All major streets in Vietnam’s tourist highland city of Da Lat were packed with vehicles on Thursday, the last day of the seven-day Tet break (2023 Lunar New Year) as so many personal cars and passenger vans traveled to the city. The traffic jams were serious as so many vehicles entered the city center even though the number of visitors during this Tet was not too big compared to last year’s edition, as noted by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters. Tran Manh Son, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City, told Tuoi Tre that it took him nearly an hour to drive his family in his car for a distance of about three kilometers from a hotel on Trieu Viet Vuong Street to Tran Hung Dao Street. “Cars and larger vehicles were overloaded everywhere, so many cars inched a bit, as slow as walking,” Son said. The area of Xuan Huong Lake was constantly congested from 8:30 am to 11:00 am, and the same situation was recorded in many other sites, including the city’s flower garden, the Ong Dao … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Da Lat City overcrowded with vehicles of Tet goers
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Vietnam government should intervene in bond market: ADB economist
Between VND150-200 trillion ($6.4-8.5 billion) in bonds are set to mature this year, and if the bond market is left to self-regulate, systemic risks could spread to the banking sector and the entire financial market, Cuong told VnExpress in an interview. Although Vietnam concluded 2022 with a strong post-pandemic recovery, several financial problems plagued the economy last year, among them bond market issues . As there were many high-profile arrests due to alleged misconduct in bond issuance, companies prematurely redeemed VND210.57 trillion worth of their own bonds last year, up 46% from 2021. Although the market could be left to fix its own problems, Cuong said that it is recommended that the government intervenes with policies to ensure post-pandemic recovery, as one problem in the market could shake the market in a major way this year. He added that in the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. government initially let the market corrects itself, but after Lehman Brothers … [Read more...] about Vietnam government should intervene in bond market: ADB economist
Positive prospects for Vietnam’s stock market this year
The HCM Stock Exchange (HoSE) in HCM City (Photo hsx.com) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The market's uptrend will continue to be consolidated in the first trading session of the Year of Cat . The VN-Index, which tracks the performance of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), closed above the resistance area of 1,100 points, equivalent to 1,120 points of the VN30-Index , in the last trading week. Although cash flow has not improved much, supply pressure has not put great pressure on the market. The market is expected to continue to be supported and gain points in the next trading sessions. Therefore, investors can still expect the market to expand the uptrend and exploit some short-term opportunities in stocks with positive accumulation background, said Viet Dragon Securities Co. 2022 was an eventful year for the Vietnamese stock market with many records set. After a prosperous 2021, the VN-Index continued to stay at its historic peak for the first three months of 2022. … [Read more...] about Positive prospects for Vietnam’s stock market this year
Vietnamese Tet inspires foreigners
This year, the Lunar New Year comes earlier, with the joy from the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The typical features of Tet include “banh chung”, red couplets, apricot blossoms, and peach blossoms, which are present along streets everywhere. For those who are far from home, the Lunar New Year is an opportunity to return and reunite with family members, visit parents, relatives and friends, and wish each other a peaceful, healthy and happy New Year. As for expats living in Vietnam and tourists in the country during this occasion, the traditional Lunar New Year is a unique holiday, giving them truly memorable experiences. The Tet atmosphere seems more bustling this year as the country has reopened its borders to welcome international visitors since last March. The Lunar New Year is fast approaching. Some may feel nostalgic about many things from the old year, but it is time to temporarily put aside such thoughts and welcome a New Year with … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Tet inspires foreigners
330,000 visitors bring Hanoi $42.6mn on Tet
Hanoi earned more than VND1 trillion (US$42.6 million) from 330,000 visitors in five days of the seven-day 2023 Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, according to the city’s tourism department. The number of visitors, calculated from January 21 to Thursday, is three-fold that of the same period last year. That included 32,000 international visitors, most of whom came from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Canada, and 300,000 domestic tourists. The Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy) in Dong Da District welcomed 80,000 people, while the same number of visitors came to the Huong Pagoda in My Duc District. The UNESCO-recognized Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Ba Dinh District received 19,680 visitors. About 18,000 people visited the Co Loa relic site in Dong Anh District. Duong Lam Village and the Son Tay ancient fortress citadel in Son Tay Town drew some 15,000 visitors, Hanoi Zoo in Ba Dinh District received 17,235 people. The Hoa Lo Prison … [Read more...] about 330,000 visitors bring Hanoi $42.6mn on Tet
Indonesia to set emission quotas for several coal-fired power plants
NIllustrative image (Photo: internationalfinance.com) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia has set a target of issuing emission quotas for some coal-fired power plants within this month as a first step towards creating a mechanism for domestic carbon trading. Last year, Indonesia , among the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters, set a more ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 31.89% on its own or 43.2% with international support, by 2030. That compared to its 2015 Paris Agreement pledge to cut emissions by 29% or 41% with international help. Mohamad Priharto Dwinugroho, an official of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said that the quotas will be set the latest by January 31. After obtaining the quotas, businesses are required to carry out carbon trading . The first phase of carbon trade will cover coal power plants with minimum 100 megawatt capacity that are directly connected to power grids owned by state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), … [Read more...] about Indonesia to set emission quotas for several coal-fired power plants
Hoi An, HCM City among world’s top 25 trending destinations in 2023: TripAdvisor
Germany’s famous travel site reisereporter.de has run an article highlighting the world’s top 25 trending destinations for 2023, including Vietnam’s Hoi An ancient city and Ho Chi Minh City, recently voted by readers of TripAdvisor – the world's largest travel guidance platform. Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam occupies the second place, following Cuba (Photo: Screenshot) Specifically, Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam occupied the second place on the list as part of the annual Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards, following Cuba, while the southern metropolis secured 11th place. The category reveals destinations with the greatest year-over-year growth in interest on Tripadvisor based on travelers' reviews over a 12-month period between November 1 and October 31. "Hoi An on the central Vietnamese coast is a well-preserved example of the important Southeast Asian trading port it was from the 15th-19th centuries," Tripadvisor commented. … [Read more...] about Hoi An, HCM City among world’s top 25 trending destinations in 2023: TripAdvisor
Prime Minister launches New Year tree-planting festival
Co-organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of National Defense and Hanoi municipal authorities, the tree-planting festival started a series of activities nationwide for the program “For a green Vietnam” with an aim to plant 22.5 million trees this year. Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recalled that 64 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh called on the entire people to respond to the tree-planting month which has become a tradition every lunar new year since then. According to him, Vietnam’s forest coverage expanded from 28% in 1990 to over 42% in 2022, absorbing over 70 million tons of carbon dioxide. The PM highlighted Vietnam's commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 and expressed his belief that the tree-planting campaign 2023 will produce positive achievements, helping the country deliver its commitment and contributing to national development. At the launch ceremony, he joined delegates in planting 3,000 trees at the … [Read more...] about Prime Minister launches New Year tree-planting festival
Prime Minister launches New Year tree planting festival
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offered incense to President Ho Chi Minh and launched the annual New Year tree planting festival at K9-Da Chong relic site, Hanoi’s outlying district of Ba Vi, on January 27, the sixth day of the Year of the Cat. PM Pham Minh Chinh joins in tree planting at the relic site (Photo: VNA) Co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of National Defence and Hanoi municipal authorities, the tree planting festival started a series of activities nationwide for the programme “For a green Vietnam” with an aim to plant 22.5 million trees this year. Speaking at the event, PM Chinh recalled that 64 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh called on the entire people to respond to the tree planting month which has become a tradition every lunar new year since then. According to him, Vietnam’s forest coverage expanded from 28% in 1990 to over 42% in 2022, absorbing over 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. … [Read more...] about Prime Minister launches New Year tree planting festival
Co Loa Temple Festival opens
Co Loa Citadel represents the thousand-year history of the nation. This annual event is held to pay tribute to King An Duong Vuong, founder of the ancient Vietnamese kingdom of Au Lac, who led the fight against foreign enemies and ruled the country for 50 years in the 3rd century BC. The colorful festival of Co Loa Temple will take place until February 6. Photo: VNA At the opening of the festival, Dong Anh District People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Xuan Linh recalled that more than 2,300 years ago, after leading the resistance war against more than 50,000 Qin soldiers, King An Duong Vuong established the capital of the Au Lac Kingdom in Co Loa. “This is one of the extremely valuable historical sites with unique architecture and also an important archaeological site of the country,” he said. "The Co Loa citadel has become a symbol of the proud ancient Vietnamese civilization," he added. Being considered one of the oldest festivals in Vietnam, Co Loa … [Read more...] about Co Loa Temple Festival opens