Huge fire destroys rattan shop

A huge fire occurred in a rattan shop in district 11 in Ho Chi Minh City at 11.20am on January 18, causing great property loss. No death was reported.

The shop was burned out together with a number of motorbikes parked in it. Nearby houses were also damaged.

Fire fighters came to the scene immediately and the fire was controlled after one hour.

Court jails 27 for gambling

The people's court in Cao Bang Province yesterday sent 27 people to prison for organised gambling.

According to the court reports, on January 10, 2014, the Cao Bang police raided a guest room in the province and found four people engaging in illegal gambling. They also seized VND742 million (US$34,500) in cash from the site.

Further investigations showed that the four persons were part of a larger gambling network that also organised gambling in the province from October 2013 to January 2014.

The gambling network comprised 27 people, who received prison terms varying from one to six years. Several other persons were given probation.

According to the Criminal Code, gambling is illegal in Viet Nam.

Work begins on Ha Noi ring-road link

Construction work on the Trung Hoa-Ring Road 3 intersection in the capital city, which will include two tunnels, began on Sunday, the Thang Long Project Management Board has announced.

Vu Xuan Hoa, head of the Board, said on Thursday that the board, functioning under the Ministry of Transport, has signed contract package deal No 4 with the contractor-builder group Hanshin-Cienco 4 to build the intersection of the 30km Thang Long Avenue, the 65km Ring Road 3 and Tran Duy Hung Street.

Ring Road 3 is among the Ha Noi's most important transport links, running through Soc Son, Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Thanh Xuan, Hoang Mai, Gia Lam and Dong Anh districts.

Thang Long Avenue, or the Lang-Hoa Lac Highway, located to the city's west, links the city centre to the former Highway 21A, which is now the starting point of Ho Chi Minh Highway.

The intersection, which currently does not allow continuous traffic flow, is also the last work of Phase II of the Ring Road 3 project, funded with ODA loans from the Japanese government.

The work, estimated to cost more than VND1 trillion (approx US$48 million), include two 691.8m-long tunnels of three lanes each that will allow two-way traffic between Tran Duy Hung and Thang Long Avenue.

On completion, the new intersection is expected to ease traffic between downtown Ha Noi and the western part of the city.

It will also allow greater connectivity with cities, provinces and important sites in the northeastern region, including Hai Phong, Lang Son, Hoa Binh and the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park.

Binh Duong, Eindhoven city step up cooperation

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation was signed between Vietnam’s southern Binh Duong province and Eindhoven City of the Netherlands on January 16.

On the day, another MoU was inked between their local enterprises, Investment and Industrial Development Corporation (Becamex IDC CORP) and Brainport Company.

The signing ceremony saw the presence of Simon Van der Burg, Consulate General of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City and leaders of Binh Duong province and Eindhoven City.

The MoU between the two localities is intended to strengthen the relationship and enhance cooperation in the fields of infrastructure planning and development, urban building, trade, science and technology, health services and education.

Priority will be given to expanding collaborations in science and technology, trade promotion in addition to bolstering investments in industry and hi-tech services, education, personnel training and research centres.

The agreement is expected to contribute to the socio-economic development of both sides.

Under the MoU between Becamex IDC Corp and Brainport, the Dutch company has agreed to help its partner research and apply a business model that nurtures the affiliation between local governments, scientists and enterprises.

Besides, Brainport pledged to support Becamex IDC Corp in improving local supply chain and in founding open research centres and local business incubators which link with major research institutes and universities in the Netherlands and all over the world.

Furthermore, Brainport will help Becamex establish connections with Eindhoven City’s authorities and advise the Vietnamese corporation mainly on personnel, technology and business.

Both sides also look for cooperation opportunities, notably in developing urban areas, industrial zones and hi-tech parks.

Binh Duong province has had valid 2,375 FDI projects thus far with the total investment of 20.38 billion USD.

The Netherlands ranked eighth in the list of 39 countries and territories investing in the locality with 20 projects and 478.5 million USD worth of investments.

