German artist Michael Vorfeld performs in HCM City 

German musician and visual artist Michael Vorfeld has arrived in Vietnam for talks and performances in Ho Chi Minh City from November 18 to 20.           
Michael Vorfeld is a very original German percussionist and sound installation artist. He lives and works in Berlin.The musician is a member of the Heinrich Mucken band which was established in 1982.

Michael Vorfeld develops site-specific installations and performances with light and works with photography and film.
He is a member of various formations and cooperates with artists in a variety of fields.

His diverse activities include extensive concerts, performances and exhibitions in Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia.

The event is part of the “Germany in Vietnam 2010” program.

Prehistoric traces discovered in Ha Giang

Traces of prehistoric people which belong to the Hoa Binh - Bac Son culture, dating back some 6,000-7,000 years, have been found at Khuoi Nang cave, Thuong Tan Commune, Bac Me District in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

During an excavation early November, experts from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology and Ha Giang provincial museum discovered two ancient tombs. Bones and teeth found there reveal that the tombs buried an adult and a child with a layer of pieces of stone under their bodies.

Hundreds of ancient objects, especially stone tools such as axe, hoe and knife, along with a special mineral which was used to decorate the body of the death, have also been discovered at the site.

According to Dr. Trinh Nang Chung, head of the excavation team, Khuoi Nang cave is home to many generations of prehistoric people. Further research of the site is underway.

Eagerly-expected film Norwegian Wood to debut in Vietnam

A scene of the film "Norwegian Wood" directed by Tran Anh Hung“Norwegian Wood” which is turned into a film from the novel of the same title written by Japanese Haruki Murakami will be publicly screened across Vietnam from December 31 after its premiere at Venice Film Festival four months ago, according to Galaxy -- distributor of the film in Vietnam.

The eagerly-awaited film -- based on the novel about a nostalgic story of loss and sexuality and directed by Tran Anh Hung -- is planned to make its public debut in Japan on December 11 and will then be screened in Taiwan from Dec.17, and Hong Kong Dec.30.

The story’s protagonist and narrator is Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a freshman university student living in Tokyo. Through Toru’s reminiscences we see him develop relaltions with two very different women -- the beautiful yet emotionally troubled Naoko and the outgoing and lively Midori.

The novel is set in Tokyo during the late 1960s, a time when Japanese students, like those of many other nations, were protesting against the established order. While it serves as the backdrop against which the events of the novel unfold, the novel portrays student movement as largely weak-willed and hypocritical.

Pop star to raise money for poor kids

Pop star Dam Vinh Hung will host a charity event offering food, music, and dance in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi next month to raise money for poor children.

At the shows entitled “White Banquet 2” – after the first one in 2008, he will sing songs like “Co Nhung niem rieng”, “Mua thu trong mua” and “Giac thu”.

He will also invite guests to dance with him.

Ngo Thanh Van, who recently won the Universe Dancing Contest for artists in HCMC, and well-known dancesport artist Khanh Thi, will also take part.

Also performing at the event will be famous singers Ho Ngoc Ha, Le Quyen, Thanh Thao, Hong Ngoc, Quang Dung, and Duong Trieu Vu, beauty queens, actors and actress, and models like Diem My, Giang My, Viet Trinh, Ha Anh, Anh Thu, and Xuan Lan.

Ticket to the shows on December 3rd in HCMC and 31st in Hanoi costs VND2 million (US$100) to VND4 million and a part of the proceeds will be donated to Hung’s Mr. Dam & em charity fund that help abandoned children and those who cannot afford medical treatment.

Hung has also promised to donate 20 percent of the collections from all his music shows starting next year to the fund.

“My family’s desire is to help poor children in the country,” he said.

Prestigious school celebrates its traditional day  
The Chu Van An senior high school based in Hanoi has marked its 102nd anniversary in the presence of Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

One of the age-old Vietnamese educational institutions, Chu Van An school on November 19 also received the title of Labour Hero in recognition of its excellent service to the nation.

The school has discovered and developed many renowned, talented people for the country, such as former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Van Cu, former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, former Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach, renowned professor Ton That Tung, writer Nguyen Cong Hoan, and poet Xuan Dieu.

Initially called Buoi, the school was later named after Chu Van An, a teacher in feudal times, who was famous for being extremely honest.

