Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offered incense to President Ho Chi Minh and launched the annual New Year tree planting festival at K9-Da Chong relic site, Hanoi’s outlying district of Ba Vi, on January 27, the sixth day of the Year of the Cat.

Co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of National Defence and Hanoi municipal authorities, the tree planting festival started a series of activities nationwide for the programme “For a green Vietnam” with an aim to plant 22.5 million trees this year.

Speaking at the event, PM Chinh recalled that 64 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh called on the entire people to respond to the tree planting month which has become a tradition every lunar new year since then.

According to him, Vietnam’s forest coverage expanded from 28% in 1990 to over 42% in 2022, absorbing over 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The PM highlighted Vietnam's commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 and expressed his belief that the tree planting campaign 2023 will produce positive achievements, helping the country deliver its commitment and contributing to national development.

At the launch ceremony, he joined delegates in planting 3,000 trees at the relic site.

Vietnam underlines consistent promotion of gender equality in all aspects

Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van has reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of raising women’s position and promoting gender equality in all aspects, while attending recent events marking the International Day of Women in Multilateralism.

The events, comprising a global dialogue on countering online gendered disinformation and an intergenerational dialogue, were held by UNESCO in Paris on January 25.

As a key speaker representing the Asia-Pacific region, Ambassador Van, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, underlined the country’s consistent policy of highly bringing into play women’s role and great potential in national development and safeguarding, raising women’s position, and promoting gender equality in all fields, from politics, economy and culture to society.

Women’s role and contributions have also continually been upheld during the ASEAN Community building process, she noted.

Van went on to say that the role of Vietnamese women has been increasingly affirmed in terms of politics and diplomacy. Many have been holding leadership positions of the Party and State, thus substantially contributing to strong improvements of the country. In particular, Vietnam has posted a rate of women in UN peacekeeping operations higher than the UN’s targeted figure, and many of them have shown excellent performance, helping enhance mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation among peoples of different countries.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Vietnam scored 0.705 on a scale of 1 to rank 83rd among the 146 countries, climbing four places from 2021.

The diplomat also shared Vietnam’s initiatives and efforts to boost cooperation in gender equality promotion and women empowerment as the ASEAN Chair in 2020, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020 - 2021, and the Chair of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

At the events, participants highly valued Vietnam’s active contributions and growing stature in the international arena, describing the country as a typical demonstration of the promotion of women’s role and engagement in the agendas on women, peace and security.

Gender equality is one of the two global priorities of UNESCO. At the 41st session of its General Conference in November 2021, the organisation adopted Resolution 41C/57 declaring January 25 as the International Day of Women in Multilateralism.

Paris peace accords brings spring of freedom to nation: former Deputy PM

The signing of the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam on January 27, 1973, had brought a special spring to the northern region, when for the first time in the resistance war there was no air-raid siren and no evacuation, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan told Vietnam News Agency during a recent interview on the occasion of the agreement's 50th signing anniversary. 

Khoan, who is also former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, recalled the circumstances around the negotiations for the agreement, which could be said to be the longest peace talks in history. The process lasted from 1968 to 1973 with more than 200 public sessions, 45 high-level private meetings, and thousands of interviews and rallies.

On January 23, 1973, the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam was initialed by two special advisers Le Duc Tho and Henry Kissinger. On January 27, 1973, the Foreign Ministers of the four parties, including the US, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam, officially signed the Paris Agreement.

According to Khoan, a major advantage for Vietnam in the negotiation process was the national solidarity power and support of people worldwide, including the Americans. However, the difficulties facing the country were the huge losses in its struggle against a powerful country like the US, and the disagreement among fraternal socialist countries. 

According to him, the negotiation on the Paris agreement left many lessons for Vietnamese diplomacy. Though not directly engaging in the treaty talks, he personally drew four lessons, including gathering and combining the national strength with epochal and international power, consistently maintaining one's stance, staying persevere and being wise.

