Social News 16/12 HCM City kicks off overtime kindergarten services at IPs, EPZs   A Kindergarten in HCM City’s Binh Tan District. The HCM City Department of Education and Training plans to offer overtime services at kindergarten schools in industrial parks and export processing zones. Two kindergartens at Linh Trung 1 and 2 export processing zones in Thủ Đức District and the April 30 Kindergarten in Vĩnh Lộc Industrial Zone in Bình Tân District will begin extending hours to 5:30pm every day and to Saturday this school year. The city’s State budget will pay 50 per cent of overtime charges and the remaining 50 per cent will be from parents’ payments and support from companies. Teachers have voluntarily registered to work overtime, with payment of VNĐ33,000 (US$1.5) per hour Monday to Friday and VNĐ44,000 ($2) per hour for Saturday. In August, the city’s People’s Committee approved a plan to offer extended hours for kindergarten children whose parents are workers at industrial parks and export processing zones. The 2016-2020 plan aims to reduce the burden of parents who have to send their children to privately owned kindergartens when they work overtime hours. The plan will be piloted in Thủ Đức and Bình Tân districts and will be scaled up to kindergartens at Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in District 7 and Tây Bắc Industrial Park in Củ Chi District next year. It is expected to be applied at all industrial parks and export processing zones in the city beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. HCM City: new Zika infection in pregnant woman found A pregnant woman residing in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 11 has been diagnosed with Zika virus, raising the total number of Zika infections among expectant mothers in the city to 18. According to Tran Phi Long, Vice Chairman of the District 11 People’s Committee, the woman, who is on her 22nd week of pregnancy, is now in stable health condition and being monitored closely. Local authorities have sprayed chemicals to kill mosquitoes in District 11’s ward 16 where she is residing. As of December 14, Ho Chi Minh City reported 128 Zika-infected cases, with the highest number of 23 cases in Binh Thanh district.  Seventeen cases have been found in District 2, while Districts 12, 9, Thu Duc and Tan Phu have reported 11 cases each. District 8 is currently the only locality in the city that has no Zika infection. Family-prioritised culture matters to anti-domestic violence law Using family values-prioritised culture to tackle domestic violence has reduced the compatibility of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control with Vietnam’s legal system and international standards. The information was revealed through a survey on the enforcement of the anti-domestic violence law conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the UN Population Fund. The survey findings were shared at a workshop in Hanoi on December 14, part of a project on the national response to domestic violence. MCST Deputy Minister Vuong Duy Bien said the survey is part of preparations to revise the anti-domestic violence law. It was carried out from 2015 and questioned victims and abusers. The law, which took effect in July 2008, is basically compatible with many international and regional standards on human rights, as well as other laws in Vietnam’s legal system. It has met demand of domestic violence victims by specifying protection mechanisms, assistance, and the handling of abusers. However, there exists overlaps in state management of gender equality, child and elderly protection, and domestic violence prevention between the MCST and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. The protection of and assistance to victims, especially children, people with disabilities, the elderly and women, remains limited, the survey showed. Experts recommended Vietnam fine-tune regulations in the law to ensure its compatibility with international standards and the 2013 Constitution.  The most important thing is that the law should stipulate that gender equality and non-discrimination are the foundation for dealing with violence against women and girls. It is also in line with the 2013 Constitution which stresses the rule of law in protecting human rights in Vietnam. Additionally, amendments to the law should take into account issues such as minimising the use of conciliation as a way to deal with domestic violence, using the principle of gender equality to devise domestic violence prevention efforts, making only one agency responsible for handling domestic and gender-based violence and gender equality, participants said. Ministry pledges rice aid to Quang Ngai The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Labour (MOLISA) has pledged to provide 300 tonnes of rice in aid to the central province of Quang Ngai which was hard hit by flooding during November 30-December 8. At a working session with the provincial People’s Committee on December 14, MOLISA Minister Dao