Exhibition highlights President HCM’s visit to France in 1946

An exhibition featuring late President Ho Chi Minh’s 1946 tour of France as seen through newly-collected documents and objects opened in Hanoi on October 21.

This is one of the many events celebrating the 100th anniversary of HCM’s departure to seek ways for national salvation (1911-2011) and the 65th anniversary of his diplomatic visit to France as Head of an independent nation (1946-2011).

The exhibition displayed nearly 200 documents and objects related to HCM’s visit to France in 1946, including drafts on some of his speeches, and letters and articles bearing his autograph, Vietnam’s national flag hoisted at a meeting held by overseas Vietnamese in Paris to mark National Day on September 2 1946, and photos of HCM during his stay in France.

HCM’s 1946 trip to France was one of the most important diplomatic missions of the Vietnamese Government in the 1945-1946 period.

During that period, HCM conducted 400 meetings with France’s top politicians, ministers of the then French Government, and 14 French generals. He also held a wide range of meetings with the socio-cultural elite, the French press, as well as socio-political activists from Europe, Asia and Africa.

During the negotiation process, HCM expressed Vietnam’s aspiration for peace, justice and goodwill to win over the French people’s support.

The visit has opened up a new diplomatic trend for Vietnam according to HCM’s thoughts. That is peaceful dialogue must be conducted on the basis of respecting each nation’s sovereignty.

Slang illustration book stirs debate

“Sat thu dau mung mu” (Hitman with wounded, swollen head) which was published last month by Nha Nam Books and illustrated by artist Thanh Phong is the newest sensation of the publishing world.

The picture book, a collection of humorous illustrations for 120 modern urban improvised proverbs or street slangs mostly used by young Vietnamese in metropolises, has sparked interest in both the media and the online community.

Colloquial, rhyming slangs like “Chan nhu con gian” (Bored like a cockroach), or “Cai kho lo cai ngu” (Difficulty produces stupidity) that are deemed too informal for some adults, take up the bulk of the book.

Phong said it took him five weeks to finish his drawings and at first Nha Nam suggested 130 phrases that appear frequently in daily conversations.

“I then later added another 30 and we shortlisted the best 120 expressions as you see in the book,” he told newswire Vnexpress.

Many young readers have expressed great interest in the publication, as “it is not serious at all, and so hilarious,” a forum member nicknamed Leonidas Marcius commented, adding that it is impossible to find these spoken vernaculars in a proper Vietnamese dictionary.

Duong Vien, a reader of Vnexpress, wrote he wanted the author to make a second volume, as there are still many slangs which did not make it to the book.

However, “Sat thu dau mung mu” also draws a fair amount of criticism from many netizens who said these sayings are too vulgar and not appropriate for a printed publication.

Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper even went as far as calling the illustration book “a load of crap,” claiming it only serves to distort the proper use of Vietnamese language.

“The only aim of the book is to bring humor and entertainment values to modern life which has already been rife with stress.

“Therefore I think these critical comments are too conservative, unnecessarily serious and not persuasive at all,” Phong commented.

Nha Nam Books said the illustration book also helps to expose negative social phenomenon and undesirable human behaviors to social ridicule.

"However we will take into consideration all of these feedbacks” the publisher said.

VOV’s radio feature wins international award

The International Radio and Television Union (URTI) have presented a bronze prize to two VOV reporters, Ngo Thieu Phong and Giang Xeo Pua, for their feature on the culture of ethnic minority people in northern Vietnam.

The 23rd awards ceremony of URTI was held in Paris on the evening of October 20 as part of activities to celebrate 30 years of FM radio broadcasting.

The radio feature ‘Tieng may xay ngo va tieng ken goi ban tinh’ (Sounds of the corn grinder and leaf-horns seeking lovers) by Phong and Pua was highly appreciated by the 23rd URTI jury for its interesting content, technical quality and sound effects on the audience.

The feature highlights the traditional customs of Vietnam’s ethnic Mong group, which are being threatened by globalization.

The jury was very impressed by the unique way of dealing with poverty from cultural and spiritual angles, said Dan Santa, President for Radio of URTI.

At the ceremony, representatives of many radio stations talked with VOV reporters and expressed their wish to boost cooperation with Radio the Voice of Vietnam.

