Exhibition features Vietnamese culture

An exhibition showcasing over 20 new works by artist Van Duong Thanh was opened January 12 at Dong Son Drum Restaurant in Hanoi.

Vietnamese daily life during the New Year (Tet) Festival, including busy ancient streets, floral markets, and ornamental plants and flowers, is depicted in lacquer, acrylic and oil paintings.

Through abstractionism, Thanh makes her paintings distinguished with Vietnamese identities from sculptures which are easily found in temples, pagodas and in the folk paintings of Vietnam.

On opening night of the exhibition, Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama appreciated painter Thanh as Vietnamese art ambassador introducing Vietnam to international friends through her works.

The exhibition is held in a special epic space of the museum restaurant where a unique collection of the Dong Son drums and stone and ceramic antiques dating back from 2000 – 5000 BC is displayed. The restaurant is also famous for its menu which is quintessential for Vietnamese culinary customs and for providing a peaceful, green space in a busy and crowded capital city.

Artists presented with Golden Apricot Blossom Awards

A grand ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 14 to honour artists who gave outstanding performances and made great contributions during the past year.

The Mai Vang (Golden Apricot Blossom) Awards 2011 were presented to artists in recognition of their contributions to TV programs and to the fields of stage, cinema and music.

Artists were awarded prestigious titles, including “Best Pop Male/Female Singer”, “Best Male/Female Singer in revolutionary traditional song”, “Best Male/Female Singer in folk song”, “Best dramatic actors/actresses”, “Best classical opera actors/actresses”, and “Best comedian”.

In addition, the jury board also awarded the titles “Best film” and “Best actor/actress” in movies and TV serials.

On the occasion, “Best master of ceremonies (MC)” was also awarded.

Winners of the Golden Apricot Blossom Awards 2011 include Hoai Linh, Binh Minh, Le Khanh, Vo Minh Lam, Nhat Kim Anh, Quyen Linh, Dam Vinh Hung, Ho Ngoc Ha, Uyen Trang, and V music band.

The nominees were chosen by readers of the print and online versions of Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourers) newspaper, voting by text message or on the website: maivang.nld.com.vn from December 5-31, 2010. Artists, who won the most votes, were then listed in the election round for evaluation from experts and journalists.

Started in 1995, the Golden Apricot Blossom Award has been popular and become a prestigious annual event.

Photos salute capital chairman
 
The life and career of the late medical doctor Tran Duy Hung are vividly depicted through hundreds of photos that are on display at an ongoing exhibition in the capital.

An activity to commemorate his 100th birthday on January 16, Dr Tran Duy Hung – A Hanoian, is divided into three themes: Que Huong – Gia Dinh (Homeland – Family), Tu Ha Noi Den Chien Khu Viet Bac (From Ha Noi to Viet Bac Military Base), and Vi Chu Tich Thu Do Duoc Dan Tin Yeu (Hanoian People's Beloved Chairman).

Hung joined social movements with students and intellectuals to support the revolution and protest against French colonialism, and he was also the leader of Huong Dao Sinh Bac Ky, – a student movement in the North.

He became the first Chairman of the Ha Noi Administration Committee (former name of the current Ha Noi People's Committee) in August, 1945 for one year, and held the position again from 1954-77.

During his terms in office, Hung made several breakthrough policies which helped improve the city's socio-economy.

General Vo Nguyen Giap acclaimed Hung as "a great intellectual who has a positive influence on future young generations".

Thanks to his significant contribution to the revolution and to Ha Noi's development, he was granted the noble Ho Chi Minh Medal in 2005. His name has also been given to one of the biggest roads in the city.

The exhibition is open to the public until next Monday at 93 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ha Noi.

Student’s designs featured at Hong Kong fashion week

Vietnamese designer Nguyen Huy, who won first prize at the Aquafina Pure Fashion 2011designing competition, is representing Vietnam at the Hong Kong Fashion Week 2012, taking place this week.

Huy’s latest collection, titled “Cam Hung Su Tinh Khiet Cua Nuoc” (Inspiration from Water’s Purity), will be featured with collections by 30 other designers from across Asia.

At the Aquafina Pure Fashion 2011 contest in December, Huy, a student from Hutech University’s Industrial Art Department, awed the contest’s jury, including designers Nguyen Cong Tri and Ngo Thai Uyen, and hundreds of audience members, with his collection called “Thawing.”

Huy then became the exclusive fashion designer for famous local model Thanh Hang in 2012.

The Hong Kong Fashion Week 2012, which opens today, will run until January 19.
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The wonder of music

12-year-old pianist Nguyen The Vinh’s parents never thought music would save their son.

Vinh, who amazed audiences with his 20-minute performance that opened the Haydn Night concert by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra held at the Hanoi Opera House on January 11, used to be indifferent to everything.

At 3, he developed symptoms of deafness and was not interested in things around him although at 2, he enjoyed singing.

Though he was treated by many doctors, Vinh didn’t get better until one day, the little boy listened to his older sister play the organ and was instantly interested.

Afterwards he learnt to play and at 4, Vinh could play a whole song with amazing concentration and inspiration. Vinh’s parents then decided to take him to musician Phu Quang.

Phu Quang tested Vinh and was very surprised with his superb memory. He then took the boy to his daughter, Trinh Huong, an instructor at the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Since Vinh’s parents didn’t know music, they filmed every lesson he took with Huong so that he could practice on his own at home.

“Vinh has an sublime memory,” Huong said. “While it takes me a lot of time to teach other kids to play with their left hands first then the right ones later then both together, Vinh just saw me play and imitate.”

