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Archive for July 4th, 2010|Daily archive page

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Cholera returns to northern region

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:10 pm

Cholera has broken out again in Vietnam’s northern region, the Department of Preventive Medicine said July 3.

Cholera patients being treated at a hospital in Hanoi (file photo: Suckhoe&Doisong)

The Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases said it is now treating 36 people infected with acute diarrhea, with 18 of them having tested positive for cholera.


Hospital director Dr Nguyen Van Kinh said that most of the patients are from inner Hanoi. Two patients have suffered kidney failure as they were hospitalized too late, he said.


According to a recent report, most of the patients with cholera consumed unhygienic foods.


In related news, the number of people contaminated with dermatitis due to contact with insects has been increasing in the northern region.


Hai Phong Province saw hundreds of people hospitalized with swollen faces, necks, chests and legs.


Doctors said that the rains, which followed the rice harvest, made insects such black butterflies and some species of ants homeless. The insects usually fly into homes at nighttime, clinging to human clothing and bodies.

Source: SGGP

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Tourism artistic photos on display

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:10 pm




Tourism artistic photos on display


QĐND – Sunday, July 04, 2010, 20:55 (GMT+7)

The award presentation ceremony of the fifth National Tourism Artistic Photo Contest took place in Hanoi on July 1, coinciding with the opening of an exhibition showcasing the outstanding photos.


The contest and exhibition, entitled “Vietnam – My Homeland”, are activities to mark the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam’s tourism industry (July 9, 1960-2010).


The contest, launched in October 2009, had received 4,426 colour as well as black and white photos, including 121 photo sets of 456 photographers from 51 provinces and cities nationwide. Hanoi recorded the largest number of contestants with 112 photographers.


The Organising Board selected over 136 works for the final round and display. Hanoian photographer Ta Quang Bao won the special prize with his set of photos entitled “Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) Gongs” while the first prize went to Tran Cao Bao Long from Ho Chi Minh City.


The exhibition, open at 29 Hang Bai, Hanoi, will last until July 5.


Source: CPV/VNA


Source: QDND

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New Afghan war commander set to formally take reins

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:10 pm

 US General David Petraeus was Sunday to formally take up his new role of commander of the Afghan war in a ceremony at NATO’s headquarters in the capital Kabul.


The ceremony will mark his assumption of command over the 140,000 US and NATO troops in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban-led insurgency.


All 47 nations that make up NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were due to be represented at the gathering, to be presided over by General Egon Ramms, Commander Joint Forces Command.


Petraeus arrived in Kabul on Friday to take over from US General Stanley McChrystal, sacked last month by President Barack Obama for insubordination.


Afghan President Hamid Karzai (R) and commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, US General David Petraeus, meet at the Presidential Palace in Kabul July 3.

In a Saturday meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Petraeus emphasised the slogans for his mission would be “unity, transparency and accountability”, the president’s press office said.


The pair spoke about corruption concerns after billions of dollars in US aid was blocked last week in the wake of a newspaper report that cash for Afghanistan was being siphoned and shipped out of Kabul on commercial flights.


Karzai rejected the graft allegations as “baseless”, his office said, yet added both he Petraeus agreed “anti-corruption was the main part of the war against terrorism and emphasised cooperation to reduce it”.


The four-star general made his public debut on Saturday at the US embassy in Kabul at a reception to mark the Fourth of July American Independence Day.


In a short speech to an invited crowd of 1,700 — including the American community, Afghan cabinet ministers and VIPs, diplomats and aid workers — Petraeus said the war, now in its ninth year, was a joint effort.


“This is an effort in which we must achieve unity of effort and common purpose. Civilian and military, Afghan and international, we are part of one team with one mission,” he said.


“On this important endeavour, co-operation is not optional.”


Observers have said Petraeus faces a tricky task to bring peace and secure a face-saving exit for allied troops fighting the Taliban.


He arrives as the deaths of US and NATO soldiers are touching record highs in intensified fighting, along with questions about the wisdom of committing huge resources in manpower and money to what could yet be a lost cause.


His appointment as commander of international forces in Afghanistan has been welcomed by local officials, including President Hamid Karzai, who is increasingly seen in the West as a loose cannon.


