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Two local travel bloggers, Quy Coc Tu (Ngo Tran Hai An) and Duong Vu, went on an expedition tour to Hang Va (Va Cave), which features a diverse range of stunning stalactites and stalagmites in Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam. With a total length of 1.7 kilometers, Va Cave is part of the cavern system found in the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. A pathway to Va Cave in the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Ngo Tran Hai An The cave is some 50 meters away from the exit of Son Doong Cave, which is considered the world’s largest known cave. Va Cave is home to numerous cone-shaped, unique, and strikingly beautiful stalactites. Inside Va Cave in Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Ngo Tran Hai An When the rainy season ends, rainwater seeps into the ground and through underground waterways to enter the cave, forming extremely unique underground … [Read more...] about In photos: This million-year-old cave in central Vietnam boasts incredibly beautiful stalactites

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered state agencies to prepare grand events and ensure safety with many foreign tourists expected to flock to one of the country's biggest festivals, Bangkok Post reported. Some 20 million people are expected to travel around the country between April 13 and 15 when the New Year is celebrated. The police have urged both Thai and foreign tourists to install their mobile app called "Tourist Police i lert u" to file complaints or call in an emergency. During Songkran, which falls in mid-April annually, crowds pack the streets for boisterous celebrations, which involves spraying water guns and hurling water off pick-up trucks. But to contain Covid, the government canceled celebrations for the last three years. … [Read more...] about Thailand expects 20 million travelers during Songkran holidays

Nguyen Truong Hai (leftmost) - CEO of Saint-Gobain Vietnam participated in the BUILD TO LAST event. — Photo courtesy of the firm The commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 was reaffirmed by a representative from Saint-Gobain Vietnam at the CCIFV event held last week. Speaking on the topic of the transformation trend of Viet Nam's construction industry in the context of increasing sustainability requirements, Nguyen Truong Hai, CEO of Saint-Gobain Vietnam said that conducting research and launching products and solutions in a lightweight, sustainable, and environmentally friendly way is inevitable. Saint-Gobain Vietnam's commitment to go net-zero carbon by 2050 is also reaffirmed: "At Saint-Gobain, we are deeply concerned about environmental issues and sustainable development. The commitment not only represents Saint-Gobain's companionship with the national goal of Viet Nam, but also an important part of our mission of development in Viet Nam." The company has … [Read more...] about Saint-Gobain Vietnam reaffirmed commitment to net zero carbon by 2050

A factory in Dong Nai province's Giang Dien Industrial Zone. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam attracted nearly 5.45 billion USD worth of foreign investment in the first quarter of the year, down 39% year-on-year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment . Of the three-month figure, over 3 billion USD came from 522 newly-licensed projects, up 62% in a number of projects but down 6% in the amount of capital compared to the same period last year. Some 1.2 billion USD was added to 228 existing ones, representing a yearly hike of 3% in a number of projects and a yearly decline of 70.3% in the capital. However, foreign investors' capital contribution and share purchases rose 4% year-on-year to 798 million USD, the FIA said. Along with the contraction in fresh capital, the disbursed capital also slightly plunged 2.2% from a year earlier to 4.3 billion USD, it noted. The most significant proportion of the … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s foreign investment plunges 39% in Q1

Although Vietnam reopened its door to international tourists over a year ago, small and medium lodging facilities in Ho Chi Minh City are still struggling to recover due to the small number of international visitors. Their largest source market is China while the number of guests from the northern neighbor remains modest, forcing many hotels to use their facilities for other purposes or stop leasing spaces. Shutdown, falling room occupancy In District 1, many hotels which used to be crowded with foreign travelers are now empty or have been replaced by other businesses. On Ly Tu Trong Street, a spacious hotel is being repurposed. The hotel is in a prime site, near Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, and Le Loi Boulevard, once favored by international tourists. Many 'House for Lease' signboards can also be seen along Bui Vien Walking Street and De Tham Street with many of them being hung in front of small, one- and two-star hotels. The director of a chain of … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City hotels waiting for int’l guests

