Day: December 20, 2022

Despite significant potential for growth, river-based tourism in Ho Chi Minh City remains underexploited due to a lack of proper investment and a legal framework for developing river cruising, a conference heard.

 

The city possesses valuable river-based tourism resources with an inland waterway system stretching 913 kilometres and 101 inland waterway routes, said Bui Hoa An, Deputy Director of the city’s Department of Transportation.

 

These routes run through destinations in the city’s downtown, making it convenient for large cruise ships to dock at Bach Dang wharf and Nha Rong – Khanh Hoi port, he said at a recent conference held by the municipal People’s Committee.

 

A total of 251 inland waterway ports are operating, including 73 ports designed to serve tourists and passengers.

 

The city received 27.9 million domestic visitor arrivals and more than 3.1 million international visitor arrivals in the first 11 months of this year, but only 340,000 visitors opted for cruising rivers, according to the city’s Department of Tourism.

 

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, head of tourism resources planning and development office under the Department of Tourism, said four major rivers – Sai Gon, Dong Nai, Long Tau and Soai Rap – run through the city, forming a network of waterway routes connecting the city with neighbouring provinces such as Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, Long An, Tien Giang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

 

These river-based tourism resources can be converted into products to serve tourists, Thao said.

 

Assoc. Prof. Vu Anh Tuan from the Vietnamese-German University said that State funds set aside for developing waterway infrastructure remains modest.

 

Proper investment from the State budget and a master plan on inland waterway development are needed to exploit the potential of river-based tourism, he said.

 

A representative from Saigontourist Travel Service Company proposed that a public-private partnership be vital to develop a wide range of river tourism products and services that can be readily offered to domestic and international tourists.

 

Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said that the city would focus on efforts to develop inland waterway transport and river-based tourism in the years ahead.

 

Legal frameworks and policies will be put in place to develop ports and docking facilities as well as attract investors to exploit inland waterway transport and river-based tourism, he said./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with a delegation from the liaison board of war veterans from the air defence-missile force and Division 361, in Hanoi on December 20 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the Air” victory.

 

Founded on May 19, 1965 on the occasion of the 75th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, Division 361 fought in over 1,800 battles across 20 cities and provinces, shot down 591 aircraft of various kinds, including 35 B52 strategic bombers, and captured multiple American pilots.

 

During the 12-day campaign in December 1972, the division, with its air defence-missile soldiers as a core force, together with the army and people in the north, smashed the strategic air raid of the US imperialists in Hanoi and shot down 29 aircraft, contributing to the Dien Bien Phu in the Air victory, forcing the US to sign the Paris Agreement ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam in early 1973, laying the foundation for the complete liberation of the south and reunification of the country.

 

The division has been awarded the title “Hero of People’s Armed Force” and many other noble distinctions by the Party and State. The division is now guarding the air space over the Hanoi capital, part of the north central region and the entire northwest region.

 

The President said that in order to win such a great victory, many compatriots and comrades laid down their lives during 12 fierce days of fighting. The Party, State, army and people will never forget the dedication of veterans, heroes and martyrs who fought for national independence and freedom.

 

On the occasion, he asked the Defence Ministry, the Air Defence Force, Party committees and local authorities to continue implementing the Party and State’s policies for those who have rendered services to the nation, and provide support for families of soldiers who fought in the campaign, particularly those in disadvantaged circumstances.

 

The leader wished veterans of the air defence-missile force and Division 361 to continue offering mutual support in daily life and actively join in the building of the local political system, contributing to building a strong country with wealthy people, fairness, democracy and civilization, together with the entire Party, armed forces and people./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on December 20 chaired a conference on the implementation of a resolution guiding the implementation of supervision over legal normative documents by the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs and NA committees.

 

According to NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong, along with achievements, the supervision of legal normative documents has seen many shortcomings, resulting in a slow issuance of documents guiding the implementation of laws and ordinances.

 

He cited the supervision results in 2022 showing that 21% of total necessary guidance documents have yet to be issued or been issued behind schedule, which Cuong said is the consequence of ineffective supervision activities.

 

NA Chairman Hue underlined the need to popularise the resolution to ensure unity in awareness and actions among all relevant agencies and localities in the work.

 

He emphasised the important role of supervision agencies in discovering problems and overlapping in the legal system as well as regulations that are no longer suitable to the reality for timely adjustments.

 

He said that along with regular supervision, it is necessary to organise thematic supervision activities. The subjects for supervision should not be limited to legal documents but expanded to the responsibilities of implementation agencies and the realisation of conclusions and requests in the field.

 

Along with popularising the resolution, it is necessary to build a plan to implement it and include it into the annual supervision programme, he said.

 

He also stressed the necessity of coordination among supervision methods and among sectors in building a database shared by relevant agencies

 

The NA leader expressed hope that the resolution will result in a positive change in the supervision over legal documents, thus contributing to promoting the country’s fast and sustainable development and preventing negative phenomena during law implementation.

