Category: Sports

Hanoi: Thong Nhat islet in Hanoi has turned into colourful patchwork quilts as thousands of flowers are blossoming bright at the Hanoi Flower Land 2023 festival, which opened on December 21.

Visitors will have an opportunity to indulge themselves in the typical flamboyance of renowned flower villages such as Sa Dec in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap and Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The festival, which is held by the Thien Dieu Trading and Processing JSC and the Netherlands-Vietnam agricultural business cooperative, also features several fairy miniature areas and food stalls.

Entertainment and street art programmes are also arranged in the festival which will run until January 1, 2024./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: A ceremony took place in Hanoi on December 21 to award winners of a competition on Australia and its people, as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties.

The event was co-hosted by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO), the Hanoi chapter of Vietnam-Australia Friendship Association and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, HAUFO President Nguyen Ngoc Ky said nearly two months since its launch, the competition has received enthusiastic response from teachers and students in Hanoi, with a total of 4,315 entries from 45 secondary and high schools.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic ties in 1973, and just one year later, the first Vietnamese students arrived in Australia on scholarships. To date, over 80,000 Vietnamese students have pursued their study at educational establishments in Australia.

The competition not only helps students understand Australia, it
s people, and the Australia-Vietnam relationship but also improves their self-learning skills, reading and writing proficiency, as well as ability to use and practise English.

They answered multiple-choice questions and wrote essays demonstrating their insights into Australia and its people across different realms such as history, culture, economy, geography, education, as well as cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Australia.

With 150 entries selected for the final round, the judging board presented three collective prizes; and 20 individual ones, including two first, three second, five third and 10 consolation prizes.

Ngo Si Lien secondary school in Hoan Kiem district secured the first prize in the collective category, while Dao Nguyen Gia Han from Ngo Si Lien secondary school and Nguyen Hong Phuc from Viet Duc high school won the first prize in the individual category./.
Source:Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: A national conference on the development of cultural industries, the first of its kind, will take place in Hanoi on December 24 in both in-person and online formats, which will be presided over by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha.

During a press conference held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) in Hanoi on December 19, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy said the event will contribute to underscoring the role, significance, and necessity of cultural industries in socio-economic development.

It is also meant to realise Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s conclusions at the 2021 National Culture Conference, the Party’s directives and resolutions on developing cultural industries that match Vietnam’s potential and advantages, making positive contributions to national development in the coming time, she added.

At the conference, the ministry will report on the implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Vie
tnamese Cultural Industries until 2020, with a vision to 2030, focusing on reviewing the achievements and the development of each sector within the cultural industries.

Representatives from ministries, agencies, localities, associations, scientists, and relevant businesses will share success models and innovative approaches, identify obstacles and challenges, and propose directions, solutions, mechanisms, and policies to overcome difficulties and develop cultural industries between now and 2030 and subsequent periods.

The conference also serves as a forum for stakeholders to join hands to transform cultural industries into an economic pillar of the country. Relevant units will focus on supporting the provision of products and services with strong development potential, carrying significant Vietnamese value and the ability to promote Vietnamese culture globally.

Based on the results of the conference, the Government and the PM will assign specific tasks to each ministry, sector, and localities; as well as i
ssue solutions, mechanisms and policies for the effort./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Vietnamese cuisine continues to shine internationally, having secured the 22nd spot on the 100 ‘best cuisines in the world’ list with an average score of 4.44/5 as voted by readers of the food magazine TasteAtlas.

Accordingly, Vietnam’s best rated food include Pho, Banh hoi, Phu Quoc fish sauce, dragon fruit from Phan Thiet, and more.

Meanwhile, in the 100 Best Dishes category (100 most delicious dishes in the world), two typical Vietnamese dishes, Banh mi and Pho bo, were also named, ranked 14th and 100th, respectively.

Two localities with diverse and attractive cuisine appeared in the Best Food Cities and Regions category – Hue (28th) and Ho Chi Minh City (73rd).

Finally, in the Best Iconic food places category, Thin Lo Duc Pho restaurant, opened in 1979, was ranked 90th by TasteAtlas experts with its unique stir-fried rare beef Pho, imbued with flavour.

100 Best Cuisines in the World is a ranking within the framework of the annual Taste Atlas Awards, based on voting and scoring by culinary ex
perts, chefs, and diners around the world. In 2023, there were more than 350,000 votes and scores submitted by readers for this event.

Established in 2015, Taste Atlas connects with 9,000 local restaurants, introducing more than 10,000 dishes, thousands of reviews and research by culinary experts and chefs./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: The Vietnam women’s national football team has closed a memorable 2023 in 37th place on the FIFA rankings for the fourth quarter of this year.

According to the FIFA, the team has a total of 1611.3 points, down three places and deducted 11.65 points compared to the rankings published in the previous quarter.

Vietnam maintained sixth place in Asia, one place before the Philippines (38th).

The top 10 in Asia on the December rankings saw the Japanese women’s team (ranked 8th) return to the top position/.
Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thua Thien – Hue: People in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue were treated to a feast of light spectacle staged by French and Vietnamese artists at Ngo Mon (Moon Gate) in the imperial city of Hue on December 12.

The performance named ‘Hue by light – The live show’ was organised by the French Embassy in Vietnam in collaboration with the Institute of France in Vietnam and the provincial People’s Committee.

Utilising the cutting-edge 3D mapping lighting technology with a light intensity of 300,000 lumens to cast mesmerising 3D visual effects on Ngo Mon, the 50-minute show spotlighted landscapes in four seasons, in the accompaniment by music by Vietnamese and French artists.

Throughout the light displays, the audience got a deeper insight into the blend of Vietnamese and French culture – unique Art Nouveau combined with traditional lacquer art of Vietnam, minimalism and Art Deco.

According to General Consul of France in Ho Chi Minh City Emmanuelle Pavillon Grosser, the show wrapped up activities held u
nder the motto of ‘shared culture’ to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France.

The event was also a highlight of the Hue winter festival 2023.

France has enhanced cultural cooperation with Hue over the past 20 years since the first Hue Festival was organised in 2000.

Hue, the imperial capital of Vietnam for over 100 years, is a unique destination in the central region with its five UNESCO heritage offerings: the ancient citadel relic complex, Hue royal court music, Nguyen Dynasty’s wooden blocks, Nguyen Dynasty’s royal administrative documents, and literature on Hue royal architecture./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency

The first Vietnam Pho (noodle soup served with beef or chicken) Day in South Africa opened on December 9, in the capital city of Pretoria.

The event was one of the initiatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in the ‘Rainbow country’, in coordination with Vietnamese representative agencies in the host country, to spread the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine to local and international friends.

Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Sy Cuong said that the Vietnamese Pho Day was also the last in a series of events organised to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (December 1993-2023).

Dinners had an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese pho with beef and chicken as well as learning about ingredients and how to cook the traditional dish.

Besides pho, traditional fried spring rolls, Vietnamese coffee, cakes and confectionary products were introduced during the day.

About 500 bowls of pho, 1,500 fried spring rolls, and instant Vietnamese coffee were served free of charge a
t the event./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency