Bamboo

Tradition of raising the Neu (or Tet) pole remains alive today in many villages and homes around the country (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese people in the old days put up tall bamboo poles with red garment strips hanging from them during Tet, believing that poles prevented ghosts and monsters from entering the community during the holiday. The tradition of raising the Neu (or Tet) pole remains alive today in many villages and homes around the country. Vietnamese people erect a Neu tree in front of their house to show off their land holdings and mark the border of their house. The bamboo pole was stripped of its leaves, except for a tuft at the top. The decoration on the Neu trees varies between regions and periods. On the top of the bamboo tree, they often hang a snatch of pineapple leaves, chicken feathers and a circle of New Year cards made of bamboo and do (poonah) paper. According to cultural researchers, the circle of bamboo cards symbolizes … [Read more...] about Neu pole sends off evil spirits, welcomes blessings

Illustrative image (Source: pragueairport.co.uk) Hanoi (VNA) - Prague Airport in the Czech Republic is planning to launch new direct air routes to North America and Asia, including Chicago (US) and Vietnam. Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Board of Prague Airport said that the airport is considering the launch of flights from Prague to Vietnam, by partnering with either Vietnam Airlines or Bamboo Airways . There could also be another round of talks with Qatar Airlines in February for a route to Doha, he added. The airport is negotiating the renewal of the route to Newark with United Airlines. Discussions are also taking place with American Airlines about restoring the route to Philadelphia. Pos said that the airport is talking to some US partners about a direct service connecting Prague and Chicago, adding that the airport also hopes to resume direct flights to Canada, specifically to Toronto and Montreal with potential partners being Air Canada or Air Transat. … [Read more...] about Prague Airport wants to open direct air routes to Vietnam

Northwest Vietnam is benefiting from a project worth US$24 million to mainly develop community-based economic models. Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski has led a delegation to visit projects in Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Phu Tho that are benefitting from Australian support. Ambassador Andrew meets with Mr Dang Xuan Phong, Party Secretary of Lao Cai province. Photo: Embassy of Australia in Hanoi The visit on January 11-13 shows that Australia remains committed to supporting socio-economic development in Northwest Vietnam. In the meeting with leaders in Lao Cai and Yen Bai, the discussions confirmed that the northwest region remains a focus in the broader Australia-Vietnam bilateral partnership. Australian support is growing from an initial focus on clean water and agriculture to now include transport infrastructure, women’s economic empowerment, tourism development and private sector development to better the lives of men and women, … [Read more...] about Australia continues supporting development in Northwest Vietnam

Vung Tau, 100 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, is not just a warm and sunny destination with pleasant temps that are perfect for beach activities, it also offers a wide range of delicious dishes. If you're planning to visit Vung Tau, but still don't know what to eat, here are some of the dishes that you should not miss when there. Lau ca duoi - stingray hotpot This hotpot is one of the most favored dishes among travelers. Only the adult stingrays have bones, but they are soft and crunchy, and thus the stingray meat is firm. A hotpot set includes marinated stingray cut into pieces and a sour and spicy broth made of various ingredients. A side of sour bamboo, water morning glory, elephant ear taro, herbs, fresh vermicelli plus chili fish sauce are served along with the hotpot. Diners can enjoy stingray hotpot all year round since stingrays are always available in Vung Tau. Soft stingray meat cooked in a rich, sweet and sour broth. Photo by VnExpress/Khanh Thien. … [Read more...] about 6 foods worth trying while staying in Vung Tau

The splendid beauty of the trade village in Hanoi’s outskirts tinges Tet with colors. A week ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet holiday), everywhere in the village of Quang Phu Cau in Ung Hoa District, Hanoi glowed with pink and red colors of incense sticks. The six villages in Quang Phu Cau Commune  including Xa Cau, Quang Nguyen, Upper Phu Luong, Lower Phu Luong, Cau Bau, Dao Tu have always been famous for incense-making for over one hundred years. The commune is not only famous for making premium incense for the Tet holiday but also a marvelous tourist attraction in Hanoi. The places are the major incense supply to the Northern region, providing the main source of income for thousands of local households. As the Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year festival is around the corner, residents of these famous incense-making villages are busily preparing for the most important holiday of the year. … [Read more...] about Vibrant Quang Phu Cau incense-making village ahead Tet holiday

