Lao art troupe to perform in Ha Noi


The Lao National Art Troupe will perform in Viet Nam this week at the invitation of Viet Nam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The 35-member troupe will appear in Ha Noi on Thursday and Saturday and in Bac Giang Sunday. The shows coincide with Lao Cultural Week in Viet Nam, December 21-28.


36 art works depicting Hanoi streets

Photo: VOV
An exhibition of Hanoi’s streets by painters Nguyen The Duy and Cong Quoc Ha officially opened at the Republic of Korea’s Cultural Centre on 49 Nguyen Du Street in Hanoi on December 20.

36 pieces of works displaying Hanoi streets from the early 20th century until the modern era were placed on display.

The event will last until December 30.


30 new Vietnamese Guinness records set

The Vietnam Guinness Book of Records has recognised 30 new records at the 20th meeting of Vietnamese record holders held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18.

Half the new records were in the field of art and culture, including the largest palm leaf copy of Uncle Ho’s testament (1.18m x 2.05m) and the largest picture (3.95m x 2m) made from precious stones.

The records also included the 92-year-old Vinh Bao, the oldest music teacher who teaches traditional music online.

Vietnam Guinness also recognised the oldest Vietnamese heroic mother Tran Thi Viet who was born in 1892.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Huu Thuan were acknowledged as the woman and man with the most times of blood donations, 65 and 63 times, respectively.
In the field of science and technology, 70-year-old archaeologist Do Dinh Truat holds the record for the highest number of excavations. He has organized and attended in the excavation of over 300 tombs across the country.

The two brothers Bui Ngoc Vinh and Bui Ngoc Khanh from the central province of Thua Thien-Hue made their name known for the uncanny ability to eat one kilogram of chilies in ten minutes.

Meanwhile, the Hua family in the southernmost province of Ca Mau made the record as the family with the highest number of people who can float on water for several hours.


City to host “Welcome New Year 2011” festival


Ho Chi Minh City Youth’s Cultural House has mapped out numerous cultural activities to welcome in the New Year from December 24 to 31, according to the head of the Event Planning Service Department of the Youth’s Cultural House, Nguyen Hong Phuc.

The weeklong festival, which is called “Welcome New Year 2011”, will bring free and interesting programs for the youth. These will include fashion and music performances, singing contest, exciting games and other activities.

On December 24, it will be the “Christmas Gala 2010” and the “Dance of Hair-Spring fashion” will be on December 31. These will be the main highlights of the festival. 

Ho Chi Minh City Youth’s Cultural House received more than 30,000 visitors in the “Welcome New Year 2010” festival.


Writer donates books to museum


Writer Nguyen Dac Xuan donated a collection of books to the Museum of Vietnamese Literature.

Xuan's work includes 700 Nam Thuan Hoa-Phu Xuan (700 Years of Thuan Hoa-Phu Xuan) which won the silver prize in the 2010 Beautiful Books awards, as well as nine other volumes from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Xuan also donated a 19th century portrait on metal of the poet Nguyen Phuc Mien Trinh (1820-97) who was a member of royal family in the Nguyen dynasty and served as a mandarin.

The writer has granted books for the museum in 2006 in the central city of Hue. Xuan will donate valuable books for the museum in the future to let people have chance to read them, he said.


Binh Thuan to host int’l yacht festival

An international yacht festival will take place in the central province of Binh Thuan from Jan. 15-18, 2011, said Ngo Minh Chinh, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Dec. 20.

The “Ship, Sea and Sun” festival will feature an exhibition and performance of 200 yachts, four music gala nights, a light show along with a welcome gala, a series of gala dinners and a closing ceremony.
Additionally, two seminars entitled “Yacht manufacturing, marketing and trading” and “Developing Vietnam’s maritime tourism trademark” will also be held.
20 yachting teams from Russia, Australia, Holland, Sweden, the United States, France, Germany and Italy are expected to attend the event, which is considered a stepping-stone to turning Mui Ne bay into a regional yachting business centre.


Teenage pianist performs in homeland


Teen pianist Vu Dang Minh Anh, an overseas Vietnamese from Poland, will perform with the Ha Noi Symphony Orchestra tonight at the Ha Noi Opera House.

Born and raised in Poland, Anh has won many prizes in international piano contests in Poland and Italy. In tonight's concert, she will play The Barber of Seville by Rossini, Concerto KV 449 by Mozart, and Dumka and Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky.


VNews broadcasts on K+ network


VNews, the new channel of the Vietnam News Agency, is now being aired on digital satellite network K+.

VNews launched in August, with broadcasts throughout the day on the latest news and current events in politics, business, culture and society, from journalists throughout the country and permanent correspondents in countries and territories around the world.

K+ is also carrying THVL1, the channel of the southern province of Vinh Long, providing news and entertainment in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region.


VTC presenter wins talent crown


Pham Khanh Ly, presenter of VTC Digital Television, won the HCM City Television's (HTV) annual Miss Charming Television contest held in HCM City at HTV Theatre.

Twenty-four-year-old Ly beat 12 other contestants in the competitions, which included evening dress presentation, talents and emceeing skills, at the HTV Theatre.

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Radio and Television Station's hostess Ma Ngoc Dieu gained second prize while Tran Thi Thanh Phuong of HTV brought third prize.

During the four-day contest, contestants were judged on appearance, performance and emceeing skills, voice, poise, and presentation style.

All of the contestants work as reporters, presenters or hosts for television stations in the provinces and cities of Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Lang Son, Binh Thuan, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, and HCM City.

The guest contestant from Laos, Nhom MaLa of Attapeu Provincial Radio and Television Station, also took part in cultural exchange performances with Vietnamese contestants.


VNN/VOV/VNS