But analysts have urged Petraeus to make immediate adjustments to turn around rapidly a war seen as bogged down to the Taliban’s advantage.


Despite assurances from Obama, and Petraeus himself, that the change of command does not mean a change in strategy, the general has already hinted some tweaks could be in the air.


Troops have complained that McChrystal’s “courageous restraint” rule, aimed at minimising civilian casualties, prevents them from properly defending themselves — thus contributing to the spike in casualties.


A total of 102 foreign soldiers died in June, almost triple the May toll and far outstripping the previous highest monthly figure of 77 in August.

So far in 2010, more than 320 troops have died, compared with 520 for 2009.

“The biggest challenge for David Petraeus is the Afghan government and president Karzai himself,” said political analyst Haroun Mir.

“If the Afghan government does not collaborate, if president Karzai does not own this war, then it will be very difficult for Petraeus to improve the situation.”

“With the arrival of general Petraeus… we hope there will be some pressure on president Karzai to fix his government and fight corruption,” he added.

Source: SGGP

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Poland votes for new president

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:09 pm

Poles voted Sunday in an election forced by the air-crash death of conservative president Lech Kaczynski, in what looks to be a tight race between his bereaved twin and the governing liberals’ candidate.


Pitting conservative ex-prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski against liberal acting president Bronislaw Komorowski, it marks the latest chapter in a bitter power struggle between the two camps.


Lech Kaczynski perished on April 10 when Poland’s presidential jet crashed in Smolensk, western Russia as it landed for a World War II commemoration. A total of 96 people died, among them his wife, senior politicians and military top brass.


Under the constitution, speaker of parliament Komorowski became acting head of state.

Poles voted Sunday in an election forced by the air-crash death of conservative president Lech Kaczynski, in what looks to be a tight race between his bereaved twin, pictured, and the governing liberals’ candidate

Still reeling, Poland was battered in May and June by the worst floods in decades which killed 24 and forced thousands from their homes.


“This election began with a tragedy. I hope it will end with a great success for Poland,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski said at a rally before a campaign blackout began at midnight Friday.


Final opinion polls suggested a close call, with floating voters holding the key. Komorowski’s support ranged from 45 to 54 percent, and Kaczynski’s, 42 to 45 percent.


Lech Kaczynski came from behind to beat liberal Donald Tusk — now prime minister — in the 2005 presidential election.


Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of the conservative, eurosceptic Law and Justice party, was his twin’s premier in 2006-2007 but lost a general election to Tusk and Komorowski’s Civic Platform.


Thereafter, Law and Justice counted on Lech Kaczynski, who used his presidential veto powers 18 times to block government legislation.


With an eye on their core voters — older, small-town or rural residents, in contrast with younger, urban liberals — the twins battled welfare reforms and a new privatisation drive.


Tusk’s government underscores that on its watch, Poland was alone in the 27-nation European Union in posting economic growth last year amid the global crisis.


Lech Kaczynski had been expected to seek a second five-year term in an autumn ballot, but tipped to lose to Komorowski, who pledged to build consensus on the fractious political scene.


Since launching his audacious bid to replace his twin, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 61, has struggled to shake off his divisive reputation.


“You have the choice between a politician who harbours resentment and grudges, and the future, with an optimistic vision of Poland,” said Komorowski, 58, at a rally.


Komorowski took 41.5 percent of the vote in a June 20 first round, short of the 50 percent required to win outright. Kaczynski scored 36.5 percent.


Left-wing Social Democrat Grzegorz Napieralski scored an unexpectedly-high 13.7 percent. Seven other candidates all took below two percent.


Both Komorowski and Kaczynski have since courted the left.

Surveys show most of Napieralski’s electorate will back Komorowski, drawn by pledges for more equality for men and women in politics and to pull Polish troops out of Afghanistan, but also due to antipathy towards Kaczynski, long known for broadsides against the left.

Kaczynski has pushed a pro-welfare message and even praised a past communist leader as a patriot. The Social Democrats emerged from the communist party after its regime fell in 1989.

Law and Justice and Civic Platform share roots in the anti-regime movement Solidarity, which Kaczynski tapped at a rally.

