Social News In Brief Khánh Hòa approves ambitious fisheries development plan   Aquaculture in Nha Phu Lagoon in Khánh Hòa Province’s Ninh Hòa District.  The Khánh Hòa Province People’s Committee has approved a fisheries development plan for the period until 2025 focusing on modernising the sector. The plan targets growing fisheries to 62-63 per cent of the south-central province’s agriculture by 2035, after rising to VNĐ10 trillion (US$439 million) by 2025 and VNĐ13 trillion ($558 million) by 2035. But the development will not be at the cost of the environment or depletion of fisheries resources, Vietnam News Agency reported. The plan envisages reducing fishing near shore and increase offshore fishing to improve quantity, quality and efficiency. For this, the province will enlarge its off-shore fishing fleet from the current 1,365 boats to 1,780 by 2025 and 2,120 by 2035. The plan targets to reduce the aquaculture area to around 3,575ha by 2020 through a 7.3 per cent reduction every year but increase investment in infrastructure and advanced techniques for better yields. The province will focus on fostering marine species by releasing fry of endangered species into Nha Trang, Vân Phong and Cam Ranh bays and Nha Phu and Thủy Triều lagoons. It will also establish marine and island preserves in Cam Ranh City, Ninh Hòa Town and Vạn Ninh and Cam Lâm districts and restore and protect the habitats of freshwater species. Khánh Hòa has 385km of coastline and more than 200 islands with a diverse range of aquatic species, including lobsters, sweet snails and snout otter clams. Its Nha Trang Bay marine reserve has more than 350 coral species, 70 kinds of crustaceans, 120 species of molluscs and 70 varieties of seaweed.     Under the country’s fisheries development plan for this decade, Khánh Hòa is one of the country’s five largest fisheries hubs. Its aquaculture exports are worth around $400 million a year. Play on Gia Định’s commander to attend Tuồng Festival 2018   Artists of the HCM City Hát Bội Theatre are working on a new historical play, Lê Công Kỳ Án (Tales of Gia Định’s Commander), a production by Meritorious Artist and scriptwriter Hữu Danh. — Photo courtesy of the producer The HCM City Hát Bội Theatre is working on a new historical play called Lê Công Kỳ Án (Tales of Gia Định’s Commander) by Meritorious Artist and scriptwriter Hữu Danh that will be presented at the National Tuồng (Classical Drama) Festival 2018 in Quảng Ngãi Province in October.    The 90-minute tragedy depicts the controversial life and death of Lê Văn Duyệt, a national hero who contributed to the growth of South Việt Nam in the 19th century. Duyệt was born in 1764 in Tiền Giang Province’s Cù Lao Hổ (now Hòa Khánh village). He began his career by supporting Emperor Gia Long (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh), founder of the Nguyễn Dynasty, when he was 17. Besides working to build dyke and irrigation systems, he was known for his military talent and fight against corrupt officials and sycophantic courtiers. Thanks to Duyệt’s management, Gia Định developed into a populous and prosperous area. Lê Công Kỳ Án focuses on the period between 1813 and 1820, when Duyệt was the commander of Gia Định Citadel, which included Biên Hòa City and present-day HCM City. Directed by People’s Artist Trần Ngọc Giàu and Nguyễn Hoàn, the play is staged by veteran artists Đông Hồ and Linh Hiền, who have worked with younger actors Kiều Mi, Thanh Bình and Bảo Châu on the production.  The performance is part of a new drama project called Tôi Yêu Tuồng-Cải Lương (I Love Tuồng - Cải Lương), launched this year by HCM City Theatre Association in co-operation with local traditional theatres, including HCM City Hát Bội Theatre, one of the region’s leading State-owned theatres.  The project offers historical shows at affordable prices, ranging from VNĐ50,000 (US$2.2) to VND100,000 ($4.4) a ticket, to attract audiences, particularly students and labourers.     It has attracted tuồng and cải lương stars such as People’s Artist Kim Cương and Meritorious Artist Minh Vương, top talents who have developed traditional theatre for more than four decades.   “Through our performance, we hope to preserve tuồng or hát bội, a traditional theatre of the central region that consists of singing, dancing with music, and to encourage young people learn more about the art,” said young actor Thanh Bình, who plays a leading role in Lê Công Kỳ Án  “We received more than VNĐ500 million ($21,500) from the city budget to renovate the theatre,” said Bình, adding that he and his colleagues had worked with several organisations and sponsors that invested in the theatre’s activities. The first show of  Lê Công Kỳ Án will take place at National Tuồng Festival 2018, which is organised by Việt Nam Theatre Artists Association and Quảng Ngãi Province in early October. Book honours scientific-technological innovations The Việt Nam Golden Book of Innovation 2018, which gathers outstanding innovative projects and solutions in science-technology, made its debut in Hà Nội on Thursday. The book was released on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of National Day (September 2) at a ceremony with the attendance of President Trần Đại Quang. In addition to summaries of 73 prize-winning projects in the past year, the book also lists collectives and individuals who won