Happy Vietnam

A ceremony was held recently at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel to honour the recognition of Hanoi’s two traditional craft villages, Bat Trang ceramic village in Gia Lam district and Van Phuc silk village in Ha Dong district as members of the World Crafts Cities Network. The recognition, granted in late 2024, marks a significant milestone as these villages become Vietnam's first traditional craft communities to join the prestigious global network. They represent the 67th and 68th craft villages recognised worldwide, establishing Vietnam as the 28th country to receive this acknowledgement. The two craft villages are among the most famous ones in Vietnam as they still retain the traditions and preserves significant cultural and historical values. VNA Photo

Recently, a ceremony was held in Hanoi to launch the book series “Co kim truyen luc” in celebration of the 923rd birth anniversary of renowned figure To Hien Thanh. The four-volume series was composed in 1907, and its original woodblock prints in Chinese characters are still preserved. VNA Photo: Hoàng Hiếu

As a cradle for training ethnic minority cadres for disadvantaged areas of Ha Giang, Ha Giang province’s Boarding High School for Ethnic Minority Students constantly innovates and improves teaching and learning quality. The school has synchronously solutions to take care of students' lives and improve the quality of comprehensive education. VNA Photo: Minh Tâm

Digital banking services have achieved remarkable progress in recent years to betters serve citizens and businesses, according to insiders. Recent data revealed that more than 87% of Vietnam’s adult population now hold payment accounts at banks while many credit institutions are processing more than 95% of transactions through digital channels. The transformation has been backed by continuous upgrades of banking technology infrastructure. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) reported extraordinary growth in both mobile and QR code payment transactions, with average growth of over 100% over the past five years. The interbank electronic payment system now processes 830 trillion VND (32.83 billion USD) a day while the financial switching and electronic clearing system handles 20-25 million transactions daily. VNA Photo: Trần Việt

In the program "Border guards' adopt children", dozens of disadvantaged children have been fostered by border soldiers in border areas of the central province of Quang Tri. In 2024, border guards of Quang Tri province adopted 24 children. VNA Photo: Thanh Thuỷ

The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai – one of Vietnam’s coffee growing centres - is striving to develop its specialty coffee brand by focusing on increasing the quality and value of products. Over the past years, coffee production has contributed to creating direct and indirect jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers. As a result, the living standards of locals, including ethnic minorities, have gradually improved. VNA Photo: Hồng Điệp

Despite many ups and downs, Dao Thuc water puppetry in Thuy Lam commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi has been preserved, conserved and developed until today, thanks to the love and responsibility of generations of local people. VNA Photo

Every day, Le Thanh Tuc, also known as Chin Tuc (58 years old, residing in Binh Thanh commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province) spends 2 hours picking up trash on the 7-color stone beach to keep the sea blue and clean. VNA Photo: Hồng Hiếu

Poor households and policy beneficiaries in northern Lang Son province have had perferential loans from social policies that helped them developing crops and livestock as well as expanding production and business. VNA Photo: Trần Việt

Plum flowers are blossoming all across the mountains and forests in the northwestern province of Son La, drawing numerous tourists. VNA Photo: Quang Quyết

Tran Phuong Anh (born in 2001, in Lang Ha ward, Dong Da district) graduated from the Information Security major of the Cryptography Technical Academy. Putting aside personal plans, Phuong Anh wrote an application to join the army with the desire for a disciplined environment to train herself and contribute more to the country. Born into a family with a revolutionary tradition, with both parents in the army, the person who inspired Phuong Anh the most was her grandfather. He was a soldier and often told her stories about patriotism, team spirit and responsibility to the Fatherland. VNA Photo: Minh Đức

Vietnam's annual military draft kicked off on February 13 as young citizens across the nation began their journey into national service, marking the first wave of the country's 2025 conscription drive. The recruitment campaign, operating under the 2015 Law on National Defence and recent directives from both the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defence, take place between February 13 and 15. VNA Photo

