Vietnam promotes advancement of women

and considers them vital to reaching equality and sustainable development, according to the Viet Nam Women’s Union (WU) President.The commitment was made by WU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa at the 52nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women on February 28 in the UN headquarters.Hoa told the commission of the progress Vietnam has made while implementing the Beijing Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). She reported Vietnam’s marked increase in the Human Development Index (HDI) and Gender-related Development Index (GDI), with Vietnam now ranking 105th of 177 countries and 91st of 157 countries, respectively. In addition, the country ranks 52nd of 93 in the Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM).Hoa added that Vietnam has implemented two laws to promote the advancement of women, the Law on Gender Equality passed in November 2006, and the Law on Prevention of Family Violence passed a year later.The government has also targeted an increase in the rate of female leaders, especially in the National Assembly, with female MPs at a level of 25.76 percent. This takes Vietnam’s ranking to 28th in the world and third in Asia and the Pacific. However, the Women’s Union president said the country still faces many challenges in gender equality and equity, and called for more help from the international community and the UN in particular, in technical assistance and resources.

Rs 7.7 million donated to Vietnam

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has donated Rs 7.7 million to Vietnam as a gesture of goodwill and friendship with the Vietnamese who were recently affected by severe floods resulting in big loss of life and property. “Pakistan’s Ambassador to Vietnam GR Baluch presented a cheque to the deputy foreign minister of Vietnam,” Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said in a press statement on Friday.He said that Pakistan accorded high priority to its relations with the South East Asian countries, as it was an important element of East Asia policy.All aspects of bilateral cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields between Pakistan and Vietnam are progressing at an encouraging pace and both the countries have recently celebrated 35 years of establishment of diplomatic relations, the spokesman said

Vietnam is place to be: CapitaLand | smh.com.au

CAPITALAND, South-East Asia's biggest developer, is turning to Vietnam as growth slows in its home market of Singapore, after apartments at the company's first project in Ho Chi Minh City sold out in a day last June.
Demand for homes in a country of 85 million people is "great" and supply is not keeping up, CapitaLand's chief executive officer, Liew Mun Leong, said. CapitaLand, which has residential projects in 10 countries including China and Australia, is developing four sites in Vietnam where it expects to build as many as 2800 homes.
The company said recently that it was not interested in any Centro Properties' assets that may come up for sale.
"Vietnam will be what I saw in China 10 years ago," Mr Liew said in Singapore. "The total picture in terms of economic growth is very, very strong. I'd say it's the biggest market potential for me in South-East Asia outside Singapore." Last week CapitaLand said its fourth-quarter profit had risen by 49 per cent, led by home sales in its three biggest markets: China, Australia and Singapore.
The developer is turning to fast-growing markets with slowing economic expansion in Singapore, which faces the risk of a recession this year.
"Vietnam is going through a huge growth in the economy; the Government has been very pro-business and is welcoming foreign developers, so prospects are quite exciting," an analyst with Kim Eng Securities in Singapore, Wilson Liew, said.
"The impact will be even more visible in the next few years."
CapitaLand said that on one day last June, more than 400 people had queued to buy 273 units at "the Vista," a 750-home project in Ho Chi Minh City. The apartments were all sold by early afternoon.
A second set of apartments released for sale at the development also sold out within a day, the company said. The homes were priced at between $US1200 and $US1600 a square metre.
CapitaLand said last year that it may increase the number of homes it is building in Vietnam to 6000 in the next three years. The company also may consider developing offices and shopping and leisure centres.
The developer is seeking to expand abroad as price gains in Singapore are expected to slow. The Singapore Government cut the city's economic growth forecast for this year to between 4 per cent and 6 per cent earlier this month, revised from between 4.5 per cent and 6 per cent previously.
CapitaLand plans to offer 1000 homes at most in Singapore this year. Last year it sold 1430 homes.

Toyota, Mercedes-Benz allowed to import cara

Toyota, Mercedes-Benz allowed to import cars
Mercedes-Benz Vietnam and Toyota Motor Vietnam have officially received the permission to import their complete built-up units (CBU) to meet the diverse demands for vehicles on the local market.
The permission came one year earlier than what Vietnam has committed in its WTO accession, as the country had pledged to allow automobiles joint venture companies to import and distribute CBU vehicles from early next year only.
With the licenses, the two companies now have the right to import CBU vehicles, but such vehicles must be distributed in the local market by local dealers only.
Mercedes-Benz Vietnam plans in the first phase to import vehicles from four to seven seats as well as two-door sport cars. Models under its plan number dozens, to be imported directly from Germany. Meanwhile, Toyota Vietnam has yet announced plans about its CBU imports.
Some other auto joint venture companies are also submitting applications to authorities to import CBU vehicles.

ed note: I would like to see the prices on these...

Ostrich Tourism in Vietnam

VIETNAM – After over 10 years since being introduced into Vietnam, ostriches are now doing their part to promote domestic tourism.
Ostrich ride
One weekends, students from HCM City decided to travel to Nha Trang. They didn’t buy a tour, but organized the trip themselves. There are many destinations in Nha Trang: going to Hon Mun to see coral, Tri Nguyen to discover the water world, to Hon Tam to play underwater sports or to the five southern islands of Nha Trang, etc.; as long as the trip cost less than VND250,000/person.

As a student of the Tourism Faculty of the HCM City-based Hung Vuong University, Nguyen Thu Trang volunteered to organize the vacation. After several days researching, Trang decided to bring her group to Hon Thi Island to ride ostriches.

Ostriches that are nearly 3m high and 150 kilos are fixed with imitation leather saddles. The instructor rides an ostrich as an example and then helps visitors onto the bird’s back. Visitors sit on the saddle, tightly holding the bird’s wings while their legs grasp the bird’s hip to enjoy the feeling of galloping. Each time the bird run 5-6 rounds in 5-7 minutes. The fees is VND30,000/person, including a photo with the ostrich.

“Don’t hold the bird’s neck, because when it runs, the bird always bends its head which will make you fall to the ground. If you hold the bird more tightly, it will run faster. The feeling is wonderful!” Trang said.

Le Lam Dung, Deputy director of Long Phu Tourism Company, the provider of ostrich rides on Hon Thi Island, said the company opened its ostrich farm tens years ago, but not until last year did the firm begin to use ostriches as a tourism product. The Hon Lao tourist zone also offers ostrich rides.

Ostrich as food
Over 100 years ago, people started eating African tamed ostrich meat. In the 1970s, large-scaled ostrich farms were set up in many countries in America and Europe. Today, this huge bird species can be seen everywhere.

For the first time the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development received 100 ostrich eggs as gifts from the Tate & Lyle group (Britain), which led to the establishment of an ostrich farm in Ba Vi, Ha Tay. Since then, ostriches have developed and can be seen in over 30 provinces.

Ostriches eat grass, leaves, and mash. Ostrich meat is red and looks like beef, but doesn’t contain fat and sinew. It has low cholesterol levels and is a good source of protein protein. Food experts say ostrich meat is good for health.

Ostrich for fashion
Every part of an ostrich is valuable. Ostrich leather is nicer and firmer than crocodile leather since it contains a special kind of fat. Ostrich leather is used to make coats, wallets, bags, belts, etc. One sq.m of ostrich leather costs nearly $400, but when it is processed into retail goods, the price is much higher, for example a 1.2x1.4m ostrich skin wallet is priced at $550-580, while a pair of shoes made of ostrich skin are worth $2,000.
Ostrich feathers are also highly valued. Since ostrich feathers do not conduct electricity, they can be used to make brushes for computers and other precision equipment. 1kg of unprocessed ostrich feathers cost $100, or $2,000 for 1kg of chick down.
The Head of an ostrich leather enterprise in Nha Trang said his establishment can’t meet the demand for fashion products made from ostrich skin.
In addition, egg shells and talons of ostriches can be used to make jewellery and other handicrafts. Actually, almost every part of an ostrich can be used to make money.

Iran, Vietnam discuss nuclear issue

Iran and Vietnam who currenly holds a seat at the UN Security Council have discussed Tehran's nuclear issue and the recent IAEA's report.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei released his report on Iran's nuclear program on February 22, asserting that all major questions about Iran's nuclear issue have been answered. 'No longer outstanding at this stage,' ElBaradei stated in his report.

Now that the IAEA report has cleared Iran of all charges about its nuclear issue there is no reason for unusual conditions to persist, Rasoul Mousavi, director of the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Institute for Political and International Studies, said in a meeting with Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung on Thursday.

Mousavi was in Hanoi to submit the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki's letter to his Vietnamese counterpart and discuss Iran's nuclear issue with the Vietnamese officials, IRNA reported Friday.

Dao Viet Trung underlined the two countries' close cooperation over Iran's nuclear standoff with the West.

He voiced Vietnam's position that all countries should have access to peaceful nuclear technology. He also said all countries should commit themselves to comprehensive nuclear disarmament.

