff to collect the animals in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien’s Dien Bien Phu city. The wild cats, seized by the local police after being caged illegally by a resident, are all healthy.

As reported, two of the cats were initially kept by the local in March last year. They gave birth to three babies, now nearly 30 days old.    

Viet Nam win third beach handball match

Việt Nam grabbed their third win in a row at the SEA Games 31's men's beach handball tournament on May 8 in Quảng Ninh Province.

The host team defeated Thailand 2-1 in the third-round match on Tuần Châu Island. The first half saw Việt Nam attack rapidly and they quickly went ahead. 

La Văn Lớn, Lê Văn Bình and Nguyễn Chí Tâm took the responsibility of scoring for the hosts, who received strong support from residents and tourists. They ended the first set at 21-12.

There are four teams taking part in this event, competing in a two-leg round-robin format. The team with the best points will take gold on May 11, one day before the opening ceremony. 

Old photos of Vietnamese traditional musicians and music restored by two reseachers from Hanoi

With a passion for restoring the nation's cultural treasures, with the help of photographer Lê Bích, collector Đoàn Bắc has succeeded in bringing Vietnamese traditional music back to life, through the restoration of old photographs.

The photo collection of traditional musicians and folk music, published in April 2022, is part of their Việt Nam Musicians and Traditional Music Exhibition that was part of the ancient photo collection Old Hà Nội Memories founded by Bắc and his father.

The project is divided into five groups: Music bands, string instruments, percussion and wind instruments, instruments of ethnic minorities (living on Trường Sơn Mountain and the Central Highlands), singers and performers of traditional art forms such as tuồng (classical opera) and cải lương (reformed opera).

The exhibition will take place until May 20 at Hà Nội's Old Quarter Culture Exchange Centre in 50 Đào Duy Từ Street .

Trà Vinh’s lithophones set national record

Trà Vinh Province has set a new record for having a collection of the highest number of stone musical instruments -- a set of 30 lithophones.

The lithophone set, called “Âm Vang Khát Vọng Trà Vinh” (Echo of Trà Vinh's Aspirations), was placed at the provincial square last week to celebrate 30 years of the province's re-establishment.

Created by musician - record holder Trương Đình Chiếu, each lithophone weighs five tonnes, with 16 stone bars of different thickness and length.

Many years ago, Chiếu discovered many pieces of rocks that were struck to produce musical notes in the area of Bù Đăng District, Bình Phước Province.

Since then, he has researched and crafted many sets of lithophones, and presented them to various institutions nationwide with the aim to preserve and spread the intangible cultural values ​​of the country.

The total cost of those lithophones is about VNĐ6 billion (US$261,000), which were  sponsored by individual and organization patrons.

The "Echo of Trà Vinh's Aspirations" will be displayed at the Cultural Centre of Trà Vinh for visitors.

MoC ask localities to inspect old apartment buildings before rainy season

The Ministry of Construction has asked localities to inspect old apartment buildings in order to ensure the safety of people and properties before this year's rainy season.

According to the ministry, the renovation and rebuilding of old, rundown apartments in the city has been slow with their current occupants not reaching a consensus on compensation and relocation.

To solve the situation, the ministry has requested provincial and city authorities to quickly implement the Government’s Decree No. 69/2021/ND-CP on renovating and rebuilding old apartment buildings.

Decree No. 69 aims to remove difficulties and obstacles in the rebuilding work and has been supported by localities as well as residents.

The ministry has also required localities to make lists of old apartment buildings and apartment complexes that need work as a basis for implementing newly-building projects.

Petrolimex's profit falls 40% despite soaring oil prices in Q1
     
Soaring crude oil prices in the international market helped many oil and gas enterprises achieve great business results in the first quarter, but Petrolimex witnessed a different story after posting a sharp fall in profit during the period.

In its first-quarter consolidated financial statement, Petrolimex (HoSE: PLX) reported net revenue of over VND67 trillion (US$2.9 billion), up 75.2 per cent on-year.

However, gains in the cost of goods sold, which rose 84.3 per cent, caused a drop of 21.1 per cent in gross profit in the first quarter to nearly VND2.8 trillion. Thereby gross margin also halved from 8.8 per cent to 4.1 per cent.

Moreover, during the period, Petrolimex's financial expenses jumped nearly 61 per cent year-on-year, while selling and administrative expenses were unchanged.

Vietnam’s FIFA Online 4 team faces major challenge at SEA Games 31

Vietnam’s FIFA Online 4 team will face a major challenge at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) despite home advantage, as its Thai rival is of international calibre, according to the Organising Committee.

DIH Esport F4 will represent Vietnam at the regional event after beating various top dogs at the knockout round to earn a ticket to the SEA Games 31 and a prize worth 80 million VND (about 3,500 USD).