Asked about the role of culture in diplomacy, Khoan said Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap had told visiting US Secretary of Defence McNamara that Vietnam’s victory is attributable to culture, not military power. Vietnam’s national power was underpinned by patriotism and solidarity spirit. Moreover, the Vietnamese people are ready to set aside the past and look toward the future.

In Khoan's view, every Vietnamese should be an ambassador conveying the quintessence of the national and diplomatic culture when meeting with foreign friends.

He said he still remembered the festive atmosphere in the Lunar New Year’s festival following the signing of the treaty. The international community, leaders of countries and overseas Vietnamese all shared the joy with Vietnam.

Thousands flock to Bai Dinh pagoda festival

Thousands of visitors have come to the northern province of Ninh Binh as the local Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival kicked off on January 27, or the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

This is the 10th edition of the annual festival since the local Trang An Landscape Complex, including Bai Dinh pagoda, was recognised as a World Cultural And Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The original 1,000 year-old Bai Dinh Pagoda (Bai Dinh Co Tu), located in Gia Vien district’s Gia Sinh commune, is composed of temples worshipping Buddha, the Mountain God, and the Mother Goddess of the Forest. It lies about 800 metres from the Tam The Temple of the new Bai Dinh Pagoda area – also known as the Bai Dinh Buddhism Spiritual Centre, covering 700ha.

The festival, which lasts until the end of the third lunar month, includes palanquin processions and a series of ceremonies praying for peace and paying respect to Buddha, the gods and the goddesses.

NA leader lauds State Audit Office's crucial contributions

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue made a new-year visit to the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) on January 27, the first working day after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.

The top legislator praised the efforts and initiatives by the audit sector to fulfil its tasks last year, saying that it contributed importantly to great achievements of the country in general, as well as the NA and the Government in particular.

He noted that the SAV has done a good job in assisting the NA's supervision work, especially in inspecting the implementation of policies and laws on thrift practice and anti-wastefulness.

The NA leader also commended the SAV on its external activities. The agency has maintained cooperation mechanism with the state audit agencies of Laos and Cambodia, and made important contributions to the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI).

The top legislator said the Party and State expect that the SAV will play a more crucial role in the fight against corruption and negative phenomena, and in thrift practice and wastefulness prevention, contributing to strengthening financial and budget disciplines.

He said he hopes that the SAV will have a more prestigious voice in the community of ASOSAI, ASEANSAI, and the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

The NA chairman took the occasion to wish staff of the agency good health, happiness, and successes in the Year of the Cat.

Anti-war activist stresses significance of Paris Peace Accords

The Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam, signed 50 years ago, came as a result of stressful and protracted negotiations and held extreme importance, said activist Cora Weiss, one of the leaders of the anti-Vietnam-war movement then.

She told the Vietnam News Agency that the Paris Peace Accords, signed on January 27, 1973, helps give the US administration a way out from a 10-year illegitimate and unjust war in which millions of Vietnamese and tens of thousands of American soldiers were killed or exposed to Agent Orange.

The agreement helped put an end to this and paved the way for ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam, she noted.

During the years of negotiations, the movement rose to the strongest-ever level. From 1969, thousands took to the streets in Washington D.C. to oppose the war. The number of participants in anti-war campaigns continually increased, and protests against the US involvement in the war kept spreading to many other cities, including New York, Weiss recounted.

Her husband, Peter Weiss, who was also a famous activist in the movement, held that the signing of the Paris Peace Accords was an inevitable result for the US administration then since that war caused damage to the US in both political and economic terms.

He also emphasised the historical significance of this agreement to all the parties concerned.

Cora Weiss, born in 1934, has been well-known as a peace activist since the early 1960s and was a leader of Women Strike for Peace. She has won many prizes and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for several times.

In 1968, she established the Committee of Liaison with Families of Servicemen Detained in North Vietnam (COLIAFAM), a charity organisation helping resolve one of the conditions for ending the US involvement in Vietnam. This committee operated for about four years, until the Paris Peace Accords were inked.

