VietExplorer2020

Lonely Planet, the world-renowned travel guide, named Vietnam National Railway the most incredible rail trip in the world. The 1,730-kilometer journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City offers breathtaking views of the country’s diverse landscapes, making it a must-see for foreigners coming to Vietnam, the magazine said. “Some railways rattle through historic cities; others swoosh beside spectacular coastlines. A few have an epic history, and one or two are remarkable for the colorful characters onboard. The Reunification Express line, known as the North–South Railway, fulfills all these criteria,” it stated. The railway is one of Southeast Asia’s best-loved railways and the world’s most epic overnight train journeys. It’s also one of Vietnam’s tourism highlights that attracts many international visitors.  Vietnam’s North-South Railway ranks as the world’s most incredible rail journey. Photo: Lonely Planet  Regarding tourism, data from Agoda showed tha...

Overview of the forum. The forum attracted more than 100 delegates who are leaders of large investment funds, corporations, and large, medium, and small enterprises (SMEs) in many fields such as finance and banking, green energy, green industry, construction and development of cities, Industry 4.0, and high-tech agriculture. Trinh Thi Mai Phuong, deputy director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the focal point of the Department of Foreign Affairs to organize the local promotion of Vietnam in the RoK from May 29, 2023 to June 1, 2023. The event aims to promote the friendship and cooperation between Vietnamese localities, local government, and businesses of the RoK. The forum of local cooperation, investment promotion, and trade connection between Vietnam and the RoK 2023 is one of the strong highlights and important activities this time in the RoK”. At the forum, Tran Hai Linh, head of the Vie...

The 2023 Giong Festival kicked off last week at Phu Dong Temple in Hanoi’s suburban Gia Lam district. The festival’s opening ceremony also marked the recognition of Phu Dong Commune as a new rural area. The opening ceremony of the Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple in Phu Dong Commune of Gia Lam District. Photo: Hoang Quyet/The Hanoi Times Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Duc Hong, Vice Chairman of Gia Lam District People’s Committee, said the district is an ancient land of cultural convergence of Thang Long (original name of Hanoi) and Kinh Bac (an old name designating the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang) and the holy place where Saint Giong was born. “The festival is in commemoration of Saint Giong, or Heavenly King of Phu Dong, who led the country against foreign invaders during the reign of the Sixth Hung King. The Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple is held every year from the 7th to the 9th of the fourth lunar month (or from May 25 to 27 this year) and ...

After the Khmer Empire was overthrown in the 15th century, relations between Cambodia and Vietnam have gone through many different aspects. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia established formal diplomatic relations on June 24, 1967. However, the alliance has faced many difficulties, both domestically and globally. Despite ups and downs in their relations, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, Cambodia and Vietnam have been able to maintain friendly relations over the past 40 years. In describing their current relationship, both nations often use phrases such as “excellent neighborliness, traditional friendliness, comprehensive cooperation, and long-lasting stability.” In 1999, when Vietnam held the ASEAN Chair, Cambodia was welcomed as the last member of the organization. Vietnam is credited with saving Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge regime, which had killed nearly two million Cambodian residents. Since joining ASEAN, Cambodia has cooperated with Vietna...

Vietnam is the featured country at the 14th Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) in Singapore, as Vietnamese literature is in focus. Through various activities such as seminars, exhibitions, and book presentations, Vietnam has contributed to the success of AFCC 2023. That was shared by Claire Chiang, chairwoman of the Singapore Book Council – organizer of the AFCC 2023, when the event wrapped up on May 27.  Claire Chiang expressed her appreciation for the Vietnamese delegation’s active participation by hosting various activities. AFCC 2023 highlighted Vietnam’s children’s literature history and publishing opportunities, as well as showcasing the best picture book illustrations.  Chang also hoped to establish a version of the Asian Children’s Content Festival in Vietnam to further bilateral cooperation in literary development and translation between the Singaporean and Vietnamese literary communities. Eleven Vietnamese publishers and contributors in Vietnam particip...

“Initially, I could not find the right yeast for brewing, so the yeast failed to grow, leading to the discharge of 3,000 liters of decaying oil,” said Tran Quoc Trong, a teacher of Tran Phu Middle School in Ward 7, Tan An City under Long An Province, southern Vietnam. “Due to the failure, my family advised me to give up. At that time, I realized that mastering theory was not easy in practice. “To produce a practical product from theory, oftentimes we have to learn from the beginning. “As such, I thought that each product could only be successful at one stage, so I never stopped.” One Thursday at the beginning of this year, Trong had another teacher substitute for some physics and chemistry classes so that he could stay at home and prepare for the acceptance of a pilot project to turn out high quality dragon fruit seed oil under a contract signed by a company founded by Trong and the Long An Department of Science and Technology. His home is located in Long Tri Commune, Chau Tha...

Underprivileged children in London are the main beneficiaries of the opportunity to participate in the Science Camp. Photo: Vietnam+ Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, a Vietnamese professor at University College London (UCL), who won many prestigious international awards for her scientific research, says she hopes to inspire students, especially the disadvantaged in London, to pursue their passion for scientific study, VNA reported. In 2019, Thanh was awarded the prestigious Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Medal by the Commonwealth Academy of Sciences for her research achievements in the field of nanomaterials for biomedicine. She used the prize money to organise a science camp in Wiltshire region of the UK to inspire high school 8th – 10th grade students to perform scientific research. The science camp was held in April 2023 at PGL Liddington adventure activity centre under the guidance of Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh and colleagues. 46 high school students in London, mostly gi...

Fighting between the RSF and Sudanese army forces broke out in the capital Khartoum and several other places in April. Photo: AFP/VNA The Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt verified the information to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the infomration 16 Vietnamese crew members in Sudan. The crew members left Sudan and returned home on May 13, VOV reported. The individual with dual Vietnam-Australia citizenship, who had lost all of his identification documents and money, was helped to return to Vietnam safely on May 27. Dual Vietnamese-Australian Pham Van Khoe (C). Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia At a press conference on April 20, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet said the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt, which is also in charge of Sudan, is still keeping a close watch on the situation and is ready to implement citizen protection measures if necessary, VietnamPlus said. According to CNN, hundreds of people have die...

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Netherlands – Vietnam diplomatic relations, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hanoi and Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum co-organize the exhibition “Blooming Light, Soaking Light” – introducing the masterpieces of Dutch artists from the Golden Age to the end of the 19th century. The exhibition are curated by art researcher Do Tuong Linh from the collection of Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands. Delegation from the organizing committee cut ribbon to open the exhibition “Blooming Light, Soaking Light” (Photo: Trinh Ngoc Anh). Inspired by the poem “We Silver Beings, Misty Light, Plants Growing” by the famous Dutch poet Herman Gorter, the exhibition “Blooming Light, Soaking Light” explores and rediscovers different notions of “light” through the works of art by Dutch master painters. The exhibition explores “light” from the symbolic, metaphorical, as well as technical perspective. Examining nea...