The three-day Vietnam Culture - Culinary Festival 2023 in the central province of Quang Tri wrapped up on April 30, serving more than 30,000 visitors, more than six times higher than expected.

With the theme "The soul of the nation - The taste of the homeland", the festival took place in Cua Viet town, Gio Linh district, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with Quang Tri provincial People's Committee.

Several special activities were held during the festival, such as a demonstration of the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine with the participation of renowned chefs from the three regions (North, Central, and South) including Phan Ton Gia Hien, food experts Nguyen Hoang and Doan Thi Huong Giang who demonstrated not only cooking techniques, but also the values of each dish and drink.

There were also a regional food fair and an outdoor music space, among others.

The festival was attended by 74 units from all over the country with 84 booths. The culinary space introduced more than 500 dishes and drinks with domestic and foreign culinary styles.

This year’s event was an opportunity for Quang Tri and other localities to introduce and promote their own unique culinary and cultural values to domestic and international tourists, contributing to socio-economic development.

Warm air wave impacts north, central Vietnam in early May

A Western low pressure system is moving eastward, causing temperatures to rise quickly in the northern and central regions of Vietnam in the coming days.

The Western disturbance is forecast to spread across the northern region as of May 1 and then impact parts of the central region as of May 2, said the Naitonal Centre of Hydro Meteorological Forecasting.

Due to the impact of the heat wave, the temperature tends to be higher than the average of previous years by 0.5 - 1°C. The number of warm days tends to increase in the northern and north-central regions compared to 2022 and compared to the average of the previous years in the same period.

Meteorologists warned about a high risk of fires and explosions in residential areas and production workshops due to high demand for electricity, as well as a high risk of forest fires.

Health experts recommend that people limit going out from 11:00 to 14:00 daily to protect their health and their families on hot days, they also advised people to drink more water and eat varied and nutritious foods to fight the heat.

Nearly 800 people die during first two days of public holidays

More than 45,000 people were hospitalised nationwide during the initial two days of public holidays, along with 786 deaths, of which 34 cases were traffic accident victims and seven were related to COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health.      

Specifically, within the 24-hour period from 7:00 a.m. on April 30 to 7:00 a.m. on May 1, more than 1,500 patients were hospitalised due to traffic accidents, with 330 severe patients transferred to central hospitals.

With regard to COVID-19 medical examination and treatment, more than 2,000 people went to hospitals to undergo medical check-ups, with over 1,100 cases admitted for inpatient treatment.

Most notably, from the morning of April 30 to May 1 Vietnam recorded an additional four deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in the first two days of the five-day break to seven.

Currently, as many as 78 severe and critical COVID-19 cases are receiving treatment at medical facilities across the country.

Vietnamese in Macau gather on national reunification anniversary

The Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macau (China), in collaboration with the Association of Vietnamese in Macau, held a gathering in the Macau Special Administrative Region on April 30 to commemorate the 48th anniversary of the southern liberation and national reunification (April 30) and International May Day (May 1).

The event was also meant to mark Hung Kings Commemoration Day (the 10th of the third lunar month which fell on April 29 this year), President Ho Chi Minh's birth anniversary (May 19).

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macao Pham Binh Dam said the gathering provides an occasion to recall the shining milestones in Vietnamese history and the home country's traditions, as well as tighten the bond among the Vietnamese community.

Duong Trung Duc, Chairman of the association, said the association will strive to be a source of spiritual support of the Vietnamese people, helping them build a strong Vietnamese community in Macau, and actively contribute to the host society.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau, Consul Nguyen Tuan Anh presented certificates of merit to Vietnamese individuals and collectives in Macau in recognition of their active contributions to the homeland and the association.

On the occasion of the International May Day, Vice Chairwoman of the association Tran Thi Gon launched a campaign throughout the month, calling on every Vietnamese in Macau to work hard and help popularise the image of Vietnam as well as its consumer goods and tourist destinations to local people.

The Vietnamese community is the second biggest foreign community in Macau, after the Philippine community.

Facebook user in Hai Phong fined 7.5 million VND for false posts, comments

A Facebook user in the northern port city of Hai Phong has been fined 7.5 million VND (319.6 USD) for his acts of spreading false and misleading information on cyberspace.

Local police have found that the man has repeatedly used his personal Facebook account to post articles and comments with negative and untrue content, affecting the prestige of senior Party and State leaders and the police force. He read the information on other Facebook and Youtube posts, re-posted them on his page without verification, and wrote related comments on social networks.

