The Jarai people in Gia Lai province have maintained many traditional handicrafts, such as weaving brocade fabric and making musical instruments, bamboo papooses, and pineapple-leaf mats. Old Jarai women in Sung village teach young people weaving Pran mats. In recent years, the local women’s union has worked with Jarai artisans to teach young people to make mats in order to preserve this traditional craft. The Jarai weave mats from leaves of a wild pineapple called Pran. In the dry season, the men of Sung Lon hamlet cut pineapple leaves near the brooks and dry them in the sun to keep their original color. When the rainy season comes, women stay indoors and weave Pran mats which are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The Jarai people consider a Pran mat a valuable possession, used to serve guests on special occasions, such as funerals and weddings. Ro Mah H’byu of Sung Lon hamlet said, “I learned to weave mats from my grandmother and mother when I was … [Read more...] about Jarai people’s Pran mat craft
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Le Mat village brings traditional Tet to thousands
Participants will be able to make sticky rice cakes at the event. (Photo: truyenhinhdulich.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A Hanoi-based group keen on preserving the ancient values of communal houses will host its annual gathering featuring various traditional customs celebrating the Lunar New Year Festival on January 26 and 27 in the capital. The event, the fourth of its kind held by Dinh Lang Viet (Vietnamese Communal House) Group, is forecast to gather thousands of club members, diplomats, foreign students, international organisations, folk artists and locals. Le Mat village’s communal house on the eastern outskirts of Hanoi will provide a platform to showcase the main activities over the two days. Before departing for Le Mat village, the organising board and foreign students will walk around Hang Luoc Flower Market and some relic sites within the Old Quarter like Bach Ma Temple on Hang Buom Street, the Ancient House at 87 Ma May Street and Kim Ngan Temple on Hang Bac Street. … [Read more...] about Le Mat village brings traditional Tet to thousands
Fire dance heats up festive season
Viet Nam News by Phan Tuấn Anh A traditional fire dance of the Red Dao ethnic minority group in the northern province of Điện Biên has been restored after 20 years thanks to efforts made by the provincial museum, local authorities, elders and researchers. The fire dance aims to bring warmth, celebrate the harvest season, and pray to the gods for prosperity, good health and luck. Strong men aged between 18 and 60 "approved" by the fire god perform the dance. There are over 6,000 Dao people residing in the province, accounting for about 1 per cent of the province’s population. They live mostly in districts of Mường Nhé, Nậm Pồ and Tủa Chùa. They include Dao Đỏ, Dao Quần Chẹt and Dao Khâu, who can be differentiated by their costumes. In Huổi Sâu Village, Nậm Pồ District, there are 430 Dao people living in difficult conditions, but they still maintain their … [Read more...] about Fire dance heats up festive season
A vintage railway station stays on the beaten track
Vietnam’s top hill-station destination never fails to capture visitors’ hearts with its year-round cool weather, lush green surroundings, and abundance of flowers that have made it a horticultural hub in the country. The city, capital of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, is also home to some historic gems like its old railway station. In the so-called “Little Paris” of Vietnam, the railway station, built 90 years ago, is an architectural marvel that preserves memories of the last century. It is situated on a long, flat hillside near Yersin High School, five kilometers away from the city center. The designers of the train station were two French architects, Moncet and Reveron. Construction began in 1932 and it was put into use four years later. The railway station’s façade is designed to represent the three peaks of Langbiang Mountain and stilt houses in the Central Highlands. Stained glass windows add brightness and beauty to the Da Lat … [Read more...] about A vintage railway station stays on the beaten track
Renewed U.S. sanctions target Iran’s economy, Tehran cool on talks
Renewed U.S. sanctions target Iran's economy, Tehran cool on talksThe Saigon Times Daily A man walks past an anti-U.S. mural in Tehran, Iran October 13, 2017 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON/ANKARA (REUTERS) - President Donald Trump’s top security adviser on Monday urged Iran to take up an offer of talks with the United States or suffer more pain from economic sanctions, but Iran’s president said Washington needed first to prove it can be trusted. Hours before revived U.S. sanctions were due to kick in, White House national security adviser John Bolton said Iran should pay heed to Trump’s willingness to negotiate. “They could take up the president’s offer to negotiate with them, to give up their ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs fully and really verifiably,” Bolton told Fox News. “If the ayatollahs want to get out from under the squeeze, they should come and sit down. The pressure will not relent while the negotiations … [Read more...] about Renewed U.S. sanctions target Iran’s economy, Tehran cool on talks
Over a billion people struggle to stay cool as Earth warms