 

He requested the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs and NA committees and agencies to design their own supervision plans and programmes and report on their outcomes./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Ca Mau provincial Union of Friendship Organisations on December 20 kick-started a project on improving climate resilience of mangrove and agro-ecosystems and communities in the coastal areas of the Mekong Delta.

 

CEO of WWF in Vietnam Van Ngoc Thinh said the project will enhance the protection and management of mangrove forests and adopt climate change adaptation practices in agriculture and aquaculture.

 

In the next three years, it targets planting new and adopting guidelines for the sustainable management of mangroves in combination with livelihoods for shrimp-forest and shrimp-rice models on more than 3,000ha, directly and indirectly benefiting nearly 8,000 farmers and 4,000 children in Bac Lieu’s Hong Dan district and Ca Mau’s Ngoc Hien district.

 

It will also support the planting of 60ha of new protective forests and increasing people’s income by at least 1.2 times through piloting climate change adaptation livelihood models.

 

In order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 as stated by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties, the project will help Ca Mau and Bac Lieu with policies related to emission calculation, carbon sequestration capacity from forest plantation and protection forests and sustainable livelihoods, Thinh said.

 

Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Luan said since 2010, WWF has implemented four climate change adaptation projects in the province with a total aid of over 25 billion VND, including two in 2022.

 

According to a research project of World Bank, Vietnam is among five countries hardest hit by climate change, particularly rising sea level. If the sea level rises one metre, about 12,300 sq km, or 31% of the Mekong Delta’s land area, and 4.8 million people would be affected./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 20 celebrating the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) diplomatic ties.

 

In her speech, Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan said the friendly ties between Vietnam and the RoK date back to many centuries ago. Through ups and downs in history, Vietnam and the RoK officially established their diplomatic ties on December 22, 1992, opening up a new chapter in their relationship.

 

She hailed the RoK as the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam, the second biggest partner in terms of official development assistance, labour and tourism and the third biggest in trade. In return, Vietnam is the biggest economic partner of the RoK in ASEAN, accounting for 30% of the total investment and 50% of the total trade between the RoK and ASEAN.

 

At present, there are about 200,000 expatriates from each country living, studying and working in the other country, including about 80,000 Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families. About 70 pairs of localities have established cooperative ties while nearly 2,000 flights per month connect the two countries’ localities. Korean cultural, art, film, food, and fashion programmes are very popular in Vietnam. The Vietnamese cuisine and culture are also becoming wider known in the RoK, she said.

 

The Vice President recalled that the RoK was one of the first countries to provide vaccines and medical equipment for Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19. Vietnam also creates favourable conditions for Korean firms to expand operations in the country, ensuring the stability of supply chains amid the global economic downturn.

 

“The Vietnam-RoK relationship is a model of success based on political trust, dynamic, flexible and sustainable economic cooperation and close people-to-people exchange,” she stressed.

 

VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga pledged that VUFO and the Vietnam-RoK Friendship Association, as the core of people-to-people exchange between the two countries, will strive to perform their bridging role and work closely with Korean partners and mass organisations to effectively carry out agreements reached by leaders, step up people-to-people and cultural-art-sport exchanges, facilitate economic-trade and tourism activities, and help with humanitarian and charity projects in support of Vietnam-RoK multicultural families, Vietnamese and Korean communities in each nation.

 

The RoK Ambassador to Vietnam, Oh Young-ju, said bilateral ties have reached an unprecedented level during just 30 years. He expressed his firm belief that the event affords both sides a chance to reaffirm their deep friendship and celebrate the bright future they will step toward./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The joint project to restore My Son World Cultural Heritage Site in Quang Nam province is vivid evidence of the solidarity, friendship and effective cooperation between the Governments and peoples of Vietnam and India, stated Indian Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Subhash P Gupta.

 

Speaking at a ceremony in the central province’s Duy Xuyen district on December 20 to conclude and hand over the project, the diplomat said that the project generated good results with all contents completed.

 

Once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom, My Son Sanctuary is located within a hilly landscape in Duy Phu commune of Duy Xuyen district, about 70km southwest of central Da Nang city and 40km from Hoi An ancient town of Quang Nam.

 

The temple complex, comprising of eight groups of 71 monuments built between the 7th and the 13th century, was recognised as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.

 

The project to restore the site focused on preserving the three tower groups of A, H and K. It was implemented over a duration of six years with the support of Indian experts.

 

Phan Ho, Director of the Management Board of My Son World Cultural Heritage Site said that the restored towers have become attractive destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.

 

During the restoration process, 734 artifacts of all kinds were discovered, including unique artifacts of Champa sculpture, serving the exhibition and research of Cham cultural history. In particular, Indian and Vietnamese experts discovered an intact  sandstone altar with a set of monolithic Linga-Yoni. This is the largest monolithic Linga – Yoni set of Champa sculpture found so far, which is expected to be recognised as a national treasure.

 

Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam People’s Committee Tran Van Tan said that the project has helped enhance the management capacity for local officials and workers.

 

The project, launched in 2017, has successfully deal with the downgraded situation of the site, thus completing the architectural space of My Son.

 

This year, the site has welcomed over 105,000 visitors, surpassing the target by 110%./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency