The sadness of heritage

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s leading estate developer Sun Group and France-based hotel group AccorHotels on April 1 inaugurated the five-star Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort in Phu Quoc – the country’s largest island. Perched on Mui Ong Doi, Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort was designed with 227 ocean-view two-storey villas. Only 30 minutes from the international airport of Phu Quoc, the resort promises extraordinary hospitality experiences to its visitors. The resort is surrounded by a sea cliff and white strips of sand, offering romantic moments in a secluded area. “With the launching of Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort, Sun Group expects to successfully develop Premier Village as the first chain of international resorts in Vietnam,” said CEO of Sun Group Dang Minh Truong.  “Thanks to its unique location and outstanding interior design, Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort is expected to become the go-to resort complex of the luxury and … [Read more...] about French AccorHotels operates Sun Group’s resort in Phu Quoc

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese honey companies have been exporting raw honey at low prices to other countries from which products are re-exported at high prices with foreign labels.  Vietnam now exports raw honey at low prices According to VBA (Vietnam Beekeepers Association), in 2016 Vietnam’s honey output was nearly 50,000 tons, of which 40,000 tons were exported, while domestic consumption just accounted for 20 percent.  In 2016 Vietnam’s honey output was nearly 50,000 tons, of which 40,000 tons were exported, while domestic consumption just accounted for 20 percent.  VBA reported that from the beginning of the year to September 15, Vietnam exported 29,000 tons of bee honey, but only 1,469 tons were exported to Europe.  RELATED NEWS Honey harvesting season in Hung Yen The sweet lives of bee hunters Chi Mai … [Read more...] about Raw honey producers export at low prices

Ca Hom hamlet in Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district in the southern province of Tra Vinh has been long known for its famous woven sedge mats.     The traditional craft of sedge weaving is well preserved among each family of the hamlet. Many visitors want to gain insights into the sedge weaving process from the family of artisan Diep Thi Som in Ca Hom hamlet. During the idle times between crops, many farmers begin to weave sedge mats to earn additional incomes. The family of artisan Diep Thi Som. Artisan Ngo Thi Pho is the ‘soul’ of preserving the traditional sedge mat craft in Ca Hom hamlet, Ham Tan commune. The craft village has more than 450 households with over 1,000 workers in the hamlets of Ca Hom and Ben Ba specializing in weaving Ca Hom sedge mats. Ca Hom sedge mats are made over several stages of dying and weaving. VOV … [Read more...] about Visiting Ca Hom sedge mat craft village in Tra Vinh

VietNamNet Bridge - Investors are reluctant to pour money into infrastructure projects under the PPP (private public partnership) mode because of fear of new policies which could lead to losses or bankruptcy. Investors are reluctant to pour money into infrastructure projects VCCI’s (the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry) head of Legal Department Dau Anh Tuan cited the example in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province of an enterprise signing a contract on an infrastructure project.  Investors are reluctant to pour money into infrastructure projects under the PPP (private public partnership) mode because of fear of new policies which could lead to losses or bankruptcy. Vu Quynh Le, deputy director of the Bidding Management Agency, said that investments in PPP projects remain below expectations because of difficulties during implementation. RELATED NEWS Investors from Europe, US absent from Vietnam real estate market More Vietnamese investors are buyers in … [Read more...] about Investors in public-private partnerships fear changing state policies

Spring is the season of festivals across Vietnam. For ethnic groups in mountain regions, spring festivals are opportunities to relax and pray for a good new year. A Rice's Soul procession of the Muong in Tan Son, Phu Tho province. (http://tanson.phutho.gov.vn) Each ethnic group in Vietnam observes its traditional festivals with unique cultural and spiritual features. In the northwestern region the first and second lunar month sees the Long Tong or Going to the field Festival of the Tay and Nung, the Peace Praying Ritual of the Thai and Muong, and the Gau Tao Festival of the Mong. Each ethnic group in Vietnam observes its traditional festivals with unique cultural and spiritual features. In the northwestern region the first and second lunar month sees the Long Tong or Going to the field Festival of the Tay and Nung, the Peace Praying Ritual of the Thai and Muong, and the Gau Tao Festival of the Mong. Nguyen Ban, a cultural official in Ha Giang province, said, “New Year … [Read more...] about Spring Festivals in mountain regions