Airplanes at Noi Bai International Airport. Domestic airlines were reoperating regular routes to/from China and planning to increase frequency and open new routes. — VNA/VNS Photo Viet Nam’s aviation industry is forecast to have a busy year ahead as China reopens its borders which had been shut down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic airlines are reoperating regular routes to/from China and planning to increase the frequency and open new routes. A representative from Vietnam Airlines said that the national carrier was getting ready to re-operate regular routes between Viet Nam and China. Besides resuming flight routes to/from China, it was also developing plans to increase the frequency and launch new ones depending on the market demand and visa and entry policies. The air travel market will recover as China moves to ease its tight COVID regimes. According to Vietnam Airlines, the number of bookings has been increasing since the reoperation of flight routes … [Read more...] about Airlines ready to capitalise on increasing travel demand as China reopens borders

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam’s aviation industry is forecast to have a busy year ahead as China reopens its borders which had been shut down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic airlines are re-operating regular routes to/from China and planning to increase the frequency and open new routes. A representative from Vietnam Airlines said that the national carrier was getting ready to re-operate regular routes between Vietnam and China. Besides resuming flight routes to/from China, it was also developing plans to increase the frequency and launch new ones depending on the market demand and visa and entry policies. The air travel market will recover as China moves to ease its tight COVID regimes. According to Vietnam Airlines , the number of bookings has been increasing since the reoperation of flight routes on December 9. Airlines expect to serve visitors, international workers, and official guests in the next two months. … [Read more...] about Airlines ready to capitalise on rising travel demand as China reopens borders

Most of the flights are from HCMC and Hanoi to Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Hue, the airline said. In all there will 9,200 flights with 1.9 million seats between January 1 and February 5. Vietnam Airlines had earlier announced three additions in August and December for Tet in late January. Other carriers like Vietjet, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines have also added flights. Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam showed that more than 90% of seats on flights from HCMC to central and northern destinations between January 14-21 had been booked as of January 12. Many people from the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Quang Binh work in the southern city and return to their hometown to celebrate Tet with their family. … [Read more...] about Vietnam Airlines adds 108 flights for Tet

In detail, 10 officers and staff from the company were divided into 5 teams. Each team must make 20 Chung cakes within 120 minutes. Before the competition, the participants thoroughly prepared ingredients, including sticky rice, pork, green beans, Phrynium placentarium (dong) and banana leaves. The contest created a joyful atmosphere, contributing to easing homesickness of Engineering Company Rotation 1’s members. It offered a chance for the Vietnamese “blue beret” soldiers in Abyei to introduce cultural beauty of the Vietnamese traditional Tet (lunar New Year) holiday to international friends and colleagues. Major Dang Van Le, Deputy head of the Engineering Company Rotation 1 shared that several international friends and colleagues at the UNISFA eagerly joined the competition, with the support of Vietnamese officers. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hai Lien, a nurse of the level-1 field hospital under the Logistic-Security Section, said that making Chung cakes in Abyei was such an … [Read more...] about Engineering Company Rotation 1 holds Chung cake making contest in Abyei

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Residents and visitors in recent days have flocked to the HCM City’s Vietnamese 'Tet' (Lunar New Year) Festival at the Youth Cultural House. The festival is decorated with mai (ochna) trees set up along Pham Ngoc Thach street and inside the venue, which is always crowded with visitors going shopping and taking beautiful photos. Apart from ochna trees, a paddy field is set up as well to wish for good crops in the new year. Nguyen Hong Phuc, director of the Youth Cultural House , said, “This year, the Vietnamese Tet Festival aims to bring Tet in the countryside with images of maize cobs hanging up in kitchens, and gardens with chrysanthemum and bamboo trees to the city.” As usual, the highlight of the event features a calligraphy market, attracting more than 50 calligraphers, who are members of calligraphy clubs in the city and neighbouring provinces. The calligraphers, dressed in ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Tet festival in HCM City lure visitors