Good morning from Vietnam! Good morning from Vietnam! Society -- Unseasonal heavy rain is in the forecast this afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces as a result of equatorial depression and disturbance, according to Ho Chi Minh City-based meteorologist Le Thi Xuan Lan. -- Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City has warned passengers of pickpockets who prey on careless travelers at the airport’s waiting lounges, taking advantage of the busy season when large numbers of Vietnamese rush home from the big cities to enjoy Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. -- Ho Chi Minh City Police yesterday unveiled its special criminal police division made up of specifically trained officers who are tasked with hunting down muggers and other dangerous criminals in the city’s districts of 7, 8, Binh Tan and Nha Be, in an attempt to crack down on prevalent crimes in the city. Lifestyle -- A grand flower display running the length of Nguyen Hue pedestrian … [Read more...]

Check out the news you should not miss today, January 25, the 28th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, or three days away from the Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. Check out the news you should not miss today, January 25, the 28th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, or three days away from the Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. Politics -- Vietnam consistently wants to develop its strategic partnership with Singapore, State President Tran Dai Quang asserted when receiving Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Catherine Wong in Hanoi on Tuesday. -- Vietnam and Belarus celebrated the 25th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relationship on Tuesday, with Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang extending a congratulatory message to his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on the occasion. Society -- The request was made by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held at a working session with the Mobile Police High Command in Hanoi … [Read more...]

Check out the news you should not miss today January 24: Check out the news you should not miss today January 24: Society -- Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) still retains its traditional customs compared with 20 years ago, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said as Tet is coming. Meanwhile, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen and her daughter have decided to stay in Hanoi during Tet to experience the holiday. -- Police in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Monday destroyed more than 10 tons of stale jam after catching it being transported for consumption on January 10. -- More than 3,000 workers in the southern province of Binh Duong on Monday took free-of-charge buses provided by the provincial Labor Federation to their hometowns for Tet celebration. The federation also gave them 400,000 presents worth VND170 billion (US$7.59 million). -- Mai Linh Group today launches its electric bus route which is the first of its kind in Ho Chi Minh City, from 23/9 … [Read more...]

Here are the news stories you should not miss today: Here are the news stories you should not miss today: Society -- Salt water is intruding on a large area along the Tien (Front) River in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, threatening local paddy fields, according to Nguyen Thien Phap, head of the Irrigation Department in Tien Giang Province. -- Two eight-year-old boys were found dead in a lake in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Saturday evening. They had gone missing since the afternoon of the same day. -- Two teachers in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak were killed after their motorcycle collided with a state-owned vehicle belonging to the provincial administration on Saturday afternoon, Bui Hong Phuoc, head of the office of the Dak Lak People’s Committee, affirmed on Sunday evening. -- Nine Vietnamese fishermen were brought to safety on Sunday night after their ship was sunk by an unidentified vessel while operating about 44 nautical miles southwest of … [Read more...]

Check out news you should not miss today: Check out news you should not miss today: Society -- Authorities in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on Wednesday seized and destroyed more than 400kg of stale pork and viscera detected at the local Doing Xoai market. -- Many among 79 families who had their houses burned down in the south central Vietnamese beach town of Nha Trang on Tuesday night have been allocated to temporarily stay in the dormitory of Khanh Hoa Medical College. -- Many local express companies have stopped receiving orders a few days ago as transport and delivery was stuck due to high demand during the Tet holiday. -- Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation on Wednesday unveiled an online map which can alert users of traffic congestion citywide, in an effort to ease the city’s traffic pressure. -- A bus rapid transit project worth US$70 million is being implemented in the central city of Da Nang, the municipal administration announced on Wednesday. -- … [Read more...]

Good morning from Vietnam! Good morning from Vietnam! Politics -- U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius has praised recent remarkable advancement in Vietnam-U.S. ties and shared his vision on the further enhancement of bilateral relations in an open letter written exclusively for Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Society -- The second diphtheria outbreak in three years has been confirmed in central Vietnam’s Quang Nam Province, where two high school students have been reported dead from the disease so far, according to Tran Khac Phu, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine. -- Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Chanh District, which in September was found responsible for the foul smell that had been wafting through the city’s southern end, has announced its plan to gradually employ the incineration method in place of burial to curb the unpleasant odor. Lifestyle -- A VND120 billion (US$5.27 million) aerospace museum will be … [Read more...]

As the Vietnamese economy continues to grow rapidly, it has created a high demand for foreign workers, particularly for English language teachers. It is estimated that there are more than 74,000 foreigners working in Vietnam, but the figure may be much higher if it includes the number of foreigners who stay in Vietnam on tourist visas. In large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are more than 50 English language centers which recruit foreigners language teachers. It is increasingly common to see advertisements for English language teachers in newspapers Better living standards often come with a buoyant demand for international education, ranging from Kindergarten to High School and University. While international schools employ highly qualified and experienced teachers, there is a growing demand for less experienced foreign teachers at English language centers, including those who have just completed short teaching courses, such as CELTA or DELTA. It seems rather … [Read more...]

