Doing a good deed

Being one of the best-loved railways in Southeast Asia, Vietnam's North-South Railway, with two ends at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, attracts many travelers. Lonely Planet, the world-renowned travel guide, named Vietnam National Railway the most incredible rail trip in the world. The 1,730-kilometer journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City offers breathtaking views of the country's diverse landscapes, making it a must-see for foreigners coming to Vietnam, the magazine said. "Some railways rattle through historic cities; others swoosh beside spectacular coastlines. A few have an epic history, and one or two are remarkable for the colorful characters onboard. The Reunification Express line, known as the North–South Railway, fulfills all these criteria," it stated. The railway is one of Southeast Asia's best-loved railways and the world's most epic overnight train journeys. It's also one of Vietnam's tourism highlights that attracts many international visitors. … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Reunification Express named world’s most incredible rail journey: Lonely Planet

The cultural event aims at celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Sándor Petőfi - a famous Hungarian revolutionary poet and writer. The Embassy of Hungary in Vietnam is holding a photo exhibition entitled " Petőfi : Around the World" at the National Library of Vietnam in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. The exhibition is open to the public until June 5. The exhibition, themed at Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi, will last until June 5 at the National Library of Vietnam. Photo: Embassy of Hungary in Hanoi The exhibition features 19 large-format color posters, with content in both English and Vietnamese, outlining the career and remarkable contributions to the world culture of the Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi (1823 - 2023). "I believe that the exhibition will be a valuable opportunity for the Vietnamese people and international visitors to Hanoi to learn about the life and career of the greatest Hungarian revolutionary poet and literary figure: Sándor … [Read more...] about Exhibition in Hanoi to praise Hungary’s national poet

A delegation from Vietnam’s T&T Group, led by chairman of the board Do Quang Hien, embarked on a visit to the headquarters of DB Group, a prominent economic powerhouse in South Korea, on May 25. Under this comprehensive accord, T&T Group and DB Group will support each other's endeavours with the shared goal of becoming leaders in Vietnam's thriving insurance sector. Additionally, the two groups have committed to jointly exploring and executing ventures across multiple other industries. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Do Vinh Quang, vice chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy CEO of T&T Group, highlighted the shared vision of both companies to excel in Vietnam's insurance sector. Recognising the potential in other areas such as finance, asset management, IT, and real estate, Quang emphasised the importance of leveraging these strengths to achieve sustainable growth for both conglomerates. He expressed confidence, stating, “This strategic collaboration will … [Read more...] about T&T Group and DB Group form strategic partnership to fuel investment opportunities

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien (6th from right) receives the Cambodian delegation. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee held talks with representatives from the National Council of the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodian Motherland in Hanoi on May 29. At the talks, Vice President and Secretary General of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha affirmed the fruitful relations between the two sides, with the signing of cooperation documents. The two sides briefed each other on operations of their front organisations, and compared notes on cooperation orientations and contents in the time ahead. Nhem Valy, Permanent Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the National Council of the Solidarity for the Development of Cambodian Motherland, held that the talks will help the two front organisations better understand each other, thus helping … [Read more...] about Vietnamese, Cambodian front organisations forge cooperation

Printer production at Canon Vietnam (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Amid the slowing down of the global investment flows, experts held that improving both quality and number of foreign investment projects is a heavy task for Vietnam, requiring great efforts from the Vietnamese Government to fulfil the “dual targets”. According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), as of May 20, Vietnam had drawn 10.86 billion USD of foreign direct investment (FDI), down 7.3% year on year, including 5.26 billion USD of newly-registered capital, up 27.8%. Do Nhat Hoang, Director of the agency said that the increase in the amount of newly-registered capital in five months was higher than the 11% recorded in the first four months of this year. Meanwhile, the number of new projects in the five-month period also surged 66.4% year on year to 962 projects, showing foreign investors’ strong confidence in the investment environment of Vietnam … [Read more...] about Improving FDI quality, quantity crucial for Vietnam: Insiders