The Vietnamese official also expressed hope that Iran's nuclear issue be resolved through negotiations.

26 in Vietnam graduate from Troy

Troy University held its first commencement ceremonies in Vietnam this week, graduating 26 students who are attending two schools that have partnered with the south Alabama school.

Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. spoke at the ceremonies, during which 13 students from Hanoi University of Technology received diplomas Thursday and 13 students from the College of Economics at Vietnam National University diplomas on Wednesday.

"We live in a changing world," Hawkins told the graduates in Wednesday's ceremony at Vietnam National University. "How many of us would have believed 40 years ago that an American university would ever hold a graduation ceremony in Vietnam?"

Messer Group to build Vietnam Plant

Messer Group has received an investment license from Vietnamese officials to build a $40 million industrial gas plant in Hai Duong province, Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam reported, without saying where it got the information.

Germany-based Messer Group signed an agreement with Hoa Phat Group Joint-Stock Co., a Vietnamese steel and furniture company, to supply 70 percent of the gas needed in steel production, according to the newspaper.

Spain-Vietnam business forum takes place in city

HCMC - The economic cooperation between Vietnam and Spain is expected to enter a more eventful period, not only in the field of aids but also trade and investment, manifested by the first-ever Spain-Vietnam Investment and Business Cooperation Forum opening here yesterday.

The two-day event, taking place at the Caravelle Hotel yesterday, is organized by the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX), with the help from the Spanish Embassy's HCMC-based Economic and Commercial Office and the HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC).
Discussions are taking place between 33 Spanish companies and 127 Vietnamese firms, alongside almost 270 face-to-face business match-ups that have been scheduled during the two days of the forum," said Pedro Mejia Gomez, president of ICEX who is also the Spanish secretary of state of tourism and trade.

According to Gomez, this forum not only aimed at identifying investment and business opportunities but also helped Spanish businessmen to find partners in Vietnam.

The forum is expected to get Spanish companies known more to Vietnamese partners, he said.

"I hope that the forum would spread the image of the Spanish companies in a wide range of sectors, including tourism, financial services, consultancy, furniture and decorative items, industrial engineering, metallurgy, renewable energies and environmental technologies," he told the Daily.

During the press meeting yesterday morning, Gomez stressed that the Spanish government was interested especially in Vietnam's infrastructure projects, such as the city's metro systems.

Apart from a soft loan of about 270 million euro mentioned in a financial cooperation program signed in Hanoi yesterday, our government will also provide to Vietnam a grant of 4 million euro for traffic projects," said Gomez.

Vietnam's inflation rate hits 15 percent, highest in more than a decade - International Herald Tribune

Vietnam's inflation rate reached 15.7 percent in February, the highest in more than a decade, as the government struggled to control prices in Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economy.
The increase was driven by sharp price gains in food, housing and construction materials, the General Statistical Office said on its Web site Thursday.
Food prices were 25.2 percent higher than the same period last year, and housing and construction materials were up 16.4 percent.
"Everything is getting more expensive these days," said Nguyen Thu Huong, 31, who was buying groceries in Hanoi Thursday morning. "Life is getting much more difficult for people with low incomes."
Economists said Vietnam's inflation rate, the highest in the region, was fueled by both domestic and global forces.
Fuel and food costs are up around the world, but inflationary pressures are especially strong in Vietnam, which has been enjoying strong economic growth for several years now as the communist nation has embraced market reforms.
Foreign investment has been booming since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization last year, when the economy grew at 8.5 percent.
Investors have also been pouring money into the red-hot real estate market and Vietnamese stocks, which enjoyed a remarkable boom last year but have recently been losing ground.
Meanwhile, strong growth in the banking sector has led to a rapid rise in lending.
Loans by Vietnam's joint stock banks were up 90 percent last year, said Jonathan Pincus, chief economist at the United Nations Development Program in Hanoi.
"Their lending grew at a really astonishing rate," Pincus said.
Vietnam's difficulties are compounded by the fact that its currency, the dong, is pegged to the very weak U.S. dollar, Pincus said.
The country imports many construction materials from China, whose currency has been rising against the dollar, further fueling price increases here.
Meanwhile, the government has been phasing out subsidies for various commodities, including oil. It announced a 12 percent hike in gas prices this week and a 35 percent hike for diesel.
While Vietnam's inflation rate is cause for concern, the country remains an attractive investment destination, said Adam Sitkoff, director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi.
"Vietnam is still a cost-competitive place to manufacture products," Sitkoff said. "I don't think inflation will make Vietnam less appealing to investors, but it will hurt Vietnam's poor."
In an effort to curb rising prices, Vietnam's central bank has recently increased interest rates by half a percentage point. It has also ordered commercial banks to buy 20.3 trillion dong (US$1.3 billion) in treasury bills and asked commercial banks to raise their cash reserves.
____

Shell Explodes, Kills Couple in Vietnam

A couple who scavenged for old munitions to sell as scrap metal were killed when a Vietnam War-era artillery shell they were sawing exploded, police said Thursday.
The man and his wife, both 55, were killed instantly in the explosion Tuesday in Xuan Truong village in the northeastern province of Dong Nai, said village police chief Pham Van Chinh.
The couple's 13-year-old daughter, who was nearby, was seriously wounded and remained in critical condition at a hospital, he said.
Chinh said the couple was cutting up a 105-milimeter artillery shell to sell as scrap metal when it exploded.
Authorities destroyed another 10 unexploded artillery shells they found in the couple's house, Chinh said.
A week earlier, the man who was killed had been sawing another artillery shell when it exploded, but no casualties were reported, the police chief said. After that, he had promised local authorities that he would no longer cut up unexploded ordnance.
Unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War has killed about 38,000 people since the conflict ended in 1975.

Vietnam to host first int'l parachuting festival next week_English_Xinhua

HANOI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam will host for the first time an international parachuting festival in central Nha Trang city from March 1-6 and nearly 100 parachutists from 15 countries and regions will participate in it.
The festival is a good chance for Vietnam to promote its scenic landscapes and tourism, and prepare for the establishment of a center designated for training national artistic parachutists, local newspaper Labor reported Wednesday.
Parachutists from such countries as the United States, Russia, Portugal, New Zealand and Thailand will parachute in differently styles carrying Vietnam's national flag.
Hiring a helicopter to serve parachuting activities costs the festival's organizer some 3,000 U.S. dollars per hour, the newspaper said.

Vietnam caps banks' interest rates_English_Xinhua

The State Bank of Vietnam has required commercial banks not to offer interest rates of more than12 percent a year on deposits in Vietnamese dong (VND) to curb the ongoing interest hike war among them.
The State Bank of Vietnam, the country's central bank, made the requirement on Feb. 26 after many commercial banks raised interest rates to lure customers, according to local newspaper Youth on Wednesday.
Recent policies of the central bank on tightening money supply have created an enormous thirst for capital on Vietnam's monetary market, resulting in the interest hike war, according to some banks in Vietnam. Major banks like Vietcombank and Sacombank held deposit interest rates of 8-9 percent per annum, and smaller banks10-14 percent.
In an effort to curb Vietnam's inflation, the central bank has recently raised key interest rates, further tightened rules restricting loans for investment in the securities market, and lifted the level of compulsory reserves that must be maintained by credit institutions. It has also ordered commercial banks to buy up treasury bills totaling 20.3 trillion VND (nearly 1.3 billion U.S. dollars).

Vietnam jails online football betting ring

A Vietnamese court has jailed members of an illegal online betting ring for up to 15 years for arranging bets on European football matches to a value of 10 million dollars, a court official said.
Its ringleader, a Vietnamese-born Canadian called Ngo Tien Dung, received the heaviest sentence while his chief accomplice was jailed for 10 years, an official from the Hanoi People's Court said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was the biggest amount ever recorded in a football betting trial in Vietnam.
The court heard they organised bets on a number of European championships between December 2005 and February 2006, and also forged links with betting syndicates in Cambodia, Hong Kong and Macau.
Another 11 members of the network were given sentences ranging from six years in jail to two years suspended following their three-day trial, which ended Monday.
According to reports here, Dung, 49, had a criminal record dating back to the 1980s. He left for Canada, obtained Canadian nationality in 2002 and returned to Vietnam two years later.
Football betting and other forms of gambling are illegal but widespread in communist Vietnam, where many fans place bets online.