Ngoc Dung requested the local administration quickly count and report flood damages so that the ministry can decide on suitable support. According to initial reports, the recent floods killed 10 people in the province, leaving four missing and inundated 1,800 houses. More than 700 hectares of rice fields and over 3,500 hectares of crop were damaged. National Highway 24 and 24C as well as many provincial roads were also affected. Local officials also asked for more funding to build houses and the second phase of the sanatorium for people who rendered service to the country. Since November 29, heavy rains hit the central region, causing widespread floods that claiming 10 lives in Quang Ngai province, six in Binh Dinh and three in Quang Nam. Hundreds of houses were collapsed, thousands of hectares of rice and crops were submerged, roads and other facilities were damaged in the hardest-hit provinces of Thue Thien – Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has instructed the National Steering Committee and the National Search and Rescue Committee to sum up damages in central localities hit by the recent floods and submit proposals on support to the localities. Can Tho advised to apply national community-based tourism strategy A UNESCO representative recommended the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho apply the national strategy for community-based tourism development during a working session with the municipal People’s Committee on December 14. Vice Chairwoman of the committee Vo Thi Hong Anh said as a driving force for the Mekong Delta, Can Tho has witnessed rapid urbanisation over the last decade, which has affected its cultural identity and natural landscapes – major tourist attractions in this city. Can Tho has worked to establish itself as an ecological – cultural – tourism city. It wants to combine urbanisation with eco-tourism to ensure sustainable tourism, she said, adding that it also preserves architectural and artistic relics and intangible cultural heritage. However, Can Tho faces many difficulties in tourism due to modest funds, manpower quality and experience. It is looking to balance economic development and environmental protection with an aim to become the first eco-city in the Mekong Delta, Anh noted. Pham Thi Thanh Huong from UNESCO Vietnam’s cultural research division said a UNESCO survey shows that most visitors to the country do not look for modern tourism services, but want to explore Vietnam’s unique cultural identities and local customs. Can Tho is on the right path by focusing on eco-tourism and helping tourists experience local culture. But lax coordination among local authorities, residents and travel agencies has limited tourism activities’ effectiveness, she said. She advised the city to apply the national strategy for community-based tourism development, which is designed by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  The model focuses on training and assisting local residents and businesses to improve service quality. Families strong at making handicrafts, farming special plant varieties and animal breeds, or cooking traditional dishes will also be supported with communication and financial management skills and knowledge about optimising tourism products, she added. UNESCO Vietnam will work with the Can Tho administration to orient the city’s development towards green industry, clean agriculture and eco-tourism, Huong said, hoping that Can Tho will soon become the first eco-city in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam flight’s passengers panicked over multiple failed landing attempts Passengers on a Vietnam Airlines flight bound for the south-central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa were frightened as the aircraft repeatedly had failed landing attempts due to foul weather on December 14. The Vietnam Airlines flight VN1344 eventually had to return to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport as the pilot was unable to land at the Khanh Hoa’s Cam Ranh International Airport amid foggy weather. The aircraft had been flying above the Cam Ranh airfield for about 15 to 20 minutes before the pilot failed in multiple landing attempts, according to Q.T., one of the passengers aboard the flight. After about half an hour, the captain informed his passengers that the aircraft would return to Tan Son Nhat as the weather condition was not favorable. While passengers were requested to stay inside the plane upon its landing at Tan Son Nhat, waiting until it could return to Cam Ranh as planned, many decided to abandon their journey due to fear and exhaustion. The flight was originally scheduled to leave Ho Chi Minh City at 5:30 am and arrive at 6:35 am. However, due to the failed landing attempts plus the temporary return trip to Ho Chi Minh City, the flight could only reach Cam Ranh at 10:40 am. Saigon-Vung Tau hydrofoil firms seek service extension as deadline nears Two operators of the hydrofoil route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and