Plans to knock down a 134-year-old church in the northern province of Nam Dinh have been postponed. Architects protest tearing down old church Old church deemed not safe and in need of urgent upgrades The interior decoration of Bùi Chu Church, Nam Định Province. — Photo tienphong.vn The announcement was made on the Bùi Chu Diocese’s website on Friday and signed by Priest Giuse Nguyễn Đức Giang. As head of the construction board of Bùi Chu Church, the priest wrote: After listening to concerned priests and people with good will for the church, we would like to announce we will postpone plans to pull down [for rebuilding] the church. Earlier this month, priests announced that the church will be pulled down to build a new one to provide a safer and more spacious area for the local Christian community. A few days ago, 20 architects signed a petition sent to the Prime Minister, Culture Minister and Nam Định's … [Read more...] about Plans postponed to pull down Bui Chu old church
Taking baby abroad 3 months old
Hanoi old villas turned into restaurants
Many old villas in Hanoi which are in the list of being needed for preservation have been transformed into restaurants. Villas at 51, 51A and 55 on Hang Chuoi Street in Hai Ba Trung District have been converted into restaurants. The houses have also seen big interior changes with various decorations on the walls. Particularly the villas 51 and 55 are named in the city’s architectural value list. So, the change of construction materials or paint colour needs to be approved by the municipal Department of Architecture. Meanwhile, the owner has to seek a licence for the restoration work. The same problem has also reported on streets such as Hai Ba Trung, Tran Quoc Toan and Nguyen Thai Hoc. Old architectural styles have been replaced with modern interiors which are suitable for shops and restaurants. Most of Hanoi’s old villas are located on main streets with high land prices. This encourages their owners to take advantage of them to earn money. Part of … [Read more...] about Hanoi old villas turned into restaurants
HCM City to take immediate action to preserve cultural heritage
Giac Lam Pagoda in HCM City needs immediate care to preserve its heritage status. (Source: nld.com.vn) HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities need to focus on five solutions to effectively preserve cultural heritage in the city, according to Pham Duc Hai, Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Council. Experts and local authorities discussed preservation efforts at a programme organised by the HCM City People’s Committee and the HCM City Television Station (HTV). Hai said it was important to strengthen state management to prevent the deterioration of heritage sites, adding that "what is lost can never return". The role of communities should be enhanced and authorities should speed up the compilation of records about existing relics and heritage sites. These records could be used as a basis to develop effective solutions. HCM City has 172 relic and heritage … [Read more...] about HCM City to take immediate action to preserve cultural heritage
ASEAN to take immediate steps to combat drought in SE Asia
Speakers at the Building Resilience Drought Southeast Asia dialogue held yesterday in Cần Thơ. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp Bồ Xuân Hiệp CẦN THƠ — ASEAN-member countries have vowed to take immediate action to resolve problems caused by worsening drought in Southeast Asia, especially in Việt Nam’s Mekong Delta region, which is especially susceptible to global warming. Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday in Cần Thơ, Intani Nur Kusuma, senior officer at the Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, said that a declaration on drought would be adopted by leaders at the ASEAN Summit to be held in Việt Nam in November next year. ASEAN has worked closely with relevant sectors to help the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management draft the declaration, she said, adding that drought-related activities need to be integrated into the future action plan of … [Read more...] about ASEAN to take immediate steps to combat drought in SE Asia
Nghe An babysitter detained for child abuse
Police in the central province of Nghe An has been arrested for mistreating a 13-month old local girl. Nguyen Thi Doan, 47, from Do Luong District worked as the babysitter for a local household. At around 7 pm on December 4, the girl’s parents had to go out, so she left their daughter at home to be taken care of by Doan. The child was held upside down by the babysitter Around one hour later, the couple returned home and their daughter had slept. The next morning, Doan told them that the child cried last evening when they had left home. At the workplace, the child’s mother thought of what Doan had said and saw the camera. She was really shocked to find out Doan’s violent behaviour towards her daughter. When the child cried, the babysitter did not sooth but threatened her. Doan even held the baby upside down and then shook her. Loan admitted what she had done and was sorry about her behaviour. The case is still under investigation. … [Read more...] about Nghe An babysitter detained for child abuse