Four-member DIH Esport F4 is considered the strongest team of Vietnam at the moment. It comprises captain Maestro – Nguyen Hoang Hiep, who contributed to helping Vietnam come second at the EA Champions Cup Winter 2018, along with Nguyen Le “Cold” Thanh Tong, Le “Lee Harii” Huy Hai, and Tran “Mesut” Minh Quang.

Established in 2020, the team has dominated FIFA Online 4 competitions in Vietnam with championships at the FIFA Online 4 Vietnam Pro League 2021, FIFA Online 4 Vietnam National Championship 2021 Season 1, and FIFA Online 4 Vietnam National Championship 2020.

The team will face Faze Clan of Thailand, the Asian champion, at this year’s SEA Games.

FIFA Online 4 will begin on May 13 at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi, seeing the participation of six teams. They will play in a round robin format to decide the top two teams qualifying for the final round, set to take place on the following day.

President presents Independence Order to poet Huu Thinh

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has handed the second-class Independence Order to poet Huu Thinh at a ceremony at the Hanoi Opera House.

80-year-old Huu Thinh, pennamed Vu Huu, who is also a writer, joined the association in 1970. He has worked as General Secretary and President of the association for four consecutive tenures. Huu Thinh was a National Assembly deputy in the 10th and 11th terms.

With works of different styles, he has won many domestic and regional literature awards since 1980. The distinction honours Huu Thinh’s contributions to the country’s literature and art sector over the past six decades.

SEA Games 31: Ly Hoang Nam remains Vietnam’s gold hope

Tennis player Ly Hoang Nam, who won gold medal at the men’s single event at the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines in 2019, continues to be a hope for Vietnamese tennis at the ongoing 31st SEA Games (SEA Games 31), according to the SEA Games 31 Organising Committee.

The top Southeast Asian tennis player join Trinh Linh Giang, Le Quoc Khanh, Nguyen Van Phuong, Pham Minh Tuan, Fodor Csilla, Chanelle Van Nguyen, Savanna Ly Nguyen, Dao Minh Trang, Tran Thuy Thanh Truc in the Vietnamese tennis team.

SEA Games 31’ tennis competitions will take place at Hanaka Paris Ocean Park tennis courts in Tu Son, Bac Ninh province, from May 13-22.

Two new minor quakes strike Kon Tum province

Two subsequent earthquakes were recorded in Kon Plong district in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum on May 9 morning.

The magnitude 3.4 quake occurred at 9:20 a.m. (local time) at a depth of approximately 8.1 km, according to the Centre for Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning under the Institute of Geophysics.

Earlier on the same day a minor quake measuring 3 on the Richter scale jolted the district at 5:18 a.m. The quake shook the area at a depth of around 8.1km and fortunately caused no casualties.

None of these minor earthquakes posed a risk of natural disaster to the locality, said the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre, adding that it is continuing to monitor aftershocks.

2.3 mln doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines distributed for administration to children aged 6-11

The National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) has distributed a further 2.4 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children aged six to under 12 years old to provincial and municipal centres for disease controls across the country.

This is the 144th distribution of COVID-19 vaccines since March 2021, and the third batch of vaccines for Việt Nam's campaign of inoculation for children from five to under 12.

This allocation includes 2,304,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (in doses of 0.25ml) donated by the Australian Government, bringing the total stockpile of vaccines for young children in Việt Nam to over 4.6 million doses.

This batch of vaccines have printed expiry date of July 17, 2022, and was being kept between the temperatures of -25 to -15 degrees Celsius at the national vaccine storage centre.

Also last week, the NIHE said Moderna COVID-19 vaccine provided through the COVAX Facility should be used first to vaccinate children to speed up the inoculation for this age group.

New construction projects in HCM City must ensure traffic flows remain smooth

HCM City will no longer approve construction projects that could affect transport in their vicinity and possibly cause traffic jams once the work is completed.

The Department of Transport has issued guidelines to evaluate and reduce negative impacts of new construction projects on traffic.

All those that would lead to an increase in traffic will have to take that into account and design solutions to ensure smooth traffic flow. These include apartment buildings, schools, malls, and large restaurants.

The developers have to assess the impact on traffic within a radius of 500m in inner districts and 300m in outlying places. They have to calculate how much additional traffic their project will cause five to 10 years down the line.

Hai Phong organises a street music festival

Many jubilant music performances are organised at several locations on Hai Phong city's streets, on the weekend evenings from May 8 to 28.

The street music festival aims to celebrate the 67th anniversary of the city’s Liberation Day (May 13, 1955 - May 13, 2022) and respond to the 2022 Hoa Phuong Do (flamboyant red) Festival.

