Japanese cherry blossom festival to take place at Thang Long royal citadel

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />Japanese cherry blossom festival to take place at Thang Long royal citadel Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HfxwpU" width="200"/><br/><br /><table><br /><tr><br /><td><strong>The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has agreed to organize a Japanese cherry blossom festival 2015 on April 11th-12th at the Thang Long royal citadel in Hanoi.</strong> <strong>During the festival, Yosakoi traditional dance, cosplay performances, martial arts performances, and an introduction to special Japanesefood will be held.</strong> <strong>Apart from the usual Sakura decoration, there will be interesting activities such as Sakura planting, exhibition, and an area introducing Sakura and photography.</strong><br /><p>The Japanese cherry blossom festival was first held in 2007. Each year, the festival attracts more than 100,000 visitors. This is an outstanding cultural activity in Vietnam to introduce Japanese culture to visitors.</p><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1653865'><a href='http://bit.ly/1HXB7fK'><img alt="The Japanese cherry blossom festival 2014. (Source: doisongphapluat.com)" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="281" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HfxwpU" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>The Japanese cherry blossom festival 2014. (Source: doisongphapluat.com)</p><br /></div><br /><p>Last year, the festival took place at the Vietnam Exhibition and FairCenter on<br/> </p><br /><address>Giang Vo sstreet, Hanoi</address><br /><p>in March. Organised by the Japan-Vietnam Cultural Association Foundation, fresh cherry blossoms were imported from Japan and displayed at the festival./.</p><br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table><br /></div>

Japanese cherry blossom festival to take place at Thang Long royal citadel

Japanese cherry blossom festival to take place at Thang Long royal citadel Related image(s) The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has ...

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Nha Trang to host 2015 Miss Universe VN

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>VGP – The semi- and final rounds of the 2015 Miss Universe Viet Nam pageant will take place in the central province of Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang city in August.</p><br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1HXB6Zo'><img alt="1653888-hh" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="149" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB6Zo" width="269"/> </a> </p><br /><p>The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has licensed the Uni Corporation to organize the 2015 Miss Universe Viet Nam contest.</p><br /><p>The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the contest qualifying rounds will run from April 2 to August 8, 2015.</p><br /><p>The finale will be held on the same stage where the 2008 Miss Universe World was held at which Vietnamese singer Thuy Lam check was crowned.</p><br /><p>Miss Universe Viet Nam is a beauty contest held in Viet Nam, aiming to not only honor Vietnamese women’s charming, intelligent, clever and energetic beauty but also select the country’s representative to take part in Miss Universe Pageant.</p><br /><p><strong>By Vien Nhu</strong> </p><br /><br/><br />Nha Trang to host 2015 Miss Universe VN Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB6Zo" width="200"/><br/></div>

Nha Trang to host 2015 Miss Universe VN

VGP – The semi- and final rounds of the 2015 Miss Universe Viet Nam pageant will take place in the central province of Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang...

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“Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” wins three awards at Fribourg International Film Festival

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1Hfxu1e'><img alt="1653847-30-15-57-16-337" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="400" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB83j" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>(Cinet)- Vietnamese film “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” by director Nguyen Hoang Diep won three awards at Fribourg International Film Festival.</p><br /><p>Accordingly, three awards including: Mention spéciale- Special Encouragement Award of BGK. Prix du Jury œcuménique- which honors works of quality that touch the spiritual dimension of humans’ existence. Prix du Jury des Jeunes- which is given away by a jury made up of six members aged from 18 to 24.</p><br /><p>The film tells the story of Huyen, a girl who needs money for an abortion after her boyfriend deserts her. She then turns to a close friend, who is a transsexual, for help and begins to find happiness with a man who has a special passion for pregnant women.</p><br /><p>“Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” earned the jury’s Special Mention at the Festival of the Three Continents, or “Festival des 3 Continents” in French, in December last year.</p><br /><p>The film drew huge crowds at the 3rd Hanoi International Film Festival in November 2014 and the 2014 AFI FEST in Hollywood, which closed in mid-November last year.</p><br /><p>AFI FEST is the American Film Institute’s annual celebration of international cinema from modern masters and emerging filmmakers.</p><br /><p>The high-profile film garnered the jury’s award for feature films at the festival.</p><br /><p>“Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” was named Best Film at the International Critics’ Week – a program for debut films at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival held in September.</p><br /><p>The film earned its 33-year-old director the Best Director prize, one of the major awards given away at the 16th International Film Festival Bratislava in Slovakia, which concluded in mid-November last year.</p><br /><p>Produced by VBlock Media, a Vietnamese company, in coordination with French, German and Norwegian partners, “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and competed at several other major international film fests, including Busan and Toronto, in 2014.</p><br /><p>The Fribourg International Film Festival Association is the founding body of the fest. Founded in 1987 and based in Fribourg, the non-profit organization aims to promote understanding among different cultures in the world, and gives preference to films that stimulate reflection and provoke discussion, according to the festival’s website.</p><br /><p>This year’s festival ran from March 21 to 28.</p><br /><br/><br />“Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” wins three awards at Fribourg International Film Festival Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB83j" width="200"/><br/></div>

“Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” wins three awards at Fribourg International Film Festival

(Cinet)- Vietnamese film “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” by director Nguyen Hoang Diep won three awards at Fribourg International Film...

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Hotel Nikko Saigon reaps awards

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Hotel Nikko Saigon reaps awards<br /><p>The Saigon Times Daily</p><br /><p>Presented by Rakuten Travel, Golden Award 2014 is granted for hotels with the highest booking volume, revenue, guest satisfaction and consistent competitive pricing.</p><br /><p>For the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2015, Hotel Nikko Saigon is the winner among five-star hotels in HCMC in the category “Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Vietnam,” marking its third win in a row of TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards, which are based on the ratings of thousands of people who posted reviews on the travel site over the year.</p><br /><p>The hotel is also honored with the Award of Excellence 2014 by Booking.com based on total reviews in 2014. It achieved an overall guest review score of 9.2/10, the highest score among all five-star hotels in the city.</p><br /><br/><br />Hotel Nikko Saigon reaps awards Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Hotel Nikko Saigon reaps awards

Hotel Nikko Saigon reaps awards The Saigon Times Daily Presented by Rakuten Travel, Golden Award 2014 is granted for hotels with the highest...

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Hai Phong fosters tourism development

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>The northern city of Hai Phong welcomed 964,300 tourists in the first three months of 2015, an increase of 7.23 percent from the same period last year, according to the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.</p><br /><p>According to the department’s director, Doan Duy Linh, the city aims to become the tourism hub of the northern coastal region by diversifying its tourism products and improving its services.</p><br /><p>Deputy Chairwoman of the Cat Hai district People’s Committee, Vu Thi Kim Bich, said a fund to promote Cat Ba’s tourism in 2015 was launched to develop material facilities and enhance service quality.</p><br /><p>The district will soon hold several activities to kick start its tourism season, including a volleyball competition, a football match and artistic performances.</p><br /><p>Meanwhile, Do Son district aims to become an international entertainment and tourism centre serving the city’s open door economic development policy. Local authorities hope that the city will receive 2.5 million tourists in 2015.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />Hai Phong fosters tourism development Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Hai Phong fosters tourism development

The northern city of Hai Phong welcomed 964,300 tourists in the first three months of 2015, an increase of 7.23 percent from the same period...

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Vietnamese airports to undergo repairs, flights to be hit

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Vietnamese airports to undergo repairs, flights to be hit<br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1BJRKVi'><img alt="1653999-flight-niaf" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWRyF" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Passengers stand at a ticket counter for VietJet Air, operated by VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co., at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Bloomberg</p><br /><p>A number of major airports, including Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, will undergo repairs between April and June, and the number of flights will be reduced as a result, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has announced.</p><br /><p>They will fix their runways between April 10 and June 25.</p><br /><p>According to the CAAV, Tan Son Nhat International Airport will see around 80 flights cut and 10,000 passengers unable to fly each day due to the maintenance.</p><br /><p>Annually, the number of airline passengers who go on summer vacation increases by 20-30 percent between May and July.</p><br /><p>This year Vietnamese will have a six-day holiday from April 28 to May 3 due to Hung Kings’ Temple Festival to pay tribute to the mythical founders of the nation, Reunification Day on April 30 and Labor Day.</p><br /><p>An estimated one million booked passengers will be unable to fly during the maintenance period.</p><br /><p>It is expected to cause a loss of VND120 billion (US$5.57 million) for the airports and VND1.5 trillion ($69.6 million) for carriers.</p><br /><br/><br />Vietnamese airports to undergo repairs, flights to be hit Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWRyF" width="200"/><br/></div>

Vietnamese airports to undergo repairs, flights to be hit

Vietnamese airports to undergo repairs, flights to be hit Passengers stand at a ticket counter for VietJet Air, operated by VietJet Aviati...

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IPU delegates share their views on Viet Nam

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1HXB4Rp'><img alt="1653811-30-9-33-14-41" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="325" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4Rp" width="450"/> </a> </p><br /><p>As part of the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 132nd General Assembly, a city tour around Ha Noi and a visit to the Viet Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Dong Mo were organised for participants and their relatives.</p><br /><p>The participants also enjoyed a stage performance named “Colours of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups” introducing a number of traditional arts. Viet Nam News took the opportunity to ask some of the international guests about their impressions of Viet Nam.</p><br /><p><strong>Juan Pablo, Chile</strong> </p><br /><p>“I have great impressions of Viet Nam. The country combines the old and the new. It has thousands of years of history but it is also a new nation of independence. Recent development has brought tremendous changes. I think this country has a lot of history, but is still a young nation.</p><br /><p>“I’ve had a great time and feel a sense of expectation.</p><br /><p>“This is my second visit to Viet Nam. Compared to my last time four years ago, I can see more buildings now. It’s a growing Viet Nam. Vietnamese are very proud of their culture, and they say it with pride.”</p><br /><p>Stella Chungong, Switzerlands</p><br /><p>“When I first landed in HCM City, my first impression was that the people here are very nice. Everybody is very helpful, very polite and very positive.</p><br /><p>“Then I came to Ha Noi and learnt about the different seasons here and how it moves from spring to summer.</p><br /><p>“Before my trip, I knew that the food here is great because near my house in Geneva, there is a Vietnamese restaurant and I used to go to sometimes. The food there is very nice, but the food here is even better than Geneva.</p><br /><p>“Today we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and learnt about the history of his life. I was so touched because it’s very rare to find a great man like that. And he gave so much for the people.</p><br /><p>“When I return to Geneva, I will tell my friends that they should visit Viet Nam where the people are warm and the food is good. There are also a lot of things to learn and to see from the history and culture.”</p><br /><p><strong>Mwaula Solopi, Zambia</strong> </p><br /><p>“Before coming here, I knew a very little thing about this country. I want to learn more about the culture. There is a lot of development that I want to know about.</p><br /><p>“I can feel the warm atmosphere from how people treat me here. You can’t get this from a book. You have to really come and experience it yourself.</p><br /><p>“When I get back to my country, I will tell people that Viet Nam is a place you much visit. It is a long journey from my country, but it’s worth it.”</p><br /><p>Batzandan Jalbasuren, Mongolia</p><br /><p>“Viet Nam has become a destination for many official events such as this Inter-Parliamentary Union General Assembly and I think the country has a great future.</p><br /><p>“The food here is delicious. In Mongolia, people really like pho, which is quite similar to Mongolian traditional soup. I see that Vietnamese people are like Mongolians. There are many similarities between us.</p><br /><p>Iman Altarawneh, Jordan</p><br /><p>“I like the culture here. Vietnamese people are helpful and friendly. Viet Nam also has a very nice nature. I like the food here.</p><br /><p>“If I want something special in my country, I will try Vietnamese food. There are some Vietnamese restaurants in the Middle East, especially in Dubai.”</p><br /><p><strong>Petra Osarsson, Sweden</strong> </p><br /><p>“This is the first time I have been to Viet Nam. We are staying in a hotel in central Ha Noi. I have had a chance to see the daily life of people around my hotel. I feel Vietnamese people are very hospitable. It is interesting to find that Vietnamese people often live in big families.”</p><br /><p><em>Source: VNS</em> </p><br /><br/><br />IPU delegates share their views on Viet Nam Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4Rp" width="200"/><br/></div>

IPU delegates share their views on Viet Nam

As part of the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 132nd General Assembly, a city tour around Ha Noi and a visit to the Viet Nam National ...

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Hanoi 4th in top travel destinations 2015

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Hanoi 4th in top travel destinations 2015<br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1bJWRyt'><img alt="1653831-avatar" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="225" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWRyt" width="300"/> </a> </p><br /><p>A 250-year-old village in Duong Lam village, Hanoi (Photo: VNA)</p><br /><p>The world’s prestigious travel website TripAdvisor has announced the world’s top 25 travel destinations this year in its 2015 Travellers’ Choice Awards.</p><br /><p>Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi came fourth on the list, based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers.</p><br /><p>Hanoi is described on TripAdvisor as a place with long-standing charm and beauty with its preserved Old Quarter and assorted monuments and colonial architecture with mixed modern designs.</p><br /><p>The city also features lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas.</p><br /><p>Morocco’s Marrakech topped the list, followed by Cambodia’s Siem Reap and Turkey’s Istanbul. Also included in the top 10 are the Czech Republic’s Prague, Britain’s London, Italy’s Rome, Argentina’s Buenos Aires, France’s Paris, and South Africa’s Cape Town.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />Hanoi 4th in top travel destinations 2015 Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWRyt" width="200"/><br/></div>

Hanoi 4th in top travel destinations 2015

Hanoi 4th in top travel destinations 2015 A 250-year-old village in Duong Lam village, Hanoi (Photo: VNA) The world’s prestigious travel w...

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Enhancing an international cooperation about arts, sports and tourism in some training sectors up to 2020

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1HXB4Rc'><img alt="1653849-30-15-22-17-103" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="319" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4Rc" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>(Cinet)- According to Decision No.758/QĐ-BVHTTDL, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism promulgated Plan to build the project about enhancing international cooperation about arts, sports and tourism in some training sectors up to 2020.</p><br /><p>The Project aims to propose some tasks and contents of international cooperation about arts, sports and tourism in some training sectors. The ministry aims to increase training quality and meet social demand and international integration; build annual plan and cooperating program with some foreign partners.</p><br /><p>The Plan showed some contents as follows:</p><br /><p>– Submitting the Project to establish the Edition Board and the Draft Board and Plan to build the Project; some expenses to implement the Project.</p><br /><p>Draft for the outline of the Project; build some papers to inspect; take some opinions of the Edition Board and the Draft Board to fulfil the outline.</p><br /><p>Carrying out the inspection in some training sectors; collecting and analyzing some statistics; writing some projects of the project; collecting some Draft 1 of the Project and meeting with the Edition Board and the Draft Board to contribute some opinions of the Draft; receiving some opinions to adjust and fulfill the Draft 2 of the Project.</p><br /><p>Seminar to inspect the Draft 3 and fulfill the project at the last time.</p><br /><p>Training Department and relevant agencies such as Ministry of Education and Training and relevant agencies should associate to implement the project.</p><br /><p>The Project should ensure quality, progress, schedule and procedure as a current regulation.</p><br /><br/><br />Enhancing an international cooperation about arts, sports and tourism in some training sectors up to 2020 Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4Rc" width="200"/><br/></div>

Enhancing an international cooperation about arts, sports and tourism in some training sectors up to 2020

(Cinet)- According to Decision No.758/QĐ-BVHTTDL, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism promulgated Plan to build the project about enha...

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Jetstar Pacific offers direct route from Hanoi to Phu Quoc

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Jetstar Pacific offers direct route from Hanoi to Phu Quoc<br /><p><strong>Low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific will launch a new route between Hanoi and Phu Quoc to meet the demand of traveling in the summer tourism season.</strong><a href='#http://bit.ly/1bJWRib'> </a> </p><br /><p><a href='#http://bit.ly/1bJWRib'> </a><a href='http://bit.ly/1BJRKV3'><img alt="1653763-1653763-images236892-images234966-images219636-may-bay-moi-500x334" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="334" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1BJRKV3" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>The new service will start from June 1 to September 6 with a daily return flight using 180-seat Airbus 320.</p><br /><p>The aircraft will take off at 3.45 pm from the Noi Bai International Airport and 6:35pm in Phu Quoc Airport. It takes 2 hours and 10 minutes each way. On the occasion, lucky passengers will have a chance to get free one-way ticket.</p><br /><p>In addition, Jetstar Pacific will sell cheap airfares on local and international routes from 11 am on March 31 to April 1.</p><br /><p>The national air carrier Vietnam Airlines has cooperated with travel agencies to offer package tours to China.</p><br /><p>The 7-day tour from Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City to Beijing, SuZhou Hangzhou and Shanghai will cost VND15,299,000.</p><br /><br/><br />Jetstar Pacific offers direct route from Hanoi to Phu Quoc Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1BJRKV3" width="200"/><br/></div>

Jetstar Pacific offers direct route from Hanoi to Phu Quoc

Jetstar Pacific offers direct route from Hanoi to Phu Quoc Low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific will launch a new route between Hanoi and Phu Qu...

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Visitors of IPU-132 enjoy cultural welcome event

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><i>The Hanoitimes</i> – A cultural extravaganza promoting the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities was held on March 29 at the Culture- Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups, outside of Hanoi, to welcome delegates to the 132 nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132).</p><br /><p>Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Tong Thi Phong declared that the event aimed to give IPU-132 participants a chance to enjoy outstanding national cultural features, including spiritual rituals, traditional costumes and cuisine and unique folk games.</p><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1653796'><a href='http://bit.ly/1HfxvSX'><img alt="She hoped that representatives from the 54 ethnic groups, all beneficiaries of comprehensive national investment policy, would help the visitors gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam and its vibrant and united people." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="366" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4AR" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>She hoped that representatives from the 54 ethnic groups, all beneficiaries of comprehensive national investment policy, would help the visitors gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam and its vibrant and united people.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1653797'><a href='http://bit.ly/1Hfxtuo'><img alt="All visitors really enjoy cultural welcome of the cultural extravaganza to promote the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="313" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4AS" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>All visitors really enjoy cultural welcome of the cultural extravaganza to promote the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities.</p><br /></div><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1653798'><a href='http://bit.ly/1Hfxtup'><img alt="Hanoitimes" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="328" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB6so" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Hanoitimes</p><br /></div><br /><br/><br />Visitors of IPU-132 enjoy cultural welcome event Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB4AR" width="200"/><br/></div>

Visitors of IPU-132 enjoy cultural welcome event

The Hanoitimes – A cultural extravaganza promoting the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities was held on March 29 ...

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As Vietnam struggles to attract foreign tourists, more Vietnamese take overseas trips

