The sparks fly from the grinder. It is about 40 degrees Celsius outside the forging workshop. But neither the indoor nor the outdoor heat seems to bother Hoang Van Chinh. Chinh is no muscleman, as seen in typical Western depictions of blacksmiths. In his late 40s, the Hanoian blacksmith looks typically Vietnamese, of small, wiry build, wearing a pair of shorts and a blue T-Shirt. But Chinh and his wife do sweat a lot in the heat, and it glistens on their faces and arms as they bang their hammers on the anvil with practiced expertise. Among the 500 blacksmiths who ply their trade in Da Sy Village in the western part of Hanoi, the couple are working as instructors for a group of foreign tourists keen on becoming a blacksmith for a few hours, and aiming to forge a knife or two on their own. Just had to do it Hanah from Roslin, the U.K. (L) and her mother pose for a photo with Chinh in front of the backsmith's house, with the knives they forged on their … [Read more...] about Hanoi offers cutting-edge tour to ancient blacksmith village
To cut a long story short
DPRK media reaffirm commitments to complete denuclearisation
The second DPRK-USA summit, held in Hanoi in late February, ended with no agreement (Photo: VNA) Seoul (VNA) – Media in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 12 ran stories affirming the country’s firm commitments to work towards complete denuclearization. This is the first time the DPRK media mentioned denuclearization since the second DPRK-USA summit, held in Hanoi in late February, which ended with no agreement. Uriminzokkiri, one of the sites for foreign relations of the country, posted a story stating that the persistent stance of the DPRK is to establish new relationship with the US, build sustainable and long-term mechanisms in the Korean Peninsula, and head to the total denuclearization. Regarding the Hanoi summit, the paper assessed that the event contributed to strengthening the mutual respect and trust between the two sides, bringing about important chances to lift up the bilateral relations to a new development period. The … [Read more...] about DPRK media reaffirm commitments to complete denuclearisation
The story of Hà Tĩnh’s cu đơ candy
Famous food: Cu đơ candy is one of Hà Tĩnh’s best known specialties. — Photos baodientuhatinh.vn Viet Nam News Hà Nguyễn Each locality in Việt Nam has its own specialty. Hải Dương has its đậu xanh (green been cake) and Cao Bằng has its bánh khảo (sweet short cake made of roast glutinous rice flour). In Hà Tĩnh, the specialty is cu đơ, a candy made of roasted peanuts and molasses and covered with rice pancakes. The name cu đơ appeared long ago in Hà Tĩnh’s Hương Sơn region, said 90-year-old Hồ Vinh. There are several stories related to the candy’s name. One person said that in the era of French domination, the candy was made by an old man named Hai. Locals called him "cụ Hai". When the French troops arrived at his shop, they enjoyed the candy but struggled to pronounce the old man’s name. The … [Read more...] about The story of Hà Tĩnh’s cu đơ candy
Vietnam gets to grips with CPTPP
Through the ratification of the CPTPP, Vietnam will be able to attract even more foreign investment to key technology sectors, Photo: Le Toan Tran Hoang Ngan has spent days studying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He is not a negotiator of the deal, but a National Assembly (NA) member from Ho Chi Minh City recently provided with documents related to the agreement, before it was officially discussed at the NA last week. Initially, the deal was formed in 2005 as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. The US joined the TPP in 2008, and Vietnam quickly followed suit. In January 2017 the US withdrew from the deal, which was then inked in March 2018 under the new name of the CPTPP. “Why was Vietnam invited to join the TPP, though its per capita income is only $2,380, while the average of other member states is $30,000?” asked Ngan, who is also a senior economist. “I think member … [Read more...] about Vietnam gets to grips with CPTPP
A lost old apricot tree
She only asked me to help her look for a one-hundred-year-old apricot tree, the only tree left in a certain apricot garden of a manor house. "It seems silly, but it is my mother’s wish. She has earnestly asked me to find that old apricot tree she believes is still there," she explained to me in precise Vietnamese with a Hue accent. "My mother told me to go over to Nam Giao, where in the old days the open-air royal altar was. At the foot of the pedestal there were two strange stone slabs. The king then prayed in murmurs, yet hundreds of thousands of people around could hear him loud and clear as if there were a loud speaker system. Go farther and turn right... across a little curved bridge and then turn left, go a bit farther, and ask where the apricot garden of that manor house is." I had not heard about that manor house even though I had been working as a tour guide. If that manor house was gone, then that apricot tree would be a lost treasure. In Hue, there were a lot of these … [Read more...] about A lost old apricot tree