Discover Ha Noi with FVH city walks

Friends of Viet Nam Heritage (FVH) – a non-formal group consisting of foreigners living in Ha Noi who work voluntarily to promote and preserve Vietnamese cultural and historical heritage – will host two city walks on Saturday.

The morning tour, entitled French Concession, will start in front of the School of Pharmacy, originally the University of Ha Noi, designed by French architect Ernest Hebrard. From there, the walk will continue to the original French Concession of 1798, and then will go past many of the major buildings demonstrating French architecture in city, including the Hotel Metropole, the Opera House and the Museum of History.

Visitors will have the chance to learn about the French expansion within Ha Noi and its influence on architecture.

The afternoon walk will take place around Hoan Kiem Lake - the "centre of Ha Noi" and find out about the founding of the city, the French colonisation of the area, the history and legends of the lake, the old temples that stood by the water and the major French architecture prominent in the area.

The morning tour will start at 9.30am while the afternoon tour will kick off at 1.30pm.

Both the English-speaking tours will last three hours. The attendance fee is VND70,000. Contact Roman at FVH.CityWalks.English@gmail.com to register.

Unconventional Science celebrates album release

LA artist Unconventional Science will celebrate the launch of his latest album Tiger Moustache on Saturday at CAMA ATK.

For 13 years, Unconventional Science has been on an extensive world tour from New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur, where he was a headline at the Raising the Bar Festival.

He will treat his Hanoian audience to a blend of electronic music, jazz, psychedelia and turntablism with support from the Sub Elements crew – Ha Noi's leading pioneers of bass music.

The album launch party will take place at 73A Mai Hac De Street, from 8-11.55pm. Entry is VND50,000.

Enjoy world music at Hanoi Bicycle Collective

On Sunday, the Hanoi Bicycle Collective (THBC) will host an intimate concert with American singer/songwriter, performer and recording artist Michelle Stewart.

Alongside the performance, her newly released debut solo album Sands of Time will be for sale at the concert.

Instrumentation is primarily voice, guitar and mandolin, although she has created and performed all instrumentation on the album by combining real and virtual instruments.

Her performance will take place at No 44, Alley 31, Xuan Dieu Street, Tay Ho District, from 12noon-2pm.

Hard Rock Cafe presents stand-up comedy

The Hard Rock Cafe will host Saigon Comedy Nights by two foreign stand-up comedians and an expatriate living in the city on January 15.

Brendhan Lovegrove of New Zealand and Jeff Innocent of the UK will be joined by Bella Bruhanh who lives in HCM City. Another city-based comedian Chris Baker will host the show.

The event will start at 8pm at the cafe at 39 Le Duan Street, District 1. Entrance will cost VND200,000 ($US10) inclusive of a free beer.

City's first ever confectionery festival arrives

HCM City's will host its first ever confectionery festival at the September 23 Park in District 1 from January 11 to 14.

"Kingdom of Confectionery" will feature traditional confectionery, chocolate, candies, pastry, and ice cream made by local and foreign confectionery makers.

Top piccolo trumpet soloist comes to HCM City

Otto Sauter, the world's leading soloist on the piccolo trumpet, will perform in HCM City for the first time on January 25 and 26 to raise funds for visually impaired children at the Huynh De Nhu Nghia Shelter in Tan Binh District. The German musician will perform along with 10 of the world's best trumpet players.

The performances will be held at 7:30 pm at the HCM City Conservatory of Music, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1.
Tickets cost VND600,000 to VND10 million. For reservations, call 37739676 or 0947640029.

Vietbooks examines Buddhism

The Viet Nam Book of Records (Vietbooks) is currently conducting research on Buddhism, former artisans and must-see travel destinations so that it can submit the information to the India-based Asia Book of Records.

Last year, Vietbooks submitted information about 12 Vietnamese dishes, which were recognised as Asian specialities by the Asia Book of Records in August.

The Asia Book of Records also listed four sites in Viet Nam as must-visit destinations in Asia.

They are the Mot Cot (One-Pillar) Pagoda in Ha Noi, Dong (Bronze) Pagoda on Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province, Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh Province and the statue of Christ in Vung Tau in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province.

In 2012, Vietbooks also compiled 15 lists of famous Vietnamese specialities after two years of research. They included 50 kinds of fruit, 50 dishes, 10 kinds of pastry and 10 kinds of wine.

Vietbooks will host the second meeting of ong do (calligraphers) in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province from January 11 to 13. The event will also celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls in early February.

US embassy launches film comp

The US Embassy in Ha Noi has launched a video contest for Vietnamese residents to broadcast one thing that interests them about Viet Nam.

Contestants are encouraged to submit a short video – 100 seconds or less – for the chance to win an iPad mini and to have their video featured on YouTube channels of the US Embassy in Ha Noi and the HCM City-based US Consulate General.

People aged 15-30 who hold a Vietnamese ID and are living in Viet Nam are eligible for the contest, with one entry allowed per person.

Videos must be submitted to vimeo.com/groups/171402 by the January 23 deadline.

Winner will be announced on January 25.

Viet Nam: My Voice, My Video

The US Embassy in Ha Noi has launched a video contest for Vietnamese residents to broadcast one thing that interests them about Viet Nam.

Contestants are encouraged to submit a short video – 100 seconds or less – for the chance to win an iPad mini and to have their video featured on YouTube channels of the US Embassy in Ha Noi and the HCM City-based US Consulate General.

Vietnamese residents aged 15-30 who hold a Vietnamese ID and are living in Viet Nam are eligible for the contest, with one entry allowed per person.

Videos must be submitted to vimeo.com/groups/171402 by the January 23 deadline.

Winner will be announced on January 25.     

VNN/VNS