the coastal city of Vung Tau are seeking permission to maintain service for another four years, a fortnight before they are forced to cease operations. Vina Express and Quang Hung Trans Co. are the only two operational companies on the Ho Chi Minh City-Vung Tau route, each having two hydrofoils in their fleet. The hydrofoil service departs from the Nha Rong Wharf in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, and arrives at the hydrofoil station in Vung Tau, a popular beach city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. However, both operators have been asked to cease service by the end of this year, as their hydrofoils surpass the service life threshold of 20 years as stipulated by the government. The companies have recently lodged a competition to local authorities, seeking permission to continue service until the end of 2020. Quang Hung Trans Co. said it will be a waste of resources if the company has to cease its hydrofoil service by the December 31 deadline. In January 2014, a hydrofoil carrying 85 passengers, including 37 foreigners, caught fire on the Saigon River, prompting the Ho Chi Minh City administration to suspend all hydrofoil operations. The companies were only allowed to resume service in December that year, with the fleet cut from 14 boats to four and the number of operators declined from three to two. Quang Hung Trans Co. said it had invested heavily on upgrading the hydrofoils to resume service in 2014, and the investment will be wasted if the service has to cease by this year’s end. Vietnam seeks more international support to clear landmines   The threat from landmines and other explosive remnants of war remains an omnipresent threat to Vietnamese civilians, said representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (Molisa) on December 14 at a conference in Hanoi. The conference was with representatives of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) at which the two sides discussed enhancing and expanding their efforts to protect civilians from landmines and unexploded ordnance. In addition to landmines, they said it has been estimated that there are still around 800 tons of unexploded bombs from the past US war and these explosives represent a continuing threat to farmers ploughing their fields, children walking to school, and entrepreneurs trying to build their communities. They noted there have been more than 100,000 casualties caused by landmines, bombs and other explosive remnants since the end of the war and both sides were in complete agreement that much more need be done to remove the dangerous munitions. Though financial support from international donors has been decreasing over the past few years, representatives affirmed the GICHD stands ready to assist in raising funds and in implementing the National Action Plan to deal with the problem. Participants at the conference also shared information and experiences in supporting bomb and landmine victims reintegrate into society. They proposed priorities and social policies for the victims to improve their livelihoods in the coming time. Workshop affirms Vietnam's sovereignty over Spratly, Paracel Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spartly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos has been exercised since the Nguyen dynasty 200 years ago. The statement was made by Associate Professor Do Bang, chairman of Thua Thien-Hue Association of Historical Science at a recent workshop on the history of Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty. Bang said many maps issued in different periods between 960 and 1911 did not show islands in the East Sea, but Chinese maps from the Ming to the Qing dynasty and a map produced in 1905 and reprinted in 1910 show the southernmost point of Chinese territory as Hai Nan island. Participants also gave presentations confirming Vietnam’s exercise of its sea and island sovereignty in different historical periods. Hue to turn riverside street into ‘boulevard of museum’ The administration of Hue, the capital of the central Vietnamese province of Thua Thien-Hue, has plans to turn the riverside Le Loi Street into a boulevard packed with museums to showcase the city’s culture and history. The street, which runs along the city’s iconic Huong River, will house as many as six museums upon the completion of the plan, according to Phan Tien Dung, director of the province’s Department of Culture and Sports. Apart from the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Le Ba Dang Art Center, which are two completed cultural locations on Le Loi Street, the province is also looking to upgrade the existing Hue Cultural Museum, Dung said. The current office of Hue Festival Center will be turned into Diem Phung Thi Sculpture Museum, while the office of the city’s Tourism Promotion Center will be replaced by an embroidery museum, according to the director. Le Ba Dang is a Vietnamese-born painter who was listed as one of the most valuable academics of the 20th century by