World's biggest beer festival comes to Ha Noi

Enjoy the festive atmosphere of the most famous German festival – Oktoberfest – in Ha Noi on Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20.

Hosted by the German Embassy in Viet Nam and the German Business Association (GBA) with the support of more than 160 German member corporations, the replication of the world's biggest beer festival will take place at Cung Xuan Centre, 1 Vo Thi Sau Street, Hai Ba Trung District.

Visitors will be able to sample authentic Bavarian cuisine including sausages and traditional pretzels as well as a bountiful buffet of other dishes. A seemingly unending flow of imported German beer and a performance by popular Bavarian folk music band The Gaudiblosn will ensure that festivalgoers have a memorable experience.

Tickets include unlimited access to the buffet, German beer, and soft drinks. They cost VND1,050,000 for GBA non-members and VND950,000 for GBA members or those who order 10 tickets or more.

For ticket booking, please contact Anh at 0902590771, email oktoberfesthanoi@gba-vietnam.org.

Hang out with local Couchsurfing members

Couchsurfing.org is a large community of backpackers from all over the world where locals in almost every city make themselves available to hang out with tourists passing through.

In Ha Noi, the community plans to host a dinner for its members every Friday night, followed by hanging out at the "Beer Corner" and visiting bars in the Old Quarter until midnight.

Those who wish to make more friends and enjoy the local food are welcome to join the Couchsurfing Ha Noi gathering on Friday, October 19. The meeting will start at 7pm and last until 4am. Contact Hieu Mike at 0979102699 or email leminhhieu123@gmail.com for more details.

Take a tour through Ha Noi's past

A walking tour focusing on the history of Ba Dinh Square, which is considered the political centre of Viet Nam, will be held by the Friends of Viet Nam Heritage (FVH) on Saturday, October 20.

The tour, conducted in English, will be divided into two parts.

The three-hour morning tour will start at 9am. Participants will visit the archaeological site of Thang Long Palace and talk about the development of the site into an imperial citadel and Forbidden City. The tour will continue on to the recently opened citadel, where the discussion of the establishment of Thang Long as well as its transformation into Ha Noi will continue in more depth. The talk will also about the beginnings of French influence.

The three-hour afternoon tour, which will start at 1pm, will pass some of the French colonial villas before moving toward the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

To register for this historical and architectural tour, contact Roman at FVH.CityWalks.English@gmail.com. Cost: VND70,000 for each session.

On Sunday, October 21, FVH will host a talk on the theme Food as Medicine: Salty Lime&Sweetened Ginger at Cafe L'amour, 7 Van Phuc Street, Ba Dinh Street. The two-hour event will start at 3pm. Contact Tra My at trmy.nguyen@gmail.com to register.

Restaurant celebrates Puccini's La Boheme

The Italian restaurant Luna d'Autunno continues to hold its monthly programme An Evening of Opera on Wednesday, October 24.

During the two-hour show, which starts at 8.30pm, audiences will enjoy the famous opera La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, presented by singers and musicians from the National Opera and Ballet of Viet Nam under the baton of English conductor Graham Sutcliffe.

Luna d'Autunno is located at 78 Tho Nhuom Street.

Megastar hosts Viet Nam – South Korea festival

The Megastar Media Company is hosting the first Viet Nam-South Korea Film Festival from today to next Wednesday at Megastar Crescent Mall in District 7.

The event will feature 10 movies including Masquerade, As One, Little Black Dress, Always and Love on Air.

Young pianists perform at conservatory concert

Pianists Lan Phien and Bao Quyen will present a concert featuring compositions of Debussy, Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin and Bach at the HCM City Conservatory on Saturday.

Phien was the winner of the Willy Bissing – Hanau Competition in Germany in 2005. Quyen is a student at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music.

The show will begin at 8pm at 92 Nguyen Du Street in District 1. Tickets are VND200,000 and 50,000 for students.

VNN/VNS