“Dancing with the Stars” TV series to be live broadcast

Dancing with the Stars, a Vietnamese TV series, will be live broadcast on Vietnam Television channel 3 (VTV3) as from March 18.

Famous young singer Minh Hang, actress Van Trang and model Truong Nam Thanh are among first candidates to take part in the program.

Under the guidance of foreign dancing stars, the participants will show their talents in various events, including American Latin styles of mambo, salsa and samba, Broadway style, and film music.

The name of jury members will be announced soon.

Ben Tre prepares to go nuts
 
The plan to host the country's third coconut festival in the Mekong province of Ben Tre this year has been approved by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.

The third Ben Tre Coconut Festival 2012 is aimed to help the host province and other coconut-growing localities to popularise their brandnames, promote their products and improve their coconut-processing techniques.

Hai told the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to cooperate with Ben Tre Province to organise the events and activities of the festival economically and effectively.

The festival is scheduled to take place from Aril 4-9.

The coconut-processing industry has significantly contributed to Ben Tre's socio-economic development.

According to figures from the Ben Tre People's Committee, coconut export value account for 25 per cent of Ben Tre's industrial production and 40 per cent of the province's total exports.

Ben Tre's coconut products have been exported to more than 50 countries and territories around the world.

Channel [V] clip features Vietnamese flag, ao dai

A four minute video clip featuring the Vietnamese flag and ao dai (traditional long dress) has been screened on Channel [V], the world leading music television network.

 “Stronger (What doesn’t kill you)”, the song in the clip, performed by 2002 American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.

In the clip shot in front of Ben Thanh market, Ho Chi Minh City a group of young Vietnamese people were dancing together with a girl in the middle wearing a T-shirt with the imagine of the national flag printed out and another in ao dai (traditional long dress).

Music for everyone at L'Espace

The performance and drinks will be free.

The French Cultural Centre L'Espace in Ha Noi will be holding a musical soiree on February 25.

Taking part in the cabaret will be professional and amateur musicians and dancers singing songs in Vietnamese, French and English.

Those interested in taking part should contact the programme's organiser, Cedric Drouard, at cedminimum@hotmail.fr-

Hanoi joins Bangkok Sister Cities Week 2012

Hanoi joined 18 other major cities in the world, including Washington DC, Beijing, Moscow and Manila, at the Bangkok Sister Cities Week which stated in the Thai Capital on February 9.

At the opening ceremony, Bangkok Mayor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said Bangkok has now been twinned with 18 capitals and cities of 13 countries in the world and it will frequently conduct exchange visits with these cities to strengthen cultural and tourism cooperation.

During the event, sister cities introduce traditional dishes, culture, tourism sites and chemical-free wood products for a clean and green development.

The Vietnamese stand, decorated with red flags with the national flag, bamboo trees and conical hats, features books on President Ho Chi Minh, brochures illustrating Vietnam’s famous tourism sites such as Thang Long Royal Palace, Phu Quoc, and Con Dao, and well-known products such as Trung Nguyen coffee.

Visiting the stand, Mayor Paribatra said he loves Vietnam because it is a peaceful country with beautiful landscapes, kind-hearted people and delicious food.

Since Hanoi was twinned with Bangkok in 2004, leaders from the two capitals have often exchanged visits to share experiences.

Painter probes love for life
 
Ha Noi-based painter Nguyen Quoc Dung loves life but his works only show it obliquely.

At a new solo exhibition called Giot Xuan (Drops of Spring) at Tu Do Gallery in HCM City, his 20 oils are typical – they use symbols like women and even mundane objects like rocks to depict that love.

He follows European Realism, a style that became popular after being adopted by Vietnamese artists at the Indochina Fine Arts College that opened in Ha Noi in 1926.

After working for years as a designer of postage stamps, he finally found his calling.

"Painting is only road where I can discover myself and the world.

"While I'm obsessed by concepts in western classical art, I'm also influenced by eastern culture," the 53-year-old adds.

The paintings on show at Drops of Spring have vivid colours that reflect his inner feelings.

One of the more engaging pieces is Thanh Xuan (Youth), a 80cmx90cm oil in red, orange, and black that has as its centrepiece two women in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai.

"Dung's painting style has proved to be effective and fruitful," artist Trinh Sinh Nha said following a visit to the exhibition last week.

"And while looking for what he has, Dung still paints with earnestness."

The exhibition will run until March 5 at 53 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 1.

The paintings are priced at VND34 million (US$1,600) apiece.

Xoan singing officially becomes world heritage this month

Northern Vietnam’s traditional Xoan Singing will officially become one of UNESCO’s intangible heritages this month after its dossier was submitted to the intergovernmental agency for recognition last April.

At a cultural event titled “Back to The Lands of Traditional Festival” to be held from February 18 to promote the tourism potential of the three northern provinces of Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Lao Cai, UNESCO’s representative will confer the certification, confirmingthat Xoan singing is among the worldheritages urgently in need of protection and preservation.

Xoan Singing is a type festive music that has been performed during spring festivals and for worshiping genies in Phu Tho Province for hundreds of years.

Cultural activities including Hung King's death anniversary ceremony, Xoan singing contests and tours to local historic and cultural landscapes will also be held during the event.

The program’s organizer also said they are researching for submitting a dossier on Hung King worship costumes to UNECO for recognition of world intangible heritage.

Vietnam now has five world intangible heritages – Hue’s Royal Court Music, Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands, Bac Ninh Folk Music, Giong Festival, and Chamber Music.

Children's playground built in HCM City park

A new playground for children between five and 12 years old opened yesterday in Tan Binh District's Hoang Van Thu Park.

The children's play area, which has five zones covering 820 sq. metres with a range of equipment and facilities catering to fitness and entertainment, is free entry to all.

The US$97,000 playground is expected to have a positive effect on children's development.

Nguyen Khac Cuong, editor-in-chief of Khan Quang Do (Red Scarf) newspaper, which took part in the project, said all Vietnamese children want to study, be loved and taken care of by family and society.

The Municipal People's Committee decided to build 10 playgrounds after many children complained last year that they had few places in the city to play.

The city playgrounds are located in Can Gio, Binh Chanh and Nha Be districts, Le Thi Rieng Park in District 10, Le Van Tam Park and Tao Dan Park in District 1, Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap District and Phu Lam Park in District 6.

By the end of the year, the 10 playgrounds, serving 1.7 million children, will be completed.

The city government has suggested that private investment be used to develop children's entertainment areas in inner districts, while playgrounds in suburban districts could be built with monies from the public budget.

Construction on several of the playgrounds was funded by companies operating in HCM City. The new playground in Hoang Van Thu Park was funded by a Thai company.

Winners of infant award help change perceptions

Winners of the media award on ‘Infant and Young Child Feeding’ were announced at an award ceremony in Hanoi on February 9.

The award honoured 13 outstanding writings on ‘Infant and Young Child Feeding’ published in print and electronic newspapers, and broadcast on television.

The award-winning work has had a strong impact on the perceptions of people and policy makers, and contributed to gradually changing public views and behaviors when it comes to child care and feeding.

In the ten months since the competition was launched, organisers received more than 100 entries in many categories including reports, reflections, notes, and diffusing knowledge of journalists from central and local press agencies.

The media award was co-organised by the Vietnam Central Health Communication and Education Centre under the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Alive & Thrive (A&T) Project.