The 3rd International Fingerstyle Guitar Festival will take place next month in two big cities in Vietnam, with the participation of five famous artists in Asia, Europe and the U.S. The International Fingerstyle Guitar Festival (IFSGF) is a series of international fingerstyle guitar concerts that have been held annually in Asia since 2010, attracting well-known artists from many different countries. This year, IFSGF is organized with 16 concerts in seven countries and territories, starting on June 29 in Japan and ending on July 23 in Singapore. The event will take place in Vietnam next month, with one concert at the Youth Theater of Vietnam in Hanoi on July 18, and another at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music on July 19. Other stops of the 2017 IFSGF are South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Malaysia. The performances in Vietnam will feature five big names, Justin King from the U.S., Jacques Stotzem from … [Read more...]

President Donald Trump's administration hit China Tuesday over its rights record, listing the country alongside Sudan and North Korea on a list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders. The State Department downgraded China in its annual "Trafficking in Persons Report," saying Beijing is doing little to combat the phenomenon or protect its victims. It pointed to ethnic Uighurs, a Muslim minority in China's west, being coerced into forced labor, and to Beijing's wholesale repatriation of North Koreans without checking to see if they were trafficking victims. Beijing "does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so," said the report unveiled in Washington by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. It marked the first significant rebuke of China's rights record by the Trump administration, which has avoided harsh criticism of Beijing as the president seeks to establish a working relationship … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Painting exhibitions and demonstrations of traditional Tết celebrations are among activities being held in celebration of Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival, at heritage sites in Hà Nội's Old Quarter. To the Vietnamese, Tết is not only a festive occasion to enjoy entertainment activities, but is also an expression of the gratitude of the Vietnamese people and an occasion to commemorate ancestors and preserve the traditional customs that have been practiced for long, Trần Thúy Lan, deputy head of the Old Quarter Management Board, said. The activities are held to introduce, preserve and honour the traditional cultural values and the characteristic customs of traditional Tết celebration, Lan said. There is an exhibition of traditional folk paintings, a demonstration of the Tết celebration of a traditional Hanoian family and an exhibition of the Tết celebration in the olden days of the Việt Nam Scientific and Social Information Institute. These … [Read more...]

The Museum of Cultures of Vietnam’s Ethnic Groups is coordinating with Thai Nguyen city Center of Culture, Information and Sports to organize activities to welcome Tet 2017 and the 87th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3rd). Activities include lion dance, exhibition on the rooster in Vietnam’s ethnic groups, studying culture and folk beliefs related to the rooster, and Dong Ho folk paintings. Seven traditional houses of six cultural regions will be decorated at No.1 Doi Can street, Thai Nguyen city, Thai Nguyen province to welcome Tet according to the style of ethnic minority groups. Especially, on January 31st, 2017 (the fourth day of the first lunar month), an art performance will be organized at 14h00 together with sports activities. These activities aim to meet the demand for visiting, entertainment, studying culture, nature, customs and Vietnamese people on the occasion of Tet./. Compiled by BTA … [Read more...]

Novotel Phu Quoc Resort launches 96 new villas before Tet The Saigon Times Daily The Novotel Phu Quoc Resort will launch 96 new villas today on Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province, making itself a good getaway for travelers in the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet. The villas in three, four and Presidential five bedroom configurations cover 200, 272 and 435 square meters respectively. They include en-suites in each room and feature the latest amenities as well as an open plan layout to maximize shared space for family and friends who want to spend some time together. All are fully equipped with modern furnishings, appliances in the kitchen, sound systems and a private pool for indoor-outdoor entertainment. Guests staying at the resort can enjoy poolside BBQ parties with a wide range of delectable dishes. The resort’s restaurant offers international cuisines and local seafood. There is a kid’s center in the resort, and a babysitting service available on … [Read more...]

Lunar New Year celebrations at Dam Sen Park Anh Tien Eager to offer new tourism products, improve the park’s attractiveness and contribute to promoting tourism in HCMC, Dam Sen Park will be hosting a great variety of entertainment events from Jan. 28 to Feb. 5. on the occasion of the Year of the Rooster 2017. Hot-air balloon service is one of the special highlights of the entertainment series celebrating the Lunar New Year. The service will be available from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, except Feb. 2. There will be 17 balloons controlled by 40 experienced pilots from Germany and China. Of these, two balloons can carry one pilot and four guests each and four balloons can carry one pilot and three guests. The rest are mini balloons for decoration. The balloon shows will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day while the shows from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. are available on Jan. 28 and 29 and Feb. 1, 3 and 4, and the shows from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. are available only on January 30 and 31. … [Read more...]

There’s a feast of book launches, panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses, readings, performances, a special area showcasing publications about late President Ho Chi Minh and more. The TET Book Festival provides a platform to connect with a diverse range of local and international authors. The more than one hundred events are designed to entertain, engage and stimulate ideas and conversations. This year the program will also include fundraisers to assist needy children in remote mountainous areas of the country and help victims of last year’s floods in the central region. … [Read more...]