In the past 10 years, Chu Van An school’s pupils have often won top awards at regional and international Mathematics and English Olympics. Most of the school’s pupils succeed in entrance exams to universities.

3,000-year-old lithophone unearthed in southern province 
A set of stone musical instrument dating from 3,000 years ago has been handed over to the museum of the southern province of Binh Thuan.

The music instrument comprises of five slabs of black blue stone, which when arranged from small to big form a trapezoid. This is a typical character of ancient lithophone, different from new lithophones or sounding stone slabs.

The lithophone was unearthed by a farmer in Da Kai commune, Duc Linh district, when he dug holes for planting coffee trees.

Earlier, the Binh Thuan museum in coordination with a Japanese expert also discovered another lithophone at a site only 3km away from the place where the 3,000-year-old one was found.

Vietnam joins worldwide cultural network 
Vietnam has become one of the links in the worldwide network of the European Union of National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) following the establishment of EUNIC Vietnam in Hanoi on November 18.

An agreement on EUNIC Vietnam inception was signed by representatives of the British Council of the UK, the Goethe Institute of Germany, the L’Espace Centre of France, the Brussels-Wallonie delegation of Belgium and embassies of Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria.

EUNIC Vietnam President, Franck Pezza, who is Chief of the Brussels-Wallonie delegation, said EUNIC Vietnam will act as a bridge for European and Vietnamese researchers, artists and audiences through cultural and artistic events and activities.

According to EUNIC Vietnam Vice President, Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch, who also is the Goethe Institute’s Chief, apart from the organisation of cultural projects and activities of each European country, EUNIC Vietnam will play a role as coordinator and organiser for joint activities with various countries.

EUNIC Vietnam will host the European music festival in Ho Chi Minh City later this month along with the European Balling Days, European Literature Week and European Language Week.

Established in 2006, EUNIC operates beside the European Commission. With its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, the organisation has its branches in 53 countries.

French Quarter in Hanoi to be preserved  
The Hanoi Department of Architectural Planning will soon submit a draft regulation on managing the French Quarter in Hanoi to the municipal People’s Committee.
The draft, built with the assistance of the Urban Workshop Institute (Institut des Metiers de la Ville – IMV) in the Ile de France region, aims to preserve and promote the values of the French Quarter.

In addition to proposing regulations on managing and setting up a “virtual” model for the whole quarter and a 1/500 miniature model for French streets in the south of Hoan Kiem Lake, the draft also puts forward measures to ensure the effective management, conservation and development of the works.

It also mentions strict regulations and options for works to be built to ensure that new buildings will not adversely affect the general character of the quarter.

The draft suggests the ranking of over 400 French villas according to three levels: special heritage that needs to be protected, noteworthy heritage that should be protected and heritage of moderate importance.

At a seminar held in Hanoi on November 13, French and Vietnamese researchers spoke highly of the values of the French Quarter in historical, urban and architectural aspects.

The urban value of the French quarter is reflected in the quality of the community space with a chessboard-styled traffic network, grand boulevards with green trees on two sides and wide crossroads. Meanwhile, its architectural value is the harmonious combination between Vietnamese and French architectural styles.

According to studies, the French Quarter includes three areas stretching from Hoan Kiem Lake to Thien Quang Lake. The area lying east of Hoan Kiem Lake, or the administrative centre, comprises many works with special values while the area located west of Hoan Kiem Lake features the Hanoi Opera House. The third area includes quiet villas next to Thien Quang Lake.

The French Quarter was build by French colonists in the late 19th century, creating an image of Paris in Hanoi. At present, with the notable exceptions of the Opera House, the Building of the Governor of Tonkin (now the Government Guesthouse), and Metropole Hotel, many villas in the French Quarter have degraded seriously.

Hanoi hosts photo exhibition  
Around 100 photos of the capital city from young people in the past and present will be on display in Hanoi from November 19-23. 

The exhibition will also feature folk culture performance, games, sketch and calligraphy as well as paintings by artists Vu Khanh.

Visitors can vote for the best picture and select 11 others to make a calendar for the coming Tet festival. They can also bid in an auction for a map of Vietnam made from 1,000 photos to raise funds for flood victims in the central region.

PV