A large square with a capacity of over 10,000 people was inaugurated in Dong Xoai City under Binh Phuoc Province, southern Vietnam on Thursday.

The square, which features an open space and sparkling lighting systems, is expected to help make the city distinctive.

The inauguration of the square on Phu Xuan Street in Tan Phu Ward marked the fifth anniversary of the founding of Dong Xoai.

The structure, costing VND50 billion (US$2.06 million) sourced from the city’s budget, spans 21.9 hectares.

The square encompasses a big yard, a 6,000-square-meter space for events and festivals, a performing stage, a sports zone, a flower garden, and an amusement and entertainment section.

A water music stage and 10 LED screens are among the highlights of the square.

During the opening ceremony on Thursday night, a series of art performances amazed event-goers, including modern dances, Then singing, a form of traditional art combining literature, music, and dancing, and hat cheo, or traditional opera popular in northern Vietnam.

Locals and visitors immersed themselves in the lively atmosphere as well as cultural and entertainment activities.

A representative of the Dong Xoai administration said that the city is home to lots of parks, flower gardens, and public open areas, but it faces a shortage of large public amusement and entertainment areas.

The opening of the square not only helps ease this shortage, but also serves as a gift to the city’s residents when it turns five.

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Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City were honored at the Vietnam Smart City Awards 2023 on Thursday.

Hanoi brought home the title of ‘Startup – Innovation – Creativity’ for its work on building a database that will be a new resource to turn it into a smart city as well as issuing an open data set aimed at benefiting state agencies, residents, firms, and organizations.

The Vietnamese capital city is stepping up its efforts to deploy digital infrastructure and data centers.

Ho Chi Minh City was honored for its use of a smart electronic toll collection system in infrastructure, buildings, and public utilities at seaports.

The implementation of this system resulted from city’s efforts to apply information technology to state governance.

The awards ceremony, organized for the fourth time by the Vietnam Association for Software and IT Services, also lauded the coastal city of Da Nang for its outstanding achievements in smart public service, infrastructure management, smart environment management, and its appeal to innovative startups.

Notably, Da Nang was named an ‘excellent city’ thanks to its smart urban construction and development.

Southern Tay Ninh Province was hailed for its intelligent operation.

The Vietnam Smart City Awards 2023 was launched on July 20, covering three categories: smart cities, smart real estate projects, and digital solutions for smart cities.

The annual awards, initiated in 2020, are meant to honor cities and provinces, real estate developers, and tech firms for their contributions to building smart and sustainable cities in Vietnam.

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The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports is compiling a dossier to propose recognizing the Vietnamese capital city’s pho-cooking as national intangible cultural heritage, departmental director Do Dinh Hong said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press briefing to introduce the 2023 Hanoi Culture and Food Festival, Hong said that Hanoi will also team up with Nam Dinh Province in northern Vietnam and other localities to apply for UNESCO recognition of Vietnamese pho-cooking as world intangible cultural heritage.

Pho, a national dish of Vietnam, is a noodle dish served with hot broth cooked from beef or chicken.

Da Nang City’s O Nam fish sauce making and Phu Quoc City’s fish sauce making had previously been listed as national intangible cultural heritage.

The Hanoi Culture and Food Fest will take place at Thong Nhat Park on Tran Nhan Tong Street from December 1 to 3, featuring 80 booths.

A series of dishes and foodstuffs from Vietnam and other nations will be showcased at the fest to serve both local residents and tourists.

Local and international foodies can savor Com Me Tri (Me Tri green rice flakes), xoi che — a combination of sweet soup and sticky rice — vermicelli soup, cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage) originating in Uoc Le Village in Hanoi, and che lam (sticky rice ginger peanut bars), among others.

Multiple specialties from India, Iran, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines will be on display during the festival.

A slew of art performances and cultural activities, as well as folk games will be held within the framework of the event to provide visitors with a feast for the eyes and ears.

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