Vietexplorer2024

The purchase of pre-owned items is a common practice in Norway, and it has been further encouraged by the Second-Hand Trade Act of 1999, which has played a significant role in reducing environmental impact by diverting used goods from landfills and into the retail market. Promoting Sustainability through Legal Reform Recognizing the need to adapt, Norway amended the Second-Hand Trade Act by relaxing certain regulations. This move aimed to boost the country’s circular economy and encourage entrepreneurship among its citizens. However, despite a subsequent amendment in 2015, the act faced criticism for creating obstacles for businesses dealing in second-hand goods, including clothing, furniture, electronics, and sports equipment. These concerns led to the most recent revisions of the act, which came into effect on July 1, 2024. The updates addressed the growing environmental challenges associated with textile production and consumption, as evidenced by the significant import of cloth...

Hong Le, the gold medalist at the 2021 National Athletics Championship, joined goalkeeper-turned-content creator Nick Q Tran and a host of renowned athletes and runners from the Vietnamese running community as adidas unveiled its latest Adizero lineup, headlined by the Adios Pro 4 and Adizero Evo SL. Since its debut in 2020, adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro series has been a dominant force on the podium, gracing the feet of more World Marathon Majors winning athletes than any other brand. Building on this impressive legacy, adidas is now ushering in a new era of speed with the launch of the Adizero Adios Pro 4 and its training counterpart, the Adizero Evo SL. Designed for optimal performance on race day, the Adios Pro 4 is a pinnacle racing shoe. Meanwhile, the Evo SL, inspired by the record-breaking Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, is a fast-paced training shoe that offers athletes the perfect blend of support and responsiveness during their race preparation. These new additions to t...

The upcoming project’s centerpiece, a flower and light park, will be opened to the public during Tet, as shared by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. As part of Da Lat’s strategy to stimulate economic growth after dark, the area surrounding the lake and the adjacent 39-hectare pine forest will be transformed into a vibrant light park at night, while daytime activities will remain unchanged. Pham Tuan Anh, Delight Park Da Lat’s marketing director, introduced a night tour that seamlessly blends cutting-edge lighting technology with the natural beauty of the lake and its surroundings. With a careful combination of lighting, the flowers, pine forests, and the lake will come alive, offering visitors a truly enchanting and magical experience. According to Pham Tuan Anh, the park is set to become Vietnam’s largest light park, presenting a unique fusion of natural beauty and modern technology. Than Tho Lake, a famous landmark in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province...

A month before the Lunar New Year, or the traditional Vietnamese Tet Holiday, gardeners in Dac So Commune, Hoai Duc District, are busy harvesting Buddha’s hand citron, a special fruit for ancestor worship on Tet. The fruit is also known as Citrus medica or finger citron. With the shape of Buddha’s hand, the fingered lemon has long been considered a fruit that brings blessings and good fortune according to Asian beliefs. Farmer Tran Thi Tuyen’s Buddha hand fruit farm in Dac So Commune, Hoai Duc District. Photos: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times Up to 80% of the total 100 hectares of farmland in Dac So is used for growing this type of tree, making the place a hub for fruit production. According to Tuyen, the fruit originates from the northern mountains and is then grown on a large scale in the locality. Owing to its exquisite appearance and aroma, Buddha’s hand fruit is used as a religious offering in Buddhist temples and Vietnamese household...

Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” and “Make in Vietnam” chip production efforts have been highlighted by Swiss journalist Guy Mettan in an article published on online newspaper bonpourlatete.com on January 12. The article was released ahead of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s attendance at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, according to VNA. The article of Swiss journalist Guy Mettan. Photo: VNA In the early 2000s, the author visited Vietnam several times to prepare for a book on the Geneva Accords, which ended the war and restored peace in Indochina in 1954. The author was fascinated by the remarkable changes in the country since then. The article mentions that 2023 was a busy year for Vietnam, with its “bamboo diplomacy” policy and efforts to become a new hub of the semiconductor industry. Vietnam took full advantage of the opportunities brought by the international situation, increasing its foreign activities and st...

Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung speaks at the press conference. Source: Vietnam’s embassy The Vietnamese Embassy in Italy has hosted a press conference to announce the Vietnam-Italy Year 2023 and the celebration plan for the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (March 23, 1973) and 10 years of the strategic partnership between the two countries (January 2013-2023), VNA reported. The January 14 press conference saw the attendance of Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi, President of the City Council of Rome Svetlana Celli, among other Italian officials. Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung stated that the embassy will coordinate with Italian agencies and localities to organise celebration activities in Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Napoli and other cities throughout 2023. Such activities are expected to open up cooperation opportunities, deepen the strategic partnership and fa...

As many as 50 units put their various culinary products on display at the festival, including processed food, raw materials used in food processing, as well as machinery and equipment for production and packaging. Aside from introducing quintessential cuisine to the community, festival is to fully tap into the culinary industry’s potential, create a healthy playground for young people, and contribute to fostering the start-up eco-system whilst accelerating socio-economic development. The Vietnam Culinary Forum 2023 is also held as a platform to discuss orientations for the development of the night-time economy and cuisine aimed at retaining international tourists. In addition, business representatives in the F&B (Food & Beverage) industry have also mapped out a strategy to promote smart tourism with a specific focus on the development of the green culinary trend. The function aims to introduce culinary culture, craft products, regional specia...

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone invites PM Chinh to step on the podium while military bands play the national anthems of Vietnam and Laos. Both leaders later review the guard of honour. Earlier, right after arriving in Vientiane, Chinh lays a wreath at a monument dedicated to Laos’ unknown martyrs in tribute to Lao people who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the country, as well as for Vietnam’s independence, freedom and reunification. The two leaders pose for a group photo. This is the first official visit to the neighbouring country by PM Chinh and his first overseas trip this year. PM Chinh is also the first foreign leader to visit Laos since Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone took office. Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh hold talks immediately after the welcome ceremony. Both sides discuss a score of measures to step up political-diplomatic and...

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center hosted the “Thuong tieu” (neu pole erection) ceremony on January 14 at Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi) in the central province of Thue Thien-Hue. The neu pole erection for the Lunar New Year is a traditional practice of the Vietnamese, and also an important etiquette to welcome the new year of the Nguyen dynasty court. Source: tcdulichtphcm.vn The nearly 20-metre bamboo pole was carried by ten costumed soldiers in a procession, where it was put up to the backdrop of ceremonial music and smoke from burning incense at the Ancestral Temple. The erection of the Neu pole on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, marks the beginning of Tet. It coincides with the day when the Kitchen Gods are believed to ride carp fish to the Heavens to report on events from the past year. Similar Neu pole erecting ceremonies will also be held at different places from now to the last day of the lunar year. The event follows the ancient royal custom of the N...