Hoi An goes Dutch with fund to restore relic

A centuries-old house at 14 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street that faced a high risk of collapse has received almost VND 1.5 billion (US$75,000), partly from the Fund and rest from the city, for its restoration.

The work is expected to be finished in June.

The city has earmarked VND5 billion this year for upgrading the city’s relics while Quang Nam Province, where Hoi An is situated, has lent VND1 billion.

Vietnam attends tour expo in RoK

A show of Vietnamese traditional ao dai (long robe) was part of activities to open the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Tour Expo 2011 in the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Daegu city, one of the three largest tourism fairs in the East Asian country.

Vietnam introduced the images of its landscape, people and information on tours and flights to the country at the expo which opened on April 15.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to RoK Tran Trong Toan welcomed the organisation of cultural exchange activities between the Vietnam and RoK to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation in many fields, including culture, tourism and fashion.

Last year, 520,000 RoK tourists visited Vietnam.

The expo drew the participation of more than 200 businesses and organisations with 400 booths and is expected to attract 68,000 visitors.

Daegu-Gyeongbuk Tour Expo 2011 will last until April 18.

First ethnic group youth festival opens

The first festival for young people from ethnic minorities officially opened in the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Dong Mo, Son Tay, Hanoi on April 17, attended by more than 300 delegates.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ho Anh Tuan, said that through the festival, the organising board hoped to raise awareness and responsibility of the young generation for preserving and developing cultural traditions, while promoting the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups.

He also confirmed that each group has its own culture, and the conservation and spread of cultural values is very important to all people, especially the youth.

Under the theme “Vietnamese youth preserve and develop the traditional cultures of ethnic minority groups”, the festival is a chance for young people all over the country to meet and exchange experiences.

The main activities of the festival included visiting the statue of the heroic martyrs and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum as well as cultural exchanges among ethnic minorities and a seminar on preserving and developing traditional cultural values during the renewal process.

A number of other activities were held such as a youth camp, folk games and discussions about managing Cham, Thai, Muong, Brau, Jrai and Ma villages.

A programme entitled “Colour of Youth-Colour of Solidarity” was also organised on April 17 evening.

The event honoured Vietnam’s Ethnic Minority Cultural Day (April 19) in response to Youth Year 2011.

Excavation reveals reach of ancient culture

Archeologists who are excavating in the Tang River valley in the Truong Son Mountain area in central Vietnam have surprisingly found potteries, pot graves and other artifacts of the ancient Sa Huynh culture.

Until this excavation, which has been carried out by Quang Ngai General Museum and the Vietnam Archeology Institute since last December, Sa Huynh Culture, one of the three major ancient cultures in Vietnam besides Dong Son and Oc Eo, was thought to be limited to the coastal plains of central and south Vietnam.

However, the potteries and graves, which are mostly pot graves rather than jar graves as commonly found at other excavation sites of Sa Huynh Culture, convince archeologists that Sa Huynh Culture, which dated from 1,000 B.C to 200 A.D, covered different areas of different terrains.

“This shows Sa Huynh was a powerfully resilient culture,” archeologist Doan Ngoc Khoi of the excavation team said, explaining that to survive Sa Huynh people spread to coastal land, islands as well as mountains.

Khoi said some archeologists had considered this excavation a waste of time, believing Sa Huynh people couldn’t have lived on mountainous areas.

But Khoi said this excavation led to an even more important and interesting finding: Sa Huynh Cutlure in its earlier period moved from the Central Highlands through the Truong Son mountain range down to the plains.

In its later period, this culture moved in the opposite direction, from the plains up to the mountains.

Co Loa to seek UNESCO cultural heritage status

The Center for Preservation of Co Loa Relics – Thang Long Ancient Citadel has asked for permission to conduct research and compile a dossier for the Co Loa Citadel to seek world cultural heritage status.

The Co Loa Ancient Citadel is located in the suburbs of Hanoi, about 20 kilometers from the centre of the city.

Covering nearly 500ha, it is a place to worship King An Duong Vuong and Princess My Chau with the magic crossbow legend that has been woven into the anti-foreign aggression history of the Vietnamese people.

The citadel and its remains are a significant cultural heritage of the Viet people.

Many archaeological sites have been discovered there, reflecting the continuous development of the nation in many periods, especially the Dong Son culture of the Bronze Age.

Ly descendants pay tribute to ancestors

88 delegations of Ly descendants both at home and abroad attended the Do Temple Festival in Dinh Bang ward, Tu Son town in the northern province of Bac Ninh on April 17, which falls on the 15th of the third lunar month.

On the same day of the same lunar month 1001 years ago was the day Ly Cong Uan came to the throne. Later generations chose this date for an annual festival to pay homage to the kings of the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225).

The three-day festival, starting from April 16, opened with a palanquin procession participated by thousands of people in traditional uniforms.

Within the framework of the event, there will be a wide range of cultural and sports activities, including love duet and classical drama performances, poetry exchange, chess playing and volleyball competitions.

Visitors also had the chance to enjoy a bonsai exhibition, economic and handicraft fairs, firework displays on April 17 and 18.

Indonesian culture shines in HCM city

Indonesian Cultural Day, themed “Indonesia- Multicolour discovery”, opened in Ho Chi Minh City on April 17.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Indonesian Consul General Bambang Tarsanto said the event will help youngsters experiment a miniature Indonesia with diversified cultural features of nearly 250 human races living on some 17,000 islands in the country. He added that the event is also an opportunity for the two countries’ youth to exchange with each other.

Participants will have a chance to feel and discover Indonesia’s cultural features and heritage sites. They will have the chance to learn how to make Indonesian traditional food and play musical instrument Angklung, which was recognised as world cultural, as well as enjoying various ethnic music and fashion shows.

The event, jointly organised by the Indonesian Consul General in HCM City and HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations, will last till April 25.

Vietnam participates in Malaysia charity fair

An international charity fair 2011 opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 16, attracting thousands of local and foreign tourists.

On display were 50 arts and handicraft stalls from over 40 countries.

Two Vietnamese handicraft and food booths featuring traditional products such as sweet and sour grated salad, steamed glutinous rice and lacquer paintings drew the attention of many international visitors.

The charity fair was a chance for diplomatic representative offices in Malaysia to push cultural exchange, promote tourism and strengthen solidarity.

During the event, many foreign embassies in Malaysia, including the Vietnamese embassy, and domestic and foreign businesses donated money for charity to support victims of disaster and people living in areas of conflict.

PV