the International Biography Centre at Cambridge University. Diem Phung Thi is a published Vietnamese sculptress who was a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and listed in the Larousse Dictionary of Twentieth Century History. In a more distant future, the headquarters of the provincial administration, which is currently located on the street, will be moved to the new administration hub in An Van Duong urban area to make way for Hue Museum of Fine Arts, Dung said. Though the plan came as good news for culture and tourism enthusiasts in the province, many say it is far from complete. “Just imagine how quiet and boring the street would be at night when the museums are all closed,” said Nguyen Xuan Hoa, former director of the provincial Department of Culture and Information. “I suggest we energize the street by incorporating cultural, artistic activities as well as tourism services."  Hoa proposed the replacement of all administrative buildings on the street with theaters, luxury hotels, and other cultural services to improve the area’s appeal. Chairman of the provincial administration Nguyen Van Cao also unveiled a plan to build a Museum of History and Revolution on a 7,500 square meter land on Dien Bien Phu Street donated by the local military division. Vietnam flick on ‘mafia mom’ wins prize at SE Asian film financing market Vietnamese film project Mamafia has been honored with one of the top awards at the second Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market in Singapore recently. Vietnamese filmmaker Trinh Le Minh Hang received the Imaginex Studios Audio Post Production Award for her project Mamafia, while Malaysian project Terbalik was crowned with the Aurora Producing Award at the three-day event which concluded on December 9. The two projects had been shortlisted from more than 100 submissions representing Southeast Asian nations by a panel of international film industry experts. The filmmakers of Mamafia will enjoy a full audio post-production package worth $50,000 (US$35,000) from Malaysia-based Imaginex Studios and Basecamp Films to develop the idea into a feature film. Mamafia is a comedy-drama that tells the story of a powerful mafia boss who is very controlling and protective of her only son. She later in the film finds out that his secret girlfriend is in fact a gangster, and also the daughter of her archrival. “Winning the award was a pleasant surprise as we joined the SAFF Project Market mainly to test the international market's appetite for Vietnamese films,” said Trinh Le Minh Hang, general manager at Skyline Media and producer of Mamafia. “The project market has been a good experience, as it has opened the doors for potential co-production and investment. Also, with inputs and tips from the various international experts, we look forward to improving on and adding more detail to the film’s script, so that it can travel further around the world,” Hang said. SAFF Project Market is a partnership between ScreenSingapore, Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), and Ties That Bind (TTB), and is supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation. Closer watch needed to avoid wrongdoings by associations The inspection of associations needs to be increased to ensure their operations are in conformity with charter principles and the law, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Trần Anh Tuấn said. He was speaking at a conference yesterday to review the activities of associations, social and charity funds in 2016 and to contribute opinions to a new draft law on associations. Tuấn referred to the recent “fish sauce scandal” involving the Việt Nam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinatas), which sparked public outcry in October. Without permission from the concerned ministries, Vinatas published results of its survey according to which arsenic content in fish sauce was far beyond the permitted level. However, the result was later proven to be misleading as it failed to distinguish between non-toxic organic arsenic compounds and toxic inorganic ones. According to Tuấn, the Vinatas case proved that many associations were not being monitored once they were granted establishment permission by the authorities. "There remains a reality that after granting permission, we don’t know how to move forward. This is a shortcoming,” the deputy minister told the conference.  He attributed this to the poor connection between State management bodies, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) as the direct management agency, with associations and funds, which had to be strengthened to increase the efficiency of State management. To tackle wrongdoings, the draft bill on associations, which will be submitted to the National Assembly in the future, will include regulations on temporary suspension, dissolution and revoking stamps of those violating the law or their charter.  