Located in the heart of Lao Cai province, about 70 km from Lao Cai city, Bac Ha is a remote yet captivating town in northern Vietnam. Known for its vibrant ethnic cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and rich traditions, Bac Ha offers an authentic travel experience far from the well-trodden paths of Sapa. Each spring, the entire Bac Ha plateau adorns itself with the pristine white hue of plum blossoms, exuding the gentle fragrance of spring during the early days of the Lunar New Year. This year’s plum blossom season commences in early February. Pure flowers grace gardens and adorn the front of houses, delicate petals scatter along the roads, transforming the area into a poetic and enchanting natural painting. VNA Photo: Hương Thu

Every year, on the 11th day of the first lunar month, which falls on February 8 this year, Thuy Loi village (Thuy Lam commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi) holds the Sai Temple Festival, featuring the unique "mock King procession" ritual. According to legend, the kings, lords, and court officials of the Thuc Dynasty used to return to Sai Temple in Thuy Loi commune annually to pay homage and express gratitude to Saint Huyen Thien Tran Vu, who helped the king complete the construction of Co Loa Citadel to defend against invaders. VNA Photo

"Hat canh” (singing at a host’s house) is considered as the most typical and unique form of Quan ho singing, a folk art in the northern province of Bac Ninh that combines various elements, including music, lyrics and costumes, and features the distinctive culture of people in the region, formerly called Kinh Bac. Singing at a host's house is organized in the house at night as a game between two groups of male and female singers through the match of lyrics and melodies. The antiphonal performance comprises several sections lasting from 7-8 p.m to 2-3 a.m. The duration of a section can be long or short, depending on the singers' repertoire of Quan ho songs. VNA Photo

The Dao ethnic group, with a population of nearly 900,000, consists of subgroups such as the Red Dao, Dao Tien, and Dao Thanh Y, each with its own unique cultural identity, clearly reflected in their traditional attire. The traditional clothing of the Dao Tien in Muong Lat district, Thanh Hoa province, is especially distinctive, offering a vivid glimpse into their cultural life. VNA Photo: Khánh Hòa

In the old days, Dong Ho paintings were used as decorations at every home in the northern delta during the Lunar New Year festival (Tet). Hanging a Dong Ho painting in the home at the beginning of a new year was believed to bring happiness and prosperity for the family. The folk paintings have become part of Vietnamese life through generations and are now used in the modern arts, including painting, sculpture, fashion and pottery. VNA Photo: Hoàng Hiếu

The capital city of Hanoi hosted some 1 million touristsduring the nine-day Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday which began on January 25,marking a 6% increase from the previous year, according to the municipalDepartment of Tourism. International arrivals showed particularly stronggrowth, with about 142,000 visitors, representing a 15.8% rise as compared to2024. The majority of them came from China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan(China), the US, the UK, Malaysia, India, Germany, France, and Japan. Domestictourism also saw healthy growth of 5%, with 859,000 tourist arrivals. VNAPhoto: Minh Quyết

In a vibrant display of cultural heritage, Hanoi’s relic sites of “Thang Long tu tran” (the four guarding temples of Thang Long) have become the focal point of Lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations, drawing both locals and foreigners seeking blessings for happiness and peace. “Thang Long tu tran”, comprising Bach Ma, Voi Phuc, Kim Lien, and Quan Thanh temples, have maintained their prestigious position in the cultural and historical tapestry of Hanoi. People flock to the ancient sanctuaries on the first days of the Lunar New Year to enjoy the long-standing traditions as well as embrace spiritual values that foster optimism for their journey ahead. VNA Photo: Minh Đức

Thousands gathered for the Khai ha (going down to the field) festival, the largest traditional one of the Muong ethnic people, in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province on the 8th day of the Lunar New Year. The festival spotlights the vibrant cultural traditions that have been integral to the ethnics’ new year celebrations. This year, it falls on February 5. The celebration honours deities and ancestors who established the Muong territories while seeking blessings for bumper crops and prosperity in the coming year. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt