There are more than 1,000 restaurants serving Japanese cuisine in Viet Nam, the majority of which are in HCM City. HCM City has about 660 restaurants serving Japanese cuisine, twice as many as there were three years ago, according to the Consulate General of Japan in HCM City. Outside of HCM City, there are about 110 Japanese restaurants across provinces and cities in southern Viet Nam, such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Khanh Hoa, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces. The Japan Consulate official said approximately half of the restaurants serving Japanese food in Viet Nam are run by Japanese owners and the remaining are owned and run by Vietnamese franchisees and entrepreneurs. The increase in Japanese restaurants has also led to a growing number of Japanese food and ingredients sold. In 2016, Viet Nam was the fifth-largest importer of Japan’s agricultural produce and food in the world. Japan exports about US$180 million worth of forestry and seafood to … [Read more...]

French photographer Rehahn and a group of artists and entrepreneurs are pushing to turn Phan Boi Chau Street in Hoi An’s old French Quarter into Rue des Arts. Cover photo of a book by French photographer Rehahn, who along with a group of other artists and businesses plan to turn Phan Boi Chau Street in the old part of town into a street of arts, Rue des Arts. Photo courtesy Rehahn They want the Rue Des Arts to be recognised as a hub for original, high-value creative works. Given the numerous businesses, in the old town selling pirated copies of originals by hard-working artists, it is difficult for visitors to know where to buy authentic work guaranteed by artists. The group wants the ancient town to take a lead in stamping out this nationwide problem. Issuing a free guide to Hoi An’s Rue des Arts to celebrate the culture and art of Viet Nam would help visitors immerse themselves in the city’s … [Read more...]

Supercomputers will be deployed to unify databases of different agencies managing information on war invalids and martyrs, significantly reducing time taken to locate documents or determine the identity of remains. About 200,000 sets of remains lying scattered across southern provinces, Laos and Cambodia haven’t been collected, while another 300,000 sets of remains that have been reburied in martyrs’ cemeteries lack information to make an accurate identification.  The unification is a joint attempt by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), Ministry of Defence (MoD), and Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA) to mark the 70th anniversary of the National War Invalids and Martyrs Day (27/7/1947 – 27/7/2017). The Policy Department under the MoD currently manages three databases, two on pre-2015 and post-2015 war invalids and martyrs, and one decryption database. … [Read more...]

The Vietnamese tra fish product made following the recipe of the eel dish – a traditional food of Japan in the summer – is being sold at AEON supermarkets since June. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Huu Viet Nam’s tra fish sold at Aeon supermarkets in Japan is listed among “TopValu” products, which are goods of superior quality. Keisuke Hino, who manages AEON’s aquatic products section in the northern Kanto and Niigata region, said to meet TopValu standards, products must satisfy consumers’ taste and be produced in line with AEON’s strict process. The Vietnamese tra fish product made following the recipe of the eel dish – a traditional food of Japan in the summer – is being sold at AEON supermarkets since June, and the retailing group plans to expand the sale of this product in the future, he added. Ta Duc Minh, trade counsellor and chief representative of … [Read more...]

Authorities check intercepted cigarette packs smuggled through the border in the southern province of An Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hung In the first six months of 2017, authorities uncovered 88,560 cases of smuggling, prosecuting 1,100 cases involving 1,372 people. Authorities collected VND7.9 trillion (US$347.5 million) from administrative fines, selling off confiscated smuggled goods, and tax arrears, 40 per cent more than the previous year’s first half. According to National Steering Committee 389, the majority of smuggled goods fall into categories of essential consumer goods, heavily taxed goods, or goods banned for import, such as cocaine, explosives, tobacco, cosmetics, petrol and gas, elephant tusks or rhino horns, among others. Some notable cases include an interception of 7,800 foreign cigarette packs in the southern province of Long An, or confiscation of 26kg rhino horns and 6kg of elephant … [Read more...]

Worker operates a steel press at the Phu My I Industrial Zone in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Trang Duong The Viet Nam Competition Authority (VCA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will continue to receive requests from manufacturers, traders and others seeking to ease or lift the anti-dumping tax on imported cold-rolled stainless steel from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan until July 31, 2017. On September 5, 2014, the MoIT issued a decision to impose anti-dumping duties on several cold-rolled stainless steel products imported to Viet Nam from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. The first review was concluded on April 29, 2016. After the first review, the anti-dumping duty on cold-rolled stainless steel imported from China-based Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co Ltd was hiked from 6.58 per cent to 17.47 per cent, and from between 4.64 and 6.87 per cent to 25.35 per cent for other Chinese … [Read more...]

