VietExplorer2021

British celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay certainly has a taste for pho, bun cha, banh mi, and other Viet dishes. Recently, he said Vietnam is in the top three countries to visit for the best food. During a trip to Seoul, the 56-year-old celebrity chef stopped by his new pizza restaurant in the city, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, to speak with Korean YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon about the poor reputation of food, the obsession with celebrity chefs and what good food means to him. Via youtube.com Recently, while on a trip to Seoul to visit his new pizza restaurant, Street Pizza, Gordon Ramsay stopped to chat with YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon. In an interview titled “Gordon Ramsay on UK Food’s Terrible Reputation,” the two discussed food in the UK and the reputation of British foods, as well as discussing the best places in the world for eating out. During the interview the Korean YouTuber asked Ramsay, “Where would you say is the number one foodie destination?” After pondering the ques...

US Ambassador Marc Knapper chats with visually impaired students at a Vietnam and Friends English class. Source: US embassy in Vietnam “My first year as Ambassador has been busy. Let’s look back at the amazing achievements our two countries have accomplished in 2022.” In the video looking back at the achievements of the Vietnam-US bilateral relationship before the new year, US Ambassador Marc Knapper said that the excellent cooperation results in many fields are proof that the US and Vietnam are working together strategically to solve the most pressing issues. Ambassador Marc Knapper said that the first year of his term in Vietnam was a busy year. The US and Vietnam have achieved many great achievements in 2022. The two sides have organized many meetings and effective exchanges between leaders and high-level delegations. In May, Vietnam became one of 14 founding members of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The US looks forward to Vietnam’s con...

The event features a wider range of unique ornamental trees and bonsai worth several hundreds to billions of VND. This piece named “Hoang Long Vu De” is valued at VND3 billion, equivalent to US$126,370. Another piece, named “Vu Hoi Long Hoa”, is offered at a price in the tens of billions of VND. The age-old tree often has a massive, mossy trunk. A gardener brings his ornamental tree to the festival, offering it at VND3.5 billion, equal to US$147,431. The Hanoi Ornamental Creatures Festival is considered to be an important trade promotion activity which contributes to fostering the overall development of the capital’s horticulture. Local gardeners’ plants come in hundreds of designs, particularly as many consumers want their plants to be unique. According to a seller, they have to take intricate care of the ornamental creatures from their first sprouts to eventually shaping them into their designs....

Mbappe became the second player to score three times in a World Cup final as he dragged his team back from the brink of defeat twice, first with two goals late in the second half. Having been shut down by Argentina’s defence for the majority of the contest, he exploded into life in the 80th minute, scoring two goals 97 seconds apart before grabbing another equaliser with a penalty in extra time to make it 3-3. He also converted France’s first penalty in the shootout, only to see keeper Emiliano Martinez save Kingsley Coman’s shot and Aurelien Tchouameni fire wide. That gave Argentina a 4-2 shootout win and their first world title since 1986. England’s Geoff Hurst was the first player to score three goals in a final when they beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in 1966 and he was glad to see another player finally join him on the list. “Many congratulations to Mbappe, whatever happens. I’ve had a great run,” Hurst tweeted as the game unfolded. Golden boot Sunday’s three goals ...

“Hello, I caught a golden pompano weighing up to 12 kilograms yesterday,” Le Van Cam, whose nickname is “Cam sin”, told us about his great prize from his fishing trip the previous day.  Trophies from the sea   Cam had to dive under reefs at night to catch the big fish.  Nam O Beach in the early morning was crowded with big and small boats returning from the previous night’s fishing trip. And the news that Cam got the rare fish woke up his colleagues.  Many waited for him to witness the giant fish. A trader saw the fish and asked Cam to sell it for VND3 million (US$120.9).  The fishing village by Nam O Beach looks old, peaceful, and mysterious. Most of the stories told by young and old villagers are about hunting and catching fish which is not only a job but also an art.  Many villagers gave up their fishing jobs to become blue-collar workers in cities, but they then returned to the fishing village.  A group of four men talked about their night...

As of December 31, 2021, Vietnam’s fleet had 1,502 ships, including 1,032 cargo vessels. Photo: thanhnien.vn Vietnam’s shipping fleet has recently undergone an increase in its performance to rank third in Southeast Asia and 22nd in the world overall, VOV reported, citing the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Back in 2019, the Vietnamese fleet was ranked fourth in ASEAN and 30th globally. According to the information given by the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the country had 1,477 ships as of December, with a total tonnage of approximately 11.6 million DWT and a capacity of roughly seven million GT. The transport fleet alone reached 1,009 ships with a total tonnage of about 10.7 million DWT and a total capacity of some 6.4 million GT. In addition, the number of bulk carriers stands at 709 ships, accounting for 70.3% of the overall figure. Currently, the average age of the Vietnamese fleet stands at 16.5 years old, while the average age of the global fl...

Illustrative image. Photo: VNA Singapore’s Straits Times commented that Vietnam’s economy grew at the fastest pace in Asia this year. The US’s CNN called it the fastest growth rate since 1997 while the UK’s BBC stressed that it was the highest growth posted from 2011-2022, the main driver of which was the export sector and strong retail sales. The figure was released amid concerns about the global economic slowdown and its impact on export demand from Vietnam, a major producer of apparel, footwear and electronics for major international brands. Russia’s Sputnik news agency said thanks to this miraculous economic growth, low inflation, booming imports-exports, political stability and brilliant diplomatic successes, Vietnam had emerged as one of the rare spotlights in the gloomy landscape of recession and crisis covering the world. It quoted the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ranking as saying that Vietnam has continuously been named in the group of 30 countries and terri...

Caitlin Wiesen, former Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam. Vietnam has recorded an impressive percentage of women in UN peacekeeping operations, VNA citied Caitlin Wiesen, former Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam. Since the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – an expanded framework towards women’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations – was officially approved in 2000, Vietnam has ensured women’s engagement in peace processes, she added. Together with the UN, the Vietnamese Government organised a conference on women, peace and security in 2000. The same year, the National Assembly adopted Resolution No. 130/2020/QH14 on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, covering the gender issue. Female officers of Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 3 at the deployment ceremony in March 2021. Photo: VNA The UNDP has supported Vietnam in various activities, helping the...