Participants in the ceremony bathe the Buddha statue, a ritual of the traditional New Year festival of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) - A ceremony was heldat Pho Minh Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14 to celebrate the traditionalNew Year of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.
Organised by the HCM City Union of FriendshipOrganisations (HUFO) and the city’s committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha(VBS), the ceremony saw the presence of representatives from theconsulates-general of the four countries in HCM City, the municipal VietnamFatherland Front Committee, the municipal Committee for Overseas Vietnamese,and the countries’ entrepreneurs and students.
The traditional New Year festival is known asChol Chnam Thmay in Cambodia, Bunpimay in Laos, Thingyan in Myanmar, andSongkran in Thailand.
Addressing the celebrations, HUFO Vice ChairwomanTran Hoang Khanh Van said the ceremony aims to further promote mutualunderstanding, cultural exchange, and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam,including HCM City, and the four neighbouring countries.
She noted that Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,and Thailand are ASEAN members and have cooperated and assisted one another overmany years. Their peoples have stood side-by-side in fighting for nationalindependence, developing their countries, and building an ASEAN Community ofpeace, stability, cooperation, and prosperous development.
Most Venerable Thich Thien Tam addresses the ceremony held at Pho Minh Pagoda on April 14 (Photo: VNA)
Most Venerable Thich Thien Tam, Vice Presidentof the Executive Council of the Central VBS Committee and deputy head of theHCM City VBS Committee’s executive board, said the traditional New Year ofCambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand reflects the similarities in culture andreligious practices among the countries, adding that it is helpful instrengthening the five nations’ solidarity in their development efforts and in ASEANCommunity building.
Echoing that view, Ratiwan Bonprakhong, ChiefRepresentative of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s HCM City Office, heldthat the ceremony helps bring the five countries’ people closer together andalso demonstrates their solidarity and unity./.
Students of Cambodia and Laos in Ho Chi Minh City on April 12 joined a get-together held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) of the city on the occasion of their New Year festival.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has sent a letter of greetings to Khmer people in Vietnam on the occasion of Chol Chnam Thmay, their traditional New Year festival.
Authorities in many cities and provinces across Vietnam have organised activities to join Khmer ethnic minority people and Cambodians in celebrating their traditional New Year.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
Participants in the ceremony bathe the Buddha statue, a ritual of the traditional New Year festival of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand (Photo: VNA) 
Most Venerable Thich Thien Tam addresses the ceremony held at Pho Minh Pagoda on April 14 (Photo: VNA) 
