Life

    Female workers pack cinnamon to be packaged in the store of Visimex JSC. Photo Courtesy of Gia Chính   By Thanh An   Cinnamon might smell like Christmas to many in the West, but to some Vietnamese farmers, it smells like prosperity. The spice has been long seen by farmers of Phong Dụ Thượng Commune in the northern province of Yên Bái as a path to escaping poverty. In recent years, demand for cinnamon has become greater than ever and has helped many households in the province's Văn Yên District get a better life. Bearing that in mind, the province has developed an organic cinnamon platform, focusing on building an agricultural sustainable chain from this valuable spice. Export organic cinnamon To see how cinnamon has helped develop Yên Bái’s agriculture and enriched farmers, Viet Nam News travelled to the fourth factory of Visimex Việt Nam Joint Stock … [Read more...] about Cinnamon: the spice of life for farmers

    Club members train for a performance. VNA/VNS Photo   Lê Văn Hiền, kylin dance virtuoso and the head of Hiền Long Đường Kylin Dance Club, has spent more than 29 years perfecting his craft and creating jobs for people who share his passion.   When he was six, Hiền watched the kylin dance troupe at Thiên Hậu Pagoda in Vĩnh Thanh Vân Ward, Rạch Giá City. Now, he is a frequent performer at the pagoda. After watching the kylin dance as a little boy, his love for the art form grew as he moved through life. He tried to learn all the moves from his predecessors and studied how to make the dragon and kylin (Chinese mythical animal) heads that serve as props in the performances. In 2008, Hiền opened a solo studio at home to help other young people learn the art. He has continued his own study and passes on everything he learns to his fellows. In 2011, … [Read more...] about The busy life of a kylin dancer

    Illustration by Trịnh Lập   by Thúy Bình   When the phoenix flowers bloom it is a sign of summer vacation, and parents start to search for the perfect courses and programmes to help their children grow and succeed. These programmes are growing in popularity, and a quick Google search reveals many millions of results for "life skills course". With so many choices, how can parents be sure they have chosen the right course for their child? Nguyễn Hương Giang, a 35-year-old notary in Hà Nội, wants her children to make good use of their summer vacation by improving their life skills. “Every summer will be an opportunity for children to learn more life skills so that they can solve their problems themselves and deal with situations they encounter in life,” Giang said. “It is an essential complement to the things that children learn at school.” Life skills training … [Read more...] about A short course will never be enough to master life skills

  Percussionist Trần Xuân Hòa works hard to develop innovative performances using a wide array of instruments from around the world. Photo courtesy of the artist When percussionist Trần Xuân Hòa walks down the street, he keeps his ears open to all the sounds around him. Every noise, from the pitter-patter of footsteps on the pavement to the revving of a motorbike engine, has the potential to inspire him to create a special percussion performance. Hòa is a rare percussionist for his ability to perform solo acts. He has a collection of hundreds of instruments from countries around the world, including special drum sets he made from ordinary objects like used cans and bottles. Hòa is popular at concerts held at culture and arts centres in Hà Nội like Heritage Space, Manzi Art Space and L’Espace. He also performs abroad with the ASEAN Orchestra. After a performance at the Heritage Space, accomplished jazz … [Read more...] about ‘Magician’ of percussion dedicates his life to audiences

Forest fires in Indonesia typically occur as a result of slash and burn practices to clear land for oil palm and pulpwood plantations. (Photo: OI) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian people risk having their life expectancy shaved off by four years on average due to exposure to dangerous particulate matter caused by the haze from forest fires, according to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. Almost every year, toxic haze caused by wildfires engulfs vast parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, filling the lungs of millions of people living in these areas, the Jakarta Post reported. The fires typically occur as a result of slash and burn practices to clear land for oil palm or pulpwood plantations. As of September 20, there were 5,086 fire hotspots recorded in Indonesia and 328,724 hectares of land burned, according the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). In Central Kalimantan’s capital city of Palangkaraya, home to over 280,000 people, the air quality … [Read more...] about Indonesians’ life expectancy likely to fall due to haze from wildfires