FT.com / Home UK / UK - Vietnam currency squeeze leaves foreign businesses short of cash

severe shortage of dong, Vietnam's currency, has been causing headaches for foreign businesses in the country as the government tries to control inflation by reining in the supply of notes.
In one sign of the currency crunch, last week Hanoi was forced to give special permission to Morgan Stanley to pay $217m in dollars for a 10 per cent stake in PetroVietnam Finance Corp, instead of making the payment in dong, as is normally required by law.
Elsewhere, an accountant for a foreign firm tried to convert $30,000 into local currency to pay staff salaries and office rent but was turned away when the bank said it did not have enough dong.
"It's outrageous," said a foreign executive, spurned in a recent attempt to convert dollars to dong. "We are going to have to go to the automatic teller machine and draw money out to pay salaries by hand."
A number of foreign businesses have been affected in recent weeks, as the State Bank of Vietnam, the central bank, tries to drain liquidity from the financial system to control inflation and hold down the value of the dong against the dollar.
For the past four months, international bankers and economists said, the central bank had curbed its purchases of dollars, refusing to accommodate commercial banks seeking to offload dollars and acquire dong.
Overnight inter-bank rates for the currency have reached as high as 40 per cent recently although rates dropped last week to 9 -10 per cent when the central bank injected some additional liquidity into the system.
"The State Bank of Vietnam understands that inflation is partly caused by the rapid growth of the money supply," said Jonathan Pincus, chief economist at the United Nations Development Program. "One way to squeeze the supply of Vietnam dong would be to stop buying dollars."
Commercial banks in Vietnam will soon have to take another hit from the central bank, which has announced it will require big banks to buy Treasury bills at interest rates below inflation - in another move to drain liquidity from the system.
The central bank says that 41 big banks and credit organisations will have to buy a total of $1.27bn worth of one-year Treasury bills with an interest rate of 7.8 per cent.
Banks have formally protested, sending the Ho Chin Minh stock market index down 16 per cent last week.

10,000 workers to go to Middle East in 2008

This year, about 10,000 workers are expected to go to Middle East, a potential market for Viet Nam’s labour export in 2008.
The figure will include 5,000 workers sent to Quatar, 2,200 to the United Arab Emirates and 2,000 to Saudi Arabia, said the Overseas Worker Management Department of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalid and Social Affairs.
According to the Air Service and Commercial Company (Airseco), a leading business in labour export to Middle East, Saudi Arabia has the largest demand for workers, about 900,000 people a year for different jobs. About 15,000 Vietnamese are working in the country.
After signing a labour agreement on with Viet Nam, Quatar agreed to receive 25,000 Vietnamese workers this year.
The department said that to expand Viet Nam’s labour market and well manage overseas workers, the Government has allowed establishing Vietnamese worker management offices in Dubai and Qatar.
Last year, the Middle East received more than 9,000 workers from Viet Nam . Vietnamese workers in this region have been appreciated for their cleverness and industriousness. However, they sill face difficulties in language and find not easy to get used with the region’s hard weather conditions.
Besides the Middle East, the labour export sector has paid attention to the newly-restored traditional labour markets in Eastern Europe, with the target of sending 85,000 workers to these markets this year.
Source: Vietnam Agency

Copyright – biggest problem for handicraft exports

Design copying and copyright disputes are the biggest problems for Vietnam-made handicrafts, hindering the development of fine arts production and export.
According to Nguyen Van Quang, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Industry Department, the copying of products’ pattern has become alarming. He related a story from a recent fine arts exhibition in Germany. Visitors at the exhibition said that they saw the same products being displayed at the booths of three different enterprises.
In fact, the laws stipulate that enterprises can register their designs at the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) in order to be protected by the laws. However, Vietnamese enterprises do not have the habit of registering trademarks and designs, while they even copy the each others’ designs, leading to uninterrupted disputes and lawsuits.
According to Dinh Manh Hung from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (VCCI) Centre for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Support, all enterprises just run after profit in the short term; they do not have long-term development strategies.
Moreover, he said enterprises did not want to spend time registering trademarks or designs. “The Law on Intellectual Property has become effective, but the procedures to register at NOIP prove to be complicated to follow,” Mr Hung said. Despite the complicated procedures, the management and law enforcement remains not good – this discourages enterprises.
Meanwhile, most Vietnam-made handicrafts are being exported to the US, Japan and EU, which are difficult-to please markets. The consumers there not only require good and beautiful products, they want products of diverse designs.
According to the General Department of Statistics, in 2006, the total export turnover of fine arts was $630.4mil, quite low if compared to the big labour force of 10mil workers in this industry.
Experts have pointed out that Vietnamese enterprises always export what they have, not what the consumers want. They export products which do not appeal to the tastes of the consumers in the target markets.
In fact, Vietnamese enterprises lack information about the tastes of consumers, prices, rivals and tendencies in the world, information vital for exporters.
However, enterprises hope that the situation will improve as the Prime Minister has approved the setting up of the Fine Arts Producers’ Association, which will act as trade promoter and information provider, helping enterprises to boost exports and popularise images of Vietnam-made handicrafts.

Vietnam’s apparel exports to US to hit US $6.1bil this year

The US Chamber of Commerce Vietnam forecasts that Vietnam will take Mexico and India to rank second, only after China, in terms of apparel exports to the US, with export turnover hitting US $6.1 billion, if the present trend continues. Vietnam’s market share is predicted to growth rapidly from 3.2% (fifth place) in 2005 to about 6% and second place in 2008.
In 2007, Vietnam ranked fourth as a supplier to the US apparel market, up from fifth position in 2006, behind China, Mexico, India.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Vietnam’s exports of apparel products to the US reached US $4.5 billion last year, exceeding crude oil export turnover, despite US’s application of a program to monitor imports of apparel from Vietnam, thus, Vietnam has had to work out an export monitoring programme to cope with this.
This year, Vietnam targets to earn US $9.5 billion from exports of apparel products, up 21.8% against 2007.

Singapore's CapitaLand sets up $300 mln Vietnam fund | Industries | Financial Services & Real Estate | Reuters

Singapore's CapitaLand, Southeast Asia's largest property developer, said on Wednesday it was setting up a $300 million property fund in Vietnam.
The firm said in a statement it had also forged a partnership with Vietnamese firm Nam Thang Long Investment Joint-Stock Company to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam. (Reporting by Koh Gui Qing; Editing by Jan Dahinten)

Vietnam to host int'l fireworks festival next month_English_Xinhua

-- Vietnam will organize an international fireworks festival on March 27-28 in central Da Nang city, local newspaper Saigon Liberation reported Tuesday.
Vietnam, China's Hong Kong, Canada and Malaysia have registered to partake in the festival, under which a participant with the best fireworks display will gain the first prize of 50,000 U.S. dollars.
Besides the fireworks festival, series of cultural and tourism activities such as aircraft model and stone statue exhibitions, a traditional boat race, and music shows will be held late next month in the city.

UPDATE 1-Singapore's Changi to run central Vietnam airport | Industries | Industrials, Materials & Utilities | Reuters

Singapore's state-owned Changi Airports International said it would invest in and operate an airport in the popular tourist area of Hue in Vietnam, which is opening airport management to foreign investment.
The deal to manage Phu Bai International Airport in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue will involve new investment, Changi said in a statement on Tuesday, but did not say how much.
Changi manages Singapore's international airport and has been involved in development of more than 40 airports globally.
As many as 5 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Vietnam this year, up nearly 20 percent on a year ago.
Details of future operation with Changi, including the investment value, would be further discussed, a Vietnamese aviation official said at the signing ceremony in Hanoi.
Vietnam, which forecast air passenger traffic to more than double to 32.4 million people by 2020 from 14.5 million a year now, has been opening up its aviation sector to foreign investment after joining the World Trade Organisation last year.
In mid-2007 the Vietnamese government sold a 30 percent stake in Pacific Airlines, the country's second-largest after Vietnam Airlines, to Qantas Airways Ltd
Last November it licensed VietJet Air, its first fully private airlines, and said more private carriers would become operational in the next five years to meet demand.
National carrier Vietnam Airlines said last month it would hire an international consultant soon to advise on its initial public offering and could sell up to 20 percent of its shares to three foreign strategic investors. (Reporting by Kevin Lim in Singapore and Ho Binh Minh in Hanoi; Editing by Louise Heavens and Lincoln Feast)

Brown planthoppers threaten Mekong paddy crop

Agricultural agencies report that brown planthoppers have attacked over 100,000 hectares of paddy in the Mekong Delta region, threatening the season’s rice crop.
In Bac Lieu Province, Nilaparvata lugens appeared before Tet earlier this month and devastated 21,000 hectares of rice crops.
Head of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Luong Ngoc Lan, said the density had reached 16,000 brown planthoppers per square meter in Hong Dan District during that outbreak.
He added that the plague might become intense by the end of this month.
Bac Lieu’s DARD supplied 5,000 tons of pesticide to farmers to exterminate the insects.
The department advised farmers to keep a close eye on the health of their crops to fight the brownhopper plague, adding that it would release another 5,000 tons of pesticides soon.
Director of Hau Giang Province’s DARD, Nguyen Van Dong, said the insects had infested 21,000 hectares of winter-spring paddy and continued to plague 5,000 hectares now.
There were signs they would again attack a large area, he said, adding his department had asked MARD for 5,000 tons of pesticide.
The province would provide farmers compensation of VND2 million (US$125) per hectare of damaged paddy, he said.
In Dong Thap the insects have affected more than 45,000 hectares of paddy, or 21.3 per cent of the province’s total area under rice.
Dong Thap’s Plant Protection Bureau said the brown planthoppers plagued paddies because farmers used pesticides with low insect-resistance capability such as VD20 and Jasmin.
The insects are not only attacking paddy fields but are also infesting some urban areas in the delta region like Can Tho City and Chau Doc Town.
They buzz around lights and television sets, causing inconvenience to people.
Brown planthoppers, among the major crop pests in Vietnam, damage rice crops by eating their leaves.
Vietnam, the world’s second largest rice exporter, shipped 4.5 million tons of rice abroad last year with the Mekong region accounting for more than 70 percent of it.

