"After many days of waiting, the date is finalized. I will have my first pro match in my hometown, the land that fed me and saw my growing up," he wrote on his Facebook page. "I will try my best to give boxing lovers and my home a beautiful match. See you at Buon Ma Thuot city on February 26." Hoang, 32, has a perfect professional record after three pro bouts. He became Vietnam's first WBA Asia East Super Middleweight champion after defeating Korean rival Lee Gyu-hyun in 2019. On February 2, 2020, he knocked out Yuttana Wongda of Thailand to lift the WBA Asia belt. In his most recent outing, Hoang floored Indonesian Robert Kopa in the 'LEAD: The Beginning' event last October. Last month, he cruised to a gold medal at the ninth National Sports Games, which he declared his last amateur boxing competition. Source: VNA … [Read more...] about Champion to defend WBA belt in hometown next month
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Poetry Day to take place next month at Thang Long Citadel
Vietnam Poetry Day 2019 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Poetry Day will be held next month in Hanoi's Thang Long Imperial Citadel with new activities, according to organisers. It is the first time this annual cultural event will take place in the citadel, which is a UNESCO World Heritage of Vietnam, after 18 years being held at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) and three years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the theme of "Nhip dieu moi" (New Rhythm), the 21st edition carries the wish that after the country has overcome the pandemic, life returns with a "new rhythm, momentum and confidence" along with the recovery of the whole economy, culture and society to approach a "future full of hope for good things", said Nguyen Quang Thiều, President of the Vietnam Writers' Association (VWA). It is expected to open on the occasion of the new year's full moon celebration which falls on January 15 of the Lunar calendar or February 5, 2023, with more events to … [Read more...] about Poetry Day to take place next month at Thang Long Citadel
Apartment market to continue slumping this year
Decreasing demand for apartments in the region is also forecast to continue through at least the middle of the year. But it may begin to gradually rise by the last quarter of 2023 as legal bottlenecks and obstacles to credit are slated to be at least partially removed by the government, according to DKRA real estate consultants. DKRA Vietnam deputy R&D director Vo Hong Thang said apartment market liquidity, this year, would concentrate in affordable housing projects with prices of below VND50 million ($2,118) per square meter in HCMC and less than VND35 million per square meter in Binh Duong. Such social housing projects promise to be a ray of light in the otherwise gloomy 2023 market, he said, while adding the caveat that supply would still be limited. According to Thang, businesses are gradually supplying fewer high-priced homes and more affordable apartments and social housing units this year. He said this trend may last until 2025, with new supply focusing on the city’s … [Read more...] about Apartment market to continue slumping this year
Foreign investors remain confident about Vietnam’s business environment
Foreign investors poured nearly US$1.7 billion into Vietnam as of January 20. In the first month of 2023, newly-registered capital is estimated to have increased 3.1 times over the same period last year, showing that foreign investors still maintain confidence in Vietnam's investment environment. Hanoi ranks among the top localities in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2022. Photo: Thang Long Industrial Park The Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported that there were 801 newly-registered projects totaling $1.2 billion and 89 projects increasing capital with a combined amount of $306.3 million. In addition, 204 transactions of share purchases by foreign investors were worth $174 million, representing a year-on-year decline of 60.7%. Meanwhile, the disbursement of foreign investments dropped by 16.3% to $1.35 billion. The agency attributed the decrease in registered and disbursed FDI to the national holiday (the … [Read more...] about Foreign investors remain confident about Vietnam’s business environment
Neu pole lowering, seal opening ceremony celebrates new year
According to Director of the Hue Relics Preservation Center Hoang Viet Trung, under the Nguyen Dynasty, the rituals marked the end of the lunar New Year holiday and the start of work and normal activities. The Neu pole was erected on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, marking the beginning of Tet. It coincides with the day when the Kitchen Gods are believed to ride a carp to Heaven to report on events from the past year. During 143 years of its reign (1802 – 1945), the Nguyen Dynasty held an annual ceremony to plant the Neu at the Imperial Citadel. The pole carried ritual items on its top, like a royal seal, a paper scroll and pen, which implied that the royal court stopped working during Tet. After the royal ceremony, ordinary people would erect their own Neu and start celebrating Tet. The Neu was intended to ward off ghosts and demons from entering the community during Tet, and guide the spirits of ancestors on the way home for the lunar New Year festival. The custom is also … [Read more...] about Neu pole lowering, seal opening ceremony celebrates new year
