Vietnamplus

Demand for gold in Vietnam fell by 12% year-on-year in the first quarter to 17.2 tonnes, according to the latest Gold Demand Trends report from the World Gold Council.

The Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO), in collaboration with the embassies of seven countries, held a friendship exchange programme on April 21 evening to celebrate the traditional New Year of India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

A total of 35 people were killed in road accidents across Laos during the country’s traditional New Year (Bunpimay) holidays from April 11-17, according to the Traffic Police Department under the Lao Ministry of Public Security.

Cambodia received 13.2 million domestic and foreign visitors to its resorts and tourist destinations during the Khmer New Year (Sangkran) holidays on April 14-16, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Chol Chnam Thmay is a New Year festival of the Khmer ethnic people according to their traditional calendar. The festival fell on April 14-16 this year. In Soc Trang province, over 400,000 Khmer people celebrated the traditional New Year festival with joy and fun thanks to improved livelihoods.

Cambodia kicked off the three-day Sankranta festival, or the Khmer New Year celebration, at the famed Angkor Archeological Park on April 14.

People across Laos on April 14 organised activities to celebrate the traditional New Year festival, also known as Bunpimay or Bun Hout Nam (water splashing festival) according to the Buddhist calendar.

The traditional New Year festivals of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar - Bunpimay, Songkran, Chol Chhnam Thmay, and Thingyang - were celebrated at a ceremony at Pho Minh Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14.

A festival celebrating the traditional New Year of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand took place in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on April 13.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has sent letters of greetings and flowers to Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, and President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen on the occasion of the traditional New Year of the two neighbouring countries.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh led a delegation to visit the Embassy of Laos in Canberra on April 13 on the occasion of Laos’s traditional New Year festival (Bunpimay).

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), visited the permanent missions of Laos and Cambodia to the UN to deliver his best wishes on the occasion of the two nations’ traditional New Year festivals Bunpimay and Chol Chnam Thmay.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien on April 13 visited Mekong Delta Bac Lieu province’s Patriotic Clergy Solidarity Association on the occasion of the Chol Chnam Thmay, the traditional New Year Festival of Khmer ethnic people.

The Vietnamese and Lao embassies and delegations in Belgium, the EU, and the Netherlands co-organised an exchange event marking the Lao traditional New Year festival Bunpimay in Brussels on April 12.

The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association in Thai Nguyen province on April 12 held a get-together for Lao students in the northern locality on the occasion of the traditional New Year (Bunpimay) festival of Laos.

The Embassy of Laos in Vietnam hosted a ceremony in Hanoi on April 11 evening to celebrate the Lao traditional New Year festival Bunpimay.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, and Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, on April 10 visited the Lao Embassy on the occasion of the country’s traditional New Year festival (Bounpimay).

A delegation from the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in Indonesia led by Ambassador Ta Van Thong visited the Embassy of Laos in Jakarta on April 11 on the occasion of Laos’s traditional New Year festival (Bunpimay).

A delegation of Ho Chi Minh City led by Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Hieu on April 11 visited the Lao Consulate General in the city on the occasion of the country’s traditional New Year festival (Bunpimay).

Khmer ethnic people in Kien Giang province are currently in a festive atmosphere as their traditional New Year festival called Chol Chnam Thmay is nearing.