A Tra fish processing plant in Can Tho city - Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)    Hanoi (VNA) – A Vietnamese aquatic products and Tra fish festival will run October 6-8 at the Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture on Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi. Aiming to promote Tra fish in northern Viet Nam and foreign markets, especially China, the event, held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, will showcase Tra fish, Tra fish-based products and other Vietnamese aquatic goods at 100 booths. It is hoped to offer businesses opportunities to broaden their networks with producers, supermarkets, domestic and overseas customers while helping Tra fish become a high value product. The event will also include workshops on Tra fish production and consumption and Tra fish-based dishes. [Vietnam’s tra fish among top-quality items … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Hue City has long allured travelers with its poetic Huong River, juicy street food, proud imperial city and untouched Lang Co Beach. Yet without Lap An Lagoon, a trip there is incomplete. A must see: Without Lap An Lagoon on their list, travellers miss a great part of the charming city of Hue. — Photos: Hong Van/VNS My friend and I traveled to Da Nang City in late June, and included Lap An Lagoon on our check list of things to do. We didn’t expect it would be such a highlight of the trip. We rented a motorbike and drove north from Da Nang. The route leading to the lagoon is easy to find and the road is not crowded. The route running through the Hai Van Tunnel is only about 30km. Yet I would recommend driving along the Hai Van Pass, which makes the route about 10km longer, We left the hotel at 7am, having … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – More than half of those living with HIV have access to treatment, while AIDS-related deaths have almost halved in the past 10 years in the world, a new report has stated. A patient with HIV/AIDS is under treatment at the Viet Tiep Hospital. – VNA/VNS Photo In Viet Nam, half of the people living with HIV were under treatment in 2016, and the estimated number of AIDS-related deaths was the lowest since 2004. New HIV infections have also steadily decreased in recent years, it said. The report, which has been launched by UNAIDS on Thursday, showed that in 2016, 19.5 million people living with HIV had access to treatment, and AIDS-related deaths had fallen from 1.9 million in 2005 to 1 million in 2016. In Asia and the Pacific, more than two thirds of the people living with HIV were aware of their HIV status, a … [Read more...]

Apartments in social housing projects can now be sold at commercial prices, leading prices to increase to more than VND15 million per sq.m. — Photo cafef.vn Social housing is expected to get more expensive soon as investors have not received preferential interest rates for loans, experts have said. The Ministry of Construction has allowed investors to factor in the normal interest rate of loans into selling prices, which may cause prices to exceed those of commercial housing projects, reported Tien phong (Vanguard) newspaper. According to regulations on social housing policies issued in 2011, enterprises that develop social housing projects are exempt from land use tax and enjoy preferential interest rates for loans for the projects. Then in 2013, the State provided a credit package of VND30 trillion (US$1.32 billion) to loan 70 per cent of credit for apartment buyers and 30 per cent for investors of … [Read more...]

The Ministry of Planning and Investment is targeting an economic growth rate of 6.4 per cent to 6.8 per cent in 2018. - Photo canhtranhquocgia.vn The Ministry of Planning and Investment is targeting an economic growth rate of 6.4 per cent to 6.8 per cent for Viet Nam in 2018, according to a document sent to ministries and local authorities with guidelines to develop the socio-economic plan for 2018. The ministry said that the economic growth in 2018 would continue to improve, fuelled by increases in manufacturing, construction, trade, banking and tourism sectors. The global economic and trade growths were also expected to be higher in 2018 than 2017, creating favourable conditions that would boost the economic growth, especially exports, the ministry said. In addition to this, the improving business environment, rapid international economic integration, increasing foreign direct investment and private investment, … [Read more...]

Customers purchase petrol at a station on Tran Quang Khai Street, Ha Noi. - VNS Photo Thai Ha The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is going ahead with its plan to increase environmental protection tax on petroleum from the current VND1,000-4,000 to VND3,000-8,000 per litre, despite objections from other ministries and the public. In its second draft of the Law on Environmental Protection Taxes announced last week, the ministry proposed a tax hike on fuel consumption of VND3,000-6,000 per litre for aviation fuel, VND1,500-4,000 per litre for diesel, VND300-2,000 per litre for kerosene, and VND900-4,000 per kg for mazut. If the new tax rate is applied, the price of gasoline at the pumps will rise to around VND22,000 (roughly US$1) per litre from the average price at the pump of around VND16,000 to VND17,000 for petrol and VND10,000 to VND11,000 for diesel and mazut, respectively, analysts said. The Ministry of Transport … [Read more...]

Social housing is expected to get more expensive soon as investors have not received preferential interest rates for loans, experts have said. Apartments in social housing projects can now be sold at commercial prices, leading prices to increase to more than VND15 million per sq.m.-Photo cafef.vn The Ministry of Construction has allowed investors to factor in the normal interest rate of loans into selling prices, which may cause prices to exceed those of commercial housing projects, reported Tien phong (Vanguard) newspaper. According to regulations on social housing policies issued in 2011, enterprises that develop social housing projects are exempt from land use tax and enjoy preferential interest rates for loans for the projects. Then in 2013, the State provided a credit package of VND30 trillion (US$1.32 … [Read more...]

