Seven years to sin

San Diu women in their traditional clothes. (Photo: vietnam.vnanet.vn) Traditionally, San Diu ethnic women make their own clothes. A piece of traditional clothing often takes  several months to complete. Diep Thi Vong from Vinh Phuc province is one of a few San Diu women keeping the tradition of making her own clothes and teaches the younger generation how to weave and embroider. “My grandmother and mother used to make their own clothes. They taught me and even sent me to a weaving class to learn how to make San Diu traditional clothes. A San Diu woman was required to make what she wore on her first day of marriage,” Mrs. Vong said. San Diu women often layer their clothes — a traditional white top inside and an indigo black light jacket outside. Young women secure their jacket with a green or red belt, right side over left  while older women do it the other way around. The highlight of the San Diu’s traditional women’s clothes is … [Read more...] about San Diu ethnic people in Vietnam’s northern midlands and mountainous areas

An art performance at the announcement ceremony (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam Michael Croft presented a certificate recognising Hanoi as an official member of the UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung at ceremony in the capital on December 13. Chung said the participation in the network enables Hanoi to increase its competitiveness in investment attraction, stimulate urban regeneration, and develop education programmes and cultural events in association with sustainable development. Hanoi is also ambitious to become an envoy and a bridge to connect other cities in Vietnam and regional countries to join the network, as well as a global intellectual and innovative destination, he added. The network membership also demonstrates Hanoi’s responsibility to the region and the world in promoting creativity and increasing the participation of people in … [Read more...] about Hanoi becomes official member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network

A recent report by financial data provider Fiin Group shows that foreign-invested firms account for almost all the increase in exports to the U.S. as its trade spat with China intensifies. In the garments sector, for example, Vietnamese companies only accounted for 16 percent of the export value from June 2018-2019, with FDI firms making up the remaining 84 percent. South Korean garment manufacturers in Vietnam have been the biggest winners from the trade war, with 143 South Korean companies accounting for almost half of Vietnam’s garment export value in the period, the report said. It said South Korean corporations were better placed to reap the gains because they have been in Vietnam since early 2000s and have well established supply chains in the country. "The majority of Vietnamese companies are still small-sized and do not meet foreign buyers’ requirements on quality, quantity and cost."  A similar situation could be seen in the export of phones and parts. South … [Read more...] about US-China trade war spoils go to FDI firms