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A 16-seat car collided with
a train yesterday in Ha Noi’s Dong Anh District, killing the car’s driver and
injuring six others. Another train accident some 60km south of Ha Noi resulted
in the death of a bridegroom, his mother and a cousin. (Photo: VNS)

The accident occurred when the victims were crossing the railway, heading back to their car which was parked nearby.

The victims were travelling with the bride from the northern province of Bac Giang to their home in Thai Binh Province.

On the same day, a train crashed into a car injuring six people in Ha Noi’s Dong Anh District.

Four people who were seriously injured were taken to the Viet Nam- Germany Hospital.

The accident was initially caused by the negligence of the car’s driver when he drove over the railway crossing.

A victim of a separate train-car collision in the central province of Quang Ngai on Wednesday was reported to have died the following day. That accident claimed three lives and left another three in hospital with severe injuries.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

This entry was posted on February 4, 2012 at 1:06 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/wedding-tragedy-as-train-kills-bridegroom-mother.html

Supermarkets expanding

The Vietnamese retail market is considered a fertile land for investors. It is
expected that from now to 2015, the growth rate in the retail market would
maintain at 23-25 percent per annum, while this would still be one of the five
most lucrative markets.

However, analysts say they can see two opposite trends in the market: while the
modern retail systems have been increasing rapidly, traditional markets have
become gloomier.

After three years of opening the retail market to foreign distributors, retail
chains have been mushrooming. The retail market witnessed a boom in late 2011
when retailers continuously opened more retail points in big provinces and
cities.

Nguyen Kim, the electronics and home appliance retailers, for example, has spent
100 billion dong to open five retail points in four big provinces and cities,
namely HCM City, Da Nang, Vung Tau and Bien Hoa. A representative of the retail
chain has revealed that Nguyen Kim would open 12 new retail points in 2012 and
raise the total number of retail points to 50 by 2015.

Vinatex Mart, the distribution chain belonging to the Vietnam Textile and
Garment Group (Vinatex) also opened five supermarkets within the last month in
HCM City, Hoa Binh, An Giang, Tay Ninh and Gia Lai with the total investment
capital of 100 billion dong. The chain plans to obtain 200 supermarkets and
shops by 2015.

General retail chains, both domestic and foreign invested, like Big C, Co-op
Mart, Metro, Crescent Mall and convenience store chains such as 24h, Shop and
Go, Parkson and Vincom shopping malls have also been expanding their networks.

Supermarkets have become the choice of many housewives instead of traditional
markets. Supermarkets can bring more convenient services, while they provide
more diversified products. At some moments, especially on Tet days, the food
prices at supermarkets are even cheaper that at traditional markets. Besides,
modern retain chains also can satisfy the amusement demand of families. This
explains why parents usually bring their children to supermarkets on weekends to
do shopping and relax.

Small merchants give up traditional markets

The convenience of the modern retail chains has lured a lot of consumers and
made traditional markets gloomy. A lot of small merchants have given up
traditional markets and set up kiosks right on the pavement of streets.

According to the HCM City Trade Department, at the four biggest wholesale
markets of An Dong, Soai Kinh Lam, Binh Tay and Nhat Tao alone, more than 1500
small merchants have stopped business. The same situation has been reported for
other long lasting traditional markets such as Ba Chieu, Pham Van Hai, Go Vap,
Hoang Hoa Tham and Tan Dinh.

Tran Thi Nhieu, Head of the Ba Chieu Market Management Board in Binh Thanh
Street, admitted that more than 50 small merchants have left their kiosks,
especially gold, fabric and food kiosk owners.

Nhieu said that merchants have given up traditional markets because they find
unable to compete with modern retail networks. At least three modern chains are
located near the Ba Chieu Market. It is estimated that the number of people
going to the market dropped by 30-40 percent last Tet in comparison with the
2011 Tet.

She also said that only clothes, footwear and spice kiosks still can attract
buyers, because the sellers can give consultancy to buyers, while supermarkets
cannot do that.

Tin Tuc

This entry was posted on February 4, 2012 at 2:06 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/modern-retail-systems-dominating-over-traditional-markets.html

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For illustration only.

Nguyen Van Quyen, deputy general director of Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam, said the rule released aims for easing traffic jams on National Highway 1A and taking advantage of the Ho Chi Minh Highway (parallel to Highway 1A) with 15-40 per cent of its capacity currently in use.

“Although travelling on this highway will lengthen the journey of coaches by 60km, they still save money and time with no fee stations located on the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Traffic flows run smoothly without any congestion.”

