Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi (Photo: laodongthudo.vn)
According to the Time Magazine, Phu Quoc island of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will be an ideal destination for foreign tourists to explore after it becomes the first tourist site in Vietnam to re-open for those who have COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
Known as the “jewel of Vietnam,” this teardrop-shaped resort and fishing island has become one of the fastest-growing destinations in Southeast Asia.
The island is expected to reopen to international travelers with vaccine passports for six months beginning in October this year, and continues to entice tourists with visa-free stays for up to 30 days.
Hanoi - the 1,000-year-old capital of Vietnam is embracing changes while maintaining a strong sense of identity”, the newspaper wrote.
This character is evident at Capella Hanoi, a 47-room hotel where architect Bill Bensley recreates the heyday of opera art.
Hanoi is one of the most ancient cities in Asia, offering great examples of both contemporary and classical architecture right in the city centre.
According to the magazine, Hanoi’s incredible street-food culture is another source of fierce civic pride.
“Lovers of pho, the city’s signature dish, were gratified when Pho Gia Truyen - one of Hanoi’s most legendary vendors - was recognised in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants “Essence of Asia” list in 2020, a collection of storied venues that represent the spirit of gastronomy in the region”, it wrote.
Meanwhile, HCM City is described as a centre of incredible foods that have never been short of admirers.
“Even so, it felt like a watershed moment when Anan—helmed by Vietnamese-American chef Peter Cuong Franklin—became the first venue in the country’s southern hub to earn a berth in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants”, it said.
Franklin’s inspired take on classics like pho and banh nhung is indicative of the culinary creativity at play in the city.
Notable recent additions to the local dining scene include Monkey Gallery, where chef Viet Hong merges Vietnamese, French and Japanese techniques and flavors, and Esta, a self-described “modern Asian eatery” with an ever changing, expansive menu that runs the gamut from smoked-eel pâté to veal sweetbreads, it added.
Farmers in Hai Duong begin harvesting longan for export
A conference was jointly held on August 5 by the Departments of Agricultural and Rural Development and Industry and Trade, and the authority of Chi Linh city of the northern province of Hai Duong to seek buyers of agricultural products and launch the harvest of longan for export in 2021.
Chi Linh longan for export (Photo: VNA)
Chi Linh city has 740 ha under longan with an estimated output of 4,000 tonnes, of which 52 ha have been granted cultivation area codes for export to the European Union (EU), Singapore, the US, Australia, and New Zealand, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
A representative of FUSA Organic Agriculture Joint Stock Company said that the firm will start to purchase and process longan for exporting to Europe in the next few days.
The company has shipped a number of batches of longan to the UK, France, and the Netherlands. It expects to export between 20-30 tonnes of Chi Linh longan to 300 supermarkets in the UK and EU member countries in 2021.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Chi Linh city authority has worked to connect with export businesses, food stores, supermarkets, and e-commerce platforms to sell longan. Thanks to the efforts, local longan has become available on the e-commerce platform voso.vn of Viettel Post at a price of 93,000 VND per 3kg.
Planting fruit trees is one of the advantages of Chi Linh district, with some typical fruits such as longan, litchi, custard apple, red flesh dragon fruit, and orange. Chi Linh longan has been granted a collective trademark.
The locality plans to develop 10 products meeting at least the three-star standards of the “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme in 2021.
Over 100 wind power plants to join national grid
As many as 106 wind power plants nationwide with a combined capacity of more than 5,655 MW have registered to conduct commercial operations and join the national grid, the Vietnam News Agency qouted the information of the Vietnam Electricity (EVN).
Photo for illustration (Source: EVN)
Based on the Ministry of Industry and Trade's circular on regulations on the development of wind power projects, If the plants want to recognise their commercial operation date (COD) before October 31, 2021, they must submit documents and files to EVN before August 3.
Investors of the plants were asked to promptly present their agenda which closely reports the projects' situation.
They were also requested to register only when all preparations are completed, in a bid to avoid any schedule changes and prolonged testing as well as ensure safe, stable and constant operations of the power system.
As of early August, 21 wind power plants with a total capacity of 819 MW had begun commercial operations./.