Muong Thanh night market opens in Dien Bien Phu

A Muong Thanh night market opened in the northwestern city of Dien Bien Phu on March 12.

The aim is to tap Dien Bien province’s potential for tourism, economic development, trade and services.

The night market opens daily, from 20h-23h30, with more than 160 businesses selling different kinds of food and foodstuffs, ornamental plants, electronic equipment, clothes and souvenirs along the 580m Nguyen Chi Thanh Street.

It attracts thousands of tourists and local people.

The Deputy Chairman of the Dien Bien Phu City People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Duyen, said the opening of Muong Thanh night market is part of activities in celebration of the 20th founding anniversary of Dien Bien Phu City (18/4/1992-18/4/1012).

20-year-old local model competes at London contest

Vietnam’s Next Top Model 2011’s runner-up Nguyen Thi Tra My is now in London to compete at the 6th annual Top Model Worldwide modeling contest held from March 9 to 17.

Born in 1992 in Hanoi, the 1.78-meter-tall young woman is now a third year student from the Hanoi University of Business and Technology.

Tra My, who has a “sweet and gentle walk” as former supermodel Tyra Banks said about her, is expected to succeed at this contest with her posing skill, good-looking face and her fluent English.

“My dream to reach the world’s modeling industry has just come true. This is the chance of my life to explore what I can do,” My shared.

The UK-based Top Model Worldwide is one of the leading international model contests seeking out the best new model talents from across the globe with a number of titles, awards, and fantastic career opportunities.

All the profits from the Public Vote Awards will be handed over to the contest’s charity fundraising for child cancer patients at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

This year’s contest has attracted around 40 talented models from all over the world.

The final night, which will be a 3-hour catwalk show, will be held at The Hilton Metropole in London on March 17.

Audiences can vote for their favorite contestants at http://www.topmodelworldwide.com.

HCM City plans 3D cinema complex for children    
 
Hua Ngoc Thuan, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has submitted a plan to construct several 3D cinema complexes for children in the city.

The city will provide funds to build the 3D cinema complexes for children in suburban districts and urban districts will use their own budget to construct a 3Dcinema in every Children House.

The City People’s Committee also asked the Youth Union, the Department of Science and Technology, the Management of Saigon High-tech Park, the HCMC Union of Science and Technology Associations to submit feasible science and technology projects as gifts for chidren on International Children’s Day.
 
Chef Martin Yan cooks for charity in Ho Chi Minh

World-famous Chinese American chef Martin Yan will host a charity banquet to raise funds for poor students in Ho Chi Minh City this Friday.

The renowned TV-host and authority on Chinese and Asian cooking will cook alongside Vietnamese counterparts, including big names in the local food industry like food artisan Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van, Hue’s cuisine expert Ho Thi Hoang Anh, food researcher Bui Thi Suong, chef Vo Quoc, Thi Bich Ngoc and Vietnamese- American chef Duong Huy Khai.

The event stars singer Dam Vinh Hung as its emcee and features local celebrities like top singer Ho Ngoc Ha, Hong An, and actress My Uyen as its guests.

The young chef Vo Quoc said the first 100 tickets for 100 guests have been sold out and the organizers are planning to organize the event twice a year.

Each ticket for a guest costs VND 1 million (US$ 48), and all of the proceeds will go to poor students studying at Saigon Tourism Vocational School in Ho Chi Minh.

Model bats away controversy over 'vulgar' photo shoot

Model Ngoc Quyen has brushed aside accusations that her latest photo collection is worthy of an apology.

The "Black and rebellion" photo collection taken by photographer Milor Tran and stylist Do Long is the latest supposed scandal in the life of model Ngoc Quyen.

Some said the photos successfully portray a strong woman, while others said it was derivative of Lady Gaga. Other criticisms include accusations of being vulgar as she is surrounded by semi-naked men with her barely covered bust.

The model brushed aside criticism, saying that posing in various photo shoots was what a career in modelling requires.

“These photos are totally normal in the fashion world. Being a professional model, I just do my best to express the concept.” Ngoc Quyen said.

Ngoc Quyen also justified the accusation of her being a Lady Gaga copycat, “The collection was our stylist's idea but I think it’s unique. And even if it is inspired from Lady Gaga, there’s still nothing to be condemned. Fashion is always inspired by some great figures or phenomenon.”

However on the back of two previous scandals, it’s not surprising the model has been accused of engineering publicity stunts. The model exclaimed, “I’m not foolish enough to provoke the public. I won't give an apology because I don’t want to abuse making apologies in a case where they are meaningless. This is just my work as a normal model, I don’t think I have to apologise for it.”

Still, Ngoc Quyen said she would be more careful with her photos in the future.

In March last year, Ngoc Quyen published a set of nude photos which were took on the Moc Chau Plateau in the northern province of Son La. She claimed the photos were taken with the purpose for environment protection.

In September 2011, another hot debate erupted over another a nude photo collection. This collection was criticised for it’s similarity to a Vogue Paris photo shoot of Lara Stone. Ngoc Quyen claimed she didn't know the photo would be published.

Book honoring Vietnamese women to attend German fair

The English version of “Pearls of the Far East,” a collection of short stories featuring the beauty of Vietnamese women, will attend the international Frankfurt Book Fair to be held in Germany from October 10 to 14.

“This is one of our first books in English,” said Trinh Hai Duong, representative of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Phuong Nam Book publisher.