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>As Vietnam struggles to attract foreign tourists, more Vietnamese take overseas trips<br /><p><strong>While Vietnam has been <a href='#http://bit.ly/1N5aR3k'>losing its tourism appeal</a> to holidaymakers worldwide, tourists from the Southeast Asian country are valued customers of many tour organizers in other countries as they are willing to pay for overseas trips.</strong> </p><br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1bJWRi1'><img alt="1653743-1hlaichu" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="295" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWRi1" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Around five million Vietnamese people spent their holidays outside the country last year, a healthy growth rate of up to 20 percent, according to the Vietnam Travel Association.</p><br /><p>The figure is expected to continue rising this year and Vietnam has emerged as a potential market for travel firms around the globe, the association said.</p><br /><p>“If each Vietnamese vacationer spends an average of US$300 per trip, Vietnam loses some $1.5 billion from tourist spending annually,” said the association’s deputy chairman Vu The Binh.</p><br /><p>This is quite contrary to the fact that the number of international tourists choosing to spend their holidays in Vietnam during the first two months of this year dropped 10.6 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.</p><br /><p>Industry insiders have pointed to the country’s lack of <strong><a href='#http://bit.ly/1NewM8h'>diversified tourism products</a> </strong>, <strong><a href='#http://bit.ly/1bJWRi2'>rigid visa rules</a> </strong>, and a polluted environment.</p><br /><p>But these shortcomings cannot be found in other regional countries.</p><br /><p>With Japan <strong><a href='#http://bit.ly/1BJRKEP'>easing visa requirements</a> </strong> for Vietnamese on organized tours starting late last year, the number of Vietnamese tourists traveling to the East Asian country has soared dramatically, according to industry insiders.</p><br /><p>“Long lines could be seen in front of the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City on a daily basis after the Lunar New Year [in February],” Thu Pham, a tourist guide, told <em>Tuoi Tre</em> (Youth) newspaper, referring to the visa application for trips to the East Asian country.</p><br /><p>“You would not see this a year earlier.”</p><br /><p>The general director of a tour organizer in Ho Chi Minh City also said bookings for Japan packages to watch the cherry blossoms have increased 40 percent compared to last year.</p><br /><p>His company has also managed to find customers for packages to the EU, the U.S., and such regional destinations as Cambodia and Thailand.</p><br /><p>The company received 150 bookings worth a total of VND920 million ($42,874), more than 50 percent of which are for packages to the said destinations, during its first day attending the week-long Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2015, which concluded Sunday, according to the executive.</p><br /><p>Many other major Vietnamese travel companies told <em>Tuoi Tre</em> there are huge numbers of bookings for tours to South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.</p><br /><p>The third annual Vietnam International Travel Mart, the country’s largest such event, is slated to run in Hanoi from April 3 to 6.</p><br /><p>Representatives from other countries’ tourism administrations will account for nearly a third of the booths at the event to attract Vietnamese customers, according to the organizers.</p><br /><p><strong>Enviable approaches</strong> </p><br /><p>The approaches other countries apply to attract Vietnamese vacationers could make travel firms in Vietnam envious as they seem unable to receive such support from local tourism authorities.</p><br /><p>Many websites of the national tourism administrations of other countries are available in the Vietnamese language, and they provide detailed information on where to stay, what to do, or how to use public transportation in their countries.</p><br /><p>“We feel upset seeing that they have such a professional approach to promoting tourism,” the director of a local travel agency said.</p><br /><p>While Vietnam has been criticized for failing to introduce their tourism beauties to the world through effective marketing campaigns, the travel agencies of other countries are hugely supported by their tourism authorities to do so.</p><br /><p>“The tourism administrations [of other countries] give financial support to run ads in Vietnamese media or to print leaflets or brochures,” said Nguyen Quoc Ky, general director of Vietravel, a leading travel firm in Vietnam.</p><br /><p>“Their ultimate goal is to have as many Vietnamese tourists visiting their countries as possible.”</p><br /><p>The mayor of the Japanese city of Sapporo has also come to Vietnam to meet with local travel companies and proposed helping them with bringing Vietnamese holidaymakers to Japan.</p><br /><p>“He came and asked what they could do for us to bring [Vietnamese] tourists to Sapporo,” Ky recalled.</p><br /><p>Vietnamese tourists usually follow the ‘golden itinerary,’ which covers Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Osaka, and Kyoto for their Japan trips, and other Japanese localities are trying to attract these vacationers to their own destinations.</p><br /><p>“Representatives from authorities of many Japanese localities have also come to Vietnam and asked us to bring tourists there,” said Lam Tu Khoi, director of outbound tours with Saigontourist.</p><br /><p>“They are willing to cut prices, reduce or exempt airport fees, and provide shuttle buses for us, as long as Vietnamese tourists will visit their localities.”</p><br /><p><strong><strong><strong><em><a href='#http://bit.ly/1bJWRi3'>Like us on Facebook</a> or <a href='#http://bit.ly/1BJRKV2'>follow us on Twitter</a> to get the latest news about Vietnam!</em> </strong> </strong> </strong> </p><br /><br/><br />As Vietnam struggles to attract foreign tourists, more Vietnamese take overseas trips Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWRi1" width="200"/><br/></div>

As Vietnam struggles to attract foreign tourists, more Vietnamese take overseas trips

As Vietnam struggles to attract foreign tourists, more Vietnamese take overseas trips While Vietnam has been losing its tourism appeal to h...

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Filial pursuit: China museum displays family values campaign

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1HXB4AJ'><img alt="1653803-c9530429b77b2c27fe6ab6eb66294bef7f14b937" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="281" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1Hfxtum" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>What makes a good son or daughter? At China’s first museum dedicated to the topic of “filial piety”, the answer seems to be: almost superhuman levels of devotion and sacrifice.</p><br /><p><em>Elderly people watch a performance at the Modern Filial Piety Culture Museum in Qionglai, China’s Sichuan province. AFP/File / by Tom Hancock</em> </p><br /><p>Respect for family elders has been a cornerstone of Chinese culture for millennia, but many believe it is being eroded by the country’s rapid economic growth.</p><br /><p>The Modern Filial Piety Culture Museum, which cost more than $1 million, is part of government-backed efforts to “pass on the value” — as a banner over the entrance exhorts.</p><br /><p>In a grey brick courtyard building inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, slick panels and exhibits in gleaming glass cases tell of more than a dozen modern-day filial role models.</p><br /><p>One is policeman Wang Chunlai, who provided his bedridden parents with years of medical care, giving them injections and blood transfusions.</p><br /><p>“This man is a classic example of filial piety,” said museum volunteer Zeng Yan, in front of the Wangs’ tattered beds and discoloured bedpans, donated after their demise.</p><br /><p>Others include an eight-year-old girl who provided constant care for her paralysed mother, and a schoolteacher who took his Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother everywhere he went.</p><br /><p>Among the artefacts are a blue and yellow cart — something between a fairytale carriage and a wheelbarrow — in which two sons pulled their mother to more than 600 towns and cities across China to fulfil her dying wish to travel.</p><br /><p>They wore out 12 pairs of shoes in the process, several of them on display beside the carriage in the museum in the southwestern province of Sichuan.</p><br /><p>“I think that people often don’t consider their parents’ dreams. That’s the meaning of the exhibit,” Zeng added.</p><br /><p>– Paragons of piety –</p><br /><p>Filial piety was the core value of China’s ancient sage Confucius, and outlandish tales have been used for centuries to spur readers to greater heights of parental devotion.</p><br /><p>One of the country’s most renowned literary works is the “Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety”, written during the Yuan dynasty 600 years ago.</p><br /><p>It includes a woman who breastfeeds her toothless step-mother, a son who tastes his father’s excrement to test for illness, and another man who sits naked at his parents’ bedside to prevent them being bitten by mosquitoes.</p><br /><p>But China’s three decades of rapid economic growth have put families under unprecedented strains, with hundreds of millions leaving their parents behind as they migrate to find work.</p><br /><p>Suicide rates among elderly people in some rural areas have increased five-fold over the last two decades, state-run media have reported, with family neglect seen as a major cause.</p><br /><p>Projections show that 350 million Chinese ?- one in four of the population -? will be aged 60 or older by 2030, almost twice as many as now.</p><br /><p>At the same time “one-child policy” family planning rules mean the burden of care will usually fall on a single offspring.</p><br /><p>A 2012 law requiring adult children to visit their aged parents “often”, or risk repercussions, has been seen as unenforceable.</p><br /><p>Instead, Beijing has fallen back on celebrating examples of the virtue, with local bureaucrats holding competitions to find “filial children”.</p><br /><p>State-run media have run pictures of hundreds of schoolchildren kow-towing before their parents to show their obedience — although social media commentators said such ceremonies discouraged independent thinking among children.</p><br /><p>The museum, on a riverbank in the Sichuan backwater of Guyi, opened four months ago and local authorities provided at least a quarter of its eight million yuan ($1.3 million) construction costs, its businessman founder Liao Lin told AFP.</p><br /><p>An introductory panel features equal-sized portraits of Confucius and President Xi Jinping, with a quote from the current Communist chief urging officials to read the “Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child”, a collection of Confucian sayings which emphasise filial piety.</p><br /><p>– ‘They may feel guilty’ –</p><br /><p>But the official drive has been criticised as a way for the state to shirk its duty to provide elderly care.</p><br /><p>China’s civil affairs minister said last year that there were just 25 care beds for every 1,000 senior citizens, while health insurance rarely covers the costs of major procedures.</p><br /><p>“Many Chinese families, facing smaller family size and family separation, are anxiously searching for new ways of fulfilling filial piety,” said Hong Zhang, a researcher at Colby College in the US.</p><br /><p>“If the government is promoting the filial tradition, people can be cynical and see it as the government’s effort to find an excuse of not doing its job.”</p><br /><p>Museum founder Liao, a tea and liquor magnate, admitted that heroic acts of filial piety alone were not enough. “China’s social security system is still lacking,” he said.</p><br /><p>Liao — whose own daughter is at boarding school and hopes to study abroad — said he “thought a lot” about his parents, and “did my best to serve them”, but would not give details.</p><br /><p>“People will see these perfect examples, and be inspired to do even better,” he said of his exhibits.</p><br /><p>“They may feel guilty that they don’t care enough for their parents, and return home to wash their parents’ feet. That’s the kind of result we are hoping for.”</p><br /><br/><br />Filial pursuit: China museum displays family values campaign Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Hfxtum" width="200"/><br/></div>

Filial pursuit: China museum displays family values campaign

What makes a good son or daughter? At China’s first museum dedicated to the topic of “filial piety”, the answer seems to be: almost superh...

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Ho Chi Minh City to get first pedestrians-only street next month

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Ho Chi Minh City to get first pedestrians-only street next month<br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1bJWSTd'><img alt="1653718-nhue-mrgc" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="344" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWSTd" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>A graphic of Nguyen Hue Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.</p><br /><p>Nguyen Hue will become Ho Chi Minh City’s first walking-only street on April 20 to mark Reunification Day (April 30), the city’s Party chief has said.</p><br /><p>Le Thanh Hai, secretary of the municipal Party Unit, inspecting some major construction works Saturday, said with reference to the work needed before Nguyen Hue can become a pedestrians-only street: “The contractors have been told to follow the deadline and ensure quality.”</p><br /><p>He urged the city administration to inform the public about the plan.</p><br /><p>Authorities plan to completely ban trucks on the street and all motor vehicles between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays once it becomes walking only.</p><br /><p>Trucks can get permission in individual cases to use the road, according to the transport department.</p><br /><p>The plan to upgrade the street is expected to cost VND430 billion (US$20 million) and will turn the 670-meter downtown street into a cultural hub with 3D art events and water fountains at night.</p><br /><p>The street runs from the People’s Committee office to Bach Dang Wharf on the Sai Gon River.</p><br /><br/><br />Ho Chi Minh City to get first pedestrians-only street next month Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWSTd" width="200"/><br/></div>

Ho Chi Minh City to get first pedestrians-only street next month

Ho Chi Minh City to get first pedestrians-only street next month A graphic of Nguyen Hue Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen Hue w...

