Tea producers complain that it has become difficult to collect raw materials because Chinese businesses have flocked to cultivation areas to collect tea leaves directly from farmers.
“Vietnam’s tea industry is now upset,” said Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, secretary general of the Vietnam Tea Association, at a recent annual meeting of the PPP Working Group under the Sustainable Development of Agriculture Vietnam (PSAV).
Vietnam has 130,000 hectares of tea growing areas, located in 34 cities and provinces nationwide. One hectare of ordinary tea can bring income of VND20 million and one hectare of high-yield tea VND60-90 million.
Hong said the exchange rate fluctuations do not have big impact on the tea industry, but it is becoming more difficult for tea companies to sell tea.
Also according to Hong, more Chinese businessmen from companies registered under Vietnamese names have appeared in material growing areas to collect tea and offer offer high purchase prices.
While domestic companies can pay VND20,000 for one kilogram of tea leaves, Chinese pay VND30,000.
Eighty percent of tea output is exported to many markets.
Chu Xuan Ai, director of the Tan Binh Technology & Trade Development, said his company exports products to Russia, where Vietnam’s tea is more expensive than China’s and is preferable. Some Chinese traders label their products as Vietnamese products to sell at higher prices in Russia.
Exports on the decrease
Reports showed that in July 2018, Vietnam exported 10,000 tons of tea products worth $18 million, raising the total export amount in the first seven months of the year to 67,000 tons, worth $109 million, a decrease of 12.9 percent in quantity and 9.3 percent in value compared with the same period last year.
Vietnam’s major markets in the first half of the year were Pakistan, which imported $29.9 million (32.8 percent of total exports), Taiwan $12.6 million (13.8 percent), Russia $11.1 million (12.1 percent).
Vietnam’s tea also went to China ($7.2 million), Indonesia ($4.4 million) and the US ($3.8 million).
The first half of the year witnessed the resurgence of Pakistan, the biggest export market for Vietnam. The exports in June 2018 rose sharply by 62.8 percent over May and 62.5 percent over June 2017.
As such, the exports to the market in the first half of the year increased by 1,300 tons, or 10.9 percent compared with the same period last year.
The Philippines is the emerging market for Vietnam. Its imports in the first half increased by 8.4 times and import value by 21.7 times in the first half, though the country is not among Vietnam’s 10 major markets.
In a Hanoi pagoda, people visit their dead pets with incense and trays of food favored by their erstwhile companions.
Do Uyen placed a fruit plate on an altar and lit an incense stick.
“Are you sad? Rest here and play with your friends,” she whispered.
The Hanoi resident is one of thousands of residents who have chosen the Te Dong Vat Nga pagoda as the final resting place for their pets. As of now, the pagoda is home to around 5,000 deceased pets.
Uyen is also among the pet owners who visit the pagoda on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month to pray for their dead pets.
The Te Dong Vat Nga pagoda was founded by Nguyen Bao Sinh, a poet residing in Hanoi. He had thought of a pet graveyard for a long time, but the idea only manifested into reality in 2000.
The seventh lunar month (August in solar calendar), also called the “month of the ghost” in Vietnam, is when people remember and pay tribute to those who have passed. Now, this extends to the pets they loved.
Sinh attributes the establishment of the pagoda to an early love and compassion for animals. “When I was young, I would bury even a dead butterfly,” he said.
The pagoda is meant to meet a spiritual need, he said.
“In the past, when we are too poor, no one buried a dead dog… But as our country develops, people have greater religious needs. Te Dong Vat Nga, according to Buddhist philosophy, means that people and animals are equal.”
Sinh said the month of the ghosts was the most crowded time of the year for the pagoda, attracting around 1,000 visitors.
This year, the praying ceremony is being held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m to accommodate more people than usual. The pagoda prepares various offerings including corn, sweet potatoes, yams, and cereals. Most people bring the favorite food of their pets.
Ha Anh, 30, has two cats buried in this pagoda. She has brought some sausages, flowers and snacks. These are the foods her cats liked. With the incense aroma permeating the quiet ambience, the quiet ambience filled with incense aroma, Anh played the song “River flows in you” on her speaker.
“On rainy days, I used to sit by the window holding the cats in my lap, talking to them, listening to music together…. That feeling is still intact, as if it was just yesterday,” she said.
Each of the 5,000 plus pets who are interred here has a carefully constructed grave with an an incense bowl, a gravestone with inscriptions of the years of birth and death, and pictures of the pet.
There are two crematoriums in the pagoda where about 10 employees provide the final rite for cats and dogs.
Le Quang Huan, 56, a resident of the capital city’s Dong Da District, lost his pet last February. He visits the dog’s grave on the first and the 15th day of every lunar month. “Today, I have brought some fruit and candies that he liked the most,” he said.
Van, 43, a resident or Thanh Xuan District, became emotional as she mentioned her three pets. “I have three ‘friends’ here. One dog died in March 2018.
“I was passing by this area once and heard about the pagoda, so I have them here. Today, when I see their pictures, I am moved,” she said, eyes welling up with tears.
Vietnam’s north-south high-speed railway is expected to cost $58 billion, according to a feasibility report released at a meeting Tuesday.
The 1,545-kilometer route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City will have double standard-gauge tracks of 1.435-m width and 23 stations, according to a consultancy consortium comprising Vietnamese firms TEDI, TRICC and TEDIS.
It will adopt the distributed traction technology used by Japanese high-speed trains.
Sixty percent of the tracks will be on viaducts, 10 percent underground and 30 percent on the surface, completely protected by fencing and without a single crossing.
Two sections – from Hanoi to the central city of Vinh and from the central city of Nha Trang to HCMC – will be built first in 2020-2030 at a cost of $24 billion, and commercial operations are likely to begin in 2032.
All sections are expected to be completed and operational by 2040-2045. Transport time from Hanoi to HCMC will be eight hours, while the current train takes 24 hours.
The speed of the trains on the route would determine the attractiveness of the project, the report said, explaining that if it runs at 200 kilometers an hour, it would only account for 2.7 percent of the transportation share on the Hanoi – Nha Trang section.
But if it increases to 350 kilometers, the share could reach 14 percent and the railroad could compete with airlines, it said.
The proposal is for trains to run at 160-200 km speed after the first section is complete, and 350 km when the entire project is finished.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said this feasibility report would be considered by authorities before being scrutinized by a European consultancy.
“The transport ministry will invite bids to select that consultancy.”
Efficiency unclear
Experts at the meeting said the consultants need to make the projects’ financials clear.
It should be divided into smaller sections to improve efficiency instead of the three large sections proposed now, Dr Nguyen Ngoc Long, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Bridge and Road Association, said.
“Whatever option is selected, the infrastructure must allow a speed of 350 kilometers an hour.”
Vu Hoai Nam, head of the urban railway faculty at the National University of Civil Engineering, said the feasibility report does not have a risk analysis.
“If there is no detailed analysis of the ability to recover the investment, clearance and exchange rate fluctuations, the risk will be high.”
The railroad would impact the passenger shares of airlines, putting pressure on the economy, and that should be taken into account, he added.
Revived
The north-south high-speed railroad was recently revived after being rejected by the National Assembly in 2010 due to its $56-billion price tag, which was half of Vietnam’s GDP then.
If approved by the government now, it will be submitted to the house again next year.
Experts said it might be more favorably viewed by the NA as well as the public due to Vietnam’s better financial position and greater demand for advanced infrastructure.
The existing 3,000-kilometer railroad network has not received any major investment since it was built 140 years ago, and does not have the capacity for high speeds.
Investment in railways currently accounts for only one percent of the transportation sector’s total budget.
The NA approved a plan earlier this month to upgrade it at a cost of $300 million.
There has been great variations in small-scale banks’ bad debts performance in the first half of the year, with some showing great improvements, while others struggle to cope.
According to VIR, the total bad debt volume of Ho Chi Minh City-based NamA Bank fell to VND391 billion ($17.3 million) by the end of June 2018, taking a 44.7 per cent plunge compared to the VND708 billion ($31.3 million) earlier this year, according to the bank’s financial statement.
Similarly, its bad debt ratio slid to 0.95 per cent from 1.95 per cent early this year.
Falling bad debts led to a sharp rise in the bank’s first half pre-tax profit, which touched VND335 billion ($14.8 million), three times as much as in the corresponding period of 2017.
NamA Bank is also the first bank reaching its full-year profit target, which was set at VND320 billion ($14.2 million).
By the end of June 2018, the total bad debts volume at BacA Bank amounted to VND436 billion ($19.3 million), making up 0.73 per cent of the bank’s total outstanding loan balance.