According to MoHA statistics, up till June 2016, there were 68,125 associations across the country, of which, 498 associations operated nationwide and the rest operated locally, with more than 11,800 employees currently on state payroll. The financing mechanism of associations was also a matter of concern at the conference. Hà Thị Dung, head of the Department for Non-governmental Organisations, said under the new draft bill, the number of associations getting funds from the State Budget to pay salaries to their staff would be reduced. Pointing out that the State does not subsidise for associations as a whole, Deputy Minister Tuấn said the State would only finance those being established by the State following the demands of the Party and State.  For locally operated associations which were receiving state funding to pay operational expenses and staff salaries, the current financing mechanism will be maintained until 2020, following which a new road map will be put into force. Other associations must cover their own expenses and only be paid from the State Budget for tasks assigned by the State.  Nguyễn Ngọc Hiến, former deputy minister of home affairs and chairman of the Administrative Science Association, suggested the State increase orders for associations to voice critical opinions regarding social affairs, laws and administrative reform projects to avoid "wasting scientists’ intellect". According to him, the current relation between the State and associations hinders the development of associations, while authorities at various levels and the society as a whole still do not understand correctly the role, function and effect of associations. Meanwhile, Dr Lê Minh Tâm, former rector of Hà Nội University of Law and vice chairman of Việt Nam Lawyer Association, said it was important to raise awareness about associations to encourage them to develop into a strong and energetic system Two-child families could benefit from population target Vietnam is among the world's top countries in terms of population ageing and the country is seeking ways to encourage couples to have more children, an official said. Deputy head of the General Office for Population and Family Planning Dr Le Canh Nhac told a press conference in HCM City on Wednesday that they were considering financial benefits for couples who have two children. Although Vietnam has seen a stable birth rate over the past ten years with 2.1 children born per woman, there is a large difference some areas. The southern region reported a general birth rate of 1.7 children, while the numbers are between 2.5 to 3.1 in the northern mountainous, the Central Highlands and the central regions, which are much higher than the ideal birth rate of 2.1, Nhac said. The population official expressed concerns over the situation as areas with high economic development have lower birth rates, while poorer areas have higher. There are also concerns about the high speed the population is ageing. "We’re facing lots of challenges in socio-economic development resulting from a rapidly ageing population," he added. "Countries in Europe had hundreds of years to see their population turning from golden to ageing periods, China and Japan had 26 years, but Vietnam only has 18 years. The number of people aged 60 and over in Vietnam has reached 10% since 2011." In addition to improving health services and social insurance benefits to improve the quality of population, Nhac said there will have measures to maintain a stable birth rate. "We'll change the slogan 'One or two children per couple is enough.' by a new slogan: 'At least two children per couple'," Nhac said. "We'll also consider giving financial benefits to couples with two children." Zika virus infection cases escalate with average 10 cases per week in HCMC     The Department of Preventive Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City said that Zika virus infection cases escalate with average 10 cases per week in the city. As of December 14, the city has recorded 127 cases in 22 districts.  Of 24 districts, nobody in districts 8 and 11 has been positive for Zika virus. Binh Thanh District is leading with 23 cases totally, next are districts 2 with 17 cases; districts 12, Thu Duc, and Tan Phu having 11 cases. Of 127 infection cases, 16 are pregnant and 72 people have been under monitor over 28 days. These days, tropical depression is hitting the city, causing rain and high tide, health workers warned people to tidy their house, not to keep water in containers where mosquito will lay eggs into. However, the health sector has not limited travelling. The Preventive Health Center in HCMC continued warning people especially pregnant women actively avoid being bitten by mosquito. People should raise their awareness of the mosquito-borne diseases by eliminating the insect. HCMC to open 113 florist points of sale for Tet Authorities in HCMC will be arranging 113 florist points of sale citywide to meet strong demand for fresh flowers ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet. The city will organize three large flower markets with one at September 23 Park, one