HCMC hospital conducts fifth pediatric liver transplant

The Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Hospital 2 Monday successfully conducted its fifth liver transplant since 2005, implanting a 16-month-old baby with part of her father’s liver.
The baby girl, Nguyen Trinh Chi Hien, was born with an obstructed bile duct.
Doctors said the father was recovering well after the nine-hour surgery and a close watch was being kept on his daughter.
Doctor Tran Dong A, who pioneered liver transplant surgery at the Children’s Hospital 2, said Hien’s surgery was a challenge because of her poor health.
The surgery had initially been scheduled for last November but had to be delayed after Hien developed asthma and pneumonia.
Doctors have estimated about 40 Vietnamese children need liver transplant each year. Local hospitals, however, can’t meet the demand.

Ayala electronics firm eyes expansion in Vietnam - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines--Integrated Microelectronic Inc. (IMI) has said it is planning to set up operations in Vietnam.IMI, the electronics manufacturing subsidiary of the Ayala Group, already has manufacturing operations in four locations in China and also in Singapore. Locally, it has five facilities located in Laguna, Cavite and Cebu. The company provides design and manufacturing services for Japanese electronics firms like Panasonic and Toshiba. "It is always an open opportunity. Hopefully, this year," said Emmanuel Barcelon, IMI senior managing director for manufacturing and custom business operations, when asked about Vietnam expansion plans in an interview.Vietnam has become a hotbed for investments in the high-tech industry, attracting the likes of chipmaker Intel."The challenge for us is to continue being competitive through cost," Barcelon said.However, he acknowledged that Vietnam still needs to work on certain aspects such as English language fluency and a bureaucratic government.In the Philippines, IMI is subcontracting assembly services to EMS Components Assembly Inc., also a Filipino-owned company."We are looking to replicate this 'captive' model in China and Vietnam," Barcelon said, referring to the Japanese model of developing local capability in electronics by subcontracting work to service providers.

Holy row over land in Vietnam

The Vietnamese government is often embroiled in complex disputes over land rights.
But there is one particular row that is currently making the headlines - pitting the government against the country's strong Catholic Church, and now the Buddhist community as well.
For the whole of January, thousands of Catholics gathered outside the building that served as the Vatican ambassador's residence in Hanoi during the 1950s.
Braving the coldest winter for 40 years, they held vigils and prayers in one of the most visible gatherings in decades.
They had one request - that the site be returned to the Catholic Church.
The last Apostolic delegate was expelled by the Communists in 1959 and, since then, the residence has been used by the local Communist People's Committee for various non-religious purposes, such as weddings, motorbike parking and a gymnasium.
Vietnam's Buddhist community has now entered the standoff as well.
The Buddhist Sangha recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung saying that it, too, wanted ownership.
Angry reaction
The case has highlighted the complexity of land issues in Vietnam, especially where religions are involved.

Protests by Catholics in January alarmed the government
It has also caused considerable alarm to the authorities.
They demanded that the Catholic protesters stop their vigil, and some were prosecuted for "abusing religion to cause public disorder".
In the end, the crowds only dispersed when the Archbishop of Hanoi, Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, announced that the government had promised to give back the land.
But the issue has still not been resolved - and the land has yet to be returned.
Before the Catholics could show their discontent again, an official letter signed by the Venerable Thich Trung Hau, a leader of the official Buddhist Church, was sent to the prime minister.
Land use is one of the most complex and sensitive issues in Vietnam
Nguyen Duc Thinh,Religious Affairs Committee
The letter said the disputed land was in fact the location of an ancient pagoda - one of the most important heritage sites of Vietnamese Buddhism - which was occupied by the French and given to the Catholic Church in the 19th Century.
It asked the government to "consider the Buddhist Sangha one of the main parties to consult before making any decision" regarding the site.
The letter has sparked an angry reaction from the Catholic community.
Online forums such as the VietCatholic website have been swamped with articles and messages saying that only the Catholic Church has rights to the land that they believe was "given to the Church by history".
Some followers of the outlawed Vietnam Unified Buddhist Church also criticised the state-approved Buddhist Sangha's claim, which they feared would only widen the division between the two religions.

Some are worried the dispute could exacerbate religious divisions
Religious issues have always been considered "sensitive" in this communist country.
But tricky as it is, the claim by the Buddhists could, in reality, help make the government's task simpler.
"With both the Catholic and Buddhist Churches vying for the land, the government can now take the religious nuance off the issue, and treat it as a pure land issue," said one leading cultural expert. "It could come down to basic documentation."
Even straight land disputes, though, are not easy to solve.
Land clearance for industrial development, the confiscation of agricultural land and the lack of fair compensation for farmers have all fuelled a number of large-scale public protests in recent years.
"Land use is one of the most complex and sensitive issues in Vietnam," said Nguyen Duc Thinh, a senior official from the government's Religious Affairs Committee.
"Our policy is to examine all disputes, case by case, in accordance with the government's land law," he said.
Vietnamese law stipulates national ownership over all land, which means that organisations and individuals can only apply for the rights to use land, not own it.
Great value
Real estate prices in Vietnam have rocketed during the past decade.
In central Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, commercial space can sell for as high as in some of the most expensive cities in the world.
The disputed former Vatican ambassador's residence, covering an area of one hectare, is no doubt of great financial value.
"We have come to recognise that the Hanoi Diocese does indeed need a premise for their activities," said Nguyen Duc Thinh.
But he admitted that, like many land disputes, this one would take time to resolve.

Plot thickens, but book's origins still hazy

Like the quest for the dead sea scrolls, the efforts surrounding the search for an original document is a way to pay tribute to the value of a text.
And so it is with The Tale of Kieu, as the latest discovery of a version of the work last year has led to an escalating debate over who holds the oldest version of the story.
While originally proclaimed as the oldest te xt, and likely closest to the author’s original message, scholars are now challenging its status.
The origins of the tale date back to an ancient Chinese story popularised by writer Nguyen Du. The tale tells the story of the talented but unlucky Vuong Thuy Kieu, a woman driven to sell herself to a brothel to earn money to save her father.
more of the story->Viet Nam News

Discover Mekong Delta

Those who have followed the Mekong Delta’s winding waters to the region’s farthest stretches agree that the journey is well worth it. Pham Nam Giang discovers the area’s hidden delights, both natural and man-made.
Most tourists who visit the Mekong Delta make it no farther than My Tho, a day’s jaunt from HCM City, where they can float down one of the region’s many waterways and sample the famous locally grown fruit.
Those who venture deeper into the region, however, are rewarded with the rich biodiversity, history and folklore of the southwest.
Sure, no visit to the Mekong (Cuu Long) River Delta would be complete without a boat ride down the red-silt-laced waters of My Tho or a visit to Can Tho’s bustling floating market. But when I pushed beyond these cities to Bac Lieu and Kien Giang, two of the 12 provinces that make up the region, I discovered many more elements of the southwest’s unique character.


In the quiet expanses of these provinces, immense forests and nature reserves shelter thousands of species of plants and animals. Seemingly unending green rice paddies chase the horizon, and friendly local residents will tell visitors tales of their hometowns.
My first stop was Bac Lieu Province, 280km south of HCM City, a symbol of natural bounty in the region. Every year, the river system delivers fresh silt to this province in the Mekong Delta’s southernmost tip, replenishing the fertile land.
In addition to containing rice paddies and shrimp ponds that local farmers depend on for their livelihoods, the region also provides a home to tens of thousands of birds.


It is unsurprising, then, that birds have become an integral part of cultural and spiritual life for people of the delta and of Bac Lieu in particular, as evidenced by the frequent mentioning of birds in folk songs and fairy tales. People say that no rice paddy in this land is without a flock of storks overhead.
This sheds light on a Vietnamese proverb often used in reference to the lush southwestern region: dat lanh chim dau (if the land is good, birds will come).
The highlight of my tour of the province was a trip to Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary, one of the most attractive ecotourism spots in the province and the entire Mekong Delta.
The 100-year-old sanctuary is located in Hiep Thanh Commune, 6km east of the town of Bac Lieu.
"The sanctuary, a natural salt-marsh forest ecosystem, covers an area of approximately 170ha, of which 50ha is virgin forest," said Tu Hung, an official working there.
One of the largest bird sanctuaries in the delta, it is home to more than 60,000 birds of over 40 species, including some rare ones listed in the Red Book.


