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Vietnam attracts record FDI

Vietnam attracts record FDI

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A worker works at a residential apartment project site in Hanoi. Photo by Reuters/KhamVietnam has drawn FDI worth $16.74 billion in the first five months of the year, the highest in the period since 2015. The registered foreign direct investment, which includes newly-registered capital, capital supplements and stake acquisitions, represents an increase of almost 70 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported. Of the amount $6.46 billion went into 1,363 newly-registered projects, up 38.7 percent. Mergers and acquisitions were up 2.8 times at $7.65 billion. Hong Kong led with $5.08 billion, making up 30.4 percent of overall FDI in the period. They were followed by South Korean and Singaporean investors, who contributed $2.62 billion and $2.09 billion, ...
Report affirms Korean Wave still strong in Vietnam

Report affirms Korean Wave still strong in Vietnam

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BTS is a highly popular South Korean boyband in Vietnam. Photo by AFP/Lisa O'ConnorA survey has found that 51 percent of Vietnamese people like Korean pop music, and 68 percent favor South Korean dramas. Up to 31 percent of respondents said they like Korean pop music, and 20 percent said they like it "very much", according to a survey results released recently by HCMC-based market research firm Q&Me. Among the most popular K-pop artists are BTS, Big Bang and G-Dragon. Around 68 percent of Vietnamese prefer Korean dramas and movies, with 25 percent liking them a lot. The most popular Korean dramas and movies are Descendants Of The Sun and Boy Over Flowers. Korean cuisine was favored by 58 percent of respondents, with popular dishes including kimchi (Korean pickled vegetable...
Vietnamese short film wins Cannes award

Vietnamese short film wins Cannes award

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Stay Awake, Be Ready has won the Director’s Fortnight section award at the Cannes Film Festival 2019. Pham Thien An (left) and a film crew member with the Cannes trophy. Photo taken from Pham Thien An's Facebook page The movie surpassed nine other films from around the world to win the award at the Cannes Film Festival 2019 held May 14-25 this year. The section, established in 1968, honors feature, short films and documentaries that do not compete in the main categories. Completed in 2018, Stay Awake, Be Ready (Hay Thuc Tinh va San Sang in Vietnamese) deals with a traffic accident in front of a sidewalk food stall that spontaneously connects the life of three young people. The film's director Pham Thien An told French magazine Polyester he came up with the idea one night he ...
The Third Wife fined for releasing ‘unapproved’ version in Vietnam cinemas

The Third Wife fined for releasing ‘unapproved’ version in Vietnam cinemas

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Producers of The Third Wife have been fined VND50 million ($2,140) for screening unapproved 'inappropriate' scenes in Vietnamese cinemas. A scene in the film The Third Wife featuring actress Nguyen Phuong Tra My. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong announced Friday that the The Third Wife version released in Vietnam by its producer Ba Sac Cau Vong was not the officially approved one. Dong did not specify the differences between the two versions. He added that the ministry's Cinema Department had followed legal procedures to provide the production license and facilitate dissemination of the movie. From the standpoint of Vietnamese culture and sensitivities, a 13-year-old child acting in intimate scenes in the film was "not appropriate and not permissible...
Phu Quoc, a rising star in Asian luxury tourism

Phu Quoc, a rising star in Asian luxury tourism

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Vietnam’s largest island, Phu Quoc, was once a rather sleepy, low-key destination. But in the last couple of years it has become one of Asia’s most talked about destinations, especially for luxury tourism. At the turn of the 21st century Phu Quoc, blessed with stunning beaches and an attractive year-round climate, was an undeveloped tropical island with little tourism. But even then many tourism observers believed it had the potential to one day compete with the likes of Indonesia’s Bali and Thailand’s Phuket. The island would develop rather slowly for the next 10 years and remain associated with simple beachside pleasures such as eating fresh seafood, snorkelling or just flopping on an otherwise empty beach. Most visitors stayed for just two days before flying back to Ho Ch...
Companies  Viettel establishes high-tech ‘Make in Vietnam’ firm

Companies Viettel establishes high-tech ‘Make in Vietnam’ firm

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Minister Nguyen Manh Hung (L) and other government leaders visit an exhibition corner of Viettel. Photo courtesy of Viettel.Vietnam’s top telecom firm Viettel has set up a high-tech subsidiary to carry out the government’s mandate to make products locally. The Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation (VHT) will focus on defense and electronics for the telecom industry. "VHT will be an important factor in the modernization of Vietnam’s military and the construction of technology infrastructure," Major General Le Dang Dung, acting chairman and CEO of the military-owned Viettel, said. The company will sell its technology products and services in both the local and international markets under the government’s "Make in Vietnam" campaign which encourages local tech firms to ma...
Vietnam’s love affair with centuries-old bridges

Vietnam’s love affair with centuries-old bridges

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These five bridges have stood the test of time and witnessed the changes to a country that rose up from bombs and bullets.   Mong Bridge Mong Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Saigon and a popular hangout for young couples. Photo by Shutterstock/Huy Thoai Spanning the Ben Nghe Canal between Districts 1 and 4, Mong is the only surviving pedestrian bridge in Ho Chi Minh City built during the French colonial period and is one of the oldest bridges in Saigon. It was built in 1893-94 by French company Levallois Perret. The 128-meter bridge was originally black and served both pedestrians and vehicles. In 2005, Mong was removed to make room for construction of the Saigon River Tunnel connecting Districts 1 and 2. Afterwards, the bridge was reassembled following its original desig...
Ha Long Bay one of world’s most photographed cruise destinations

Ha Long Bay one of world’s most photographed cruise destinations

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Cruise ships are popular in Ha Long Bay. Photo by Shutterstock/namanhBritish magazine Woman and Home labeled Ha Long Bay one of the most mentioned global cruise destinations on Instagram. Based on analyzing two million photos taken on various cruise ships around the world and posted on the photo sharing network, the weekly lifestyle magazine said Ha Long Bay is one of the world’s five most picturesque cruise destinations. "There’s no sight quite like the towering karst rock formations of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. Legend has it that this unusual landscape was created by emerald-spitting dragons during a fierce battle against the country’s enemies," the magazine said. Woman and Home advised vacationers to explore its many caves and swim in its warm waters after taking a traditiona...
12 Best Places to Visit in Vietnam

12 Best Places to Visit in Vietnam

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Vietnam is an astonishing mix of natural highlights and cultural diversity. The scenery ranges from jagged peaks seen from winding mountain passes down to verdant paddy fields painted every shade of green in the palette, while the nation's long history and amazing number of ethnic minorities mean that culture-vultures will find plenty to admire. Hikers, bikers, and outdoor lovers can get their teeth into the countryside within the numerous national parks, while the spectacular karst seascape of Halong Bay is one natural sight that even the more slothful can experience up close on a cruise. While the rural areas brim with fantastic panoramas, the big cities breathe with contemporary life and provide ample opportunities to get stuck into Vietnam's tasty culinary highlights. This fascinating ...