Kungfu Panda 2 beats up Avatar in Vietnam market


DreamWorks’ Kungfu Panda 2 has overtaken James Cameron’s Avatar to become the first Hollywood movie to fetch US$1 million in box office sales in Vietnam within only 5 days.


From June 1 when it was premiered to June 6, Kungfu Panda 2 grossed a record $1 million.


Trailing far behind is Avatar which took around a month (December 18 to January 15, 2011) to achieve the $1 million mark.


Kung Fu Panda 2 is a 2011 3D American computer-animated action comedy film and the sequel to the 2008 film Kung Fu Panda. The film was released on May 26, 2011 in Real D 3D and Digital 3D.

Fish Worshipping Festival restored in Khanh Hoa


The festival is the epitome of various rituals like the whale worshipping ceremony often held by fishermen living in coastal areas.


The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa held a ceremony on June 14 to restore the Cau Ngu (Fish Worshipping) Festival to preserve and bring into full play the cultural value of the traditional rituals.


Cau Ngu is observed by the coastal communities stretching from Quang Binh to Kien Giang provinces. It originates from the traditional worship of Southern Sea God (Whale) believed to protect fishermen in distress at sea.


At the festival, 15 boats were mobilised for rituals at sea along with a procession of flower-decorated vehicles, dragon and lion dances, some acts of Tuong (Classical Drama) and singing performances. 

Chinese teacher says ‘I Love Vietnam’


Photo: Tuoi Tre
A Taiwanese (Chinese) lecturer at the Hanoi University of Foreign Languages has written a song in Vietnamese professing his love for Vietnam as a parting gift.


“Toi yeu Vietnam” (I Love Vietnam) by Do Van Duong (Vietnamese name), set to music by his son, a musician, has captivated many people’s hearts with its simple lyrics and emotive singing.


Sung in both Vietnamese and Chinese, the refrain goes “Toi yeu Vietnam/ Cam on Vietnam / Tran trong hen gap lai Vietnam!” (I love Vietnam / Thank you, Vietnam / See you again, Vietnam).


Duong, a native of Kaohsiung city, was a lecturer of Chinese, and is, according at least one of his students, a sentimental man.


Viet Dung, working at the university, added that though his teacher did not speak Vietnamese well, he loved and respected his students.


The images and video clips accompanying the song were shot by Duong during his travels around Vietnam and when he hung out with his students.


“Many Chinese consider Vietnam as their second home or even the only home. So, we respect them,” a netizen wrote on Facebook.

BBC to make film on world’s largest cave in Vietnam


The British Broadcasting Corporation is planning to make a documentary about Son Doong, the world’s largest cave, in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Binh.


A film crew will come to Vietnam in July along with experts from the British Cave Research Association.

The film would focus on some extremely rare animals and plants found in the cave, the BBC has said.

A 3D documentary on Son Doong was shot last month by Japanese news agency Kyodo and will be seen in more than 60 countries and territories from June 25.
 

Son Doong was discovered in 1991 by Ho Khanh, a local, but became well-known after a group of scientists from the British Cave Research Association conducted a survey in 2009.


It measures at least 80 meters by 80 meters in most places and is at least 4.5 kilometers long. For a couple of kilometers it is more than 140 meters wide and 140 meters high.


VNN/VOV/Tuoi Tre