Vietnam supports UNESCO’s reform

The Vietnamese Party and Government always support UNESCO’s “action plan towards future” initiated by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Thanh Son made the statement at a meeting with Irina Bokova in Paris on February 29 on the sidelines of UNESCO’s Executive Council meeting from February 27 to March 10.

Son said the cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO has achieved significant results and lot of Vietnamese cultural, natural and intangible heritage and biosphere reserves have been recorgnised as world heritage sites.

He affirmed that Vietnam is willing to host UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Consultative Meeting in June when Thanh Hoa is honoured to have the Ho Dynasty Citadel recorgnised as world cultural heritage on the occasion of UNESCO Vietnam’s 35th anniversary.

Son proposed that UNESCO recorgnise the Hung King Festival as one of world intangible cultural heritage.

Ms Irina promised to support this proposal and to visit Vietnam again in June.

She recalled her unforgettable memories of her previous visit to Vietnam during the grand celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, saying she was very impressed by Vietnam’s cooperation with UNESCO.

HCMC museum showcases dragon ao dai

Ho Chi Minh City’s Southern Women's Museum Wednesday has just received three ao dai from the collection titled “The Thousand-year-old Sacred Dragon,” designed by Nhat Dung, on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8.

The clothes, which were made for the Thang Long-Hanoi's millennium celebration in 2010, includes a 13.6-meter-long velvet ao dai embroidered meticulously with dragon patterns from the 9th century Vietnamese Ly Dynasty .

According to an ancient myth, the Vietnamese people are descended from a dragon and a fairy. To them, the dragon brings rain, essential for agriculture; and also represents the emperor, prosperity, and power of the nation.

The 32-year-old designer also donated his two other ao dai made for the Miss Ethnic Vietnam pageant and the Sea and Island Festival in 2010.

The three ao dai will be exhibited at the museum from now until Vietnam’s Women’s Day on October 20.

Fahasa's foreign book imports total millions

The HCM City Books Distributor Joint-stock Company imported books and other publications worth US$7 million last year.

Fahasa, as the company is known, organised several exhibitions of foreign books together with foreign publishers like Sterling and Pearson, CEO Pham Minh Thuan said yesterday.

The company had sales of VND1.42trillion (US$68.1 million), an increase of 14 per cent over 2010.

Fahasa has 58 bookshops in 30 provinces and cities, and hires 2,200 employees.

Artistic postcard, photo exhibit to open

An exhibition by the Plonk and Replonk group will begin tomorrow in Ha Noi to call attention to the need for protecting timeless UNESCO heritage sites.

Entitled The World Marginalisation, the exhibition aims to speak to viewers through photos edited from old photos and postcards

The Switzerland-based group was established in 1995 by brothers Hubert and Jacques Froidevaux (1963).

The brothers have collectively distinguished themselves by creating a series of postcards through the recycling and retouching of old photographs with a mixture of black humour, nonsense, kitsch, baroque and puns taken literally.

Their work suggests a wicked sense of humour, which borders on sardonic. They turn around ordinary objects and habits in order to ask us to look at them in other ways.

Organised by the Embassy of Switzerland, the exhibition will run until March 27 at the French Cultural Centre, 24 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi.

Traditional religious dance costumes restored

More than 100 traditional costumes worn by dancers for the Nam Giao religious ritual during the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) have been restored.

Dancers will present the restored costumes in a Nam Giao ritual organised on April 8 as part of the Hue Festival in the central city of Hue.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre and researcher Trinh Bach worked together for several years to restore this valuable part of heritage from the Nguyen dynasty.

Bach, an overseas Vietnamese living in the US, came back to Viet Nam to collect and repair royal antiquities from the last dynasty in Vietnamese history.

Capital flea market to delight bargain hunters
 
A flea market promising a wide range of goods with something for everyone will take place at Ha Noi Rock City, 27/52 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District on Sunday.

Like other flea markets around the world, vintage items will be offered at basement prices, while customers can also expect not just handicrafts, but one-off designs, handmade goods, and interior decor items at reasonable prices. Each booth will exhibit its creativity reflecting the quality of their items and their origins.

The market will be open from 9am to 5pm.

Pakistani films to be screened in Ha Noi

Award-winning Pakistani movies will be presented to audiences in Ha Noi during Pakistan Film Week, which kicks off in the city next Tuesday.

During the three-day event, three movies will be screened, including Jinnah, a film about the life and struggle of the Father of the Nation of Pakistan.

