Green Vietnam Journey comes to Da Nang

An exhibition featuring photos by Dang Duc Tue, Do Doan Hoang and Na Son about the environment opened Tuesday at the Trung Vuong Exhibition House in the central city of Da Nang.

The exhibition showcasing 30 photos depicting how the environment has been destroyed by humans is part of the “Green Vietnam Journey” around the country organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and Film No.1 Joint-Stock Company to raise public awareness on environmental issues.

The opening ceremony has seen the participation of Vietnamese celebrities like singers My Tam, Khanh Linh, Cam Tu and emcee Phan Anh who will come to the Han Market to instruct local residents in making and using paper bags instead of nylon ones.

The “Green Vietnam Journey” that gathers Vietnamese artists, journalists and educators aims at different regions suffering from serious environmental problems.

At each location, the delegation will hold talk shows, screen movies, make documentaries as well as gather people’s opinions about environmental issues.

They earlier held a photo exhibition titled “Don’t let elephants become past memory” at Cau Pagoda in the ancient city of Hoi An on October 10 after organizing it in Hanoi last month.

More info about the journey is available at www.hanhtrinhvietnamxanh.com.

French jazz trio to perform in HCMC, Hanoi  

The Cédric Hanriot trio from France will present a jazz concert at Ho Chi Minh City’s IDECAF auditorium on Oct 18.  

The trio, Bertrand Beruard, Jean-Baptiste Pinet and Cedric Hanriot as lead artist, musician and jazz pianist, will play the works of Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf as well as other contemporary Jazz with the combination of afro-beat, hip hop and electronic music.

Following the show in HCMC, the band will perform at L’Espace in Hanoi on Oct 20.

Tickets for the show in HCMC, priced at VND100 000 are available at IDECAF, 28 Le Thanh Ton, Dist.1.

Hanoi to host European language festival

The Hanoi-based European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) will organize the first –ever European language festival in Hanoi this week.

“European Language Days in Hanoi” will have activities for both language professionals, academics and the common public who are interested in English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian and Spanish.

On October 14, Austrian Ambassador to Vietnam Georg Heindl, Vietnamese linguist Nguyen Quoc Hung, German language professor Jurgen Quetz from J.W.Goethe University, Belgium specialist Jean-Marie Klinkenberg from Liège university and others will chair “Multilanguage – Challenges and opportunities in a globalized world”, a conference open to linguists and language teachers.

Language games, singing lesson, teaching sessions, puzzles, films screenings and poster exhibitions in these languages will be held at the Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hanoi on October 15.

Ancient Cham vase found in Hue

An ancient ceramic vase of the Cham culture has just been found under the Huong (Perfume) River in Hue central city.

The vase whose exact age has not been identified is 18cm high and has a diameter of 18cm.

According to Lam My Dung, Doctor of Archaeology from the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, the vase was used to contain holy water during worshipping ceremonies of Cham ancient people.

Also, Dung said the vase was unique in Vietnam.

In related news, in August, two ancient ceramic vases of Cham culture dating back to the 7th or 8th century were found in Canh Duong Town in the central province of Quang Binh.

They are hand-crafted, gourd-shaped, and decorated with ancient Cham patterns.
One is 32 cm high and the other is 75 cm high.

The Cham culture was in existence from 192 AD to 1832.

Vietnam Pictorial launches Lao web page

Vietnam Pictorial (VNP) of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) officially added the Lao language on its website http://vietnam.vnanet.vn on October 12.

The event marked the 57th anniversary of the first publication of VNP magazine (October 15).

Vu Trong Kim, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and President of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association; Nguyen Duc Loi, VNA Director General; and Hoa Laochong Cua, Counsellor of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam, attended the launch.

Together with Lao-language version which was first printed in July 1978, the new web page is expected to provide readers with rapid and accurate information about Vietnam and Laos, contributing to boosting the special solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Available in 125 countries and territories, VNP has worked as an important external channel of the Party and State over the past 57 years with both traditional and electronic versions.

VNP is also working on other information genres such as television, photo slide shows and exhibitions.

Award winning photo captures Ca Tru singing

Photographer Tran Viet Van from Hanoi won first prize in the ‘Vietnam’s World Heritage’ photography contest for his black-and-white picture entitled ‘Bau Vat Nhan Van Song’ (Living Human Treasures).