“About 30,000 coaches and trucks travel daily and nightly on Highway 1A while the Ho Chi Minh Highway only serves 7,000 vehicles,” he said.

However, for the first two days, many transport companies are reluctant to adjust their route according to the directorate’s decision.

Tran Quoc Duy, directorate’s officer on Highway 1A between Ha Noi and central Thanh Hoa Province, said many coaches travelling from Ha Noi to southern provinces still went this way although there were guides to reroute traffic flow.

Violators have yet to get any fines this month.

According to transport companies, the reasons lie in longer journey, service of fewer passengers and less favourable conditions.

Nguyen Dam Van, director of Van Minh Tourism Company said it was a good solution to reroute traffic flow to reduce traffic jams and accidents on National Highway 1A. But few vehicle services, hostels or restaurants currently existed on this highway.

Each coach could save VND3 million (US$142) in fees at stations, but each would have to pay VND15 million ($714) more per month for petroleum, he said.

The 2,300km National Highway 1A runs across 31 cities and provinces of Viet Nam, beginning in northern Lang Son Province and ending in southernmost Ca Mau Province. Ho Chi Minh Highway runs 3,200km through Viet Nam.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

This entry was posted on February 4, 2012 at 3:06 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/coaches-reluctant-to-use-new-route.html

Yuan Zi (left) and Huan Huan, seen here in their quarantined enclosure at the Panda Research Base in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Two Chinese pandas left their breeding centre in southwestern China Sunday destined for a 10-year stay in France, in a loan sealed after years of top-level negotiations.

Huan Huan (“happy”) and Yuan Zi (“chubby”) left the centre in the city of Chengdu and were put on a cargo flight bound for the French zoo they will call home under an agreement reached between Paris and Beijing.

Hou Rong, head of the breeding centre, said the main issue for the pandas on their long journey was likely to be the same as that of their human companions on the “Panda Express”, a Boeing 777 specially decorated with a panda motif.

“It is possible that they will suffer jetlag,” the professor said.

Huan Huan and Yuan Zi are the first pandas sent to France since 1973, when Yen Yen — who went on to live until 2000 — was given to then president Georges Pompidou along with another panda, which died shortly after arriving.

The latest furry ambassadors, who have been specially selected for their breeding potential, are bound for the leading Beauval zoo in the Loire region of central France.

But the French public will have to wait until February 11 to get their first glimpse of the bears in their specially built 2.5 hectare (six acre) enclosure adorned with Chinese-style pagodas and marble lion statues.

A deal on the endangered animals, famous for their reluctance to breed, was to have been announced at the G20 summit in the French resort of Cannes last November, but had to be delayed due to the eurozone crisis.

China is famed for its “panda diplomacy”, using the bears as diplomatic gifts to other countries. Just 1,600 remain in the wild in China, with some 300 others in captivity worldwide — mostly in China.

David Algranti, who was named a “pambassador” in 2010 and spent several weeks as the bears’ official guardian in Chengdu, was one of a handful of people given privileged access to the quarantined pandas.

“France is lucky to be getting these two, they are particularly lovable, and very good-looking,” he said. “Huan Huan sticks out her tongue a lot and Yuan Zi loves to climb, he’s quite sporty.”

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/chinese-pandas-leave-for-france.html

Tran The Dung, Deputy Director of The He Tre Travel

The biggest problem of Vietnam’s tourism industry is the lack of qualified
staff. As travel firms have been focusing on competing in prices, they have not
paid appropriate attention to the training of tour guides. In Thailand, China
and Malaysia, every tour guide is only in charge in one region, which allows
them to have deep knowledge about local conditions. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, tour
guides can go across the country.

The local authorities just made an absurd thing when, repaying for people who
voted for the Ha Long bay as the new natural wonder of the world, have decided
to increase the excursion fee at the bay.

After the airfares increased, a tour from HCM City to Hanoi costs 12-13 million
dong, while a tour from HCM City to Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia just costs
9-10 million dong.

Vo Anh Tai, General Director of Saigontourist

The problem now is that Vietnam still cannot provide attractive service
packages. The overly high service fees and the continued service fee increases
would badly affect the market demand. The State agencies need to coordinate in
an effective way in order to ensure the close links among travel firms, hotels
and airlines, so as to provide the best service packages.

Only by doing this, will Vietnam be able to lure more tourists.

Lai Huu Phuong, Director of Ben Thanh Tourist

What Vietnam’s tourism lacks now are the appropriate investment and the
professional marketing. Meanwhile, tourism services offered to travelers have
been nearly the same and monotonous.

It is necessary to make appropriate investment to produce the labor force for
the state management agencies. It is necessary to set up a comprehensive and
sustainable tourism development strategy which allows stopping the spontaneous
development as currently.

Nguyen Minh Man, Communication Director of Vietravel

Vietnam is no inferior to any countries in the region and in the world in terms
of cultural value and natural landscapes – the things needed for tourism
development. However, Vietnam is still weak in creating ideas and implementing
the ideas.

The west of the southern region has everything needed to develop floating
markets. However, even Vietnamese people also flocked to Thailand to visit the
floating market there, because Thailand has been doing very well in marketing.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese floating market product has not developed yet.

Nguyen Van My, Director of Lua Viet Travel

Vietnam’s tourism now lacks a qualified “conductor” who can drive the tourism
development in a reasonable way instead of letting the spontaneous development.

There are many problems existing – the traffic jam, flood, narrowed roads,
electricity shortage, the food hygiene…

Philip Kotler, a marketing legend, said during his visit to Vietnam that the
country should take a shortcut to develop tourism by becoming the kitchen of the
world. Vietnam’s culinary is really diversified, but we still cannot fully
exploit the potentials.

Source: NLD

This entry was posted on February 4, 2012 at 2:06 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/many-things-need-to-be-done-to-develop-tourism.html

Saigontourist Travel Service Co welcomed some 2,500 passengers and crew members who arrived in Ha Long Bay aboard the cruise ship Costa Classica on Wednesday.

During their one-day tour of the bay, the visitors went to Long Tien and Yen Tu Pagodas and Hon Gai town.

They also enjoyed water puppetry and traditional music shows and visited a local community on the bay before departing in the evening.

Saigontourist said the vessel operated by the Italian operator Costa Crociere S.p.A. would return to Ha Long Bay on February 9, 13, 21, and 29.

Ha Long Bay offers free admission

As a gesture of thanks to everyone who supported and voted for Ha Long Bay in the Seven New Natural Wonders of the World poll, Quang Ninh Province authorities waived entry fees for visitors to the bay from January 23 to February 5.

Phung Duc Tin, deputy head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, said the tourism site received 7,000-10,000 visitors every day on average.

Passes enough for Chinese visitors

Chinese tourists from Hainan coming aboard the cruise ship SuperStar Aquarius can enter Viet Nam with laissez-passes instead of passports from next week following an agreement between the Chinese and Vietnamese governments.

According to StarCruises, the vessel operator, they have agreed to accept laissez-passes for tourists from Sanya in China and Ha Long and Da Nang in Viet Nam.

Any tourist with an identity card can ask for a laissez-pass to travel from Sanya to Ha Long and Da Nang for three days and two nights on the SuperStar Aquarius which is expected to bring 130,000 tourists to Viet Nam in the next five months.

More locals travel abroad

Some 120,000 people from HCM City and neighbouring provinces travelled abroad by air and land last month. According to the city Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, around 80,000 left via Tan Son Nhat Airport, an increase of 20 per cent over last year, while the rest left through the Moc Bai border checkpoint in Tay Ninh Province.

HCM City-based travel agencies reported growth rates of 10 to 30 per cent despite higher tour prices than during normal days.

Tour operators profit during Tet

Major HCM City-based travel firms such as Saigontourist, Ben Thanh Tourist, Fiditourist, Vietravel, and Lien Bang Travelink reported good sales during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays.

Saigontourist had around 100 tourist groups leaving for domestic tours to Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Da Lat, Ninh Chu, Buon Ma Thuot, and Tuy Hoa.

Vietravel said it sold 30,000 tours, a 30 per cent rise from last year. The most popular destinations were Ha Noi, Ha Long, Sa Pa, Bai Dinh, Trang An, Hue, Phong Nha, and Quang Binh.

Fiditours said it served some 18,000 customers, 10,000 on domestic tours and 8,000 on overseas tours. Tours to Asian destinations such as Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea were the most popular.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

This entry was posted on February 4, 2012 at 3:06 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/travel-in-brief-32.html

During the visit, the PM stressed Vietnam’s significant achievements under the leadership of the communist party in social-economic development despite the global economic crisis and the preservation of national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

He also hailed the air force, singling out Regiment 940 and Division 372 in particular, for their contribution to the achievements.