The event, hosted by the Embassy of Pakistan in Ha Noi, will take place at Hanoi Cinematheque, 22A Hai Ba Trung Street.

Polish painter showcases local landscapes

Polish painter Franciszek Ryszard Mazurek will showcases his oil-on-canvas paintings inspired by Viet Nam's landscapes at an exhibition that will open in Ha Noi next Wednesday.

Entitled Landscapes of Viet Nam, the exhibition will feature 33 paintings made during the artist's travels in the country last October.

The event will take place at the Exhibition House, 29 Hang Bai Street, from March 7-10.

British DJ performs in HCM City

The Beats Saigon, a music event crew that promotes underground music, will present the UK-based international DJ and producer Kuedo at Vasco's in HCM City this Saturday.

Kuedo, whose real name is Jamie Teasdale, was formerly half of the groundbreaking dubstep duo Vex'd. While the music of Vex'd is typified by half-step beats and heavy low-end, his music is more akin to a futurist, escapist and dreamlike style.

The show will begin at 9pm at 74/7D Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1.

Centre offers free dance classes to public

The KOTO Saigon Training Centre will organise a Day of Dance to raise money for its charity activities at its Dancentre in HCM City this Sunday.

The event will feature fun-filled activities for all the family, including free, easy and fun dance classes, a silent auction and a performance by the UDG dancers.

The event will take place from 2pm to 6pm at 53 Nguyen Dang Giai Street in District 2.

Jazz concert features French artist

French jazz pianist, composer and singer Frank Amsallem will perform in a solo concert at IDECAF (Institute for Culture Exchange with France) in HCM City on March 10.

Amsallem has recorded a total of eight CDs under his name. He has lived in the US for 20 years and collaborated with jazz greats Gerry Mulligan, Charles Lloyd, Joshua Redman and others.

The concert will begin at 8pm at 31 Thai Van Lung Street in District 1. Tickets, priced at VND100,000, with a 50 per cent discount for students, are available at the institute.

Top designers set to present new fashion

Three leading Vietnamese designers will present their latest collections at a fashion show in HCM City tomorrow.

Vaio S Fashion Show – Can Bang Hoan Hao (Vaio S Fashion Show – A Perfect Balance) will feature White, Black and Silver collections by Do Manh Cuong, Hoang Ngan and Truong Thanh Hai, respectively.

Cuong's designs showcase a simple but luxurious style that is suitable for businesswomen, while Hai accentuates the feminine in dresses that use taffeta and satin.

Ngan will present "modern and strong" designs in wool, cotton and silk.

The fashion show, organised by Sony Electronics Viet Nam, will be held at the White Palace hotel in Phu Nhuan District.

Admission fees hiked for Hue historic sites

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre will apply new entrance ticket prices for local and foreign visitors to the city's historical sites from this month.

The centre has submitted the proposal for new prices to the Thua Thien – Hue People's Committee and is awaiting approval from the provincial administration. It argues that the admission fees for foreign visitors have not been changed since 1993 while inflation has soared since.

The new prices will apply to two sets of monuments, the first comprising the tombs of emperors Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and Minh Mang as well as the Hue Citadel; and the second consisting of the tombs of Thieu Tri and Dong Khanh, the An Dinh and Hon Chen palaces, the Imperial Citadel and the Antiquities Museum.

For the first set, foreign tourists will pay VND80,000 (US$3.8)per monument, up from the current fee of VND55,000; while domestic visitors will pay VND55,000 per person per monument, up from VND30,000.

For the second set, foreign and domestic tourists will be charged VND40,000 and VND30,000 per monument, respectively.

Ethnic language TV programmes debut
 
Viet Nam Television (VTV) will begin broadcasting new ethnic language television shows on Channel Five from today.

The shows, produced by 42 local television studios in co-operation with VTV branches, will introduce the country's different ethnic groups.

Two shows entitled Tap Chi Dan Toc (Ethnic Magazine) and Tap Chi Van Hoa Dan Toc Viet Nam (Viet Nam Ethnic Culture Magazine) would be among the highlights, said Do Quoc Khanh, deputy-head of VTV's Ethnic Language Department.

The weekly Ethnic Magazine shows will be 30 minutes in length and focus on three main elements.

Bringing Policies to Life will feature outstanding issues such as production land allotment, forest protection and rural development.

Ethnic people who are good businessmen and leaders in their villages will be portrayed in Good Person Good Work while Cultural Conservation and Development will introduce each ethnic group.

"The show aims to uncover the traditional values of ethnic groups in a developing society," Khanh said.

The new format of shows are being produced and broadcast under the Government's project on ethnic language television shows from 2011-15 with a view to popularise and conserve typical cultures.

It also aims to celebrate the 10 years of ethnic language television broadcasting on VTV.

The first show was aired on Channel Five (VTV5) in languages including Mong, E-De, Khmer, Cham and Gia Rai during 2002.

"At the beginning, we had no ethnic people in the seven-member group producing the shows. Reporters and ethnic language speakers were sent from provincial stations," former department head Le Tat Cu recalled.

Ethnic language television shows in 2006-10 received VND320 billion (US$15,3 million) in Government investment and helped train workers from ethnic groups, support finance source for local television stations and upgrade production equipment.

The ethnic language television shows are now broadcast in nearly 30 languages such as Dao, Muong, San Chi and Thai.

Over the last 10 years, the department produced highly rated television shows including documentary features such as the Mountainous Area Chronicle and Travelling the Central Area.

The 40-episode documentary Da River Chronicle, first shown on VTV5, will be aired on VTV1 on March 5 in condensed 28-episode format.

The chronicle was made by the VTV's Ethnic Language Television Department and five television stations in northern provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho.

Bui Giang’s poetry on display in capital

A book collection from the pen of poet Bui Giang themed ‘Bui Giang trong coi nguoi ta’ (Bui Giang in life’ will be held for a week from Wednesday at Dong Tay Book Cafe at 11A Tran Quy Kien Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi.

The collection covers his work published before and after 1975. The pieces all depict an eccentric portrait of Giang as well as marking important events in his life with Mua nguon (Rain in the mountains), the Vietnamese version of The Little Prince and Chan troi van nghe (The literary horizon).

With over 110 books on display it is the largest collection of works by Giang to be on public display.

Local artists regard Giang as a peculiar poet. His appeal seems to be from his own character as his lifestyle and works ranging from essays, philosophic research, literature and poems captured their attention.

The display is carried out thanks to the collections of reporter Yen Ba and members of the website http://sachxua.net/forum/.
 
German Opera Night to take place in Hai Phong  

Soloists from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will charm classical music lovers in Haiphong city at German Opera Night March 11.

Famous soloists including Vu (Tenor), Thang Long (Soprano), To Loan (Soprano), Le Thi Vanh Khuyen (Mezzo-Soprano), Diep (Mezzo-Soprano), Trinh Thanh Binh (Tenor), Vu Manh Dung (Baritone), and Minh Dung (Baritone) will perform.

On this occasion, artists will sing arias and duets by Mozart, Beethoven, Weber and Wagner, accompanied by David Miller at the piano.

David Miller is an American-born dual national who has lived in Brussels since 1976.

After studying piano, conducting, and composition at the university of Maryland, he started his conducting career in Rome in 1986 with Peter Brook's "La Tragédie de Carmen" and has since conducted many concerts, operas and ballets.

Ticket can be purchased at Haiphong Opera House, located at 27 Tran Hung Dao street, Hai Phong city.
 
A night of African music in Hanoi  

African blues, jazz, soul and traditional compositions will rock the L’Espace French cultural center in Hanoi March 22.  

The show features musicians Kareyce Fotso and Aly Keïta from Africa, said a press release Thursday.

Kareyce Fotso sings and plays blues, jazz and soul with traditional instruments and guitar. The musician has received many awards including the Insitute Français's Visas pour la création award in 2009.

Aly Keïta is a skillful balafon player (a wooden instrument from West Africa). He has brought the instrument to all over the world and has performed with such famous acts as Omar Sosa, Joe Zawinul, and Magid Bekkas.

Tickets, priced at VND120 000, are available at L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street.

French piano-drum duo to perform in Hanoi  

A music performance featuring a combination of piano and the percussion will be held at the Cultural Exchange Centre-L'Espace in Hanoi on March 15.  
 
French Pianist Ancuza Aprodu and percussionist Thierry Miroglio will present to music lovers contemporary French compositions of Debussy, Ton That Thiet, Ohama, Teruggi, Yuasa and Xenakis.

The duo has performed together for many years at many festivals and stages all over the world.

Ancuza Aprodu is a famous international soloist. She has performed many works from Barock until now, in Europe, Asia, the United States and Africa. She has participated in many radio and TV programmes as well as having brought out many records.

Thierry Miroglio has had more than 300 performances for drum solo. He has participated in activities of many studios (IRCAM, GRM, GRAME) to produce live audio and TV programmes in France and other countries, solo multimedia and CD recordings with many famous record labels.