My Son - national treasure





Jan. 24 (VNA) -- The Cham ruins at My Son have survived nearly 2000 years, the ravages of war and a harsh tropical climate. But last December UNESCOEs Heritage Committee moved to safeguard their future by bestowing a world heritage listing on the site and the nearby ancient town of Hoi An.

Vietnam's ambitious education programme




Ha Noi, Jan. 24 (VNA) -- Viet Nam is working to have between 85 and 95 percent of all children complete primary school depending on the conditions of their region by 2010; 80 percent of children aged between 12 and 18 graduate from junior secondary school and the remainder receive different forms of junior secondary education the same year.

Overseas Vietnamese to enjoy one price in Vietnam





Ha Noi, Jan. 19 (VNA) -- Overseas Vietnamese will pay the same for services and public transport as homeland Vietnamese, says the Foreign Ministry's Commission for Overseas Vietnamese.

The change is part of the effort to encourage more investment from overseas Vietnamese.

Commission Chairman Nguyen Dinh Bin says the one-price policy is likely to be applied in the first quarter of this year.

Overseas Vietnamese to enjoy one price in Vietnam





Ha Noi, Jan. 19 (VNA) -- Overseas Vietnamese will pay the same for services and public transport as homeland Vietnamese, says the Foreign Ministry's Commission for Overseas Vietnamese.

The change is part of the effort to encourage more investment from overseas Vietnamese.

Commission Chairman Nguyen Dinh Bin says the one-price policy is likely to be applied in the first quarter of this year.

Help given to Agent Orange victims



Ha Noi, Jan. 20 (VNA) -- Hundreds of Agent Orange victims in Ha Noi have benefited from a programme launched by the city's Red Cross, Farmers and Gardeners Associations as part of their joint effort to relieve the victims' suffering.

A three-phase programme that kicked off in 1997 has provided victims with capital and know-how to help improve their daily life by practising gardening and farming work.

Air route linking Thailand, Laos, Vietnam to be opened



Ha Noi, Jan. 21 (VNA) -- Commercial representatives of the nine northern provinces of Thailand have agreed to open a new international air route linking Thailand, Viet Nam and Laos from February, 2001.

The new international air route will be established in accordance with an agreement on economic and transport cooperation reached between China, Thailand, Laos and Viet Nam last year.

Traditional Lunar festivals in Vietnam





Ha Noi, Jan. 21 (VNA) -- Similar to other Asian countries, Viet Nam has several annual fetes and festivals, the most exciting being the Lunar New Year or Tet.

All of the traditional Vietnamese festivals follow the lunar calendar and the new moon is celebrated every month of the year. The most important of these, of course, is the Lunar New Year known as Tet Nguyen Dan.

Hanoi Flag pole as a national cultural and historical relic



Ha Noi, Jan. 21 (VNA) -- Long considered one of the most famous sights in the capital, the Thang Long-Ha Noi flag pole has been standing for over a century now. At a height of 34 metres, it towers over every other building in the capital, and has been classified as a national cultural and historical relic.

PetroVietnam production projection in 2001




Ha Noi, Jan. 18(VNA) -- The Viet Nam Oil and Gas Corporation (PetroVietnam) plans to pump 16 million tonnes of crude oil and bring ashore 1.8 billion cubic metres of gas in 2001.

PetroVietnam last year had pumped more than 16 million tonnes of crude oil, 5,000 tonnes more than 1999 and brought ashore 1.55 billion cubic metres of gas, including 1.2 billion cubic metres for the production of electricity.

As a result, the company earned almost USD 3.5 billion from the export of 15.4 million tonnes of crude oil.

Vietnam attends ASEAN tourism conference




Ha Noi, Jan. 17 (VNA) -- A Viet Nam Tourism Administration (VTA) delegation led by VTA Deputy Director General Pham Tu attended the fourth conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) tourism officials held in Brunei from Jan. 9-16.

Participants appraised the achievements by ASEAN countries in the past year when ASEAN welcomed 37,534 million international visitors, 9.5 percent more than 1999.

Viet Nam achieved the highest increase -20 percent- or 2.13 million international tourists.

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