vietexplorer0029

A household in Phung Thuong Commune, Phuc Tho District, Hanoi have willingly surrendered two bears to the authorities. Employees check bear enclosures at the Vietnam Bear Sanctuary on Bach Ma Mountain before the first two dwellers come. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre After the handover, the two bears underwent health evaluations conducted by veterinary surgeons from Animals Asia. Animals Asia is a Hong Kong-based charity dedicated to combating animal cruelty in Asia. Both bears were declared to be in good health. The Vietnam Bear Sanctuary on Bach Ma Mountain is proud to introduce its first two residents, Armstrong and Buzz. These two bears are the pioneers of the sanctuary and serve as ambassadors for all the bears that will come after them. We are honored to have them as part of our community. The names of these individuals were inspired by the pioneering astronauts who were the first to step on the lunar surface. Throughout their 800-kilometer journey, the two bears wer...

The elegant flower is widely viewed as a symbol of the capital, with locals believing that their emergence signals the arrival of summer. Crape-myrtle flowers typically grow in clusters and can be anywhere between 20cm and 30cm in length. Each flower features a total of six thin and light petals. They usually blossom between late April and mid-June every year. The purple flowers make the city appear more pleasant under the scorching sun. After they enter full bloom, the giant crape-myrtle flowers begin to fade before finally falling off from their branches. Bang Lang is a common flower that can be found throughout South Asia, with giant crape-myrtle trees planted in order to make urban landscapes appear more beautiful, with this also being a means of creating more shade. The trees help to bring shade to commuters who travel around the capital during hot spells in the summer. Trees can easily be found on Tran Huy Li...

Drawing on stones is nothing unusual for artists, but there are only a few people who can earn a living by doing it and make their artworks known to a wide audience. However, a young man who lives in A Luoi is able to do both: drawing on stones and earning a living from the artworks. Drawing on stones, why not? After graduating from the Hue University School of Arts, Nguyen Viet Cong Thanh earned money by drawing murals to decorate restaurants and cafés. In order to ‘survive first,’ as Thanh said, he put aside his passion for art to make ends meet.  The idea of painting on stones came to Thanh unexpectedly during a picnic with his friends three years ago. Walking along the spring and looking at stones in different shapes, Thanh wondered why he should not use the stones, of which there are so many in his hometown, as a material for drawing. He immediately began to try his hand at the idea. He carefully searched for and collected stones, washed them before drying...