VFF Vice President extends new year wishes to Protestants

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Le Ba Trinh wished Protestant dignitaries and followers a happy new year while receiving executive members of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Vietnam in Hanoi on January 16.

Trinh affirmed that the Party, State and VFF always appreciate positive contributions by the Church and Protestants to the national great unity through abiding by laws and actively participating in social and charitable activities.

He asked the Church’s executive board to continue guiding followers to follow the teachings “Living the Gospel amidst the nation” and contribute more to the country’s development.

Pastor Dieu Boi, President of the board, expressed thanks for the VFF Central Committee’s support, hoping for more assistance for its operation.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Vietnam was established in 1968. After interruption since 1975, it resumed operation in 1998.

The Church now has around 17,000 followers who practise the religion in 22 provinces and cities.

Vietnam strives to reduce poverty rate

It is essential to review all mechanisms and policies on sustainable poverty reduction to achieve the set target of reducing annual poverty rate by 1-1.5% in the 2016 – 2020 period, affirmed Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh.

Deputy PM Ninh laid the emphasis at a conference held by the Central Steering Committee for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in Hanoi on January 16 to work out specific measures to carry out assigned tasks for 2015.

Ninh, who is also head of the Steering Committee, reported that in 2014, around VND34,700 billion, including VND6,242 billion from the State budget, were mobilized for poverty reduction. The fund was used to provide education and healthcare services for the poor and help rural workers access vocational training and employment opportunities.

This year, the Central Steering Committee on Sustainable Poverty Reduction will continue boosting the implementation of poverty reduction policies and projects to reduce the national poverty rate to less than 5% as stated in the National Assembly’s Resolution, he said.

Meanwhile, Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Department, stressed the need to help poor people increase their income and reduce poverty rate in a sustainable manner by upgrading infrastructure and providing assistance to production.

Firms pledge price stabilization at Tet

Twenty-two member enterprises of the HCMC Food and Foodstuff Association (FFA) have promised to stabilize prices of nearly 100 products in a Lunar New Year (Tet) program, which is being organized by the HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in collaboration with the FFA.

The items include confectionary, cashew nuts, cooking oil, spices, fish sauce, soft drinks, tea, processed seafood, spring rolls, sausage, pickles, rice and instant noodles.

The participating companies are offered free packaging and delivery within the city. The program lasts until February 10.

Ministry wants better controls on non-communicable diseases

The Ministry of Health has allowed preventive medicine centers and private clinics in provinces and cities to establish non-communicable disease and nutritional issue wards to better manage and treat related diseases.

The decision is part of the ministry’s strategy to improve the performance of the preventive medicine centers in order to meet the needs of locals. Earlier, these centers were only responsible for controlling diseases.

The move is important at a time when non-communicable diseases are becoming a challenge for the global health sector. From March this year, the preventive medicine centers will monitor non-communicable diseases and provide counseling  for patients.

Non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, are the leading causes of death and disability cases in the world. There were 36 million deaths worldwide in 2008 involving these diseases.

The World Health Organization estimated the deaths by non-communicable diseases will increase 15% in 2020 compared to 2010. In the next 20 years, the number of people who die of infectious diseases will fall by seven million, while deaths related to cardiovascular diseases will go up by six million and cancer by four million.

In Vietnam, non-communicable diseases have increased rapidly.

Statistics showed the percentage of patients with non-communicable diseases grew to 72% in 2010 from 39% in 1986, while the number of patients with infectious diseases fell quickly.

The health ministry’s move is to enable preventive medicine centers to conduct early treatments for patients to prevent diseases related to infection and nutrition. The ministry plans campaigns to raise public awareness of new health risks.

Nationwide campaign assists rural residents

A campaign to offer free check-ups and basic treatment for 1 million low-income people in rural areas has proven beneficial, improving community awareness and helping medical staff sympathise with natives’ difficulties, said Director of the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital Nguyen Quoc Anh.

The drive, taking place from November 2, 2014, to February 15, 2015, was launched by the Vietnam Red Cross, the Ministry of Health, the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, and the Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association.

Anh said in early November 2014, the Bach Mai Hospital sent 60 medical workers to give check-ups and administer medication to 1,000 people in the Lang Chanh and Thuong Xuan districts of central Thanh Hoa province.

The Central Maternity Hospital also joined in the campaign when it coordinated with the General Hospital of Ha Lang district, the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang, to provide free examinations and medicine to more than 2,200 people from December 12-15, 2014. Earlier the same month, another 1,500 people in Cao Bang’s Ha Quang district benefited from humanitarian activities of the Central Maternity Hospital.

According to the Ministry of Health’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department, on the campaign’s launching day (November 2), medical staff from six major hospitals embarked on trips to rural districts to provide aid to more than 38,000 people and present over 11,000 gift packages.

Additionally, they offered training for local residents in first-aid, hand washing skills, and communication activities to raise public awareness of locally produced medicine and organ donation. They also transferred technology and presented medical equipment to local clinics, including blankets, clothes, and food to support patients and community members, said deputy head of the department Nguyen Trong Khoa.

He noted this is the first time such a large-scale medical campaign has been held in Vietnam, thanks to donations received from a number of localities, organisations, and individuals.

Seven cities funded to improve urban planning

The United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the Cities Alliance will finance a project with an aim to improve urban planning in seven cities in Vietnam, heard a seminar in Hanoi yesterday.

The City Development Strategies (CDS) costs more than US$619,100 funded by the UN-Habitat, the Cities Alliance. They also provide technical support for the three-year project to be implemented in Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh Province, Tam Ky in Quang Nam Province, Viet Tri in Phu Tho Province, and the cities in Ben Tre, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong and Hung Yen until 2016.

Dinh Thanh Tam, deputy head of the department of planning management at the Ministry of Planning and Investment, told the seminar on the CDS project that VND8 trillion (some US$373.8 million) has been spent on planning nationwide.

However, many planning works are infeasible and overlapping. This is a waste of national resources, Tam said and noted that such plans were mapped out by competent agencies only without comments by relevant communities, enterprises, investors and environmentalists.

The CDS project will be executed with participation of the parties concerned to improve urban planning of the cities and help them draw up better strategies to fuel economic growth, eliminate poverty, protect the environment and enhance the living standards of locals, said Nguyen Quang, director of UN-Habitat Vietnam.

Robert Mellor, adviser to the CDS project, said it is important for all relevant parties to participate in planning and good planning needs a clear financial scheme for implementation.

VietkidzNZ helps spread Vietnamese culture in New Zealand

Vietnamese people living in New Zealand have established an organisation called VietkidsNZ with the goal of teaching the mother tongue for children of Vietnamese origin in an effort to preserve homeland culture for the next generations.

The beneficiaries of the VietkidzNZ, which was established in 2014 in Wellington, are children aged from two and above. They are divided into two groups: one including under-five children and the other grouping children aged from six and above.

Each group will have its own programme designed with interactions in the form of “learning through playing”. Classes are held every two weeks and children are encouraged to use only Vietnamese.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, head teacher of the programme, said VietkidzNZ is striving to develop more channels as well as organising more activities to bring the community together, helping creating a favourable environment as well as opportunities for children to practice Vietnamese and have a better understanding of Vietnamese unique cultural values such as folk festivals or games.

During a recent visit to VietkidzNZ classes, Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung confirmed the embassy’s continuous assistance for the organisation to press ahead with activities to preserve national identity.

Mekong Delta targets sustainable education development

A seminar has been held in Ho Chi Minh City to seek ways to promote sustainable development of education and training in the Mekong Delta region, which lags far behind other areas in the field.

According to Nguyen The Nghia, Director of the National Centre for Strategy and Policy Research, education development poses great challenges to the region’s sustainable development.

He said that only 32.1 percent of regional labourers aging from 15 years and above graduated from primary schools. The rates of those who have yet to attend school and have no qualifications were 7.8 percent and 26.6 percent, respectively.

The Mekong Delta is also facing a reality that the quality of human resources has not met the region’s socio-economic development requirements.

A research presented at the event revealed that the region’s workforce rate accounts for 22 percent of the country’s population, but almost all lack necessary skills. Around 70-80 percent of local labourers have yet to join vocational training courses.

The Mekong Delta has a total area of around 40,000 square kilometres and is home to a population of 18 million. It is a major aquaculture region and the largest rice producer in Vietnam.

However, the number of students studying agro-aquaculture and forestry in universities in the region remains low, resulting in a limit in education of these majors.

Participants said regional localities should build a plan developing their human resources based on the region’s socio-economic development targets, focusing on the region’s strengths of agriculture and aquaculture.

They proposed that training institutions and enterprises need to enhance cooperation to devise target training programmes suitable with each regional locality’s demand, while labour export to foreign markets should be promoted.

Local authorities should pay attention to building practical and appropriate incentives to attract qualified labourers to return to work in their hometowns, experts said.-

More funding for rural power expansion

The Prime Minister recently approved additional 3.36 million USD for a project to develop renewable energy, expand and upgrade power networks in remote communes funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The funding will be spent on bringing electricity from the grid to each household under the project, which is worth 208.8 million USD with 151 million USD loaned by the bank.

Launched in June 2010, the project is set to be completed in December this year. It includes the building of mini-hydropower plants in some northern and central provinces and expanding power networks in rural areas.

About 61,620 families in the 10 provinces of Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang are expected to benefit from the project.

Volunteer year illustrates youth enthusiasm for community activities

The 2014 Youth Volunteer Year proved to be a success, with a series of activities held across Vietnam demonstrating the youth’s dynamism in campaigns for community interests.

Voluntary activities towards the country’s seas and islands were a highlight of the year and were warmly received by youth nationwide, especially amidst China’s illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf from May to July of last year.

A programme run by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) and the Naval High Command mobilised more than 2 billion VND (about 95,240 USD) in donations for residents and soldiers on the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.

Meanwhile, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association built eight flag poles on islands using money donated by undergraduate students across the country. It also called upon businesses to give lifebuoys and 900 national flags to residents in Phu Quoc Island, offered free check-ups to Tho Chu islanders, and presented gifts to children on the islands.

The youth visited and encouraged residents and soldiers on the Truong Sa archipelago as well as the families of coast guard servicemen and fishery resource surveillance forces performing their duties at sea. A fund to support fishermen working around Hoang Sa (Paracel) was also established.

In 2014, youth participation fuelled progress on the national new-style rural area building programme, a Government-launched initiative to improve and develop Vietnam’s rural areas since 2011.

During the summer volunteer campaign, youth teams were sent to disadvantaged localities in the northwest, Central Highlands, and southwest regions where they worked together to build infrastructure facilities including irrigation systems, roads, hygienic toilets, cultural centres, and playing grounds.

Volunteers advised rural residents about profitable production models, animal and crop farming techniques, and technology transfer while disseminating information on laws and encouraging the young to practice healthy cultural activities.

Also in 2014, a wide range of traffic safety-themed activities were conducted by HCYU chapters to raise awareness of traffic safety models; the Hanoi chapter established 30 volunteer teams who assisted police in ensuring traffic safety at congestion sites and accident hotbeds and also organised traffic law and skill courses for local residents.

Such efforts greatly contributed to the 4 percent decrease in the number of fatalities and a 13.8 percent reduction in accidents in 2014.

Da Nang: Over 90 percent of vocational education graduates employed

Over 90 percent of about 4,800 rural people completing vocational training courses in central Da Nang city has been employed over the past five years, according to the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Kieu Thi Thanh Trang, head of the department’s vocational training division, attributed the result to diversified training programmes that help rural residents to find jobs in line with their capacity.

Over the past five years of implementation from 2010, the project providing vocational training for rural people has helped numerous labourers to have stable jobs, contributing to the city’s development, she added.

