Chau Van singing festival opens in Vinh Phuc Province

More than 200 artists from 10 amateur art troupes are taking part in the 2013 Chau Van Singing Festival for the Red River Delta, which opened in Vinh Yen city, Vinh Phuc Province on March 24.

The opening ceremony. (Source: VNA)

Singers at the festival come from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh Phuc, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh and Hai Duong provinces.

The festival is part of the Vinh Phuc 2013 Tourism-Culture Week in response to National Tourism Year in the Red River Delta. This is also an important activity to preserve, honour and promote the spiritual folk art’s value in Vietnam’s cultural heritage, contributing to making the art an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

It creates an opportunity for art troupes, experts and administrators to exchange experiences to foster the development of Chau Van singing. The festival will conclude on March 25.

Chau Van was created during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400). Northern Nam Dinh province is considered its birthplace.

The highly rhythmic form of singing often accompanies “hau dong” (mediumship) during rituals to honour Mother Goddesses and connect to other gods. It is performed at temples and pagodas.

The music and poetry performed in the folk art are blended with a variety of rhythms, pauses, tempos, stresses and pitches. The genre has also adopted folk songs from the uplands and highlands of the North, Centre and South. The main musical instrument used in the genre is the Dan Nguyet (moon-shaped lute).

Vinh Phuc Culture-Tourism Week 2013 opens

The northern midland province of Vinh Phuc launched a Culture-Tourism Week at a grand ceremony on March 24, in response to the 2013 Red River Delta - Hai Phong National Tourism Year.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan went through the history and culture of Vinh Phuc, and highlighted the province’ advantages and achievements.

During recent years, Vinh Phuc has gained numerous successes in socio-economic development, especially in industry and education, he said, suggesting that the province should pay more attention to the preservation of cultural values and relic sites, while investing more on resorts and spiritual tourism, promoting comprehensive and sustainable development.

The event, themed “Vinh Phuc on the path of development” will run until March 26 with various festive activities, including a ceremony to offer incense to the National Hero Tran Nguyen Han, and the 2013 Tay Thien Festival.

Besides, Van and Chau Van Singing Festivals for the Red River Delta, and other folk music and sport activities will also be organised on the occasion.

Vinh Phuc is home to several popular tourist destinations. Tam Dao Resort is an ideal summer resort in the North, located 900m above sea-level.

The Tam Dao National Park is just nearby where the vegetation cover is representative of five types of tropical forest. The flora consists of 904 species and the rich fauna includes 307 species.

At the foot of Tam Dao Mountain, Dai Lai Lake is an artificially created lake. Dai Lai is blessed with a favorable climate, cool summer and warm winter. Over the lake lies a 3-hectare island which is home to difference kinds of birds. Tourists also enjoy panoramic view of the lake from top of Than Lan Mountain.

Located 90km from Tam Dao, Tay Thien Site is well-known with beauty of forests, streams, waterfalls, and grottoes.

The province also has bountiful tangible and intangible cultural values through nearly 1,000 relics such as Ha Tien Pagoda, Binh Son Tower, Huong Canh Temple, Hai Ba Trung Temple and Dong Dau archeological site. Visitors will also be fascinated with local traditional feasts, peculiar crafts, melodious folk songs, traditional popular games as well as tasteful local dishes. 

Quang Binh publishes cave photos

The Quang Binh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has published three photo books depicting the beauty of caves discovered in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park over the last 20 years.

Titled Quang Binh Que Huong Toi (Quang Binh – My Hometown), Kham Pha Quang Binh (Discovering Quang Binh) and Du Lich Quang Binh (Quang Binh Tourism), the books feature a collection of more than 2,000 photos taken by local and international photographers, including hundreds taken by world's leading spelunkers.

The books also introduce various cultural facets of the Kien Giang, Nhat Le and Gianh river basins in the central province.

In addition to boasting a diverse ecosystem, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is home to a large number of historical relics and archeological sites.

Wartime Prison recognized as National Heritage

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau provincial People’s Committee on March 23 received a government certificate recognizing Con Dao Prison as special National Heritage site.

At the certificate presentation ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan noted that the recognition shows the Party, Government and people’s gratitude to the 20,000 martyrs and heroes who died in the prison supporting the glorious cause of national independence and freedom.

It helps promote the Vietnamese people’s age-old tradition of “Tracing the roots”, and raise awareness of national pride and responsibility of young Vietnamese people.

It was reported that a Vietnamese soldier died in every two days during the course of its 113 year-old history. From 1930 to 1975 on average a Vietnamese soldier died every day in this prison known as a “hell on earth”.

Many Vietnamese patriots turned the prison into a revolutionary school of Ngo Gia Tu, Nguyen Van Cu, Le Hong Phong, Ton Duc Thang, Le Duan, Pham Van Dong, Pham Hung and Nguyen Van Linh, who later became prominent leaders of Vietnam.

Now, thirty-eight years after national liberation, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has developed significantly and is promoting Con Dao as a special historical district of the country.

Con Dao district has experienced 15 percent annual economic growth since 2009 and today its residents boast an average annual income of US$2,500.

The district aims to become a modern regional and international tourism and economic area, as well as a national historic preservation site, a protected forest and marine biodiversity area, and an important national security and defense outpost.

HTV adopts Dutch singing contest

HCM City Television has launched a reality show that brings together talented singers ranging from teenagers to older adults.

Toi La Nguoi Chien Thang, based on the format of the Dutch show The Winner Is, will feature singers performing alone and in teams and going head-to-head.

The contestants will be judged by a panel of 101 judges led by a famous musician.

After every round, contestants will have a chance to withdraw if they prefer to take a cash prize that ranges from VND10 million to 60 million (US$480-2,900).

The final will feature four contestants who will form two teams. The winner will get a cash prize of VND300 million ($14,300).

The show will be in 12 instalments broadcast on HTV7 at 9pm every Saturday, beginning today.
Amateur and professional singers aged at least 16 can enter the competition by applying to Dong Tay Company, 200 Pasteur, District 3, or toilanguoichienthang@dongtay.com.vn.

An exhibition on Hue City themed “water city” by Japanese photographer Hasegawa Taro opened in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on March 23.

On display are pieces reflecting the close relationship between local residents’ lives and small rivers surrounding the former imperial city.

Taro said during his stay in Hue, he often cycled around the city, taking photographs, and most of his works illustrate locals’ daily life activities in the evening or early in the morning full of vitality.

Apart from picturesque photos, Taro also portrayed the close-knit relationship of local Hue families in a modern, busy life.

Through the photos, he said he hopes viewers will have a better understanding of a contemporary Vietnam.

Viet Nam celebrates world theatre day

Artists from Ha Noi's theatres will gather to stage a number of traditional scenes to mark the International Theatre Day on March 27.

The extracts will include famous moments from classical drama Ong Gia Cong Vo Di Xem Hoi (The old man piggybacks his young wife to village festival) and circus performance My Village.

The former is a particularly popular example of the traditional dramatic style and will feature veteran artist Dam Lien playing two central roles.

My Village is the most successful circus performance from Viet Nam recently. It is a combination of acrobatics and storytelling, highlighting peaceful country life and the poetic scenery of Viet Nam.

Vietnamese bamboo is used as a unique means to help viewers understand the body language of the artists who dance, tread and perform acrobatics on bamboo pipes and perform subtle tricks with bamboo baskets. The stage is decorated with bamboo screens and musical instruments are also made of bamboo.

The performances will take place at 8pm on March 27 at the National Circus Theatre, 67-69 Tran Nhan Tong.

The International Theatre Day celebration will be held by the Association of Viet Nam Theatre Artists which joined the International Theatre Institution (ITI) under UNESCO in 2004 and set up the Viet Nam ITI Centre.

Vietnam attends “World Culture Day” in France

Vietnamese history and people have become the theme of a workshop held within the framework of the “World Culture Day” in Gretz-Armainvilliers city, France, on March 23-24.

The workshop saw the attendance of the city’s Mayor Jean-Paul Garcia and Deputy Mayor Christian Bourdeille, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung, among others.

The first workshop on Vietnam in Gretz-Armainvilliers was chaired by historian Alain Ruscio, who is a close friend of Vietnamese people and a researcher of Vietnamese history, culture and civilisation.

Ruscio gave a presentation on distinctive cultural features in various Vietnamese regions, important landmarks in the country’s history and Vietnam-France traditional cooperation.

Ambassador Dung said the workshop was a highlight among activities organised by the city to celebrate 40 years of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Before the event, Dung planted a commemorative tree and launched activities in response to “World Culture Day”.

Historic city to renovate iconic gate

A three-year project to preserve and renovate Ngo Mon (Noon Gate), an iconic symbol of the city of Hue, began last Thursday.

Noon Gate is an important part of the Hue Imperial Citadel, which was officially recognised by UNESCO as World's Heritage Site in 1993.

It is a huge U-shaped construction consisting of a brick and stone foundation and a wooden pavilion with a terracotta-tiled roof.

Preservation of the gate will help it absorb water and prevent leakage at the foundation. The Lau Ngu Phung (Pavilion of Five Phoenixes) at the top will be removed and renovated.

The first stage of the project will cost VND43.38 billion (US$2.1 million) and is scheduled to be completed in December 2015, said Phan Thanh Hai, director of the Hue Centre for Monument Conservation.

The second stage will be carried out after 2015.

Hoa Chau Citadel deteriorating, experts warn

Hoa Chau Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue is deteriorating through want of protection and preservation, researchers said in a report.

The citadel with artefacts of Champa culture (the 2nd-19th century), Tran-Le (the 13th-18th centuries) and Nguyen (the 19th-20th centuries) dynasties was discovered in 1997 during excavations by the Viet Nam Institute of Archaeology and others.

Hue University of Sciences experts have since co-operated with researchers from Japan's Kanda and Osaka universities to survey the citadel and comb it for artefacts.

However, they recently reported that the vestige was deteriorating as a result of exposure to weather and incursions by nearby residents. Their report is expected to bring action from authorities to provide greater protection and give urgency to preservation.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA