A Vietnamese student with severe visual impairment has been admitted to seven of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, Yale and Columbia, after years of overcoming educational and personal challenges.
Dong Hai Yen, from Bac Ninh Province, has only about 0.5% of her vision remaining due to an eye condition she has had since childhood. Despite her disability, she recently received admission offers from seven internationally renowned universities and secured full scholarships from two of them.
At the age of six, Yen left her hometown to attend a school for visually impaired students in HCMC. Her family, despite financial difficulties, supported her education and continued to invest in her academic ambitions. After graduating from university with honors in Vietnam, Yen applied to graduate programs abroad and completed a series of highly competitive admissions interviews.
The achievement required significant determination. Reading academic materials often took her much longer than other students, and she relied on Braille and assistive technologies throughout her studies.
“I don’t think visual impairment is a limitation. It’s simply a part of who I am,” Yen told the VTV news site.
She credited her success to both perseverance and the unwavering support of her family, saying that trust and encouragement played a crucial role in her pursuit of opportunities on the global stage.
Happiness for two children orphaned by typhoon Chanchu
Twenty years after Typhoon Chanchu devastated Vietnam’s central coast, a fishing village in Danang witnessed a wedding that residents described as symbolic of the community’s resilience: both the bride and groom were orphaned by the storm and later found each other.
Truong Thao Nguyen, 21, and Nguyen Van Ky, 23, married in Binh Minh, a fishing community heavily affected by the 2006 storm. Both lost their fathers as infants when fishing boats were caught at sea during typhoon Chanchu, one of the deadliest maritime disasters in Vietnam’s recent history.
The storm struck in May 2006, killing hundreds of fishermen from central Vietnam, including 89 from Binh Minh village alone. Many bodies were never recovered.
Nguyen’s father, fisherman Truong Cong Thao, was among those who died. She was seven months old at the time. Ky also lost his father in the disaster and was raised by his mother and grandparents.
The couple grew up less than a kilometer apart in a community where many children were left fatherless after the storm. Nguyen is now a final-year university student in Danang, while Ky works as a construction engineer, according to the Tuoi Tre news site.
At their wedding ceremony, family members paid tribute to the absent fathers whose deaths shaped the couple’s childhoods. Relatives said the marriage carried special significance for a village that spent years rebuilding after the tragedy.
For residents of Binh Minh, the marriage serves as a reminder of how a generation born from loss has come of age, finding stability and hope despite the legacy of one of Vietnam’s most devastating fishing disasters.
HCMC surveys suspected wartime mass grave site in city center
HCMC authorities on June 8 held a workshop to verify information related to a suspected mass grave believed to contain the remains of soldiers killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive, as part of ongoing efforts to locate and identify war dead.
The event brought together government officials, military representatives, historians, researchers, veterans, eyewitnesses and relatives of fallen soldiers to review historical records and testimonies linked to the former Chi Hoa-Cho Quan Cemetery, now the site of Le Thi Rieng Park.
Officials said the discussions were intended to establish a scientific and legal basis for future surveys, excavations and recovery operations, including determining the location of burial sites and the possible number of remains buried there.
Le Thi Rieng Park occupies part of the former Chi Hoa Cemetery, also known as Cho Quan or Do Thanh Cemetery, a 30-hectare burial ground that served as the final resting place for thousands of Saigon residents and wartime casualties before 1975. Following the relocation of graves and remains, the site was converted into a public park and officially opened in 1988.
The latest search effort began in late May after authorities reviewed a historical photograph believed to show a mass burial at the former cemetery. Based on the image and other historical evidence, officials suspect that two mass graves containing soldiers killed on February 12, 1968, may still lie beneath the park.
Previous surveys at the site uncovered the remains of 24 soldiers in several locations, including areas near the park’s main entrance, memorial structures and recreational facilities. The locations have since been documented and preserved to support further research and commemorative activities, according to Kinh Te Saigon Online.
HCMC offers 1,000 free public e-bike rides to promote green transport
HCMC has launched a program offering 1,000 free public e-bike ride vouchers as part of efforts to encourage environmentally friendly transportation and mark World Environment Day, city authorities said.
Under the initiative, residents who download the MultiGo mobility application, register an account and complete identity verification will receive a voucher for up to 60 minutes of free e-bike use.
The vouchers, distributed on a first come, first served basis, will be sent to users via email after successful registration. Each voucher remains valid for 24 hours after activation.
The program is being implemented by the city’s Public Transport Management Center, under the Department of Construction, in partnership with Tri Nam Digital Transport Services JSC, the operator of the MultiGo platform.
Officials said the initiative aims to encourage residents to try greener modes of transportation, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the city’s broader environmental goals, according to the Tuoi Tre news site.
