Ma

"To Ma Le", a folk game of Thai people According to Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Bien province Le Van Quy, the festival aims to strengthen national solidarity and honour the cultural values of Thai people nationwide. … [Read more...] about Festival to highlight cultural identity of Thai ethnic community

A ceremony to welcome the first flight from Yunnan arriving in Hai Phong's Cat Bi airport (Photo: VNA) Hai Phong (VNA) – Chinese-based Ruili Airlines on September 30 opened a route between Vietnam’s northern port city of Hai Phong and Kunming city in China’s Yunnan province. The route, the first direct one connecting Hai Phong and Yunnan, will reduce travel time from the previous 15 hours by road to 1 hour by air, thereby contributing to promoting Vietnam – China economic, cultural and tourism exchanges. Ruili Airlines, with a fleet of 19 Boeing planes, is now operating 61 domestic and 10 international routes. On a daily basis, it runs 108 flights to 39 cities, including those in Vietnam. Speaking at the launching ceremony in Hai Phong’s Cat Bi International Airport, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Khac Nam stressed that the route will help boost the exchange and cooperation between Hai Phong city and Yunnan province in … [Read more...] about Hai Phong – Kunming air route launched

Heavy rain soaked the capital from 7am on October 3, leaving many streets throughout the city submerged in flooding. A number of motorbikes broke down on Tran Cung street in Cau Giay district. From 7:30am, the rain across Hanoi became stronger, leaving several streets in Bac Tu Liem and Cau Giay districts flooded. Local people on Tran Cung street attempt to protect their homes from the rising water. Tran Cung street is badly affected by the heavy rain, hampering morning commuters in the process. The rainfall that hit the city in the early hours of October 3 coincided with the morning commute of many of the city’s residents. As a result, severe traffic congestion built up on roads across the capital, including the Kim Ma-Lieu Giai intersection. A woman suffers a fall from her bike on Kim Ma Street due to the slippery conditions. Commuters are forced to wait in the heavy traffic, causing severe delays. Traffic chaos hit the Xuan Thuy-Cau Giay intersection at 7:15 am. Some commuters … [Read more...] about Heavy rain serves to ease air pollution in Hanoi

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) manages monetary policy through exchange rate settings, rather than through interest rates. (Photo: todayonline.com) Hanoi (VNA) – Singapore on October 14 decided to ease monetary policy for the first time in more than three years as the national economy has narrowly avoided recession in the third quarter of 2019. The decision came after the US-China trade war has taken its toll on the export-reliant economy of the city-state. Singapore has been the first among export-driven economies in Asia to be affected during a downturn, making it a closely watched barometer of demand for goods and services for the rest of the region. The Singaporean economy has been hard hit in recent months, with growth rates and exports falling, as the US-China trade tensions upend the global trading system. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) – the country’s central bank - joins others around the world in loosening policy as fears mount of a … [Read more...] about Singaporean central bank eases monetary policy

People in Tham Roc hamlet are making wood puppets. (photo: dantocmiennui.vn) Stick puppetry shows draw materials from the daily lives of the villagers, and are done in the interest of entertainment, their wishes for a peaceful year and bumper crop, and to honor the academic achievements of certain villagers. The stick puppetry of the Tay group in Tham Roc hamlet, Thai Nguyen province is quite popular. The clan of Ma Quang has produced and staged stick puppetry for 13 generations. Ma Quang Nhanh, head of the clan, said they have preserved some puppets made 200 years ago. At the beginning, a set of stick puppets has 6 characters including 2 female and 2 male puppets. Gradually they added more puppets to the performances, and reached as many as 33 puppets. “Our family troupe was reestablished in 2000. Because we’re getting older, we have handed down the trade to our children,” Mr. Nhanh said. The stick puppets are made from a popular kind of termite-proof … [Read more...] about Stick puppetry of the Tay