President Vo Van Thuong greets the revolution contributors from Vinh Long province in Hanoi on May 30. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – President Vo Van Thuong had a meeting with a delegation of 70 revolution contributors from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long in Hanoi on May 30. The Vinh Long delegates include war invalids, those used to be imprisoned by enemies or affected by Agent Orange/dioxin, martyrs’ relatives, and families of revolution contributors. Appreciating the Party, State, and society’s attention and assistance to revolution contributors nationwide, including those in Vinh Long, they said they have always stayed united and made efforts to improve their life, contribute to local and national development, and join hands with authorities in repatriating martyrs’ remains and building, upgrading monuments to martyrs. They pledged to uphold revolutionary traditions, set good examples, and educate younger generations on the traditions so that Vinh Long will … [Read more...] about State leader hails dedications by Vinh Long revolution contributors

Living in Vietnam can bring moments of total pleasure and those of total wonder. When is a hot dog not a hot dog? Well, that answer came to me through experience some 10 years ago when I began my teaching career here in Vietnam. It was only weeks after I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to start a new life journey and I had already experienced my first episode of 'Vietnam Belly.' I wasn’t feeling all that great and I found that the local food and cheap beer just weren’t what my body wanted. I met a fellow Australian expat who introduced me to his employer – a major name in Vietnam’s teaching industry. Despite my unreliable health, I interviewed with the company. I was just hoping things would hold themselves together long enough to get the job, and they did. When I found out I got the job, my only thoughts were about how much I hoped I would be able to recover by the time I started classes. Early the next morning, my phone rang. It was the school asking if I could cover a class … [Read more...] about A hot dog that isn’t a hot dog in Vietnam

A customer uses QR code for payment at Con market in the central city of Da Nang. — VNA/VNS Photo Van Dung The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has requested banks, branches of foreign banks, and providers of intermediary payment services to take steps to continue promoting cashless payments and the implementation of the national digital transformation programme. The move is also set to help with the plan on developing the application of resident data and electronic identification and authentication to serve national digital transformation for the 2022 - 25 period, with a vision to 2030. In its Document No 3956/NHNN-TT, the SBV asked banks, foreign banks’ branches, and intermediary payment service providers to continue considering and offering preferential programmes and policies on payment and intermediary payment service fees to customers, and exempt account maintenance fees as well as cash withdrawal fees for the customers entitled to the social security policy. They were told … [Read more...] about Central bank demands stronger promotion of cashless payment

According to a recent report by the Bank of Korea (BOK), Vietnam is swiftly becoming a significant market for South Korean semiconductor makers, who have been grappling with lacklustre demand in China. As the rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, the BOK has emphasised the importance of diversifying export markets for industry giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The BOK underlines Vietnam's emergence as a new source of demand for South Korean semiconductors, highlighting its growing status as an international hub for IT device production and potentially positioning it as a substitute for China in the future. Major smartphone manufacturers have established production bases in Vietnam, where South Korean semiconductors play a crucial role as intermediary goods in the production of finished products, the report notes. Vietnam's abundant low-wage workforce and its proximity to the Chinese market are attracting global businesses, including South Korean … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s market becomes ray of hope for South Korean semiconductor manufacturers

In the first five months of the year, Viet Nam exported about $136.17 billion worth of goods, a year-on-year drop of 11.6 per cent, while imports totalled $126.37 billion, down 17.9 per cent year on year. — VNA/VNS Photo Viet Nam’s import-export value in the first five months of this year was estimated at US$262.54 billion, down 14.7 per cent year-on-year, with a trade surplus of $9.8 billion, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on Monday. In the period, Viet Nam exported about $136.17 billion worth of goods, a year-on-year drop of 11.6 per cent, while imports totalled $126.37 billion, down 17.9 per cent year on year. As many as 23 export items joined the more than one-billion-US dollar club, making up 87.4 per cent of the total export turnover. Regarding the structure of exports, processed commodities earned $120.24 billion (88.3 per cent); agro-forestry products, $10.79 billion; aquatic products, $3.37 billion; and fuel and minerals, about $1.77 billion. As for … [Read more...] about Viet Nam posts trade surplus of US$9.8 billion in five months