international awards, along with Việt Nam’s policies in support of innovation. Addressing the ceremony, President Quang stressed that scientific-technological development and application is the country’s top priority and one of the key driving forces of socio-economic development and national defence. He said the honoured projects and solutions are significant to Việt Nam’s science-technology as they have been effectively applied in high-tech agriculture, public health care, infrastructure development, renewable energy, climate change adaptation, and national defence and security. The State leader urged the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Việt Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations to continue their close coordination in selecting outstanding works and solutions for the book. This is to encourage innovation and scientific-technological application among the public, thus helping Việt Nam catch up with advanced countries in the region and the world in the fourth industrial revolution and become an industrialised nation, he said.  Da Nang to build international paediatrics hospital   Patients attend a medical examination at Đà Nẵng city’s Paediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital.  The Da Nang City-based Thành Đạt Group and Czech Future Investment company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an international peadiatrics hospital in Đà Nẵng. Chairman of the city’s people’s committee Huỳnh Đức Thơ said the MoU, which was signed in the Czech Republic last week, aimed to build a high-tech hospital. He said the city would offer the best conditions for the Czech partner if an investor is found. Petr Mach, Vice chairman of the Future Investment Company, said the firm would transfer technology to the city as well as equipment, facilities and human resources training. According to the city’s investment and planning department, the city is looking for around US$300 million to build the medical centre. The new centre aims to ease overcrowding at the city’s Paediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital. Czech Future Investments specialises in securing funding for medical centres. This would be the first project between Da Nang and Eastern Europe.  Hưng Yên Police awarded for successfully investigating murder case   The Hưng Yên Province Police yesterday declared they have successfully investigated the murder on August 17 in Hồng Châu Ward, Hưng Yên City. — Photo vov.vn The Hưng Yên Province Police yesterday declared they have successfully investigated the murder on August 17 in Hồng Châu Ward, Hưng Yên City. Colonel Phạm Thế Tùng, director of the provincial police department, said the investigation showed that the suspect was Đinh Công Tráng, 41. Searching Tráng’s house in An Tảo Ward, Hưng Yên City, the police found a knife which is believed to be a crucial evidence in the murder. After further investigation, on Monday Tráng admitted that on the night of August 17 he went to Đặng Văn Trường’s house in Hồng Châu Ward to steal something. After he was caught, Tráng used the knife to stab Trường, 41, and his wife Nguyễn Thị Hoa, 40 to death. Also yesterday, the provincial leaders awarded the police VNĐ220 million (US$9,700) for their success in investigating the case. Speaking at the awarding ceremony, Nguyễn Văn Phóng, chairman of the Hưng Yên People’s Committee, said that the province still saw many problems related to safety and security which need police’s efforts.  Quang Ninh serves 86,000 visitors on National Day occasion   Tourist ships on Ha Long Bay  The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh welcomed 86,000 tourists, including 19,000 foreigners, during the three-day National Day holidays from September 1-3. The figures represented year-on-years rises of 20 percent and 25 percent, respectively, according to the provincial Tourism Department. The department attributed the increases to the inauguration of Bach Dang bridge and Ha Long-Quang Ninh Highway, which has helped reduce travel time from Hanoi, Hai Phong city and Thai Binh and Nam Dinh provinces to Quang Ninh. It also reported that the local tourism sector earned around 170 billion VND (7.28 million USD) during this occasion. The number of tourists staying overnight reached 40,000, and the rate of occupancy at local three- to five-star hotels surpassed 80 percent. Also during the three-day period, 1,400 ships took more than 30,000 tourists, including 12,000 foreigners, on sight-seeing tours on Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site in the province. To lure visitors, hotels and entertainment complexes in the locality launched numerous attractive promotion programmes. New destinations in Quang Ninh also attracted tourists, such as Van Don, Quan Lan, Minh Chau and Co To islands. With a range of stunning landscapes, clear turquoise sea and spectacular limestone pillars together with numerous tourism investment projects, Quang Ninh boasts huge potential to develop tourism. The province has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and over 2,000 islands, two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam. The spectacular stretch of coast connects the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay with majestic natural scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and Co To islands and Tra Co beach with