Miss Russia 2011 arrives in Vietnam

Natalia Gantimurova, Miss Russia 2011 arrived in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday to participate in charity events.

The beauty queen met with fashion designer Vo Viet Chung to learn how to wear the ‘ao dai’ (Vietnamese traditional dress). She will wear three ao dai designed by Vo Viet Chung during her visit to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi from July 25 to 28.

The first and second runners-up to Miss Russia beauty contest will also accompany Natalia Gantimurova to charity events in Vietnam.

20 year old Natalia Gantimurova is pursuing a bachelor's degree in international relations at the Russian State University for Humanities and speaks two foreign languages.

Gantimurova is 1.81 meters tall and will represent Russia in the Miss Universe 2011 and Miss World 2011 contests.

Pictorial book on Vietnam’s diplomatic relations

A book titled “Integration mark” featuring photographs of diplomatic meetings between Vietnam and foreign countries, by photographer and journalist Gian Thanh Son has been published by the Vietnam News Agency Publishing House.

The 400-page bilingual Vietnamese-English book introduces a historical background of countries that have diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Journalist Son took three years to complete the book while accompanying President Nguyen Minh Triet on official visits from 2007 to 2010.

Son will soon release the second volume presenting pictures he took during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s official visits to various countries.

In addition, he will launch a pictorial book of photographs that were presented to the public in exhibitions from 2003 to 2010.

Vietnamese students abroad showcase artworks

Two young overseas Vietnamese from North America are organizing an exhibition of artworks in Hanoi by 25 Vietnamese students studying abroad.

“Chase Hanoi 2011” has on display some 100 paintings, photographs, and other works depicting daily life in Vietnam, its old houses, and streets.

The duo hoped spectators would enjoy not only the art itself but also appreciate traditional values and beauty.

Renowned mathematician Prof Ngo Bao Chau and his daughter Ngo Thanh Hien are expected to visit the exhibition.

A book of photos featuring the works, the autographs of the 25 students, and a comment by Chau will be auctioned with the money donated to the Bac Giang Center for Disabled Kids.

The exhibition, on at the Viet Art Gallery, 42 Yet Kieu, will run until July 28.

Last Nguyen Dynasty tuong singer passes away

Outstanding Artist La Chau, the last tuong artist from Nguyen Dynasty times, died in Hue on Saturday at the age of 99.

Chau devoted his entire life to the classical musical drama imported from China and is famous for saying: “If any of my children do not follow my path, he will not be my child any more.”

His father and grandfather were also palace tuong performers under the Nguyen Dynasty.

At 10 Chau was sent to Thanh Binh Thu, a school to teach royal dancing and tuong during the reign of King Khai Dinh.

Achieving fame as a professional tuong artist, he won a gold medal at the National Tuong Festival in Hue in 1993, the title of Outstanding Artist in 1997, and a citation from Hue for restoring tuong costumes in 2005.

Tuong (also called hat boi, or simply hat tuong) is believed to have come from China circa the 13th century when Vietnam was warring against the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

Its themes tend to be historical but also feature legends from China and Vietnam.

The Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last feudal rulers, ruled from 1802 to 1945.

Vietnamese artists selected to join Asian Youth Orchestra

Vietnamese young artists Nguyen Hoang Tung (Oboe) and Nguyen Thanh Tu (Cello) have been selected to attend the Asian Youth Orchestra.

Both artists are students of the Vietnam National Music Academy and often perform in concerts held by the academy’s orchestra.

For Hoang Tung, this is the fifth time he has got a chance to perform in the Asian Youth Orchestra. He won the first prize at an Asian music contest in 2005 and the second prize at a national music contest for young talents in 2007.

Hoang Tung and Thanh Tu will join other excellent representatives from Asia in performing in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam throughout August.

During their trip to Vietnam, the Asian Youth Orchestra will perform two concerts at the Hanoi Opera House on August 15-16.

Established in 1987, the Asian Youth Orchestra aims to honour young Asian music talents and create an opportunity for them to gain experience in an international environment.

Gia Lai’s gongs make sound far and wide

Central Highland Gia Lai province is currently having more than 5,600 sets of gongs, a musical percussion instrument that earned UNESCO’s world intangible heritage recognition for its cultural space.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 1,116 sets of gong are kept in 92 villages in La Grai district and 131 other sets are preserved in 104 villages in Dac Doa district.

At present, the province has 600 gong troupes and 20 artisans who master the sound of gongs.

Taking the form of a flat mental disc which is hit by a malleta, the gongs are closely linked to daily life and the cycles of seasons, producing a privileged language between men, divinities and the supernatural world.

Every family possesses at least one gong which indicates the family’s wealth, authority and prestige and also acts as the protection for the owner as behind every gong is a god or goodness who is all the more powerful when the gong is older.

The cultural space of gongs in the Central Highlands was recognised as one of the world’s intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2005.

Third Haiku poem contest launched

The Japanese Consulate General in HCMC has launched the third Vietnam-Japan Haiku Contest and will accept poems from now until October 14.

A haiku poem is a Japanese poem penned with five syllables in the first verse, seven syllables in the second and five in the third. A haiku poem doesn’t rhyme but conveys a complete image or feeling in the three lines of syllables.

In Japanese, haiku is printed in a single vertical line, while in English it is usually in three lines.

Vietnamese contestants can compile their entries in Vietnamese or Japanese but Japanese contestants have to send their poems in Vietnamese.

Entries must not have appeared in public in any form before, even on social networks such as Facebook or Blog. Any poem suspected to have been plagiarized will be rejected. Application forms can be downloaded at www.hcmcgj.vn.emb-japan.go.jp/vn/haiku_contest.doc.

Contestants can submit up to three poems to thithohaiku@gmail.com or to the Consulate General on 13-17 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1.

There is one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes and consolation prizes on offer, with the results announced on November 15.

The contest, first held in 2007, is a bi-annual event organized by the Japanese Consulate-General, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Tuoi Tre newspaper to strengthen culture exchanges between the two countries and create a playground for all lovers of haiku poems and enthusiasts of Japanese culture.

Foreign language book fair at Phuong Nam Book Cafe

Phuong Nam Cultural Corp. has launched a foreign language book fair until July 31 at Phuong Nam Book Cafe, 2A Le Duan Boulevard in District 1.

The fair has over 150,000 titles including children’s books, fiction and non-fiction, with thousands of books priced at just VND15,000-VND20,000 each.

The titles come from top publishers including, McGraw-Hill, Elsevier, Lippincott, Hachette, Sterling, HarperCollins, Random House, Kiddibird, Cheewah, Berkeley and Pearson. Organizers are hoping to raise up to VND7 billion.

PV