A manufacturing company in Ho Chi Minh City has announced it will award its best employees nearly VND950 million ($41,800) each as a Lunar New Year bonus, but another company in the city is planning on giving its workers just VND100,000 ($4.40). The Lunar New Year, known as Tet in Vietnam, will be upon us in less than a month, and once again companies’ bonus reports are being received with both cheers and tears. The southern metropolis, the country’s commercial center, stands at the top of this divide, but most cities and provinces across Vietnam have reported a similarly wide spectrum of bonuses. In Hanoi, one company partly-owned by the government is offering the lowest bonus of VND600,000 ($26), while a foreign company has pledged to pay VND325 million ($14,300), over 500 times more, according to a statement from the city’s labor department. Da Nang, usually considered the third most important city in Vietnam, has reported bonuses of between VND100,000 and … [Read more...] about Holiday bonuses show huge disparity as Lunar New Year nears in Vietnam
Lunar new year 2017
Following Saigon, Hanoi to bring back fireworks for Lunar New Year
Hanoi authorities have announced the inclusion of fireworks shows alongside cultural performances and sports activities in the capital's Lunar New Year, or Tet, 2018 celebration. After being absent last year, fireworks would return to multiple locations across the city on the Lunar New Year's Eve, which falls at midnight on February 16. Hanoi has tasked its military's High Command with drafting a detailed plan for the shows. In previous years' celebrations, Hanoi usually threw 30 fireworks shows across the city, with five big ones at Hoan Kiem Lake, Thong Nhat Park, Lac Long Quan Flower Garden, Van Quan Lake and My Dinh National Stadium. Meanwhile the capital's remaining 25 districts and towns each had a small fireworks show. To welcome the new lunar year, the city would also put up decorative lights along main roads, residential areas, parks, flower gardens, large structures and areas around Hoan Kiem Lake and Ba Dinh Square. Last month Ho Chi Minh City also obtained the government's … [Read more...] about Following Saigon, Hanoi to bring back fireworks for Lunar New Year
Indonesia repatriates Vietnamese fishermen ahead of lunar New Year
Officials from Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia talk with Vietnamese fishermen (Photo VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – The Vietnam Embassy in Indonesia is working with local authorities to send home 71 Vietnamese fishermen, who were captured for violating Indonesia’s waters, within January. On January 6, 39 people of the group departed from the Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. Most of the leaving was held captivity on Indonesian islands as deponents at trials for their ship captains. A day earlier, 21 Vietnamese fishermen were repatriated. Eleven more will make their journey home on January 10. Tran Minh Cu, Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy, said more repatriation trips like these will be organised before the lunar New Year holiday. These fishermen were said to have not been equipped with sufficient legal knowledge; many of them were abandoned by their captains when being arrested. Their disadvantaged backgrounds made it hard for them to complete … [Read more...] about Indonesia repatriates Vietnamese fishermen ahead of lunar New Year
Live show to raise funds for the poor on Lunar New Year
At a press conference on the event held in Hanoi on January 3, VRC President of Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu said the show, an annual activity of the VRC, aims at raising donations to send at least two million Tet gifts to disadvantaged communities, particularly victims of natural disasters. The show is set to take place at the Au Co art centre in Hanoi. It will mark the VRC’s 71st founding anniversary and 20 years since it first launched the programme to support the needy and AO/dioxin victims on Tet. Also with the aim of helping the poor celebrate a happy Lunar New Year festival, the VRC is running a texting campaign from December 27, 2017 and February 24, 2018. Each message of “TET” sent to 1409 will donate VND20,000 (US$0.88) to the purpose. Initiated in 1999, the VRC’s Tet charity programme delivered 10 million gifts worth over VND3.4 trillion (US$149.6 million) over the past five years. … [Read more...] about Live show to raise funds for the poor on Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year Celebration 2017
Lunar New Year is the most important holidays in Vietnam. Often dubbed with Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year (following lunar calendar) is celebrated nationally not only in Mainland China, but also in a number of countries and territories such as Vietnam, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong and Tibet. The first day of Lunar New Year in 2017 is January 28, and the animal represents this Lunar New Year is the Rooster. In Vietnam, Lunar New Year is called Tet (Tết), and public holidays for Lunar New Year 2017 span from 26 January to 02 February (7 days). During these public holidays, most institutions, businesses and companies are closed so that people can spend time with their families. There are no fireworks this year in Hanoi or HCMC because the Government plans to use the budget to support families having suffered from the disastrous flood last year in central Vietnam. New Year Book Street New Year Book Street will take place from 30 Jan – 05 Feb 2017 from 9 am … [Read more...] about Lunar New Year Celebration 2017