Its provisioning costs in the first six months shed 15 per cent on-year to VND210 billion ($9.3 million), leading to a 47 per cent jump in the bank’s total consolidated pre-tax profit which surpassed VND434 billion ($19.2 million), equal 47 per cent of the full-year target.
Also during the period, privately-held Kien Long Bank succeeded in tackling nearly VND150 billion of bad debts it had earlier sold to state-owned Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC). The bank had then posted VND121 billion ($5.4 million) in pre-tax profit, fulfilling 30 per cent of the year’s plan.
Apart from banks that saw positive developments in their bad debts, several other banks reported a worsening situation.
Bad debt volumes at VietBank rose sharply from VND387 billion ($17.1 million) early this year to VND547 billion ($24.2 million) by the end of June 2018. Its bad debt ratio rose from 1.35 to 1.73 per cent during the period.
A typical case of sharply rising bad debts among banks of modest size was Saigon Bank whose bad debts ratio surpassed 6 per cent at the end of June 2018, while the limit set by the state is 3 per cent.
Similarly, PG Bank saw a 12.9 per cent jump in its bad debts volume in the first half, which touched VND780 billion ($34.5 million) as of June 30, 2018.
Its bad debt ratio then inched up from 3.23 per cent earlier this year to 3.75 per cent by the end of the second quarter. PG Bank is in the process of merging with Ho Chi Minh City’s major commercial lender HD Bank in a deal which is expected to be wrapped up this year.
A typical case of sharply rising bad debts among banks of modest size was Saigon Bank whose bad debts ratio surpassed 6 per cent at the end of June 2018, while the limit set by the state is 3 per cent.
Since its establishment in October 2013 to the end of 2017, VAMC, dubbed as Vietnam’s bad debt bank, succeeded in recouping about VND81.5 trillion ($3.6 billion) of bad debts out of the VND307.9 trillion ($13.6 billion) total principal bad debt volume.
During the period, VAMC bought 26,221 debts of 16,269 customers of credit institutions.
to a 47 per cent jump in the bank’s total consolidated pre-tax profit which surpassed VND434 billion ($19.2 million), equal 47 per cent of the full-year target.
Also during the period, privately-held Kien Long Bank succeeded in tackling nearly VND150 billion of bad debts it had earlier sold to state-owned Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC). The bank had then posted VND121 billion ($5.4 million) in pre-tax profit, fulfilling 30 per cent of the year’s plan.
Apart from banks that saw positive developments in their bad debts, several other banks reported a worsening situation.
Bad debt volumes at VietBank rose sharply from VND387 billion ($17.1 million) early this year to VND547 billion ($24.2 million) by the end of June 2018. Its bad debt ratio rose from 1.35 to 1.73 per cent during the period.
A small village on the southern coast of New Zealand is planning to implement a radical plan to protect its native wildlife: ban all domestic cats.
Under the initiative, proposed by Environment Southland, cat owners in Omaui will have to neuter, microchip and register their moggies with local authorities.
After their pet dies, cat lovers in the community will then not be allowed to get any more.
It sounds extreme, but it may be something more communities should be considering: after all, cats are responsible for the death of billions of birds and mammals each year – and, according to some, it is all our fault.
Dr Peter Marra, the head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre, has authored journals and books on the issue.
Contrary to preconceptions about him, he insists he is not anti-cat or against cat ownership.
“Cats make wonderful pets – they’re spectacular pets! But they shouldn’t be allowed to roam outside – it’s a really obvious solution,” he told the BBC.
“We would never let dogs do that. It’s about time we treat cats like dogs.”
In Omaui, officials say the measure is justified because cameras have shown roaming cats preying on birds, insects and reptiles in the area.
“So your cat can live out its natural life at Omaui happily doing what it’s doing. But then when it dies, you wouldn’t be able to replace it,” bio-security operations manager Ali Meade explained.
Under the plan, anyone not complying would receive a notice, before officials would remove the pets – but only as an “absolute last resort”.
The initiative is part of the regional council’s proposed regional pest management plan, which was opened for consultation on Tuesday.
John Collins, chairman of the Omaui Landcare Charitable Trust, championed the ban to protect “high-value” nature reserves there.
‘We’re not cat haters, but we want our environment to be wildlife-rich,” he said, the Otago Daily Times reports.
How big a problem are cats?
The debate about cat populations and local eco-systems is not unique to Omaui.
Conservation scientists have long warned about the impact of feral and outdoor cats on the global eco system – and they’ve been ranked among the 100 worst non-native invasive species in the world.
Dr Marra believes cat-owners need to take more responsibility for their animals — Source: TIM ROMANO/SMITHSONIAN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTIT
Dr Marra says 63 species extinctions around the world are now linked to the booming cat populations. The problem is exacerbated in areas with very sensitive eco-systems, like New Zealand.
“It sounds extreme,” he says. “But the situation has got out of control.”
He believes cat-lovers around the world need to embrace a “different mind-set” toward the animals. He believes they should be adopted where possible, then neutered and exercised at home using toys, or in a controlled environment – for example, on a leash.
“This predicament is not the fault of cats – its humans’ fault,” he insists.
Because of their popularity on social media and in memes, the global pet population shows no sign of abating.
“They are just cute – everything about them, which makes this whole thing more difficult.”
Accurate estimates are hard to ascertain, but in the US there are about 86 million pet cats – roughly one in every three households.
Unquantifiable amounts live stray or feral, meaning huge casualties in the environment.
It is estimated that as many as four billion birds and 22 billion mammals are killed by cats in the US every year.
Even in the UK, populations are on the decline, and experts blame cats. The Mammal Society says that about 55 million birds are falling casualty each year.
‘Natural-born killers’
It’s not the first time cats have been painted as a menace in New Zealand – a country boasting a feline in almost half its households.
They’re a hot issue in Australia too, where feral and outdoor cats are blamed for millions of native species’ deaths every night.
The nation has been funding grassroots culling initiatives since 2015, boasts the world’s largest cat-proof fence and has even considered introducing a national curfew for domestic cats.
Councils and state governments have been taking the cat problem into their own hands – forcing cats to stay indoors at night, implementing household quotas and mandatory identification and neutering.
Nevertheless, initiatives against felines remain controversial. Last year animal rights groups laid particular scorn at one Queensland local council who were offering $10 bounties for feral cat scalps.
PETA Australia paid for billboards to warn of the risks after the local bounties were announced — Photo: PETA
In Omaui, residents told local media they were “shocked” and “hoodwinked” by the proposed ban and have vowed to resist it.
Nico Jarvis, a local resident who says her three cats help combat rodents in her house, compared the proposal to a “police state”.
”It’s not even regulating people’s ability to have a cat. It’s saying you can’t have a cat,” she told the Otago Daily Times.
Paw Justice, a New Zealand-based non-profit that focuses on animal abuse, posted about the plan on Facebook, questioning the evidence behind it.
Cat-lovers on the group’s Facebook page reacted angrily to the news and pointing out that poisons, cars and humans also damage native species.
Local residents have until the end of October to register their submissions to Environment Southland’s plan.
Chinese yuan will be allowed for payment in the border areas between Vietnam and China.
According to VNS, the announcement was part of Circular No 19/2018/TT-NHNN, which will take effect from October 12 this year.
Besides the yuan, traders and residents in the border areas of Vietnam and China, can also use Vietnamese đồng or fully convertible currencies, such as the US dollar, Euro or Yen, for payment of goods and services.
In addition to individuals, some other organisations will be subject to the new regulation. They include commercial banks and branches of foreign banks licensed to conduct foreign exchange transactions in Vietnam; branches of banks located in border areas and border-gate economic zones of Vietnam and China; organisations trading in duty-free goods; organisations providing services in isolated areas at international border gates; organisations engaged in bonded warehouses in border regions; the Vietnam-China Border Gate Economic Zone; and other organisations and individuals conducting payment activities in Vietnam-China border trade.
Payment can be made through banks or in cash in đồng or yuan, according to the circular.
Economic and trade co-operation between China and Vietnam has become increasingly close in recent years, and there is huge demand and an increasing trend toward yuan settlement in Vietnam.
Vietnam has overtaken Malaysia to become the largest trade partner of China in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Total trade revenues between Vietnam and China were estimated at US$66 billion in the first half of 2018, with the average monthly trade turnover between the two countries having exceeded $10 billion for the first time in history.
Zero-dong tours have been launched in many localities, creating challenges for state management agencies.
Commenting about the zero-dong tour boom, the Da Nang City Tourism Department said this is a form of competition in price among travel firms, mostly applied to the Chinese and South Korean markets.
The increase in the numbers of Chinese and South Korean travelers has helped generate more jobs, bring higher income, polish the city’s image, stimulate real estate demand, and encourage investments in hotels and restaurants.
The department affirmed that offering low-cost tours is a growing tendency among travel firms, which not only happens in Vietnam, but also in other regional countries.
