Hanoi

Graceful: Models paraded in áo dài (traditional Vietnamese dresses) for onlookers. — VNA/VNS Photo Thành Đạt Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Thousands of locals and foreign tourists enjoyed a street festival entited The Quintessence of Hà Nội – Converging and Shining, held on the pedestrian street in Hà Nội on Sunday morning. The event attracted a large number of participants of various ages and backgrounds, including more than 800 folk artists performing traditional dragon and lion dances, 400 professional dancers, hundreds of models wearing traditional áo dài, more than 700 senior citizens putting on a fan dance, as well as 700 pupils and students carrying flowers and balloons. The event concluded with a street carnival-style dance by nearly 1,700 young people. “The Street Festival is not only a rendezvous for artists but also an opportunity for local people especially the young generation to … [Read more...] about Street festival wows local and foreign visitors

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — The capital city plans to install 1,000 vending machines by 2020 to make shopping more convenient for local consumers as well as foreign tourists. The machines will be located mostly at hospitals, schools, bus stations, depots, passenger waiting rooms, historic and cultural sites, tourist attractions and parks, according to a decision on developing an automated vending machine network, issued recently by the municipal People’s Committee. Each machine will be placed on an area covering around two to three square metres. Depending on demand, up to four adjacent vending machines could be placed on one slot, according to the decision. Local authorities said they planned to choose machines that can adapt to the local climate, use solar power, and have surge protectors and security devices. Last September, Hà Nội installed some vending machines serving bottled beverages on walking streets around Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Both … [Read more...] about Capital city to install 1,000 vending machines by 2020

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Over 12,000 new enterprises were established in the capital city in the first six months of this year, with a total registered capital of VNĐ124 trillion (over US$5.43 billion). These figures represented a reduction of 3 per cent in the number of businesses but an increase of 31 per cent in the level of capital compared to the same period last year, according to the latest report of the municipal People’s Committee. During the period, nearly 1,950 firms resumed business, down by 1.5 per cent year-on-year, while more than 4,300 stopped operations, surging by 51 per cent over the same period last year. Hà Nội also saw 720 firms completing dissolution procedures in six months, 32 per cent higher than last year’s corresponding period, the report said, adding that as of June, the city is home to some 251,500 enterprises. From January to June, the city’s total social investment capital reached an estimated … [Read more...] about Over 12,000 new firms established in Hà Nội