Central bus station

Photos of coffee flowers in full bloom across the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak are capturing the imaginations of photography, travel, and nature lovers across Vietnam.

Bui Nguyen Van Nguyen, the photographer behind the Instagram account @odaucungchup, is known for his stunning depictions of life in Ho Chi Minh City.

His newest photo series, however, has shifted gears, highlighting the beauty of blossoming coffee flowers for the account’s 108,000 followers.

With 7,700 ‘loves’ and 160 comments on the series, his photos are a hit.

“I was surprised to see how much everyone loved my photos. So was my family,” Nguyen told Tuoi Tre News .

According to Nguyen, a Central Highlands native who now lives in Ho Chi Minh City, the photos were taken at his father’s two-hectare Robusta coffee farm.

“My father was thrilled to see his farm adored by so many people,” Nguyen said, adding that his father looks after the coffee plants as if they were his own children.

Coffee flowers bloom into white clusters of small petals, which makes them look like daisies.

Coffee flowers blossom in clusters in a Robusta garden in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

They do not smell like coffee, but do produce a light fragrance.

“Coffee flowers smell pleasant,” Nguyen commented.

“That, combined with their beauty, makes them irresistible and romantic.”

A bee amongst the coffee flowers in a Robusta garden in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

According to Nguyen, coffee flowers in the Central Highlands typically blossom from February to April.

After the flowering season, farmers wait until the end of the year, normally November, to harvest the coffee beans.

“As perennial plants which only reproduce once a year, coffee plants require daily care until they’re ready for harvest,” Nguyen shared.

““The important factors in achieving high output lie in both the year’s climate and the farmers’ skills.”

Below are some photos of coffee flowers taken in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak:

Coffee flowers blossom in clusters in a Robusta garden in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

Tiny bugs hover near the coffee flowers in a Robusta garden in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

A bee amongst the coffee flowers in a Robusta garden in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

Tiny bugs hover near the coffee flowers in a Robusta garden in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

A group of women take selfies against the white blossoming coffee flowers in a Robusta garden in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

A woman takes selfies against the white blossoming coffee flowers in a Robusta garden in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

Bui Nguyen Van Nguyen’s father works in his coffee garden in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

Coffee flowers on the ground in the garden of Bui Nguyen Van Nguyen’s father in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Photo: Van Nguyen

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

“Positive sentiments fuelled by the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country and the impact of growth-promoting policies are expected to support the economic revival over the short to medium term,” the CBSL said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the CBSL said that the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) would remain at 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent respectively, following a review by the Monetary Board.

“The Board noted the recent slowdown in credit disbursements to the private sector and inadequate lending to productive sectors of the economy, and stressed the need for the financial system to actively lend to productive sectors in order to support the ongoing recovery of domestic production-based economic activity,” a statement by the CBSL said.

It is on National Highway 1A, some 80km from the heart of Hue to the south and over 20km from the centre of Da Nang to the north, running across Bach Ma mountain which stretches from the Truong Son range to the sea, creating a natural boundary between Thua Thien-Hue Province and Da Nang City.

Tourists can discover Hai Van pass by car, motorbike or even train, but the most fun is by motorbike. (Photo: VNA)

Hai Van Pass is known for its sections winding around high mountain slopes with deep ravines and the blue sea on one side. (Photo: VNA)

The zigzagging paths around mountain slopes. (Photo: VNA)

A railway crosses the Hai Van Pass. (Photo: VNA)

Hai Van signifies ‘Sea Cloud’ because the peak of the mountain is in the clouds, whereas its foot is close to the sea. (Photo: VNA)

Hai Van Pass has the lush jungle on the one side and the sea on the other. The crooked road winding along the mountainside looks like the ribbon like crossing the heaven and earth. (Photo: VNA)

VNP/VNA

The survey notes that the global economy contracted by around 4.5 percent in 2020, the biggest fall in global activity in several decades. Having recovered from lockdown-imposed weakness in the first half of the year, many economies again faced weakness as a second wave of COVID infections triggered renewed lockdowns. The survey envisions a steady recovery this year, but continued uncertainty limits the bounce in consumer and busines confidence, with pre-crisis output not being reached until mid-2022.

