Adventure time author

But every day, even in the cold of the northern winter, he stands by the front door of his house to gaze at the forest with pride and happiness. The trees were all planted by him and his family over 50 years, and his life has been dedicated to growing and protecting them. Cao belongs to the Dao ethnic group, and lives in Tan Dan Commune in Ha Long Town of Quang Ninh Province, home to the world-famous bay. Trieu Tai Cao at his home in Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong. The Dao used to be nomadic, felling forests to meet their temporary land needs for cattle and crops before moving on. It was not until 1968 that they started to settle. By then Cao had started thinking about growing trees. He began to look around for seedlings of valuable timber trees such as ironwood, shorea and apitong. Between 1970 and 1980 he and his family planted those and other trees on 32 hectares (80 acres). They faced a lot of challenges in protecting the forest initially because there were no regulations for transferring forest lands to local residents, meaning his family had no authority to manage the forest. In 1992 the government announced a policy of handing over forests for people to maintain and exploit sustainably. "I love our family’s forest," Cao says. "Thanks to that policy, I could continue growing timber while many people around us opted for growing wattle, also known as acacia." Growing acacia takes less time and effort and starts providing an income sooner than timber. Now the forest has around 600 ironwood trees aged 40-70 years besides hundreds of other timber trees. Trieu Tien Loc in his family’s forest in Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong. "I am close to death now and have fulfilled my wish to leave the future generations a forest with such valuable trees. "Forests are humans’ lungs and should not be treated as public property. So I also wish my children and …

[Read more...] about Man spends decades growing trees, says bequest to future generations

At 6 a.m. Friday, the 15th day of the first lunar month, Ly A Ton, 62, woke early to prepare offerings, including fresh flowers, fruit, incense, boiled chicken and fried cakes ( jian dui ) in front of his house on Tran Hung Dao Street in District 5. Instead of flocking to a Chinese-built pagoda with his offerings and burning incense to the gods as in previous years, Ton stayed home and set up a table to worship the deities for fear of gathering in crowds amid the new Covid-19 outbreak that began in the country in late January. He then hung red pieces of paper bearing Chinese characters on his walls to pray for peace and good fortune. "This is the most important ritual during Tet Nguyen Tieu ," he said, referring to the Lantern Festival, known as the biggest and most important festival of the year for ethnic Chinese, marking the final day of the traditional Lunar New Year ( Tet ) celebration. It is observed on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the first Full Moon day of the Lunar New Year. " Tet Nguyen Tieu to us is even more important than Lunar New Year’s Eve and Chinese like us always light incense to deities at pagodas and temples to pray for the removal of bad luck and a year of peace and happiness," Ton noted. "But the Covid-19 outbreak forced us to celebrate on a smaller scale this year. I am old and scared of contracting the virus or spreading it to my family members. Therefore, I limit going out and gathering in crowds." He also had to cancel a reunion party with his relatives and could not visit his friends during the festival, which is an occasion for reunited families to eat dumplings and floating rice cakes made of glutinous rice flour wrapped around a sweet filling. Inside the 250-year-old Lady Thien Hau Temple, which is dedicated to worship the Goddess of the Sea, the devout convey their prayers by lighting spiral incense sticks that can burn for weeks. Photo by VnExpress/Phong Vinh. Ton is one of thousands …

[Read more...] about Covid-19 wave forces Chinese Vietnamese to celebrate Lantern Festival in silence

The Hanoitimes - Schools in Hanoi city are requested to implement rules on Covid-19 prevention and respond promptly to any health incidents related to the pandemic. Preschool children and elementary students in Hanoi have returned to schools after a theee-month break due to the risk of Covid-19 infection, Kinhtedothi.vn reported. The schools have been disinfected many times and the teaching plans are adjusted to suit the pandemic evolution. Students in Hanoi's Ha Dong district are excited to resume classes. Photo: Van Trong Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training Pham Xuan Tien said that his department has issued detailed guidances to educational institutions in the city about Covid-19 prevention and control. Schools in the city are requested to implement the regulations on Covid-19 prevention and respond promptly to any health incidents related to the pandemic. Besides, training and operation plans have been changed. Today’s first lesson is about activities to provide knowledge and anti-Covid-19 skills for all students. All the pending teaching contents must be delivered before July 15. Hanoi schools have discussed online with parents to agree on the scenario of taking and picking up children on weekdays, as recommended by the Ministry of Health and the municipal authorities. Some schools have still recommended that parents should let their children wear face masks while in classes and prepare them personal amenities. Not all students would have lunch at the same time but in shift to avoid gathering. They are asked to avoid contact with others of different classes. On May 10 afternoon, inspection teams of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training reviewed schools in the city to support their teaching plans and taking care of students with a view to ensuring a safe return to school. …

[Read more...] about Hanoi students at all levels return to classes after 3-month break