““Pearls of The Far East” will introduce the beauty of Vietnam as well as its people, culture and literature to the world,” he said.

Written by well-known local author Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, the book is a series of seven stories, each of which has been likened to a poem in prose, about the solitary, lonely and wandering souls of seven Vietnamese women of different generations.

The book has been adapted into a movie with the same name directed by Cuong Ngo and starred by famous local actors who agreed to work without pay, like People’s Artist Nhu Quynh, Truong Ngoc Anh, Hong Anh and Ngo Thanh Van.

Shot in beautiful landscapes around Vietnam such as the mountainous town of Sapa, the coastal city of Phan Thiet, the ancient town of Hoi An and the crowded Ho Chi Minh City, the movie won the “Best Music” and “Best Cinematography” prizes at the 14th California Independent Film Festival in California last month.

It was screened nationwide in Vietnam on the International Women’s Day.

One of the world's largest trade fair for books, the Frankfurt Book Fair draws representatives from book publishing and multimedia companies from all over the world who come to the fair to negotiate international publishing rights and licensing fees.

It is expected to attract around 7,500 exhibitors from over 110 countries this year.

Idecaf to launch cooking contest  

Idecaf is organizing Concours Idecaf contest named ‘Let’s cook together’ which is aimed at Vietnamese students in the city.

Every team, which has to consist of two members from different schools, will join the contest which is completely in French. This year’s event requires competitors to be knowledgeable about French and Vietnamese culinary arts, be fluent in French as well as being useful in the kitchen.

The competition has a first prize of a one-week tour to France, second prize worth VND8 million, third worth VND6 million with three consolation prizes of VND2 million.

Contestants need to register before March 20. For further information, contact Huynh Thi Thanh Thao at the information cultural activity department of Idecaf at 31 Thai Van Lung Street in HCMC’s District 1, tel. 08.3829 5451 ext.132, fax. 08.3825 7654, email: thanhthao@idecaf.gov.vn.
 
Winning clip of Buddha bestowing condoms panned

In this picture, the monk tells his students 'Let's bring condom to our country to save it from HIV and AIDS'An animated clip aimed at raising awareness about condoms has won a propaganda contest in Ho Chi Minh City but been criticized for parodying religious figures including the Buddha in a quest for condoms.

The clip spoofs the famous pilgrimage of Buddhist monk Xuanzang and his students (including the Monkey King) to India. Instead of searching for sacred texts as made famous by the Chinese epic movie “Journey to the West”, this clip has them obtaining condoms from the Buddha.

Made by a group of students from Hanoi’s Institute of Press and Propaganda, the “Tang Sanzang journey to the West for …condom” clip has managed to humor and enlighten viewers on the importance of using condoms and went on to win last month’s “Friendly Condom” contest.

The competition was organized Youth’s House of the Northern Youth Center under the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

While a small number of people express their agreement with the creative plot, many more criticized the twist that the pilgrims travelled for condoms to save their country from the AIDS pandemic.

“Journey to the West is a novel about the Buddhist spiritual life while condom is a tool for people’s physiological life. Using a religious work to propagandize for safe sex is unacceptable!” a netizen Duong Van Ngoc commented.

“People who made this clip made a mistake. The contest’s jury who decided the clip the winner made a bigger mistake and have no idea about Buddhist culture,” another netizen named Nguyen Hoa Binh angrily wrote.

Tran Sy Minh, director of The Youth’s House center, explained that the contest just aimed to find five messages to erase the social stigma on condoms and help people use them for safe sex.

“Since I’m in charge of many activities at the center, I failed to look carefully at the contest. If the winning clip is criticized, it’s completely not what we expected,” he said.

Also, Vu Thanh Liem, director of the Northern Youth Center admitted it is a lesson to learn after knowing about the incident.

“If the clip’s content is not appropriate with cultural values, the contest’s organizers must learn from this,” he said.

Australia to fund gay rights project in VN

The Australian government this month will provide VND2 billion (US$100,000) for a project to raise public awareness on the right of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in Vietnam.

The money will be spent on art activities such as plays and exhibitions featuring the life of homosexuals as well as legal consulting for people who are discriminated because of their sexuality.

Training courses will also be organized for government officials to understand more about the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.

“Lesbians and gay, bisexual and transgender people are part of the society, and their legal needs and rights should be respected,” said Allaster Cox, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam.

The project, which will be carried out by the Hanoi-based Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment, is expected to reach around 20,000 students and members of the public, 200 lesbians and gay, bisexual and transgender people, 500 of their parents and friends, and 75 government officials in Hanoi and HCMC.

“This project is expected to make a significant contribution to fighting discrimination against lesbians and gay, bisexual and transgender people”, Cox said.

HSBC triumphs at Saigon Cyclo Challenge

HSBC won the 12th Saigon Cyclo Challenge held at The Crescent in District 7 last Saturday after 12 exciting races involving nine teams.

Caravelle Hotel and TNK Vietnam were first and second runner-ups. The new category Cyclo Deco for best Cyclo decoration was won by Megastar Cineplex whose colorful design won the hearts of the judges - the Art class at a vocational training Thang Long school in District 4 that is run by Saigon Children’s Charity.

The event raised nearly VND900 million (over US$41,000) from the local business community and supporters.

Saigon Children’s Charity has been working in Vietnam for more than two decades and has helped more than 40,000 children and young people get a good education through its development expertise in school-building, vocational training, scholarships and empowerment of local organizations.