Every day, flocks of birds fly off in search of food at dawn and return to their nests when dusk comes, overshadowing the sky for the delight of the viewers below. Songs of birds intermingle with the sounds of flapping wings, bringing the whole area to life.
"It’s so extraordinary," said Dinh Thi Kim Dung, director of Sovico Travel company in Ha Noi and one of my companions.
Dung said there were many birds in her hometown in Thai Binh Province, a natural salt-marsh forest reservation in the Red River Delta, but never before had she seen birds practically covering the whole sky like this.
But the sanctuary not only shelters birds, it is also a reserve for 150 types of animals, dozens of species of butterfly and more than 100 plant varieties, ranging from giant centuries-old trees to small ferns.
Tourists, however, are only allowed to visit a nearby buffer zone where they can use optical devices to observe the birds from afar in high watchtowers. Hung explained that human activity could adversely affect the environment for the birds, causing them to flee the area.
more of the story->Viet Nam News

MP told to leave Vietnam - Aftenposten.no

A member of the Norwegian parliament who was traveling in Vietnam last week was ordered to leave the country, after he visited a dissident author.

Peter Girmark (right), a member of the Norwegian parliament for the Conservatives, shown here with a Vietnamese democracy advocate in Norway.
PHOTO: FÆDRELANDSVENNEN
Peter Gitmark, a member of parliament for Norway's Conservative party, was questioned in his hotel room by Vietnamese security police, who then asked him to leave the country.
Gitmark told his hometown newspaper Fædrelandsvennen in Kristiansand that he had been in the country on a tourist visa. He used the trip, however, to visit human rights and democracy activists.
Among those he visited was the dissident author Than Kanh Tran Theuy in Hanoi. Gitmark was apparently observed by neighbours, who reported the visit to police.
Gitmark could produce an airline ticket that showed he was leaving the country the next day anyway. "If I hadn’t been traveling on the first flight out, they surely would have kicked me out," he told the paper.
Gitmark claimed many families of Vietnamese refugees in Norway are kept out of the labour market or imprisoned, because their relatives in Norway work for a free and democratic Vietnam.
Gitmark is a member of the Norwegian parliament's energy and environment committee. He was initially held at the airport security checkpoint, but later flew out on his scheduled flight.

Vietnam Congratulates Raul Castro -

The Vietnamese government congratulated Raul Castro on Monday for his election as president of Cuba and voiced confidence in greater success of socialism on the Island.
President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent a message congratulating the National Assembly for electing the Cuban official to lead the Council of State and the Council of Ministers.
The Vietnamese officials said they are confident that with his new responsibilities and the leadership of the Communist Party led by Fidel Castro, Raul Castro will continue achieving great victories in the construction of socialism.
We are proud of our traditional friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the parties and the states of Vietnam and Cuba, the president and prime minister said, "trusting that those ties will grow stronger."
Vietnam´s National Assembly President Nguyen Phu Trong congratulated his counterpart Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada for his re-election to lead the Cuban National Assembly.
The Foreign Ministry said the election of Raul Castro as president of Cuba reaffirmed the unity and consensus existing among the Communist Party, the government, the National Assembly and the Cuban people in the continuity of the revolutionary cause.

Vietnam Hikes fuel prices

Vietnam raised retail fuel prices for the first time in three months Monday, including an over one-third surge in diesel rates, as Hanoi risked worsening double-digit inflation to align with climbing global oil prices.
The country's top fuel trader, Petrolimex, said Monday it increased petrol prices by 11.5 percent, and diesel and kerosene by 36.3 percent, the biggest increase since January last year. It last raised prices by more than 15 percent in November.
The Finance Ministry approved the increase after lobbying by fuel retailers who are forced to bear mounting financial losses for selling imported fuel at a loss on the domestic market.
Until its first refinery is completed in about a year's time, Vietnam is almost entirely dependent on imported fuel.
Its predicament is a familiar one in Asia, where many governments subsidise fuel in one way or another.
But crude prices have quandrupled in the past five years, forcing Beijing, Delhi and others to allow domestic prices to rise.
"The policy is a good one to phase out over time, but unfortunately this increase is at a time when Vietnam is suffering inflationary pressure," said Adam McCarty of Mekong Economics consultancy.
Local media quoted Finance Minister Vu Van Ninh as saying the price rise would add about 0.5 percent to inflation, which hit 14.1 percent in January due to higher food and fuel prices.
The number was the highest in 12 years and posed a major test to the government that is pushing faster market reforms while the economy grows at more than 8 percent a year.
And local rates are still lagging, even though Hanoi has moved more quickly over the past year to close the gap.
Petrol prices are up 44 percent since early 2007 and up 70 percent since mid-2005. Crude prices have doubled since mid-2005.
Local media quoted Petrolimex Deputy Director Vuong Thai Dung as saying that at VND13,000 a liter for the 92-octane petrol, the company had a monthly loss of more than $100 million.
The popular 92-octane petrol is now VND14,500 per liter from VND13,000, while diesel and kerosene are VND13,900 per liter, up from VND10,200, Petrolimex said in a statement.
Demand on track
Analysts and traders say the price increase is unlikely to reverse a trend of fast-growing demand for motor fuels, with most of the country's 85 million people dependent on motorbikes for transport or heavier vehicles for their livelihood.
"This will make life much harder for us blue-collar workers as we have to be on the road all the time, we have no other choice but keep on driving. Drive more to make more money," said Hanoi electrician Bui Dinh Nguyen.
But in a country with an average per capita annual income of only $825, the rise will hurt. Nguyen said he spends about VND600,000 a month, or 20 percent of his monthly income of VND3 million, on gasoline for his 100-cc Honda Dream.
Last year oil products imports soared 12 percent to 12.55 million tonnes, while the import bill rose by more than a quarter to $7.7 billion. January oil product imports rose 8.6 percent from a year ago to 1 million tonnes, government data showed.
The government allows state retailers to adjust retail prices to avoid losses but they first need to get approval from the government, which has resisted rises.
From last year, the government stopped subsidies for gasoline and diesel as it moved to liberalise the sector.
An official with Petrolimex told Reuters that its short-term fuel demand could ease following a speculative surge in buying.
"Consumption will calm short-term. Consumers had bought more fuel on rumours of the price increase," said the official.
Longer term demand will be aided by increasing wealth and car ownership, although imports are likely to fall by about a third after the country's first 140,000 barrels per day oil refinery in Dung Quat begins operations next February, analysts have said.
Source: Reuters

Vietnam drafting plan to control exhaust fumes

Vietnam Registry Bureau is drafting a plan to control exhaust fumes by all kinds of motorcycles in five big cities, namely HCM City, Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang and Can Tho from 2009. The plan, with a target of controlling the increasing and alarming exhaust fumes emitted from motorcycles, will be submitted to the Government for approval by September this year. Trinh Ngoc Giao, director of the bureau, said it received technical support from the Swiss-Vietnamese Clean Air Program.Under the plan, exhaust fumes emitted from motorcycles that pollute the air in the five cities will be reduced by some 60%. All motorcycles will be subject to verification at least one time per year, and any motorcycle that misses the verification will be fined. The plan will later be applied in all the provinces and cities of the country after 2012.According to the bureau, there are 18 million motorcycles in big cities of the country, including some 3.8 million in HCM City and 1.7 million in Hanoi. About 57% of motorcycles in HCM City and 59% in Hanoi do not meet the standard on exhaust fumes. Its recent survey shows that the five cities lose some 0.6% of gross domestic products (GDP) annually due to air pollution caused by emission from vehicles. In Hanoi alone, the loss is said to be some VND1 billion per day.
more info->Vietnam this week

Vietnam gives greenlight to buy information for combating corruption

Vietnam's Finance Ministry has allowed anti-corruption steering committees of cities and provinces nationwide to use state money to buy information which help them battle corruption, according to local newspaper Investment on Monday.
According to the ministry's recent circular, the committees canspend up to 10 million Vietnamese dong (625 U.S. dollars) on buying a piece of information. For more expensive news, the committees' directors have the right to consider and approve the purchase.
Also under the circular, some members of the committees, assigned with special anti-corruption tasks, will be equipped with telephones.
Vietnam last year discovered 584 cases of corruption with involvement of nearly 1,300 people, which caused total losses of over 865 billion VND (roughly 54.1 million dollars), local newspaper Pioneer on Feb. 13 quoted the country's Central Anti-Corruption Steering Committee as reporting.
Most of the cases were detected through denouncements, inspection, auditing, and information provided by press agencies and people, while officials of some local party committees and organizations have not been fully aware of corruption prevention and fight.