Huong said it might be too early to call Vinh a genius, but she hadn’t seen any kid like him. The Haydn concert was the first time Vinh had performed for that long. “He used to play for just 5-10 minutes,” she said.

He was also the youngest pianist that the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra’s Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji had invited to perform with the orchestra.

Vinh has won many awards including a Gold medal at the International Piano Academy Festival and Competition in Cheonan, Korea in 2010 and an Encouraging Prize at the International Piano Competition in Hanoi in the same year.

For his part, Vinh’s father is very happy simply because he can now see his son’s future. “His future is the most important thing in my life,” he said.
 
Paris exhibition features Vietnamese

A photo exhibition entitled “Vietnamese We” showcasing nearly 100 colour and black and white photos opened in Paris on January 14.

The pictures, taken by photographer Bui Huy Trang, feature the daily lives of people in Vietnam as well as the country's landscapes.

Visitors will also be introduced to a trilingual photobook and a DVD including a Vietnamese folk songs performed by singer Thanh Lam.

Born in HCM City in 1951, Bui Huy Trang has lived in Paris since he was five. The engineer, who has spent much time learning Vietnamese, is very interested in introducing Vietnamese culture and art to the world.

Vietnamese films take over theatres during Tet

As usual, local film studios are dishing out a wide range of films from romance to horror flicks during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

BHD Studio will release “Le phi tinh yeu” (Love Fee) starring singer and actress Minh Hang and actor Huy Khanh for the Tet season. Directed by Nguyen Minh Chung, the romantic comedy about the love story of a creditor and debtor has a special flash mob scene with 1,000 young dancers.

For its part, Galaxy Studios is screening a horror flick “Loi nguyen huyet ngai” (The Curse of Blood Wormwood) by director Bui Thac Chuyen. This is an unusual move for Galaxy because film studios often make breezy romance comedies for Tet.

Phuong Nam Films will release “Thien menh anh hung” (Blood Letter), a historical movie about Vietnam’s national hero, Nguyen Trai and his tragic fate. Nguyen Trai, who helped established the Le dynasty in Vietnam, and his family were wrongly executed for regicide.

The film is directed by Vietnamese – American director Victor Vu, whose movie last Tet “Co dau dai chien” (Bridal War), was a box office hit.

Phuoc Sang Studio this year will continue its comedy tradition by releasing “Hello co Ba” (Hello Miss Ba) about a hen-pecked husband. Featuring comedian Hoai Linh as Miss Ba, the film, directed by Quang Minh, also stars body builder champion Pham Van Mach, who recently grabbed media attention for his singing ability in the reality show “Just the two of us”.

Research Centre for Imperial Cities debuts

The Research Centre for Imperial Cities (RCIC) made its debut at a ceremony held yesterday by the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VASS).

The predecessor of the RCIC, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Management Board, was founded in April 2011 as an affiliate of the Archaeological Institute.

The RCIC is a specialised agency in charge of preserving artefacts excavated at archaeological sites in ancient Vietnamese capitals and conducting historical and cultural research on those areas.

The research centre, headed by Doctor Bui Minh Tri, consists of six departments and employs 30 members of staff.

Since its foundation, the centre has made great efforts to preserve and showcase artefacts excavated at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 
Vietnamese girls in Global Top 100 Beauty Queens

Beauty pageant observer website Globalbeauties has recently announced its annual beauty ranking Miss Grand Slam spotlighting the most beautiful faces of the year, Tien Phong Newspaper reported Friday.

Vietnamese beauties Daniela Nguyen Thu May, Truong Tri Truc Diem and Le Huynh Thuy Ngan made it to the top 100 ranking, which Globalbeauties chose from thousands of contestants who competed at 6 biggest international beauty pageants in 2011.

Those are Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss International Tourism and Miss Supranational.

Daniela Nguyen Thu May who came forth at Miss Supranational is ranked at 58th, while Truc Diem, who finished in Top 15 of Miss International, is placed at No. 79.

Thuy Ngan, who made it to the top 20 of Miss International Tourism recently held in China, comes last at No. 98.

According to the ranking, five winners of the world’s 6 premiere international beauty pageants have all made it to the top 20, while only Kantapat Peeradachainarin, Miss International Tourism 2011, is ousted from the list.

Of the top 20 beauties, seven come from Europe and America each, four from Asia, one from Africa and one from Australia.

This year’s ranking comes as a disappointment to local observers as Vietnam made a much more impressive showing in previous years.

In 2010, Luu Thi Diem Duong, Miss World Vietnam 2010, was placed at No. 17 in the top 20 and Huong Giang, who made it to Top 16 Miss World 2009, was crowned Miss Asian Grand Slam the same year.

Literature and Arts prize winners honoured

Winners of the 2011 Literature and Arts Awards were named at a ceremony held in Hanoi on January 12 by the National Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations.

Six prizes were presented to six members from central literature and arts associations: Do Thuy Mai from the Vietnam Photographic Artists’ Association, Meritorious Artist Dao Ba Son from the Vietnam Cinematography Association, Kieu Thu Hoach from the Vietnam Folklore Artists’ Association, Do Doan Phuong from the Vietnam Writers’ Association, Ung Duy Thinh from the Vietnam Dance Artists’ Association, People’s Artist Nam Chau and director Vu Minh from the Vietnam Stage Artists’ Association.

Two A prizes were presented to Nguyen Minh Khiem from Thanh Hoa province and Phan Van Phan from Long An province.

Thirteen B, seventeen C and twenty-three consolation prizes were also awarded to other artists from local literature and arts associations at the ceremony.

Nguyen Binh, born in 2001 in Hanoi, was honoured with a certificate of merit for being the youngest entrant.