Chinese watercolors for National Day

The Chinese art club in HCMC on Tuesday opened a watercolor painting exhibition at the HCMC Association of Fine Arts to mark National Day on September 2.

The exhibition features more than 70 pieces by 36 artists such as Truong Han Minh, Ly Tung Nien, Truong Lo and Ly Khac Nhu.

When we mention watercolors, people think of flowers, bamboo, landscapes and birds. However, in this show, visitors can see another feature of the Chinese traditional painting genre. Portraits, daily life activities and social issues are depicted with Chinese ink, papyrus, bark paper, plastic, vellum or leather, fabric, wood and canvas.

The show also expresses the connection of Chinese and Vietnamese artists.

The show runs until September 1 at the association, 218A Pasteur in District 1.

Expo depicts parliament in national development

An exhibition entitled, “The Vietnamese National Assembly on the Way of Renewal and Integration” opened at the Vietnam Museum of Revolution in Hanoi on Aug. 24.

On display are over 200 photos, objects and documents about the founding of the National Assembly, the reform of the organisational and operational methods of the National Assembly and its integration into the region and the world.

Some of the exhibits are about the role of the National Assembly in important issues of the country, as well as milestones in regional and international integration.

At the event, the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam approved by the first National Assembly in 1946, the identity card of Ho Chi Minh in 1946 and many documents about the first National Assembly of the Democracy Republic of Vietnam are placed at the beginning of the display.

Photos and documents about the elections of the 13th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2011-2016 terms and the first session of the 13th National Assembly are at the end of the display.

HCMC Idecaf to screen 'Four Minutes'  

Idecaf in Ho Chi Minh city will screen Vier Minuten (Four Minutes), a 2006 German film directed by Chris Kraus on Tuesday with Vietnamese subtitle.

This film tells the story of a young, female prisoner and her piano teacher. The two women have something in common: they both have difficulties in communicating with the world.

Traude Krueger has been teaching piano at a female prison for 60 years. After meeting Insassin Jenny, a young female prisoner, Krueger realizes that despite the paintful consequences, the young woman is always violence prone, with others and with oneself.  But Jenny has had an innate music talent since she was a child and this arouses the music ambition in both of the two women.

They decide to fight for a chance for Jenny to have four minutes in her life to express herself to the public through music.

The film stars Monica Bleibtreu, Hannah Herzsprung and Jasmin Tabatabai.

Tickets (VND15,000) are on sale at Idecaf, 31 Thai Van Lung street, district 1, HCMC.

Remain Forever Concert to celebrate Independence Day  

The Hanoi Opera House will host the Remain Forever Concert 2011 this September 2 to celebrate Vietnam's National Day.

The event will feature several of Vietnam's most renowned compositions, including Return to the Mother land (for Cello & Piano) by Nguyen Van Thuong, Lullaby (for violon & orchestra) by Hoang Duong, Poem Symphony by Le Chi Vien, Beo dat may troi (folk song arranged for an orchestra) by Ngo Hoang Quan, and traditional music by composer Tue Nguyen.

In addition, pop songs about Hanoi, and war songs, including Tieng hat giua rung Pac Po by Nguyen Tai Tue, Ngoc lan by Duong Thieu Tuoc, Nhung anh sao dem by Phan Huynh Dieu, and Tren dinh Phu Van by Pho Duc Phuong will be performed by top Vietnamese artists.

Conductor Le Phi Phi, violinists Bui Cong Duy and Xuan Huy, pianist Pho An My, People’s Artist Quang Tho, and singers Dang Duong, Trong Tan, My Linh, and Hong Nhung will all participate in the event.

Tickets can be collected at Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien, Hanoi, tel: 84.04.(39330113/4 – 39330131/2)

Japanese pottery experts to train local artisans  

Experts from Japan are helping traditional Vietnamese pottery makers use their age-old skills to make modern products at the Phuoc Tich pottery village in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.  

The project, launched by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), began on August 16.

The project’s first stage, which ended August 18, trained Phuoc Tich village’s 20 artisans to create new products while still using the area's traditional methods.

A major component of the program is a project to train Vietnamese artisans in the art of pottery restoration, beginning this December and lasting until March 2012.

The first products created and restored by the newly-trained artisans will be displayed at the Hue Festival 2012 in Hue Town, Vietnam's former imperial capital.

The activities are part of a JICA project titled “Promoting Self-sustainable Community Development in Vietnam through Heritage Tourism”.

Art competition on ethnic minority groups launched

A fine arts and photography competition entitled ‘Ethnic Minorities in the South 2011’ was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The contest is open to professional and amateur artists and photographers who can send works created since 2007 to the Ethnic Culture Department at 51 Ngo Quyen Street in Hanoi starting from September 1.

The entries should depict the daily life, traditions, customs and solidarity of ethnic minorities in the region, as well as their economic development and the preservation of traditional cultures.

One A, two B, three C and five consolation prizes will be presented at an awards ceremony and exhibition to be held in An Giang province on December.

HCMC plans firework displays on National Day  

Ho Chi Minh City is planning two spectacular firework displays on September 2 to commemorate the August Revolution and the 66th anniversary of National Day.  

According to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, high-range fireworks will be set off from Thu Thiem tunnel in District 2. The city centre is always the best location to view such displays where many Vietnamese and foreign visitors can gather and celebrate the country’s National Day.

A low-range fireworks display will take place at the Dan Sen Park in District 11. Local residents and visitors can watch the display from inside the park.

The live firework displays will begin at 9 pm on the night of September 2. Ho Chi Minh City Television will air the firework displays live for viewers.
 
Exhibition on Truong Sa Islands in HCMC  

A photo exhibition on the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands opened at the Women’s Cultural House in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.  

The exhibition displays about 60 photographs of temples, commemorative monuments and all the changes and developments on the Islands.

They also showcase the life of the Vietnamese soldiers who guard the country’s Truong Sa archipelago Islands and the Vietnamese citizens who live there. They sensitively capture the close and friendly ties between naval forces and the local inhabitants.

The exhibition will mark National Day (September 2) and will be on until September 19 at 188 Ly Chinh Thang Street in District 3.

In related news, the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village Management Board in Hanoi will receive 21 sovereignty steles of the Truong Sa Islands from the Navy High Command on August 28.

Film marks General Vo Nguyen Giap's 100th birthday

A documentary on General Vo Nguyen Giap was broadcast by HCM City Television yesterday to celebrate the living legend's 100th birthday.

Vo Nguyen Giap-Vi Tuong Cua Dan (Vo Nguyen Giap-The People's General) presents the daily life of General Giap and his family. It also includes conversations about the historic Dien Bien Phu battle against the French that he masterminded.

Comments by several well-known Vietnamese and foreign historians about the military genius of the general are also included in the 33-minute documentary produced by HCM City Television Film Studio (TFS).

Next week, HTV9 will air a new documentary about the making of Viet Nam's national flag.

The three-episode Quoc Ky Viet Nam (Viet Nam's National Flag) will show the process of making the red flag with a five-pointed golden star and its appearance in scenes of fighting against the French in 1940.

The documentary features three young Vietnamese climbers who planted the national flag on the summit of Mount Everest in 2008. It also shows Pham Tuan, Viet Nam's first cosmonaut who took the national flag with him when he flew into orbit with the crew of Soyuz 37, spacecraft of the Soviet Union, in 1980.

Produced by TFS, Viet Nam's National Flag will be aired at 1.30pm on HTV 9 from August 31 to September 2.

TA