Cat Ba National Park in the northern port city of Hai Phong. Along with the renowned Ha Long Bay, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Dai beaches in Van Don island district and Tra Co and Vinh Thuc in Mong Cai city have grown in stature among domestic and international tourists thanks to their breathtaking sea and coral reef. Together with the Bach Dang bridge and Ha Long-Quang Ninh Highway, Van Don International Airport, which will begin serving commercial flights in late 2018, is also expected to help attract more foreign holidaymakers to the province. The airport is set to cater for nine air routes and be capable of serving some 7,000 passengers per day. It is hoped to have annual capacity of 2 – 2.5 million passengers by 2020 and 5 million by 2030. By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16 million tourists, including 7 million foreigners, and rake in 30 trillion VND - 40 trillion VND (1.3 billion USD - 1.7 billion USD) in revenue. The tourism sector is expected to contribute 14-15 percent to the gross regional domestic product (GRDP). Last year, Quang Ninh received 9.87 million tourists, including 4.28 million foreigners, up 18 percent and 23 percent respectively. The tourism sector pocketed over 17.88 trillion VND (786.9 million USD), up 30 percent compared to the previous year, and contributed 3.2 trillion VND (140.8 million USD) to the State budget, accounting for 11.9 percent of the local budget collection. It welcomed 9.2 million tourists during the first eight months of this year, up 25 percent year-on-year and completing 77 percent of its target for the whole year.  The provincial Department of Tourism reported that the number of international holidaymakers to the locality exceeded 3.2 million, a rise of 18 percent against the same period last year, and fulfilling 65 percent of the yearly target.  During the period, the local tourism sector completed 73 percent of the yearly target, earning more than 16 trillion VND (685 million USD), up 29 percent year-on-year.  This year, the province aims to attract over 12 million visitors this year, including 5 million foreigners. Ngoc Linh ginseng, medical herbs centerpiece of exhibition   Ngoc Linh ginseng  An exhibition focusing on Ngoc Linh ginseng and other medical herbs opened in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on September 4. The four-day event features 20 stalls of local enterprises and a number of firms from the Republic of Korea, the country also known far and wide in the world for gingseng. It is part of activities aiming to develop the herbal medicine sector based on domestically-available materials, offering an opportunity for Kon Tum to popularise its herbal resources, seek partnerships, and exchange experience in the field. Forest coverage amounts to 62.3 percent of the total area in Kon Tum, creating a diverse source of natural herbs, such as Ngoc Linh gingseng, dang shen, Anoectochilus setaceus, and five-flavor berry.  The Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng), a rare medical root containing 52 saponin compounds helpful to health, was found on Ngoc Linh Mountain on the boundary between Kon Tum and the central province of Quang Nam in the late 1960s. In June 2017, Ngoc Linh ginseng was included in the list of national products by the Prime Minister. Kon Tum built a conservation centre for the Ngoc Linh ginseng in 2004. The province now has more than 400 hectares of the ginseng, of which over 320 ha are managed by the Kon Tum Ngoc Linh ginseng joint stock company. The plantation is for preservation and expansion, with products from local Ngoc Linh ginseng yet to be available in the market. Thua Thien-Hue spends 1.5 million USD to support fishermen   The People’s Committee of central Thua Thien-Hue province has decided to allocate over 35.8 billion VND (1.5 million USD) to assist local fishermen in offshore fishing.  Accordingly, Phu Vang, Phu Loc districts, Hue city and Huong Tra township will receive 25.97 billion VND, 9.75 billion VND, 425 million VND, and 350 million VND, respectively, to encourage and support aquaculture and offshore fishing. This is the second time the province has disbursed to assist local fishermen in line with the Government’s Decree 67/2014/ND-CP on policies for fishery development (Decree 67).  The provincial authorities have requested localities to manage and use the money for the right purposes and contents prescribed in the inter-ministerial Circular No. 16/2012/ TTLT-BNN-BQP-BTC dated on April 11, 2012 by the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance and National Defence. Previously, the province spent more than 16 billion VND to encourage aquaculture and offshore fishing activities, and exploitation services in the above-mentioned localities.  In the first phase, Phu Vang and Phu Loc districts received 10.9 billion VND and 4.76 billion VND respectively, while Hue city and Huong Tra township was provided with 500 million VND each to help local fishermen buy fuel for fishing trips.  Implementing Decree 67, Thua Thien-Hue province has actively coordinated with local authorities of coastal communes to support local fishermen in accessing preferential credit, thus building and upgrading 40 vessels, including four steel-hull ships with capacity of 829CV upwards and 36 wood-hull ships with capacity of 400 to 800 CV. Phu Vang district has the largest number of newly-built fishing boats, bringing its total number of offshore fishing ships to 170. La Phuc Thanh, Chairman of the district’s People's Committee, said that the implementation of the decree help expand offshore fishing areas in traditional fishing grounds, thus increasing the district’s catch output.  