The act of commenting and posting articles with misleading, untrue and unverified content on social networks violates Article 101 of the Government’s Decree No. 15/2020/ND-CP dated February 3, 2020 that regulates punishments for administrative violations in the fields of post, telecommunications, radio frequencies, information technology and electronic transactions.

The wrongdoer admitted that his behavior is illegal, pledged to voluntarily delete the offending posts and comments, and promised not to repeat them.

Considering that the violation is not serious enough to be subject to criminal prosecution, the municipal police’s department of cybersecurity and high-tech crime prevention and control decided to mete out the fine as prescribed by law.

First medical clinic for Vietnamese in Japan becomes operational

The first medical clinic for Vietnamese in Japan, the T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda in Tokyo, was officially inaugurated on April 28, as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, and received the first patients on May 1.

With a team of both Vietnamese and Japanese doctors and interpreters, T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda is expected to become a reliable medical care destination for the Vietnamese community, helping them overcome language difficulties when communicating with doctors during the examination process.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, doctor Matsuoka Yoshinori thanked the Vietnamese and Japanese Governments for supporting the opening of the first clinic of its kind in Hanoi and the second in Kanda, Tokyo. He vowed to keep striving to develop into a health care bridge between the two countries.

Chargé d'affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyen Duc Minh described the opening of the clinic as an important event for not only the Vietnamese community in Japan but also bilateral ties, especially on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Vietnamese continue to be the second largest expat community in Japan with over 489,000 at present.

New terminal put into operation at Phú Bài Airport

Terminal No 2 has been put into operation at the provincial International Phú Bài Airport after three years of construction, promising a capacity of hosting 5 million passengers per year.

The provincial people’s committee said the terminal would serve increasing demand of travellers in high-tourism season and a series of art programmes and performances of the Huế crafts festival and May Day vacation.

The terminal, which was invested by the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam at a cost of VNĐ2.2 trillion (US$88 million), was designed with the architecture of the royal court.

It has eight parking lots and a runway allowing for Airbus A320, A321, A350 and Boeing 787.

The airport, 15km from Huế, will be upgraded in the second phase to receive 9 million passengers in 2030 and six more parking lots.

Local airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways are operating domestic routes from Huế to Hà Nội, HCM City, Hải Phòng, Phú Quốc and Đà Lạt.

Meanwhile, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Japan Airlines and China Airlines help connect Huế to Bangkok, Thailand; Bali, Indonesia; Beijing, mainland China; Osaka, Japan and Taipei, Taiwan.

The province has been working with local airlines in promoting more international flights linking Huế with the Middle East, Thailand, Australia, Japan and China in the coming years.

The province hosted two million tourists, of which 260,000 were foreigners, in 2022.

Last year, the province and Vietnam Airlines agreed a comprehensive cooperation deal in 2022-26, aiming at promoting destinations, tourism and investment.

Vietnam Airlines helps boost destinations, trade and investment and cultural programmes of Thừa Thiên Huế through its air service worldwide, calling for investment in the tourism hub.

Thanh Hóa fishermen enjoy abundant jellyfish hauls

Famous for its jellyfish products, the coastal Hoằng Trường Commune is enjoying one of the highest prices for their catches this year with an improved income for local fishermen. 

Returning after a fishing trip, fisherman Nguyễn Văn Long said: “We often set sail to catch jellyfish in the late afternoon or around 1am.

Long added that the jellyfish appeared later this year and in a smaller quantity than in previous seasons, but they are all large. Some weigh around 15-20kg. 

The price of jellyfish is also more than two-fold the usual rate in previous years. Fishermen are excited to take advantage of the favourable weather and set sail for what they dubbed the ‘white gold’ of the sea. 

Hoằng Trường Commune is also the largest location of procurement, processing and export for jellyfish in Thanh Hóa Province, with six major processing facilities providing jobs to hundreds of local workers. 

In the past, the most arduous step in jellyfish processing is to remove their mucus. Without any machinery, workers have to use their own hands. 

This slime can cause an extremely itchy sensation and can cause blisters and peel on workers’ hands if they are not covered correctly. 

In recent years, thanks to new technology, the jellyfish will be chopped into smaller pieces, which will then be sorted out and cleansed in a tank for eight or ten hours, removing the residual water and mucus. 

Following this step, the jellyfish will be soaked in a mixture of water, salt and alum for one week until their body becomes translucent, which means they are “cooked”. The product will then be packaged for shipment.

Processed jellyfish are soaked in a mixture of water, salt and alum. Locals said that during this process, the salinity of the salt could preserve the jellyfish for up to two years while maintaining the clean, firm and crunchy texture.