After 1975, when the South was liberated and Vietnam reunified, she has continued working to assist the country.

PM inspects construction of Ring Road No.4 in Hanoi capital region

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the construction work of Ring Road No.4 in the Hanoi Capital Region on January 27.

The road is about 112.8km long, with around 58.2km in Hanoi, nearly 19.3km in Hung Yen and some 35.3km in Bac Ninh.

The project has total investment of over 85.8 trillion VND (3.73 billion USD), more than 28.1 trillion VND of which will come from the State budget, over 28.19 trillion VND from local budget and the remainder from build-operate-transfer (BOT) venture.

Construction on the road started in 2022 and is slated to be basically completed in 2026. The road is scheduled to be put into operation in 2027.

Generally, the project's items are being carried out on schedule, including site clearance, feasibility and environment impact assessment reports.

PM Chinh asked the Government Office to partner with ministries and agencies concerned to deal with problems faced by the project, under the directions of Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha.

He stressed that the project will open up new development space for the capital city. It will reduce population density and traffic congestion in the inner city and gradually change the economic structure of the area along the road.

The road will also strengthen connectivity and create motivation and breakthroughs in the socio-economic development of Hanoi and neighbouring areas.

Traffic accidents fall during Tet holiday

As many as 152 traffic accidents occurred in the country during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, from January 20 to January 26, a year-on-year decrease of 12 cases, according to the Ministry of Transport.

The traffic accidents killed 89 people, down three from last year’s holiday, and injured 111 others, up by eight.

The majority were road accidents, while there are four railway and one waterway accidents.

Road traffic police nationwide punished 21,967 violators with fines totalling 50.4 billion VND (2.1 million USD).

They temporarily confiscated 639 automobiles and more than 9,910 motorbikes and withdrew approximately 4,950 driving licences of different kinds.

Of all the violators, more than 7,726 people were fined for high blood alcohol content, an increase of more than 6,600 people compared with the last Tet holiday.

On waterways, police punished one person with an administrative fine of 1 million VND (42 USD).

Railway police fined four violators 8 million VND (340 USD).

Urban flooding needs concerted solutions

Alongside urbanisation, flooding in cities of Vietnam, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, is getting complicated and needs concerted solutions, according to experts.

There are more than 800 cities nationwide, including the two special municipalities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Big and populous cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Vinh of Nghe An province have frequently suffered from heavy losses caused by downpours and flooding.

Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnamese cities, especially major ones, are centres of economic, social, and cultural activities and also concentrations of infrastructure facilities and residential areas. They are exposed to many disaster risks, including flooding, which requires proactive preventive and timely response measures.

However, disaster response measures for cities have yet to receive due attention. The application of science and technology to disaster risk management in urban areas remains limited. Guidance for safe urban management, especially in terms of housing, water drainage, and tree planting, hasn’t been carried out concertedly.

Dr Seneka, Director for climate response of the programme on urban resilience to climate extremes in Southeast Asia (URCE) of the Asian Disaster Preprardness Centre, said that in 2015, there were more urban residents (54%) than rural ones (46%) around the world. At least 61% of the global population are predicted to live in cities by 2030.

Therefore, it is important to improve cities’ resilience through early warning and quick response. The resilience of cities means that of their individuals, communities, organisations, enterprises, and systems to survive, adapt, and develop, according to the export.

In 2022, many localities took actions to prevent and fight urban flooding.

Among them, some in the northern and north-central regions have been implementing an EU-funded project to improve the climate resilience of urban infrastructure. They consist of Phat Diem township (Ninh Binh province), Ngoc Lac township (Thanh Hoa province), Hoang Mai town (Nghe An province), and Huong Khe and Thach Ha townships (Ha Tinh province).

About measures for climate change adaptation in Vietnamese cities, Hoang Thi Thao, Director of the Climate Change Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, held that it is necessary to survey and assess climate change impacts, create climate maps for cities, and include climate issues in strategies, plans, and risk warnings for these areas.

In addition, authorities should overhaul policies on urban development and planning amid growing climate change risks, implement structural solutions to mitigate negative impacts of climate risks, issue appropriate resettlement measures, increase communications to raise authorities and communities’ capacity, and boost scientific and technological researches to develop green, smart, and ecological cities adapting to climate change, she noted.

People return in droves to HCM City after Tet

The last day of the week-long Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday from January 20-26 saw people return to HCM City in droves, with all local bus and train stations filled with crowds, and Tan Son Nhat International Airport serving 913 flights and 144,871 passengers, a record daily number since the beginning of the holiday.

Tet is the biggest traditional festival of Vietnamese in a year, and most people return to their hometown for family reunion on the occasion, creating an exodus of traffic out of big cities at the beginning of the holiday and vice versa at the end of the holiday. 

A representative of Mien Dong bus station, the largest bus station of the city, said that on January 26, the station received about 40,000 passengers, while the Mien Tay bus station saw more than 3,000 passengers.

Despite the high number of travellers, thanks to effective measures rolled out by local authorities, congestions did not happen in the airport as well as bus and train stations.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trong Son, Vice Director of the Road-Railway Traffic Police Office under the Department of Public Security of HCM City said that the traffic police force of the city will continue to mobilise 100% of personnel and coordinate with relevant forces to ensure smooth and safe traffic movement.

HCM City is the largest economic hub in the south of Vietnam. In 2022, the city’s economy was estimated to grow by 9.03%, surpassing the set target of 6-6.5%. In 2023, it aims to achieve an economic growth of between 7.5%-8%.

Prime Minister stresses importance of rail transport

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the year-beginning launch of forces for the upgrade of the Nha Trang - Saigon rail route at Thap Cham Station in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan on January 26.

The upgrade of the 411km section, part of a project on renovating the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City rail route, has a total investment of nearly 1.1 trillion VND (46.8 million USD) funded by the state budget, and it traverses the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Dong Nai and Binh Duong, and HCM City.

Addressing the launch, PM Chinh said developing comprehensive infrastructure, especially transport one, is a top priority of the Party and State and also one of the three targeted strategic breakthroughs.

He highlighted the important role of rail transport throughout the country’s history, noting that rail transport holds many advantages and is critical to socio-economic development, defence, and security safeguarding.

Developing transport infrastructure, including railways, is a task of not only the Transport Ministry but also other ministries, sectors, and localities, the PM noted, affirming the Government’s consistent attention and strong directions to ensure progress and quality of transport projects.

The same day, PM Chinh examined the construction of Nha Trang - Cam Lam Expressway, part of the North - South Expressway project, in Khanh Hoa.

Nha Trang - Cam Lam Expressway is over 49km long, from Dien Tho commune of Dien Khanh district to Cam Thinh Tay commune of Cam Ranh city.

The road is invested with over 5.5 trillion VND through public - private partnership, including nearly 3 trillion VND from the state budget and 2.5 trillion VND from the Son Hai Group. Its construction started in September 2021.

Severe cold continues to blanket northern, north central regions

Severe cold continues covering the northern and north central regions on January 27 – the first working day of Vietnamese people after a week-long Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

This weather condition is forecast to last until January 30. Some areas in the northern mountainous region may record the lowest temperature of below 3°C.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, people in other parts of the central region can also experience the cold.

Downpours and thunderstorms are predicted to occur in several places across the country.

Hanoi welcomes 332,000 visitors during Lunar New Year holiday

The capital city of Hanoi served 332,000 tourists, including 32,000 foreigners, during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday from January 21 – 26, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.

Total revenue from tourism activities topped 1 trillion VND (42.6 million USD), the department said.

The number of tourists increased dramatically at key monuments, museums, parks, ecological zones, and resorts in the city.

Notably, Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature) - Quoc Tu Giam (the first university in Vietnam) and the Huong pagoda received about 80,000 visitors each. Meanwhile, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Special National Relic of Co Loa, Duong Lam ancient village – the Son Tay ancient citadel received 19,700; 18,000 and 15,000 visitors, respectively.

During the holiday, a series of art performances and cultural programmes were held at relic sites and tourist attractions, while many new tourism products introduced to attract visitors.

According to Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang, the agency has paid special attention to inspect the observance of regulations on tourism in tourist areas, aiming to better the quality of services.

ASEAN launches framework on sustainable tourism development post-COVID-19

The ASEAN Framework on Sustainable Tourism Development in the Post-COVID-19 Era has been recently released to guide the work on ASEAN’s sustainable tourism development agenda.

Sustainable tourism is considered an emerging key factor for a destination’s ability to maintain or build a strong reputation and a competitive brand which is hoped to enhance the existing relationships with local communities, visitors, and other relevant stakeholders.

As articulated in the AEC Blueprint 2025, the vision for Southeast Asia is to make the region a “quality tourism destination” that offers a unique and diverse ASEAN experience and is committed to sustainable tourism development.

As a collective effort towards realising this vision, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers have endorsed the ASEAN Framework on Sustainable Tourism Development in the Post-COVID-19 Era with the support of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

The framework identifies focus areas and seeks to capitalise on the work that is already being undertaken by the tourism sector.

Bonsai captures vitality of nature

Bonsai tree planting has become a growing industry in Vietnam. The interest in this art is huge among people with a natural affinity for bonsai trees.

A bonsai is a miniature tree planted in a pot or rock. The art originates from Japan.

In Vietnam, it’s common to see them everywhere and the trees are seen as magical things as people believe they bring good fortune, long life and strengthen family ties.

“Most Hanoians live in quite small areas such as small houses and small streets, they want to bring a natural and living space to their rooms so they can enjoy the greenery at home,” said Nguyen Quang from the Thang Long Art Ornamental Plant Association.

Previously, many people reckoned that this hobby was for old people, however nowadays there are many more people from all walks of life interested in bonsai growing.
Dinh Tung, from Hanoi, said he has known about bonsai growing for more than a decade.

“Bonsai growing requires enthusiasm, meticulousness and patience,” he added.

A bonsai work is a miniature image of old trees, with miniature living landscape called Hon Non Bo. These landscapes imitate sceneries of traditional Vietnamese landscapes in islands, mountains and forests which requires skillful hands, meticulousness and the love for trees.

“We want to create the most natural bonsai trees, we want to create a century-old tree in a plot with a subtle and natural beauty,” said Nguyen Quang.

A bonsai is not only an ornamental tree, but also a miniature living art which imitates the vitality of nature in art.

Co Loa Ancient Citadel a unique tourist attraction in capital city

Co Loa now is serving as not only a cultural relic and evidence of ancient Vietnamese’ creativeness and technical level, but also an ideal destination for visitors.

Not only associated to the Vietnamese nation’s legends like the selection of the capital by King An Duong Vuong, the creation of a multiple-shot crossbow or a moving love, Co Loa Ancient Citadel is a unique tourist attraction of Hanoi.

Described as the largest ancient citadel in Vietnam, Co Loa historical relic covers about 500 ha, built at an order by King An Duong Vuong in the third century BC as the capital of the then Au Lac (now Vietnam), in Hanoi’s outlying district of Dong Anh.

Legend has it that the citadel consists of nine spirals, hence the ancient name of Snail Citadel. Under the ravage of time and wars, there are currently only three spirals with ancient traces.

The perimeter of the outer spiral measures 8km with tall walls, from 4 to 5m or even 8 to 12m at some places, and moats. Meanwhile, the middle spiral’s perimeter is about 6.5km, built in a similar way like the outer but stronger; and the inner covers about 2 sq.km serving as residence of the royal court.

The citadel takes various names like Loa (Snail) Thanh, Con Lon Thanh, Tu Long Thanh, Cuu Thanh, Viet Vuong Thanh , Kha Lu Thanh and Co Loa Thanh. In the 10th century, it became the capital for the second time when Ngo Quyen was the king of the country.

The Co Loa relic complex now houses many historical, architectural and art relics like the upper shrine dedicated to King An Duong Vuong, the one to Warrior Cao Lo, and the one to Princess My Chau; and the Bao Son Pagoda. Insides those constructions, visitors can have a look at objects excavated in the citadel, including bronze statues and arrows, and sophisticatedly decorated earthenware and stone utensils.

Not only a cultural heritage, Co Loa Ancient Citadel these days is standing as evidence of the creativeness, culture and the technical levels of the ancient Vietnamese in the national defence against foreign aggression. Besides, it is also serving as an ideal destination for visitors from all corners of the country who wish to have a deeper look into cultural values and familiar images of a peaceful northern village. For local villagers, Co Loa Ancient Citadel still holds an important role in their spiritual life and cultural activities.

Every year, on the sixth day of the first lunar month, Co Loa villagers hold a solemn festival to commemorate the constructors of the citadel and to express gratitude to King An Duong Vuong, the founder of the Au Lac feudal state.

Unique style of Red Dao traditional outfits

Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups, each of which has its own identity and unique values in terms of customs and traditions, contributing to the cultural diversity in the country.

One of the groups is the Dao ethnic minority people who reside, for the most part, in the mountainous northern provinces of Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Ha Giang and Lang Son. The Red Dao are a subgroup of the Dao people, renowned for their colourful traditional costumes that leave an indelible impression on visitors.

Tuyen Quang is home to nearly 91,000 Dao people from nine different subgroups, with the Red Dao people living mostly in the districts of Na Hang and Lam Binh.

For the Red Dao, the way they dress symbolises their ethnicity and distinguishes them from others. They are easily identifiable by the predominance of red in their clothing as the colour is believed to bring luck, happiness, prosperity and positive energy to everybody.

The traditional Red Dao art of costume decoration in Tuyen Quang’s districts of Na Hang, Lam Binh, Chiem Hoa, Ham Yen and Son Duong was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible heritage last year.

This traditional art has a long history. In the remote villages of the Red Dao people, women still make traditional clothing for themselves and other family members.

It is said that the traditional costume of the Red Dao is the most famous of all in Vietnam, with a typical outfit including a tunic, trousers, headscarf, cloth belt and jewellery.

There are five colours – red, blue, white, yellow and black – needed in making a traditional Red Dao costume, but red should be the most prominent.

With women’s clothing, the most important piece is the long indigo or black tunic with highlighted brocade patterns on the front or cuffs. The blouse, divided into four parts, reaches down to mid-thigh, accompanied by a belt with many different coloured tassels. The embroidered patterns and designs are composed of coloured trees, flowers, mountains and animals. The trousers are often in plain black and tailored with rich patterns, such as squares, rectangles, pine trees and rhombuses, in the lower parts.

The most eye-catching feature must be the colourful headscarf, which is the main thing that differentiates the Red Dao from other minorities. The headscarf is folded to make it thicker and larger than many other ethnic headscarves.

All the patterns on a Red Dao traditional costume are entirely hand-sewn by Red Dao women which takes a tremendous amount of time. Each costume takes at least a year to make, some even up to two years. They are highly individualised yet convey a solid cultural message through each decorative pattern.

The Red Dao girls are taught from the age of nine or ten how to embroider and sew. They will use these skills to attract a future husband and show their value as a wife to their families-in-law.

The men’s traditional outfits are simpler, including only a headscarf, a short tunic, and trousers.

Red Dao costumes vary by regions. There are differences in the way Red Dao people in each region wear tunics, headscarves, belts and other accessories. In some places, Red Dao people wear a string of nine or 11 large red cotton balls around their neck.

They often dress in their most beautiful and colourful outfits during traditional festivals, for weddings or on the occasion of welcoming special guests to their home.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes