Wind power

The Hanoitimes – With the relocation of the capital and a comprehensive reform, Ly Cong Uan (King Ly Thai To) and his descendants succeeded in building a strong nation.

Peaceful ascension to the throne

The kings of the Early Le Dynasty, founded in 980, embarked on effective reforms to stabilize the political and economic situation. However, the decease of king Le Dai Hanh in 1005 led to infighting within the royal family for succeeding him.

In the end, Le Dai Hanh’s fifth son, Le Long Dinh, defeated other princes to claim the crown. However, the brutal struggle that he fought for the throne caused resentment among the people.

The statute of Ly Cong Uan in Hanoi. Photo: Jenna Duong.

In 1009 when Le Long Dinh died at the age of 24 and his children were very small, Ly Cong Uan, a talented dignitary was supported by other court officials to ascend to the throne, peacefully seizing power from the Le. It is known as the most peaceful change of dynasty in the country’s history.

From moving the capital to reforming the country

Ly Cong Uan was crowned in the context of a serious political and socio-economic crisis and the threat of invasion from the Chinese Song dynasty. He was determined to end the political crisis that lasted through several reigns and bring stability to his kingdom.

His  first decision as king was to move the capital from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Dai La (Hanoi now). Hoa Lu was chosen by King Dinh Tien Hoang (924-979) as seat of his court to suit the needs of defending the nation in the early days after the civil wars.

It was more appropriate for defense purposes as it is located in a low land surrounded by limestone mountains. However, it was difficult to develop an urban city here as traffic was inconvenient and its location is too distant from the thriving economic centers in the Red River Delta.

In autumn of 1010, King Ly Thai To decided to move the capital of the kingdom to Dai La, mindful that the place had an ideal location as well as many advantages for wet rice farming and traffic thanks to a number of waterways, especially the Red River, promising a long-term prosperous development of a capital and a nation.

The Ly Thai To Flower Garden in Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hoan Kiem dist., Hanoi. Photo: Ngoc Tu.

After moving the capital and renaming it Thang Long, Ly Cong Uan ordered to build citadel to protect the city. Since then, Thang Long has become the political, economic and cultural center of the country.

King Ly Thai To also implemented a series of comprehensive reforms. In political terms, Ly Thai To built the regime with the combination of law and virtue. The power of military chiefs was gradually reduced and replaced by the civil mandarins. The power of the lineage in the Ly royal family was also strengthened.

In terms of administration, Ly Thai To divided the country into the districts, wards and smaller levels in towns, creating a comprehensive management of the country.

Economically, Ly Thai To and subsequent Ly kings paid attention to fostering industry and trade, especially in Thang Long with the construction of ports and markets. The king’s efforts were paid off with a thriving economy, creating abundant and strong resources for the country.

In terms of culture, since the reign of Ly Thai To, Thang Long became the largest cultural, artistic and religious center of the country.

The advent of Ly Cong Uan and the Ly Dynasty solved the crisis emanated from the previous dynasties when the state apparatus was not complete. The vision of moving the capital and the reform of Ly Cong Uan opened up a new era for the country and so far, many of lessons drawn from his reforms are valid today.

The Hanoitimes – Many benefactors are giving free meals, face masks and essential items to alleviate the hardships of the destitute in Hanoi city every day during Covid-19 pandemic time.

Times of crisis can often bring out the best in people. The Covid-19 evolution remains unpredictable in Hanoi, thus deeds of many kindhearted Hanoians’ have been of great encouragement for the poor’ hearts in the capital city to overcome the pandemic time.

The shining examples not only show kindness of Vietnamese people amid the pandemic, but also surprise a lot of foreigners in Vietnam and in the world.

Donation of food and essential items

Many benefactors are giving free meals, face masks and essential items to alleviate the hardships of the destitute people in Hanoi city every day during Covid-19 pandemic time.

The Hanoi city government has urged shops that sell non-essential goods and provide services to temporarily shut down to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. Although people agreed with the authority move, it has also made life of the poor more difficult, leaving some with no means to earn a living from.

Therefore, kindhearted Hanoians have provided food for free to the destitute who have been left with no livelihoods due to the nationwide business shutdown to prevent the pandemic, working under the motto “Take one if you are in hardship. But if you are well, leave it for others” (XQ group).

XQ group prepares donations for the poor at a point near the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Photo: Ngan Nguyen

Another charity program has been underway in the capital city is “Sharing food every day, together overcoming Covid-19″ – “You need it, you take it” to provide free meals to the destitute people.

“The enthusiastic support of the community surprises me. Many join my campaign quietly. The pandemic reveals many people in dire situation and need special attention from the community,” said Nguyen Phan Huy Khoi, a businessman who initiated the program.

‘Zero dong’ Happy supermarket in Hanoi aids vulnerable people

Besides food charities to help the underpriviledged overcome Covid-19 pandemic, a ‘zero dong’ Happy supermarket chain has opened its store in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district since April 13 to provide essential goods for the underprivileged people who are struggling with difficulties.

The supermarkets aim to supply people with essential goods such as rice, cooking oil, eggs, salt, sugar, among others. People can “buy” items worth a maximum street value of VND100,000 (US$4.3) each visit at no cost.

‘Zero dong’ Happy supermarket in Hanoi aids vulnerable people. Photo: Duy Khanh

The “Zero dong” Happy stores have been opened in Hanoi and seven other provinces, and will stay on until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“On the first day, 400 local residents came to the supermarket in Hanoi and throughout the chain, a thousand people visited our supermarkets,” said Nguyen Quang Huy, a representative of the program.

Rice ATMs operated in Hanoi to help needy people against Covid-19

Starting from April 11, the two rice dispensers operated in Hanoi are really of great support for underprivileged people.

Automatic rice dispensing machines, more commonly known as rice ATM dispensers in Hanoi, have been set up to help those who are stricken by the Covid-19 pandemic and become international media spotlight.

The rice dispenser starts giving out rice for free from 8:00 to 17:00 every day until April 30. Photo: Duy Khanh

CNN reported that “a machine that gives out free rice – it sounds too good to be true”. Other international media agencies also paid attention to Vietnam’s rice ATM dispensers.

The article titled “Rice ATMs’ provide free rice for people out of work in Vietnam” on CNN have been reposted by many other international newspapers and numerous comments on social networks praised this idea of rice ATMs. The article has been shared thousands of times in the past days.

Little kids act big

In the early days of the pandemic, when hand sanitizers and face masks at pharmacies became somewhat scarce, a fourth grader in Hanoi, Nguyen Ngoc Trinh, donated VND3,180,000 (US$140) of her lucky money to the Hanoi Youth Union so that more face masks and hand sanitizers can be purchased to help poor people in the community.

Nguyen Ngoc Trinh donates US$140 of her lucky money to help poor people. Photo: Mai Anh

Trinh shared her idea that she would work with her classmates in a project on raising awareness of Covid-19 prevention. In addition to spreading information about the outbreak and common preventive measures, they also donated face masks and hand sanitizers to needy children across Hanoi.

Trinh’s kind support was replicated in many other provinces, one such is Nghe An, where the Northwestern Nghe An General Hospital received over VND14 million (US$600) from a pair of sisters, eight-year-old Tran Bao Ngan and five-year-old Tran Bao Tran.

Deep gratitude and appreciation from the poor

Many patients and their relatives at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) cried when they received donation from XQ group when the Covid-19 pandemic is raging.

Vu Thi Nhan burst into tears when receiving donation from the charity group. Photo: Ngan Nguyen

Vu Thi Nhan, 50, from Hai Duong province burst into tears and told Hanoitimes that her 25-year-old son is a patient of blood cancer. “These days are so difficult for my family as we fight against the epidemic and look after our son,” Nhan said.

“I am truly grateful to kindhearted people who give food to the poor like us,” Nhan said, weeping that she currently has no income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nguyen Xuan Bach, 70, from Hai Phong city, also lined up to receive food donations from the charity group. “The donation we received today are not only food and necessities, but also a powerful source of encouragement for us,” said Bach.

Nguyen Hoai Anh, a member of XQ group, said that the group aims to share with people in difficult circumstances and encourage each other to try to overcome the hard time.

“In the pre-pandemic time, we did many charity programs at the NIHBT. During the pandemic, we have given donations to the poor from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily at ten points across Hanoi city. Not only once, we come here every day to help them,” Hoai Anh told Hanoitimes .

Vietnam reports most impressive growth in financial services regionally, particularly in the banking sector

Global equity investment shed 13.1 per cent in the total number of transactions and plunged 33.8 per cent in total transaction value in the first half last year, compared to the corresponding period in 2019.

Within the ASEAN-5 and Vietnam, equity transactions were slowing down last year compared to a robust 2019. The number of transactions dropped from 230 cases in the second half of 2019 to 200 cases in the first six months of 2020, meanwhile, the transaction value was curtailed by more than half, from $9.15 billion to just $4.3 billion.

Amid chaos and uncertainties due to the coronavirus pandemic, Vietnam’s equity investment market has set a record with 59 transactions valued at $1.14 billion, a slight increase compared to 2019.

Technology has maintained its growth momentum setting a five-year record in the number of transactions. Investments have channelled into fresh tech startups which provide breakthrough solutions in retail and services, such as booking and placement of online healthcare consultation, e-commerce, and provision of recruitment and human resource platforms, among others.

The scale of transactions was, however, modest as most of the ventures targeted Vietnam’s fledging tech startups.

A series of sectors have been showing bright investment prospects in the beginning of 2021, including logistics, education, healthcare, technology, and renewable energies.

Companies in retail and services related to breakthrough solutions were also high on the investors’ radar. For instance, the leading US equity fund Warburg Pincus poured $100 million into MoMo’s e-wallet which had 20 million users in 2019, and $130 million came from Singapore-headquartered private equity firm Northstar Group directly into Tiki’s pockets – one of Vietnam’s three leading e-commerce platforms in 2020.

Vingroup, Vietnam’s top private conglomerate, continues to hit records in the transaction value through GIC’s $500 million investment into Vincommerce (retail) in 2019, and $650 million investment from KKR and Temasek into Vinhomes (real estate) in 2020.

Cash flows into the healthcare sector are increasingly becoming a trend. Vietnam’s two leading investment funds, Mekong Capital and VinaCapital, have jumped on the bandwagon through a $31.8-million injection into Pharmacity’s drugstore chain and a $26.7-million deal with Thu Cuc Hospitals.

A series of sectors have been showing bright investment prospects in the beginning of 2021, including logistics, education, healthcare, technology, and renewable energies.

The market size of the logistics sector is expected to reach $113 billion in 2022, corresponding to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.6 per cent. The growth is supported by new-generation free trade agreements, flourishing e-commerce, and the fact that global tech titans like Apple, LG, and Panasonic have resorted to Vietnam to diversify their supply chains and distribution networks in a bid to mitigate impacts from US-China trade war and the global health crisis.

Meanwhile, the education sector continues to attract investors who are leveraging Vietnam’s growing middle-class and an upsurge in education spending. The policies encouraging investment into projects that are wholly owned by foreign and private investors have also contributed to growth in the sector.

The healthcare sector may allure investors due to a raft of factors, such as the quickly ageing Vietnamese population.

The number of people aged above 65 has been rising quickly at a pace of 8 per cent in 2019 to reach 16 per cent by 2040. Similarly, per capita average healthcare spending rose from $194 in 2019 to $309 in 2024, alongside a shortfall in quality human resource and healthcare infrastructure, leading to supply deficiencies.

In recent years, the tech field was glittering in the eyes of risk-avid and equity investors with CAGR reaching 26.1 per cent during 2015-2019. This field is beneficial from a number of factors like tax incentives, government credit support, and low-cost and quality workforce.

As for renewable energy, with total installed capacity reaching 54,880MW in 2019 Vietnam ranked second in ASEAN in power system’s total installed capacity. A priority field, the government has set forth the targets of renewable energy accounting for 6.5 per cent, 6.9 per cent, and 10.7 per cent by 2020, 2025, and 2030 respectively.

To reach these goals, the renewable energy field would need $10.8 billion in investment capital annually until 2030. Renewable energies are bestowed numerous incentives like preferential tariffs and whole foreign ownership at energy firms.

The quick increase in the number of renewable energy projects has also entailed challenges as power capacity has been cut due to supply exceeding demand in some areas and system overload as current infrastructure is unable to absorb power output from new projects.

At the event, the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan recalled the historic day 70 years ago when President Ho Chi Minh issued his call to the whole nation for patriotic emulation. In the context that the whole country was still in needy situation with a lot of challenges and difficulties, Present Ho Chi Minh called for patriotic emulation. He clearly pointed out that the movement which called on all Vietnamese people to demonstration their patriotism to be echoed and repeated had the aim of eradicating hunger poverty and illiteracy, as well as repelling foreign invaders. He called on the whole people to continue overcoming difficulties to fight and safeguard the nation.

Nhan stressed that the great national unity and that each person strives to surpass himself/herself at work have generated the strength to help the country earn various achievements in the construction and protection of the Fatherland despite difficulties. Sending his message to the younger generations, Nhan called on them to expend more efforts, continue with ever more necessary patriotic emulation movements, and promote the spirit of great national unity to vigorously develop Vietnam as President Ho Chi Minh once hoped, that Vietnam would be someday on a par with other powerful countries in the world.

During the television program, apart from songs of pride and solidarity, the audience had chances to interact with some historical witnesses and outstanding examples in patriotic movements from different periods of time. Typical young examples in start-up movements, innovation, scientific research, IT application to agricultural production, health care, etc. and those working in remote and border areas as well as far-off islands were also present at the event.

The most moving moment of the program was when the letters and diaries written during the fiercest time of the war were displayed. The authors of those letters and diaries were none others than Uncle Ho’s soldiers. Those writings stressed the noble ideology of life and showed the true values of sacrifice and patriotic devotion.

During the 120-minute program, the audience watched filed images and clips on patriotic movements, reliving the ardent atmosphere of the movements throughout the country.

Translated by Huu Duong

The commune, with thousands of hectares of terraced rice fields and topped with the “grey hat” of Chieu Lau Thi Peak, is considered the capital of the Red Dao ethnic group, which numbers about 450,000 people in Vietnam alone. The area is also the starting point for the Chay River, which runs like a giant snake through the mountains and forests.

It takes half a day riding on motorbikes to reach Tan Phong village in Ho Thau commune from Thong Nguyen commune through a 35km distance of terraced fields, forests and grass fields surrounding other Red Dao villages, Nam Khoa, and Nam Ai.

Then we feasted our eyes on the green mountain forests surrounding yellow terraced rice fields shining in the sun. Our rest was marked by relaxing talks with local farmers, who were busy harvesting their fields.

After long hours of bumpy travel, we finally had lunch in a homestay in Tan Phong village, which had a spectacular view over a valley. Truong Cong Dinh, chairman of Ho Thau Commune, said the focus was on developing ecological tourism, even risky tours of Chieu Lau thi Peak, while preserving the cultures of tribal people.

“To further promote tourism, the authorities use financial resources from the province and districts to advertise local destinations, pay for train tourism and encourage households to open homestays,” he said. “Hoang Su Phi district authorities have called for investors to open more restaurants, hotels, hold motorbike races and establish trekking routes from Chieu Lau Thi peak to nearby primitive forests.”

Trieu Mui Mui, owner of Homestay Chan Mui, one between two experimental homestays in a project titled Improving the Livelihood of Ethnic Minorities through Community-Based Tourism sponsored by Swiss-based Helvetas Intercooperation and the Center for Rural Economy Development, said her family had received hundreds of tourists in the past year.

“It makes us busier, but happier, to offer guests a close look at a Red Dao family,” she said, “The guests often stay one or two nights with us, have meals and enjoy traditional singing and dancing by locals. Since we stay far from the center of the district, we often pay more to buy goods and food from the plain because it takes more time to transport them here,” she said.

From Tan Phong, we rode to Chieu Lau Thi Mountain, which peaks at 2,402m above sea level. Chieu Lau Thi in local language means nine ladder layers.

The 12km road was covered with mud and rocks and rain-caused erosion. Our bikes bumped up and down over the rocks like wild horses. In some places, they did not seem to touch the road, but seemed to fly over the rocks. Many times we had to walk so as not to fall down steep cliffs.

But the surrounding scenery was great, with mountains after mountains stretching forever, huge rocky hills with red moss that glowed inn the sunlight – and wild orchids in many colors. Higher up the mountains were pine forests like those in Europe. Streams trickled and gushed down the hillsides. Birds sung in the trees.

We sometimes saw farmers’ timber houses, ideal spots for resting and taking photos of magnificent scenery over the valleys.

From the peaks, the sky seems to be closer with so many clouds to nurture the imagination.

After nearly three hours, we reached a height of 2,000m and then trekked 400m to the peak. We had to hurry as it got dark quickly and we had to return before night set in and the roads became too horrible to navigate.

It was colder here. I put on another jacket, but got hot again as the steep climb and moist air made it hard to breathe. We had to walk slower and take deeper breaths.

Our “xe om” (motor-scooter taxi) drivers were useful guides, willing to carry our bags and help us by hand through hard-to-climb places. “The best weather for climbing is in winter,” said Ban Ta Lieu, my driver. “At that time, both the roads for biking and the paths for trekking are drier and easier to climb.”

Many tourists choose to stay overnight at a homestay at the 2,000m high stop so that they can climb up early in the morning to meet the first sunlight hitting the peak.

“Winter and spring are a better time to see clouds at the peak,” he said. “In summer, clouds are more beautiful in the afternoon. Winter offer nice views of maple forests, while summer has do quyen (Rhododendron) flowers in full bloom. In May and June, locals water their terrace rice fields while in autumn, September and October, they harvest their crops.

We passed 100-year-old tea trees with moss all over their trunks. That was Shan Tuyet tea that grows at a height of more than 2,000m above the sea level. The tea leaves get wind and fog for four seasons, sprouting valuable leaves used for people’s health.

After nearly one hour trekking, we reached the peak, where a triangle stated that it was 2,402m high. We took many photos while watching clouds hanging in the middle of other peaks and a zigzagging road that we traveled on two hours ago. In the far distance, there were terrace rice fields. I felt I was so small in front of Mother Nature herself. I admired the locals who have toiled hard to make a living from this land.

Chieu Lau Thi and Tay Con Linh (2,427m), located in the Northwest of Ha Giang Province, are two highest peaks in the northeast of the country. Many trekkers try their strength conquering them – without the help of chair lifts!.

Source: VNA