Gong culture exhibition opens in Gia Lai

Nearly 120 documents, images and artifacts on the distinctive Cong Chieng (gong culture) of Vietnam's Central Highlands are currently on display at an exhibition that opened yesterday at Gia Lai Museum in Pleiku city, Gia Lai province.

The exhibition marks the 82nd anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3rd, 1930 – February 3rd, 2012) and also welcomes the Lunar New Year 2012.

‘Gia Lai Gong Heritage – Traditional and Contemporary’ presents the gong culture of ethnic groups in Gia Lai province in the past and today.

It also hopes to promote the preservation of gong culture, which was recognized as a UNESCO world intangible cultural heritage in 2005.

The exhibition will run until February 11.

Restoration lacks professionalism
 
Qualified human resources were needed to complete restoration activities on the nation's historical treasures, said participants at a recent workshop held to discuss concerns about the renovation sector.

"Human resources in the cultural heritage sector have to meet the demands of our culture development strategy," said researcher Dang Van Bai at the workshop held by the Relic Preservation Institute on Tuesday.

"A recent Government decision pointed out that the number of people involved in renovation and preservation activities remained limited, and most lacked professionalism," he said.

Participants suggested better training for staff to give them unified knowledge in artefact preservation.

The State should upgrade the status of the Culture Heritage Department, which falls under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, into a higher level agency to deal with heavier tasks, said Prof Luu Tran Tieu.

Prof Truong Quoc Binh agreed, saying the department should be developed into a centre for post-graduate cultural preservation training that could potentially give young professionals the opportunity to study abroad.

Tieu complained of amateur renovation activities at 3,200 nationally ranked sites and thousands of locally managed sites, emphasising that most of the staff involved in the renovations had not received proper training and many did not know anything about the sites they were working on.

He stressed the difference between renovation of old sites and construction of new religious structures that were based on traditional architecture, and offered examples of recently built pagodas and towers like the Nguyen Trai Temple in the northern province of Hai Duong and Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh Province.

"The Bai Dinh Pagoda was built on a large area of a land covered with traces dating back to the Dinh [968-980] and Le reigns [1428-1527]," said Prof Hoang Van Khoan, adding that the new pagoda actually bore typical architectural features of the Nguyen dynasty which reigned during the 19th century.

Prof Tran Lam Bien blamed renovation workers for destroying portions of heritage sites by moving artefacts inappropriately.

He insisted that anyone involved in renovations should possess sufficient knowledge of history and ethnology, and respect the original architecture.

None of the country's renovation projects had resulted in 100 per cent accuracy, he said.

"Many of the workers have no heart for the task," he said. "They just want to exploit the renovation funds."

Party on HCMC’s tallest skyscraper to welcome Tet

A party to say goodbye to the old year and usher in the new year will take place at Saigon Sky Deck in the Ho Chi Minh City’s highest skyscraper Bitexco on January 22, the lunar New Year’s Eve.

Titled “Tet Sum Vay” (A Gathering for Tet), the event offers diners good food, beverage and flamenco music as well as special gifts from the bar’s Lucky God.

Housed on the 49th floor in the 124th tallest skyscraper in the world, the Sky Deck also promises to be a nice place for guests to enjoy the fireworks which will be lit up at midnight to celebrate the new year.

The party starts at 10pm at Bitexco Financial Tower at 36 Ho Tung Mau in District 1.

Tickets are now available at the venue.

Indochina solidarity writing contest winners honoured

Dao Van Tien and Vo Thuy Phuong were awarded the two A prizes for ‘The Most Unforgettable Memories of Vietnam – Laos – Cambodia Solidarity’ writing contest at a ceremony held on January 11 in Hanoi.

Four B, six C and 16 consolation prizes were also handed out at the awards ceremony.

The contest, launched by the Vietnam People's Army General Department of Politics (VPAGD) in 2009, received 210 entries from 156 writers. The works were edited and collected into three books, with more than 6,000 copies printed. The books were distributed to military libraries to educate younger generations about the solidarity among the people and armies of the three Indochinese countries and inspire pride in those who lived and fought in Laos and Cambodia.

