Son tra nature reserve

Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas holds an umbrella at the Mercedes area after the practice session was cancelled due to bad weather conditions at the Nuerburgring circuit in Nuerburg, western Germany, on October 9, 2020, ahead of the German Formula One Eifel Grand Prix.(WOLFGANG RATTAY / POOL / AFP)

Talking to reporters at the Eifel Grand Prix Wolff said both drivers were confined to their rooms after rain and fog forced the cancellation of opening practice.

“They are the most restricted of the whole group, of the whole team,” said Wolff, who confirmed that Mercedes had flown six replacement staff to Germany on Thursday after the team was re-tested, resulting in six team members going into isolation.

“It’s certainly not a great situation for them because you need almost to live like a hermit – and that is what they are doing.

“They are at home, they are not going out for dinners and they are not meeting other people. When we do de-briefs, by Zoom or Microsoft Teams, they are not sitting their engineers in the room.

“They are in their own rooms and we are all avoiding as much as possible any personal contact. It’s just literally stepping into the car and then driving the car and keeping distance.”

Wolff said he believed Mercedes had the outbreak under control.

“Every loss of an important member in the garage affects the race, but I think we’ve got it under control,” he said.

The team had announced on Thursday that one person from their travelling race team had record a positive test ahead of this weekend’s race at Nurburgring.

As a result, the team re-tested everyone at the circuit, an exercise that resulted in another positive test and one that was inconclusive.

Both of those team members were immediately put into isolation along with four others.

The team flew six reserve staff to Germany on Thursday, a decision that maintained the numbers at the track, but has thrown the champions’ race preparations into difficulty.

Six-time world champion Hamilton who is making a second attempt to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Grand Prix victories, described the events as “a concern”.

Speaking on Thursday, he said: “It’s sad to hear, for the guys that work so hard. We obviously had this week in between [races] and those guys work so hard to stay safe and be here on the weekends.”

Mercedes said they are following strictly all of the protocols laid down by the sport’s ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA), adding that they are not releasing any further information.

AFP

The 210kV station was built at the total cost of more than VND348 billion (US$15 million) on an area of 40,100 square metres spanning Dong Son and Kenh Giang communes.

According to EVNNPT Deputy General Director Luu Viet Tien, the station helped cut around 80% of the amount of copper cable, slash copper cable transport and installation costs, while reducing the risks of incidents caused by cable damage.

Tien said that the digital transformer station is a new technology in both Vietnam and many developed countries in the world, adding before carrying out construction of the station, EVNNPT held several conferences with large equipment suppliers such as Siemens, ABB and GE.

He said the 220KV digital station will ensure stable power supply for socio-economic development in Thuy Nguyen and regions in the vicinity, reduce power loss as well as enhance connectivity, safety, stability and flexibility in operation of power system.

EVNNPT will make evaluation on the efficiency of the station so as to select suitable technologies for transformer stations in the future.

The Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) plans to have all equipment on transmission lines and 80% of 110 kV circuit facilities digitalised from now to 2022.

By 2025, EVN will have digitalised 100% of facilities on medium- and higher-voltage power lines, according to EVN Chairman Duong Quang Thanh.

To that end, the group will press on with applying digital technologies like Internet of Things, big data, and cloud computing, he said, noting that it will use artificial intelligence (AI) in monitoring and examination and make use of cameras and smart drones to repair lines.

It will continue research on building information models and digital worker platforms to serve its staff while developing AI applications for image analysis and data governance.

EVN said it has completed 61 of the 63 centres for remote control of transformer stations and converted 670 of the 844 transformer stations into unmanned ones.

Located at the noisy Thai Ha – Tay Son Crossroads, a luxury hotel is deserted with only several security guards at the entrance door. The project has been facing bad luck since its opening. It initially was an office building but offices were in oversupply and the investor had to shift to another business model.

The building was then redesigned to turn it into a hotel. However, it once again met ill fortune when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Lockdowns and restricted travel policy have kept it deserted.

Even a gold-plated hotel is facing difficulties. With 360 rooms and many gold-plated items, the construction required investment capital of $100 million. The work was executed within 18 months and completed in March 2020, ready to serve the F1 tournament that was later postponed because of Covid-19. The hotel opening day was also delayed.

Other luxury hotels bearing international brands in Hanoi are in the same situation. Matthew Powell from Savills Hanoi said hotels in Hanoi had a difficult quarter because of the impact of another Covid-19 wave which decreased market capacity.

One 5-star hotel in Dong Da district was officially rated earlier this year, while two 4-star hotels in Ba Dinh and Tay Ho districts saw their star rating expire.