Trump may seem entertaining, but his madness won't mean anything good for Vietnam. Perhaps the greatest joy of expatriation lies in the luxury of watching the political theater in your home country with all the dispassion of a daytime soap opera. You can simply roll your eyes at the stilted twists or turns, laugh at the bad acting or simply switch off the channel secure in the knowledge that no portion of your labor goes to the producers or their advertisers. It's all just free entertainment. At no point should this have felt more true than during the rise of Donald Trump—a man made by and for television. And yet he has proven as impossible to ignore as a worm hole opening up in your living room and slowly sucking everything you own into a parallel dimension. Growing up in Reagan's America, Donald Trump was a joke and not a very funny one. For a time, he occupied the brain of a cartoon cat during the last days of a popular Sunday comic strip. When I was 12, he made a … [Read more...]

Trump may seem entertaining, but his madness won't mean anything good for Vietnam. Perhaps the greatest joy of expatriation lies in the luxury of watching the political theater in your home country with all the dispassion of a daytime soap opera. You can simply roll your eyes at the stilted twists or turns, laugh at the bad acting or simply switch off the channel secure in the knowledge that no portion of your labor goes to the producers or their advertisers. It's all just free entertainment. At no point should this have felt more true than during the rise of Donald Trump—a man made by and for television. And yet he has proven as impossible to ignore as a worm hole opening up in your living room and slowly sucking everything you own into a parallel dimension. Growing up in Reagan's America, Donald Trump was a joke and not a very funny one. For a time, he occupied the brain of a cartoon cat during the last days of a popular Sunday comic strip. When I was 12, he made a … [Read more...]

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Malaysian police on January 17 rescued eight foreign women, including five Vietnamese, thought to be victims of a human trafficking ring when raiding an entertainment house in Malacca state. The head of Malacca’s criminal investigation agency Kamaluddin Kassim said the police carried out the raid after keeping a close watch on it for two weeks. The force arrested one local man, 64, who is thought to be the manager of the house. The Malaysian agency said the women were victims of the human trafficking and were forced to work as prostitutes at the house for the past 10 months. The women will be sent to a detention centre in Kempas where they are to stay until the end of related legal procedures at the court. Then they will be moved to the Immigration Department to complete procedures for returning home.-VNA … [Read more...]

The Hanoitimes - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism kicked off an exhibition cum trade fair, themed “Tet Viet 2017”, honouring traditional crafts in Hanoi on January 18 on the occasion of upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. The “Tet Viet 2017” Exhibition opened at the Vietnam Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre at 2 Hoa Lu Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi on January 18. The “Tet Viet 2017” Exhibition also aims to celebrate important events in 2017, including the 87th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3). The traditional atmosphere and cultural space of the Tet festival in the old days are being introduced and vividly recreated at the exhibition. The event aims to create the bustling atmosphere of Tet through cultural activities, while enabling the local residents to go shopping and enjoy entertainment during the festival, thus preserving and promoting traditional cultural values. As many as 80 booths … [Read more...]

Executive chairman and CEO Michael Kelly of Asian Coast Development Ltd. (ACDL), the developer of premier integrated resort The Grand Ho Tram Strip, has been elected as vice chairman of the AmCham Vietnam board by his fellow governors. The election followed Kelly’s December 2016 election to the board of governors of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham-Hanoi) in Vietnam. In his new role as vice chairman, he will serve as a principle advocate for US businesses and investment in Vietnam, expanding on the work he has done to date in his capacity as executive chairman and CEO of The Grand Ho Tram Strip – Vietnam’s leading integrated resort and the largest US private equity investment in the country. The Grand Ho Tram Strip is one of the most prominent US investments in Vietnam, with over $1.1 billion in deployed and committed capital. Under Kelly’s direction, The Grand Ho Tram Strip has accelerated investment, coordinating closely with national and … [Read more...]

The venue has become a photography hot-spot for the local people as well as those from other areas. The event, held on the theme of Chinese New Year celebrations, features a number of cultural and entertainment activities such as a performance of a Chinese opera, with Chinese food outlets, a display of Chinese deity images and a funfair. Photharam Beach Festival is on today, and tomorrow Sunday 15th January. … [Read more...]

Business Start-up Record: Evidence to Vitality of Business Environment The number of corporate establishments set an all-time record of 110,100 units in 2016, an increase of 16.2 per cent over 2015, according to data from the Business Registration Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The pledged capital amounted VND891,094 billion, or VND8.09 billion per business unit, up 48.1 per cent from 2015. Up to 26,689 companies resumed normal operations in the year, up 43.1 per cent from a year ago. Dang Huy Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, said, this is evidence of the “vitality” of the business environment and the advent of investment opportunities. Hanoi and HCM City see 53.7 per cent growth in business start-ups As dynamic locomotives of development, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi saw record numbers of newly established enterprises in 2016 with 36,442 units and 22,663 units, respectively, followed by Binh Duong, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Hai Phong and … [Read more...]

The Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture is organizing its 2017 Spring Fair from January 18th to 25th, at the Exhibition Fair, Economic Transaction and Commercial Area, No 489 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Hanoi. About 200 kiosks will be exhibiting on 1,500 square meters, introducing and selling agricultural, forestry and fishery products, processed food, fruits, and safe and fresh vegetable to serve the demand of people during the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2017. The event aims to intensify trade promotion activities, speed up the consumption of products and promote trademark of agricultural products and food which recognized as safe. In addition, the fair will also include cultural, art and entertainment activities to serve participants./. BTA … [Read more...]

Opening: 12:00 pm, Sun 22 Jan 2017 RMIT Saigon South Campus, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, District 7, HCMC Get ready to celebrate Australia Day in the most Aussie way. The Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City will be holding its first Australia Day community event this Sunday to celebrate the long-standing friendship between Australia and Vietnam, and the Australian and Australian alumni communities in HCMC. There will be plenty of fun interactive sports activities and games, live entertainment and Australian food and beverages. Entertainment, provided by over 30 generous sponsors, will include Australian sports and games, like Zorb Balls, tug of war and sack races, as well as Auskick, cricket, golf and rugby for kids and adults alike. Musical performances by AIS and ISHCMC schoolchildren and local bands will entertain guests as they dine on delicious Australian food prepared by some of Ho Chi Minh City’s leading hotels and restaurants. Entrance fee: Adult: … [Read more...]

Australia Day slated for Sunday in town Kieu Giang The Australian Consulate General in HCMC will be holding its first community event to mark National Day (January 26) on January 22 on RMIT Saigon South Campus in District 7 from noon to 5 p.m. Australian Consul General Karen Lanyon said in a statement that this is a special event to celebrate the long-standing friendship between Australia and Vietnam, and vibrant Australian and Australian alumni communities in HCMC. The consul general added there would be plenty of fun interactive sport activities and games, live entertainment and Australian food and beverages. “I encourage everyone to join us!” Entertainment, provided by the event’s sponsors, will include all favorite Australian sports and games, like Zorb Balls, tug of war and sack races, as well as Auskick, cricket, golf and rugby for kids and adults alike. Music performances by AIS and ISHCMC school children and local bands will entertain guests, as they dine … [Read more...]

The accession to the WTO in 2007 marked an extremely important milestone for Vietnam’s social and economic development. Memberships in WTO forced Vietnam to make a series of changes to its laws in order to assimilate with international norms. Foreign investors rushed to tap the country’s potential as an emerging market, and demand grew significantly, said Phan Huu Thang, former director of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s (MPI) Foreign Investment Agency (FIA). “At that time, the Investment Law 2005 was revised with three outstanding points: creating fairness in treatment between domestic and foreign investors, empowering localities to grant investment certificates, except for mammoth projects, and diversifying investment models such as build-transfer, build-operate-transfer (BOT), and state stake sales”, Thang recalled. “The WTO membership and the revision of this law led to the biggest boom seen in Veitnam’s FDI during … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News TÂY NINH - A new trade centre opened its doors in Tây Ninh City last week. Financed by Thành Thành Công Group, the 15.000-square.metre TTC Plaza Tây Ninh comprises a supermarket, trade and entertainment areas and cinemas. Besides the centre, the group is running a sugar processing plant with a capacity of 9,000 tonnes of sugar cane per day in the province. In his speech at the centre's inauguration ceremony, Tây Ninh Province People's Committee vice chairman Dương Văn Thắng spoke highly of the group's new project while vowing to facilitate its operation. As of last year, the province had attracted 655 projects, including 250 foreign-invested, with a combined investment capital of more than US$5.98 billion, Thắng said. -VNS … [Read more...]

The streets and markets are a frenzy of shoppers picking the freshest foods, best clothes and new home accessories. Colourful and festive items are displayed in the stores and the clatter of bargaining fills the air. These are all on top of the anticipation among the little ones as they count down to the festive fun and the thrill of receiving Lì Xì. When they receive special red envelope with their Lì Xì, the children show respect by clasping both hands and bowing. I am also fond of Tết because it is when people set aside time for their family and friends. They visit relatives on both sides of the family and pay respect to the different generations. Vietnamese living abroad or away from their hometown try to make a special trip back to mark this holiday. Now I know Giao Thừa is an important moment of the Tết. Giao Thừa represents the passage from the old to the new for the Vietnamese. During Giao Thừa, they bid farewell to the past and welcome the New Year and the new opportunities … [Read more...]