Although Vietnam is living in peacetime, it’s necessary to build a fully integrated and effective national defense and armed forces, PM Dung emphasized.

The army should always be vigilant and ready to respond promptly to any potential threats to the country as well as to deal with attempts of sabotage by reactionary forces, he added.

The PM also urged them to master high-tech armament to contribute to national sovereignty protection.

Below are photos of the visit, by the Vietnam News Agency.

VNA

This entry was posted on February 3, 2012 at 1:06 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/prime-minister-nguyen-tan-dung-visits-the-air-force-2.html

The document is preserved in the worshipping house of the Le family, said the Tam Ky Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Feb. 1.

The decree, which was issued in 1838 by the chief of Nam Nghia province (now Quang Nam and Quang Ngai province), assigned Le Van Uoc as chief of the Quang Nam left fleet No. 1, in charge of the Hoang Sa archipelago.

Uoc was a member of the Le family in former Ha ward, Hoa Thanh commune, Ha Dong district (now Ha Thanh village, Tam Thanh commune, Tam Ky city).

The Le family also kept an order issued by the chief of Ha Dong district, telling Uoc to recruit seafarers for the fleet.

VNA

This entry was posted on February 3, 2012 at 2:06 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/more-evidence-on-hoang-sa-fleet-collected.html

President Truong Tan Sang. (Photo: Internet)

The four-day visit comes at the invitation of Lao Party General Secretary and President Choummaly Sayasone.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

This entry was posted on February 3, 2012 at 3:06 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/president-sang-to-visit-laos.html

 

Three high-profile Vietnamese patients who had successful treatment for unusual conditions this year are having their happiest Tet in a very long time.

Nguyen Duy Hai, 32, is recovering at FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after a 82-kilogram tumor was removed from one side of his body earlier this month.

The two women who aged rapidly due to rare dermal conditions, Nguyen Thi Phuong from the poor Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Mai of Hoi An, are getting better.

The young women made headlines last October with photos showing them looking 30-50 years older than they actually were.

Hai said “This Tet I have the biggest joy of my life. I feel a lightness. I have got rid of the giant tumor that I had to carry for 30 years.

“To be able to live a normal life like other people is amazing.”

His mother Nguyen Thi Cho Con said though they celebrated Tet in the hospital, “the festival never felt happier.”

Hai was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type I, formerly known as von Recklinghausen’s Disease, a genetic disorder. But he has been free of the biggest tumor ever known in Vietnam thanks to a 10-hour operation led by US plastic surgeon McKay McKinnon on January 5.

Doctors are surprised at the speed of Hai’s recovery, after he became stable just six days after the surgery instead of the several weeks they had expected.

They suggested that his recovery was psychosomatic, attributing it to his desire for a normal life.

Hai and his mother had some sweetened fruits on New Year’s Eve. He said he loves other Tet delicacies such as glutinous rice cakes and pickled onions but is on a strict diet.

His room is visited frequently by doctors and nurses, and is filled with laughter and animated conversation about his future plans.

After being discharged he will continue to get physiotherapy until he can walk, and he said he would then learn a job to take care of himself since his mother is old.

Younger

Phuong, 27, said the festival this year had been special to her and her husband.

She was discharged from hospital in mid-December and has been taking drugs since. Doctors will soon resume treatment.

The treatment began after skin samples sent to Baylor University in Texas, the US, confirmed that Phuong had two conditions – cutis laxa, a group of rare connective tissue disorders in which the skin becomes inelastic and hangs loosely in folds, and mastocytosis, a rare disorder caused by the presence of too many mast cells.

“This Tet I feel like having a burden lifted. I’m getting younger for the new year, and so feel more comfortable about meeting my relatives and neighbors,” Phuong said.

Her husband Nguyen Thanh Tuyen said he is trying to help her interact normally with people.

He said they had the happiness of celebrating the festival with other people. “We could join our families in visiting graves, sit with them at the New Year’s Eve party, and visit their homes,” he said.

Mai, 28, also said her spirit was up since her condition improved after free treatment at Hoan My Hospital in Da Nang last October.

“Thanks to the media, many people have helped me, the hospital has helped me. I think that since others have not given up on me, I should not give up.”

During the New Year many strangers called on her just to show their support.

Mai’s mother Nguyen Thi Mut said “People’s attention has cheered up my daughter. Tet this year has been happier than ever.”

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Article source: http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/02/tet-happier-than-ever-for-tumor-aging-patients-after-treatment.html