Female workers pack cinnamon to be packaged in the store of Visimex JSC. Photo Courtesy of Gia Chính By Thanh An Cinnamon might smell like Christmas to many in the West, but to some Vietnamese farmers, it smells like prosperity. The spice has been long seen by farmers of Phong Dụ Thượng Commune in the northern province of Yên Bái as a path to escaping poverty. In recent years, demand for cinnamon has become greater than ever and has helped many households in the province's Văn Yên District get a better life. Bearing that in mind, the province has developed an organic cinnamon platform, focusing on building an agricultural sustainable chain from this valuable spice. Export organic cinnamon To see how cinnamon has helped develop Yên Bái’s agriculture and enriched farmers, Viet Nam News travelled to the fourth factory of Visimex Việt Nam Joint Stock … [Read more...] about Cinnamon: the spice of life for farmers
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Armed forces on the screen
Lt Col Dương Văn Toàn. Photo nhandan.com.vn As the reality show "Beauty in Action" climbs to a leading position in Việt Nam’s reality TV scene, its scriptwriter – Lt Col Dương Văn Toàn from the Ministry of Public Security of Việt Nam – speaks to Nhân Dân Cuối Tuần (The People Weekend edition) on bringing the image of police officers closer to the public. Inner Sanctum: Was "Beauty in Action" born out of the need to catch up with the reality show "Stars Enlisted" of the Việt Nam People's Army? Not really. The main purpose of writing is to diversify reality shows in Việt Nam, keeping them entertaining but also adding elements distinctive of the armed forces. All I thought about when writing it was how to create a good show, not making political or social statements. You might have noticed we have reality shows about almost all … [Read more...] about Armed forces on the screen
Young shaman makes her mark
Liễu Thị Minh Thơ learned the then rituals at the age of 13. Photo baolangson.vn by Nguyễn Thúy Bình When most people hear the word shaman, they imagine a wizened old man with a long white beard. At just 17 years old, Liễu Thị Minh Thơ defies all expectations, surprising everyone with her deep knowledge of rituals. Born in 2002 in Phú Xá Village, Cao Lộc District in the northern province of Lạng Sơn, Thơ has been working to preserve and promote then rituals through her passion, talent and hard work. At the age of 17, Liễu Thị Minh Thơ is the youngest then shaman in the northern province of Lạng Sơn. Photo dantocmiennui.vn Then is a popular set of religious beliefs among the Tày and Nùng ethnic people in the northeastern mountainous area of Việt Nam. There are various legends on … [Read more...] about Young shaman makes her mark
Music project further strengthens bonds among Vietnamese, Japanese
Vietnamese singer Pham Hai Trieu has been living in Japan for nearly 20 years before he freshly decided to launch his first community music project titled Music video “Ly do toi sinh ra” (The reason I come to this life)" Vietnamese singer Pham Hai Trieu has been living in Japan for nearly 20 years before he freshly decided to launch his first community music project titled “The reason I come to this life”,hoping to convey beautiful messages to Vietnamese and Japanese people. The song, “Inochi No Riyuu” in Japanese, has become popular in the land of rising sun as it carries lively messages about life, family, friendship and love. Covered by American singer Christ Hart, the song is favoured by Japanese language learners and cultural lovers. Trieu said he really loves his brainchild which prompts him to translate the original into Vietnamese to spread happiness and kindness. “Honestly, I’d never done a music project for this purpose … [Read more...] about Music project further strengthens bonds among Vietnamese, Japanese
Talk around town: Do we really need cameras in our classrooms?
Illustration by Đàm Minh Chí Chu Lan Hương Recently, a video that spread along the social media landscape showed a teacher beating and scolding a student in a primary school in HCM City, raising debate among both educators and parents. The clip was made by a hidden camera installed without the school's notice by concerned parents. There is no doubt the teacher was wrong to beat the student. But hiding a camera in a classroom is also questionable. After the incident, many parents have expressed interest in installing cameras in classrooms so they can keep tabs on their kids and teachers. The issue has divided parents and teachers. “In recent years, there have been many cases that teachers verbally insulted and performed violent actions on students so I want to know what is happening to my child at school,” said Phan Thu Hiền, a 35-year-old mother in Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District. … [Read more...] about Talk around town: Do we really need cameras in our classrooms?