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
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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
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