According to UNWTO, 135 million Chinese traveled abroad, an increase of 6 percent over 2015 and spent $261 billion, up 12 percent. This explains why many countries, especially Southeast Asia, want to attract Chinese travelers.
Ngo Quang Vinh from the department commented that low-cost tours is a ‘phenomenon of the market economy’ which can be seen in many cities/provinces such as Quang Ninh, Da Nang and Nha Trang.
The majority of Chinese travelers to Quang Ninh over the last few years were under zero-dong tours.
In high season, which lasts from October to April, the Mong Cai international border gate in Quang Ninh province receives 10,000 Chinese travelers each day.
Pham Ngoc Thuy, director of the Quang Ninh provincial Tourism Department, also said China is one of the most important markets for Quang Ninh’s tourism, creating thousands of jobs and bringing revenue of VND2.4 trillion in 2017 alone.
However, analysts warned that zero-dong tours and Chinese travelers bring problems rather than benefits and called for a ban on zero-dong tours in Vietnam.
Failure to collect tax and a dollar drain are the most visible consequences.
Nguyen Van Hung, director of Ky Nghi Da Nang, said the money paid by Chinese travelers at the shops in Vietnamese territory returns to China via online payment services with Alipay and WeChat.
In May 2018, appropriate agencies discovered a transaction of VND200 million via POS at a shop in which the money did not go through the Vietnamese banking system, but went directly to China.
The Da Nang Tourism Department admitted that there are many shops that sell low-quality products at exorbitant prices, thus spoiling the city’s image.
The same thing is happening in Quang Ninh. On April 27, Ha Long City authorities suspended a shop specializing in selling medicinal herbs to Chinese travelers because the shop overcharged travelers by VND80 million.
In the first six months of 2018, Da Nang agencies discovered 20 Chinese and three Koreans illegally working as tour guides, imposing a total fine of VND322.5 million,
Anthony Bourdain spent countless weeks on the road every year exploring different cultures and inviting viewers of his TV shows to join him on his culinary adventures around the world. However, the late author and celebrity chef, who died of suicide earlier this summer, credited Vietnam as the place that really changed his life.
Now, one travel company is making it easy to explore the country Bourdain loved so much just as he did with a brand new 14-day tour that hits nine cities and retraces the globe-trotting chef’s footsteps there.
The itinerary for A Tribute to Anthony Bourdain: Taste of Vietnam was curated by the Vietnam-based tour company Exotic Voyages, and takes travelers on a 14-day, 13-night excursion around the Southeast Asian country visiting a number of the eateries featured in various episodes Bourdain filmed there, among many other activities. The tour is also led by Diep Nguyen, who worked with Bourdain on the 2016 Parts Unknown episode through North Vietnam.
The tour is jam-packed and guaranteed to give you a great taste of the country’s rich culture, kicking off in Ho Chi Minh City with a clay pot rice dinner at a Bourdain favorite, Com Nieu restaurant, which can be seen in episode 10 of No Reservations’ fifth season. Then, after catching a show at the Opera House, it’s off to the Ben Tre province, and a cruise along the Chet Say River. Some other highlights include a stop at the Japanese Thanh Toan Bridge, a visit to Hoi An’s Central Market, and a scooter tour through Phung Hung Street in Hanoi. The Hanoi stop also includes a jaunt to the small restaurant where Bourdain famously dined with President Barack Obama (the chairs and table they sat at are now preserved in a glass case).
As with any trip befitting of Bourdain, there will also be plenty of opportunities to enjoy Vietnam’s many delicious street foods.
The tour is all-inclusive, which means all meals, accommodations, and transportation are covered (except for airfare to and from Ho Chi Minh). That also means that it’s pretty pricey, with rates starting at $3,755 per person. Still, for any Bourdain super-fan out there looking to see Vietnam like the man himself, you really can’t do much better.
If you’re interested, read up on all the details and secure a reservation at ExoticVoyages.com
Two founders of Vietnamese tech companies were listed in the Southeast Asia’s top 30 tech founders this year by technology and start-up platform techinasia.com.
They are Tran Ngoc Thai Son, founder of e-commerce platform Tiki, and Le Hong Minh, CEO of VNG Group.
According to a report on VNS, Southeast Asia is home to many smart and inspirational founders who have started companies that have fetched millions or even billions of dollars in funding.