Also at the ceremony, the VPAGD reviewed the campaign for composing and promoting literature and artistic works on studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example in the armed forces. The movement encouraged military artists and writers to compose more high-quality works reflecting the daily lives, training, studies and emulation campaigns of soldiers and honour those in military units who presented exemplary roles models.

Seven collectives and 17 individuals were presented certificates of merit for their outstanding achievements during the campaign.

HCMC to open theater on traditional music

A theater for performances of different genres of Vietnamese traditional music, some of which is recognized as intangible cultural heritages by UNESCO, will open next month in Ho Chi Minh City.

Named “Non La” (Conical Hat), an indispensable accessory to accompany the Vietnamese ao dai, the theater will host performances in various genres of traditional music like “ca tru,” “cheo,” “hat boi,” “bo go Tay Nguyen” (Central Highlands’ percussion) and “nha nhac cung dinh” (court music).

Situated inside the city’s Labor Culture Palace on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 1, the 350-square-meter theater costs VND3billion (US$150,000) to build and has a capacity of 250 seats, all of which are made of bamboo.

The theater is expected to go into operation in the middle of next month with a 50-minute show that starts at 8:30pm every night.

Copies of the program in 8 languages will be distributed to the audience to help them understand the performances.

A cuisine zone will also be open on the theater’s campus to introduce traditional cuisines to foreign tourists.

Vietnamese-American actress who sued Amazon reveals identity  

An actress who anonymously sued Amazon.com and its Internet Movie Database for revealing her age has revealed her identity, the AP reported this week.

Huong Hoang of Texas, who may be better known by her stage name, Junie Hoang, has appeared in such films as "Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver" and "Hoodrats 2: Hoodrat Warriors."

The actress filed a million-dollar claim against Amazon, saying the company mined her IMDb account information to learn her advanced age, which is 40, and then posted it on her profile — causing offers for roles to dry up.

Last month a federal judge in Seattle ordered the lawsuit dismissed, saying she had no grounds to proceed with an anonymous complaint.

Hoang refiled her lawsuit Friday under her real name.

Rich businessmen’s portraits go on show

A group of young artists will put on an exhibition of rich businessmen’s portraits from January 17 to February 4 at the Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street in Hanoi.

The show about rich Vietnamese people features the portraits of 12 businessmen by artists Nguyen Dinh Vu, Tran Dinh Binh, Nguyen Thuy Duong, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Do Hiep and Nguyen Xuan Hoang among others.
 
Canadian blogger puts out 2nd book in Vietnamese

Joe Ruelle is a well-known blogger in Vietnam“Nguoc chieu vun vut,” or “Swooshing against the tide,” the second book written in Vietnamese by famous Canadian blogger and TV personality Joe Ruelle has recently hit the bookshelves, Lao Dong Newspaper reported Tuesday.

After “I am Dau”, his bestselling first work published in 2007 which captured widespread attention of local book lovers, “Nguoc chieu vun vut” has shown an impressive progress in the writer’s command of Vietnamese and a deeper understanding of the local culture he is living in.

It features more than 60 pieces of writing that have already published in local newspapers, magazines and his own blog in the last 4 years, which were all edited and revised by the writer to catch up with his growing level of Vietnamese after each year.

Similar to the first work, “Nguoc chieu vun vut” demonstrates Dau’s humorous observations of local society and cheeky anecdotes of the life of expats like him in Vietnam. He picks up a wide range of topics from the vulgar trend of overusing English in daily conversations among a group of young Vietnamese to how scary the celebration of Tet (Lunar New Year) is to expats.

Published by Nha Nam Books, the book was blurbed by well-known director and writer Le Hoang who praised the author as “a Westerner who writes better than Vietnamese.”

Arriving in Vietnam ten years ago, Joe who is from British Columbia, Canada received his Bachelor of Arts from the Canadian Acadia University in 2002 and landed a research position with Unicef Vietnam the same year.

During his three years with Unicef, he studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. In 2006, he started his own blog in Vietnamese in which he documented his life as an expat in Hanoi with stories and humorous observations of the local culture.

The blog quickly grabbed the attention of the then growing online community in Vietnam and attracted nearly 10 million hits in less than 2 years.

It became a syndicated column and a best-selling paperback (I am Dau) and he later appeared in TV dramas, sitcoms, game shows and even co-hosted a nationally-broadcast teen-debate show for two years.