Meanwhile, Capella Hotel in Hoan Kiem was put into operation in Q1, but it has not been rated yet. Two 3-star hotels with 130 rooms had closed by the end of the last quarter.

Regarding supply, the entire market has 10,120 rooms in 17 5-star hotels, 17 4-star and 32 3-star hotels, up by one percent QoQ and 2 percent YoY.

The market capacity was 24 percent, down by 9 percent quarter on quarter and 20 percent year on year Meanwhile, the hotel room rate was $76 per night per room, down by 23 percent year on year.

The Covid-19 resurgence in January in Hanoi led to a reduction in hotel room occupancy rate in February and March to below 20 percent. Five-star hotels led the market in terms of revenue per available room in Q1 with $25/room/night.

Local hotels are now expecting more Vietnamese guests.

According to the Hanoi Tourism Department, after the Covid-19 outbreak was controlled, tourism points in Hanoi reopened in March. About 685,000 travelers came to Hanoi, a 180 percent month-on-month and 360 percent year on year increase.

An OAG (Official Aviation Guide) report showed that the Hanoi-HCM City air route continued to be the second busiest route in the world in March with 980,000 passengers.

Duy Khanh

A cultural festival celebrating Hung Kings, known as the country’s founders, will begin on Sunday (April 18) in HCM City and Thu Duc City. Photo suoitien.com

The event opened with a series of traditional games and sports, and cooking competitions at the Hung Kings memorial area located in the Park of Culture and National History in Thu Duc City.

The main ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the kings’ death will be organised on the 10th day of the third month of the lunar calendar, which falls on Wednesday this year.

It will include incense-offering rituals dedicated to the Hung Kings, the National Father Lac Long Quan and National Mother Au Co, hosted by officials from the People’s Party Committee, People’s Committee and Motherland Front Committee.

A special exhibition of pictures and ancient objects featuring the country’s history and culture in different periods is being held.

Folk music and martial arts performances, staged by artists of leading traditional art troupes in the region, will be organised during the ceremony.

Vietnamese songs and instrumental music pieces will be performed. Patriotism, peace, love, youth and spring will be the shows’ themes.

In HCM City, a youth camp called Tự Hào Nòi Giống Tiên Rồng (Proudly Our Legends) with university students will open at 8am on Thursday at the Tao Dan Cultural Park in District 3.

As per tradition, Suoi Tien and Dam Sen parks in districts 9 and 11 will hold events for visitors to pay tribute to the Hung Kings.

The HCM City Book Fair will also open on Nguyen Van Binh Street on Tuesday and Wednesday. The fair will display several thousands of book titles from four local major publishers and book distributors, including the HCM City Book Distribution Corporation and Phuong Nam Books.

Many books will feature topics on Vietnamese history and culture.

“I always visit Tao Dan Park on Hung Kings Memorial Festival every year to offer flowers and incense to commemorate the kings. I wish good health for my family members and prosperity for the whole country,” said Ly Van Chung, a resident of HCM City.

As per tradition, Suoi Tien and Dam Sen parks in districts 9 and 11 will hold events for visitors to pay tribute to the Hung Kings. Photo suoitien.com

According to Vietnamese legend, Lac Long Quan, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong, married Au Co, the daughter of King De Lai. Au Co then gave birth to a sack containing 100 eggs from which 100 children were born.

The couple then decided to separate in order to populate the land. Half of the children followed their mother to the highlands, while the rest went with their father to the sea.

The first child went with his mother Au Co to Phong Chau, now Phu Tho Province. He then became King Hung I and founded Van Lang, the first recorded state in the history of Vietnam.

Ruling the country for 18 generations, the Hung Kings taught the people how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for lush crops.

In Phu Tho, the annual Hung Kings Memorial Festival or Hung KingsTemple Festival, hosted by the province’s government, is organised from the 6th to 10th day of the third month of the lunar year.

The event consists of various ceremonies and entertaining activities for tourists and pilgrims nationwide.

VNS

Na Hang lake marina welcomes tourists far and wide. (Photo: VNP/ VNA)

The ‘Coc Vai Pha’ mountain is located in the upstream of the lake in Lam Binh District, Tuyen Quang Province. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

Limestone mountains create a miniature Ha Long in Na Hang. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

Coming to Na Hang, visitors will be surprised by mountains and poetic messages of nature. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

The poetic beauty of Lake Na Hang. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

The jade-blue water at Lake Na Hang. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

Natural waterfall around the lake basin. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

The poetic beauty of Mo Waterfall – a tourism symbol of Na Hang District. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

Typical dishes of Na Hang. (Photo: VNP/VNA)

VNP/VNA