The survey also indicates that the Global orders, employment and capital investment indices recorded a further modest improvement, but still point to activity well below the pre-crisis level in the fourth quarter of 2019. The “fear” indices which means the concern about customers and suppliers going out of business, edged lower in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020 but remain elevated, clearly underlining the extreme uncertainty in the global economic outlook at the start of 2021. At the same time, inflation concerns remain negligible with concern about costs staying close to an all-time low.

“Last year was the worst for the global economy for several decades,” said Warner Johnston, Head of ACCA USA. “2021 will see recovery, but precisely when and how strong it will be is very uncertain. We anticipate a weak start, followed by a recovery gathering momentum through the second half. Much depends on the evolution of the COVID virus and variants relative to the progress of vaccination programs, and there is great uncertainty surrounding these developments.”

Agreed with this points, Raef Lawson, IMA vice president of research and policy analysed the policy responses to the pandemic that have left public finances of most economies in a perilous state with budget deficits in the range of 10 percent to 15 percent of GDP in many countries with debt to GDP ratios well over 100 percent.

In North America, confidence dropped in Q4, having jumped by the most on record in Q3. The orders and capital spending indices were both little changed in Q4 and were well below their pre-crisis levels of a year ago. The employment index recovered significantly in Q4, highlighting the continued relatively good jobs market rebound since the early weeks of the pandemic. Overall, the North America region GECS is consistent with continued recovery in early 2021.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy suffered one of the smallest contractions among advanced economies last year – likely around 3.5 percent. A large fiscal package equivalent to around 10% of Gross Domestic Product and easier monetary policy, including cuts in interest rates and greatly increased quantitative easing, cushioned the economic downturn.

But toward the end of 2020, the economy was losing momentum and COVID infections were increasing rapidly. The report notes that the economy was likely to show modest expansion in the fourth quarter of 2020, but renewed weakness is possible in early 2021.

“There are significant risks to the outlook for the year ahead,” Lawson underlined. “Much depends on the evolution of the COVID virus and variants, rates of infection and the speed and effectiveness of vaccination programs. The central case is economic weakness early on in 2021 as the virus dominates, followed by recovery gathering momentum later in the year as vaccination takes effect. There are significant risks surrounding the timing of these developments. In addition, the emergence of vaccine- resistant variants of the COVID virus, unexpected adverse side effects from vaccination and low vaccine take up are also health-related risks that could cause deviations in the recovery path.”

The GECS, the largest regular economic survey of more than 3,000 senior accountants and finance professionals from around the world, captured the true scale of the global recession caused by the response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting that global economic prospects have deteriorated since the survey was completed on December 8.

PV

Under the MoU signed Wednesday, the two parties will set up a joint venture to manufacture solid-state batteries for electric cars. The joint venture will be licensed to use ProLogium’s patented solid-state battery pack assembly technology.

This is a strategic step for VinFast in mastering battery technology for electric vehicles, laying a foundation for its research and development of smart and advanced electric vehicles in the future.

Founded in 2006, ProLogium is the world’s leading solid-state battery maker. In 2017, ProLogium became the first company in the world to have a test line for solid-state battery technology for automotive applications.

Its solid-state batteries have passed safety tests in Europe and China, which are the world’s largest electric vehicle markets.

It is also cooperating with large electric cars manufacturers to test a new battery technology and expects to deploy it for mass-production in 2023-2024.

By using solid-state batteries, VinFast electric cars will be able to go longer distances, reduce charging time, and increase the total number of times they can be charged.

VinFast’s partnership with ProLogium is a part of its plan to become a global smart electric car brand.

In January, VinFast introduced three new electric self-driving car models. It is also setting up electric charging stations nationwide , aiming at 40,000 charging ports for electric bikes and cars by the end of 2021.

VinFast sold 31,500 cars in Vietnam last year. Since entering the auto industry three years ago the company now has a plant in the northern province of Hai Phong and R&D centers in Australia, Germany and the U.S.