Vietnam news in brief - October 12

November kicks off Lai Chau Cultural Festival and Tourism Week

The province of Lai Chau has been hosting a lot of cultural and tourism events to attract visitors. Photo: baovanhoa.vn

The first Ethnic Groups Cultural Festival and Culture and Tourism Week in the northern province of Lai Chau will be held from November 3 to 5. The event aims to showcase the beauty of ethnic groups with less than 10,000 members and promote Lai Chau tourism to visitors from all over the country.

The festival will also feature special competitions for adventure enthusiasts to conquer Lai Chau's mountain passes, such as the Lai Chau Off-Road Motorcycle Race in Tan Uyen District, the second Open Putaleng Vietnam Paragliding Tournament, and the first Open "Conquering the Peak of Ta Lien Son Mountain" Climbing Competition.

Vietnam launches the First Vietnam Global Singing Contest

The first global singing contest for all Vietnamese living worldwide has been launched. The contest is open to anyone aged 16 or older. Participants will compete in pop and ballads, folk and romantic songs, and the first prize for each category is worth VND300 million (US$12,270) in cash and kind.

The three winners and other final runners-up will go on a concert tour around the world in agreement with the organizer. The competition allows overseas Vietnamese to explore their talents and honor and preserve Vietnamese culture.

The registration deadline is October 2023, and the grand finale will be held in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of December 2023.

Vietnam's game industry to reach $1 billion in 5 years

Vietnam's game industry is expected to reach $1 billion in revenue within the next five years, up from $600 million at present, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

This goal is considered quite feasible, Google said during the Games Industry Showcase event on October 11, intending to make the Vietnamese game industry a global powerhouse. According to Google Cloud, four factors will contribute to the development of the game industry in Vietnam in the coming years: human resources, infrastructure, a young population, and the integration of modern technologies into game production.

Demand for green design and consultancy grows in Vietnam

The demand for green design and consultancy in Vietnam increased by 30% in 2022 compared to 2021. But many people misconstrue green and environmentally friendly projects as just planting more trees, which can have unintended consequences, said Ho Tan Duong, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Design Association (VDAS), at the VMARK 2023 Design Awards ceremony on October 11.

The number of green projects is becoming more diverse, covering various sectors from office buildings, government headquarters, hotels, and shopping centers to factories.

Vietnam advance to Asian Futsal tournament

Vietnam's national futsal team officially qualified for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup on 11 October after defeating South Korea 5-2 in their final qualifying match. Vietnam beat South Korea 5-1 in their last meeting at the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup.

The win put Vietnam at the top of Group D with 9 points, having scored 16 goals and conceded just three. The 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup will be held in Thailand from April 17-28, 2024.

Vietnam's highest arched bridge opened in Bac Ninh Province

The northern province of Bac Ninh officially opened the bridge connecting Tien Du and Thuan Thanh districts on October 11, making it the sixth bridge to cross the Duong River. The bridge, named after Kinh Duong Vuong, the first king of Vietnam, was completed after five years of construction. It is the highest steel arch bridge ever built in Vietnam with a maximum height of 67 meters.

The bridge stretches for more than 1.5 kilometers. It is designed with four lanes for cars and two sidewalks for pedestrians. The total investment for the project is VND1.9 trillion (US$77.7 million).