Egyptian folk dance troupe perform in VN cities

Audiences in Ha Noi and Hai Phong will have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Egyptian dance performances by the Egyptian National Folk Dance Troupe today and on Friday.

The performances will be held at the opera houses of both cities.

The shows are being organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Egyptian troupe is believed to be one of the oldest folk dance groups in Egypt. The group started with 56 male dancers and one female dancer in 1960, but now boasts 45 male dancers and 35 female dancers.

The dance troupe's performances feature several traditional dances from Egypt, such as the Tanourah, Al Magouz and Om El Kholoul, as well as traditional dances from different regions of Egypt.

In its 54 years of existence, the troupe has performed in about 105 countries around the world.

The troupe's choreographers and trainers have helped in creating and supporting more than 80 folk art groups across Egypt.

The shows in Viet Nam will be performed by 11 dancers and two musicians, and will be directed by Hassan Ibrahim, who is the General Director of the troupe.

TV channels prepare Tet lineup

Television stations have lined up dozens of programmes to the nation during Tet (Lunar New Year), the year's biggest festival.

Viet Nam Television (VTV) will broadcast its usual comic skit Tao Quan (Kitchen God) on New Year's Eve, falling on January 30 this year.

It will take a look at the top events in the year just gone by, and will this year feature renowned actors including Quoc Khanh, Xuan Bac, and Cong Ly.

It will be followed by a two-hour Tet concert with songs on spring and Tet by pop superstars like Ho Ngoc Ha and My Tam.

Four leading women singers, Hong Nhung, My Linh, Tran Thu Ha, and Thu Minh will appear in Huong Tet Viet (Scent of Vietnamese Tet) concert on VTV9 beginning at 10pm.

The Anh, the show's director said: "The three-hour programme will include a talk show, music and dance performances, and a drama performed by more than 60 singers, musicians, actors, and dancers."

It will also feature New Year celebrations in the northern, central, and southern regions.

The show will be hosted by actors Thanh Bach, Ngoc Diem, and Truong Ngoc Anh.

On New Year and the next day, VTV3 will broadcast a music programme in which winners and other contestants of the channel's Do Re Mi music contest for children will sing and dance with famous singers including Van Mai Huong, Ho Trung Dung, and Luu Huong Giang.

On New Year's Eve HCM City Television (HTV) will air Tao Quan, a programme featuring music, dance, and a comic play.

Two days before that will be a live broadcast of the opening of Flower Street and Street Book Festival on Nguyen Hue Boulevard on January 28.

The opening will feature music performances of singers like Ha Anh Tuan and Thanh Thuy.

Both VTV and HTV stations will premiere new comedy series such as Tia Oi Ve An Tet (Dad, Please Come Back Home for Tet), Ai Cung Co Tet (Everyone Has Tet), and Nu Hon Dau Xuan (A Kiss in Spring).

They will have famous actors, comics, and singers including Hoai Linh, Binh Minh, and Dan Truong.

The films will all be broadcast between the first and the fifth day of the new year (January 31 – February 4).

Temples of literature featured at exhibition in Hanoi

An exhibition featuring the establishment and development of Vietnam’s temples of literature was held at the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi on January 21.

On the display were over 80 photos of architecture, gates, bell towers, courtyards, steles and exhibits related to examinations, providing visitors with an overview of the country’s system of literature temples, especially the Hanoi Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam and the Hue temple of literature.

The exhibition also presented a number of architectural items excavated from the old base of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam in 1998, its books, documents, woodblocks and steles carved names of those who had high scores in examinations.

According to the organisers, the exhibition helps people understand and preserve Vietnam’s cultural heritage while encouraging localities to restore their literature temples.

Furama Resort Da Nang to host Tet ‘village market'

A three-day Tet "village market" will be held at the Furama Resort Da Nang from Friday through Sunday.

Tourists visiting Da Nang will be able to experience traditional cuisine at a price of VND30,000 (US$1.4) per dish at the village market.

The market will be designed as a rural market, accompanied by bamboo houses and wet-rice farming.

In addition, magic and art performances have been organised for the three-day event, along with calligraphy and fortune-telling sessions.

Localities to embrace New Year with fireworks

Major cities and provinces nationwide will usher in the Lunar New Year with spectacular firework displays at midnight on the eve of the New Year which will fall on January 31.

In Hanoi, performances will last for 15 minutes in 29 areas around the city, including Hoan Kiem Lake (Hoan Kiem district), Thong Nhat Park (Hai Ba Trung district), Lac Long Quan flower garden (Tay Ho district) and Van Quan Lake (Ha Dong district).

Meanwhile, revellers in Ho Chi Minh City will be treated to fireworks at the front end of Sai Gon river tunnel, and five other locations across the city.

To embrace the Year of the Horse, the northern mountainous provinces, the central, Central Highlands and southern localities will also illuminate their skylines with sparkling fireworks.

New attractions open in Suoi Tien Park

Seven attractions will be opened for operation in Suoi Tien Cultural Tourism Park before the Tet holidays.

The park has invested VND 170 billion into the projects, said Park Deputy Director Huynh Dong Tuan.

The new attractions are “Kingdom of Future Geniuses”, “Castle of Magic”, “UFO From a Strange Planet”, “Turbo Rail”, a suspended cable car, and a Buddhist statue.

The 20-meter-high statue stands on a 2,400-square-meter platform. The unique, gigantic sculpture cost VND 20 billion to construct.