The winning photo, taken at a ‘Ca Tru’ (ceremonial singing) performance, captures the elderly artists’ passion for the traditional art form as they lose themselves in the rhythms and lyrics of the songs.

“I couldn’t help recording the ardour and harmonious co-ordination between the two artists,” said Van.

“Ca Tru is an intangible cultural heritage in urgent need of protection. There are just 700 Ca Tru singers left and most of them are quite old,” he added.

Two second prizes went to ‘Hoang Hon Lang Biang’ (Sunset at Lang Biang) by Tran Thiet Dung and ‘Buc Tranh Pho Hoi’ (A Picture of Hoi An) by Ong Van Sinh.

Three third and ten consolation prizes were also awarded to other photographers.

Over 200 of the contest’s best entries are now on display in an exhibition that opened in Hanoi on October 10 as part of the celebration of the 57th anniversary of the capital’s Liberation Day (1954-2011).

The contest was launched in January by the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions and the Department of Cultural Heritage, along with the Vietnam National Administration for Tourism and the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists. It attracted more than 2,000 entries from 281 photographers in 38 cities and provinces throughout the country, and a foreign photographer.

“The entries captured the overall features of the country’s heritage as well as particular elements,” said Tran Manh Thuong, a member of the contest’s Art Council.

The contest aims to promote and preserve UNESCO-recongised tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Vietnam. UNESCO World Heritage sites include Ha Long Bay, Hue imperial capital, My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An ancient town, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, and the Thang Long Royal Citadel in Hanoi, while Hue royal court music, Central Highlands gong culture space, ‘Ca Tru’ (ceremonial singing), the Giong festival and ‘Quan Ho’ love duets represent Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage.

The photo exhibition will last until October 17.

Austrian musicians to perfom in Hanoi

Classical music lovers in Hanoi will have the chance to enjoy concerts by the young Austrian-Dutch cello star Harriet Krijgh and the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of renowned Austrian conductor Wolfgang Groehs on October 17-18.

This was announced by the Austrian Embassy at a press conference in Hanoi yesterday.

The concerts entitled ‘Hanoi Austrian Concert Autumn’ will be held at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, No.77 Hao Nam street, Hanoi. The programme includes the overture from Rossini’s opera, ‘L’Italiana in Algeri’, along with the ‘Jupiter Symphony’ by Mozart and Rococo Variations for Cello and Orchestra by Tchaikovsky, featuring cellist Harriet Krijgh as soloist.

“I am very happy to return to Vietnam again at the invitation of the National Academy of Music. I first came to Hanoi a decade ago and, since then, I have gotten to know the classical music scene in Vietnam very well” said conductor Groehs.

Groehs added that he has also witnessed the rapid development of classical music in Vietnam in recent years.

There have been also a number of successful co-operation projects between Vietnamese and Austrian artists; most notably Wolfgang Groehs conducting Mozart’s opera 'The Magic Flute' at the Hanoi Opera House in 2006 with musicians from the Hanoi Philharmonic and singers from the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Cellist Harriet Krijgh is a rising young international star who has won many prestigious prizes in Austria, the Netherlands and Croatia. This is the first time the twenty year-old cellist performs with conductor Groehs in a concert in Vietnam.  “I really excited and eager to present masterpieces by Mozart Tchaikovsky, and other world famous composers to audiences in Hanoi,” Harriet said.

Harriet will play on a cello which she described as “a very special instrument with a perfect shape and incredible sound”. It was made by Hendrik Jacobs in Amsterdam in 1690 during the Baroque period and is on loan to her from the Nationaal Muziekinstrumentenfonds in the Netherlands.

Harriet will also join three other artists including Japanese violinist Matsuda Lina, French pianist Kim Barbier and American conductor Dorian Wilson for two concerts at the Hanoi Opera House on October 13 and 14.

These concerts are part of a programme organised by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) to perform all of the works by Beethoven in Vietnam. Under the baton of conductor Wilson, the artists and Vietnamese musicians from the VNSO will stage Beethoven’s Symphony No.8 and a concerto for piano, violin and cello.

