Vietnam, Laos to further co-operate on museum renovation

A co-operation agreement on museum renovation for the period 2012-13 was signed on Tuesday in Vientiane between Chu Duc Tinh, director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Viet Nam, and Suvandi Sysavath, head of the board of directors at the Kayson Phomvihane Museum in Laos.

The two sides committed to further renovate and upgrade the Kayson Phomvihane Museum and start a project to build a Ho Chi Minh Relic Site in Xiengvang Village, Nongbok District of Khammouan Province in central of Laos. The site is planned for completion by 2012 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of friendship between the two countries.

Both sides also agreed to prepare to build other Ho Chi Minh relic sites in Savannakhet Province, southern Laos, and the capital Vientiane, as well as exchange experts, professional skills and materials to complete the projects in order to further enhance the close relationship between the two nations.

Cham cultural centre to offer National Day delights

The Cham Cutural Exhibition Centre in Phan Thiet will host many programmes for tourists during the National Day (September 2) holidays.

Visitors can get an insight into the millennium-old Cham culture from the display of artefacts which include costumes worn by the Cham imperial families, musical instruments, and high-value cultural objects and products as well as traditional creations like brocade and ceramics. They can also listen to carol singing and a two-chord musical instrument played by Kanhi artists.

Visitors can join folk games played by the Cham people such as overcoming barricades, learn their fan dance, and beat the ginang drum, and watch folk rituals such as praying for rain and fire-walking.

Viet Nam cultural week opens in South Korea

A Viet Nam cultural week was inaugurated in South Korea's Pusan city yesterday by the International Cooperation Department.

The event, which will last until August 29, will consist of seminars to promote Viet Nam as a tourism destination, a voting campaign for Ha Long Bay in Viet Nam and Jeju Island in South Korea to be listed among the New Seven Wonders of the World, and exhibitions on Viet Nam's culture, craft products, costumes, and food.

Artists will perform traditional Vietnamese music.

According to the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, over 300,000 Korean visitors came in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 4 per cent.

Figures from the Korean embassy in Ha Noi show that over 90,000 Vietnamese visited South Korea in 2010, up 18.7 per cent.

Air tickets still available for National Day holiday

Seats are still available on flights on National Day, September 2, local carriers said.

Air Mekong said tickets are available on its flights from HCM City to Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Da Lat, and Quy Nhon. Tickets costing VND1 million onwards were available on its website.

Air Mekong and Jetstar Pacific, whose flights are all full, said they did not plan to operate additional flights for the holiday.

But Vietnam Airlines said it would increase the number of flights on nine routes between Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc from August 30 to September 5.

Vietnam’s National Day celebrated in Laos

A variety of activities will be held in localities in Laos to mark Vietnam’s National Day (September 2), said Do Dang Tuc, Director of the Vietnam Cultural Centre in Laos.

“Vietnam’s Cultural Week in Laos” will be held in Vientiane from August 30 to September 4. Thirty artists from Vietnam’s National Academy of Music, Vietnam College of Dance and Vietnam’s Circus Federation will give art performances during the event.

In addition, an exhibition entitled “Beauty of Vietnam” will also be held, displaying Vietnamese handicraft products and a collection of 50 photographs introducing Vietnam’s landscapes, people and culture.

The Vietnamese embassy in Laos will hold cultural exchanges with art troupes from Vietnam and Laos, Laos’ Party leaders and overseas Vietnamese in Laos.

Vietnam’s culture highlighted in Argentina

The Vietnamese embassy in Argentina has coordinated with the National University of Mar del Plata to hold a celebration campaign for Vietnam’s August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2).

During the campaign, which will last until August 26, there is a variety of activities, including a photo exhibition about “Vietnam’s vitality”, embroidered painting and lacquer painting exhibitions, film shows, radio programmes, and cultural exchanges.

At a seminar, which was attended by hundreds of teachers and students from the National University of Mar del Plata, Vietnamese ambassador to Argentina Nguyen Van Dao spoke about Vietnam’s cultural values, such as the traditional eagerness for learning, the tradition of venerating teachers, and the spirit of gratitude.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese embassy in Argentina presented the university’s library with some famous Vietnamese literary works which have been published in Spanish, including the Prison Diary by President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap’s memoirs, as well as some art work showcasing Vietnamese culture.

Ambassador Dao also had a meeting with the university’s Principal, Francisco Morea, during which they agreed to fulfil the cooperation agreement in education and training.  

Korean percussion performance in city Opera House
 
A troupe of 28 artists from South Korea led by Kim Duk-soo will perform at 8 p.m. tonight at the HCMC Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square in District 1.

The show is organized by the Korean Culture Institute in Vietnam, reports Thanh Nien.

The performance will bring to Vietnamese audiences strong emotion by Samulnori dance with four ethnic musical instruments of Jangoo drums, Jing and Qwangnari gong and Buk drums with artists sporting colorful Sangmo hats.

Known as the child prodigy of the drums of Chungcheong Province, Duk-soo has developed a fantastic music career as a performing artist, composer, teacher and artistic director.

In 1978, Duk-soo and Choi Jong-sil created Samulnori which gained much public appreciation. Samulnori is now the traditional percussion of South Korea.

PV