Positive market sentiments in the condominium industry in 2017 continued into the first quarter of 2018, according to CBRE Viet Nam’s Ha Noi property market report for the first quarter (Q1) of this year, released in Ha Noi on Tuesday. Positive market sentiments in the condominium industry in 2017 continued into the first quarter of 2018. — Photo baoxaydung.com.vn Reviewing overall sales, 6,600 units were recorded as sold during Q1, up 5 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y). Of note, some projects by foreign developers are actively promoted in international markets, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, which helped boost sales performances. Meanwhile, in the domestic market buyers are showing greater concern about building safety after an earlier condominium fire in HCM City. Safety has now become a first priority for buyers who are considering purchasing in a condominium project. Nguyen Hoai An, Director of Professional Services at CBRE Viet Nam’s Ha Noi branch, said at a … [Read more...] about Hanoi’s condo market booming

Bui Nguyen Hung, director general of the Copyright Office, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, speaks to the newspaper New Hanoi about how Decree 22 will interpret changes made to the 2009 Law on Intellectual Property Rights. Mr. Bui Nguyen Hung What is new in Decree 22/2018/NĐ-CP on guidelines for some articles of the intellectual property law (IP) and law on amendments to the IP law 2009 in terms of the copyright and related rights as compared to the existing laws on IP rights? A key objective of Decree 22 is to supplement and revise some provisions contained in the current Law on Intellectual Property Rights to facilitate its on-the-ground implementation. Decree 22 has added three new articles relating to procedures through which an author’s copyrights and related rights can be re-issued, amended or repealed. The aim of the new articles is to create favourable conditions for organisations and individuals applying for the work’s intellectual … [Read more...] about Intellectual Property law changes

VietNamNet Bridge – Many farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have suffered losses in the 2017-18 sugarcane crop because of low prices. Farmers in Long Phu Township, Long Phu District of the southern province Soc Trang cut down their sugarcane as prices dipped. — VNA/VNS Photo Trung Hieu Diep Van Tam, who owns a hectare of land in Soc Trang Province’s Cu Lao Dung District, said after the harvest he had tried to sell his sugarcane to traders, but no one bought it. Afraid the sugarcane would rot, he then hired workers to harvest the crop, transported it to the Soc Trang Sugar Corporation and sold it at a loss of VND15 million (US$660). The price of cane has fallen from VND700-800 a kilogramme at the beginning of the harvest season last October to VND500 – 550 now, but there are still few buyers. In Cu Lao Dung District, sugarcane on many fields has become over-mature but their owners cannot find buyers. So far farmers in the district have managed to … [Read more...] about Sugarcane prices a bitter pill in Delta

VietNamNet Bridge – A product called Himalayan pink salt has been gaining popularity in the health and beauty market in Vietnam, but experts have said there is no scientific evidence of its health benefits, Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reported. The “Himalayan salt lamps” sold as heat lamps in Vietnam. — Photo laodong.com.vn The so-called salt is sold in mass quantities on several websites, which claim it will “help prevent electromagnetic waves from electronic devices” and “purify the air” when heated, the newspaper reported. Some advised customers to use it instead of regular salt for their daily meals, since this pink salt “increases the amount of calcium in the body” and helps with the treatment of blood pressure and other diseases. Several spa facilities in Hanoi are using Himalayan salt stones in their bath, massage and sauna services. Some traditional medicine establishments have also started using the stones … [Read more...] about Pink salt no health panacea, despite claims

Smog that has appeared frequently in Ho Chi Minh City, with the most recent recorded on January 3 morning, shows that local air pollution is now at an alarming level, an expert has said. Frequent smog in HCM City shows that local air pollution is now at an alarming level The warning was made by Ho Quoc Bang, head of the air pollution and climate change division at the Institute for Environment and Natural Resources under the Vietnam National University – HCM City, at a discussion on January 3. He said traffic, construction and industrial activities are the main causes of air pollution in cities. Traffic activities discharge nearly 85 percent of the total carbon monoxide emissions and many other hazardous substances. Air pollution at construction sites is five or six times higher than the standard. These activities also produce noise that worsens air pollution. The Centre of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) said its analyses show that HCM City … [Read more...] about Air pollution at alarming rate in HCM City