at Gia Dinh Park and one at Le Van Tam Park, which will be open from the 23rd to 30th of the 12th lunar month (January 20-27). In addition, the city will have traditional flower markets in districts 7 and 8, and Binh Dien wholesale market. Like the previous Tet holidays, the Spring Flower Festival will be held at Tao Dan Park in District 1 and Quoc Te Square in District 3 from the 25th of the 12th lunar month (January 23) to the sixth of the first lunar month (February 2). The city government has asked the organizers of flower festivals at venues like Phu My Hung, Binh Dien, Le Thi Rieng, Hoang Van Thu, and Le Van Tam to provide free wifi for visitors. Food testing urged ahead of Tết Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyễn Xuân Cường, has urged relevant agencies to step up food safety inspections as consumption increases ahead of the Tết (Lunar New Year) Festival. In a directive issued over the weekend, he asked People’s Committees of provinces and cities across the country to conduct surprise visits to facilities engaged in producing or trading in food products, which are expected to be in high demand during Tết. Relevant agencies are authorised to publish lists of unsafe products to prevent consumers from buying or using them, he said. Individuals and organisations which specialise in production and trade of agro-forestry and fishery goods were advised to follow regulations on food safety. "The agricultural and rural developments at localities should send staff to help educate consumers how to recognise certified food and products with clear origins," Cường said. Public information campaigns to promote safe food and inform the public of places where they can buy it should be encouraged, he said. Regarding the prevention of disease of cattle and poultry, the minister also ordered localities to strengthen the management of cattle and poultry quarantine and slaughter to prevent the spread of diseases and ensure food safety and hygiene. He emphasised the need to stop illegal transportation of livestock cross the border to better control  animal disease, avoiding the outbreaks of epidemic before, during and after the Lunar New Year. Cường also assigned inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to coordinate with the Environmental Police Department to inspect, gather information and detect acts of producing, trading and using banned substances in animal husbandry, and uncertified fertisers and pesticides. Any breaches of safety standards should be rigidly handled, he said. "The efficiency of websites, as well as hotlines for inspectors, and providing timely information to news agencies and the press, should be promoted so that consumers know how to choose safe food," he said. In another development, Hoàng Thanh Vân, head of Department of Livestock Production under the MARD, said there was no shortage of meat and livestock products for the Tết. Food safety inspections in the first 11 months of the year showed that the percentage of fresh meat containing Salbutamol, a substance for making drugs for asthma treatment which is used by pig raisers, was 1.27 per cent, half of last year’s figure. Vân attributed the positive results to good coordination among law enforcement agencies and the supervision by consumers.  Slaughter house fined heavily over pollution The central city of Da Nang has fined a slaughter centre owned by the Procimex Joint Stock Company VNĐ154 million (US$6.8 million) for discharging toxic fumes into the environment. This is the centre’s third violation of environmental regulations since 2014 and the city has warned that the company’s business license would be revoked unless it upgrades its waste and fume treatment system within six months. The city’s environmental inspection agency has in the past asked the centre to build a standard waste water and fume treatment system. Last year, the city also fined the centre VNĐ270 million ($12,000) for discharging poorly treated waste water into the environment. In 2014, the company’s slaughter house was penalised VNĐ300 million ($14,200) for the same violation. According to the city’s environmental police, the company’s slaughter house was found discharging 80 cubic metres of waste a day that were not up to the standard for sewage treatment. The city said the centre in Hòa Khánh Nam ward in Liên Chiểu district has also not filed any environmental assessment report for years.   