In the past two years, funding raised by the region’s start-ups rose threefold, soaring from 2.52 billion USD in 2016 to 7.86 billion USD in 2017.
Southeast Asia’s top 30 tech founders list features entrepreneurs who run a start-up and they are ranked based on their personal track record and their firms’ public data (funding, revenue and valuation), using data from the past two years.
They are placed into three groups based on their company’s size: the up-and-comers, established entrepreneurs and industry giants.
Singapore is home to the top 20 founders while Indonesia has four.
Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia each have two in the list.
Le Hong Minh, VNG CEO, an established entrepreneur, turned his interest in gaming into a sprawling business. He helped make VNG into one of Vietnam’s largest internet companies, focusing on online gaming and content, social networking and e-commerce.
VNG has been expanding rapidly since its establishment in 2017. It reported a record 186.3 million USD in revenue and 41 million USD in net profit last year, up 41 percent and 70 percent year-on-year, respectively.
Tran Ngoc Thai Son, founder of Tiki, an e-commerce platform that sells more than 300,000 products in 12 categories, is among the outstanding up-and-comers.
Two years after foundation in 2012, Tiki raised funding from CyberAgent Ventures and became the only e-commerce company to receive capital from Japanese Sumitomo Corporation. It also has drawn interest of Chinese e-retailer JD.com, which joined its series C funding round in 2017.
It claims to have the lowest return rate among all Vietnam-based ecommerce companies, and that it has grown in triple-digit rates six years in a row.
Tiki is planning to raise a series D funding round to finance the development of new services and mobile applications.
The organiser Vietnam National Trade Fair and Advertising Company said equipment for professional and individual sports, multi-functional gym systems, swimming pools, franchise of sport centres, vitamin supplements for sport players, health index gauging tools, and sport fashion will be displayed on a site of over 3,000 sq.m.
Major brands in professional sport equipment and infrastructure such as Sodex Toseco, Mizuno, Dong Luc, Delta, or sport fashion such as Anta, 361 Sport, Alzado, Attivo and Bigfun will join the event – Vietnamnet reported.
The show will offer promotions and seek partners in building sport centres, franchise or distribution.
According to Google Vietnam, words related sports were common in terms of searching.
In another study, the topic of sports ranked second on the media in terms of discussions with 18 percent, only behind music (20 percent) and above movie (17 percent).
At present, roughly 20 percent of Vietnamese population play sports, equivalent to 18 million which is increasing. High achievements at domestic and foreign tournaments also encourage physical exercises and sports playing at all ages.
South Korea beat Vietnam 3-1 in the Asian Games semi-finals on Wednesday thanks to Lee Seung-woo’s double and if they retain the title it would have significant ramifications for striker Son Heung-min’s professional career – Reuters reported.
Son, who plays for Premier League club Totttenham Hotspur, provided the assist for the second goal before being substituted in the 72nd minute. He would be exempted from mandatory military service if South Korea win the competition.
All able-bodied South Korean men must complete 21 months service in the military as a deterrent against the North, but exemptions are offered to athletes who win gold at the Asian Games or a medal of any colour at the Olympics.
“We deserved to win, we had lots of chances to score,” 26-year-old Son said after the victory. “I think we are better players so we dominated the game.”
The champions, who will play Japan or the United Arab Emirates in Saturday’s final, grabbed an early lead when Lee scored the first of his two goals with a left-foot shot after Hwang Ui-jo tumbled trying to meet the through pass.
Hwang made amends just before the half-hour when Son fed him a through pass which he chipped over goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung.
Vietnam’s occasional attacks mostly faltered before reaching the opposition box and South Korea keeper Jo Hyeon-woo was barely tested by a couple of tame long-range strikes.
Lee scored again 10 minutes into the second half when he latched onto a pass from Hwang Hee-chan.
Vietnam finally got on the scoresheet when Tran Minh Vuong buried a curling free-kick into the net in the 70th minute.
Son said neither he nor his team mates felt any pressure.
“We are so close to gold. We fight for that. I don’t need to say anything, I am ready for that.”
The defeat broke the hearts of hundreds of Vietnamese who thronged the Pakansari Stadium blowing vuvuzela, playing cymbals and waving flags.
Tommy Nguyen, a tour guide, said at least 300 Vietnam fans made a one-day trip to Jakarta to watch the match.
“We love the Vietnamese under-23 team, especially the Korean coach (Park Hang-seo),” said Ngo Thanh Tung, a fan from Halong Bay.
“That’s why even though we had to cross such a distance, are tired and had to pay a lot of money, we are here today,” added the 40-year-old.
Writing by Amlan Chakraborty in Jakarta, editing by Ken Ferris
Vietnam attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) of nearly 19.1 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of this year, showing a year-on-year decline of 4 percent, according to a report by Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency on 29 August 2018.
Specifically, the country licensed 1,918 fresh FDI projects with total registered capital of roughly 13.5 billion U.S. dollars, up 18.1 percent in project number and up 0.2 percent in registered capital, while seeing 736 operational FDI projects increase their capital by nearly 5.6 billion U.S. dollars, down 12.8 percent against the same period last year. Xinhua reported.
“Most of the enquiries send to us for investment consulting services came from small and medium investors, while last year we spent more times for large size investors”, said Ms. Sophie Dao, Partner of GBS, a legal and business consulting firm in Vietnam.
Among the FDI of nearly 19.1 billion U.S. dollars in the eight-month period, 48.8 percent was poured into the local processing and manufacturing sector, and 28.8 percent in real estate trading, said the agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
The capital city of Hanoi got the biggest amount of registered capital of 5.1 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 37.8 percent of the total, followed by the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau with 13.1 percent, and the southern province of Binh Duong with 4.9 percent.
Japan was the biggest investor with more than 5.8 billion U.S. dollars, making up 43.4 percent of the total, tailed by South Korea with 20.9 percent, and Singapore with 7 percent.
From January to August, realized capital of FDI projects in Vietnam stood at nearly 11.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 9.2 percent on-year, the agency said.
In the period, foreign investors also spent roughly 5.3 billion U.S. dollars buying shares or contributing capital to Vietnamese firms, up 50.9 percent.
Hanoi, the heart of Vietnam, is appreciated by millions of international visitors thanks to its centuries old French style architecture, diverse culture, attractive points of interest, friendly people and superb cuisine. Check out our tips to explore the best Hanoi has to offer.
Best time to travel
Autumn, which falls from early September to late November, is an ideal time to visit Hanoi. The weather is milder and drier, without the scorching sun of summer, making it the perfect time for sightseeing.
However, visiting Hanoi later in the year is also an interesting experience as holidaymakers can enjoy hot and tasty dishes in the chilly winds of winter.
Autumn in Hanoi falls from early September to late November
How to get there
There are a lot of airlines providing flights to Hanoi from all around the world, including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar and Qatar. Visitors can also get in by train or sleeper bus.
Where to go and what to do
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the highlight of the city’s tourism sector. With its dense population and busy trading activities, it is an ideal place to explore the traditional and unique features of Hanoi.
While Ho Chi Minh City is famous for Bui Vien, which is dubbed “Western street” for backpackers, Hanoi’s Old Quarter is known for its “international crossroad” at Luong Ngoc Quyen – Ta Hien intersection, where visitors can have a few cold and fairly cheap fresh beers at the end of the day for a price of only VND10,000 (US$0.43) for a tall glass.
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is known for its “international crossroad” at Luong Ngoc Quyen – Ta Hien intersection
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a place you shouldn’t miss when in Hanoi. This was the place where President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, marking the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The mausoleum is open to visitors every day, except Mondays and Fridays. Visitors to the site are required to wear appropriate clothes and to act with respect. The site is free for Vietnamese citizens, while foreigners have to pay VND25,000 for a ticket to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and VND25,000 to the President’s stilt house.
Another must-see tourist attraction in Hanoi is the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s oldest university. Tickets cost VND30,000, people with disabilities and students with ID cards enjoy a 50% discount, while children under 15 can visit free.
Where to eat and drink
Pho (Vietnamese noodles) is a perfect choice to start a new day in Hanoi. With prices ranging from VND25,000 to VND40,000, Pho can be served at any time of the day in Hanoi. Two of the most popular types of pho are beef noodle soup and chicken noodle soup.
Other suggestions for breakfast include banh cuon (steamed rice pancake rolls), mien luon (vermicelli with eels), xoi (sticky rice), and of course, banh mi (fresh bread with tasty fillings).
Bun cha, a delicious and filling dish comprising charred and crispy slices of seasoned pork served with a bowl of fish sauce-heavy broth, a basket of herbs and rice noodles, can cost from just VND25,000 to VND35,000. Bun cha often comes with the delicious nem cua be (fried crab spring rolls).
Afternoon is a great time to have a cup of egg coffee. You might have to pay VND15,000 to VND20,000 to savour the creamy, rich taste of a sweet and eggy custard poured onto the dense Vietnamese coffee.
Afternoon is a great time to have a cup of egg coffee.
Fruit juices, smoothies and che (sweet beverages) are available at kiosks along Dinh Tien Hoang and Nguyen Huu Huan streets around Hoan Kiem (Sword lake).
For dinner, cha ca (grilled catfish seasoned with dill and shrimp paste) is a can’t miss dish for visitors to Hanoi. When the dark of night fills the sky, visitors can join Hanoians at the bustling corner of Ta Hien – Luong Ngoc Quyen streets to taste the iconic street food of Hanoi, including nem chua ran (fried fermented pork rolls), nem chua nuong (grilled fermented pork rolls), grilled chicken feet, and roasted quails with honey.
Where to stay
Over recent years, the home stay industry has mushroomed in Vietnam and Hanoi in particular, with prices ranging from VND 550,000 to VND1.5 million per night for a room.
Some suggestions include O’Hanoi (33B Pham Ngu Lao), Tuti Downtown (98 Hang Buo), and Little prince home (8B Yen Hoa).
There are also budget hostels with full accommodation and equipment from VND200,000 to VND800,000. For those who want to enjoy a luxury retreat in Hanoi, there are many five-star hotels such as the Sheraton and Sofitel Metropole.
How to get around Hanoi
You can take a taxi, a xe om biker or a bus to get around Hanoi. If you are brave enough to ride a bike through the hectic streets of Hanoi alone, you can hire a bike for between VND50,000 and VND150,000 a day to save money.
The red open top buses take visitors to the 30 most popular local tourist attractions
Recently, the city has launched a double-decker city Hop on – Hop off tour, offering visitors three price options, starting at VND 300,000 for a ticket valid for four hours, VND 450,000 for 24 hours, and VND 650,000 for 48 hours.
The red open top buses cover a route of 25 streets with 13 stops, taking visitors to the 30 most popular local tourist attractions. The 13.8 km tour operates from 9am to 5pm daily with a frequency of 30 minutes.
The Legislature is poised to OK the addition of freeway signs promoting the city-designated Vietnamese business and cultural hub in San Diego’s mid-city area. The move is the latest effort to brand the Little Saigon Cultural and Commercial District in City Heights as a destination.
The resolution from Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, directs Caltrans to price out the cost of cultural landmark signs for the Little Saigon region, which the Little Saigon San Diego Foundation will cover.
Gloria said the highway postings are a step toward a larger goal.
“Our vision for Little Saigon is something similar to what we now have in Little Italy. A number of years ago it wasn’t what it is now, but now it’s where everyone wants to go,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
The Assembly must still approve Senate amendments to the resolution, but a Caltrans spokesman said discussions with the Little Saigon San Diego Foundation are already underway.
The city of San Diego formally recognized the six-block region along the border of the City Heights and Talmadge communities in 2013. The area recently received a new mural from a traveling artist, and the Foundation is part of a collaborative art project to collect and present stories from the Vietnamese community.
Community groups also plan to include the Little Saigon region in its application for a state-designated multicultural district.
Communities of cultural and historic significance must meet certain criteria before a freeway sign will be considered, and it doesn’t appear that legislative action is always required. According to a Senate analysis, there wasn’t clear indication Caltrans would move forward with the signs even though the area met requirements.
“The author has received mixed messages from Caltrans over how to ensure the signs are erected. This resolution is the surest way,” the analysis said.
Mai House Hospitality Group has appointed UK firm Mace to project manage the construction of a new luxury golf and hotel resort in Hoi An, Vietnam.
Designed to resemble a Vietnamese lantern, the five-star Mai House Hoi An resort will be on the main beach road between Hoi An and Danang, covering a gross floor area of 105,000 sq m.
It will be the first hotel project secured by Mace’s Vietnam business, which will provide design, project and construction management.
Mace said the resort has been designed in the style of a Vietnamese lantern and has been modelled on the Burj al-Arab in Dubai, but on a greater scale.
It will have 300 rooms, 50 villas, 100 apartments, and 100 shop houses in front of the golf course, Montgomerie Link.
John Campbell, General Director for Mace Vietnam said: “We are very excited to be involved in this iconic five star hotel project. The work done with the client over the last six months has paid off and the delivery promises to be an exciting one for all involved.”