The festival will gather the participation of bands from Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, singers, dance troupes and Xam (ballads sung by wandering blind musicians) Club of Hai Phong city. The selected locations are Hai Phong City Theatre Square Fountain, Tam Ky Flower Garden, Tam Bac Lake shore, Nguyen Trai Flower Garden, Tam Bac Walking Street, and Nguyen Du Flower Garden.

Hot air balloons displayed in Ha Tinh to welcome SEA Games 31

A display of hot air balloons took place at Vu Quang district, in the central province of Ha Tinh on May 7 to welcome the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Saola, a rare mammal from Vietnam, was selected as the mascot for the Southeast Asian Games 31. Saola was found by scientists in Vu Quang National Park in Ha Tinh in May of 1992.

The organisation of the hot air balloon display at Vu Quang showed the pride of Ha Tinh in general and Vu Quang in particular when Saola was chosen as the mascot of SEA Games 31.

Culinary space held in Nam Dinh to welcome SEA Games 31

A cultural - culinary space is taking place right next to Thien Truong Stadium, as part of activities to welcome the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

The event contributes to promoting the beauty of the land, cultural identity, cuisine and people of Nam Dinh to a large number of delegates, visitors and friends, fans, and domestic and international reporters.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nam Dinh province, businesses, cooperatives, craft villages and production households throughout the province have organised 20 booths to display and introduce products such as industry, handicrafts, and typical OCOP of the province.

Carmen to take stage at HCMC Opera House

One of the well-known shows of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO), Carmen will return with a two-part performance featuring excerpts from the opera and ballet to the municipal Opera House on May 13.

In the first part of the program, audiences will enjoy two dance pieces featuring the neoclassical style, “Dépaysement” and “Falling Angels” choreographed by Julien Guérin and Nguyen Phuc Hung.

The second part includes excerpts and arias from Georges Bizet's classic Spanish love story, Carmen. The performance will be choreographed by People's Artist Kim Quy with the participation of artists of HBSO, Nguyen Thu Trang, Ho Phi Diep, Nguyen Luong Hoa and Thach Hieu Lang and others.

An Giang Truc Lam Zen Monastery inaugurated

The An Giang Truc Lam Zen Monastery opened in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on May 8 after nearly five years of construction.

The Zen monastery is located on an area of around 15 hectares at Dong Son 1 Commune in Thoai Son District’s Nui Sap Town. Starting in November 2017, the construction includes 18 items and costs more than VND200 billion (US$8.7 million).

The work contributes to the promotion, protection, and preservation of Buddhist culture and heritage; and the connection of historical relic sites and the local traditional culture of the province.

Fish-worshipping festival recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Nhuong Ban fish-worshipping festival in Cam Nhuong Commune, Cam Xuyen District, the Central Province of Ha Tinh was recognized as the National 

Today, the People's Committee of Cam Nhuong Commune in Cam Xuyen District of Ha Tinh Province solemnly held a traditional festival of praying for Cam Nhuong. Thousands of people and tourists inside and outside Ha Tinh province attended.

Previously, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism had decided to announce that the Nhuong Ban Festival is included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage on May 27, 2021.

The annual festival has been an indispensable part of life in fishing villages in the province and is an important spiritual and cultural event of the resident community in the coastal area of Cua Nhuong staged in the hope of winning favor with the sea god.

The ‘Memories of To River’ tells history of Hanoi through paintings

An exhibition titled ‘Memories of To River’ by Hanoi-based painter Vu Xuan Dong (1974) is underway at the city’s cultural and artistic space, No 22 Hang Buom Street, Hanoi until May 31.

According to the curator of the exhibition, Nguyen The Son, there used to be plenty of ponds, lakes, and rivers in Hanoi before the French came and built into a modern urban landscape in the early 19th century.

These lakes and rivers were gradually leveled and replaced by straight-line streets. Sharing the same fate, To or so-called To Lich River, once a smooth waterway has also disappeared. 

The historic river that flows through the capital city played a very important role in the spiritual life of Hanoians in the past in the past as it was once considered a protector of ancient Thang Long Citadel or today Hanoi. 

“Memories of To River” exhibition is an attempt to contribute to the continuity of the artistic flow of the cultural and artistic Space of 22 Hang Buom.

Campaign launched for plastic-free SEA Games 31

#Seagamesnoplastic and #Greensport are the hashtags of a campaign launched during the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) to raise public awareness of environmental protection, according to the Organising Board. 

The drive is jointly held by the communications centre at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the Vietnam Sports Administration.

It is intended to reduce the use of single-use plastic products and nylon bags at meetings, training venues, matches and other sites for athletes, delegates and journalists, and activities within the biggest regional sport event.

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