Day: December 29, 2022

Vietnamese ports handled 733.18 million tonnes of cargo in 2022, up 4% from the previous year, an official said.

 

Of the amount, 179.07 million tonnes were exports, down 3%, 209.26 million tonnes were imports, down 2%, and 342.79 million tonnes were domestic cargo, up 12% year-on-year, according to Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Maritime Administration Hoang Hong Giang. Meanwhile, container throughput was estimated at 25.09 million TEUs, up 5%.

 

The administration said the 4% rise was the lowest pace recorded in recent years, mainly due to the fact that production and trading have yet to completely recover and China’s “zero COVID” policy has affected corporate operations.

 

However, silver linings have been seen in seaports in Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, which were included on the list of the world’s top 50 ports with largest cargo throughput in 2022. Gateway seaports like Lach Huyen (Hai Phong) and Cai Mep (Ba Ria-Vung Tau) are now capable of receiving the world’s largest container ships of over 200,000 DWT.

 

Regarding maritime transportation, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang said the Vietnamese fleet is now able to fully meet domestic transportation demands.

 

Vietnamese ships transported about 1.29 million tonnes of cargo in 2022, up 10% year-on-year, mainly to and from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Southeast Asia and Europe./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

A new art project preserving cong chieng (gongs), a traditional musical instrument of the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) region, has been launched in the south central province of Phu Yen.

 

Implemented by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the project aims to expose young people from the ethnic minority groups of Cham and Ba Na to the cong chieng, which were recognised as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

 

It offers training courses, helping the participants play the gongs and learn about the cultural roots of the instruments, their importance to the spiritual life of the Cham and Ba Na people and the journey to becoming an intangible cultural heritage.

 

The information and knowledge of traditional culture and lifestyle are also included.

 

The project attracts traditional art performers and artisans of Phu Yen who have many years working to perform and expand the art of cong chieng.

 

“Our project encourages local youth to discover and play cong chieng, which is part of their heritage promoted and handed down among generations,” said older villager and artisan La Chi Thai of Dong Xuan district. “Training courses on playing cong chieng are a way to convey love and pride for the national culture to youngsters.”

 

According to Thai, cong instruments produce a single, uniform sound, while chieng are flat and offer a wider range of notes. Different sizes of gongs are characterised by family names: mother, father, and older sister.

 

cong chieng can be drummed by hand or with a cloth-covered stick.

 

The instruments appear in most of the rituals and ceremonies of ethnic minorities in Tay Nguyen. They are not only musical but also serve a cultural function for about 20 ethnic minorities, including the Cham and Ba Na.

 

“Cong chieng performances staged by artists from local art troupes will also be offered through our project,” he said./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission held a national teleconference on December 29 to review its work in 2022 and put forward tasks for 2023.

 

Speaking at the event, delegates shared practical experiences of Party building in localities, ministries and sectors.

 

They emphasised the importance of building a contingent of officials engaged in Party building who have political mettle, uphold self-discipline, and are competent enough to fulfill their tasks.

 

Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, stressed that the Party building organisation sector contributed to the overall achievements of the country in 2022.

 

Regarding 2023, Thuong requested the sector actively give advice to Party committees at all levels to implement Party building contents comprehensively and concertedly; perform the work of building the Party and the political system; and resolutely fight the manifestations of moral degradation, as well as corruption and negative phenomena.

 

Party committees and organisations at all levels must focus on personnel work, Thuong stressed, adding that this work is not just about choosing people, but also replacing them when they are unable to meet requirements and fulfil their tasks.

 

The goal is not only to choose good officials and replace incompetent ones, but also to create unity in the whole system, he said.

 

Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and head of its Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai emphasised the importance of continuing to strengthen the relationship and close coordination between central agencies and local authorities to improve the quality of their work, especially on building projects and personnel planning, and at the same time regularly inspect and hasten the implementation of Party guidelines and step up administrative reforms and the application of information technology.

 

At the event, Thuong presented the Ho Chi Minh Order to To Huy Rua, former Politburo member, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee and former head of its Organisation Commission, for his great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

More than 100 objects, documents and photos were put on display in Vientiane on December 29, featuring the relationship between Vietnam and its neighbour Laos.

 

The exhibition was jointly held by the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Laos, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the Office of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee to celebrate the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022.

 

The event aims to raise awareness among the two countries’ people, especially youths, about the faithful, pure relations between the two Parties and countries, and motivating them to preserve the ties, organisers said.

 

Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos Phan Minh Chien expressed his hope that the event will create momentum for the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos to grow intensively and effectively, pragmatically contributing to the prosperous development in each nation, as well as regional peace and stability.

 

On the occasion, families of Vietnamese experts who fought in Laos during the war shared their memories about the experts and stories related to the objects on display. They presented the objects to the Kaysone Phomvihane Museum for preservation and display. /.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The Binh Duong Television International Cycling Tournament 2023 will take place from January 5-11, the organiser announced on December 29.

 

The tournament brings together eight teams including two from the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.

 

With a total route of 991 km, the riders will compete in six stages passing through Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Tuy Hoa, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong and Dong Nai, and finish in Thu Dau Mot city of Binh Duong province on January 11.

 

To win this tournament’s Yellow and Red jerseys, the athletes have to conquer three passes – Ca, Giang Ly, and Khanh Le, which are renowned for their windings. There will be the Green jersey for the winner of the Points Classification, and the White jersey for the most outstanding young athlete.

 

This tournament’s prizes have a total value of more than 400 million VND (16,900 USD)./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Good cultural and moral values and resources of religious organisations will be promoted in environmental protection and climate change response under a programme reached in Ho Chi Minh City on December 29.

 

Representatives from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in HCM City, the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and 33 religious organisations in the city signed the coordination programme for 2022-2026.

 

Accordingly, the sides will work together to implement campaigns and movements on environmental protection and climate change response launched by the city, thus raising the awareness among religious organisations and followers about the matters and encouraging them to utilise clean, renewable energy and use energy-saving measures.

 

They will coordinate to multiply effective models and good examples set by religious establishments, as well as to monitor and collect public feedback on relevant policies and legal regulations.

 

The programme aims to encourage religious followers to join patriotic emulation movements to contribute to building HCM City into a green, environmentally friendly city.

 

In his remarks, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in HCM City Tran Kim Yen hailed religious organisations in the city for their coordination and engagement in environmental protection and climate change response over the past years.

 

They have launched thousands of models and carried out various pragmatic activities in this field, she added.

 

Following the signing, representatives from religious organisations participated in a training course on environmental protection and climate change response./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency