Vietnam news in brief - October 2

Vietnam submits next World Heritage candidate to UNESCO

The Chua Dong (Bronze Pagoda) on Yen Tu Mountain, Quang Ninh Province. Photo: Truong Giang/The Hanoi Times

Vietnam will submit to UNESCO by December 31 to inscribe the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son-Kiep Bac Relic Complex as a World Heritage Site. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will assist Vietnam in reviewing the profile and making changes if necessary.

The relic complex covers three northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, and Bac Giang. It is an irreplaceable link in the network of Truc Lam Buddhism, which took root in Vietnam in the 13th century and became the national religion.

Vietnamese students studying in Italy welcomed

The Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Students' Association in Italy held a ceremony last weekend to welcome Vietnamese students studying in the southern European country. At the event, the freshmen were introduced to administrative procedures and helped to settle down in Italy.

The event is organized annually, and this year's edition is part of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Italy, which falls on March 23. The Vietnamese Students Association in Italy was founded in August 2007 and now has about 1,000 members.

Using technology to preserve Vietnamese heritage and culture

Phygital Labs, a technology startup founded by two former Google engineers, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UNESCO Center of Information (Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations) on October 1 to develop the project "Applying Technology to Preserve and Develop Vietnamese Heritage," which uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and blockchain technology to create a unique digital identity for each physical product, ensuring the transparency and authenticity of the product in both the physical and digital space.

Accordingly, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) technologies can be applied to bring physical products into the digital environment, adding value and making them an important part of the digital economy.

Australia to support Vietnam's airport development

The Australian Government's Aus4Transport project will provide approximately US$450,000 to Vietnamese government agencies to review the 2021-2030 development plans for Cam Ranh, Danang, and Phu Quoc international airports.

The Australian agency will assist Vietnam in a feasible plan for Con Dao airport and organize a workshop on capacity building for relevant parties.

Of the three international airports, Phu Quoc is expected to handle about 10 million passengers per year by 2030 and 18 million passengers per year by 2050.

Vietnamese cartoons aired on Chinese television

The Wolfoo Happy Family movie is viewed more than 2 billion times a month. Photo: Sconnect Vietnam

The popular cartoon "Wolfoo Happy Family", produced by Sconnect Vietnam, has been approved for broadcast by the National Radio and Television Administration of China.

According to the license issued on September 1, 2023, the cartoon has a total of 100 episodes, each lasting three minutes.

Vinhomes subsidiary to undertake two billion-dollar projects

Vinhomes subsidiary Thai Son has registered to develop a VND17 trillion (US$700 million) urban area project in the northern province of Tuyen Quang and a VND6.4 trillion (US$263.5 million) golf course project in the nearby province of Bac Giang.

Thai Son Construction Investment Corporation is the only company that has sought approval to implement the My Lam - Tuyen Quang Resort Urban Area Project. The investor has also registered to develop the Nham Bien Mountain Golf Course project in Yen Dung District, Bac Giang Province. These two projects have a total investment value of VND23.4 trillion ($1 billion).

Hanoi to build new water station

Hanoi will invest about VND4 trillion (US$164.5 million) in building Lien Mac Water Pumping Station in Bac Tu Liem District, which will pump water from the Red River into the Nhue River and other local waterways for irrigation and create a new gate to fight floods.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2030, with the first phase to be finished in 2025.