The province now has 40 ships built under Decree 67. Local fishermen are enabled to borrow capital to build big ships for offshore fishing.- Thua Thien-Hue enhances animal protection in nature reserves   The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has decided to establish a biodiversity corridor connecting the saola reserve with the Phong Dien Natural Reserve (Source: WWF) The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has decided to establish a biodiversity corridor connecting the saola (an endangered bovine, scientifically known as pseudoryx nghetinhensis) reserve with the Phong Dien Natural Reserve. The project looks to improve the quality of the local ecological system and maintain the current forest coverage of 83 percent in the biodiversity corridor, as well as protect the natural landscapes and habitats of native creatures. The biodiversity corridor also seeks to protect various animals aside from the saola, including the red-shanked douc (pygathrix nemaeus), the northern white-cheeked gibbon (nomascus leucogenys), and the pygmy slow loris (nycticebus pygmaeus), and more. The project also aims to raise public awareness of biodiversity protection and forest development, especially amongst forest owners. Its results are hoped to contribute to new policies on biodiversity corridor management and rational use of  natural resources, as well as the potential of local ecosystems. In addition, it will improve livelihoods to increase incomes for local residents through the implementation of forest protection, poverty reduction, and rural agriculture activities. Thua Thien-Hue province has also expanded the saola reserve to nearly 15,520ha and linked it with other saola centres in Quang Nam, Bach Ma National Park in Thua Thien-Hue, and Laos’ Xe Sap National Protected Area – altogether creating a large and united forest system in the region. The province’s saola reserve, with an area of primary forest in central Truong Son, is also home to more than 1,200 fauna and flora species, including many rare ones.  Books by late author Sơn Nam republished Twenty books by late cultural researcher and author Sơn Nam of Kiên Giang Province, a leading writer of the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta region, have been reprinted by the Trẻ Publishing House. The publication celebrates the writer’s 10th death anniversary. The books include collections of short stories, novels and research works selected from many works of the writer. All of the publications feature Mekong Delta cultures, southern people and their lifestyles.  Books on Gia Định-Sài Gòn developments over 300 years are also included.    Highlighted research books are Đình Miễu & Lễ Hội Dân Gian Miền Nam (Temples & Folk Festivals of the South) and Đồng Bằng Sông Cửu Long - Nét Sinh Hoạt Xưa - Văn Minh Miệt Vườn (Cửu Long River Delta - Traditional Lifestyle - Orchard Civilisation). Readers call Sơn Nam “a living dictionary on the southern land” because his writing features his love for and knowledge of the southern region. Many of his works recall the process by which people in the past claimed new land. Some works were adapted to films. He wrote 60 fiction and non-fiction books, and more than 400 short stories. Nam was born into a poor farmer family in U Minh Hạ in Rạch Giá Province (now Kiên Giang) in 1926. He studied in Cần Thơ and took part in the resistance war against the French in 1945.   After the Geneva Agreement in 1954, he moved to Sài Gòn (now HCM City) to write books and articles for local newspapers. Nam wrote more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books, 400 short stories and many research works. His books have been reprinted several times, attracting millions of readers from different generations.  One of his most famous novels, Hương Rừng Cà Mau (Scent of Forest in Cà Mau), was translated and taught at Paris University Diderot. Another book, Mùa Len Trâu (Flood Season), was made into a film, titled Buffalo Boy, by Vietnamese-American director Nguyễn Võ Nghiêm Minh in 2003.    Minh’s film portrays the lives of local farmers in Đồng Tháp Province. It also features the delta region’s beauty with picturesque scenes of rivers, forests, boats and buffaloes, and haunting folk songs. Daily life affected by floodwaters is also highlighted.  Impressed by Nam’s Mùa Len Trâu the first time he read it, Minh asked the author for permission to film the book. Minh, a graduate in cinematography at the University of California, received financial support from two European production companies, France’s 3B Productions and Belgium’s NOVAK. The film Buffalo Boy was screened in Australia, the Europe and the US, and sent to international festivals and won several awards. Nam passed away in HCM City in 2008.  Ha Giang retreat on H'mong King Palace land rights dispute Authorities in Ha Giang Province have admitted wrongdoings in issuing land use rights for the H'mong King Palace to a local authority department.    Vuong Duy Bao, former deputy head of the Culture Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, had sent a letter to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to ask for help in returning the palace built by his great grandfather Vuong Chinh Duc who was known as the H'mong King in Ha Giang.  Bao said the family wasn't informed about the fact that the palace was recognised as a national cultural and architectural heritage site in 1993 until officials asked them to move out so that they could turn it into a museum in 2002.  Even though they were apologised to and given the promise that their house would not be used by the public, in 2012, Ha Giang Province People's Committee then granted the land use rights where the palace is situated to Dong Van District's Department of Culture. "We are still alive and living in this place. It's unacceptable that the land use rights were given to the Dong Van Department of Culture," Bao said. He went on to say that he had never sold or given away the palace to anyone. On August 23, Vice-chairman of Ha Giang Province People's Committee Tran Duc Quy said they would recall the wrongly-issued certificate, ownership of the palace and other property on the land. "It's wrong to issue the certificate to the Dong Van District's Department of Culture. We'll revoke that decision," he said. According to Quy, they reviewed state-owned lands in 2012 and issued a certificate of land use rights to a local agency for better management. When Vuong family moved out of the palace in 2002 for renovation, Bao's father was given VND320m (USD13,700) and six other households of the Vuong family living there were given VND30m each to build houses. However, Quy admitted that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism already agreed not to convert the house for public use. He also denied corruption in this case, citing lack of research and expertise. Quy said the authorities wouldn't give the certificate to Bao yet. "If Bao can prove his legitimate inheritance right then we'll give him the certificate," he said. Lying some 130 kilometres north of Ha Giang Town, the century-old palace is still the largest construction in the area and a unique special architecture style. According to a tour guide who is also a woman member of the King's family at the palace, Vuong Chinh Duc (1865 - 1947), known as the king of the H'mong or Meo ethnic minority group in the area, built the palace which cost 150,000 Indochina silver coins equivalent to VND150 billion (USD 6.61 million). Duc earned his fortune from growing and trading opium. The palace is built from stone, fir wood and terracotta tiling in a combined Chinese, French and H'mong traditional architectural style. Covering a total area of 1,120 square metres, the palace was used as a residence and fortress during the Vuong Dynasty. Lao Cai border guards maintain sound partnership with Chinese peers The formation of a “harmonious friendship and twin relationship” between the Border Post of Lao Cai International Border Gate and its Chinese peers in September 25, 2013 marked a milestone in border guard diplomacy along the Vietnam-China shared border. Colonel Do Ngoc Tuan, Chief Commander of the Lao Cai Border Guard High Command, said that the Border Post of Lao Cai International Border Gate is the only unit that shares twin relations with three Chinese border guard units – namely Hekou Border Police Station, Hekou Border Guard Battalion, and Hekou Border Police Company. The officer said that following the signing of agreements, the two sides have held regular art, culture, and sport exchange activities to celebrate special events from each country. The two sides have coordinated closely in controlling entrance and exit activities, as well as in the prevention and combat of cross-border crimes. Each year, Vietnamese and Chinese border guards assisted in freeing and sending home hundreds of trafficked children and women. The Border Post of Lao Cai International Border Gate and the Hekou Border Police Station have worked together to spread awareness of border and border gate laws and regulations amongst locals living in this area and people crossing the Lao Cai-Hekou international border gate. This has drawn public attention to the consequences of strictly abiding by the law and engaging in criminal prevention; safeguarding State security; and building a shared border of peace, stability, and development. Colonel Tuan said that since the first quarter of 2016, the two sides have developed their “friendship envoy” model, a title honoring an official of the Border Post of Lao Cai International Border Gate voted by Chinese people and an official of Hekou Border Police Station chosen by Vietnamese people. The model has helped improve officials’ serving attitude and build the serving culture for officials of both sides, he said. He added that the two sides have also organised a contest to study three legal documents relating to border control, drawing a large number of border guards and locals from both sides. Major Nguyen Dinh Quang, Commissar of the Border Post of Lao Cai International Border Gate, said that a campaign to find excellent Party members has been launched by the Vietnamese Border Post and Hekou Border Police Station, contributing to enhancing the quality of services on both sides. On July 25, the two units also held their second political exchange this year in Hekou, in China’s Yunnan province. Close friendship and partnership with Chinese counterparts have helped the Lao Cai border guards show strong performance in managing and safeguarding the national sovereignty and building a shared borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation, and common development, Quang added. VNA to host 44th OANA Executive Board meeting in early 2019   At the 43rd meeting of the OANA Executive Board in Tehran, Iran.  