Free tickets for the October 17-18 concerts are available at the Austrian embassy, 8th floor, 53 Quang Trung, Hanoi (Tel. 04 3943 3050) from October 10.

Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail film week to open

Films on Vietnam’s sea and islands will be shown in cinemas nationwide from October 18-24 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh sea trail, announced the Vietnam Cinema Department.

The selected films include one feature film and three documentaries on topics related to the historic Ho Chi Minh sea trail and the lives of people living on Vietnam’s islands in the East Sea.

’Dao chim’ (Submerged Island) is a feature film praising the naval soldiers who cope with many difficulties to protect Vietnam’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.

The documentary ‘Duong mon tren bien Dong’ (Trail at East Sea) tells the story of the Ho Chi Minh sea-trail and the Vietnam People’s Navy and soldiers on the unnumbered ships that made the hazardous journey along the legendary shipping route to support the nation’s revolutionary struggle and contribute to the ultimate victory.

‘Song nha gian’ (Waves Around the Guard Tower) portrays the difficult work and lives of Vietnamese naval soldiers on an offshore guard tower who watch over and protect the submerged islands of the Spratly archipelago.

‘Chu tren song' (Learning Letters on the Waves) shows how teachers travel out to all types of boats to provide an education for the children and fishmen of this island region.

Some of the producers, authors and artists involved with these films will also hold an exchange with audiences and soldiers in the northern city of Hai Phong on October 23-24.

Vietnam to host Culture Day in Ukraine next month

Vietnam will organize the Culture Day in Ukraine on November 14 to attract Ukrainian tourists, or over a month after Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s trip to this country, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

An air carrier of Ukraine is planning to open a direct flight between Ukraine and Vietnam late this year, which may bring a large number of tourists from this country to Vietnam in the future, said VNAT.

A cooperation agreement between Vietnam Airlines and Ukraine-based Aeroxvit Airlines was signed under the witness of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in his visit to Ukraine last week.

Vietnam has held more and more tourism promotions overseas recently, including tourism events in South Korea and Russia, a fair in France, Culture Week in Laos and Culture Day in Belgium.

More events will be held in Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and many other countries in the near future, said Tran Nhat Hoang, director of the Cultural, Sport and Tourism Promotion Center.
 
Thay Thim festival attracts 200,000

The Thay Thim cultural-tourism festival 2011 started on Monday at Thay Thim Temple, Tan Tien Commune, La Gi Township in Binh Thuan Province with solemn rituals and animated cultural activities.

The festival which ends on Wednesday aims to preserve traditional culture, highlighting the autumn offering ceremony and worship to Thay Thim, who is regarded a local magician. The rituals include offering ceremonies to goddesses, ancestors and whales as well as ceremonies to pray for good harvest, good health and happiness for residents.

The festival days were filled with traditional artistic performances such as dragon dances, drum roll and sports activities including beach volleyball, hill trekking and a running contest. There were also contests to make cakes, weaving fishing nets and folk games.

“The festival is not only an annual event to preserve the traditional culture but also a chance to promote tourism in La Gi Town,” said Chau Thanh Long, deputy chairman of La Gi Township’s People’s Committee.

The festival has attracted over 200,000 visitors so far.
 
Celebrate Oktoberfest at Windsor Plaza Hotel   

In cooperation with the German Business Association in Vietnam, the Windsor Plaza Hotel hosts Oktoberfest Vietnam from 6:30 p.m. to 12 midnight nightly until Saturday at the hotel’s level 7 ballroom.  

Oktoberfest Vietnam promises to bring the authentic Munich spirit to thousands of expected guests in HCMC. Everyone from the German, Vietnamese and international community is invited to witness and enjoy the festivities - from the rituals of opening a barrel of beer to wearing traditional costumes, dancing to foot-stomping music, all-you-can-eat authentic German food such as sausages, sauerkraut, sauerbraten and bagels, many varieties of beer, exciting traditional German games and much more.

Guests will be presented with a special Oktoberfest Vietnam beer mug and have the chance to win exciting prizes from nightly lucky draws.  

Ticket prices on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday are VND600,000 net while Friday & Saturday prices are VND850,000 net. Windsor Hotel is at 18 An Duong Vuong Street, District 5.

For more information, call: 0904 909 633 or log on to www.oktoberfestvietnam.com.

PV