“Today’s choice is between cold neo-liberalism and a Poland based on solidarity, a Poland that is fair,” he said.

Sunday’s vote is a test before parliamentary polls in late 2011.

It will also be watched closely elsewhere in the EU, which Poland joined in 2004, because the Kaczynskis regularly clashed with fellow leaders.

The nation’s 31 million voters have until 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) to cast their ballots.

Source: SGGP

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Textiles and garments need steady growth

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:09 pm




Textiles and garments need steady growth


QĐND – Sunday, July 04, 2010, 20:55 (GMT+7)


Although textiles and garments have experienced constant growth, there are still serious problems facing the sector such as a labour shortage and reliance on imported materials.

Positive signs of growth


After seeing an average growth of 30 percent in recent years, Vietnam is now one of the world’s 10 biggest textile and garment exporters, accounting for 2.7 percent of the global market. In addition to finished products, Vietnam’s cotton fibre is now becoming popular in markets such as Turkey and Brazil.


With an export turnover of US$4.8 billion in the first two quarters of 2010, up 17 percent compared to last year, and US$1.4 billion more than that of crude oil, textiles and garments are now leading the major export products of Vietnam.


The US is now Vietnam’s biggest market with a growth rate of 15 percent, followed by Japan with 10 percent, and new markets like Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, and ASEAN.


In the US and Japanese markets, Vietnam’s textile and garment products hold the second biggest share after China. Vietnamese businesses also have contracts to export their product through the end of the year.


It seems quite possible for businesses to meet the target of earning US$10.5 billion by the end of this year, says Le Quoc An, chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association.


Vietnam’s textile and garment sector currently has many advantages in attracting importers, raising its prestige and the competitiveness of its products.


However, the sector is facing many problems caused by the fluctuation of the financial market, prices of materials, and workforce.


Labour shortage


The labour shortage is one of a serious problem that puts pressure on textile and garment businesses.


Nguyen Ngoc Lan from Nha Be Garment Company said that although his company has signed contracts to export products through the first quarter of 2011, he is very worried about the shortage of workers.


It is, therefore, very necessary ensure the workforce for the production by boosting the productivity and increasing salaries for workers, Lan said.


Businesses are also looking forward to the state’s support policies, said Lan, adding that the department of taxation and the customs office need to hold workshops to help export businesses iron out snags.

Over-reliance on imported materials


In addition, the local garment sector relies too much on imported materials. The sector’s exports were valued at US$4.8 billion in the first half of this year, while its import of materials cost US$3.7 billion in the first five months, up 33.5 percent compared to a year earlier.


Economists say that Vietnamese garment and textile products are likely to enjoy more favourable competitive advantages in US and EU markets than Chinese products of the same kind which will have higher prices after China’s adjustment of its currency exchange rate relative to the US dollar on June 22, which increase the value of the Chinese yuan, driving up the price of Chinese garment materials.


However, they estimate that about 70 percent of Vietnam’s imported garment materials come from China, so the surging price will also lead to rising production costs for made-in-Vietnam products. Furthermore, the local garment sector is still facing difficulties in retaining partners and improving product quality to meet demanding foreign markets.


Senior economic expert Bui Kien Thanh emphasises that those products using a high proportion of imported materials from China will not have an export advantage. Only those products using locally-made materials will benefit, he adds.


Creating high added-value for garment products


The garment sector is striving to produce more materials domestically to ensure sustainable growth.


The Prime Minister has approved a cotton-growing project which will be implemented through 2015.


The Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) also plans to invest more than VND1,400 billion in creating a higher added-value for home-made products. The group is cooperating with the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) to build the Dinh Vu fibre plant in the northern port city of Hai Phong, which is expected to meet the sector’s demand.


Moreover, four garment and dye centres will also be established in Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Long An and Tra Vinh provinces to encourage domestic and foreign businesses to invest in producing garment and textile materials.


Developing material input has become an urgent task of the garment sector to reduce production costs and increase competitiveness in the global market. Export growth must match for the increasing added-value of each product so that the sector can sharpen its competitive edge and account for a large proportion in the country’s export structure.

Source: VOV

Source: QDND

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US oil spill clean-up resumes in some areas

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:09 pm

Clean-up work gathered speed in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Sunday, but heavy swells kept many boats docked, halting efforts to fight the ecological disaster.