This year’s event on the theme ‘Poverty’, held for all countries, received 105 entries from 45 nations.

Thanh Hoa to spend $1mil to promote site
 
Located in Vinh Loc District, the citadel was the capital of Vietnam from 1397 to 1407Thanh Hoa Province has set aside VND21.7billion (US$1million) to promote the Ho Dynasty Citadel which will receive UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage Site certificate next June.

Under the plan, Thanh Hoa will pump cash to upgrade the website promoting the citadel, research about the An Ton quarry which is believed to supply construction materials for the citadel as well as restore the Nam Giao Altar which has been threatened by a nearby landfill.

Located in Vinh Loc District, the citadel was the capital of Vietnam from 1397 to 1407.

It is a great work of architecture consisting of a bamboo hedge, a moat and a citadel wall plus a palace complex with marble-paved roads connecting each palace to another.

With UNESCO’s recognition, the Ho citadel will become one of the seven world cultural and natural heritage sites in Vietnam besides Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Hoi An Ancient Town, Hue Ancient Capital, My Son Holy Land, and the Thang Long Royal Citadel.

Phuong Nam slashes up to 50% price in 10-day sale

Local book publisher Phuong Nam Cultural Corporation is offering a special discount program for more than 20,000 book titles with around 100,000 books sold at a fair in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event offer discounts of up to 50% to books including “39 clues” and “A red flower” by Russian writer V.M. Garshin, “No longer human” by Japanese writer Dazai Osamu and “The Kreutzer Sonata” by Russian writer Lev Tolstoy.

The fair also introduces foreign documentaries such as “World War I”, “World War II” and “The mysterious origin of human”.

The highlight of this event is the meetings with writers Nhat Chieu, Le Hoang and Gao.

The fair which is an annual event of the publisher will last until October 30 at the city’s Labor Culture Palace at 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 1.

Phu Xuyen festival to showcase variety of handicraft products

Viet Nam's biggest-ever mother-of-pearl-inlaid portrait of President Ho Chi Minh will be displayed to the public during a traditional village festival in the Ha Noi suburban district of Phu Xuyen on October 26-29.

The 1.42m by 1.2m portrait was created by craftsman Nguyen Van Lang, of Chuyen My Village, which is famous for its mother-of-pearl-inlaid fine art products. Lang spent more than three months and about 20kg of mother-of-pearl to complete the painting, which is expected to feature in the Vietnamese Guinness Records.

The festival will also present a huge to he (toy figurines) called Hoa Sen Hong (Pink Lotus). The creation has been made by craftsmen of the district's Phuong Duc Village, using more than 40kg of rice dough.

Visitors to the festival will be impressed by another special product, a giant leather shoe, which has been recognised as Viet Nam's biggest shoe by the Vietnamese Guinness Records.

Twenty craftmen of Phu Yen Village spent two months, using 40sq.m of cow leather and 300m of thread to create the 2.72m-long shoe.

The four-day festival aims to honour 124 traditional villages in Phu Xuyen District. It will also contribute to preserving the village's cultural and historical values and traditional jobs in the socio-economic development of the city.

Magazine poll places Viet Nam among the world's top 20 destinations

Viet Nam has been voted as one of the 20 best travel destinations in 2011 by readers of the US magazine Conde Nast Traveller.

The magazine's readers named the Sofitel Legend Metropole Ha Noi, La Residence Hotel & Spa Hue, Life Heritage Resort Hoi An, Evason Ana Mandara and Six Senses in Nha Trang and Park Hyatt in HCM City among the world's best places to stay.

The annual poll was conducted among nearly 29,000 readers with evaluations based on different categories, including cultural diversity, variety of attractions, range of accommodation, and environmental friendliness.

Graphic design club provides forum for students to exchange ideas

Let's Design, a club for graphic design students, was recently presented to the public at the Ha Noi University of Industrial Fine Arts.

Established in May by Prof Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, the club attracts graphic design students at universities in the capital city and aims to give them opportunities to learn from one another and express their creativity. The club also offers disadvantaged students design software training courses.

In December, the club will hold a poster design contest and host an exhibition on Agent Orange. The club will also hold an exhibition on ASEAN countries with students from throughout the region in January 2013. 

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