Top 11 Major Events in Vietnam in 2016

In May 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama made a three-day visit to Vietnam from May 23 to May 25. During his trip, he was warmly welcomed by both the Vietnamese government and the local population. Notably, on the evening of May 23, he visited a street-side bún chả restaurant on Lê Văn Hưu Street in Hanoi, where he sampled the famous Vietnamese dish.

On the morning of June 14, the Su-30MK2 fighter jet, serial number 8585, crashed in the eastern waters of Nghe An province, near Mat Island, during a training flight. The aircraft was carrying Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Cuong and Colonel Tran Quang Khai. On June 15, Lieutenant Colonel Cuong was rescued by a fishing boat, but Colonel Khai tragically lost his life. His body was recovered on June 17. On June 16, the CASA 212 surveillance plane, serial number 8983, lost contact while conducting a search mission for the Su-30MK2 pilot in the Bach Long Vi sea area. The CASA aircraft was carrying nine military personnel. Over the following days, 42 Vietnamese military vessels, equipped with the latest defense technology, alongside hundreds of fishing boats, participated in the search. On June 23, with international support and the determined efforts of Vietnamese forces and fishermen, wreckage from the Su-30MK2 and the CASA 212 aircraft, along with several bodies of the crew, were found. This tragic incident was a major loss for the Vietnamese military and was thoroughly reviewed for future lessons.

On July 27, 2016, Typhoon Mirinae struck provinces from Thai Binh to Ninh Binh with wind speeds of up to 9-10, gusting up to 11-13 in Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh. Soon after, Typhoon Nida entered the northeastern waters of the South China Sea on July 31, making landfall in China and bringing heavy rain to northern Vietnam. Mirinae caused 7 deaths and several people missing, 63 injuries, 3,000 homes were completely destroyed, and 83,000 homes were damaged or had their roofs blown off. The storm also affected more than 216,000 hectares of rice crops, and 32,000 electric poles were either broken or tilted. Total damage was estimated at over 6,000 billion VND. While Typhoon Nida didn’t directly impact Vietnam, its remnants caused severe damage, leaving 13 dead or missing, 19 injured, and 58 houses collapsed, with more than 3,500 homes affected by roof damage. The agricultural sector was hit hard, with over 10,000 hectares of crops submerged or buried, and many roads became isolated or blocked. The estimated total damage reached 266 billion VND.

For the first time in history, Vietnam's national anthem played at the Olympic Games. Hoang Xuan Vinh became the most celebrated name in Vietnam in 2016. On the night of August 6 and early morning of August 7, he brilliantly secured Vietnam's first-ever Olympic gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event, with a total of 202.5 points, setting a new Olympic record. Additionally, on August 10, he claimed a silver medal in the 50m pistol event.

The mass fish deaths began on April 6, 2016, in Vung Ang (Ha Tinh), and later spread to the waters of Quang Tri, Quang Binh, and Thua Thien Hue, with over 100 tons of dead fish washing ashore. This environmental disaster significantly impacted the livelihoods of local fishermen, coastal aquaculture businesses, as well as the tourism industry and residents' lives in central Vietnam. Investigations later confirmed that the disaster was caused by toxic waste discharged from the Formosa Ha Tinh steel plant, which formed a toxic compound that drifted southward, killing bottom-dwelling marine life and causing widespread marine pollution. The incident sparked controversy when Chu Xuan Pham, the head of Formosa's Hanoi office, controversially stated on April 25: 'You can either catch fish and shrimp, or have a factory. If you want both, even the Prime Minister cannot fix it.' Following the backlash, Formosa held a press conference acknowledging their responsibility for the discharge and apologized for Pham's shocking statement, which led to his dismissal. In addition to the mass fish deaths at sea, numerous fish deaths were reported in rivers and lakes across the country in 2016, including the Buoi River (May, Thanh Hoa), Lach Bang River (May, Thanh Hoa), Hinh River (May, Phu Yen), Dong Nai River (June, Bien Hoa), Ma River (June, Thanh Hoa), Sa Lung River (June, Quang Tri), West Lake (October, Hanoi), and Linh Dam Lake (October, Hanoi). While many of the causes remain unclear, environmental pollution from toxins remains a suspected factor.

In early June 2016, media reports revealed that Trinh Xuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Hau Giang Provincial People's Committee, was using a personal Lexus car with a government 'green plate'. While the Hau Giang leaders provided various justifications for the incident, investigations soon uncovered a series of other misconducts and scandals involving Thanh and several other high-ranking officials. Following the public outcry and damage to the credibility of the Party and the government, Trinh Xuan Thanh was expelled from the Communist Party. On September 16, the Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Investigation Department (C46) charged him with intentionally violating state economic management regulations, resulting in severe consequences under Article 165 of the Criminal Code. However, Thanh had already fled the country citing health reasons, and he is now a fugitive, with an international arrest warrant issued for him.

In 2016, Vietnam was honored by UNESCO with the recognition of three more cultural heritages: the Poetry and Literature on the architecture of Hue Imperial Citadel, the Wooden Blocks of Phuc Giang School (Ha Tinh), which were recognized on May 19, 2016, during the 7th MOWCAP meeting, and are now included in the Documentary Heritage list under the Memory of the World program for the Asia-Pacific region. The practice of worshipping the 'Mẫu Tam Phủ' belief system by the Vietnamese people was also recognized on December 1, 2016, and added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On the afternoon of September 26, a heavy rainstorm during rush hour flooded 59 roads in Ho Chi Minh City, with flooded areas ranging from 100 m² to 30,000 m². According to the Command Center and the Fire Department of Ho Chi Minh City, this was the most severe rainstorm in 40 years, causing hundreds of billions of VND in damage. Nearly 1,300 motorcycles and over 100 cars were damaged. From October 13 to 14, 2016, torrential rains caused floods in several districts in Quang Binh, washing away homes and belongings, leaving residents in dire conditions. Tan Hoa commune in Minh Hoa district, Quang Binh, a flood-prone area near the Rao Nay River, was severely submerged, with all 668 households affected. Some homes were submerged by 2 meters of water, and in some areas, the water reached up to 6 meters high. On December 24, while people across the country were celebrating Christmas, thousands in Binh Dinh faced a harsh and makeshift life in damaged homes or temporary shelters with relatives. Most of the local population relies on aquaculture, but the strong currents had destroyed their ponds, leaving them without any means of livelihood. With homes destroyed and aquaculture wiped out, the recovery remains uncertain.

The 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam took place from January 20 to 28, 2016, spanning a week of deliberations that produced crucial decisions for the nation’s future, as well as the election of the new Central Committee. The Congress resulted in the election of 200 members to the Party's Central Committee for the new term, including 180 official members and 20 alternate members.

On April 16th, which corresponded to the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month, millions of visitors flocked to the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho for the annual death anniversary ceremony. This led to a chaotic scene of pushing and shoving as tens of thousands tried to make their way to the temple early. Many children and elderly people were caught in the crush, making it difficult for them to escape. However, the event's security measures ensured that no serious incidents occurred.

On May 22nd, citizens across the country enthusiastically exercised their right to vote. The results of the 14th National Assembly election saw 496 candidates elected, with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc securing the highest vote percentage at 99.48%.