Mu Cang Chai’s hills glow with peach blossoms

About 6km from Tam Duong town in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, Si Thau Chai community-based tourism village has become beloved destination by many domestic and foreign tourists. Located at an altitude of more than 1,400m above sea level, with natural scenery and a cool climate all year round, the village gives visitors feelings of comfort and peace, keeping them away from the fatigue and noise of the urban life. Home to more than 60 households of the Dao ethnic minority group, the village offers tourists great experiences of unique customs and traditional culture of the Dao group. It also serves as a venue for domestic and international paragliding tournaments. VNA Photo: Quý Trung

A Huynh, a member of the Ja Rai ethnic group, resides in Chot Village, Sa Thay Town, Sa Thay District, Kon Tum Province. Apart from his expertise in playing gongs and skillfully handling the T'rung, A Huynh is also known as the only person in Kon Tum who can make and play stone instruments, the most peculiar musical instrument of the Central Highlands people and also the oldest musical instrument. A Huynh has created many different sets of stone musical instruments. His stone musical instruments not only participate in competitions and performances nationwide but also attract the attention of music experts from the Vietnamese Institute for Musicology and the Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies. VNA Photo: Khoa Chương

In 2024, three people in the final stages of chronic lung diseases were revived thanks to lung transplants. One of them was Pham Anh Thu (21 years old, from Bac Kan province). After one year, the "new life" of the student from the University of Information Technology and Communications (Thai Nguyen University) has returned to normal. The surgery was an important milestone in the field of organ transplantation, testifying to the local medical team’s global-level expertise. VNA Photo: Minh Quyết

Over the years, Vietnamese medical scientists have conducted numerous valuable studies, yielding significant economic and social benefits. With a spirit of innovation, Vietnamese doctors have mastered modern techniques on par with advanced countries, bringing Vietnam’s medical science closer to the world. VNA Photo

Doctor Nguyen Hong Long (born in 1977), Head of the Department of Urology, Vietnam-Russia Friendship Hospital, is a person who is always dedicated to his patients. Graduated from Hanoi Medical University in 2001, Dr. Nguyen Hong Long worked at the Department of General Surgery (now the Department of Urology). Dr. Long spends time on scientific research, training and coaching in specialized fields to improve his qualifications, contributing more to the field of kidney and urology surgery. VNA Photo: Minh Quyết

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