He referred to himself as Dau, a Vietnamese word play on his English name pronounced “zo” and meaning “Berry.”

Come to Po Sah Inu Towers for Tet celebration

The Po Sah Inu Towers in the southcentral coastal city of Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan Province will organize a program from January 24 to 26 for local and foreign tourists to ring in the Lunar New Year, or Tet.

The event will feature a variety of Champa folk arts shows just outside the ancient towers, which are usually included in the itinerary of Phan Thiet tours. In addition to the traditional Vietnamese music, visitors will have the opportunity to get a better understanding of Cham people and their culture.

The program will include an artistic photo exhibition about Cham culture, the past and present of Phan Thiet, and Lau Ong Hoang building that was a hilly retreat constructed by Ferdinand d’Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and a great-grandson of Louis-Philippe, King of the French. This building is also a reminder of the life of famous Vietnamese poet Han Mac Tu (1912-1940) as this was a rendezvous for him and his partner Mong Cam to enjoy the moonlight.

On Ngoc Lam Hill in Phu Hai Ward, the Po Sah Inu Towers are about five kilometers from the center of Phan Thiet City and next to the main Ham Tien-Mui Ne road that leads to hundreds of beach resorts.

Tet book road features HCMC’s tradition, present and future

A book street festival will be organized in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 next week to welcome the lunar New Year, which falls on January 23.

Titled “Truyen Thong, Hien Tai va Tuong Lai” (Tradition, Present and Future), the event will be held by the city’s Department of Information and Communication in collaboration with local publishers including Tong Hop, Fahasa, Phuong Nam and Van Hoa Van Nghe.

It will take place at Nguyen Hue, Mac Thi Buoi and Ngo Duc Ke streets from January 20 to 26.

During the time of the festival, books about Vietnamese history, traditional cultural values, and HCMC in the past will be displayed on Mac Thi Buoi Street under the theme “Con Duong Truyen Thong” (The Street of Tradition).

Meanwhile, Nguyen Hue Street, reflecting the theme “Con Duong Giao Thoa Hien Tai Huong Toi Tuong Lai” (The Intersection of the Present and Future) will showcase new books published by local and foreign publishers together with modern tools for e-books and digital documents.

Ngo Duc Ke Street, named “Con Duong Tuong Lai” (The Street of Future), will gather books and documents about the city’s projects in the next few years. The street also includes children’s and braille books, as well as a play zone for children and book cafés.

Different from last year’s festival, this year’s will feature many traditional games and activities, including the New Year ritual of having one’s fortune told by local renowned writer and comedian Mac Can.

There will also be a fine arts exhibition titled “Sen – Huong Sac Viet” (Lotus – Vietnam’s beauty and fragrance) as well as meetings with local writers like Le Thi Kim, Bui Chi Vinh, Nguyen Nhat Anh and Doan Thach Bien.

Restoration work on Dr. Yersin’s tomb stopped   

Khanh Hoa authorities have decided to stop the restoration work on the tomb of Dr. Yersin, which has been recognized as a national heritage, announced Le Xuan Than, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa Province on January 12.
 
Alexandre Yersin, a scientist whose research works have made substantial contributions to mankind, breathed his last on March 1, 1943, at the age of 80. In accordance to his last wishes, he was laid to rest on his stomach as an act of embracing the land he dearly loved.

When visiting Nha Trang, after seeing the great achievements of the Pasteur Institute during the last eighty years, visitors should not forget to thank a man such as Dr. Yersin. The institute has dedicated a special room to honor the scientist and his contributions to science.

As an act of respect to this great scientist, visitors should make a pilgrimage to his resting place in Suoi Dau, about 20 kilometres to the south and 500 metres off National Road 1.  

Amongst an overgrown wild area, on the Institute's property, lies the scientist’s tomb. Quite simple in structure, similar to his simple life and warm personality, it is made of cement and painted a light blue. On its surface is engraved a simple line epitaph: “Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943)”.

In Nov 2011, Khanh Hoa Province allowed the Lac Hong Company to invest VND 2 billion on restoring the tomb of Dr Yersin. But then the plan was strongly opposed by the people of Khanh Hoa Province and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.