Largest flower festival marks the beginning of spring

More than 6,000 arrangements from over 700 artisans have been displayed at the largest Spring Flower Festival in HCM city on January 25.

The showcased pieces include flowers, ornamental fish, cactus and bonsai.

In addition, an exhibition was also held to introduce the city’s socio-economic and cultural achievements.

Visitors had the opportunity to see foreign blooms aswell as many different types of flowers from localities nationwide.

They also enjoyed colourful performances of dragon dances, Don ca tai tu (southern amateur singing), tea culture, photo exhibition and calligraphy demonstrations.

Duong Hong Thanh, deputy director of the Department of Transportation and organisor of the festival, said that HCM City’s authorities are very keen on the event. The municipal people’s committee always trys to attract artisans from craft villages to help visitors learn more about Vietnamese people and their culture, especially HCM City.

This is the 34th year the event has been held as part of the city’s cultural and traditional activities and will run until February 5.

Int’l Culinary Festival 2014 opens in HCM City

More than 200 diplomats and representatives from travel agencies, five-star restaurants, and hotels attended HCM City’s 2014 International Culinary Festival 2014 on January 24.

The event included live preparations of five-star hotel dining’s most famous dishes, a seminar on compiling a traditional Vietnamese menu, and introductions to Vietnam’s culinary traditions for attending international visitors.

The festival celebrated the Vietnamese tourism sector’s leading chefs and promoted Vietnamese cuisine.

Sheraton HCM City Chef Tran Vinh Tien said Vietnamese chefs are increasingly innovative as social change forces new approaches to pleasing local diners.

Vietnamese cuisine is famous for the harmony between Eastern and Western techniques and ingredients.

Tien believes as customer palates become more adventurous, the nation’s cooks and chefs must respond.

Ho Chi Minh City offers traditional cake to ancestors

People in Ho Chi Minh City on January 26 offered incense and Banh Tet (traditional sticky rice cake) to the Hung Kings - who are believed to be the founders of the country - on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet).

This year, the cakes were chosen from the most beautiful and delicious made in a contest held on January 24.

While Banh Chung (square sticky rice cake) is popular in the northern region during Tet, Banh Tet is a typical specialty of the southern localities.

The same day, municipal leaders and many delegations from various local agencies also paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh and heroic martyrs at the Ho Chi Minh museum and cemeteries across the city.

As part of the activities to welcome Tet, a Spring Flower Festival opened in the city on January 25, displaying more than 6,000 arrangements by over 700 artisans from various localities such as Dak Lak, An Giang, Can Tho and Da Lat.

A photo exhibition was also held to introduce the socio-economic achievements of the city, besides many diverse traditional games and art performances.

Themed “My beloved city”, the festival is underway in Tao Dan park in District 1 until February 2.

Research on ancient ceramics wins int't award

A PhD thesis on Viet Nam's ancient ceramics by researcher Beatrice Wisniewski from the Paris-Sorbonne University has been awarded the Young Talent grand prize by the France-Viet Nam Friendship Association.

At the award ceremony, held in Paris last Thursday, Patrice Cosaert, chairman of the prize jury, praised the quality of the research and noted that the research improved people's knowledge on Viet Nam and promoted the development of Vietnamese culture over the centuries.

He also said that the jury had worked very hard to determine which was the best research paper, as there were many high quality research papers on Viet Nam by French scholars, such as those on Ha Noi through photos and paintings, on ca tru (ceremonial singing), and Vietnamese tourism focusing on geological concerns.

Wisniewski said she had been to Viet Nam four times, each trip lasting 2 to 8 months, and had travelled to archaeological sites in the northern province of Bac Ninh to gather samples and data.

She had worked on her PhD thesis for 7 years.

In her thesis, entitled Vietnamese Ancient Ceramics in the First 1,000 Years of Our Era, Wisniewski studied the typical features of Vietnamese ceramics, which were influenced by Chinese ceramic-making techniques since early periods.

Over time, Vietnamese artisans improved their skills and tools to produce special products, such as ceramic wares with clear glaze.

Wisniewski determined that the folk handicraft had been practised by early Vietnamese people, such as those in the Hoa Binh (12,000-10,000 BC) and Bac Son (10,000-8,000 BC) cultures and continued through the ceramic's golden period during the Ly and Tran reigns (11th - 14th century).

The Young Talent Grand Prize is given annually for research performed by French scholars in art, science and other fields relating for Viet Nam. The prize is worth 3,000 euro (around US$4,100).

The custom of longevity celebration

Celebration of longevity is a time-honoured tradition in Vietnam, showing the important role of the elderly in society.

The celebration is usually held on the occasion of the Lunar New Year or on the birthday of the honoured person. The first longevity celebration is observed when a person turns 70, then on the 80-, 90- and 100-year-old milestones.

According to popular belief, the greatest three blessings in a person’s life are Good Luck, Wealth and Longevity. Families with elderly are considered to be blessed, and children and grandchildren are happy and proud to see their parents and grandparents live long into old age.

Celebrations of longevity are usually held at home, to be an occasion for children and grandchildren to pay respect to and express gratitude to their parents and grandparents.

In recent years, mass organizations such as the Association of the Elderly and the local governments also hold solemn ceremonies to honour old people in the locality. At the same time, a movement called “Silk Blouse to Grandmother” initiated by the Ho Chi Minh Pioneer Youth Union has become popular across the nation.

The custom has kept its value in modern society particularly in the context that the life expectancy in Vietnam is increasing, reaching 73 at present.-