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Book festival spotlighted nationwide

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><strong>Books will be the centre of attention through the end of April as a string of events are set to celebrate the 2nd annual Vietnam Book Day (April 21).</strong> <a href='#http://bit.ly/1HfxtdX'> </a> </p><br /><p><a href='#http://bit.ly/1HfxtdX'> </a><a href='http://bit.ly/1HfxvCA'><img alt="1653766-1653766-images236894-1" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="299" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HfxvCA" width="400"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Major activities will be concentrated between April 18 and 23.</p><br /><p>A book street will run in Hanoi through April 17-21 and several workshops and talk shows are to be held, including events presenting national anniversary-themed books, such as the 40th Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30), 70 years of August Revolution (August 9) and National Day (September 2), among others.</p><br /><p>Celebrations will take place in the Temple of Literature and libraries, schools, headquarters of state agencies and organisations across the nation.</p><br /><p>April 21 was designated Vietnam Book Day by the Prime Minister.</p><br /><p>Aimed to encourage reading in the community, the annual event looks to raise public awareness of books as not only a source of knowledge but also a way to develop one’s thinking and personality.</p><br /><p>The event also presents a chance to appreciate the efforts of those involved in the development of books, such as collectors, writers, publishers and distributors.</p><br /><p>The observance of the event will contribute to raising the responsibility of ministries, sectors and social organisations towards the promotion of reading in Vietnam</p><br /><br/><br />Book festival spotlighted nationwide Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HfxvCA" width="200"/><br/></div>

Book festival spotlighted nationwide

Books will be the centre of attention through the end of April as a string of events are set to celebrate the 2nd annual Vietnam Book Day (A...

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Vietnam province tries to lure tourists with price cuts

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Vietnam province tries to lure tourists with price cuts<br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1bJWSCF'><img alt="1653682-khanhhoa-etjq" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWSCH" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>Foreign tourists arrive at Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa. Photo credit: Lao Dong</p><br /><p>Khanh Hoa Province, home to the popular resort town of Nha Trang, is asking restaurants and shops to reduce prices by at least 10 percent and encouraging them to offer other discounts to attract more tourists.</p><br /><p>It has set itself ambitious targets of four million tourist arrivals and tourism revenues of VND6.5 trillion (US$301.8 million) this year, 21 percent and 15 percent higher than last year.</p><br /><p>It is asking travel agencies to offer promotional tours to groups of tourists, hotels and guesthouses to offer one free night for a customer for every several nights and tourist attractions to allow children in for free.</p><br /><p>As it seeks to burnish its tourism image, Khanh Hoa has been ordering travel companies to update tourists on the security and traffic situation in the province to minimize risks.</p><br /><p>There have been recent concerns about a resurgence of robber gangs that were very active before a crackdown a few years ago.</p><br /><p>There have been many cases of tourists being mugged, sometimes by armed robbers who even fought back against police officers.</p><br /><p>Traffic accidents are another major threat to tourists.</p><br /><p>Travel agencies have complained about speeding and refusal to give way to pedestrians by local riders, prompting a major campaign in which uniformed volunteers have been assigned to help tourists cross busy streets since last November.</p><br /><p>Khanh Hoa’s tourism has been growing in recent years as it became a favorite destination for Russian tourists, who feel connected with its Cam Ranh military port that was once used by Russia.</p><br /><p>The province saw more than 3.3 million tourist arrivals last year, nearly 25 percent of them foreigners, and tourism revenues of more than VND5.5 trillion.</p><br /><p>But bookings from Russia have plummeted since December due to the ruble’s fall.</p><br /><br/><br />Vietnam province tries to lure tourists with price cuts Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWSCH" width="200"/><br/></div>

Vietnam province tries to lure tourists with price cuts

Vietnam province tries to lure tourists with price cuts Foreign tourists arrive at Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa. Photo credit: Lao Dong K...

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Social News 30/3

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><strong>New bridge opens in Da Nang</strong> </p><br /><p><strong><a href='http://bit.ly/19qEVro'><img alt="1653741-20150330120322-social" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="246" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/19qEVro" width="450"/> </a> </strong> </p><br /><p>After 18-months’ work, a three-level rail and road flyover was opened yesterday at Da Nang’s busiest roundabout, Hue Junction, to alleviate congestion.</p><br /><p>The VND2 trillion (US$95 million) project was built at a level crossing where 30 trains, 5,000 cars and trucks, 10,000 motorbikes and 80,000 bicycles cross path every day.</p><br /><p>Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang said the project, which was completed on time would ease traffic and reduce the number accidents.</p><br /><p>He told the inauguration ceremony that the flyover would become one of the city’s attractions.</p><br /><p>The bridge features designs of the Hindu Yoni (female) and Linga (male) emblems from the ancient Cham Kingdom in the central region in the 13th century.</p><br /><p>The bridge’s 65m-high main tower is designed to withstand earthquakes. It also has an earthquake alarm system.</p><br /><p><strong>Unusual floods kill 3 in central Vietnam</strong> </p><br /><p>Several floods triggered by unusual heavy rains over the last few days have claimed three lives in central Vietnam, authorities say.</p><br /><p>Two people in Quang Ngai and one in neighboring Quang Nam drowned as rainfall totals from March 24-28 in some areas hit more than 500 mm, the highest in March since 1965, Hoang Duc Cuong, director of the Central Meteorological Forecast Center, said on March 28.</p><br /><p>Cuong called the heavy rains “unusual” as they occurred during the dry season. The flooding season in central Vietnam usually starts in July and lasts until December.</p><br /><p>Floods over the last several days annihilated about 2,700 hectares of rice and other crops in Quang Ngai, local authorities said.</p><br /><p>“We often fear droughts in March, which may reduce our crop yields. But this year major floods came, submerging our crops,” said Doan Nam Dat, a 61-year-old farmer in Quang Ngai’s Hanh Minh Commune.</p><br /><p>Floods also damaged large areas of crops in Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.</p><br /><p><strong>Australia assists Vietnam in improving water quality</strong> </p><br /><p>Australia will continue to work with Vietnam to share experiences in dealing with integrated water management, including water quality control, and assist Vietnam to address challenges it faces in the sector, according to Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Hugh Borrowman.</p><br /><p>Hugh Borrowman and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on March 26 co-chaired a seminar on water quality control to discuss the status of water quality control in Vietnam and assessed the barriers and constraints to effective water quality control, including issues concerning institutional, financial and human resources.</p><br /><p>At the seminar, Deputy Prime Minister Dam stressed the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to improving water quality and emphasized the need to raise public awareness, enhance effective regulatory regimes and improve market-oriented incentives.</p><br /><p>“Australia has been an active partner for Vietnam in the water sector since 1993, and provided AUD122 million, including budget and technical support, through the National Target Program for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation from 2006 to 2015,” Borrowman said.</p><br /><p>Australia has provided water quality testing laboratories for 15 provinces, assisted the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in developing and rolling out a water quality control action plan, and assisted Vinh Phuc, Tuyen Quang, An Giang and Tra Vinh provinces in developing a strategy to address rural household water quality issues.</p><br /><p>In the coming time, Australian experts will continue helping Vietnam in promoting water quality treatment technologies, enhancing governance in this area, and promoting private sector participation in providing water services to rural people.</p><br /><p>Vietnam’s access to hygienic water sources increased from 57% in 1990 to 84.5% last year and sanitation access also jumped from 37% to 62.5% in the period.</p><br /><p><strong>Traffic banned on Pasteur and Le Duan Streets</strong> </p><br /><p>All vehicles have been banned from entering the Pasteur and Le Duan Streets in HCM City from today, the HCM City Department of Transport said.</p><br /><p>This has been done as part of the preparations for the 40th anniversary of the National Reunification Day (April 30).</p><br /><p>Vehicles would not be allowed to enter the Pasteur Street portion, stretching from Han Thuyen Street to the Alexandre de Rhodes Street, and on a part of the Le Duan Street between the Pham Ngoc Thach Street and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street.</p><br /><p>Residents have been advised to use alternative routes, such as the Pasteur–Ly Tu Trong–Hai Ba Trung–Le Duan–Pham Ngoc Thach or Le Duan–Pham Ngoc Thach–Alexandre de Rhodes–Nam Ky Khoi Nghia route.</p><br /><p>Meanwhile, a portion of the Han Thuyen Street, which runs from the Pasteur to Cong xa Paris Street, will be restricted to a one-way street during the duration of the preparations.</p><br /><p>Parking on Han Thuyen and Alexandre de Rhodes has also been banned.</p><br /><p>The bans will be lifted on May 6.</p><br /><p><strong>Three die in separate train accidents</strong> </p><br /><p>Two men died after being hit by a fast approaching south-north SE2 train, while they were trying to cross the rail line yesterday afternoon in the central Thua Thien-Hue Province.</p><br /><p>The accident took place in the province’s Loc Thuy Commune in Phu Loc District. Eyewitnesses said the men, who were on a motorbike, were attempting to cross the rail line to go to a hamlet, even as others had stopped to let the train pass.</p><br /><p>This was the second instance of a train collision at the same site during the last month and a half. No barrier has been placed at the railway crossing.</p><br /><p>Earlier in the day, a woman was killed after being a hit by local train in the central Quang Binh Province. The train was going from the local Dong Hoi Township to Vinh City in Nghe An Province.</p><br /><p><strong>An Giang residents run for charity</strong> </p><br /><p>More than 2,000 government officials, soldiers, workers, students and local residents came together in Long Xuyen City to take part in a public marathon today.</p><br /><p>They gathered in the Ton Duc Thang Square of the city located in the southern An Giang province.</p><br /><p>The event entitled, “Olympic Run for Public Health” is aimed at promoting awareness among the local residents about protecting their health.</p><br /><p>Organised by the Viet Nam Father Front Committee in co-operation with the An Giang Province’s Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports, the race will also raise funds to support the “Fund for the Poor.”</p><br /><p>On the first day of the movement today, more than VND57 billion (US$2.5 million) was raised for the poor.</p><br /><p>Donors included people from social organisations and businesses. The provincial Hoa Hao Buddhist Executive Committee donated VND5 billion (US$240,000), while the Co To stone exploiting and processing enterprise contributed VND3.5 billion.</p><br /><p>The Vice Chairman of the province’s People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh stressed that the event was held to manifest the tradition of national unity among the local residents and to help implement the country’s poverty eradication programme.</p><br /><p><strong>Most modern equipped cancer hospital inaugurated in Northeast area</strong> </p><br /><p>A VND336 billion (US$15.6 million) cancer center which is a branch of Vietnam-Thuy Dien (Vietnam-Sweden) Cancer Hospital was inaugurated yesterday in the northern province of Quang Ninh , aiming to enhance treatment quality and meet demand of treating cancer for people in the Northeast area.</p><br /><p>The 200 bed center was invested by the Government and well-equipped with modern machines for cancer treatment. It also has a dormitory for physicians and a library.</p><br /><p>Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that investment in the center was a part in the target of completing cancer treatment system nationwide in the future.</p><br /><p>Moreover, the Vietnam-Thuy Dien (Vietnam-Sweden) Cancer Hospital will become general hospital to improve healthcare mission in the North, she said.</p><br /><p>Ms. Kim Tien added that the center was also aimed at reducing the overloading in hospitals in Hanoi.</p><br /><p>Hospital director Dr. Tran Viet Tiep said that there were more and more people suffering cancer, heart problems and endocrine.</p><br /><p>According to annual statistics, the rate of new cancer patients per year account for 0.16 percent of the whole country population and the hospital receives from 1,500 to 2,000 fresh cancer people a year, he said.</p><br /><p>As treatment demand has increased dramatically, especially cancer disease, in 2009, the Ministry approved the national cancer prevention development planning with the vision to 2020, in which the Vietnam-Sweden would be expanded with over 1,100 beds and three new cancer centers.</p><br /><p>Vietnam has around 150,000 cancer patients annually, of which 75,000 succumbed to the disease. The number is expected to hit 200,000 by 2020.</p><br /><p><strong>JFE Holdings presents scholarships to Danang students</strong> </p><br /><p>Financial assistance to help the University of Danang recruit and educate even more top science and technology students was the focus of VND50 million gifts from Japan based JFE Steel Corporation.</p><br /><p>On March 27, scholarships were awarded to 10 students based on academic excellence and their ability to speak fluent Japanese who are studying at the university as a way to invest in the future advancement of relations between Vietnam and Japan.</p><br /><p>Each awardee received a watch and VND5 million to be used for tuition or other educational fees.</p><br /><p>At the event, representatives of JFE and the University of Danang committed to further coordinating to present similar awards in the future.</p><br /><p>JFE Holdings, Inc. is a large multinational organization that engages in the steel and engineering businesses. The company was founded on September 27, 2002 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.</p><br /><p><strong>Vietnam mulls higher visa fees for foreigners, OVs</strong> </p><br /><p>The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance is drafting a new visa rule that will maintain the fees for Vietnamese citizens but increase those for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.</p><br /><p>A single-entry visa for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese is proposed to be US$45, instead of the current US$25, according to the draft decree.</p><br /><p>The fees to get a multi-entry visa vary depending on the time of validity, the ministry said.</p><br /><p>A six-month multi-entry visa currently costs US$50, but the finance ministry wants it to be US$65.</p><br /><p>As for the multi-entry visa with a validity of more than six months, which can now be applied for US$100, the new fee could be a maximum US$255.</p><br /><p>In good news for holidaymakers, the fee set for their visa will remain US$5 per person according to the ministry’s proposition.</p><br /><p>The fee for tourists was increased drastically to US$45 per person earlier this year, along with a more complicated and time-consuming application procedure, but was cut back to US$5 following an intervention by the Prime Minister.</p><br /><p><strong>Jail terms against trio for selling Vietnamese women</strong> </p><br /><p>The Supreme People’s Court has upheld jail terms ranging between three and eight years against three people of a human trafficking ring that sold seven Vietnamese women to Chinese men.</p><br /><p>At a trial in Ho Chi Minh City on March 26, the Supreme Court rejected all the appeals by Pham Thi Ngoc Tuyet, 42, Duong Van Chanh, 65, and his son Duong Quoc Nghia, 30.</p><br /><p>They were sentenced by a court in the southern province last December. Other members of the ring, Ka Thuy Linh and her Chinese husband Dai Chang Sheng were sentenced to three years each. Six of their accomplices received jail terms of between two and seven years.</p><br /><p>Only Tuyet, Chanh and Nghia appealed last year’s ruling, saying they committed the crime due to limited legal knowledge.</p><br /><p>The case was busted on June 4, 2014 when police caught Linh and Sheng at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport attempting to send three Vietnamese women to China.</p><br /><p>The couple’s confessions led to the arrests of Tuyet, the ring leader, and her accomplices.</p><br /><p>Investigators found that Tuyet had asked Linh and her husband to bring Chinese men over to pick Vietnamese wives since 2013.</p><br /><p>Linh, Sheng and another Chinese man, who is still at large, charged their Chinese clients 40,000 yuan (US$6,434) each. They paid Tuyet and her accomplices in Vietnam VND110 million (US$5,112) per client.</p><br /><p>They successfully sent seven women abroad.</p><br /><p><strong>Outstanding youth hounoured for significant achievements in 2014</strong> </p><br /><p>The 2014 Outstanding Vietnamese Youth Awards ceremony was held in Hanoi on March 28 to honour ten prominent youngsters who gained significant achievements in 2014 in various fields.</p><br /><p>Co-organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) Central Committee and the Vietnam Young Talent Support Fund, the awards aim to honour young Vietnamese individuals living at home or abroad who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of academics, scientific research, labour and production, national defence and security, arts and culture, sports and social activities.</p><br /><p>In 2014, the organising board received 141 nominations from 43 units, from which 20 outstanding individuals were selected to receive awards. The remaining ten of the final 20 also received the ‘Young promising faces of the year’ award at the ceremony.</p><br /><p>Speaking at the event, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Nguyen Thien Nhan, praised the outstanding achievements of the ten award winners, while urging them to continue to improve themselves so that they may contribute further to the national construction and defence.</p><br /><p>The leader also asked HCMCYU and Vietnam Young Talent Support Fund to expand the awards ceremony to honour more prominent individuals in order to motivate Vietnamese youth at home and abroad to actively participate in patriotic movements and gain more outstanding achievements.</p><br /><p>At the ceremony, the winners shared with the audience their ambitions and experiences on the path to realising their dreams.</p><br /><p><strong>Drunk Russian causes motorbike crash, 1 Vietnamese dead</strong> </p><br /><p>A Russian man, allegedly drunk, has caused a traffic accident in the central province of Phan Thiet, killing a local who was riding home from his late shift.</p><br /><p>Olegs Kabcob, 40, was rushed to a hospital in the early hours on March 25 with severe injuries, police said, adding that the man is still in critical condition.</p><br /><p>The Russian just left a late party at a restaurant in the resort town of Mui Ne and was on his way back to his hotel.</p><br /><p>He had not been granted any driving license in Vietnam, police said.</p><br /><p>Initial investigations at the scene showed that Kabcob’s motorbike had veered to the wrong side of the road, crashing into the motorbike of Nguyen Trung Trieu.</p><br /><p>Trieu, a 22-year-old worker, was coming home from his late shift.</p><br /><p>Both of the vehicles were badly damaged.</p><br /><p><strong>Doctors, nurse get prison for causing deaths of 3 newborns</strong> </p><br /><p>Two doctors and a nurse were sentenced to 3-5 years on March 27 for mistaking Hep-B vaccine with a muscle relaxant when giving the shots to three new-born babies, leading to their deaths in 2013.</p><br /><p>Quang Tri People’s Court handed down the highest jail terms to Nguyen Thi Thuan, the nurse that directly gave the injections to the babies at the Huong Hoa District General Hospital in the central province.</p><br /><p>The hospital deputy director, Doctor Nguyen Van Thien, 55, was sentenced to three years, and Doctor Le Huynh Son, 40, who was in charge of the operation room, got four years’ imprisonment for charges of “lack of responsibilities causing serious consequences.”</p><br /><p>Tran Thi Hai Van, 35, a nurse in charge of the examination ward, was sentenced to three years’ probation on the same charges.</p><br /><p>The hospital was ordered to compensate VND77 million (US$3,580) each to the families of the three babies.</p><br /><p>At the trial, Thuan said it was her biggest mistake during her 20 years working as a nurse and that she would be regretful for the rest of her life.</p><br /><p>Son also admitted that he was the one who put the muscle relaxant Esmeron into the fridge that stores Hep-B vaccines. He did, however, left a note that said “poisonous drug” on the bottle.</p><br /><p>Meanwhile, Van was in charge of managing vaccines stored in the fridge.</p><br /><p>According to the verdict, on July 20, 2013, Thuan was ordered to inject Hep-B vaccine to three new born babies.</p><br /><p>There was a power blackout at that time, so Thuan used the flashlight of her mobile phone to find the vaccine in the fridge and mistaken the Hep-B vaccine with the muscle relaxant.</p><br /><p>The three babies turned pale about half an hour after taking the shots and died soon later at the hospital’s emergency ward.</p><br /><p>Thuan then recognized that she made the fatal mistake. She tried to destroy the evidence by secretly replacing the three empty bottles of the muscle relaxant in the trash bin with three other bottles of Hep-B vaccine.</p><br /><p>She told the court she was so frightened by the babies’ deaths that she couldn’t think straight.</p><br /><p><strong>Ministry launches online services for cosmetics importers</strong> </p><br /><p>The Drug Administration of Viet Nam (DAVN) under the health ministry today launched online public services level 4 to help cosmetics importers promote their products in the country’s market.</p><br /><p>The online registration service level 4 will allow people, businesses and management units to perform administrative formalities, submit required forms, handle documents and payments and receive results using only a computer connected to the Internet.</p><br /><p>Service level 4, the highest of the four administrative service levels in the country, is expected to ease the registration process for enterprises in the healthcare sector.</p><br /><p>DAVN director Truong Quoc Cuong said, “The application of online service level 4 in the pharmaceutical field will create favourable conditions for enterprises, especially in terms of reducing expenses and time, and increasing transparency and publicity in health administration management.”</p><br /><p>Cuong said people and enterprises could submit documents, pay fees, check the progress of document processing and receive results through the online facility from the beginning of April.</p><br /><p>Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien said the application of information technology in health administration management was one of the health sector’s efforts to implement the government’s administrative reform policies.</p><br /><p>Last year, the ministry launched the level 4 online public service in the hygiene and food safety management field. The service is scheduled to be extended to medical equipment management in 2015.</p><br /><p><em><strong>Levels of public service registration</strong> </em> </p><br /><p>Level 1: Procedures to fill in the required forms and information about time and service cost are available online.</p><br /><p>Level 2: The service allows the user to download the required forms to be printed out and filled in later.</p><br /><p>Level 3: The applicant can fill in and submit the forms online.</p><br /><p>Level 4: Service payments can be settled online. Transaction results are available either online or by post, upon request.</p><br /><p>The online registration service level 4 will allow people, businesses and management units to perform administrative formalities, submit required forms, handle documents and payments and receive results using only a computer connected to the Internet.</p><br /><p><strong>Overloaded trucks threaten Ha Noi dykes</strong> </p><br /><p>The illegal movement of overloaded trucks on Ha Noi’s dykes are seriously threatening the structures, an official from the capital city’s Dyke Management Office (DMO) said.</p><br /><p>Deputy Director of DMO, under Ha Noi’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Xuan Hai said despite all efforts by the DMO in co-operation with local police, transport authorities and other social organisations in the city to prevent those trucks from travelling on the dykes, the violations were increasing to a worrying level.</p><br /><p>Hai said a large section of the dykes, particularly those in the Dong Anh and Tu Liem Districts, had been destroyed by trucks with a capacity of carrying more 15 tonnes of load.</p><br /><p>Most of the trucks seized by traffic policemen were found transporting sand illegally mined from the Hong River.</p><br /><p>Hai said several of the seized trucks had transportation capacity of 15 tonnes, but often carried much more than that.</p><br /><p>The official appealed for more action and participation by local authorities to tackle the situation, and highlighted the role of mass media as a key fighter against the violations.</p><br /><p>He also urged traffic policemen to impose stricter punishment on the violators.</p><br /><p>The DMO would join hands with mass media to wipe out all violations,Hai said.</p><br /><p>“We will send people to guard the dykes every day, film or take photographs of the violators, and then send them to the police as proof for punishment,” Hai said.</p><br /><p>A report from the Tu Liem District’s police revealed the district traffic policemen seized 412 trucks overloaded with sand and travelling on the Tu Liem Dyke last year. The trucks were fined a total amount of VND570 million (US$21,000).</p><br /><p>Illegal sand mining from Hong River has reportedly been damaging the capital city’s dyke system for a long time. The illegal practice has changed the flow of the Hong (Red), Duong and Da Rivers, seriously affecting waterway traffic and causing landslides.</p><br /><p><strong>Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam presents 600 gifts to poor</strong> </p><br /><p>The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha on March 27 presented 600 gift packages to impoverished people in the mountainous northern province of Dien Bien.</p><br /><p>The packages, worth between 500,000 VND and 300,000 VND each, were delivered to the underprivileged in five districts – Dien Bien, Dien Bien Dong, Tuan Giao, Nam Po and Muong Nhe.</p><br /><p>Those gifts are intended to share hardships with the impoverished and encourage them to make efforts to escape from poverty.</p><br /><p>Gift delivery is part of the Buddhist Festival in the Ban flower season held in Dien Bien by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, its Dien Bien chapter, and the provincial Department of Internal Affairs.</p><br /><p>The festival, from March 27-29, also includes a workshop on religious activities of ethnic minorities in mountainous regions and a requiem for martyrs’ soul.</p><br /><p><strong>Son La announces Na San airport plan</strong> </p><br /><p>The northern mountainous province of Son La and the Ministry of Transportation (MoT) have announced an upgrade plan for Na San airport which had experiences several closures since it was built in 1950.</p><br /><p>According to a preliminary draft project through 2020, the commercial terminal will be built across 6,750 square meters with a capacity of 450 passengers during its peak hours, or 900,000 passengers a year.</p><br /><p>By 2030, the terminal will be expanded an additional 9,000 square meters with a capacity of 600 passengers during peak hour, or 1.5 million passengers a year.</p><br /><p>The MoT is also scheduled to build runways, loading areas, administrative areas, flight control decks and roads across a total of 498 hectares by 2030.</p><br /><p>In addition to meeting civilian demand, the airport will also play a critical role in military affairs by controlling the northwest airspace.</p><br /><p>The airport was built in 1950 by the French, 300 kilometers northwest of Hanoi. During the resistance war against French colonialists, the airport was used as an entrenched fortification of the French army.</p><br /><p>In the 1960s, the airport was renovated to serve travel demand in the northwest region but was closed thereafter. It was re-opened for a decade, since 1994 before remaining idle until these current construction initiatives.-</p><br /><p><strong>Scholarship presented to ethnic students in Ca Mau</strong> </p><br /><p>Forty disadvantaged ethnic students with outstanding academic achievements in the southernmost province of Ca Mau received scholarships from the Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund on March 26.</p><br /><p>Each primary student was presented with a scholarship worth 800,000 VND (37.5 USD) while secondary and high school students received a scholarship worth 1 million VND (47 USD).</p><br /><p>Addressing the award ceremony, former Vice President and Chairwoman of the Fund Truong My Hoa praised the efforts and achievements of the local education sector in meeting the needs of the 6,000 ethnic students in the province.</p><br /><p>Established in 1999, the Fund has provided over 60,000 scholarships to students from poor ethnic minority groups nationwide.</p><br /><p>In recent years, it also raised funds to care for the children of soldiers protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.</p><br /><p><strong>Rice stockpiling nears national target</strong> </p><br /><p>Enterprises and localities nationwide have fulfilled more than 71 percent of the government’s plan to purchase and stockpile one million tonnes of rice from the winter-spring crop 2014-2015, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).</p><br /><p>VFA Deputy Chairman Huynh The Nang said the work has been conducted more effectively this year thanks to the improved connection among the Mekong Delta provinces and cities.</p><br /><p>He noted there were about ten businesses that failed to meet their purchase quota of 60,000 tonnes of rice, due to difficulties in accessing bank loans.</p><br /><p>Official statistics show that as of March 18, the Mekong Delta region cultivated rice crops on 1.557 out of 1.565 million hectares of allotted plantation land. The region expects to harvest 940,000 hectares with a yield of 6.34 million tonnes of rice.</p><br /><p><strong>Son La calls for investment in tourism</strong> </p><br /><p>The People’s Committee of the northern mountainous province of Son La has devised a number of incentives to attract investment in tourism development.</p><br /><p>The efforts will focus on improving its investment climate, administrative procedures and infrastructure facilities and fostering promotion activities.</p><br /><p>“The approved master plan for the development of the Moc Chau National Tourism Zone is a crucial legal framework for the province to mobilise long-term and comprehensive investment” Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Thuy said, highlighting strong potential for tourism, particularly resorts and ecotourism.</p><br /><p>The locality should build on its advantages and develop specific plans to boost the sector, he added.</p><br /><p>Dinh Hong Phuc, Deputy Director of the Pha Luong tourist agency, said the company will work closely with local residents to improve facilities and service quality, further strengthen homestay tourism and draw tourists to the locality.</p><br /><p>The Moc Chau National Tourism Zone, covering more than 206,000 hectares in Moc Chau and Van Ho districts, features diversified and unique products, natural landscapes and ethnic cultural identities, such as the Ban Flower Festival, Nao Song Festival, New Crop Festival, and Miss Cow festival.</p><br /><p><strong>Traffic experts discuss responsible drinking</strong> </p><br /><p>Responsible drinking was at the centre of a conference held in Hanoi on March 27 by the Vietnam’s National Traffic Safety Committee (VNTSC) and t he International Centre for Alcohol Polices ( ICAP ).</p><br /><p>The conference reviewed the implementation of the “Global Action to Prevent Alcohol Abuse” programme in Vietnam from 2010 to 2014, which is part of the “Global Action on Harmful Drinking” campaign.</p><br /><p>It gave participants the chance to learn about the successes and challenges from running, managing and operating projects from central to local levels; the final results and impacts of the project; and the upcoming action plans within the “Global Action” programme in Vietnam.</p><br /><p>The programme carried out activities in three initiatives: alcohol, beer and driving; regulations on responsibility in promoting and marketing alcohol products; and non-commercial alcohol and beer in 18 low and middle income countries.</p><br /><p>Addressing the conference, Vice Chairman of Vietnam’s National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung said the practice and experience from the project carried out in Hai Chau and Lien Chieu districts of Da Nang city had been applied to the entire city and to Thanh Hoa and Nghe An from 2013-2014.</p><br /><p>Hung appreciated the programme’s effectiveness, sustainability and societal involvement in the implementation process.</p><br /><p>The Committee is willing to expand cooperation with the ICAP and now the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) to carry out programmes on responsible drinking, contributing to preventing drinking and driving in Vietnam, Hung said.</p><br /><p>Brett Bivans, Senior Vice President of ICAP/IARD, took the occasion to thank Vietnamese ministries and governmental agencies for their effective cooperation during the programme.</p><br /><p>Programme projects were carried out effectively, laying a strong foundation for the next steps towards promoting ‘responsible drinking’ in Vietnam, Bivans said.</p><br /><p>The IARD will continue working with partners to reduce drinking and driving in Vietnam, he added.</p><br /><p><strong>Da Nang city celebrates 40 years of liberation</strong> </p><br /><p>Central Da Nang city marked the 40th anniversary of its liberation (March 29, 1975) with a ceremony held in Tien Son Sports Palace on March 28.</p><br /><p>In his speech, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Tho reminded local people of Da Nang liberation day and its 40-year journey of development thereafter.</p><br /><p>March 29, 1975 will be embedded in history as the most glorious chapter of the city, constituting the power and bravery of its people as well as Vietnam’s patriotism and revolutionary heroism in the US war, Tho hailed.</p><br /><p>The city has been oriented towards a comprehensive and sustainable growth to become a socio-economic centre of the central region, he noted.</p><br /><p>Lauding the city’s achievements, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, however, asked Da Nang to exert more effort to boost its economic development by promoting the use of advanced technology and improving productivity.</p><br /><p>The Deputy PM suggested the locality to keep up its goal as the country’s biggest centre for the fishing industry with an upgraded infrastructure for aquaculture and seafood processing.</p><br /><p>He also asked for more attentions to be given to urban planning and civilized community formation.</p><br /><p>A firework display will be launched late on the day at four locations to celebrate the occasion.-</p><br /><p><em>VNA/VNS/VOV/SGGP/Dantri/TT/TN</em> </p><br /><br/><br />Social News 30/3 Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/19qEVro" width="200"/><br/></div>