Hanoians enjoy dazzling firework at 30 sites on the 2018 Lunar New Year’s Eve
Hanoians enjoy dazzling firework at 30 sites on the 2018 Lunar New Year’s Eve. Specifically, five locations for high-range fireworks include Hoan Kiem Lake (Hoan Kiem District), Thong Nhat Park (Hai Ba Trung District), Lac Long Quan flower garden (Tay Ho District), Van Quan Lake (Ha Dong District) and My Dinh National Stadium (Nam Tu Liem District). Low-range fireworks will be displayed in the remaining 25 downtown and outlying districts and towns and the exact locations being determined by the local authorities. In order to ensure security and order at the 30 sites planned for the firework shows, Chung requested the Hanoi Police to strengthen patrol to detect, detain and strictly handle wrongdoings, to ensuring security and order before, during and after the Tet festival. The Hanoi Capital High Command is responsible for supervising the manufacturing, preservation, transportation, and use of fireworks, whilst also ensuring the absolute safety for the 2018 Tet … [Read more...] about Hanoians enjoy dazzling firework at 30 sites on the 2018 Lunar New Year’s Eve
Fireworks to light up Hanoi sky on Lunar New Year’s Eve
Citizens of Hanoi and tourists alike will be entertained with dazzling firework displays at 30 sites across the city on the 2018 Lunar New Year’s Eve, according to the Lunar New Year (Tet) celebration plan recently issued by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung. Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the five locations for high-range fireworks in Hanoi on the 2018 Lunar New Year's Eve Specifically, five locations for high-range fireworks include Hoan Kiem Lake (Hoan Kiem district), Thong Nhat Park (Hai Ba Trung district), Lac Long Quan flower garden (Tay Ho distrct), Van Quan Lake (Ha Dong district) and My Dinh National Stadium (Nam Tu Liem district).Low-range fireworks will be displayed in the remaining 25 inner and outlying districts and towns, with the exact locations being decided by the local authorities.In order to ensure security and order at the 30 sites planned for the firework shows, Chung requested the Hanoi Police to strengthen patrol to … [Read more...] about Fireworks to light up Hanoi sky on Lunar New Year’s Eve
Food safety a focus ahead of Lunar New Year
Nguyễn Như Tiệp, director of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Quality Management Department, speaks to the newspaper Nông thôn Ngày nay (Countryside Today) on measures to ensure food safety over the Lunar New Year festival Was a food safety report released by the Pasteur Institute a warning on the increase in unsafe food as Lunar New Year approaches? Hồ Chí Minh City Pasteur Institute recently released a report saying that the number of unsafe food cases detected in 2017 was higher than in previous years. However, the number of inspections carried out was higher than in 2016, but they all show that food safety had improved considerably. Regarding the issue of food safety, in 2017 the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development focused on four areas; namely: To complete the legal framework on food safety inspection and control; To step up inspection and supervision visits; To conduct supervision visits to … [Read more...] about Food safety a focus ahead of Lunar New Year
Vietnam to kick off Lunar New Year break on Valentine’s Day
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed off on a proposal that will have the upcoming Tet break start two days before Lunar New Year's Day, which falls on February 16, 2018. This option is the first of the two seven-day options proposed by the labor ministry in September. Under the second option, the holiday will start on February 15, a day before Tet, and run until February 21, the sixth day of the New Year. Schools and other businesses across the country usually follow the same break as government offices. "The holiday would start on [December] 29 and people would go to work from [January] 6," Mai Tien Dung, Chairman of Office of the Government Office, said Thursday, referring to the dates in the lunar calendar. The holiday would accordingly be from February 14-20. "We should not have a short break so public servants can visit their hometown, family, relatives and friends, but the break should not be too long either," Dung said. The government's preferred … [Read more...] about Vietnam to kick off Lunar New Year break on Valentine’s Day
Vietnam set to kick off Lunar New Year break on Valentine’s Day
Vietnam's Government Office on Thursday announced the government is favoring a proposal that would have the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) break start two days before New Year's Day, which falls on February 16, 2018. "The holiday would start on [December] 29 and people would go to work from [January] 6," said Mai Tien Dung, Minister, Chief of Office of the Government Office, referring to the dates in the lunar calendar. The holiday would accordingly be from February 14-20. "We should not have a short break so public servants can visit their hometown, family, relatives and friends, but the break should not be too long either," Dung said. This option is the first of the two 7-day options proposed by the labor ministry in September. Under the second option, the holiday will start on February 15, a day before Tet, and run until February 21, the sixth day of the New Year. Schools and other businesses across the country usually follow the same break as government offices. The government … [Read more...] about Vietnam set to kick off Lunar New Year break on Valentine’s Day