Activities feature traditional Tet customs

As the clock begins ticking for the Lunar New Year which falls on January 31, the Museum of Ethnology today will organise a variety of festive activities reflecting traditional Vietnamese customs.

To open the day, a swing pole will be set up at 8.30am, followed by a raising ceremony for a tall decorated bamboo tree. Traditionally, Vietnamese families plant a bamboo pole in front of their homes adorned with bows, arrows, bells and gongs to chase away bad luck and welcome in the New Year.

Next, a ceremony dedicated to the Kitchen God will be held to protect the family throughout the year.

A demonstration of how to make traditional banh chung (square sticky rice cake) and a talk by cultural researcher Pham Xuan Nguyen on the theme Tet with Ha Tinh people will also be on the agenda.

The day will also feature several traditional folk games as well as calligraphy writing, origami and folk painting.

To register for the event, contact Roman at fvh.beliefsandreligions@gmail.com.

Cellist Xuan releases music video

Young cellist Dinh Hoai Xuan has released her latest music video, Song Ve Dau (Where the Wave Goes), featuring herself and pianist Vu Ngoc Linh, for music lovers.

Produced by the Revolver Team comprising composer Luu Ha An and director Le Ha Nguyen, the music video was shot on a beautiful river bank in Tam Dao, a mountainous resort in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

The music video supports her CD album Khuc Phieu Du Mot Doi (The Life's Song), which is Viet Nam's first-ever cello album. It has eight songs by the famous Vietnamese composer Trinh Cong Son, whose music has been performed by every singer and musician in Viet Nam.

The music video Song Ve Dau will also be broadcast by the music channel MTV, which has praised the video as "an outstanding product".

A post-graduate of the National Academy of Music, Xuan is pursuing a doctoral degree.

Ecstasy – a night of poetry and butoh

Ha Noi art lovers will have a chance to experience an amazing collaboration by poet and translator Duong Tuong and Butoh dancer Siu Pham during the Ecstasy event– a night of poetry and Butoh at Manzi Art Space in an exploration of the surreal world of words and physical movement.

Supported by the Danish Cultural Development and Exchange Fund, the free-entry event will start at 8.30pm on Saturday at 14 Phan Huy Ich Street.

Due to limited capacity, please pre-register at manzihanoi@gmail.com before 3pm today.

Japanese reggae artists to perform

Japan's reggae artist Papa U-Gee will perform at a music party Mad Fyah at the Cargo Bar on January 24.

Papa U-Gee, who has been on the reggae music scene for 25 years, will play with Red-I and Soul Flower from the Philippines, and the city-based DJs and emcees including Jakob, Knappe, TKO and Danlo.

The performance will begin at 8pm. The bar is at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4.

Graffiti party for Saigon Outcast

Dozens of graffiti writers and street artists will take part in an all-day graffiti block party to be held at the outdoor bar Saigon Outcast on January 25.

The party will include graffiti performances, workshops, live music, food and a charity programme. Artworks will be sold to help orphans and needy children in the city.

The bar is at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street in District 2. Registration for participants is at https://www.facebook.com/events/532373236859869/?ref=22.

VN-English choreographer hosts dance

The Le Thanh Studio will host a contemporary dance show created by Vietnamese-English choreographer dancer Dam Van Huynh on January 24.

Dancers from the Arabesque Dance troupe, HCM City Ballet Dance School and Dancenter will perform.

The UK-based Jamie Hamilton will present the music.

The show will begin at 6:30 pm at 25 Phan Phu Tien Street in District 5. Free tickets can be found at 0912460033 or hung.unlimited@gmail.com.

Tet market at the Metropole

Aiming to provide a window into everyday Hanoian flavours, the luxury Sofitel Legend Metropole Ha Noi will open its annual Tet market in the hotel garden tomorrow.

The spirit of the old Vietnamese market culture will be restored with dragon dancing and traditionally dressed vendors in bamboo stalls singing time-honoured chants.

From the outdoor market, visitors can also duck into the nearby Spices Garden to explore the richness of local Tet culture, traditional music and cuisine.

The market will be open from 4-8pm from Friday until Sunday.

Exhibition on Buddhist culture opens in HCM city

As many as 300 valuable items, including paintings, photographs, sculptures and antiques are being displayed at an exhibition on Buddhism which opened in Pho Quang pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City, on January 22.

The event was held by the Culture Department of the Buddhist Sangha’s chapter in the city.

Of particular significance are an ancient prayer book written in the Khmer language on tree leaves and the artwork “Thich Quang Duc bodhisattva” by Nguyen Gia Tri, one of the country’s most revered painters. Both are displayed for the very first time.

The organising board also arranged stalls to introduce traditional games, cooking and traditional instrument performances, thus retracing many of the cultural traits of the country’s Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.  

The exhibition will last until February 14.

Book on Vietnam-Russia relations released

The Vietnam-ASEAN Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN) in Moscow recently launched a book on Vietnam-Russia relations.

Present at the event were Director of the RAN Institute of Far Eastern Studies M.L. Titarenko, Director of the Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN studies, Dr Vladimir Mazyrin, representatives from Vietnamese Embassy and a large number of Russian scientists.

Director Mazyrin said that the book, the fourth joint project between Russian and Vietnamese scientists, is a collection of articles written by 11 distinguished authors, including Vietnam Ambassador to Russia Pham Xuan Son.

The book is divided into two chapters, looking at bilateral relations through different historical periods in history.

Chapter 1 focuses on the founding and development of Vietnam-Russia relations subsequent to 1991, following the collapse of the former Soviet Union.

Chapter 2 features historical events dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries which established the backdrop for the establishment of bilateral relations and its development till the fall of the former Soviet Union.

The 400-page book is recommended reading for Russian academicians, teachers, or students who study Vietnam and East Asia relations.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Minister Counselor Nguyen Hung thanked Russian authors for their cooperation, contributing to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Artists converge for Destination

Ten artists from the US, Malaysia and Vietnam are sharing their unique perspectives on life through dozens of paintings, photographs and installations at an exhibition in downtown Hanoi.

Titled Destination II, the exhibition is the second brainchild of Nguyen Tam, a renowned player in Hanoi's artistic industry. The first Destination exhibition was held in 2012 in Hanoi with collaborations between Vietnamese and Malaysian artists.

"I had to consult many foreign friends, to connect with the most active artists in Malaysia and the US, to display their works here," said Tam.

"We hope the next destination for our next joint exhibitions will be in Malaysia, in the US or other countries. That way, I can come up new destinations for domestic and foreign artists to come together, share their views and to reach new audiences."

Themed Inner Freedom, the exhibition includes 38 works of art by three American and Malaysian fine art photographers and seven painters from the US, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The exhibition will see John D'Agostino debut his photographs based on Louis Comfort Tiffany's well know glass work. Tiffany is the US's best known art glass designer.

American photographer Larry D'Attilio will showcase four photographic designs [computer-processed photos], titled Another Way to Go, featuring abstract portrayals of Vietnamese women.

Awang Damit Ahmad, a painter from Malaysia, also said it was his first time coming to Vietnam to display paintings.

Most of the art works in the exhibition reference portraits of people in some degree. Multi-faced portraits by Brant Kingman (US), obsessional eyes by Dang Tu Thu (Vietnam), mask-lie portraits dimmed in context by Yusof Ghani (Malaysia), happy or sad faces by Ngo Van Sac (Vietnam), all aim to resonate strongly with audiences.

The artists will participate in workshops on January 23-24 at the Department of Arts, Hanoi Teachers' Training University, where they will create works such as body paintings and take photographs.

Photo exhibition on Vietnam opens in Venezuela

The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela organised a photographic exhibition at Merida State’s Casa Booset cultural centre on January 20, introducing international friends to Vietnam’s land, people and culture.

Visitors also had the chance to admire Vietnamese dolls and traditional musical instruments.

The event includes the screening of a series of Vietnamese films including “Vua Bai Rac” (King of Landfills) by Do Minh Tuan, “Ba Mua”(Three Seasons) by Tony Bui, “Mui Du Du Xanh” (The smell of green Papaya) by Tran Anh Hung,on a channel of the University of the Andes (ULA TV).

The exhibition is part of the Vietnam Cultural Week taking place in Venezuela,

On January 21, Vietnamese Ambassador to Venezuela Ngo Tien Dung had a talk about late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh at the Merida State’s headquarters.

Old cannons added to national treasures

A set of three old cannons cast in 1821 under the Nguyen Dynasty have been recognised as national treasures.

The cannons, now being preserved at the Ha Tinh Museum, were fished out from a shipwreck in August 2003.

Each of them measures 2.45 metres long and weighs over 1,200 kilograms.

They were carved with dragon patterns and ancient Chinese characters.

The cannons are among the 37 additional national treasures recognised in a Prime Minister’s decision in December 2013.

In October 2012, the Government recognised 30 ancient items as national treasures, which represent Vietnam’s historic regions and eras.

Can Tho hosts national lion dragon dance champs

The first national lion dragon dance championship was held in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho on January 21 to herald the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, the country’s biggest holiday.

Competitors from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai, An Giang, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, and Vinh Long and Can Tho cityperformed in team and individual categories.

The Phuoc Anh Duong troupe from Binh Duong won first prizes for its fabulous effort, while two troupes from the hosts claimed glory in the lion pole-climbing dance category for individuals and teams.

Visitors were also treated to an amazing performance by a Thai lion dance troupe.

Lion dragon dancing is a traditional form of performance – a symbol of luck, prosperity, security and good health during festive events, especially the Lunar New Year.

It has become widespread not only in Vietnam but in many Southeast Asian and East Asian countries.-