January’s CPI increases 0.52% due to high Tet demand
Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) in January edged up by 0.52 % month-on-month, fueled by high consumer demand for the Lunar New Year or Tet which fell in the same month, the General Statistics Office said on January 29. In addition, the prices of goods, food and foodstuffs went up during the final lunar month to prepare for the longest annual holiday and domestic fuel prices rose to global levels, contributing to the rise of the index. January’s CPI increases 0.52% due to high Tet demand (Photo: VNA) This month’s CPI increased by 4.89 % year-on-year, while the core inflation in January inched up 5.21%. Among the 11 main commodity groups, nine marked a month-on-month increase in prices, and the rest registered a decline. Transport services reported the highest rise of 1.39 %, followed by beverage and cigarette with 1.12%. The prices of catering, other goods and services, apparel, footwear and hat, gold prices, restaurant services, cultural activities, and … [Read more...] about January’s CPI increases 0.52% due to high Tet demand
RoK tops list of countries with most foreign visitors to Vietnam
The Republic of Korea (RoK) topped the list of countries and territories with most foreign visitors to Vietnam in January 2023, the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO) announced on January 29. Located in central Vietnam, UNESCO-recognised Hoi An is one of the major tourist attractions for Korean visitors. (Photo: travelelog.com) According to data released the GSO, Vietnam welcomed 258,000 Korean arrivals in January, representing a 13-fold increase month on month and a 72fold increase year on year. The RoK was followed by the United States (nearly 78,000 arrivals), Thailand (55,000), Australia (44,225) and Malaysia (37,267). Besides, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Taiwan (China) and the United Kingdom were all countries and territories with large numbers of tourists to Vietnam in the first month of 2023. The GSO reported Vietnam attracted 871,200 foreign arrivals in January 2023, an increase of 23.2% over the previous month and 44.2 times higher than the … [Read more...] about RoK tops list of countries with most foreign visitors to Vietnam
Festival of folk games for children
Lionbooks Children's Bookstore has organized a Tet program in Hanoi to bring children and their families to an attractive playground of 20 folk games and activities. Joining in the event "Open the door to see Tet", the children enthusiastically played bamboo dance, throwing cans, and mandarin square capturing. “I played the game of throwing a cloth ball. I was very happy. I hit three balls.” Children participate in the bamboo dance. “My children can play the games that I used to play in the past, which I find very meaningful. Children can also experience throwing balls, bamboo dance, and doing fun activities with friends. The bamboo dance and mandarin square capturing remind me of my childhood. As for the games played in mountainous areas, I have never seen them before. Today I came to play with my children, and I feel very happy.” “Children often use phones, televisions, and video games... There’s little opportunity for them to play folk games. That’s why … [Read more...] about Festival of folk games for children
Ailing woman seeks help for children facing leukaemia
An ailing woman in the northern province of Bac Giang is calling for community support to save her two children who are both struggling with leukaemia. Ngo Thi Nga, 32, from Lang Giang District’s Tien Luc Commune has been living with thyroid cancer. However, she has suspended her treatment for many months due to the family’s financial difficulties. According to Nga, in 2014, her eldest daughter Nguyen Thuy Ngan faced consecutive high fevers. After being taken to a hospital in Hanoi, she was diagnosed with leukaemia. Nga and her children Ngan fainted in her class several times and then had to suspend her studies for treatment. In 2016, her second child Nguyen Trong Khanh, three years old, faced the same symptoms as Ngan and was also diagnosed with leukaemia. Nga burst into tears after receiving the news from doctors. After giving birth to the third child Nguyen Trong Khoi in 2020, Nga felt tired and had fevers. Doctors said that she had developed thyroid … [Read more...] about Ailing woman seeks help for children facing leukaemia
What’s on January 30-February 5/2023
EXHIBITION HCMC-Exhibition ‘No more, not yet’ Opening: Feb 3, 06:30 pm EMASI Nam Long, 147 Street No.8, Nam Long Residential area, D7, Display: Feb – June, Wed & Fri, 10 am – 04 pm EMASI Nam Long (D.7) Tues & Thurs, 10 am – 04 pm EMASI Vạn Phúc (D.Thủ Đức) *and every last Saturday of the month From the organizer: Nguyen Art Foundation (NAF) proudly invites you to the opening of ‘No more, not yet’, an exhibition that looks back on Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai’s shapeshifting artistic practice in all its multiplicity. Winner of the Artist Excellence Award (inaugural edition, initiated by The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre and managed by in-tangible institute), her work is presented here alongside nearly 20 artists whom she calls her colleagues and friends. The exhibition will be on display from February to June 2023 across the campuses of EMASI Nam Long and EMASI Van Phuc. Hanoi-Exhibition “This is not A Dream” Exhibition: Until Mar … [Read more...] about What’s on January 30-February 5/2023