A Taiwanese mega-skimmer dubbed the “A Whale” was in position near the site of the leak and set to undergo 48 hours of “proof of concept” testing, Coast Guard spokeswoman Ayla Kelley told AFP.


The 300-yard (275-meter) long tanker can vacuum up 21 million gallons of oily water a day, separating oil from water and spitting the seawater back out.


Small skimming boats that have been patrolling the Gulf for the past 10 weeks have only collected 28.2 million gallons of oily water to date, and rough weather made seas off Louisiana too choppy for them to even go out Saturday.

Workers toss bags full of sand contaminated with oil into a dumpster in Louisiana

Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Parker at a Houma, Louisiana information center said crews were resetting protective booms along fragile coastal areas, but skimming and controlled burns of spilled crude had been halted.


However, around the Chandeleur Islands, a chain of uninhabited barrier islands and wildlife refuge at Louisiana’s easternmost point, boom and skimming operations resumed Friday, said a representative of Admiral Thad Allen, the top official overseeing the spill response.


“These are the most environmentally sensitive areas. The good news is that we saw only light oil and there were hundreds of boats working in the area resetting boom and skimming,” rear admiral Paul Zunkunft told reporters after he flew over the islands.


“The areas are critical to defend because they are home to turtles, shrimp and other wildlife,” Zukunft said.


Despite containment efforts, he warned: “We are not out of the woods yet.”


On Louisiana’s Grand Isle, cleanup crews darted in and out of makeshift shelters to fan out along oil-soiled beaches between thunderstorms, in the wake of the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season which sent oil faster and further inland, damaging the island’s fragile ecosystems.


“Usually it takes about two weeks for oil to reach the shoreline,” explained Anne Marie Gorden, Public Affairs Specialist with the Coast Guard. “But this is fresh oil,” she added, pointing to battered and oil-soaked rows of sandbags lining Fourchon Beach.


An estimated 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil per day has gushed from the ruptured well since the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig sank on April 22, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the coast of Louisiana.


A containment system has captured about 557,000 barrels of oil, but rough seas delayed the deployment of a third vessel that could boost capacity from 25,000 barrels to 53,000 barrels a day.


That means an estimated 1.9 to 3.6 million barrels — or 79.5 to 153 million gallons — of oil has now gushed into the Gulf.


Using the high end of that estimate, the spill has now surpassed the 1979 Ixtoc blowout, which took nine months to cap and dumped an estimated 3.3 million barrels (140,000 million gallons) into the Gulf of Mexico.


It is topped only by the deliberate release of six to eight million barrels of crude by Iraqi troops who destroyed tankers and oil terminals and set wells ablaze in Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf War.


And it will likely be mid-August at the earliest before the Gulf well is permanently capped by injecting mud and cement with the aid of relief wells.


Skimmers had been collecting about 12,000 barrels of oil a day before they were sent back to port after Hurricane Alex whipped up waves earlier this week, while about 8,000 barrels of oil was being burned off the surface.

But the spill has so far oiled at least 450 miles (725 kilometers) of US shorelines, 74 days into the worst environmental disaster in US history.

Admiral Allen said he hoped to have the third containment vessel, the Helix Producer, in place by Wednesday.

Once the Producer is working, officials will also have a better sense of just how much crude is leaking, “just by the visual evidence of how much oil is actually coming out around that cap,” Allen said.

They will then have to decide if the existing system should stay in place, or if it would be best to undergo a risky procedure to replace the cap with another system capable of capturing up to 80,000 barrels of oil a day.

“The decision window associated with that would be sometime in the next, I would say, seven to 10 days,” Allen said in a conference call Friday.

In addition to boosting capacity, the new system would also greatly reduce the amount of time oil could gush freely into the sea if crews had to evacuate due to a bad storm.

Meanwhile, Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson was headed to Pensacola, Florida to oversee coastal clean-up operations in the state, where tourist draws Miami and the Florida Keys face the likelihood of fouled beaches.

Source: SGGP

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Hanoi’s monorail to serve low-income earners

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:09 pm




Hanoi’s monorail to serve low-income earners


QĐND – Sunday, July 04, 2010, 20:55 (GMT+7)

Vinaconex General Director Xuan Mai, the investor in Hanoi’s monorail project, confirmed that the State must subsidize all other kinds of train.