Natalia, often called Natasha, lives in a pink house christened “Salon Natasha” on Hang Bong Street in the centre of the capital. The building also functions as an art gallery that has been famous in local circles for over two decades. Salon Natasha at 30 Hang Bong Street, Hanoi After marrying Vietnamese painter Vu Dan Tan she transformed her house into a cultural space for displaying the works of art in the hope of encouraging and motivating talented young artists. Salon Natasha is the first private gallery of this kind, she says with pride. Russian artist Natasha In the early 1990s, State-owned galleries primarily used to exhibit works in a classical style. As an independent private gallery, Salon Natasha is focused on innovative styles and works by emerging young artists. Artworks by innovative young artists Ancient, romantic, and dynamic are three words Natasha uses to describe Hanoi, the city she fell in love with nearly 30 years ago. … [Read more...]

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Located on Nguyen Van Huyen Street, in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district, the extensive displays at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology attract increasing numbers of visitors to the different cultures of the 54 ethnic groups living across the country. The museum is divided into two parts: the first inside the building displays everyday items reflecting the life and culture of each ethnic group and the second surrounding museum consists of many traditional houses of ethnic groups living in the country. The cultures of 54 ethnic groups, including the Viet, Hmong, Dao, Thai, Tay, Nung, and others, are presented in multi-media formats including films, audio recordings, videos, and CDROMs. Both Vietnamese and foreign visitors say they enjoy visiting the Ethnology Museum. “This is the first time I’ve come here and I want to spend more time in this place because there are so many traditions to learn about,” said one visitor from France. … [Read more...]

In Vietnamese history, King Le Than Tong had foreign concubines, one of them from Holland, who lived with him in Thang Long imperial city (now Hanoi) and learnt Vietnamese to talk to local people. Nowadays many Vietnamese men, especially those who have studied in foreign countries, possess few internal barriers to marrying foreign women. A foreign wife is also funnily called "Dau Tay" (strawberry) in local slang though its hidden meaning has yet to be explained in official Vietnamese dictionaries. Some Vietnamese men are very proud of their foreign wives' beauty and talent, and - as they say - their lesser predilection for jealousy. Others are unhappy, claiming their foreign wives are too lazy to cook or do housework and don’t want to have more than one child. In some cases, Vietnamese-foreigner marriages fall apart on account of insurmountable differences in culture, language, and lifestyle. Many unsuccessful marriages are blamed on the Vietnamese mothers-in-law for being hard … [Read more...]

Together with two other common village symbols-the banyan tree and the well-the temple is essential to the spiritual life of almost all people in rural areas. The village temple serves as a common playground for kids, a place of worship for adults, and an ideal meeting hall for village elders to impart their wisdom to youngsters. Every village in the countryside has its own temple and grounds that transform into a venue for religious rituals and contests during traditional festivals. The temple is also a launching pad for national patriotic movements or acts of charity. The lead-up to the spring and Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday is an especially busy time as villagers make use of temple ground for communal preparations and celebrations. They gather for music and dance performances, and folk games like wrestling, ball throwing, and tug-of-war. For centuries, the village temple has functioned as both a communal house and a place of worship dedicated to village founders and other … [Read more...]

Their beauty, joy, spirit and purity can hardly be captured perfectly through the lens of any camera. Vietnam boasts 54 ethnic minority groups. In addition to the majority Kinh, which accounts for 80 percent of the country’s population, the remaining 20 percent belong to 53 ethnic groups, most of them living in mountainous areas, across the country. The country has more to offer than just its well-known metropolitan areas of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Much of its allure lies in the fascinating tribal cultures of the Tay, Nung, Mong, Dao, Muong and Thai ethnic minorities that inhabit the northern mountains along the Chinese border. The adventurous and those intrigued by the “hidden charm” of Vietnam are attracted to this region. Exploring the colorful ethnic minority groups and experiencing the sheer thrill of travelling through wild and rugged terrain is something that cannot be found anywhere else in Vietnam. Many visitors agree that one of the most enchanting … [Read more...]

The signs of campaigning for modernization can be seen in the rapid development of commercial projects such as Hanoi's Royal City, Vincom Village, Indochina Plaza and the continued construction of skyscrapers like the Lotte building on Dao Tan. The face of Hanoi is undoubtedly undergoing a drastic transformation but this transformation is not without its challenges. To stimulate growth and development, Hanoi is inevitably focused on solving its infamous traffic problem. Anyone who travels around the city can see that the existing infrastructure is struggling with the heavy burden placed upon it by the growing number of motorbikes, buses, trucks and cars. The population of the city is growing, as more and more Vietnamese people leave their rural towns and villages and swarm to Hanoi in search of new beginnings and opportunities. With a growth in population comes a corresponding rise in traffic. This is leading to severe traffic congestion on the road, not to mention an increase in air … [Read more...]

It is simply called the ‘buffalo market’ by locals in Can Cau Commune, where it has been located for around fifteen years. The market gathers all year round, except for when the crops are harvested. Initially set up for locals to sell and buy buffalos, the market has attracted Chinese dealers to provide meat for their country. The market has been considered an ‘economic spearhead’ of the district, especially when locals finish harvesting their crops. It has helped reduce poverty in villages of the Mong ethnic minority people. A market day At dawn, when fog still densely covers the mountains and forests and small sloping roads, the tinkling of the bells on buffalos’ neck and the thud of footsteps are heard moving towards the market. On provincial road 153, dozens of trucks carrying buffalos from the northern provinces of Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Son La, Vinh Phu, Ha Giang, and Dien Bien line up on their way to the buffalo ‘trading floor’. … [Read more...]

The correct viewpoint of the Party and State, institutionalised in the ordinance, has helped facilitate religious activities. The implementation of the ordinance and decree has basically met the demand for the legitimate religious activities of religious followers and organisations. According to religious reports from 35 cities and provinces, 711 dignitaries have been ordained and appointed, including 161 Buddhists, 143 Catholics, 94 Protestants, 218 Cao Daists and 95 Hoa Hao Buddhists. Local administrations have created favourable conditions for religions to be established, split and move into new worship places. All conferences and congresses of religious organisations have been held lawfully. All chapters of the Vietnam Catholic Church in the plains have organised congresses. Thirty-seven chapters in Central Highlands provinces and southern Binh Phuoc province have established councils. The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai allowed five chapters with more than 2,000 followers to … [Read more...]

In addition to these achievements, Vietnam is implementing a comprehensive integration process with almost all countries around the world. The past 20 years was a glorious period in which we have succeeded in elevating the image of Vietnam regionally and internationally. This fact testifies to the correct renewal process and open-door integration policy of the Party and State, which should be continued in the new period. The renewal process and the open-door policy are two strategic tasks aimed at realising the common goal of national development. They have a close relationship, promote each other and create a driving force for Vietnam to move forward. Renewal is process of casting and removing obstacles, re-organising society, emancipating forces, and effectively mobilising and utilising all resources to create internal strength. The open-door policy is a process of selecting and observing the quintessence of humankind, making anything possible, developing existing strengths and … [Read more...]

New developments in the corruption scandal at the Ministry of Transport’s Project Management Unit 18 (PMU 18) have continued to capture great attention from the public these days. Perhaps, former deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Viet Tien, one of the main culprits of the scandal, appeared in the spotlight with pictures and related stories repeatedly run by media agencies. A local newspaper front-paged a wide picture of Tien leaving his house with a police escort. Perhaps, it stemmed from public outrage over corruption. The scope and scale of the case and daring acts of those involved in the ring caused a great public shock after the investigation agency unveiled the ins and outs of the graft scandal. It was a rare corruption case in the history of the transport sector as its leader admitted. Many people, who still find it hard to earn several thousands of Vietnamese dong for their daily meals, could not have imagined that Bui Tien Dzung and his gamblers threw millions of US … [Read more...]

Judging from another angle, the press itself is a component of the national culture. It is impossible to reflect the cultural identity and depth of a nation without taking into account the role and contribution, as well as the capability and characteristics of the press in the nation. In the fullest sense of meaning, journalists are those who work in the cultural field. By nature, journalists are cultural workers, but not many of them daringly assume themselves to be culturalists. A proverb says “Good wine needs no bush”. Whether it is spoken out or not, the responsibility of journalists as cultural activists is undeniable.When talking about journalists-cultural activists, we want to emphasise their cultural nature. No one boasts of “being cultured” when conditions are not ripe. An old saying says “we cannot make bricks without straw”. “Straw” here is the fundamental characteristics of culture which can be understood as lofty … [Read more...]

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam expressed its clear determination to combat corruption and wastefulness at its conference held recently in Hanoi. Maybe, there is no assessment of these social evils as comprehensive as the statement made by Party leader Nong Duc Manh that “Corruption and wastefulness remain serious and complicated on a large scale, causing public concern and threatening the existence of the regime.” To cope with the scourge of social evils, the Party Central Committee worked out a resolution on reinforcing the Party’s leading role in the fight against corruption and wastefulness with which every sector has to devise specific measures to bring it to life. In fact, corruption and wastefulness are a long-drawn-out common occurrence in every social institution. The damage caused by acts of corruption and wastefulness rises through the ranks of State officials. They often rule the roost where synchronous prevention measures are not … [Read more...]

In order to meet urgent demands of the international situation and domestic economy, the 7th National Party Congress adopted guidelines on multilateralisation and diversification of Vietnam’s foreign relations, marking the start of its international integration process. The 8th National Party Congress in 1996 decided to “accelerate Vietnam’s regional and global economic integration process”. Resolutions of the 8th Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum held on Dec. 29, 1997 said, “Vietnam should take the initiative to actively infiltrate and extend its international markets”, and stressed, “We must prepare human resources, a legal foundation, and particularly competitive products to integrate in regional and global markets.”The 9th National Party Congress affirmed, “Vietnam will take the initiative to integrate in the international and regional economies in the spirit of making the most of its internal resources, making … [Read more...]