Hue City has long allured travelers with its poetic Huong River, juicy street food, proud imperial city and untouched Lang Co Beach. Yet without Lap An Lagoon, a trip there is incomplete. A must see: Without Lap An Lagoon on their list, travellers miss a great part of the charming city of Hue. - Photos: Hong Van/VNS My friend and I traveled to Da Nang City in late June, and included Lap An Lagoon on our check list of things to do. We didn’t expect it would be such a highlight of the trip. We rented a motorbike and drove north from Da Nang. The route leading to the lagoon is easy to find and the road is not crowded. The route running through the Hai Van Tunnel is only about 30km. Yet I would recommend driving along the Hai Van Pass, which makes the route about 10km longer. We left the hotel at 7am, having breakfasted on mi Quang (a signature noodle dish of Quang Nam Province), filling up on petrol … [Read more...]

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is going ahead with its plan to increase environmental protection tax on petroleum from the current VNĐ1,000-4,000 to VNĐ3,000-8,000 per litre, despite objections from other ministries and the public. Customers purchase petrol at a station on Trần Quang Khải Street, Hà Nội. - VNS Photo Thái Hà In its second draft of the Law on Environmental Protection Taxes announced last week, the ministry  proposed a tax hike on fuel consumption of VNĐ3,000-6,000 per litre for aviation fuel, VNĐ1,500-4,000 per litre for diesel, VNĐ300-2,000 per litre for kerosene, and VNĐ900-4,000 per kg for mazut. If the new tax rate is applied, the price of gasoline at the pumps will rise to around VNĐ22,000 (roughly US$1) per litre from the average price … [Read more...]

Parents scurrying to send their children to the many life skills classes blooming in the big cities has been a trend that has been picking up lately.  Primary school students in Hà Nội attend a four-day ’Military term’ programme during summer vacation. The programme aims to teach the basic military skills of discipline, performing activities on schedule and teamwork. - VNS Photo Hồng Lan These classes, organised during the three-month summer vacation in Việt Nam, claim to train children on important communication and survival skills that can then be applied to real-life situations. However, are these classes as effective as their numerous advertisements claim? It’s a question that has many parents worried across the cities. … [Read more...]

More than 10 art works by classic Vietnamese masters will be auctioned in the capital city next Sunday (July 30). Phố Cũ (Old Street), oil-on-canvas, by Bùi Xuân Phái, size 50 by 60, will be sold at $8,000. The works include 12 paintings of various materials, including water colour, wood-carved sketches and a sculpture by Nguyễn Gia Trí (1908-1993), Nguyễn Tường Lân (1906-1946), Tô Ngọc Vân (1906-1954), Trần Văn Cẩn (1910-1994), Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm (1922-2016), Dương Bích Liên (1924-1988), Nguyễn Sáng (1923-1988) and Bùi Xuân Phái (1920-1988). For example, Tình Yêu Đầu Tiên (The First Love), drawn by Trần Văn Cẩn in 1973 with coloured … [Read more...]

The streets and markets are a frenzy of shoppers picking the freshest foods, best clothes and new home accessories. Colourful and festive items are displayed in the stores and the clatter of bargaining fills the air. These are all on top of the anticipation among the little ones as they count down to the festive fun and the thrill of receiving Lì Xì. When they receive special red envelope with their Lì Xì, the children show respect by clasping both hands and bowing. I am also fond of Tết because it is when people set aside time for their family and friends. They visit relatives on both sides of the family and pay respect to the different generations. Vietnamese living abroad or away from their hometown try to make a special trip back to mark this holiday. Now I know Giao Thừa is an important moment of the Tết. Giao Thừa represents the passage from the old to the new for the Vietnamese. During Giao Thừa, they bid farewell to the past and welcome the New Year and the new opportunities … [Read more...]

Tet, the largest and most widely-celebrated national holiday in Vietnam, is traditionally a time for family togetherness and the value of everyone and everyone a person may hold dear. It’s a happy time for all Vietnamese. Of course, there are always the foreign nationals living and working in Vietnam, and in IS-VNU in particular, who also look forward to the holiday as well. IS will close for two weeks in 2011 for the Tet holiday, and several foreign nationals working at the university are planning to join in the local festivities by visiting the hometowns and families of their closest colleagues and students. Many of them will even have the privilege of being the New Year’s first visitor. Many permanent expatriates, married with children, are also looking forward to a family holiday in Vietnam, putting a comfortable twist of their own on Vietnamese tradition. Lecturer Mike Beard from IS-VNU said he was planning on celebrating Tet the Vietnamese way: with his wife and … [Read more...]

I am amazed at how many times the cab driver honks the horn and at how the motorcycle riders driving past us do not seem the least bit bothered by the blaring sound of it. I try to count the number of karaokes I see, but I soon abandon, for there must be one appearing every other minute. Come to think of it I might as well have tried to count the number of 'cafes' or 'pho' stands on the way, just to realise how futile a task this would be. People are going about their daily routine in this tumultuous city as a couple of friends and I make our way, packs on our backs, to our hostel. The dorms are exactly the way the travel guide depicts them, clean but humid, comfortable yet noisy, this is no surprise, I knew what to expect travelling on a low budget. Heading out to enjoy the traditional North Vietnamese 'pho', we go over a few stands but all of them seem to be full, we end up going to the first one with some free sitting stools. After a disastrous ordering experience, we receive a … [Read more...]