Flower pot buyer

Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan has just signed a decision to allocate money for the preferential loan program for buying and renting social houses of this year. The program is also for those who ask for loans for repairing their own houses according to the government’s decree 100/2015. Directors of branches of Vietnam Bank for Social Policies in districts and Thu Duc City submitted their credit plan as per the decision for further implementation. Additionally,  Directors of Vietnam Bank for Social Policies branches will be responsible for allocation and supervision of implementation procedure to ensure the money is used effectively. By Hanh Nhung - Translated by Anh Quan …

[Read more...] about HCMC allocates over US$1 million preferential loans for social house buyers

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

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh presented the title of “People’s Doctor” to Associate Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Binh; Associate Prof. Dr. Doan Quoc Hung; Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Tuan; Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Uoc, and Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Kim Viet. They are former and incumbent leaders at important faculties and institutes of different central hospitals. On the occasion, the title “Meritorious Doctor” was also awarded to 12 other lecturers at the Hanoi Medical University. The titles “People’s Doctor” and “Meritorious Doctor” aim to honour doctors with outstanding talent and professional ethics. * As authorised by the State President, Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang presented the title “Meritorious Doctor” to 28 individuals and the Prime Minister’s certificates of merit to two exemplary individuals in the city’s health sector on February 26. In addition, 20 medical workers who have made significant contributions to the health sector and the COVID-19 fight in the city over the past year were also honoured at Friday’s ceremony. * On the same day, leaders of Hai Duong Province, the country’s current COVID-19 hotbed, held a meeting to pay tribute to experts of the Health Ministry currently working in the province, on the occasion of Vietnam Doctors’ Day. Local leaders expressed their gratitude for the wholeheartedness and sense of responsibility of experts and doctors from units under the ministry in supporting Hai Duong with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. * On February 26, a working delegation of the Dak Lak provincial authorities visited and presented congratulatory flowers to medical workers at five local hospitals on the occasion of Vietnam Doctors’ Day. Provincial leaders lauded the contributions of the hospitals’ doctors and the local health industry in the cause of caring for and ensuring the health of the local people. * Leaders from the Hai Phong Municipal People’s Committee and representatives of …

[Read more...] about Medical workers honoured on Vietnam Doctors’ Day