VietNamNet Bridge interviews Huy about this project on VNExpress online newspaper.


VNExpress: Vinaconex proposed building a monorail from Hoa Lac to the West Lake. What can you say about the advantages and disadvantages of monorails in comparison with double rails?


Huy: Double-rail trains can transport high numbers of passengers at high speeds, so it’s suitable for longer routes. Monorail trains are good for short and medium routes, with average speeds of 70-80km per hour. In China, monorails are often from 20-40km long and double rails are used for longer distances.


The advantage of monorails is that less investment capital is needed. The total investment for the Hoa Lac-West Lake monorail route will be $8 million, just one fifth required for a double rail train.


In the current context, this advantage is very important, because Vietnam’s financial potential is limited. Moreover, monorails don’t require a lot of land.


VNE: Why did Vinaconex suggest building the Hoa Lac-West Lake monorail route?


Huy: Because this route will not require large-scale site clearance, so construction will be rapid.


The area needed to build stations is also small. We only need vast spaces for repairs and major stations, which can be built far from the city centre.


In the near future, many new residential areas will be built along this route. The Hoa Lac satellite town will also have from 500,000-600,000 residents, so a tramcar route is necessary.


VNE: What do you think about safety concerns for overhead monorail trains?


Huy: I don’t have specific statistics, but I can confirm that many countries use monorails, like Malaysia, China, Japan, Russia, USA, and Canada.



Monorails have been used for a hundred years and they have improved with the development of science and technology. We can build two separate rails for two directions. I know that there are no accidents recorded with monorail for the last 100 years.


VNE: How about the investment and ticket price for monorail?


Huy: We have not worked on the fare details, but I’m sure that it must be cheap to serve low-income earners, students, and workers. The investment capital can be regained within 20-30 years.


In other countries, investors regain their capital from monorails, whereas the State must subsidize all other forms of trains.


VNE: What do you think about the public’s habits? Can they adapt to this means of transport?


Huy: I think habits will change gradually. Using monorails, they will not face gridlock and the trains will run on time. It will take them only 10-15 minutes to reach their destinations for a 20km route with 10 stations. Moreover, as the monorail runs overhead, passengers can also see the city from above.


VNE: How will the train operate if Vietnam continues to have power outages?


Huy: The train can use two sources of power: one-way electricity from the power grid or diesel motors. We are considering which will be more appropriate.


The current power supply situation in Vietnam will affect monorail trains, but we can also use generators.


Source: VNN


Source: QDND

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India opens ultra-modern airport terminal

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:09 pm

 India inaugurated a multi-billion-dollar airport terminal in New Delhi on Saturday — a shiny glass-and-steel symbol of the country’s aspirations as an emerging global power.


The state-of-the-art hub, which cost nearly three billion dollars and can handle 34 million passengers a year, was showcased at a special ceremony by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of its mid-July public opening.


The airport, which will handle international and domestic travellers, was built in a record 37 months, with similar projects abroad taking more than 60 months, officials said.


“This airport terminal establishes new global benchmarks,” Singh said.


“It also highlights our country’s resolve to bridge the infrastructure deficiencies in our country.”

India inaugurated a multi-billion-dollar airport terminal in New Delhi on Saturday — a shiny glass and steel symbol of the country’s aspirations as an emerging global power.

The premier said the project was an “outstanding example” of public-private partnership — seen as the most viable financial model for India to execute big infrastructure projects as it eases the burden on government finances.


Built in time for New Delhi’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games in October, the terminal sprawls over four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) and boasts more than 90 automated walkways and 78 aerobridges.


“This is a demonstration of what India is truly capable,” Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said at the inauguration ceremony at Indira Gandhi International Airport, which was also attended by ruling Congress party president Sonia Gandhi.


The facility, built by a workforce of 40,000, is India’s third world-class airport after Hyderabad and Bangalore but dwarfs both.


It is the largest public building constructed in India since the country’s independence from Britain in 1947, according to the consortium that built it.


