One of the rare old houses in the area of Hanoi's Old Quarter, the Heritage House at 86 Hang Bac Street is full of funky secrets. One of the most prosperous streets in ancient Hanoi was Hang Bac Silver Street . It is also the city's jewelry trade cradle, with many interesting historical stories. Hanoi's "well-off" street The timeless beauty of the heritage house at 86 Hang Bac Street. Photo: Bao Xay Dung Legend has it that Emperor Le Thanh Tong ordered Luu Xuan Tin, who was in charge of internal affairs, to set up a royal mint to cast coins and silver bars. As the mint required a large number of silversmiths, Luu Xuan Tin brought many skilled craftsmen from Hung Yen Province to Hanoi, who settled on Hang Bac Street. According to local historians, the first concrete evidence of the existence of Hang Bac is on a stele still found at 42 Hang Bac Street. It indicates that people were already living and trading on Silver Street in 1783. … [Read more...] about Hanoi’s heritage house of great historical imprints
Azadpur on metro line
[Quintessence of Hanoi’s cuisine] “Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh”: Gorgeous decades-long delicacy of Hanoi
The renowned food-store has won the hearts of many Hanoian generations with its only kind of foodstuff for over 70 years. The Banh cuon , or steamed rice crepe, is not a luxury food but has become favorite of not only Vietnamese but also foreign visitors to Hanoi. The Banh cuon Ba Hoanh restaurant is always packed with diners at the weekend. Photo: Duy Khanh “I feel like I’ve just swallowed a piece of ‘silk’,” Marco Lipuma- a friend of our family from Germany exclaimed as soon as he tried his first bite of the Banh cuon . “It’s outstanding, cool and very...slippery,” he said. After his first taste in early this year, within the following months he’d tried it countless more times. “I don’t like food with rich protein, so this is a good choice and I think it’s also a perfect detox food after so many giant feasts,” he stated. Truong Kim Dung, a customer of Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh eatery said that she tried the dish some 30 years ago when she got … [Read more...] about [Quintessence of Hanoi’s cuisine] “Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh”: Gorgeous decades-long delicacy of Hanoi
N.A. Chairman visits Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Meeting with the company’s leaders, N.A. Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hailed the firm’s exports of some products to Vietnam, a market with a population of 100 million people, and stressed the possibility for Beximco to tap into a larger market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with 650 million consumers. Mentioning the company's major business fields of pharmaceuticals and apparel, the N.A. Chairman said these are two spheres where Vietnam and Bangladesh have advantages and should promote cooperation. Vietnam has paid due attention to and encouraged medical projects, products and solutions which play an increasingly important role in the post-COVID-19 period, he said, underscoring that incentives have been given to projects on research and production of medicinal materials, and technology application to produce medicines. The top legislator highlighted Vietnam’s new and breakthrough policies to improve the quality of medical examination, and create a legal … [Read more...] about N.A. Chairman visits Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Hanoi and its urban planning problems
Fifty-six lives were lost in the fire at the apartment block in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan District on September 12, and with them, all their dreams and ambitions, all the impacts they could have made on the world. How did it come to this? The owner of the apartment building has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing. Some people will need to be held responsible. Regulations for apartment blocks will be tighter. But somehow, I feel that all these solutions have yet to reach the root of the problem. Around 10 million people in Hanoi are crammed together in a tiny area next to the Red River. Traffic jams, inundations, air pollution, lack of trees, and now fires... these are just some of the problems that Hanoians have to cope with. The capital has lost its shine over the years. Aerial view of multiple skyscrapers at the Nguyen Tuan-Le Van Luong-Hoang Minh Giam intersection in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh Several generations of my family have lived on this … [Read more...] about Hanoi and its urban planning problems
Vietnam’s retail sector faces mounting challenges
On September 22, Vietnam Report unveiled its annual list of the Top 10 Credible Retail Companies for 2023. The rankings, reflected an industry grappling with significant challenges of considerable interest to investors and stakeholders. Since the fourth quarter of 2022, Vietnam’s retail sector has witnessed subdued growth. Profits have been under strain thanks to subdued demand stemming from a dip in public incomes due to export challenges. Additionally, many retailers are navigating the complexities of high interest rates and stringent credit conditions set by consumer finance entities. The fresh survey conducted by Vietnam Report highlighted that almost all businesses (100 per cent) cited weak consumer demand as a concern, with 92.9 per cent noting the persistent economic slowdown. Early 2023 also saw retailers facing fierce price competition, further straining profits. To combat this dip in consumer spending, nearly 64 per cent of retailers plan to launch consumer incentive … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s retail sector faces mounting challenges
Defense leader inspects Factory A32
At the meeting, Gen. Vinh and his entourage were reported on the factory’s current capacity of repairs and technical assurance for weapons and equipment, and its development direction. Accordingly, since the beginning of this year, Factory A32 has successfully completed its repair duties and increased the service life of fighter jets; produced, repaired and tested aviation materials and components. The factory has been investing in projects to have an additional three technology lines in order to increase its efficiency in repairs and technical assurance for fighter jets. With great efforts and high determination, the factory’s cadres, engineers, and employees have constantly studied, researched, improved their professional expertise, and mastered the technology lines. Concluding the inspection visit, Gen. Vinh praised the factory’s personnel for their utmost efforts in task implementation. He asked the unit to speed up the progress of projects. The deputy defense minister … [Read more...] about Defense leader inspects Factory A32
Dollar reaches new height in 2023
Vietcombank sold the dollar at VND24,585, up 0.20% from Monday. The State Bank of Vietnam raised its reference rate by 0.03% to VND24,084. The dollar gained 0.20% to VND24,450 on the black market. It has increased by 3.60% against the dong since the beginning of the year. Globally the dollar stood by 10-month highs against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, supported by U.S. bond yields scaling 16-year peaks, while the yen tiptoed deeper into the intervention danger zone, Reuters reported. The U.S. dollar index touched its highest since November at 106.1. The yen has slowly but inexorably slid toward the 150-per-dollar mark as policymakers stuck with ultra-easy settings. The psychological level is seen as a likely red line for the finance ministry, whose warnings of possible intervention have stepped up in recent weeks. Traders have an eye on a Tuesday meeting of political leaders and Bank of Japan officials. The yen hit 148.97 to the dollar on Monday and … [Read more...] about Dollar reaches new height in 2023
EVN proposes accelerated electricity imports from Laos
EVN has urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to expedite electricity imports from Laos in a bid to amplify the power supply in the North by 2025, as reported by local newswire VNExpress on September 25. The strategic import of electricity from Laos is emerging as a linchpin in the mitigation of potential electricity shortfalls over the coming dry seasons. The approach is underscored by both meticulous operational foresight and a diplomatic synergy, entrenched in the 2019 cooperation agreement between Vietnam and Laos. According to the National Power Development Plan VIII, and thanks to the cooperation agreement, Vietnam plans to purchase 3,000MW of electricity from Laos by 2025, with potential increments to 5,000MW by 2030 and 8,000MW thereafter if conditions permit. EVN’s recent proposition entails importing over 225MW from Laotian hydro and wind power plants including Nam Mo and Houay Koauan, and integrating with projects like Savan 1 and 2. The move is crucial, as … [Read more...] about EVN proposes accelerated electricity imports from Laos
C.P. Vietnam maintains position of top-ranking food producer
On September 19, Vietnam Report announced the results of the Top 10 Food and Beverage Reputation Award 2023, with C.P. Vietnam maintaining its first position in the fresh and frozen food group. The company has led the rankings for four consecutive years (2020-2023). Montri Suwanposri, president and CEO of C.P. Vietnam said, "The rankings provide recognition of the efforts of the company in preserving its brand reputation and improving product quality. We will continue to build on this and develop further to meet the increasing needs of consumers in Vietnam and around the world." C.P. Vietnam's booth at the pork festival at Hanoi's Big C Thang Long supermarket Since 2022, C.P. Vietnam has opened three new factories, one for processing sausages in Hanoi, and a further two slaughtering and dressing facilities in Hanoi and Binh Dinh. They all use modern technologies and production lines that meet international standards. With a closed production process, they fully meet … [Read more...] about C.P. Vietnam maintains position of top-ranking food producer
Samsung supports local businesses building smart factories
Workers check a production line at the Trung Nam Electronic Manufacturing Services in Đà Nẵng's Information Technology Park. Samsung group will support two businesses to build smart factories in Đà Nẵng City. — Photo courtesy of Quang Huy Samsung Việt Nam will help two businesses – Trung Nam Group and Tân Long Paper and Package Company – build the first smart factories in the central city as it nears the target of making it a ‘smart and green’ urban area. The city’s trade and industry department said the plan is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Samsung Việt Nam, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the city’s department. Samsung will survey the two factories for options of applying smart production lines and management from September to December of 2023. Last year, Trung Nam Group, in cooperation with Xelex Corporation, rolled off the first production lines locally-made Xelex tablets at the Trung Nam Electronic Manufacturing Services in Đà Nẵng's … [Read more...] about Samsung supports local businesses building smart factories