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| Foreign tourists visit Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi. |
VNA cited the saying of Mark Harrison, ECA general manager for Asia, that with excellent infrastructure and facilities, low crime rates and little exposure to socio-political tensions, Singapore remains a very attractive location for expatriates. However, other regional locations have improved, and the gap between Singapore and other locations has fallen.
In Southeast Asia, there have been small but significant improvements in transport infrastructure, health services and recreational facilities in several locations. These cities have become more attractive to expats, for examples, Jakarta (Indonesia) moving up from 213th to 196th spot, Phnom Penh (Cambodia) from 200th to 184th and Hanoi from 160th to 144th.
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Hanoi moves up 16 places to 144th in a global ranking of the world's most liveable cities
(Photo for illustration/ Source: tienphong.vn) |
The ECA's Location Ratings evaluate cities worldwide to assess the overall quality of living for expats in over 500 locations across the globe. The ranking is based on various liveability factors, including availability of health services, housing and utilities, access to a social network, recreational and leisure facilities, infrastructure, climate, personal safety, socio-political tensions and air quality.
Ninh Binh seeks UNESCO’s enhanced support in heritage preservation
The northern province of Ninh Binh, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, wants to integrate into the global network of heritage cities and towns to learn preservation and tourism development experiences through UNESCO, VNA quoted the saying of Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Doan Minh Huan on January 19.
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| Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Doan Minh Huan (L) and Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam Jonathan Baker. (Photo: VNA) |
At a working session with a UNESCO delegation led by Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam Jonathan Baker, Huan laid stress on UNESCO’s important role in the province’s socio-economic development in the past years, elaborating with the UNESCO recognition since 2014, the Trang An complex has helped to promote local economic restructuring and tourism development.
Ninh Binh is striving to build a millennium urban heritage site and a creative city with outstanding values, he said, adding as a wide range of challenges have been recognised in the work, including the preservation and promotion of heritage values, climate change and urbanisation, the province hoped to receive further support from UNESCO to mobilise international resources in archeological and biodiversity research, and projects to develop and pilot advanced preservation measures.
Ninh Binh also expects to receive assistance from and close coordination with UNESCO to build a UNESCO charter or declaration on the Trang An landscape complex, he added.
Over the past decade, the heritage site’s values have been well preserved, making it a centre to enhance cultural exchanges, attract investment, and develop sustainable tourism, he underscored, saying the site has created livelihoods for local residents and become a role model in sustainable economic and tourism development in tandem with the protection of the environment and cultural values.
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| Ninh Binh is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. (Photo: VNA) |
Huan took this occasion to thank UNESCO and its office in Hanoi for accompanying the province to nudge Trang An closer to the world, and expressed his hope that Baker will have a successful tenure in Vietnam, helping to strengthen the cooperation between UNESCO and Vietnam as well as its localities, including Ninh Binh.
Baker, for his part, expressed his impression of the achievements that Ninh Binh has recorded, and spoke highly of the province’s strategy to turn itself into a millennium urban heritage site amidst climate change challenges that have adverse impacts on heritage sites.
Pledging enhanced support for Ninh Binh in the coming time, Baker said UNESCO Vietnam will organise international cooperation forums, helping localities with striking similarities share preservation experiences with each other.
UNESCO stands ready to back Ninh Binh to engage in the global network of heritage cities and towns, and successfully hold a celebration to mark 10 years since the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex earned the UNESCO recognition as the world's cultural and natural heritage site, he added.
Vietnamese 'ao dai' fashion week opens in Japanese prefecture
According to VNA, a Vietnamese 'ao dai' (traditional long dress) fashion week kicked off in Fukuoka prefecture on January 18 as part of the Homeland Spring Festival 2024 of the Vietnamese community in the Kyushu region of Japan.
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| Some "ao dai" designs by Ngoc Han shown at the week's opening ceremony on January 18. (Photo: The World and Vietnam newspaper) |
The event, lasting through January 21, will feature 10 'ao dai' collections of four Vietnamese designers, namely Ngoc Han, Cao Minh Tien, Che Quyet Tien, and Tran Thien Khanh. The designs will be presented by professional and amateur Vietnamese models from both the home country and Kyushu.
In her opening remarks, Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai said the first 'ao dai' week in the prefecture is a chance for Vietnamese people as well as Japanese and international friends to enjoy more than 160 sets of 'ao dai' by the famous designers, thus helping introduce the traditional costume of Vietnam and promote tourism in Fukuoka and Kyushu.
She described each 'ao dai' as a work of art, noting that by combing the colours of blue-and-white porcelain and obi (fabric belt of the kimono) of Japan with 'ao dai', the designers aim to highlight the two countries’ cultural confluence and popularise Vietnamese cultural values to the world.
Wearing the traditional costume of Vietnam, Vice Governor of Fukuoka Omagari Akie said she was surprised by the diversity of 'ao dai' designs, materials, and colours, and that she hoped the week will help enhance cultural understanding between the people of the two countries.
Inoue Hirotaka, Vice Chairman of the Japan - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance in Fukuoka, expressed his delight that the year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of an agreement on boosting friendly exchanges between the prefecture’s administration and the Hanoi People’s Committee.
A delegation of the Fukuoka administration is set to start a visit to Hanoi on January 22 on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the two sides’ friendship to further step up cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, thereby contributing to the Vietnam - Japan relations, he noted./.