Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh beat the drum to open the festival (Source: congthuong.vn) Bac Ninh (VNA) – A festival was held in the northern province of Bac Ninh on February 20 to commemorate the 4,810th death anniversary of Kinh Duong Vuong – known as the first king of the Vietnamese people. Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh attended the event, ceremoniously beating the drum to open the festival. The Kinh Duong Vuong traditional festival has long been preserved to show the people’s deep gratitude to their ancestors who founded the nation, as well as demonstrating their hope for peace, prosperity, and optimum weather conditions. This year, the festival is taking place from February 20-22 and will feature traditional rituals, cultural and sports activities, and folk games. Kinh Duong Vuong ruled over Xich Quy in 2879BC. Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam and the son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy … [Read more...] about Festival commemorates first king of Vietnamese people
PM directs hastening Trung Luong-My Thuan highway construction
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Permanent Government members met in Hanoi on February 20 to discuss the acceleration of the Trung Luong-My Thuan highway construction. The project is highly significant, connecting the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City and the southern key economic region. According to the Ministry of Transport, the 51km-long, 17km-wide highway will pass through the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, costing over 9.6 trillion VND (417 million USD) in the form of build-operate-transfer. The project is scheduled for completion by 2020, but the construction pace is lagging behind schedule. At the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted the significance of the highway to the development of the Mekong Delta and the country. He requested that the progress and quality of the project is ensured, for completion by 2020 as planned. The leader agreed that the project will be invested in by the provincial People’s Committee in … [Read more...] about PM directs hastening Trung Luong-My Thuan highway construction
Whale worship festival in Da Nang recognised as intangible heritage
A ceremony was held in Thanh Khe district of the central city of Da Nang, on February 20 to receive the certificate recognising the district’s Cau Ngu (whale worship) festival on the national list of intangible cultural heritage (Photo: VNA) Da Nang (VNA) – A ceremony was held in Thanh Khe district of the central city of Da Nang, on February 20 to receive the certificate recognising the district’s Cau Ngu (whale worship) festival on the national list of intangible cultural heritage. The festival in Thanh Khe district is one of the traditional whale-worshipping celebrations of fishing communities in coastal localities. At the festival in Thanh Khe district of Da Nang city (Photo: VNA) The whale worship festival is part of the cultural identity of Vietnam’s central and southern coastal localities, which has been preserved and passed down through the generations. Participants pray for plenteous hauls of fish, safe voyages, and peace for the … [Read more...] about Whale worship festival in Da Nang recognised as intangible heritage
Japanese cherry blossom festival brings global wonders to Hanoi
At the 2018 Japan Cherry Blossom Festival (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Stunning sakuras will be the highlight of the 2019 Japan Cherry Blossom Festival, which will come to Ly Thai To Park beside Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi from March 29-31. Some 20,000 branches of Japanese cherry blossoms will be displayed at the festival, while 100 trees will be taken to Hanoi for plantation during the event, heard a press conference held on February 20. Many of Vietnam’s eye-catching flowers – such as moth orchids, cybidium orchids, lilies, and poinsettias – will also be exhibited at the festival, which is jointly held by the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam. According to Director of Hanoi city’s Department of Culture and Sports To Van Dong, the capital city expects to develop the event into an attractive cultural and tourism product to serve local residents and visitors. Thus, the organising board has focused on … [Read more...] about Japanese cherry blossom festival brings global wonders to Hanoi
Difficult mission to restore peace and stability in Middle East
After UN reconciliation efforts, the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels agreed on the first withdrawal of troops from the strategic port city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast. Under the UN mediated ceasefire agreement signed in December 2018 in Sweden, the withdrawal should have been carried out within two weeks after the ceasefire took effect, but the deadline was missed. However, this fragile ceasefire agreement marks the first step towards ending the bloody war which has lasted nearly four years, leading to more than 10,000 deaths and pushing the country on the Arabian Peninsula into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Declaring the first phase withdrawal was a result of the fourth round of talks recently held at Hodeidah between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. The UN also brokered a series of separate talks on the exchange of thousands of prisoners, considering it an important confidence-building measure in the peace talks in Yemen. The end of the conflict in … [Read more...] about Difficult mission to restore peace and stability in Middle East