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For Duong Xuan Thi, a 26-year-old resident of Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap District, Saturdays are a break from the usual. Instead of heading to work, she prepares for an urban camping trip, a unique hobby she enjoys. Thi starts her weekend with a quick grab of coffee and snacks from her refrigerator before meeting up with two friends. Their destination? Go Vap Cultural Park, located just three kilometers away. City camping offers a convenient escape from the daily grind. “It sounds ‘fancy’ to go camping, but it’s actually quite simple,” Thi adds. “We just needed to find a green space, and it took us just 10 minutes by motorbike.” Thi and her friends discovered a hidden gem—a park nestled among trees, with a tranquil lotus pond and the melody of birdsong. It’s a peaceful retreat, just a stone’s throw away from the bustling city. Thi is an experienced urban camper, often changing locations to explore new settings. From Gia Dinh Park to the beaches of Can Gio and the Sai Gon Riverside i...

The villa compound is located in the midst of a pine forest at the heart of the Tuyen Lam Lake tourist area, offering a picturesque location with mountains in the backdrop and a captivating view of the scenic lake.  The construction of the 15 villas began along a winding road in the tourist zone as part of a project that was approved over 15 years ago. An abandoned villa is situated amid a pine forest at the heart of the Tuyen Lam Lake tourist area in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, October 2023. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre The construction project was started by HaCo JSC in 2007, but has been left unfinished for several years, according to the lake’s management board. The authorities have yet to determine the reason behind the halt in construction. An abandoned villa is situated amid a pine forest at the heart of the Tuyen Lam Lake tourist area in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, October 2023. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre During a visit to the v...

The Hanoi Art Connecting is happening at the Hanoi Architectural University from October 18 to 24. Vietnamese artist Vu Tuan Dat will be participating in Hanoi Art Connecting 2023. Hanoi Art Connecting (HAC) is now in its sixth edition, showcasing various artistic activities such as painting workshops, printmaking, sculpture, installation, and more. This year, the event brings together 80 international artists from 30 countries and 70 artists from Vietnam. Hanoi Art Connecting is an annual event held in Vietnam and other Asian countries. It was initiated by artist Trinh Tuan and Asia Art Link, an artist community in Asia. The event has attracted artists from the ASEAN region, Asia, Europe, and America. This year’s event features renowned artists like Le Huy Tiep, Phan Cam Thuong, Vu Dinh Tuan, Cong Kim Hoa, Trinh Minh Tien (Vietnam), Kamol Tassananchalee (Thailand), Fil Dela Cruz (Philippines), Edi Sunaryo (Indonesia), Carolyn Muskat, Don McKinney (USA), as well as professors and l...

These exclusive images are currently on display at the “Sword Lake: East-West Intersection” exhibition at the Hoan Kiem Lake Cultural Information Center until October 31. Over 100 documents, materials, photographs, design drawings, and planning maps offer a comprehensive view of Hanoi’s transformation from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century. The documentary photos capture the landscape and daily life of Hanoi, evoking nostalgic memories of the past days at Hoan Kiem or Sword Lake. Sword Lake , which is the remaining part of the ancient Nhi Ha River, is a renowned landmark of the capital. It is surrounded by Hang Khay – Le Thai To – Dinh Tien Hoang streets. Thanks to its prime location, this area served as a significant intersection connecting the architectural and cultural aspects of the East and the West. By the end of the 19th century, iconic French-style buildings such as the Post Office, City Hall, Embassy, Indochina Bank, and others were constructed. These majesti...

Along with Neymar, the defendants in the trial being brought by Spanish prosecutors, which begins in Barcelona on Monday, are his parents, the two clubs, former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and ex-Santos president Odilio Rodrigues. The case stems from a complaint by DIS, which owned 40% of the rights to Neymar when he was at Santos. The company argues that it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the true value of the deal was understated. Neymar, who is a key member of the Brazil team that will be heading to the World Cup in Qatar next month, has denied the allegations but lost an appeal in Spain’s High Court in 2017, which paved the way for the trial. Baker McKenzie, who will be defending Neymar and his family in the trial, told Reuters they will argue that the Spanish courts “lack jurisdiction to prosecute the Neymar family” since the transfer involved Brazilian nationals in Brazil. Spanish prosecutors want a two-year prison term for...

The tourism industry in Ho Chi Minh City as well as in Germany is recovering strongly after the pandemic, Raff Ostendorf, director of market development at VisitBerlin, a Berlin tourism promotion organization, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. In the first six months of 2022, Berlin welcomed 4.36 million visitors, who stayed in the city for a total of 11.15 million nights, Ostendorf elaborated. The return of visitors to Berlin is a good sign for the tourism recovery, he continued, adding that the number of holiday-makers from over the world, including Vietnam, to the German city is expected to surge in the coming time. Aside from the strong relationship between Vietnam and Germany, the opening of a direct flight route between the two countries will further promote the tourism development and economic cooperation of both sides. After two years of the pandemic, Berlin remains among the most attractive destinations in the world, thanks to its cultural diversity, unique landscape, and ...

The capital city of Hanoi pledges to provide utmost support for the southern city of Can Tho in tourism development to boost local socio-economic growth, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen said on October 20. Officials of the Hanoi and Can Tho departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop tourism activities. Photo: The Hanoi Times Hanoi and Can Tho have long worked together in tourism development, and the two major cities have their specific tourism products with prominent features, Quyen told a conference that was held to boost Can Tho’s tourism in Hanoi. The Hanoi official said that the two cities need to connect their value chains to make the products more attractive to visitors. “Hanoi pledges to strengthen its tie with Can Tho in tourism development to boost the socio-economic development of the two cities and the country,” Quyen said. Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee ...

A salt field covering 230ha in Bach Long commune is widely considered the largest salt-making area in the northern region, that churns out tens of thousands tonnes of salt each year. Farmers begin their daily routine at 5 a.m. everyday. Making salt is a long and difficult process that requires great effort from workers, as well as favourable weather conditions, Sea water is first pumped into the large fields and then exposed to the sun until the water completely evaporates in the sunshine. The more sunlight the fields get, then the faster the process becomes. Despite harsh weather conditions, salt makers still work very hard because they understand that it creates the main source of their income.  Most workers in the fields are middle-age women. To protect themselves from the challenging conditions, they all don long-sleeve coats, gloves, facemasks, and conical hats. Farmers are busy from the early morning until la...

Business Briefing Gold rate: VND 66.2 million per tael (buying) – VND 67.22 million per tael (selling) Reference exchange rate: VND 23,688/USD Export news: Vietnam to export first processed chicken lot to Japan Growth forecast: Vietnam’s economy registers strong growth in Q3 Weather Forecast Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh CIty and Da Nang will have scattered showers tomorrow. Business Briefing Gold rate This morning, the domestic gold price increased slightly. SJC’s gold price in Hanoi and Da Nang is listed at VND 66.2 million per tael (buying) and VND 67.22 million per tael (selling). In Ho Chi Minh City, the buying price is at the same level as in Hanoi and Da Nang but the selling price is VND 20,000 lower per tael. DOJI’s gold price in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is listed at VND 66.2 million/tael (buying) and VND 67.1 million/tael (selling). Petrol price From 3 pm on October 21, the price of gasoline E5 RON 92 increased by VND 200 per liter, RON 95 price increased by...

The fourth Hanoi International Guitar Festival will be held during held between November 18-20, 2022 at the August Cinema in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District. Vu Duc Hien, a representative of Emotion Guitar, performs at the press conference on October 20 about the Hanoi International Guitar Festival 2022. Photo: The Hanoi Times  The event is co-hosted by SSM Group Limited Liability Company (SSM Group) and Emotion Guitar with Kinh te & Do thi (Economic & Urban) Newspaper as the event’s major media sponsor. Judges of the event include popular artists and guitar makers such as Masaki Sakurai and Kozo Tate from Japan, Nutavut Ratanakarn and Suthisak Bom Sincharoen from Thailand, Henrique Munoz and Elena Ortega from Spain, Jonhannes Moller from Sweden, and Vu Duc Hien from Vietnam. According to the organizers of the event, the classic guitar has become a cultural trait of the people of Hanoi.  Guitar-based musical pieces by artists like Ta Tan, Hai Thoai, and V...