Social News 30/3

New bridge opens in Da Nang After 18-months’ work, a three-level rail and road flyover was opened yesterday at Da Nang’s busiest roundab...

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Da Nang records strong increase in tourist arrivals

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Da Nang records strong increase in tourist arrivals<br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1bJWSCu'><img alt="1653645-avatar" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="225" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWSCu" width="300"/> </a> </p><br /><p>My Khe beach in Da Nang City (Photo: VNA)</p><br /><p>Around 878,000 travellers visited the central coastal city of Da Nang in the first three months of 2015, up 17.3 percent against the same period last year, according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism.</p><br /><p>Of them, 313,000 were foreigners, an increase of 14.7 percent and 565,000 were domestic holiday-makers, up 18.9 percent compared to the same period last year.</p><br /><p>The revenue from tourism also rose 30.9 percent to 2.62 trillion VND (123 million USD), accounting for 22.2 percent of the yearly plan.</p><br /><p>In March alone, the city greeted 332,000 vacationers, including 105,000 foreigners.</p><br /><p>In order to promote the tourism sector in the coming time, Da Nang is focusing on dealing with the beggar issue in its key tourism sites.</p><br /><p>The city has been ranked sixth in the list of the world’s 10 most improved cities that tourists should visit in 2015 published by the website ‘The Richest’.</p><br /><p>The expansion and upgrade of its international airports, the unique and newly developed hotels and resorts along the coast, and numerous direct flights from Hong Kong (China) to Vietnam have created favourable conditions for tourism development in Da Nang, cited the travel website.</p><br /><p>In 2014, Da Nang hosted 4 million tourists, including 1 million foreigners.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />Da Nang records strong increase in tourist arrivals Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1bJWSCu" width="200"/><br/></div>

Da Nang records strong increase in tourist arrivals

Da Nang records strong increase in tourist arrivals My Khe beach in Da Nang City (Photo: VNA) Around 878,000 travellers visited the centra...

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Weekly press digest – March 23 -29

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Weekly press digest – March 23 -29<br /><p><strong>NA Chairman welcomes IPU President, Secretary General</strong> </p><br /><p>National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung received Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Saber Chowdhury and Secretary GeneralMartin Chungong.</p><br /><p>The IPU President and Secretary General lauded Viet Nam’s preparations for the IPU-132.</p><br /><p>Mr. Saber Chowdhury asserted that with 166 members, the IPU holds its 132nd assembly in the context where the international community experience a new development period where the role of parliaments and delegates is increasingly crucial.</p><br /><p>The official hoped that the successful organization of the event will contribute to the joint development of the IPU and the international community.</p><br /><p><strong>132nd IPU Assembly opens</strong> </p><br /><p>More than 900 legislators around the world gathered in Ha Noi on Saturday to attend the opening ceremony of the 132nd Inter-parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132).</p><br /><p>IPU-132 is a political event of great historical and diplomatic significance, which shows the proactiveness of the National Assembly of Viet Nam in further integrating into the world and its responsible participation in IPU.</p><br /><p>Under the theme “The sustainable development goals: Turning words into action”, the Assembly will discuss measures towards sustainable development with gender equality objectives integrated into all activities of sustainable development goals similar to the process of realising millennium goals.</p><br /><p>IPU-132 provides a chance to assess the outcomes of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to propose the Sustainable Development Goals for the post-2015 period.</p><br /><p><strong>Women parliamentarians seek gender equality frameworks</strong> </p><br /><p>National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has re-affirmed Viet Nam’s long-time policy in promoting gender equality and empowering women, when addressing the 21st Meeting of the Women</p><br /><p>Parliamentarians at the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Ha Noi.</p><br /><p>He stressed that the Constitution and the Law on Gender Equality of Viet Nam recognised the rights of equality for both male and female citizens in all areas of society.</p><br /><p>He also said he hoped the meeting would be an opportunity for members to exchange information and develop initiatives and suggestions to create a favourable environment for promoting gender equality in each country, as well as throughout the world.</p><br /><p><strong>PM chairs conference on boosting administrative reforms</strong> </p><br /><p>PM Nguyen Tan Dung chaired a national online conference held on March 26 to review and boost the country’s administrative reforms.</p><br /><p>According to a report by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in 2014 ministries, sectors and localities achieved important results in improving institution, organization, administrative procedures and personnel policy through reforms in various aspects of administrative operation.</p><br /><p>In 2015, the master plan on administrative reforms in the 2011-2020 will be implemented nationwide while the operation of the Government’s Steering Committee on Administrative Reforms will be enhanced.</p><br /><p>One-door policy will also be implemented at district level after being approved.</p><br /><p><strong>PM Dung asks for urgent rescue in scaffolding collapse</strong> </p><br /><p>PM Nguyen Tan Dung has issued Dispatch No.417/CD-TTg on steering rescue work in the scaffolding collapse at a construction site in the Vung Ang Economic Zone in central Ha Tinh province.</p><br /><p>PM Dung conveyed deep condolences to families of the victims and asked the Ha Tinh provincial</p><br /><p>People’s Committee to step up the search for those still trapped under the rubble, ensure safety for rescue forces, visit and ecnourage the injured and coordinate with local authorities to organise funerals for the victims.</p><br /><p>He also required the People’s Committee to steer relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the scaffolding collapse and punish strictly violations in accordance with legal regulations.</p><br /><p><strong>CPI in March increases 0.15%</strong> </p><br /><p>The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in March only increased 0.15% against the previous month and witnessed a year-on-year increase of 0.93% despite the rise in the prices of oil and electricity.</p><br /><p>The rise in the oil and gas price only contributed to 0.04% in the CPI of March.</p><br /><p>The CPI in this month decreased 0.1% compared to December 2014.</p><br /><p><strong>HN in top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations in 2015</strong> </p><br /><p>Ha Noi, the capital of Viet Nam, has been listed among Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations.</p><br /><p>The world’s largest travel review site TripAdvisor has revealed the world’s best travel destinations for this year in its 2015 Travellers’ Choice awards.</p><br /><p>Accordingly, Ha Noi took the fourth place in the list. The historic and cultural capital Ha Noi may be best known for its French colonial architecture, but it’s also forging a contemporary path.</p><br /><p><strong>More foreign owned banks to open in VN</strong> </p><br /><p>The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has allowed Malaysia’s Public Bank Berhad (PBB) to acquire all stakes owned by Vietnamese lender, the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV), in their joint venture VID Public Bank.</p><br /><p>In the recent document No. 1721/NHNN-TTGSNH, the SBV Governor agreed that after the acquisition, PBB will turn the VID Public – the biggest joint venture bank in Viet Nam – into a 100% foreign owned bank in the country.</p><br /><p>VID Public and PBB have been requested to meet all conditions and requirements to make the adjustment.</p><br /><p><strong>By Vien Nhu</strong> </p><br /><br/><br />Weekly press digest – March 23 -29 Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Weekly press digest – March 23 -29

Weekly press digest – March 23 -29 NA Chairman welcomes IPU President, Secretary General National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung r...

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Danang records strong increase in tourist arrivals

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Around 878,000 travellers visited the central coastal city of Danang in the first three months of 2015, up 17.3% against the same period last year, according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism.</p><br /><p>Of them, 313,000 were foreigners, an increase of 14.7% and 565,000 were domestic holiday-makers, up 18.9% compared to the same period last year.</p><br /><p>The revenue from tourism also rose 30.9% to VND2.62 trillion (US$123 million), accounting for 22.2% of the yearly plan.</p><br /><p>In March alone, the city greeted 332,000 vacationers, including 105,000 foreigners.</p><br /><p>In order to promote the tourism sector in the coming time, Danang is focusing on dealing with the beggar issue in its key tourism sites.</p><br /><p>The city has been ranked sixth in the list of the world’s 10 most improved cities that tourists should visit in 2015 published by the website ‘The Richest’.</p><br /><p>The expansion and upgrade of its international airports, the unique and newly developed hotels and resorts along the coast, and numerous direct flights from Hong Kong (China) to Vietnam have created favourable conditions for tourism development in Danang, cited the travel website.</p><br /><p>In 2014, Danang hosted 4 million tourists, including 1 million foreigners.</p><br /><br/><br />Danang records strong increase in tourist arrivals Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Danang records strong increase in tourist arrivals

Around 878,000 travellers visited the central coastal city of Danang in the first three months of 2015, up 17.3% against the same period las...

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DPRK team claims victory at volleyball tournament

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>The DPRK beat its Vietnamese rival 3-1 on March 29 to become the champion. (Photo: vnexpress.net)</p><br /><p>A team from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) beat its Vietnamese rival 3-1 on March 29 to become the champion of the VTV-Binh Dien International Women’s Volleyball Cup, held in central Quang Tri province.</p><br /><p>The DPRK’s 4.25 Sports Club defeated the host LienVietPostBank 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, and 25-21 in the final match.</p><br /><p>The 4.25 Sports Club won all six of its matches during the tournament.</p><br /><p>Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Astana defeated Vietnam’s VTV Binh Dien Long An 3-1 to claim the third place.</p><br /><p>Team Vietinbank from Vietnam won against China’s Fujian 3-1 to finish in fifth place, while Tien Nong Thanh Hoa took the seventh spot after defeating Japan’s Tenri University 3-1.</p><br /><p>The annual competition kicked off on March 21 with the participation of four leading Vietnamese teams and five international teams from China, DPRK, Japan, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />DPRK team claims victory at volleyball tournament Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

DPRK team claims victory at volleyball tournament

The DPRK beat its Vietnamese rival 3-1 on March 29 to become the champion. (Photo: vnexpress.net) A team from the Democratic People’s Republ...

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IPU-132: Visitors enjoy cultural welcome

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1HXB3wH'><img alt="1653680-avatar" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="225" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB3wH" width="300"/> </a> </p><br /><p>The cultural extravaganza to promote the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities. (Photo: VNA)</p><br /><p>A cultural extravaganza promoting the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities was held on March 29 at the Culture- Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups, outside of Hanoi, to welcome delegates to the 132 nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132).</p><br /><p>Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Tong Thi Phong declared that the event aimed to give IPU-132 participants a chance to enjoy outstanding national cultural features, including spiritual rituals, traditional costumes and cuisine and unique folk games.</p><br /><p>She hoped that representatives from the 54 ethnic groups, all beneficiaries of comprehensive national investment policy, would help the visitors gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam and its vibrant and united people.</p><br /><p>The IPU-132 opened on March 28 in Hanoi and will last until April 1.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />IPU-132: Visitors enjoy cultural welcome Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1HXB3wH" width="200"/><br/></div>

IPU-132: Visitors enjoy cultural welcome

The cultural extravaganza to promote the vibrant traditional customs of 54 Vietnamese ethnic minorities. (Photo: VNA) A cultural extravaga...

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18-year-old son in Mekong Delta kills mom for jewelries

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>18-year-old son in Mekong Delta kills mom for jewelries<br /><p><strong>The police in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has detained a 18-year-old man living in Rach Gia City for killing his mother for her jewelries, the deputy chief of the local police agency told <em>Tuoi Tre</em> on Monday.</strong> </p><br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/19qEZHE'><img alt="1654046-g8kw0ewo" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="295" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/19qEZHE" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>The local police agency has decided to arrest Nguyen Kha Dat, who was born in 1997, for further investigation to prosecute him on two counts of murder and robbery, said Colonel Hoang Quoc Viet, deputy chief of the municipal police division in charge of social crimes (PC45).</p><br /><p>At the investigation agency, Dat claimed that he killed his mother, Nguyen Thi Minh Trinh, 42, at their house at night on March 5, after his mother refused to offer him the money he needed to buy a new motorbike, said the police agency.</p><br /><p>Dat said he pushed his mother so that she fell backwards on the floor after a fierce argument with her. After that, seeing his mother wearing many pieces of gold jewelries, Dat thought of killing her for the jewelries so that he can sell for money to buy a new motorbike, according to the police agency.</p><br /><p>Dat told the police that he then took a piece of wood to hit his mother’s head two or three times.</p><br /><p>After realizing his mother was dead, Dat took all the jewelries but an ivory bracelet, and carried her body to dump into a big earthen jar used to store rainwater on the back of the house. Dat also dumped all of his mother’s clothes into the same place to conceal about her disappearance.</p><br /><p>According to the findings of the police in the field, after hiding the body of his mother in the jar, knowing that the body would likely stink up, Dat poured a lot of fabric softener into it in an attempt to conceal the crime as long as he could.</p><br /><div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1654047'><a href='http://bit.ly/1abwz7P'><img alt="The earthen jar in which Dat dumped his mother's body inside for 24 days. Photo: Tuoi Tre." class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="386" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/19qEZXS" width="500"/> </a><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>The earthen jar in which Dat dumped his mother's body inside for 24 days. Photo: Tuoi Tre.</p><br /></div><br /><p>According to Nguyen Thi Van, 63, a neighbor, she smelled the stench several days before the police jumped in and found the body dumped in the jar for 24 days.</p><br /><p>When Van asked Dat about the strange unpleasant smell, he replied that the stink came from the clogged sewer in the back of the house.</p><br /><p>Trinh’s relatives held a funeral for her at her homeland in Bac Lieu on Monday after the body was recovered by the police.</p><br /><br/><br />18-year-old son in Mekong Delta kills mom for jewelries Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/19qEZHE" width="200"/><br/></div>

18-year-old son in Mekong Delta kills mom for jewelries

18-year-old son in Mekong Delta kills mom for jewelries The police in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has detained a 18-year-old man...

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Ceremony to commemorate late President Ton Duc Thang

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Ceremony to commemorate late President Ton Duc Thang<br /><p>A delegation of municipal authorities and sectors have offered incense to commemorate the late President Ton Duc Thang on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of his death (March 30, 1980) at his museum in Ho Chi Minh City.</p><br /><p>At a ceremony on March, Director of the Ton Duc Thang Museum Tran Xuan Thao said the late President Thang devoted his life to national liberation, independence and the happiness of the people.</p><br /><p>She also stated that he was a symbol of the national solidarity cause and international cooperation.</p><br /><p>During the event, the museum received nearly 150 items and documents related to President Ton from the Ho Chi Minh Museum and individuals.</p><br /><p>The same day, an exhibition themed “Uncle Ton with the South” was held at the Ton Duc Thang Museum, showcasing more than 100 documents and objects demonstrating his devotion to the revolution of the Party and the people.</p><br /><p>The exhibition will run through August 2015.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />Ceremony to commemorate late President Ton Duc Thang Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Ceremony to commemorate late President Ton Duc Thang

Ceremony to commemorate late President Ton Duc Thang A delegation of municipal authorities and sectors have offered incense to commemorate t...

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Vietnam, Philippines launch hotline for fishing activities

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Vietnam, Philippines launch hotline for fishing activities<br /><p>NDO/VNA – Vietnam and the Philippines have launched a hotline to facilitate the timely exchange of information on fishing activities.</p><br /><p>The communication channel is expected to allow the two sides to co-ordinate effectively in responding to emergency situations such as search and rescue of distressed Filipino and Vietnamese fishermen at sea.</p><br /><p>It is operated by the Vietnamese Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).</p><br /><p>The establishment of the hotline is part of an agreement on fisheries cooperation between Vietnam and the Philippines which was signed in June 2010.</p><br /><br/><br />Vietnam, Philippines launch hotline for fishing activities Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Vietnam, Philippines launch hotline for fishing activities

Vietnam, Philippines launch hotline for fishing activities NDO/VNA – Vietnam and the Philippines have launched a hotline to facilitate the t...

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Le Hoang’s inspiring journey to Silicon Valley

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Le Hoang’s inspiring journey to Silicon Valley<br /><p>(VOV) -A voluntary organisation located in Mikkeli, Finland dedicated to promoting young entrepreneurs’ concepts and assisting them in starting a new business venture recently chose to assist Vietnamese Le Hoang with an app he is developing.</p><br /><p>The app entitled <em>Survey in Pocket</em> is changing the way the world conducts field interviews and surveys.</p><br /><p>It allows the user to conduct interviews from virtually anywhere at any time capturing real-time and accurate data using the iPad, Android tablet, iPhone or other smartphone device.</p><br /><p>In a recent interview posted on <em>Survey in Pocket’s</em> blog Hoang said “After just eight weeks, the program guided me through the basic steps of a start-up business.”</p><br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/19qEZHp'><img alt="1653840-hoang" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="281" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/19qEZHp" width="500"/> </a> </p><br /><p>“Everything started with identifying customers, understanding their needs, finding our value proposition, selecting the alternative with the highest rate of return and pitching our ideas. As the program accelerated, every team including ours was continuously improving and moving forward.”</p><br /><p>“At the beginning, we came to the program with an abstract idea of creating a survey application with better design and features. Then after only eight weeks, we had developed a clear mission that guided us through our business.”</p><br /><p>Whenever making a decision about anything, such as a new feature for <em>Survey in Pocket</em>, we always ask ourselves the – magic – question: “Will our customer get more feedback if we do this?” If the answer is ‘No’, then we will not do that.</p><br /><p>This question is extremely helpful to focus our efforts on important matters and stick with our original mission: “To help our clients get more customer feedback”.</p><br /><p>As part of the assistance, 26-year-old Le Hoang will also receive an all-expense paid trip to Silicon Valley in California to meet with potential partners who will assist in further developing the app for worldwide distribution.</p><br /><br/><br />Le Hoang’s inspiring journey to Silicon Valley Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/19qEZHp" width="200"/><br/></div>

Le Hoang’s inspiring journey to Silicon Valley

Le Hoang’s inspiring journey to Silicon Valley (VOV) -A voluntary organisation located in Mikkeli, Finland dedicated to promoting young entr...

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Hai Phong fosters tourism development

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Hai Phong fosters tourism development<br /><p>The northern city of Hai Phong welcomed 964,300 tourists in the first three months of 2015, an increase of 7.23 percent from the same period last year, according to the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.</p><br /><p>According to the department’s director, Doan Duy Linh, the city aims to become the tourism hub of the northern coastal region by diversifying its tourism products and improving its services.</p><br /><p>Deputy Chairwoman of the Cat Hai district People’s Committee, Vu Thi Kim Bich, said a fund to promote Cat Ba’s tourism in 2015 was launched to develop material facilities and enhance service quality.</p><br /><p>The district will soon hold several activities to kick start its tourism season, including a volleyball competition, a football match and artistic performances.</p><br /><p>Meanwhile, Do Son district aims to become an international entertainment and tourism centre serving the city’s open door economic development policy. Local authorities hope that the city will receive 2.5 million tourists in 2015.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />Hai Phong fosters tourism development Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/><br/></div>

Hai Phong fosters tourism development

Hai Phong fosters tourism development The northern city of Hai Phong welcomed 964,300 tourists in the first three months of 2015, an increas...

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New rural development movement sees strong progress

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>New rural development movement sees strong progress<br /><p><a href='http://bit.ly/1abwwJ8'><img alt="1653827-avatar" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="207" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1abwwJ8" width="300"/> </a> </p><br /><p>An ornamental plant farm in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre (Photo: VNA)</p><br /><p>The new-style rural building programme has made strong progress last year, bringing about positive changes in socio-economic life in rural areas, it was reported at a recent national meeting in the northern province of Lang Son in late March.</p><br /><p>The event, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was attended by the ministry’s senior officials and leaders of provincial-level coordinating offices for the programme nationwide.</p><br /><p>Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said it aims to review achievements in 2014, and establish orientations for 2016-2020 of the National Target Programme on New Rural Development as well as to adjust criteria for new-style rural areas.</p><br /><p>According to a report of the National Coordination Office, the progress can be seen in the improved people’s awareness, upgraded infrastructure and increased income of people in rural areas thanks to the introduction of various production models.</p><br /><p>Despite having considerable achievements, there are still shortcomings in the movement implementation such as low ratio in obtaining basic criteria. Only 36.4 percent of the total communes nationwide met the criterion on poverty rate among households. The rate was 23.3 percent regarding the criterion on transportation, 17.9 percent in terms of cultural infrastructure and 26.8 percent in terms of environment.</p><br /><p>The northern mountainous region lags behind others in fulfilling new style areas criteria, recording the lowest rates of completion for 12 out of the total 19 criteria.</p><br /><p>The goal is to have all communes across the country build 6 crucial infrastructural works by 2020 including transportation, electricity and clean water supply systems, schools, medical stations, and cultural and sport facilities in order to improve people’s living condition.</p><br /><p>Eighty percent of all the communes should meet the criteria on income and poverty rate by 2020, according to the programme.</p><br /><p>The National Target Programme on New Rural Development, launched in 2010, sets 19 criteria for new-style rural areas, covering infrastructure, production, living standards, income and culture, among others.-VNA</p><br /><br/><br />New rural development movement sees strong progress Related image(s)<br/><br /><img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1abwwJ8" width="200"/><br/></div>

New rural development movement sees strong progress

New rural development movement sees strong progress An ornamental plant farm in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre (Photo: VNA) The new-...

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