Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong (left) and WB Country Director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione (right) take a fact-finding trip to District 2 where the second phase of a WB-funded environmental sanitation project is underway. (Photo: sggp.org.vn) HCM City (VNA) – Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong and World Bank (WB) Country Director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione on November 22 took a fact-finding trip to the city’s District 2 where the second phase of a WB-funded environmental sanitation project is underway. Following the trip, Phong said he was pleased to see the project in good progress while expressing his belief that once completed, it would improve the well-being of the city’s residents and help restore and protect the ecosystem of the Sai Gon and Dong Nai Rivers. Dione, for his part, spoke highly of the project’s progress, saying the fact the city and WB leaders visited the … [Read more...] about HCM City, WB top officials visit site of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe project
City year start dates
VND to remain steady until year’s end
The VND is seen as one of the least depreciated currencies in the region, Photo: Le Toan FX on fire The daily fixing last Thursday set itself again to a record high of VND22,662 a dollar, adding VND13 a dollar on top of the previous day’s rate, before slightly cooling down to VND22,660 on Friday. Across local commercial banks, the FX rate was reported as edging up last Friday, following a sideways movement seen days before. Each dollar was sold at VND23,095-23,125 and bought at VND23,000-23,030 a dollar, with VND10-20 added on both the buy and sell sides. The upswing of the daily fixing and FX rates in the local market happened in response to the greenback gaining power against other major currencies, with the dollar index breaking the 95.00 figure last week. With the daily rate consistently trending upward in the past four weeks, investment advisory manager Phan Dung Khanh at Maybank Kim Eng Securities in Ho Chi Minh City said that the causes were attributed to several … [Read more...] about VND to remain steady until year’s end
Japanese bunraku puppetry theatre to be staged in HCM City
The Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Việt Nam will present a performance of traditional Japanese bunraku puppetry theatre in HCM City in mid-July. Photo courtesy of the organiserViet Nam News HCM CITY – The Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Việt Nam will present a performance of traditional Japanese bunraku puppetry theatre in HCM City in mid-July to mark 45 years of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties. The 20-minute performance will include an excerpt from Date Musume Koi No Higanoko (The Red-Hot Love of the Greengrocer’s Daughter), a bunraku masterpiece based on a real story that occurred during the Edo period about 300 years ago. The play is about the tragic love story of Oshichi, a daughter of a greengrocer, and her lover Kichisaburo, a page at the Kisshoin Temple. The excerpt features a scene in which Oshichi finds the lost sword of her lover who is about to commit seppuku. However, she cannot visit him because the gates … [Read more...] about Japanese bunraku puppetry theatre to be staged in HCM City
HCM City meets 42.4 pct of yearly target in international visitors
A corner of Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The number of international arrivals in Ho Chi Minh City has to date this year reached 3.18 million, up 32 percent from last year and meeting 42.4 percent of the yearly target. Tourism revenue in the period was estimated at over 51.6 trillion VND (2.27 billion USD), an annual increase of 14.8 percent. The figure accounted for 37.4 percent of the yearly target. The municipal Tourism Department said it will continue boosting the quality of local tourism products and services, with a focus on waterway routes. According to a survey of a popular room booking website, Ho Chi Minh City has so far secured the highest number of booking as the base for visitors to start exploring Vietnam. A recent survey jointly conducted by the Tourism Department and the municipal Statistics Office showed tourists both domestic and foreign stay for an average 5 days in the city and spend around 145 USD a day, which showed a reduction in stay … [Read more...] about HCM City meets 42.4 pct of yearly target in international visitors
City nods tunnel toll collection trial
City nods tunnel toll collection trialAnh Quan By Anh Quan - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – The HCMC government has allowed the Saigon River Tunnel Management Center to collect tolls on trial before the job is officially undertaken in near future. The Department of Transport is tasked with deciding on the start date of the toll collection test. Speaking to the Daily, Tran Quang Lam, director of the center, said when to test-run the toll booths has yet to be decided. In the pilot collection duration, staff members of the toll station will familiarize themselves with equipment to detect vehicles, check tickets, and open and close the barriers but they will not collect money, Lam stated. Lam said the toll collection trial will run until the middle of November and then the transport department will send the city government a toll collection plan plus proposed rates. The trial is expected to help the department evaluate the traffic volume to seek solutions to cope with congestion, if … [Read more...] about City nods tunnel toll collection trial
A 100-year-old French architectural building in Saigon
A 100-year-old French architectural building in SaigonNguyen Quy Those passing by Tran Hung Dao Street in District 1, HCMC might see a nearly-100-year-old building attached to the story about Nguyen Van Hao, one of the wealthiest businessmen in Saigon, the former name of HCMC, in the early 20th century. Lying at the junction of Tran Hung Dao, Ky Con and Yersin streets in the heart of the city, its history dates back to the French colonial time as construction of the building began in 1933 and was completed four years later. The house once belonged to Hao who was born into a farming family in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh and moved to Saigon for work at a young age. He started as vendor of auto parts and accessories and his business thrived in the early 20th century given the growing demand of long-distance travel in the Mekong Delta and the rise of private cars. He quickly established himself as one of the most successful and richest businessmen in the city at the time. The … [Read more...] about A 100-year-old French architectural building in Saigon
Adjusting the art and culture program to commemorate 1000 years old TL – HN
(Cinet) – Considering the proposal of the MOCST at the document No 1292/BVHTTDL-VP dated on 16 April 2010, on 4 May , the Governmental Office promulgated the Document No 2857/VPCP-KGVX informing the instructing ideas of the Standing Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung – the head of the National Steering Committee commemorating 1000 years old Thang Long - Hanoi about adjusting the summing up art and culture program in the program to commemorate 1000 years old Thang Long - Hanoi. Accordingly, the Standing Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung instructed, the MOCST would not organize the summing up culture and art program (holding the performance of set types, art physical training set types, having scripts to invite foreign experts to direct) in the program commemorating 1000 years old Thang Long - Hanoi. According to the program commemorating 1000 years old Thang - Hanoi 2010 which was approved by the Prime Minister, the key point of the great event … [Read more...] about Adjusting the art and culture program to commemorate 1000 years old TL – HN
2007 Central Highland Gong Culture Festival starts
An exhibition themed “The cultural space of the gong in the community of Vietnamese nations” is being held at the Dak Lak Province’s Cultural Museum of Vietnamese Nations to welcome the 2007 Central Highland Gong Culture Festival. More than 600 objects, documents and photos presenting a general view of the cultural space of the gong in the community of Vietnamese nations are on the display lasting to November 30. The show includes four parts: an introduction of culture and musical instruments of the Bronze Age, dating back 3,000 years, gong culture of the northern ethnic minorities, gong performances by 17 ethnic groups in Truong Son Mountain Range and Central Highland region, and gong culture of Khmer and ethnic Chinese people in the southern region. The event is one of the cultural activities of the 2007 Gong Festival to take place over November 21-24 in the Central Highlands City of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak. Twenty-five local and foreign art troupes from Laos, … [Read more...] about 2007 Central Highland Gong Culture Festival starts
City pins hopes on food hygiene management board
City pins hopes on food hygiene management boardVan Nam HCMC - Director Nguyen Tan Binh of the HCMC Department of Health believed the management of food safety and hygiene in the city would be better with a specialized board to be up and operating next year. The Prime Minister has recently given his nod to a pilot plan to set up a management board for food safety and hygiene in HCMC, which groups members from the departments of health, trade-industry and agriculture in the city. The Department of Home Affairs is preparing for the establishment of this board, expected to start operation early next year, said Binh at a question and answer session of the third meeting of the HCMC People’s Council on December 8. Earlier, many voters had proposed the health department and relevant agencies regularly inspect and strictly handle the trade of contaminated and hazardous food with unclear origin at wholesale markets across the city. The city is a hub for trade of large volumes of food made … [Read more...] about City pins hopes on food hygiene management board
Johnson Controls named best automotive battery maker for 11th consecutive year Delkor brand awarded for quality excellence
Johnson Controls named best automotive battery maker for 11th consecutive year Delkor brand awarded for quality excellence KOREA - Delkor brand from Johnson Controls, the world’s largest automotive battery manufacturer, has earned the top award for quality from the Korean Standards Association (KSA) since 2006. This is the 11th consecutive year the company’s Delkor batteries have been awarded on the Korean Standard Quality Excellence Index (KS-QEI). “Through our robust automated inspection system, Johnson Controls has a thorough quality-control process in place to ensure consistency in producing excellent batteries for a range of vehicles,” said Frederick Lim, vice president and general manager of Asia Pacific region at Johnson Controls Power Solutions. “We are proud to be recognized by KSA, a leading standards and quality organization, for our hard work and dedication.” Johnson Controls manufactures Delkor batteries in South Korea, supplying … [Read more...] about Johnson Controls named best automotive battery maker for 11th consecutive year Delkor brand awarded for quality excellence