Street children’s pictures displayed in Paris

Pictures drawn by street children in Ho Chi Minh City are being exhibited in Arcueil City in the eastern suburb of Paris.

They reflect their views of life, land, people, natural scenery, family and school.

The exhibition, co-organized by the Arcueil and HCM City Solidarity and Friendship Association (AHSFA) and the Vietnamese People Association in France, aims to introduce and sell pictures to raise funds for disadvantaged children at the “Tre Xanh” Centre in HCM City.

Daniel Breuiller, Mayor of Arcueil City, spoke highly of the initiative to organize the exhibition and expressed his hope that young painters will further promote their drawing talent.

Daniel, who is also AHSFA President, said since 2008 the association has granted scholarships to children at the “Tre Xanh” centre who want to go to school and learn French to work at hotels, restaurants or travel agents.

The organizing board said more than 10 pictures were sold at 50-100 euro each at the opening ceremony on October 23.

The exhibition will be open until October 26. A similar event will be held in Arcueil City from November 29 - December 1.

Tokyo art exhibition is coming to town

The Tokyo X Ha Noi X Art exhibition featuring contemporary artworks by young Japanese and Vietnamese artists will open to the public from 7pm tomorrow at the La 4uatrieme Creative Lab.

A result of a project which offers artists from different cultures an interactive opportunity to learn about each other, the exhibition will showcase whatever the artists create over a period of two weeks.

Under the project, five Vietnamese artists and six Japanese, who are graduates and students at the New Media Art Department of Tokyo University of the Arts, will take part in workshops and discussions to learn about Ha Noi's contemporary art scene to find new ideas and inspiration for their work.

La Quatrieme Creative Lab is on the fourth floor of Ete bar, 95 Giang Van Minh Street, Ba Dinh District.

Saddle up for Old Quarter bike extravaganza

Anyone who loves riding a bike and wishes to promote cycling for all its positive reasons is invited to join a mass bicycle ride which will start at 8pm tomorrow in front of St Joseph's Cathedral at the crossroads of Ly Quoc Su and Nha Tho.

Titled Positive Mass, the ride is inspired by an international event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. Founded in 1992 in San Francisco, the ride gathers people at a set location and time who cycle as a group through cities and towns.

Lecture on enlightened approach to art

The Friends of Viet Nam Heritage (FVH), a non-formal group of mainly Ha Noi residents from many countries who work voluntarily to promote and preserve Vietnamese cultural and historical heritage, will host a lecture on the theme Arts&Antiquities: Contrarian Collecting, on Saturday.

The English-speaking lecture will be conducted by Dr Mark Rapoport on the enlightened approach to collecting, with a focus on Vietnamese objects. Rapoport is the owner of the 54 Traditions Gallery, home to thousands of unique objects collected from Viet Nam's ethnic groups.

The 90 minute lecture will start at 9.30am at the 54 Traditions Gallery, 30 Hang Bun Street. Contact Christie Kesner at cgkesner@gmail.com to register. Attendance fee: VND150,000.

French fair for all at Hotel Equatorial

The third Balade en France, a fair promoting French gastronomy and wine, will take place at Hotel Equatorial tomorrow and Saturday.

The event will present traditional French dishes and wine from the country's most renowned wine regions, as well as a fashion show, live concert and dance show. Lucky draw prizes include two return air tickets to Paris.

Wine importers and major French restaurants in the city will offer the best local recipes accompanied with white, red and rose wine.

The fair will take place at 242 Tran Binh Trong Street in District 5. For reservations, call 3839777. Tickets are priced at VND550,000/adult for presale and 650,000/adult at the entrance.

City puts the frighteners on for Halloween

Major hotels and bars will host Halloween activities on October 31. Buffets with signature pumpkin dishes will be available at Legend Hotel Sai Gon's Atrium Cafe, Sheraton Hotel's Sai Gon Cafe, Sofitel Sai Gon Hotel's Cafe Rivoli, and Calibre Charner and Ganh Restaurant of Palace Hotel Sai Gon.

Many Halloween costume parties and games will also be organised at Park Hyatt Hotel, Nightspot at Sheraton Hotel, Sai Gon Sai Gon Bar at Caravelle Hotel, and Boudoir Lounge at Sofitel Hotel.

And the Rocky Horror Picture Show

The newly established HCM City-based theatre group The Lab will present the British musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show for Halloween.

The musical, adapted from the 1975 film, tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and meeting a mad scientist who unveils his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror.

The play, directed by Ingrid Berry, stars both expats and Vietnamese.

The musical will be staged on October 31 and November 1-3 at Bon Mua Restaurant at 189 A1 Nguyen Van Huong Street, Thao Dien, District 2. Tickets cost VND500,000 in advance or 600,000 at the door. Price of admission includes food and drinks.

Royal college foundations to be preserved after excavation

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre will preserve the brick foundations of the former Quoc Tu Giam School (Royal College) in Hue following its excavation last month, said Phan Thanh Hai, the centre's director.

According to Hai, the excavation could help archaeologist better preserve the vestiges of the former Hue Imperial City.

The centre plans to turn the excavated area into a nursery of rare and precious trees. The project will start early next year in Huong Ho Commune, Huong Tra District, Thua Thien Hue Province.

Hue to restore Queen Mother's palace to former glory

The People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province has approved a plan to restore the Ta Tra building of Dien Tho Palace, in former Hue Imperial City.

The restoration, costing VND11billion (US$524,000), will begin next year.

The Ta Tra building of brick and wood was bombed in the American War in 1968. It used to be a place where people who wished to have an audience with the Queen Mother waited.

Dien Tho Palace was the first building to be constructed in Hue in 1804. It was the place where the Queen mothers of the Nguyen dynasty lived, took a rest and received visitors.

Photographs celebrate Viet Nam's people and places

One hundred photos featuring the beautiful landscapes of Viet Nam and the lively daily life of its inhabitants are on display in Phan Thiet City.

The photos were chosen from 2,890 images submitted to the Viet Nam Heritage Photo Awards 2012. The contest, organised by Viet Nam Heritage and HCM City's Cultural Heritage Association, drew the participation of 190 amateur and professional photographers nationwide and eight foreign photographers. It aims to encourage Vietnamese people to preserve their heritage, both cultural and natural.

The exhibition will run until October 31. After Phan Thiet, the photos will be displayed in six other cities: Nha Trang, Hoi An, Ha Long, Can Tho, Ha Noi and HCM City. The event marks the Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Day on November 23.

The awards ceremony will be held on November 22 in HCM City.

Ha Tinh hopes to uncover hidden history in third dig

The third phase of excavation at the Phoi Phoi-Bai Coi archaeological site will begin in Nghi Xuan District of central Ha Tinh Province next month.

The site was excavated twice in 2008-10. Archaeologists from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Viet Nam National Museum of History confirmed that the 200sq.m area covered a complex of tombs of the Sa Huynh and Dong Son cultures dating back 2,000 years.

The third phase of the excavation is estimated to last until December 12. It aims to find more tombs and to verify information relating to customs and beliefs of the inhabitants of Bai Coi.

VNN/VOV/VNS