Quality salt production zone planned The central province of Quảng Ngãi has approved planning for a high quality salt zone on an area of 114ha in Sa Huỳnh town in Đức Phổ district. The provinciasl secretariat said the plan aims to develop Sa Huỳnh town as a major centre of salt production by 2020 and build a brand name of clean salt. As scheduled, the town plans to produce 11,000 tonnes per year, of which 55 per cent will be high quality salt, and will increase the quantity to 14,000 tonnes by 2030. The province said the new high yield salt production zone would help local salt makers improve their annual income from VNĐ8.7 million (US$385) to VNĐ22.4 million ($991) in 2020, and VNĐ29.3 million (nearly $1,300) in 2025. Sa Huỳnh town, 70km south of Quảng Ngãi city, has 116ha of salt with 2,800 salt farmers, producing 9,000 tonnes of salt a year. However, in the first crop of 2016, over 4,000 tonnes of salt were not sold due to the low market price of VNĐ600 (0.03$) per kilogram. The province also plans to invest VNĐ95 billion ($4.2 million) to develop infrastructure and mechanisation for the salt zone, between 2016 and 2025. PM approves overhaul of communal health system The Prime Minister has approved a plan to develop a new local-level medical network by 2025 to improve the capability and service quality of health care for Vietnamese. The proposal is aimed at ensuring that all communal medical centres are qualified to provide medical examination and treatment of patients with health insurance, and able to provide at least 90 per cent of total communal health services. All communal medical centres will also have to meet the national criteria for communal healthcare. In order to achieve the objectives, the proposal calls for restructuring the existing network, improving the effectiveness of medical centres and providing professional training for medical personnel. A unified model for medical centres in districts and cities will be developed. Based on this model, the centres should be able to perform all the functions of preventive medicine, medical examination, medical treatment and rehabilitation.  Photo exhibit shines light on VN migration   A photo voice exhibition entitled Where Can I Call Home at Tràng Tiền Exhibition House has been organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the General Statistics Office (GSO). Through 13 sets of photos taken by photographer Nguyễn Minh Đức, the exhibition tells inspiring stories about the lives of migrants and their families across Việt Nam. “With the support of UNFPA, I have visited nine provinces and cities throughout Việt Nam to shoot these photos,” said Đức. “What stirred my emotions and touched my heart were the smiles and optimism of the women and men I met, talked with and took pictures of – who are known as migrants.” The country has experienced significant internal migration during different historical periods, including recent decades. According to GSO statistics, about 12.4 million of the country’s 91 million people, about fourteen per cent of the population, have internally migrated over the past five years. "Migrants are a key driving force behind Việt Nam’s socio-economic development, and their contributions need to be fully recognised. We also know that as a result of economic development over the past decades, Việt Nam has experienced a substantial reduction in poverty,” said Astrid Bant, UNFPA representative in Việt Nam. “Migration is clearly one of the cornerstones of Việt Nam’s success in poverty reduction, which has been occurring since the early 1990s. Migrants are helping fuel Việt Nam’s rapid economic growth of nearly seven per cent per year," she continued. Addressing the event, GSO Director General Nguyễn Bích Lâm said that the exhibition’s photos helped viewers better understand the lives of migrants who have decided to migrate for better jobs, better education for their children and better lives. “However, many migrants are vulnerable and face many challenges and difficulties in their lives,” he added. The voices of the migrants in this photo project will be brought to the national workshop on Friday, an event that will share key findings from the 2015 Internal Migration Survey. "Let me share my hope that this photo voice exhibition will enhance our understanding of this issue, and make a real contribution to improving the lives of migrants in Việt Nam. I suppose that virtually every day we interact with and benefit from the works of migrants here in Hà Nội, whether we know it or not. They deserve our recognition and support," concluded Bant at the event. Where Can I Call Home exhibition will remain open until Sunday at Tràng Tiền Exhibition House, 45 Tràng Tiền Street.  Nguyễn dynasty treasures on show in Huế More than 60 precious artifacts of the Nguyễn dynasty (1802-1945) handed over to the interim government after the abdication of King Bảo Đại in August 1945 are on display at the Huế Royal Antiques Museum. The artifacts, made of gold, silver, gemstones and tortoise shells, are part of a collection of 2,500 items preserved by the Việt Nam National History Museum.   