This man is living my Dream

In 19 years, Nicolas Cornet (photo), a French photographer, has walked on every road in Vietnam. His camera captures the Vietnamese life and people year by year. In his photos, Vietnam looks ethereal, perhaps because of his passion for this country.
An unexpected love

Nicolas Cornet
In 1987, Nicolas Cornet first set foot in Vietnam. He was hired by a younger photographer to design light for his photos on Vietnam. The two men planned to stay in Vietnam for 1 year for their work.
Yet, the appealing strangeness of this country’s people and sceneries didn’t let them go. The Frenchmen prolonged their stay to 4 years. A photo book on Vietnam was published. It didn’t bear Nicolas’ name as its author, but he was a gainer still. He had amassed a large collection of photos of Vietnam and learned to love this country passionately after traveling untiredly along the S-shaped land.
He started to publish his photo reportages and essays about Vietnam in such papers and magazines as Le Monde, D-La Republica, Madame Figaro, Geo, Grands Reportages, Mare, and Marian. Looking at Nicolas’s photos, one is surprised to find the Vietnamese life and people full of introspection and love. Whether a photo captures the crowdedness of a city, or the countryside’s freshness, whether it is about adults’ busy concerns, or children’s carefree playing, it exudes a holy love for the community and every blade of glass in the land. It blossoms brightly like flowers newly cut sitting on peddlers’ baskets waiting to be sold at dawn. Nicolas looks at Vietnam from a narrow angle: a frown, a full-hearted laugh, a rough hand wiping away sweat running down the forehead, or an arm helping a white dress on a bobbing boat. He catches the heartbeats of daily life in images of those tiny tea shops at the street corners, people riding to work or the supermarket, and children jumping ropes on narrow hamlet lanes. He re-creates Vietnam through his own impressions and understanding of the country.
In Nicolas’s opinion, if visitors to Vietnam simply live in hotels, visit resorts, beaches, or tourism centres, and then return to their home countries, they understand nothing about Vietnam. To know Vietnam, one has to wander along hamlets, idle time away at roadside tea shops, travel to the countryside and live the country life. And in order to capture the changes in Vietnam in recent years, it is not enough to take photo of skyscrapers. One has to show these changes through the way the Vietnamese look or wear clothes.
Every year, he visits Vietnam 3 or 4 times to decode the Vietnamese people, so that people around the world, through his photos, can see the vivid reality of this country. He joked, “I am like a decoder of Vietnam and her people.”
In Vietnam, Nicolas either walks, or rents a motorbike or a car. For the last 10 years, there have been years when he spends most of the year’s time in Vietnam rather than France. Half his friends are Vietnamese. His “other half” is a Vietnamese doctor whom he met on a visit to Vietnam. He married her, brought her to France, but he himself keeps his frequent work trips to the country. He wife gave him 2 sons. Once a year, usually in March, he brings the whole family back to Vietnam. He said this yearly visit is the most important event every year in his family.
“Vietnam in my photos is the Vietnam I love”

In 2004, Nicolas published his first photo book on Vietnam. His publisher, Éditions du Chêne, printed 7,000 copies, which were quickly sold out. In 2005, 3,000 reprinted copies of Nicolas’s Viet Nam were also sold out. Surprised at the book’s success, Éditions du Chêne ordered Nicolas’s 2nd volume of Viet Nam.
At the beginning of 2006, Nicolas returned to Vietnam to finish this work. For now, he is keeping secret the content of the 2nd volume, which will be published in April 2007. As for the 1st volume, Nicolas compares it to a photographic tool explaining and introducing Vietnam.
The book explains just a little about Vietnam, creating curiosity in those who have never been to the country, and surprising those who have visited Vietnam but never seen the country in Nicolas’s way. The theme “Hanoi, Hue, Saigon” in Nicolas’s Vietnam is truly about the atmosphere and way of life characteristically Asian and Vietnamese, and seen by the heart and eyes of a European deeply in love with the land.
Nicolas told a story about a European contacting him to buy his Vietnamese photos. He asked what these photos would be used for. The man answered that he would print them on postcards. Nicolas then refused to sell, explaining, “Vietnam is not a postcard”. He also refuses to work in partnership with others on photo books about Vietnam if such works don’t require deep knowledge of Vietnam. Vietnam in his eyes is vibrant, changing everyday and appealing in every feature. Vietnam on Nicolas’s photos seems more beautiful and lovely than the real one.
Nicolas used to think that there are thousands of photo books about France on the international market, but almost none on Vietnam. That’s why he chose and loves his job. He wants to show his Vietnam to the world, because he loves the Vietnamese way of life, because he loves to wander on every path in Vietnam with his camera.
(Source: Tuoi tre)

ed note: Hopefully I will join him, soon

Kenh Ga Floating Village, stunning countryside

Words barely suffice to express the tranquility and languid beauty of Ninh Binh Province, the home of Kenh Ga floating village, Tam Coc and arguably Northern Vietnam’s most stunning countryside.


Visiting Kenh Ga is simple: you buy a ticket and sit on a boat for two hours.
Just 3km down in Ha Nam Province and already I was playing a never-ending game of Highway One chicken with the life-flattening, prehistoric trucks heading to Hanoi.

I contemplated turning back, or at least the closest one comes to contemplation when duelling an aspirin-defying hangover: Was it really worth risking becoming a paraplegic to visit Kenh Ga, a fairytale floating village most Hanoians have never heard of?

In fact, everyone I had talked to about my trip – expats and Vietnamese alike – said the same thing, “Kang what?”

Their ignorance fuelled my illusions of having discovered an unknown civilisation hidden in the folds of Ninh Binh Province, rather than just having noticed a rather-long description of it in a guidebook.

This should have tipped me off to the Kenh Ga paradox I later understood: Sandwiched between tourist uber-magnets Tam Coc and Cuc Phuong, the remarkable floating village is such a minor notch on the tourism chain that its beauty has yet to break past the leisurely-traveler circuit.

Few tourists venture down to Ninh Binh for more than a day and, of those who do, most invariably dash past Kenh Ga to queue up for a boat trip in Tam Coc.

As soon as a striking wall of limestone mountains appeared on the horizon, though, I couldn’t take my eyes off them, much less turn back. So two hours later I found myself on the boat docks, sweat pouring, as I tried to figure out how to take a tour of the watery village.
more to read->VietNamNet Bridge

100 beauties fashion show in Nha Trang

More than 100 beauty queens gathered in the coastal city of Nha Trang for the fashion-music show on the evening of June 11. Beauties were splendid in swimsuits and the collection of ao dai designed by painter Sy Hoang named “Past and Today”. VietNamNet Bridge presents Vietnamese beauties at the show.

more pictures ->VietNamNet Bridge

Thang co cooks a 5-horse meal Bac Ha

A Thang co festival and its featured horse meat dishes will for the first time be the focus of Bac Ha tourism's cultural week, held between May 30 and June 2 in the northwestern province of Lao Cai.
Horse: It's what's for dinner! Mong men and women are preparing bowls of thang co to invite tourists.If you have never tried horse meat, the Bac Ha tourism week taking place from May 30 to June 2 may be the perfect occasion.
Worried there won't be enough? With the largest pan this country has ever seen boiling five horses simultaneously, there should be enough to feed all those curious and hungry visitors.
The horse meat, called thang co, is a traditional dish of the Mong ethnic group in the mountainous north-western region.
With the thang co festival organised for the first time during the local tourism week, this event is looking to make its mark with a giant pan measuring 5m in diameter and 1.5m in depth, large enough to be entered in the Vietnam book of records.
According to Tran Huu Son, director of the Lao Cai Province's culture and Information Department, a two-horses cart will carry the giant pan set to be cast in Bac Ha for the festival.
Following its grand entrance will be a ceremony to set fire to cook thang co, accompanied by the sounds of a musical orchestra. Tourists taking part in Bac Ha festival can come to the ceremony and enjoy the special dish.


