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The biggest takeaway of the Mekong Paddle Adventure is the “surprises” for a man who spent almost his whole life going on adventures.  Adventurer, author, and speaker Dave Ellingson ready for the Mekong Paddle Adventure in March 2023. In many ways, the 600-mile kayak journey Mekong Paddle Adventure became the Mekong River Adventure as we, a group of four American kayakers, gained broader and deeper experience from the month-long journey through Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam that ended in late March 2023. In the Mekong River, we soon learned that the weather was much hotter than we expected. The thermometer usually read between 95- and 100-degrees Fahrenheit (35-37 degrees Celsius). We didn’t expect the hazy skies from smoke caused by farmers burning their rice paddies during the dry season. Our inflatable kayaks didn’t move as fast as we expected, and our aging bodies didn’t have as much stamina as we hoped. I thought a fitting description of our adventure was Linge...

The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism financed the public library renovation project at Hanoi Library. The project was aimed at improving the quality of amenities at Hanoi Library, moving toward building a reading-culture space. The renovated public library will advance cultural discussions and exchange, spread knowledge, and enhance the mental health of Hanoi readers. The first phase of the project, from November to December last year, focused on designing and decorating the space of the library’s first floor. The second and third floors of the library had their reading space decorated and refurbished from December 2022 to April this year. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the refurbished library, vice-chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha said that the public library renovation project backed by South Korea is one of many cultural activities helping solidify the Vietnam-South Korea friendship. The activity also beefed up the t...

Delegates at the event. Photo: toquoc.vn Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue and President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernández attended a special music show in Santiago de Cuba city on April 22 (local time), which marked the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Vietnam and the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro Ruz’s visit to Vietnam and the newly liberated zone in Quang Tri province, VNA reported. Fidel was the first and the only foreign leader to visit the newly-liberated area in the south of Vietnam during the anti-US resistance war. He also took the initiative in the international movement to support Vietnam’s struggle for national independence and reunification, along with its process of national development and defence. The park named after him in Quang Tri was inaugurated in 2018 on the occasion of the 45 years since the Cuban leader’s visit to the liberated region i...

Thay Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam, is a popular tourist destination.  Located on the stunning Sai Mountain in Sai Son Commune, Quoc Oai District, about 20 kilometers from downtown Hanoi, the special national relic appears tranquil in the hazy mist. Every year, from the fifth to the seventh day of the third Lunar month (from April 24-26), the lively Thay Pagoda Festival is held in honor of Tu Dao Hanh, a revered Vietnamese Buddhist monk who lived from 1010 to 1225.  The Thay Pagoda Festival this year falls from April 24 to 26. Photo: Duy Khanh/The Hanoi Times  The Thay Pagoda Festival consists of two parts: the ceremonies and the folk performances, featuring a wide range of ancient worship rituals passed down from generation to generation.  The Moc Duc or “statue bath” with fragrant water boiled from five kinds of leaves is considered the most important ritual performed by the respected elders of the area. ...

Nguyen Thuy Linh meticulously selects silk fabric scraps in complementary colors to complete her landscape collage. If painters paint with brushes, she paints with silk pieces, scissors and glue. The collage comes to life under her skilled hands”. Linh was a disabled and depressed woman before working at Vun Art, a cooperative for people with disabilities. Scraps revived While working as a kindergarten teacher, she suffered a bone ailment that rendered her unable to walk. Her marriage also ended at the same time. Becoming a disabled person and unable to continue with her old job, she felt bored. Her life was almost deadlocked as she had to raise a child alone while her parents were old and frail. She had locked herself at home for four years.  Members of Vun Art are people with disabilities.  Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times Linh learned about Vun Art while watching  Viec tu te (Good work) program on the VTV3 channel. Vun Art Cooperative was founded in...

Toronto conference spotlights Vietnam growth after 48 years of reunification. Photo: VNA About 45 Canadian scholars and experts gathered at an online conference in Toronto on April 24 to discuss the development of the Vietnamese nation and people after 48 years of national reunification. Philip Fernandez from the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Society (CVFS) said that the historical milestone of the victory on April 30, 1975 was a start of Vietnam’s success in various fields, especially economy, diplomacy and human development towards the UN targets. Vietnamese Consul General in Vancouver Nguyen Quang Trung recalled the difficulties that Vietnam burdened after the national reunification and affirmed its achievements in economy and external relations that have been recognised by the international community. The results show extraordinary efforts of Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, he stated. The diplomat noted that Vietnam has posted ...

Vietnam defends world aerobic championship 2023 The Vietnamese team of five won the World Aerobic Cup 2023 championship in Tokyo, Japan, on April 23. Photo courtesy of MeloGym Vietnam retained its crown at the World Aerobic Cup 2023 in Japan on April 23 for the battle of the five teams. The Vietnamese gymnasts scored 19,844 points to win the tournament. France and host Japan were the runners-up with 19,167 and 18,544 points, respectively. In the battle of three teams, Vietnam won the second place with 19,600 points, 285 points less than the champion France. Vietnam also won a second place in the pairs competition and two third places in the single male and single female categories. After the 2023 World Aerobic Cup held in Japan’s capital Tokyo from April 20-24, the Vietnamese gymnastics team will compete in the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia. Ship examination ex-official prosecuted for bribery and corruption On April 23, HCM City police charged Nguyen Tuan Anh, depu...