How tourism benefits local community

Two homestay groups in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long and the Northwestern province of Lao Cai received the ASEAN Homestay Award. Meanwhile, four units won the ASEAN Community Tourism Award, namely the Quan Ba Community Tourism Service Cooperative in Ha Giang province, Sin Suoi Ho community tourism village in Lai Chau province, Tan Thanh fishing village in Quang Nam province, and Thai Hai Reserve Area of Ecological Houses-on-Stilts Village in Thai Nguyen province. The ASEAN Public Toilet Award was awarded to the toilets in Saigon Skydeck of Bitexco Financial Tower, Southern Women's Museum and Ben Xua Tourist Area in Ho Chi Minh City. The winners of ASEAN Spa Service Awards were Cham Spa & Massage in the Central city of Da Nang, Sen Tai Thu Vincom Mega Mall Smart City in Hanoi, Sol Spa of Minera Resort Hotel in the Southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Chi Spa of Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa - Lao Cai province, and Thala Spa of Best Western Premier Sonasea … [Read more...] about Vietnam wins numerous ASEAN tourism awards

The festival is held to thank the god for abundant crop and happy life in the past year and pray for peace and health in the new year. Long Tong Festival is annually held on the 14th and 15th day of the first lunar month. During the event, tourists to Bang Van listen to the story related to the origin of the festival. It is said that a long time ago, the country was in turmoil, so the king sent a general to this land to drive away the enemy. Thanks to the assistance of his talented wife, wherever the general went, the enemy troops were defeated. One day when the general was chasing the enemy’s troops, he was ambushed by them at Phja Den Mountain. His wife tried to hold back the enemy at Phja Cong Mountain. The general then blindfolded his horse and jumped off Phja Den Mountain. Having heard of the news about her husband’s death, the woman committed suicide at Phja Cong Mountain. Sympathizing with the fate of the general and his wife, local people set up a temple on Phja Den … [Read more...] about Long Tong Festival in Bang Van commune

A production line of smart, environmentally friendly sensor products of Hyundai Kefico Vietnam Co., Ltd invested by the RoK in Dai An II Industrial Park, Hai Duong province (Photo:VNA). Hai Duong (VNA) – The northern province of Hai Duong has set a target to attract 400 million USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2023, according to Vice Director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment Nguyen Duy Hung. The locality licensed five new FDI projects worth 15.8 million USD in January. Meanwhile, 5.6 million USD was added to three existing projects. Hung said that the locality will speed up work on the province's master plan in the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision of 2050 as a basis for building priority criteria to attract investment projects, especially planning of a key industrial zone for large-scale, modern and environmentally friendly investment projects. It will focus on maximising resources to develop synchronous and modern socio-economic … [Read more...] about Hai Duong targets 400 million USD in FDI in 2023

Seven international partners will support the investment in infrastructure, transport, urban development, and climate response. Nearly US$8 billion will be pumped into Vietnam's Central Coast region to support the socio-economic development of the region towards sustainability and climate adaptation. An overview of the signing and awarding ceremony. Photo: Trung Nhan/The Hanoi Times The value was announced at a signing ceremony held on February 5 between the Ministry of Planning and Investment and international partners. Accordingly, the local authorities granted investment certificates and approved investment policies and investment cooperation for domestic and international investors. Among the investment deals, seven development partners are committed to providing a total capital of more than US$1.7 billion in 45 projects. The partners included the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the French Development Agency (AFD), the International Fund for Agricultural … [Read more...] about $8 billion to be pumped into Vietnam’s Central Coast