With his efforts, Phu has built special community tourism products, contributing to preserving ethnic cultural identity. Born in A Roang commune, A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, Vien Dang Phu is attached to his ethnic group’s songs and dances, familiar with weaving loom sound, and fascinated with local dishes made from ingredients from forest. He has dreamed of raising local people’s living standard and preserving and spreading special cultural values of the ethnic groups. According to Vien Dang Phu, A Roang is a locality bordering A Luoi district and the majority of the population are Ta Oi ethnic people. Since the locality has many traditional cultural features and beautiful natural scenery, it has gradually attracted more tourists. Phu considered it good news for local tourism sector, but he had worries that cultural identity could be affected. Therefore, after graduating from university in Da Nang city, he decided to return to his hometown to develop community … [Read more...] about Vien Dang Phu and his dream of developing local tourism

Drugs that combat obesity could for the first time be included on the World Health Organization's "essential medicines list," used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries, the U.N. agency told Reuters. A panel of advisers to the WHO will review new requests for drugs to be included next month, with an updated essential medicines list due in September. The request to consider obesity drugs was submitted by three doctors and a researcher in the United States. It covers the active ingredient liraglutide in Novo Nordisk's obesity drug Saxenda, which will come off patent soon, allowing for cheaper generic versions. The panel could reject the request or wait for more evidence. A decision by the WHO to include Saxenda and eventual generics on the list would mark a new approach to global obesity by the health agency. It could also pave the way for a newer, more powerful treatment from Novo Nordisk called Wegovy to be recommended for low- and … [Read more...] about WHO to consider adding obesity drugs to ‘essential’ medicines list

Financial distress facing local farmers, farming households, and husbandry firms has prompted the Dong Nai Animal Husbandry Association to ask the State Bank of Vietnam, or the central bank, for help to survive the hardship and further thrive. Chairman of the association Nguyen Tri Cong wrote to the central bank on Tuesday proposing extending principal payment deadlines and credit package validity, as well as lowering interest rates. According to Cong, Vietnam had 10 million farming households 10 years back, which went down to four million households three years ago. The number has reduced to a mere two million households recently. Meanwhile, the soaring prices of animal feed, the low market prices for pigs and chickens, and African swine fever outbreaks have shrunk farmers’ production. Apart from these challenges, domestic farming households and farms have come under pressure by fierce competition from foreign-invested firms with robust financial health. “Most firms, … [Read more...] about Dong Nai Husbandry Association asks for Vietnam central bank’s help amid financial woes

The first phase of IPv6 for Gov, conducted between 2021 and 2022, primarily focused on State agencies. (Illustrative image) — Photo vietnamnet.vn The Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC) hosted a conference on Tuesday to evaluate the initial phase of the transition to Internet Protocol version 6 for State agencies (IPv6 for Gov) and to plan for the programme's second phase. The first phase of IPv6 for Gov, conducted between 2021 and 2022, primarily focused on State agencies. Half of all ministries, agencies, and localities were targeted to adopt IPv6 transitional plans and successfully shift towards IPv6 for their portals. It is expected that all of them will roll out their plans during the second phase between 2022 and 2025. The transition to IPv6 in networks, services, applications, and software is an evolution that ensures the capacity of internet resources and security requirements in Viet Nam. This is vital to support the nation's digital transformation and … [Read more...] about Viet Nam targets 100 per cent usage of IPv6 service by 2025

A cross-functional team will be set up to work on improving the prospects of the local real estate market. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a document on solving real estate market problems and improving its prospects. An affordable housing project in Dong Anh District's Thang Long Industrial Park. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times The document, numbered 178/TTg-CN, aligns with Resolution 33/NQ-CP dated March 11, 2023, which provides solutions to develop a healthy, transparent, and sustainable real estate sector. Under the latest document, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Treasury, the State Bank of Vietnam, and related agencies will set up a working group and work with developers to resolve existing problems and increase confidence in the property market. The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Construction to finalize the plan to build one million affordable houses for low-income buyers and workers in industrial parks in … [Read more...] about New regulation in place to boost Vietnam’s real estate market