Thang co has been known for years as a speciality of the Mong culture. The technique of making it is quite simple. After the animal is killed and washed, its internal parts are removed, which are later cut up. These parts are put in a big pan and fried in their own grease. Minutes later, water is added to the pan and the meat is simmered for hours.
To spice up the dish, salt and some spicy fruits including thao qua and dia dien can be added, giving to the dish an attractive aroma.
Wine is always recommended for men when they eat thang co and women often eat it with com nam (rice balls) or men men (ground maize).
During the group meal of thang co, participants exchange stories about crops, hunting, villages and daughters-in-law. For young bachelors and bachelorettes, it can be a good opportunity to make new friends and even find a future husband or wife.
(Source: Viet Nam News)

"Mad" woman and her "Crazy House"

jHaving graduated from the famous Moscow Architecture University, many say Dang Viet Nga is “mad” because of her extraordinary ideas; and particularly because of her most known work “crazy house”.
Nga is a doctor and architect as well as the owner of the “Crazy House”, a unique abode which has stirred controversy over the past 20 years.
Crazy House is located in an area of nearly 1,600sq.m, at No. 3 Huynh Thuc Khang road, Ward 4, Da Lat City in the central highlands province of Lam Dong. It goes by other names like Hang Nga’s villa, Strange House and Cobweb House.
Its controversy and special attention from visitors over the past 18 years stems from it not belonging to any specific school of architecture.
The house opened in 1990 and it is now a well known tourist destination in Da Lat. The house has few right angles with unexpected twists and turns at every corner. The misshapen windows make it look like something out of a fairy tale, as friendly stone animals—a bear, giraffe and spider—linger around the premises. Small ponds and mushroom statues also adorn the outside of the house.
The outside of the building looks like a tree with trunks and branches built to look like they are growing along the walls, making it more of a house-tree than a tree-house. This is not something that most tourists, either foreign or domestic, expect to find in Vietnam.
The roots of Crazy House
Nga left Hanoi for Da Lat in 1983. Loving nature and freedom, her architectural style reveals an unconstrained mind, not restricted by contemporary popular thought.
Da Lat’s romanticism and wildness inspired Nga’s unique ideas. “Architecture must be close to nature. Humans must live among the voices of birds and beasts, and only then will they feel the closeness and they will need each other more,” she said.
Every building Nga has designed has its own meaning. The Da Lat Children’s Palace was inspired by a forest of bamboo shoots, the Trade Union guest house was inspired by Central Highlands houses on stilts and French ancient architecture. Nga also designed Lien Khuong Church and the new office of the Ministry of Culture and Information, which also have unique characteristics.
However, each of these has been partly changed, differing from Nga’s original design. “Unique, creative ideas are said to be complicated,” Nga explained. That’s why she did one work for herself, which completely follows her design - the Crazy House.
Nga said she didn’t plan to build Crazy House, but Da Lat’s wildness inspired and urged her to realize the idea. She wants to bring humans back to nature and undo the damage man has done.
She wanted to make her house a jungle, with flowers, trees, birds and beasts. The construction of Crazy House began in February 1990.
The house has become famous and subject to controversy for 18 years. Many people criticized it, including Nga’s colleagues, but she says: “I don’t blame those who don’t understand me”.
She said the house would not be unique if she built it following any sort of taught or usual style. “I wanted to make something that nobody in the world has thought of, that doesn’t mean I’m peculiar,” Nga said.
Extraordinary aspiration
Crazy House was built when Nga didn’t have any assets. She went to several banks to borrow funds. When her debts reached VND30 million at an interest rate of 10%, a huge number at that time, nobody could help her. Nga faced the risk of going to jail if she couldn’t pay back her debt.
Because of the uniqueness of Crazy House, Nga’s friends suggested she open it to visitors. In late 1990, Nga began to sell tickets to visitors, VND200/ticket (now it is VND10,000). She gradually escaped from debt with the assistance of her family and some friends.
Crazy House is now a guest house with ten rooms. She named each room after animals, like Tiger room, Bear room, Kangaroo room, etc. The room rates are quite hight, VND290,000-VND630,000/room/night for Vietnamese and $29-63/night for foreigners.
The house is now one of the premiere tourist destinations in Da Lat City, which is highly appreciated by visitors for its strangeness.
When entering the house, one feels like they are in a maze. Asking her about the word “mad” and “crazy” that people have given to Nga and her house, she said: “When they don’t understand me, they can call me mad. After seeing my house, some visitors uttered “Crazy woman! Crazy architecture!” but that has done a lot to make it a popular and talked about destination”.
Crazy and not crazy
Nga is not mad, rather, elegant and luxurious like a Western Lady from the 18th century with clear and honest eyes. She is the daughter of former Party Secretary Truong Chinh. Recently, local authorities recognized the house as an art piece. Nga waited 18 years for local authorities’ to recognize her house.
Her life is now very busy from early morning to midnight; many visitors and friends visit the house to learn more about the special work.
Nga said she is still in debt because she has invested VND12 billion into the house. She plans to invest VND6 billion more from now to 2010. After, if she has enough money, she will inject another VND20 billion into expanding Crazy House into the adjacent property, which she recently purchased.
(Source: NLD, SGGP)
ed note: I will stay here on my next visit. We have alot in common, architecture, house, Mad & Crazy to name a few. Perfect match don't you think?

Workers struggle with price increases

Workers at Hanoi-based Thang-Long are struggling with increasing prices; many are choosing between VND11,000 (US$0.68) for a lunch for three and sleeping all day to abstain from food.
Sleeping rather than eating
Thuy from Ninh Binh province, a worker at Thang Long Industrial Zone, discussed how much she pays for a meal for three (her and two roommates): “VND2,000 of tofu, VND8,000 for a 3-tael fish, VND2,000 of tomatoes, and VND1,000 for onions, we spend VND13,000 ($0.8) for a meal.”
But for Thuy and her roommates, this is a special kind of meal because VND13,000 is for food only. “This kind of meal actually costs VND20,000 ($1.25),” Thuy said, after calculating rice, vegetable oil and fuel costs.

Huong and Bai from Bac Ninh province, workers of Fujikil Company in Thang Long Industrial Zone, also spend just VND6,000 ($0.37) for a meal for two. This small amount of money is used to buy spinach (VND1,500), pickles (VND1,000) and potato (VND3,000).

Visiting the rented room of six male workers of HOYA company in Co Dien village, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, one can feel the difficulty of workers during the current ‘price storm’, as the cost of living is on a steep rise.

“We work at night, sleep during day to keep our strength and save money on food expenses,” Thanh, one of the six workers said. Before the “price storm”, these workers ate at rice shops, but now they cook for themselves.

In debt

Without enough money to pay for essential needs, many workers at Thang Long Industrial Zone are now in debt.

Chien, a worker at Ikeuchi Company, has to borrow money off one person to pay another. This circle repeats itself month by month because his VND1.1 million salary is not enough for rent, water and power bills, gas, telephone charges, etc.

Trang, from Bac Ninh province, is always out of money. Her family is just several kilometers from her factory but Trang rarely returns home. With an income of around VND1 million per month, Trang is also in debt, who is called the “Century debt”.

For young couples like Thao and Luong, with VND2 million of income, life has become very hard. They rent a room and used to go to their factory by motorbike but as gas prices are on the rise, they sold their bike.

Doan and her wife, from Ha Tay province, decided to travel several kilometers from their house in Ha Tay to their work to save on accommodation fees but they have to wake up at 4am to go to the office.

Worker harder, but for what?

To pay debts, many workers have to work extra hours. Tuyen, a worker at Nissei company, works 12 hours a day and 30 days a month and earns VND2 million.

Hoi doesn’t work the whole year like Tuyen but he is ready to work in a toxic working environment to earn an additional VND14,000 per day, VND364,000/month.

These laborers work had but can’t live on their income. When they don’t work, they can only sleep to save energy so they don’t have to spend on food, but nothing more because they don’t have the simplest forms of entertainment like TVs, radios or newspapers.

The lunar New Year is approaching but Thuy and many other workers don’t think they will be able to return home.
(Source: VTC)

Woman with Tumours of nearly 21kg

Around 45km from HCM City, in Thoi Hoa commune, Ben Cat district, in the southern province of Binh Duong there is a 32-year-old woman who carried tumours of nearly 21kg in weight in the past. Though they were cut, tumours are appearing again.

Three years ago, Nguyen Thanh Danh, a woman in Hamlet 4, Thoi Hoa, Ben Cat, Binh Duong province underwent three operations to cut six tumours on her back, buttocks and hips totalling nearly 21kg. At present, on the scars of the old incisions, new tumours are developing, and are now as big as duck eggs.

Though the new tumours are not yet painful or itchy, she is uncomfortable because along with the development of tumours, her skin is stretched day by day.

Suffering dangerous disease, living optimistically

Based on the health records of Ms Danh archived at the HCM City Tumour Hospital, the woman was born in 1975. She entered the HCM City Tumour Hospital on December 10, 2003 with many huge tumours on her body. She experienced three surgeries in 2003-2004 to cut tumours of 20.7kg in weight.

The woman told VietNamNet’s reporters that when she was born, her body had many black and lumpy birth-marks, mainly located on her back, hips, groin and thighs and innumerable moles. Along with time, the birth-marks on Ms Danh’s body became darker and lumpier, like toad skin.

In 1998, at the age of 23, Danh’s parents took her to the HCM City Tumour Hospital for examination. Doctors said that she had blood tumours and they didn’t dare operate, afraid of being unable to coagulate the blood. They asked the family to bring her back to the hospital after a period of time.