As Da Nang witnesses a strong development in the services sector that leads to a growing demand in the recruitment, most of those who register vocational training courses have focused on services-related skills such as cooking, reception, industrial electricity, garment and bonsai planting.

In addition to courses at vocational training schools, the city has paid attention to developing on-job training model such as mushroom and ornamental tree planting in Hoa Vang district, training captains and mechanics for fishermen and a garment cooperative in Ngu Hanh Son district.

Da Nang plans to help train for 700 rural labourers in 2015 and another 3,000 during the 2016-2020 in a bid to increase the rate of rual labourers equipped with vocational training to 65-7- percent.

A number of measures will be taken to meet the goals such as consultations on vocational training and jobs and development of training models.

Forest connection programme helps farmers improve lives

Afforestation and the development of wood products for the domestic market and export has become an effective production method, helping millions of famers in mountainous areas improve their lives.

The affirmation was released by a delegate from the Vietnam Central Farmers’ Association at an international workshop on the Forest Connection Programme which opened in Hanoi on January 15.

The event, to last through January 18, draws the participation of representatives from 22 member countries of the Forest and Farm Faculty under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Experts introduced and shared the initial experiences and results of business models on forestry products in many countries including Guatemala, Kenya, Bolivia, Finland, Philippines, Indonesia, China and Laos.

Over the recent years, the Vietnamese Party and State have issued numerous guidelines and policies to help farmers develop agriculture and forestry associated with forest protection and development.

The Vietnam Farmers' Association has organised various programmes supporting farmers in the development of business models to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and deforestation, increase the rate of forest coverage and deal with climate change.

Thousands of farmers around the country have been allocated land and forests, and have profited from their cultivation.

Initiated in 2007, the Forest Connection Programme has been developed on a global scale with the participation of partners around the world to help small-scale enterprises in the field of forestry.

On the occasion, the experts will survey models supporting small-scale forest enterprises and households with forests in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai.

Van Don island district connected with national grid

Nearly 2,100 residents in Van Don island district of northern Quang Ninh province gained access to electricity ahead of traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) thanks to a national grid project inaugurated on January 17.

The work, launched by the Northern Power Corporation in April 2014, was completed on schedule after eight months of implementation, at a total cost of 304.7 billion VND (14.4 million USD).

More than 81km of middle voltage lines, nearly 60km of low voltage lines and 21 transformer stations were built in the five islands of Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ban Sen, Ngoc Vung and Thang Loi.

The project has a significant meaning in the local socio-economic development and the building of the Van Don special economic zone, Secretary of the district’s Party Committee Doan Van Chinh said.

Van Don was selected by the Vietnamese government to develop into a special administrative and economic zone. It is the biggest island in the north of Vietnam and still largely untapped. The island has easy access to other economic and political centres in Asia as it is located in a corridor linking China and ASEAN.-

Mekong Delta region reviews education work

A conference was held in January 16 to review the performance of the educational sector in the 12 Mekong Delta localities during the first semester of the 2014-2015 academic year.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga took note of the progress in universalizing pre-school education for five-year-old children in the region, and urged local authorities to try and encourage all economic sectors to invest in this area.

He said the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) will invest more in educational infrastructure in the region.

According to reports at the conference, the region currently has more than 6,600 schools with over 3.2 million students and 2,200 teachers and school staff.

The school network has been expanded over recent years, helping encourage children to attend schools, reduce the rate of dropout as well as facilitating new-style teaching.

The Education and Training Departments have well performed their consulting role in helping local authorities issue several policies including incentives for kindergarten teachers working in disadvantaged areas and measures to attract postgraduates to work in the localities.

Leaders of provincial Departments in the region asked the education ministry and the Government to grant more funds to the programme on preschool education universalisation among five-year-olds.

The departments also urged the MET to soon issue the national regulations on the 2015 high school graduation and university entrance exams.

Can Tho reports big progress in HIV prevention

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has met many of its goals set for combating HIV/AIDS, particularly in reducing the numbers of new infections, AIDs patients and deaths.

Deputy Director of the city’s Health Department Cao Minh Chu reported the progress at a conference on January 16, adding that the city is among 10 provinces and cities nationwide that recorded a reduction in new HIV infection cases last year.

The medical sector found 273 new infections in the city in 2014, down 19.9 percent from the previous year, while the number of HIV carriers progressing to AIDS dropped by 4.6 percent year on year to 61. This was also the first time since 2002 the number of new HIV infections has dropped to under 300.

Can Tho will push forward with efforts to realise the Three-Zero target of no new HIV infection, no death from AIDS and no discrimination against HIV/AIDS carriers.

The locality plans to improve its medical services, particularly in HIV test, the provision of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

According to Can Tho Health Department, by the end of 2014, the city recorded 5,460 HIV carriers, of which 1,800 had developed AIDS. More than 2,000 people have died from HIV/AIDS in the city so far.

Foreign journalists share experience in covering health care issues

A delegation of foreign journalists held talk with their Vietnamese counterparts on January 16 in Hanoi on issues related to media coverage of health care after their field trip to some medical units in Vietnam and the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien.

During the meeting, the journalists shared the information they gathered during the trip. The discussions revolved around Vietnam’s health care system at grassroots level, reproductive health, HIV prevention, vaccination and child malnutrition.

They took note of the work of midwives at many local communes and the use of methadone therapy at detox facilities for drug users.

The journalists, who come from major newspapers in the US, the UK and Canada among others, offered their experience in covering health care issues with their local colleagues.

The delegation’s visit was arranged by the United Nations.

HCM City, Osaka discuss developing low-carbon city

Energy efficiency solutions in construction and increasing the number of green buildings were a focus of an international workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on January 16 about building a city of low-carbon emission.

Participants chose the 21-floor Sun Wah Tower in Ho Chi Minh City, which was built in 1997, as a model to examine its consumption of electricity, temperatures, air quality and carbon emission.

Statistics from Japan showed that latest solutions in air treatment and circulation, water control, lighting and smart control can save up to 33.6 percent of energy consumption by the tower, equivalent to 1,585 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tat Thanh Cang expressed hope for an early application of low-carbon city model so that HCM City can become an eco-friendly metropolis.

Participants also pored over projects on turning organic waste from wholesale markets into methane, promoting energy efficiency in hotels by the BEMS (Building Energy Management System), and improving environment in public hospitals, among others.

A representative from the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment also reported on the city’s 2016-2020 scheme to respond to adverse effects of climate change.

The event was co-hosted by the municipal People’s Committee and authorities of Japan’s Osaka city.

Young entrepreneurs vow to support wildlife conservation

Young entrepreneurs on January 16 committed to supporting wildlife conservation efforts on the fringe of a national young businesspersons’ conference in Hanoi.

They vowed not to consume products made from endangered wildlife species and pledge to take actions to change the behaviour among their own companies.

The activity on January 16 was part of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s initiative which aims to involve the business sector in wildlife conservation.

This initiative will also include a communication campaign in the lead up to the Lunar New Year holiday appealing to the public to join hands in wildlife protection. TV broadcast of video clips on the theme and a workshop reviewing communication efforts will form part of this drive.

Star Pride cruise ship brings tourists to Binh Dinh

Five-star cruise ship Star Pride from Panama carrying 100 American tourists docked at Quy Nhon port in Binh Dinh province on January 18.

Sixty tourists have visited Cham temple towers in Tuy Phuoc district and Quang Trung museum in Tay Son district. The remaning 40 travellers toured Quy Nhon city.

The cruise ship then continued its journey to Danang city and Halong Bay.

This is the third time the cruise ship has arrived at Quy Nhon port since December 29, 2014, bringing a total of 327 foreign visitors to Binh Dinh province.

Star Pride has carried out many sea tours in Vietnam. After receiving tourists from Haiphong or Ho Chi Minh City, it will take them to other cities and provinces to discover Vietnam’s people and landscape.

In 2014, Binh Dinh received two million arrivals for the first time. The figure is forecast to increase considerably this year.

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