Delegates to the 43rd meeting of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) Executive Board have agreed on Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s proposal to host the 44th meeting in early 2019 while highly evaluating VNA’s active contributions to the organisation over the past time. The agreement was reached at the 43rd meeting of the OANA Executive Board which opened in Tehran, Iran, on September 3, where the delegates discussed solutions to enhance the organisation’s operations in the current situation. On behalf of the Iranian government, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi attended the opening ceremony. The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting was led by VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi, who is also a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee. In his opening remarks, Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) of Iran Zia Hashemi said after 57 years of development, OANA has now become the provider of two-thirds of information in the globe but it has failed to gain influence on the international arena as expected. OANA needs to restructure and renovate itself by mobilising the capacity of all members in a bid to become a more active organisation, he said. OANA President Aslan Aslanov, who is General Director of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC), suggested holding a conference or a workshop as part of the Executive Board meetings bringing together all member agencies in order to exchange experience.  He also proposed establishing a training academy for professional staff and recommended OANA members to equip themselves with ideas and technological knowledge to cope with new challenges.  Speaking at the meeting, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi emphasised the importance of sharing information among OANA member agencies as it will help improve connections, narrow the gap of awareness of events and issues, and enhance mutual understanding. The information of each agency has its own features, creating its values and strength, hence the cooperation and sharing of news will bring a more comprehensive and profound view about the same event or matter, Loi said. The VNA General Director also highlighted the importance of diversifying communication platforms to increase the spread of news in line with the development of technology as well as changes in the way of accessing information of the public in the digital era. Loi affirmed that the development of technology and the public’s increasing demand for information have forced each agency and OANA in general to continuously innovate and improve the efficiency so that voices from the Asia-Pacific region could play a decisive role in the global cooperation and development process. At the meeting, the delegates also agreed upon a number of basic contents of the 17th OANA General Assembly which is scheduled to be held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, in November 2019. On the sidelines of the meeting, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi had working sessions with OANA President Aslan Aslanov, OANA Secretary General Vulgar Seidov, and IRNA Managing Director Zia Hashemi to discuss preparations for the upcoming meeting of the OANA Executive Board in Vietnam. The VNA General Director also granted an interview to IRNA about relations between Vietnam and Iran as well as between the two news agencies. Sa Pa welcomes nearly 50,000 visitors during National Day holiday Sa Pa district in the northwestern province of Lao Cai welcomed 47,000 visitors from August 30 to September 2 during the National Day holiday, 15,000 more than the same period last year. According to Do Trong Nguyen, head of the Office of Culture and Information of Sa Pa district, of the total, 3,100 were foreigners and 43,900 were Vietnamese. Nguyen attributed the rise to the ongoing Sa Pa Autumn Festival that runs from September 1 until October 30 with various activities, including a photo exhibition, a street festival and activities to explore the culture of Mong, Tay and Xa Pho ethnic minority groups. Located 350km northwest of Hanoi, Sa Pa is 1,600m above sea level, with average temperatures of 15-18°C. The town is dominated by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, which is home to Indochina’s highest mountain of Fansipan at a height of 3,142m above sea level.  Sa Pa has many natural scenic sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall), Cau May (Rattan Bridge), Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. The hill town is home to six main ethnic minority groups, including Kinh, Hmong, Dao, Tay, Day and Xa Pho with various traditional festivals and unique cultural practices. Currently, Sa Pa has nearly 500 accommodation facilities with some 6,000 rooms for about 13,000 tourists. Homestays in villages have also become attractive to visitors. VNN