More electricity demand for fridges, fans and other appliances will add to man-made climate change unless power generators shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energies, according to the report by the non-profit Sustainable Energy for All group released on Monday. About 1.1 billion people in Asia, Africa and Latin America - 470 million in rural areas and 630 million slum dwellers in cities - were at risk among the world’s 7.6 billion people, it said. “Cooling becomes more and more important” with climate change, Rachel Kyte, head of the group and special representative for the U.N. Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, told Reuters. In a survey of 52 countries, those most at risk included India, China, Mozambique, Sudan, Nigeria, Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh, it said. “We have to provide cooling in a super-efficient way,” Kyte said. Companies could find big markets, for instance by developing low-cost, high-efficiency air … [Read more...] about Over a billion people struggle to stay cool as Earth warms
Staying cool with a bowl of tào phớ
Viet Nam News Hồ Hoàng With outdoor temperatures hitting 50 degrees, Hanoians are suffering from another severe summer. Each year is hotter than the last thanks to climate change. Unlike the heat of the World Cup, which is really exciting, this heat can actually burn you. In an experiment by VTV, candles melted under the afternoon sun in minutes. The sweltering weather is a daytime nightmare for employees, especially those outdoors. But luckily, tào phớ (soya bean curd) comes to the rescue as one of the best summer foods in Việt Nam. “On July 1st, there were too many customers to count, but I went through about 1,500 plastic cups used to hold the tào phớ. This wasn’t counting servings ot caramel and sweet soup,” said Lê Thu Nga, the owner of a summer food shop in Linh Đàm Market (in Hà Nội’s Hoàng Mai District). She explained that tào phớ helps to cool … [Read more...] about Staying cool with a bowl of tào phớ
Smartphone market to stay cool this year: Forecast
International Data Corporation forecast on Wednesday (May 30) that global smartphone sales would cool this year before heating up with help from new 5G networks and India's vibrant market. People show their smartphones on Dec 25, 2013 in Dinan, northwestern France. (AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUEN) An IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker expected smartphone sales to slip two-tenths of a percent this year to total 1.462 billion in a second straight year of slight decline. But IDC predicted that the smartphone market would reignite next year, growing about three per cent annually to 1.654 billion in the year 2022. The "biggest driver" of the downturn last year was said by IDC to be the China market, which it expected to be down 7.1 per cent this year after shrinking 4.9 per cent last year. IDC forecast that the smartphone market in China would flatten out next year, while sales in India were expected to continue to boom on low-priced handsets sold by Chinese companies. "China remains … [Read more...] about Smartphone market to stay cool this year: Forecast
Barcelona draw with Real to stay unbeaten in La Liga
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Keylor Navas dives in front of Barcelona's Lionel Messi (left) during a Spanish La Liga football match, photo AFP Ronaldo was forced off at half-time after appearing to hurt his ankle and Real will be hoping their star striker can now recover in time for the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 26. "It's a small thing," Real coach Zinedine Zidane said afterwards. "He is a bit worried, right now the ankle is a bit swollen, but he said it is not so bad." Gerard Pique's challenge had come as Ronaldo cancelled out Luis Suarez's opener before Sergi Roberto was sent off on the stroke of half-time for an altercation with Real defender Marcelo. Barca, however, took the lead in the second half as Messi scored a brilliant individual goal only for Gareth Bale, who could earlier have been sent off, to have the last word in a thrilling Clasico, his emphatic strike earning Real a deserved draw. After initially taking treatment, Ronaldo played on for 31 minutes … [Read more...] about Barcelona draw with Real to stay unbeaten in La Liga
Unseasonal rain to continue in southern Vietnam; north remains cool
Unseasonal rain is expected to continue in southern Vietnam on Tuesday, while temperature in northern localities will plummet due to the presence of a cold snap. Unusually large amounts of rainfall have dampened large areas across the southern region of the country over the past two days, and are forecast to linger until the end of Tuesday before decreasing in intensity, said Le Dinh Quyet, an official of the Southern Weather Forecast Station. The downpours on Sunday and Monday mainly occurred in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as provinces in the southeast region, and half of the Mekong Delta, Quyet stated. The highest rainfall was recorded at 31 millimeters in the southern province of Binh Duong, followed by the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang with 18 millimeters, he continued. The cool weather has negatively impacted the farming of cashew nuts in the southern province of Binh Phuoc. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised local farmers to pay extra … [Read more...] about Unseasonal rain to continue in southern Vietnam; north remains cool