Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: US Solar maker to build $300 million factory in HCMC

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

US Solar maker to build $300 million factory in HCMC

VietNamNet Bridge - Arizona-based First Solar is to build a solar panel factory in Ho Chi Minh City.

A US solar panel maker Wednesday said it will build a $300 million factory in Vietnam, boosting the country’s efforts to reinvent itself as a hub for high-tech manufacturing.

Arizona-based First Solar said Vietnamese authorities had approved the investment in Ho Chi Minh City’s Cu Chi district, in the south of the country.

The facility will employ around 600 people and production is expected to begin in the second half of next year, a company spokeswoman told AFP.

Vietnam is still a rural-based society that has relied on natural resources and unskilled labor to achieve growth. But the country’s leaders now speak of moving to a more technologically advanced system of production.

“You’re seeing more and more high-tech firms come into Vietnam,” outgoing United States ambassador Michael Michalak said at his farewell press conference this month. He cited First Solar’s plans as an example.

In October the US-based chip maker Intel opened a billion-dollar plant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: AFP

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.