The festival celebrates the full moon of the first lunar month of the year. The city’s Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation confirmed the certificate was handed over on February 5, marking the fifth national intangible heritage after Thanh Chau bird's nest, Thanh Ha pottery village, carpentry of Kim Bong village and Tra Que vegetable garden. The center said the festival was a major event in a series of cultural and ritual activities among local people held during the first lunar month. Local people often prepare for the festival from the seventh day of the month with ancestor worship and praying for peace at the communal houses of Cam Pho, Ong Voi, Japanese Bridge, Ong and Ba Pagoda and Minh Huong communal house, as well as the Fujian and Jiao Zhou clubs. A night parade will take place in the Old Quarter with lanterns and a poet recital at Cam Pho communal house as well as folk games at Kazik Park on February 4-6. Pagodas and communal houses will be open … [Read more...] about Hoi An’s full moon festival named intangible heritage

At the reception for Tatsuo Yasunaga, President and CEO of Mitsui & Co Ltd., the Government leader praised the company’s business performance in Vietnam, particularly in processing and distributing of local aquatic products. PM Phuc welcomed a joint project between Mitsui and Minh Phu Seafood Corporation which could push the shrimp export value of the major shrimp farming business in Vietnam to 1 billion USD. Yasunaga informed his host of the success of the joint project, which has seen over 150 million USD invested in improving Minh Phu’s processing, business management and export capacity, adding the sides plan to focus on upgrading refrigeration equipment and expanding export markets, particularly targeting Russia apart from the US. In another meeting with Han Chang-woo, chairman and CEO of Maruhan Corporation, PM Phuc said Vietnam is pressing ahead with effective equitisation of Stated-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly in transport, infrastructure, construction, … [Read more...] about PM meets with leaders of Japanese conglomerates

The latest move from the Fed marked eight consecutive rate hikes since March 2022, with no signs that it has reached the peak of its hike journey. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Trong Thinh, a financial expert from the Vietnam Association of Financial Advisers, predicted that a rate hike of 25 percentage points was anticipated. Thinh stated that, in general, the pressure on the USD/VND exchange rate from the Fed’s interest rate hike is not significant. Pressure on to support new economic growth, photo Le Toan Dr. Le Dang Doanh, former head of the Central Institute for Economic Management, also believes that the Fed’s interest rate rise is targeted to contain inflation in the US, since inflation has begun to fall from the previous year’s low level. The USD price will adjust as a result. “A change in the price will influence the exchange rate between it and VND, impacting import-export businesses and foreign-invested enterprises,” said Doanh. On the other hand, deposit interest … [Read more...] about Pressure on to support new economic growth

As many as 35 people in An Giang Province, southern Vietnam were hospitalized for treatment for food poisoning after eating sweet white cowpea soup. The sweet soup was offered at no charge by a local resident around the full-moon occasion, or the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (February 5). Tran Quoc Phu, director of the medical center of Cho Moi District, An Giang Province, said on Monday that the center received the 35 patients and is treating 31 of them. Four people with more serious conditions were transferred to the General Hospital of An Giang Area. Two patients suffering multi-organ failure still need continuous dialysis and intensive care. They are at high risk of mortality. “We have taken a sweet soup sample for testing to discover the cause of the poisoning case," Phu said. “Most of the patients show symptoms of stomachache and diarrhea. "We think the sweet soup is contaminated with bacterium." Earlier, the 35 patients ate sweet white cowpea soup … [Read more...] about 35 hospitalized after eating sweet soup in southern Vietnam

The festival is held annually to welcome the spring and to honor ethnic communities' identity, promote solidarity among them and offer a traditional festive atmosphere to tourists as well. Some 100 representatives of 15 ethnic groups from 13 localities throughout the country will host activities each day during the month. The festival climax will be on February 11 and 12 with the Kate Festival of the Cham group, tree planting, folk cham do ho singing and performing Xoe Thai - a UNESCO recognized intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Kate Festival is one of the biggest and most unique cultural activities of the Cham. It features a host of activities and ceremonies at ancient towers, with traditions including offerings to ancestors, musical performances, and the signing of hymns praising kings who were prominent in the building and development of the Champa Kingdom and the Cham people. Tree planting has become an annual Vietnamese custom each lunar New Year since … [Read more...] about Spring festival to showcase cultural identities