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Dinh Tien Dung, secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, urged local authorities on April 18 to start the restoration plan for Kinh Thien Palace in 2026. Visitors at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times The Hanoi Party chief said the plan must be in line with science and history, taking into account the advice of domestic and international experts. He said the restoration of the Kinh Thien Palace would greatly impact the capital’s tourism and cultural industries. “Drawing up the restoration plan must be completed by the end of 2025 so that construction can start the following year,” the official said at a meeting on heritage preservation. Hanoi also plans to spend VND14 trillion (US$596.2 million) on the reconstruction and conservation of heritage sites in the city. In addition to Kinh Thien Palace, city authorities plan to build the temple of Ngo Quyen, the Vietnamese monarch who ended over 1,000 years of Chinese rule in 938, an...

Members of all technical survey teams pose for a group photo in Tan Thanh commune, Huong Hoa district. Source: NPA Vietnam Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in Vietnam on April 18 announced that it concluded the Cluster Munition Remnant Survey (CMRS) of all accessible areas in the central province of Quang Tri. Specifically, NPA Vietnam has identified a total of 1.270 hazardous areas with a total land coverage of 615 sq. km contaminated with cluster bombs. Some 173 sq. km have been cleared by international non-governmental organisations and the provincial military high command, and the a total of 442 km2 Confirmed Hazardous Areas (CHA) are being categorised for future removal. The survey was carried out by NPA Vietnam, the Restoring the Environment and Neutralising the Effects of the War (RENEW) project, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN) which also engaged in the clearance of landmines with funding from the US Department of State. The wars in Vietn...

The People’s Committee of Hue City, which is the provincial capital, said on Tuesday that the preparation for the ninth Hue Traditional Craft Festival was completed. Following the success of the previous editions, this year’s event, titled ‘Quintessence of Vietnamese Crafts,’ will feature art performances and displays of local and international handicrafts.  The first fest was rolled out in 2005. The highlight of the ninth edition is a food festival themed ‘Quintessence of Noodle-Making Craft’ with an aim to honor Hue’s traditional craft. Other activities such as a culture-art exchange program, a street performance, and a flower garland and colored lantern fest will be organized during the 2023 Hue Traditional Craft Festival. Vo Le Nhat, chairman of the Hue People’s Committee, said that this year’s festival will focus on introducing unique products of traditional crafts in the city and other provinces and cities in Vietnam as well as in...

Films which will be shown include “Maika – Cô bé đến từ hành tinh khác” (Maika-The girl from another galaxy), documentaries “Trở về miền ký ức” (Return to the memory) and “Lửa từ thành cổ” (Fire from the citadel), as well as cartoons “Bạch Đằng nổi sóng” (Bach Dang Wharf) and “Giải cứu bò con” (Rescuing calves). “Maika – Cô bé đến từ hành tinh khác” (Maika-The girl from another galaxy) tells the tale of Hung, a boy whose mother dies. He then withdraws into a life of solitude until he meets Maika, a girl from another world looking for friends on Earth.  Maika was inspired by a character of the same name from the Slovakian children’s TV series Spadla z oblakov, or “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky”, a programme which aired from 1978 to 1983 and played in Vietnam. The fantasy movie represented Vietnam at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which was held in the United States. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has assigned the Cinema Department to co-ordina...

Featured films and documentaries on war and modern themes, such as “Life” by Dao Duy Phuc, “Father and Son” by Luong Dinh Dung, and “Yellow Flowers on Green Grass” by Victor Vu, will be screened for free at the Vietnamese film week that will run from April 24 to 27 in Hanoi.  Poster of the Vietnamese feature movie titled Father and Son, 2017, directed by Luong Dinh Dung  Screenings will begin at 7:30 p.m. daily from April 24-27 at People’s Army Cinema, 17 Ly Nam De Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. The specific screening times are as follows: “ Hoa Giai ” (Reconciliation) and “ Khuc Mua ” or (Song of Rain) on April 24; “ Ngay Cuoi Cung Cua Chien Tranh ” or (Last Day of War) and “ Sinh Menh ” (Life) on April 25; “ Song Va Ke Lai ” or (Life and Narrative) and “ Cha Cong Con ” or (Father and Son) on April 26; and “ Con Lai Voi Thoi Gian ” or (Remains of Time) and “ Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh ” (Yellow Flowers on Green Grass) on April 27. Audiences can enjoy...