“It’s an advertisement of India’s ability to create world-class infrastructure,” economist D.H. Pai Panandiker, who heads the RPG Goenka Foundation in New Delhi, an economic thinktank, told AFP.


As Asia’s third-largest economy after China and Japan, India urgently needs to upgrade its dilapidated transport infrastructure, including ports and roads, which is seen as a major hurdle to accelerating economic expansion.


“Overcoming our infrastructure handicaps will remove some of the major handicaps to faster growth,” said Panandiker.


Construction of the terminal comes as India’s congested airport facilities are under increasing strain as travel demand surges in the world’s second most populous nation of 1.2 billion people.


The new terminal is part of government efforts to upgrade airports around the country, the ninth largest aviation market in the world.


The government expects an annual 10 percent increase in domestic air passengers to 180 million by 2020 while international traffic could top 50 million in another decade.


Mumbai, India’s financial capital, is set to get a new terminal by 2012.


India’s fast-growing aviation sector could draw up to 120 billion dollars in investment by the year 2020, the government says.

The new terminal was built by a consortium headed by south India-based GMR Group that included the Airports Authority of India, Germany’s Fraport and Malaysian Airports Holdings.

“This terminal shows the world that ‘Yes, we can’,” said GMR chairman G.M. Rao.

Source: SGGP

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Man charged in boat crash near Statue of Liberty

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:08 pm

A New Jersey man was charged with vehicular manslaughter after a boat crash near the Statue of Liberty that killed a groom-to-be and injured two other men.


New York City police said 39-year-old Richard Aquilone of Jersey City, N.J., was out on the water Friday evening with his wife, their 2-year-old daughter and two sons, ages 2 and 3, when their 30-foot boat hit a smaller craft.


Police said Jijo Puthuvamkunnath, 30, of Bergenfield, N.J., and two friends were in the 17-foot boat anchored off Liberty Island that was struck by Aquilone.


Puthuvamkunnath was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries. His two friends, both also 30, were treated for minor injuries.

In this July 2, 2010 image taken from video and released by WCBS-TV in New York, rescue teams respond to a fatal boat accident near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

No one on the larger boat was injured.


Aquilone was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs and endangering the welfare of a child.


He was arraigned on the charges Saturday. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Aquilone pleaded not guilty and bond was set at $50,000. She did not know the name of his attorney.


Puthuvamkunnath was due to marry his girlfriend, Sissy Chacko, on Aug. 28, said his aunt Aleyamma Varughese, who answered the phone at Puthuvamkunnath’s home Saturday.


“He was a very, very wonderful young man,” Varughese said. “He was loved by everybody.”

Source: SGGP

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Farmer makes 1,000 bamboo dragons for Hanoi millennium

In Uncategorized on July 4, 2010 at 4:08 pm




Farmer makes 1,000 bamboo dragons for Hanoi millennium


QĐND – Sunday, July 04, 2010, 20:55 (GMT+7)

A farmer from the northern mountain province of Hoa Binh has devoted seven years to growing and bending 1,000 bamboo trees into the shape of flying dragons to present them to Hanoi on its millennium anniversary scheduled for October this year.


Nguyen Van Nam said he drove to Soc Son district to buy the “golden” bamboo saplings to grow at home.


“This sort of bamboo is very flexible, not as hard as green bamboo which makes it easy to create shapes at will,” he explained.


To have 1,000 flying dragons, each with a height of 1.5 m, he had to grow 2,000 bamboo trees to have enough to select only the best. He had to bend the dragon a little every day over a long period of time.


After more than six years, the mountainous farmer has finished his work, turning his bamboo into flying dragons rising into the sky with pride.


Nam also grew three additional clusters of bamboo in the shape of the country and a huge “ngau” tree (aglaia) in the shape of the earth with the words ‘Hoa Binh’ (Peace),  as presents for Hanoi’s celebration.


“I would like to present the results of my hard work to the capital city as a token of the warming feelings of Vietnamese farmers,” he sad.


Over the past decade, Nam has presented bonsai trees for major events in Hanoi such as the SEA Games 22 and the ASEAN Summit.


In 1998, he bent a tree into the words ‘Bac Ho Vi Dai’ (Great Uncle Ho) to present to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.


Source: VNN


 


Source: QDND