The most valuable and important items include royal seals made of pure gold, jade seals, swords, the king’s headwear and mandarin badges. The exhibition also displays objects used in royal worship and rituals, like candle holders, fruit trays, and aloe wood burner. Other items used in royal office, including brushes, inkstone, paperweights and pen holders also are on display. Visitors to the exhibition can also get glimpses of daily life in the court through other items like diner and tea sets, and betel nut sets. Phan Thanh Hải, director of the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre, said the exhibition is being held under a co-operation programme between the centre and the National Museum of History. The programme, which began last year, has organised two other exhibitions – Antique Jewelry of Việt Nam and The Royal Seals and Books of  the Nguyễn Dynasty. “However, this ongoing exhibition displays the biggest number of items, including some seals that were rarely seen even by royal mandarins. These seals are the ones that were handed down from emperor to emperor, representing the supreme power and orthodoxy of the dynasty,” Hải said. After King Bảo Đại abdicated on August 25, 1945, the Nguyễn dynasty handed over to the then temporary Government of Việt Nam some 2,500 items which were brought to Hà Nội for preservation as the nation waged its resistance war against the return of the French colonialists. In 2007, the State Bank of Việt Nam handed over all the items, including 85 golden and jade seals, to the Việt Nam National Museum of History. The exhibition will be open to public until January 5, 2017, at 3 Lê Trực Street. Alongside the exhibition, the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre has also released a photo-book Bảo Vật Hoàng Cung (Royal Treasure), and The Museum of Huế Royal Antiques – Volume 8: Wooden Objects. Runners to compete Đà Nẵng Distance race Nearly 1,000 athletes from 100 teams will compete in the annual Đà Nẵng Newspaper Distance Race at the city’s East Sea Park on Sunday, the race organisers said yesterday. The race, which marks the 20th edition, will see professional athletes racing in the men’s 7km and women’s 5km events, while amateur runners will run in the men’s 7km and women’s 4km along Phạm Văn Đồng and Võ Nguyên Giáp streets from 7am on December 18. Runners will also compete in divisions for soldiers, police, students, and juniors during the race. The organising committee will also donate scholarships for underprivileged students at the race. Đà Nẵng has been seen as a popular venue for runners, with events including the annual Đà Nẵng International Marathon Race and the VNG Ironman 70.3 Việt Nam.  Is nothing sacred? Some people say “The most dangerous place is the safest”. But what happened to a man, named N., who lives inside Nam Thiên Nhất Trụ, or Một Cột (One Pillar), Pagoda in HCM City’s Thủ Đức District, has proved that nowhere is safe. Thinking no one would disrespect the Buddhist statues inside the pagoda, N. hid his personal gold inside some Phật Dược Sư (The Medicine Buddha) statues. It wasn’t until last week that N. noticed one of the statues had a hole in its back. Of course, the gold inside was gone. Checking on the other two statues gave him heart attacks as all the gold was gone, with holes in each statue. In total, N. lost seven taels of gold worth more than VNĐ200 million (US$8,900). The broken statues might be fixed soon but no Medicine Buddha can help heal N.’s pain. Maybe only the police can! Air-con for trees Hà Nội is experiencing an abnormally hot winter. Sunshine still blankets the city at noon with temperatures up to 27 degree Celsius. Many put this down to climate change. Hanoians have complained about the heat, and so would peach blossom trees being grown for Tết (lunar New Year), if they could talk. There are still nearly two months until Tết but Lê Hàm, a peach blossom grower in Hà Nội’s Nhật Tân area, has been worried about how to stop the flowers blooming early due to the hot weather. Hàm is famous for growing the valuable Thất Thốn peach, which have more petals than others. To cope with the hot weather, Hàm tried to imitate winter by putting the trees indoors and using two air-conditioners to keep them cold. He said he has to track the temperature round the clock to make sure the trees get the right conditions. During Tết, Hàm plans to rent his trees for VNĐ10-40 million (US$450-1,800) each, or even up to VNĐ100 million (about $4,500) for special trees. Customers should pray that electricity prices don’t increase in the weeks ahead of Tết. Or else, they might have to rent the trees with higher prices. Best tennis players get swimming prizes All six gold medalists at the National Best Tennis Players Tournament on Saturday, including Việt Nam’s top tennis player Lý Hoàng Nam, received the wrong medals. Instead of a golden medallion engraved with something related to tennis, they were handed medals for swimming. Luckily, the silver and bronze medalists received the correct prizes. The organisers explained that the incident occurred because the medals were not checked carefully prior to the ceremony, resulting in the mistaken awards. One of the gold medalists said he wasn’t too upset by the incident. “But the problem is, I cannot swim,” he said. Imagine one day Việt Nam may have a tennis tournament for swimmers and a swimming tournament for tennis players. That would make the twisted medals work. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE