Life

A company in the central province of Quang Nam is the new owner of the small bicycle that Vi Quyet Chien, 13, used to travel from his home in Van Ho District in Son La, a province in Vietnam’s northern mountains, to the capital city of Hanoi last month. The auction for the bicycle that Chien rode to visit his two-month-old brother, who is still hospitalized in Hanoi, was organized on Facebook by Hanoi resident Dang Nhu Quynh. Held from Monday to Thursday, the auction attracted hundreds of individuals and firms. Aside from its VND103 million ($4,400) bid for the bicycle, the winner also gave Chien’s parents VND20 million ($896) to support the family. Quynh himself had raised VND50 million ($2,243) from benefactors to help the family. Vi Van Nam, Chien’s father, said he will spend the money on the hospital bills for the sick baby and pay a loan of nearly VND30 million ($1,345) he had taken for the treatment.  "As farmers, it’s not easy for us to … [Read more...] about Bicycle Vietnamese boy rode 103km to see ailing brother auctioned

With so much attention focused on the meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, their entourages, their vehicles, security arrangements and other aspects, snaps of disarming moments provide some light-hearted "relief." While the veracity of some of these pictures have not been ascertained, they are being widely shared on social media. Two "think tanks" casually play chess next to a row of military tanks. Photo shared on Facebook by a member of Hanoi Massive Community group. This motorbike driver only needs a raincoat-armor to help bring peace to the world. Photo shared on Facebook by a member of Hanoi Massive Community group. This U.S. agent has found out that the best way to travel in Vietnam is on a motorbike. Photo shared on Facebook by a member of Vietnam Is Awesome group. A U.S. security agent has a "tea-rrific" time sipping Vietnamese tra da (iced green tea) at a street-side stall while taking a break. Photo shared on Facebook by a … [Read more...] about Offbeat coverage of Trump-Kim summit goes viral

North Korean leader Kim Il-sung (first row, left) and President Ho Chi Minh visit the Vietnam – North Korea Friendship Cooperative in Xuan La, Tay Ho District, Hanoi in November 1964. Photo courtesy by dangcongsan.vn On November 23, 1964, when Nguyen Van Hai's family was having lunch, his father brought a group of guests home without warning - President Ho Chi Minh, North Korean leader Kim Il-sung and their entourage. The small, humble home was suddenly filled with the laughter of the national leaders and family members, Hai recalled, 55 years later. He was seven years old then, he told VnExpress. In the spacious living room inside a grand house that was once was a small property in Tay Ho District that welcomed Kim and Uncle Ho, a large picture made of stone has been adapted from the photograph shown above. Kim Il-sung and Uncle Ho visited the Vietnam – North Korea Friendship Cooperative that day. Hai’s father, Nguyen Van Vuong, wore a dark suit borrowed from the … [Read more...] about Hanoi family treasures surprise visit by Kim II-sung, Uncle Ho

Last Friday afternoon, in a cozy house in Hanoi’s Thanh Cong residential complex, Ri Young-hui and her husband Pham Ngoc Canh hurried about, preparing to attend a dinner at the North Korean embassy. Canh, 69, has been a familiar guest at the embassy since the 1990s.  He is the only Vietnamese man to marry a North Korean woman, but behind this simple fact is a very complicated, moving story of love overcoming all odds. "I am currently the only Vietnamese ‘son-in-law’ of North Korea," Canh said, showing his invitation for the dinner. Since North Korea does not allow its citizens to marry foreigners, Canh and Ri’s marriage could very easily have not happened.  In 1967, Canh was among 200 Vietnamese students sent to North Korea to learn necessary skills to reconstruct the country after the war with the U.S. Four years later, while he was doing an internship in a factory in the north of the country, he met Ri Young Hui, technician in a chemistry lab.  … [Read more...] about Stuff of legend: a Vietnamese-North Korean love story

Back to English Comments Life - February 15, 2019 | 08:15 am GMT+7 Despite some basic, irreconcilable differences with Vietnamese traditions, Hanoi’s Muslim community manages to practice its faith in harmony. Every Friday noon, the sidewalk on Hang Luoc Street is crowded with vehicles.It is prayer time, and around 300 faithful Muslims from Hanoi and surrounding areas gather to pray at Al-Noor, the only mosque in northern Vietnam, which has been built for over a century.The small mosque has typical Islamic architectural features, including a dome, curved doors and pointed towers.The small prayer room cannot accommodate all the followers, so many woolen carpets are placed in the yard for people to kneel down in rows.A small communityThere are an estimated 72,000 Muslims across Vietnam, according to the Government Committee for Religious Affairs."For Muslims who are originally from Hanoi, there are around 100 people. There are more than 300 foreign Muslims (in the capital … [Read more...] about Hanoi Muslims keep their faith in consonance with Vietnamese traditions – VnExpress International