Day: April 18, 2022

The Centre for Conservation of Hue Monuments in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on April 17 received two artifacts of the Nguyen Dynasty – a mandarin hat and a dress.

The two artifacts were bought by the Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company at an auction in Spain and donated to the province, home to the complex of royal palaces of the Nguyen Dynasty.

The mandarin hat was made by around the end of the 19th century or early 20th century, while the silk dress dates back to the 19th century.

They will be preserved at the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts and displayed for free-of-charge public view until the end of this year.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh recently took part in an conference with localities regarding the completion of the National Power Development Plan for the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2045 (PDP VIII).

According to the Government Office’s announcement of the Deputy PM’s conclusion at the conference, participants reached a consensus that the total capacity of power generation sources should reach 146,000 MW by 2030, with the structure of energy sources aligning with a report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The figure is down about 35,000 MW compared to the version submitted on March 26, 2021. The peak capacity in 2030 is estimated at about 93,300 MW.

The conference also highlighted Vietnam’s climate targets, including net zero emissions by 2050 committed at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

The power sector will focus on green energy transition and clean energy, and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions sources.

The MoIT has been assigned to collect opinions from localities to fine-tune the PDP VIII. It has also been asked to prioritise for each period and address bottlenecks in electricity development.

The Deputy PM requested the ministry to urgently study opinions to finalise the draft PDP VIII for approval by the State Appraisal Council by April 25, 2022.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Malaysia’s tourism industry aims to earn 47-77 billion ringgit (11.7 – 19.2 billion USD) from international visitors by 2025, according to Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Nancy Shukri.

Ganneesh Ramaa, Vice President of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), said that some of the major tourist markets for Malaysia are still in lockdown, including China, Taiwan (China) and Japan.

Domestic travel has resumed since last year basing on the domestic sales at the previous MATTA Fair, he said.

MATTA also expects domestic small and medium-sized companies linked to the tourism industry to record better income and revenue supported by the reopening of borders and the festive seasons.

Malaysian Association of Hotels chief executive officer Yap Lip Seng said the reopening of borders from April 1 is good news for the entire tourism industry, which can now generate income.

According to Yap, before April 1, average occupancy has been hovering between 30-40 percent, fluctuating between peak weekends and holidays and normal weekdays.

The reopening has yet to record significant increases in booking from foreign arrivals, except those from Singapore and Indonesia, he said, stating that Malaysia is hoping for average occupancy between 50-60 percent by the third quarter of 2022.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The first friendly between Vietnam’s U23 national team and the Republic of Korea’s U20 in Phu Tho on April 19 will offer an opportunity to test some new players, Coach Park Hang-seo told reporters on April 18 morning.

“There have not been many chances for them to make appearances, so the April 19 match will be an opportunity for me to evaluate their competency,” Park said at a press conference held by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) at Phu Tho’s Viet Tri Stadium.

He noted that the Vietnamese squad includes three over-aged players who will help fill the gap.

These players have all been tested for their ability, Park noted further, saying they fit in well and are able to lead their juniors in the road to the SEA Games 31.

“I hope they will help improve Vietnamese U23 squad’s scoring ability,” he said.

Coach Kim Eun-jung of the RoK’s U20 showed his determination to win, saying he and his team are honoured to play with Park’s. “It is an important match for both teams, particularly Vietnam’s U23 as they are gearing up for SEA Games 31,” he said.

He unveiled that his team has six to seven players who are students and will probably turn professional so the game will enable him to confirm their competency.

The Korean coach said though the match can be very difficult for his players, they will do the best they can before Vietnam.

The Vietnam U23 team will take on the RoK’s U20 in two friendlies with the first taking place at Viet Tri Stadium at 7:00pm on April 19 and the second at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium at 7:00pm on April 22.

Tickets have been priced between 150,000 VND and 300,000 VND (7-13 USD).

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The northern province of Bac Ninh, which will host competitions of four sports in the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), has been finalising preparations for the regional sport event.

According to Director of the Bac Ninh Centre for Physical and Sports Training and Competition Nguyen An Phu, the Bac Ninh Multi-Purpose Gymnasium has been upgraded with additional equipment for 19 functional rooms to host Boxing and Kickboxing events from May 6-23.

Meanwhile, to prepare for indoor handball competitions, the provincial Steering Committee for SEA Games 31 has coordinated with the Bac Ninh University of Physical and Sports Education in Tu Son city, the venue of the competitions, to ensure the security as well as the supply of power and medical services at the university, which has a capacity to host 1,500-2,000 audience, said Phu.

At the same time, Hanaka Group JSC has constructed a roof-court with nearly 2,000 seats and six outdoor courts with 200-400 seats each at the tennis court in Hanaka urban-service area in Tu Son city for tennis events from May 12-25. As scheduled, about 80 athletes from eight countries will arrive in Tu Son for the events.

Trinh Huu Hung, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that to date, infrastructure in all venues hosting the four sports has been completed, along with the decorating activities to welcome SEA Games 31.

Bac Ninh has also organised training courses for volunteers, and prepared two five-star hotels as accommodation for athletes.

SEA Games 31 will take place from May 12 to 23 in Hanoi and 11 other cities and provinces namely Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Hoa Bình, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho and Bac Giang.

The tournament will feature over 40 sports and 526 events with the attendance of some 10,000 athletes and officials from 11 Southeast Asian countries.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, on April 18 attended the first meeting of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) this year at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The participants highly valued the progress being made in the implementation of five strategic areas: sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence and people mobility, as well as 14 out of 15 initiatives of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025).

They shared the view that projects and activities within the master plan have significantly contributed to implementing the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and building the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision.

The meeting also looked into preparations for the fourth annual report on the progress of MPAC 2025 and the 13th ASEAN Connectivity Symposium later this year.

ASEAN plans to mobilise resources and the support of partners to push ahead with projects in strategic areas.

The delegates emphasised the significance of promoting information from MPAC 2025, and boosting its communication strategy this year.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Government has given the central province of Quang Binh the go-ahead to upgrade Dong Hoi Airport if it gets more international flights.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has asked the province to call on airlines to operate more international flights to the airport.

In Document No 2343 issued on April 4, Thanh agreed with the Ministry of Transport’s report on the planning of the Dong Hoi Airport. Last December, the ministry submitted the proposal to upgrade the airport from domestic to international level.

The Dong Hoi Airport, which was established in April 2008, is designed to handle Airbus A320, A321 and other smaller aircraft, with the capacity of two flights at the same time.

There are five domestic airlines operating at the airport at three domestic routes: Dong Hoi-Hanoi, Dong Hoi-Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Hoi-Hai Phong.

There is also a regular international flight to Chiang Mai (Thailand).

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, under the master plan for developing the national airport system in 2021-2030, the Dong Hoi Airport is qualified to welcome more international flights.

When the frequency of international flights has increased to between three to five flights per week, the ministry will report to the Government for an official decision.

In February, the ministry approved a plan to build a terminal at the airport to increase the capacity to 3 million passengers. The project has total investment capital of more than 1.2 trillion VND on an area of 1.1 hectares.

Quang Binh, famed for its complex cave system and beautiful beaches, has targeted welcoming about 10,000 international tourists this year.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on April 18 started to vaccinate children aged from 5 to under 12 against COVID-19.

According to the provincial Centre for Disease Control, about 106,000 children of the targeted age group will be inoculated. They will be injected with Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, with a dose of 0.25ml.

On the day, 6,400 doses of Moderna vaccine were distributed to eight vaccination units in Bac Lieu.

Director of the provincial Department of Health Bui Quoc Nam said the health sector has thoroughly prepared for the vaccination rollout for children to ensure safety under instructions issued by the Ministry of Health.

Source: Vietnam News Agency