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The Pen and the Land of the Ascending Dragon

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The gentle sun caressed my face as I awoke on a mild February morning in 2014. “Just another day,” I mused, but the usual bustle of Saigon’s streets was eerily quiet. It was Tết, and I was about to embark on my first traditional holiday season in Ho Chi Minh City. Fast forward to 2025, and once again, the mild morning sun of January will herald the Year of the Snake. While the quiet streets of Saigon have transformed, the culture and traditions of Tết remain a cornerstone of Vietnamese life. With the completion of a zodiac cycle, I find myself back where I started, reflecting on the changes Ho Chi Minh City has undergone in the last 12 years and what the Year of the Snake signifies for expatriates in Vietnam. Swiss tourists embrace the 2025 Vietnamese Tết Festival at the Youth Culture House, Ho Chi Minh City, January 13, 2024. Photo by Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre To be frank, my initial Tết experience in Vietnam was less than ideal. As a teacher, the extended holiday left me w...
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The Enchanting Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival: A National Intangible Cultural Heritage Spectacle

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THE HANOI TIMES — The Vibrant Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival has been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam, a well-deserved honor that coincides with the 10th anniversary of its 34 statues being designated as national treasures. This annual celebration, which spans from the new year to the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month and continues until the month’s end, is held in Hanoi’s suburban Thach That District. It’s a unique festival that blends cultural and religious activities, honoring heaven and earth with traditional Buddhist rituals and energetic folk games. Pham Xuan Tai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, presents the decision to include the Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Photo: Cong Phuong/The Hanoi Times Nguyen Manh Hong, Chairman of the Thach That District People’s Committee, emphasized the festival’s significance, stating that it holds a profound historical value and plays a crucial...
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The Magic Number: $2.54 Billion and Beyond

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Vietnam’s government bond auctions in March 2025 witnessed remarkable success, raising 65.3 trillion VND (over 2.5 billion USD), reflecting a significant 124% surge compared to February. This impressive achievement is a strong testament to investors’ unwavering confidence in the country’s financial stability and prospects. Demonstrating the effectiveness of the State Treasury’s strategies, the first quarter of 2025 saw a mobilization of 110.4 trillion VND, inching closer to the Q1 issuance target with 99.5% achievement and marking a solid start towards the full-year plan, with 22.1% already accomplished. The bond issuance in March covered a diverse range of maturities, including 5, 10, 15, and 30 years, with the 10-year bonds taking center stage. These bonds accounted for a substantial 92.6% of the total issuance, translating to 60.523 trillion VND and showcasing their dominance in the market. An illustrative image depicting stacks of coins and a bar graph, symbolizing financ...
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The Creative Capital’s Young Artist: Hanoi Student Claims Top Prize in Danish Painting Competition

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THE HANOI TIMES — A sixth-grade student, Nguyen Hoang Thinh, from Hanoi Victoria School, has been awarded the special prize in the “Denmark in Your Eyes 2025” art competition, organized by the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam . His impressive artwork, “Green World – Green Future,” crafted from fabric scraps, conveyed a powerful message of sustainability that captivated the judges. The “Denmark in Your Eye” painting competition award ceremony, held on April 2 in Hanoi. Photo: Hong Van This competition, a collaborative effort between the Danish Embassy, the Vietnam-Denmark Friendship Association (VIDAFA), the Ministry of Education and Training, Kim Dong Publishing House, and Thieu Nien Tien Phong & Nhi Dong Newspaper, serves as a dynamic platform to engage Vietnamese youth in environmental advocacy. It aligns with the Vietnam-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership, encouraging young minds to embrace sustainability and innovation. With the theme “Green Ideas,” the competition attrac...
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Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa Welcomes Resumption of Russian Commercial Flights: A Warm Homecoming After Years of Hiatus.

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On Sunday morning, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a ceremony to mark the resumption of direct commercial flights between Russia and Khanh Hoa Province. The event welcomed Flight SU294, operated by Russian airline Aeroflot, which carried 292 passengers from Moscow, signaling a positive step forward for tourism and economic ties between Russia and Vietnam. This inaugural flight after a three-year hiatus was greeted with a water salute upon landing, and the first passengers were presented with gifts. With improved connectivity, the direct Moscow-Khanh Hoa route is anticipated to reduce travel times and airfare costs, making it a more accessible destination for Russian travelers. Khanh Hoa Province has long been a favored destination for Russians, but flights were suspended in March 2022 due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. During this break in service, Russian tourists faced a more complex and time-consuming journey, having to transit through countries like...
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The Magic of Tea and Trains: Uniting Hanoi and Thai Nguyen’s Cultural Heritage

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THE HANOI TIMES — Thai Nguyen, a northern province neighboring Hanoi, is a hidden gem boasting a rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and a renowned tea-growing region with untapped potential for tourism. With improved connectivity to Hanoi, this region is poised to become a must-visit destination. Just a short drive from Hanoi’s bustling city center, Thai Nguyen Province beckons visitors with its serene tea hills, picturesque scenery, and vibrant ethnic minority traditions. However, this hidden gem remains relatively undiscovered. Long Coc Tea Hill, Thai Nguyen: An Idyllic Tea Harvest Scene. Photo: Thai Nguyen Tourism Information Center Unveiling a Gemstone Near Hanoi Recognizing its untapped potential, Thai Nguyen has embarked on a journey to promote its diverse attractions. A recent conference, “Promoting and Advertising Thai Nguyen Tourism in Hanoi,” showcased the region’s tea culture and scenic beauty, organized by the Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports...
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“Crafting a Digital Future: Equipping Vietnam for the Transformational Journey”

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THE HANOI TIMES — Hundreds of disadvantaged Vietnamese youth have been equipped with visual arts training thanks to a year-long project funded by international firms and organizations. The initiative aims to empower young people to secure careers in the digital economy. Truong Minh Phuc, a student at the REACH Institute, excels in 2D Graphic Design. Photo: Linh Pham/The Hanoi Times Truong Minh Phuc, a student at the 2D Graphic Design Class K58 at REACH Institute , is one of over 200 learners who have benefited from the “Transformational Skilling for a Smarter Future in Vietnam” project. Funded by Lenovo and implemented by Plan International in partnership with the Hanoi-based REACH Institute, the project offers a transformative education. With a US$1 million TransforME Grant Round sponsorship from the Lenovo Group, the project, which ran from April 2024 to March 2025, focused on providing training in 2D and 3D Graphic Design, Digital Marketing, and soft skills development. It ai...
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