However, as the family was poor the girl couldn’t return to the hospital till after the tumours had become huge. Danh had to carry a giant tumour which was one meter long. According to Danh’s health records, the tumour on her right hip and back was 100x60x30 in size. As the tumours were too big, Danh became a hunchback. She always had to wear loose clothes to hide the tumours. Though in such a circumstance, the girl still participated in all social activities in her commune.

New tumours developing


Nguyen Thanh Danh (right) is wearing a loose blouse to hide her tumours.In late 2003, tumours on Danh’s body developed very rapidly, making her skin stretch and bleed. Every two or three days, she got a temperature and each time like that she had to take a pain-killer. Danh couldn’t stand it any more and she returned to the HCM City Tumour Hospital.

She passed three operations, the first on December 31, 2003 to cut tumours of 17.2kg. Four more turmours were cut on February 20, 2004 with a total weight of 2.8kg and the last was on July 13, 2004 with two turmours of 0.7kg. At the age of 30, Danh finally had escaped the huge tumours on her body.



However, three years since the last surgery, the dark birth-marks which were very small before have developed as big as duck eggs. Danh said that she numbers seven turmours like this on her body.

“I don’t dare to eat much because I’m scared that nutritive substances will feed the tumours,” Danh said.

Because of strange tumours, Danh is afraid of dreaming to have a family.

Do Quyen
.

ed note: I've never seen anything like this in my life.

HCMC flooded with Delux Apartments

Lavish apartments priced at $10,000/sq.m and villas worth several millions of dollars are selling well in HCM City.

The Southern Place apartment building, located on Nguyen Van Linh avenue in District 7, is exciting the real estate market in HCM City for its luxury accommodations and services, and high flying prices: from $7,000 to $10,000 a sq.m. Apartments are valuated from $1-3 million.

Called “Royal Villa”, the Southern Palace is advertised as new age houses, targeting the rich who want to assert their social positions. 115 luxury apartments are for sale.

To match these apartments with their value, the investor – Southern Housing Business Company – designed Southern Palace as a 12 story building with a Louis XIV style. On the 1st to - 9th floors apartments are 150-350sq.m. The 11th and 12th floors are two-storey apartments of up to 500sq.m for the largest.

Each was built and decorated with the highest quality materials and equipment and were designed by European architects; they include $10,000 Jacuzzi style bath tubs and electronic sensor toilets worth at least $3,000.

Another deluxe apartment project in the South Saigon area, offering over 1,600 apartments, includes several that exceed 600sq.m. To own one, buyers are paying hundreds of thousands to millions of USD.

Most high-class apartment buildings over 10 stories tall include deluxe apartments of 300-500sq.m and even 600 to 700sq.m for the super rich. For example, a 650sq.m apartment in the Green Building project in District 9 is priced at over VND22 billion ($1.37 million). An estate project on Nguyen Huu Tho road offers 700sq.m apartments worth more than VND30 billion ($1.875 million). Other big estate projects like Hung Vuong Plaza, Ruby Land, Sky Garden Phu My Hung also advertise super luxury residences.

The Saigon Pearl project announced it will sell $4,000 - $5,000/sq.m apartments from the 20th floor downward and much more expensive deluxe apartments from the 21st to 37th floors.

At a meeting with HCM City real estate businesses on February 18, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee expressed his concern that real estate companies are too focused on building luxury apartments that are too lavish.

“I only hear about the shortage of houses for the poor and low-income earners while many luxury apartment projects being implemented; this strategy needs reconsideration,” he said.

“Million USD-worth houses are built for whom? And how many people can afford to buy them?” asked the Chairman.

Head of the HCM City Economics Institute Tran Du Lich said the appearance of super-deluxe apartments in HCM City shows that City residents have the highest living standards in Vietnam.
ed note: I knew this was coming from my recent visits 05-06. I'm sure they need art on the walls!!!!

A doctor crazy about making wine from Vietnamese fruits

Dr. Nguyen Cong Ngu is known as a hero in the Bac Hai District in the mountainous province of Lao Cai for his wine made from the area’s specialty Tam Hoa plums and other Vietnamese fruits.
The story of the “hero of the white valley” began a few years ago when the Bac Hai inhabitants couldn’t sell their plums and wanted to cut down the trees for wood. The district’s leader had to ask the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to rescue the trees! Hearing the story, retired Dr. Ngu, went to Bac Ha and brought some of the Tam Hoa plums to Ha Noi to experiment with and see if he could make wine from the plums. He had previous experience of making wine from apricots so he just applied the process of distilling apricot wine to producing plum wine. Tam Hoa plums are red and very sweet, and have a thick pulp, but they don’t have a scent. Therefore, Dr. Ngu mixed Ta Van plums which have an exotic scent with Tam Hoa plums. After successfully making plum wine, he went to Lao Cai with it and introduced it to the locality in a bid to convince them not to cut down the plum trees. The Lao Cai Province bought tons of plums from farmers for Dr. Ngu to make 40,000 liters of plum wine, equal to 50,000 bottles. With the same technology, Dr. Ngu has also produced other drinks and jams from plums. Following this discovery he began to work at producing wines from other Vietnamese fruits such as grapes, guava, strawberry, watermelon and coffee. Wherever he travels Dr.Ngu always brings home local fruits for wine experimentation. Dr. Ngu began testing apricot stones after reading a newspaper article about the benefits of eating five apricot stones a day over many years and the prevention of cancer. This led to the production of a new wine made from the apricot stone. He said, “Apricot stones are very precious because they contain B17 and B15 which help prevent cancer.” On a field trip, Dr. Ngu realized that farmers only took the coffee grains but threw away the outer layer, he thought this to be wasteful. And later… coffee wine came into existence. Dr. Ngu is now also famous for many kinds of cognac sold under the brand name Green Forest Cognac which are certified for meeting national quality standards by Ha Noi’s Health Department and Standards and Quality Department. He won a quality award for his apricot stone wine at the international wine challenge 2007. “Countries famous for wine like France and the US have placed orders and cooperated with Viet Nam to make apricot stone wine,” he said. Dr. Ngu, 71, graduated from Ha Noi University of Technology and obtained Ph.D degree in Canada, was awarded a certificate of merit from former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong for his cassava noodle which helped prevent children having constipation 40 years ago.

Natural women painting $700 to $1500Us

A Hanoi artist is showing his mastery of rural landscapes and depictions of women in a distinctive exhibition at Tu Do Gallery.

The sound of music: Hanoi-based artist Nguyen Quoc Dung's painting Duyen Xua (Old Charm), which is on show at an exhibition of his work at 53 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 11, HCM City.Nguyen Quoc Dung, a graduate of Vietnam's Industrial Fine Arts University, is showing his best work in the exhibition Nho (Recollection), including 24 oil paintings in different sizes.
Some of the lighter-coloured paintings feature traditionally dressed women in states of joy and sadness, and others portray beautiful women and evoke memories of life and people.
"I hope viewers will be able to think about their lives and loves as well as happiness and failures in the past, making them think about the lack of importance of past losses," said Dung.
"I find unlimited sources of inspiration in women," said the 49-year-old artist.
"My works convey my soul, boundless imagination and memory towards my childhood. For me, the past captures people's dreams and passions."
Dung said he sees many changes in big cities like Hanoi and HCM City.
"Sometimes I feel grief when I see buildings in urban areas instead of historic houses, but I know the country is developing."
He also added that he's very eagerly awaiting the response from viewers.
The event's highlight includes the paintings Duyen Xua (Old Charm), Hoa Sen (Lotus) and Thon Nu (Rural Girl) in brown and brown-yellow, featuring beautiful women playing traditional games as well as flowers and fish ponds.
Dung worked as an art designer for the Viet Nam Postage Stamp Company. He returned to his field in 1993, working as a freelance artist.
He has had several personal and selected group exhibitions in Hanoi, HCM City and the US.
The exhibition runs until next Tuesday at 53 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 1. Paintings range from US$700 to 1,500 each.
ed note: That's it I'm moving

Major railway project starts in the north

Construction of the Yen Vien-Pha Lai-Ha Long-Cai Lan railway project, started on February 24 with a ground breaking ceremony for the Lim-Pha Lai portion, held in Que Vo district, northern Bac Ninh province. The 35.9 km railway linking Lim and Pha Lai, running through Tien Du and Que Vo districts, and Bac Tinh township (Bac Ninh province) and Chi Linh district (Hai Duong province), will be built with a total investment of 2,000 billion VND. The portion will include 17 bridges. The Yen Vien-Pha Lai-Ha Long-Cai Lan railway project is part of the East-West Corridor Project of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Economic Cooperation Programme, and the “Two corridors, one economic belt” programme. Investment capital for the project will come from government bonds. When being completed, the large-scale modern railway project will play an important role in the development of the Northern Key Economic Region, said Minister of Transport and Communication Ho Nghia Dung.