Locals keep world intangible heritage of Xoan singing alive

In December, 2017, UNESCO inscribed Xoan singing, a Vietnamese folk music genre in Phu Tho province, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Earlier, Xoan singing was inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List in 2011 due to declining appreciation of this tradition, notably among young people. UNESCO said efforts by local communities and the national authorities have reinforced the viability of Xoan singing.

In a small house in Xoan An Thái Ward, Phuong Lau Commune, Viet Tri City, the elders are teaching Xoan singing to the younger generation.

Born in the cradle of Xoan singing, Bui Viet Hao and Bui Nhu Quynh became familiar with the art at a very young age as their grandparents and mother, who are Xoan singers, rekindled the passion in them.

Phu Tho province has promoted on the practice and transmission of this folk music genre and trained more than 100 successors, who now can teach Xoan singing.

In local villages, there are three generations of singers. Last year, additional 13 Xoan singers in Phu Tho were bestowed with the title "Meritorious Artist" by the State President.

Among them are Nguyen Thi Bien and Bui Thi Luong, who live in Xoan An Thai ward, Phuong Lau commune, Viet Tri city.

Phu Tho has upheld the community’s role in preserving the traditional singing dating back thousands of years when the Vietnamese nation was founded by the legendary Hung Kings.

From the original Xoan troupes, the folk music genre has been spread throughout 13 districts, towns and cities. There are now 34 provincial Xoan singing clubs with over 1,500 members, 23 times higher than before 2011, when Xoan was inscribed on the UNESCO Urgent Safeguarding List.

Xoan singing is also practiced at 64 district-level clubs and 42 commune-level clubs with thousands of participants.

To familiarize the younger generation with Xoan singing, Phu Tho province has included it in schools’ music lessons and extracurricular activities. Contests and performances of Xoan singing have been held.

Student Nguyen Chau Anh of Gia Cam Primary School, Viet Tri City, shared,“At first, I found it very difficult, because we did not understand the songs, but day by day, during activities outside of our class or in the club, we have all learned and have become familiar with Xoan songs.”

Phu Tho has renovated all communal houses and shrines where Xoan singing is performed and turned them into local signature tourism products.

From the ancient communal house yards, today, Xoan singing now can be heard echoing all over Phu Tho province, Vietnam’s ancestral land, connecting the community and amplifying the beauty of Vietnamese folk art.

Art exhibition features April's emotions

A collection of 50 paintings and sculptures are on display at an exhibition – Colour of April – at Đà Nẵng’s fine arts museum, featuring emotions and feelings of artists from Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên Huế province.

The exhibition selected the best artworks on love, the country, lands and people, with artists expressing their perception of the progressive change of the country.

Bốn Mùa (Four Seasons), a mixed material painting by Đặng Mậu Triết. Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng Fine Arts Museum
Artists used different materials to create lively pieces at workshops in central Việt Nam and nationwide.

The exhibition will be an opportunity for artists from Đà Nẵng and neighbouring Thừa Thiên Huế to exchange their views and experience on artworks from the past, present and future. 

The event is free for all from April 28 to May 24 at 78 Lê Duẩn Street. 

Ninh Thuận set for biennial grape-wine festival in June
 
Ninh Thuận Province will organise the 2023 Grape and Wine Festival from June 13 to 18 to promote one of its most lucrative agricultural produce and attract tourists.

Nguyễn Tri Long, deputy director of its Department of Information and Communication, said the biennial festival seeks to build a brand for the province’s grapes and honour various ethnic cultures.

This year’s festival will be bigger than previous ones with fairs, musical performances, a grapevine trellis contest, vineyard tours, and conferences on the development of grape farming and processing.

Trương Khắc Trí, deputy director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the fruit is the fourth biggest in terms of value among Ninh Thuận’s crops.

The province has 1,060ha under grape, which is slated to double to 2,000ha by 2030, he said.

In recent years the quality and variety of Ninh Thuận’s grapes have been growing, and the province is pushing for more hi-tech and organic farming, he said.

Ninh Thuận plans to have supportive policies for grape farmers so that they can adopt modern technologies, facilitate research into new grape strains and improve their processing, especially for wine making.

Festival attendees can also visit the province’s Bàu Trúc Pottery Village, Mỹ Nghiệp Brocade Weaving Village and the Núi Chúa Biosphere Reserve.

There will be a ceremony to accept a certificate from UNESCO that acknowledges the art of pottery-making by the Chăm people as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Linh aims to make Vietnamese badminton history at SEA Games

Nguyễn Thuỳ Linh, a rising star of Vietnamese badminton, is looking to make history at the 32nd SEA Games.

The pressure is on for Linh and her teammates, as they strive to bring home not one but two medals in the fiercely competitive arena of Southeast Asian badminton.

Indonesia and Malaysia have long dominated the sport in the region, with Thailand hot on their heels. But Linh's recent impressive performances have put her in the spotlight and made her a strong contender for the gold medal.

Despite the reputation of their growing sport, Việt Nam has never won a title at the SEA Games. Their best result came last Games when they secured three bronze medals. This year, the task falls to Linh and her younger teammates to carry the weight of expectations for their country.

Linh, now in her fifth Games, has yet to win an individual medal but with her determination and skill, she could very well be the one to break Việt Nam's badminton curse and bring home the gold.

It has been a year since then and Linh has had success in both local and international competitions.

She dominated the domestic championship, and in five international tournaments, she came second in the Bendigo International 2022 and the Thailand International Challenge 2023. She won the Belgian International 2022, the Vietnam Open 2022 and Vietnam International Challenger 2023.

It pushes Linh to the world No 35, the highest ranking in her career.

In Cambodia, Linh will face strong rivals such as Lalinrat Chaiwan and Supanida Katethong of Thailand, and Esther Nurumi Tri Wardoyo of Indonesia.

Linh is one of 16 Vietnamese athletes to compete in the 32nd Games.

Other athletes who could make a name for themselves on the regional stage are Nguyễn Hải Đăng, Lê Đức Phát and rising star Vũ Thị Anh Thư.

Đăng just replaced legend Tiến Minh in the national No 1 position last month. He is world No 152, while Minh, who dominated the place for 21 years, is No 155. In 2022, Đăng finished third in an open tournament in Latvia and grabbed silver from the Croatia Open.

Phát meanwhile took a silver from the Vietnam International Challenge last month. He is currently world No 169.

Thư showed her potential after a third place in the Latvian tournament after winning titles from open events in Croatia and France in 2022.

Athletes will compete in seven out of eight events from May 8-16 at the Badminton Hall in the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex in Phnom Penh.

The hosts added an event of mixed teams to the competition list but attached a special regulation.

As approved by Badminton Asia, the organisers said the event is only open for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Timor Leste, who have never won a single medal in badminton before.

He said having no right to compete in this event would not affect Việt Nam’s medal target. 

Triathletes to race in VINFAST IRONMAN 70.3 Việt Nam

Nearly 3,000 athletes will race in the VINFAST IRONMAN 70.3 Việt Nam at the central city’s beach track on May 4-7.

The city’s sports and culture department confirmed that 307 children have registered to race in the Ironkids, while 250 runners will join the charity Newborns Việt Nam Runout.

It said the event would draw the participation of 2,200 volunteers and 7,500 visitors coming to Đà Nẵng during the three-day race with the motto 'Boundless Together', on the pristine white sand beach track.

Professional athletes will challenge in the men’s and women’s 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run on May 7 morning from the departure at the beach of the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa.

Fun runners will take on the Newborns Vietnam Runout from 6 to 7.30am on May 5, while IRONKIDS will test in aquathlon and triathlon of age groups of 5-7. 8-10, 11-12 and 13-15.

Sunrise Sprint Race Day will start their division on May 6.

Under the IRONMAN spirit, ‘Anything Is Possible’, the event organisers treasure the resilience and unity that each individual has demonstrated after overcoming the difficulties of the past two years, and people are united in spirit, allowing each member to conquer challenges and reach their full potential.

The event will showcase the beautiful city of Đà Nẵng, known as the ‘City of Bridges’ with the iconic Rồng (Dragon) Bridge, delivering the story of the Vietnamese ancient origin myth as ‘the descendants of the dragon, grandchildren of immortal sages’.

The Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa will be the host hotel and race central.

Last year's race drew 2,500 athletes, including more than 1,100 Vietnamese triathletes, and saw Hạnh Nguyễn and Australian Michael Cassinides winning the women’s and men’s divisions.

The event has continuously contributed to the triathlon community development in Việt Nam by creating virtual platforms and physical spaces for employees, partners, and non-professional teams to practise.

The 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam offers 30 age group qualifying slots to the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on August 26-27th in Lahti, Finland, according to the event organisers. 

Hanoi increases free holiday double-decker buses

Hanoi has provided one more free double-decked bus due to their popularity during the on-going Reunification Day (30/4) and International Labour Day (May 1) holidays.

The additional bus can transport 54 passengers.  Five free double-decker buses are currently being offered for people to enjoy city tours until the end of May 3. Each bus serves nine trips per day, starting from 8:30 am. The interval between trips is 30 minutes.

Visitors can catch the buses at Hanoi Opera House to travel through the local tourist spots Trang Tien-Ngo Quyen, Ly Thuong Kiet, Trang Thi, Dien Bien Phu, Doc Lap, Hoang Van Thu-Hung Vuong, Thanh Nien and Yen Phu streets.

On Sunday, thousands of people queued up for a free Hanoi City Tour double-decker bus ride Saturday. Many waited for several hours. 

500-kg bomb found by Hanoi river

A bomb weighing around 500 kilos has been found by the Duong River in Long Bien District, Hanoi.

The bomb was detected by a local resident in Giang Bien Ward around 50 metres from the banks of the Duong River. It was some two metres long and had a diameter of 40-45 cm.Vu Phuong Dong, chairman of Giang Bien District, said that local authorities handed over the bomb to Hanoi High Command for it to be detonated.

In April 2012, a 250-kg bomb was also found in the Duong River which runs through Long Bien District’s Ngoc Thuy Ward. It was dropped in the area in 1972 during the American War.

Quang Ngai’s tourism promotional strategy opens with traditional boat race

A traditional boat race which was held on Ly Son Island off the central province of Quang Ngai attracted a lot of visitors and local people on April 30.

The competition called “Tu Linh" (Four mythical creatures in Vietnamese culture including Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, and Phoenix) boat race is one of the series of cultural, sports, and tourism promotional activities of Quang Ngai Province in 2023.

This year’s folk boat race saw the participation of eight with nearly 200 athletes who joined a long distance of 6,000 meters.
 
Tu Linh boat race was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2020. This brings to two traditional festivals in Ly Son that have been accredited as national intangible cultural heritages, including “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers) ceremony and Tu Linh boat race.

The traditional boat race dates back more than 300 years, aiming at paying tribute to natives’ ancestors who formed the island and soldiers who have fought for the country’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes as well as praying for prosperity, peace, and bumper fish harvests.

Quang Ngai Province plans to organize a series of cultural and sports activities to promote the locality’s tourism from April 29 to May 22.

The province's tourism promotional program themed “Ly Son – wonder of sea and islands” includes an exhibition on the sea and islands heritages of Ly Son, Tu Linh traditional boat race, a national paragliding competition, a Women's volleyball competition, a running race, a sea swimming competition.

HCMC metro trains defaced with graffiti for second time

Trains that will operate on Metro Line No. 1 in HCMC have been defaced with graffiti for the second time.

The Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) in HCMC has confirmed the graffiti stained train cars would be used for Metro Line No.1, which links the landmark Ben Thanh market and Suoi Tien Theme Park.

The graffiti was discovered on the morning of April 30 at the Long Binh Depot, which has two layers of security and CCTV cameras.

The MAUR has reported the situation to the authorities and has taken measures to remove the graffiti.

In June last year, at least two of the 17 train cars of Metro Line No. 1 were defaced with graffiti.

Around 1,500 people visit City Hall

After two open days, the 110-plus-year-old City Hall, where the HCMC People’s Committee is headquartered, received 51 groups comprising almost 1,500 domestic and foreign individuals.

As part of the program to mark Vietnam’s Reunification Day, City Hall was opened for public viewing for the first time on April 29 and 30.

The program received favorable feedback from locals and foreigners, who were welcomed to visit part of the building.

On April 30 alone, there were 27 groups with over 800 locals and foreigners.

On the same day, Phan Van Mai, chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, was present at the building to greet and meet visitors.

Lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Van Thanh, 96, and his family also came to City Hall. He said such open days should be arranged annually.

The visitors received a thank-you letter from the organizers, plus a QR Code for downloading souvenir photographs and further information about the building.

The building at 86 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1 started construction in 1889 and was completed in 1909, using French architect Femand Gardes’ design.

It was recognized as an architectural relic site by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in 2020.

Five-tonne whale found on Nam Dinh beach

A whale weighing around five tonnes was found on a beach in the northern province of Nam Dinh on Sunday.

Fishermen saw the decomposing whale carcass on the beach in Hai Trieu Commune in Hai Hau District.  Local authorities hired two excavators and used nets to bury the whale in line with the locality’s tradition.

Many whale carcasses have been discovered on Hai Trieu Beach, but this was the largest so far.

In 1994, a 10-tonne whale skeleton was found on a beach in Hai Cuong Commune, Hai Hau District. It is now being displayed at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes