Miss Sports 1995 set for Mrs World 2011

Nguyen Thu Huong, crowned Miss Sports Vietnam in 1995, will compete in the Mrs World 2011 to be held from December 5-16 in the US.  

This was announced by the Performing Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The 32-year-old mother of two has worn many hats since winning her title, including television MC, film actress and businesswoman.

Dr Doan Thi Kim Hong, a member of the judging panel at Mrs World 2008, has been invited to chair the jury for this year's contest.

Hong said the competition will be a valuable opportunity to show the beauty of Vietnam to the world.

Festival fetes traditional opera

A national festival celebrating Cheo (traditional opera) will open on November 26 in the northern province of Thai Binh, which is considered to be the birthplace of the art form.

Thirteen theatres and art troupes across the country will stage 16 plays that address issues of contemporary life, in accordance with the theme of the festival: Traditional Opera with Modern Topics.

According to Vuong Duy Bien, head of the cultural ministry's Performing Arts Department, the theme was chosen in order to bring "new vitality" to a traditional art form that mostly focuses on legendary and historical material.

"This is the first time we are requiring a specific theme for the plays presented in the festival. We strongly believe that Cheo plays could be a preferred art form for mass audiences if a link can be established to the present day.”

“In fact, Vietnamese are already familiar with the classic Cheo plays that have been performed consistently for many years," he said.

Cheo is a form of popular theatre in Vietnam that has its roots in traditional village festivals. The plays consist of folk songs with pantomime, instrumental music and dance, combined with instructive or interpretative sketches based on stories from legend, poetry, history or even daily life.

Hosted by the Performing Arts Department and the Vietnam Stage Artists' Association, the festival will run until December 4.

An Giang hosts 5th Khmer cultural festival

The fifth Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival of the Khmer ethnic people will be held in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang from December 1-4.

The information was released at a press conference held in An Giang province on November 25, announcing activities of the festival.  

The festival is a significant cultural and political event for Khmer ethnic people’s spiritual life. It is organised every three years to preserve and promote the cultural identity of the Khmer ethnic people.

The four-day event also aims to strengthen the great national unity bloc, boost production, and stabilize the political and security situation in the Mekong Delta region.

Diverse activities include traditional sports games like boat and cow racing, art performances, culinary display, and cultural exchanges.

An exhibition featuring 100 photos of the daily lives, costumes, and traditional festivals of the Khmer ethnic people will also open during the event.

Hanoi to hold flower street festival

The 2012 Flower Festival will be held in Hanoi from December 30, 2011 to January 2, 2012 to welcome the upcoming lunar New Year (the Year of Dragon).

The event is part of activities to celebrate the 82nd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3).

The flower festival will take place around the Hoan Kiem (Restored Sword) Lake in the centre of the capital city.

In the framework of the festival, there will be a wide range of activities, including a week-long film show, music and dance performances, flower-arranging competitions, fireworks and displays.

Meanwhile, various traditional festivals will also be held at Dong Da Hill in Dong Da district, Giong Temple in Soc Son district, Co Loa Temple in Dong Anh district, Huong Pagoda in My Duc district, and Tay Phuong Pagoda in Thach That district.

Design student creates dress from condoms

Nguyen Minh Tuan, a graphic design student in HCM City, yesterday unveiled a dress made of more than 700 condoms in honour of World Aids Day on December 1.

As part of the Campaign to Normalise Condoms, Tuan also worked with a group to create a set of condom fashion photos based on the Art Cinemagraph technique.

Tuan, a student at Van Lang University's Industrial Arts Faculty, said that the project "aims to raise public awareness of sexually-transmitted diseases and to educate people about methods of protection".

Tay Son iron swords given to local museum

A private collector has donated 21 iron swords to Quang Trung Museum in the south-central province of Binh Dinh.

Collector Lam Du Xenh, a member of Quang Ngai Province's UNESCO Club, announced the gift on Wednesday.

The swords, which belonged to the Tay Son insurgent army, are each 3cm wide and 37-54cm long with bronze hilts.

Xenh said he had gathered the relics from An Khe Township in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) province of Gia Lai, once a strategic base of the army.

Photo contest to honor soldiers of Vietnam People’s Army  

A photo competition was launched on November 24 for journalists, professional and amateur photographers in the country on soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Army from now until 2014.  

Submissions can be in color or black and white photographs taken from December 1, 2011 to September 30, 2014.

The winners will be announced in December, 2014. The exhibition and awards ceremony will be held on December 22, 2014 marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam People's Army.

The contest is being organized by the Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army.

According to the Political Department, a seminar will be held from November 29 to 30 highlighting the victory of the Road No9-Southern Laos campaign in the central province of Quang Tri, 40 years ago.

2011 Blue Wave Music Awards to be announced

The prestigious Lan song xanh (Blue Wave) Music Awards 2011 will be presented at the Lan Anh Music Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5 by the Voice of Ho Chi Minh City Radio station (VOH).

The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Ho Chi Minh City Television channels HTV9 and HTVC, as well as on VOH FM 99.9 MHz.

Contestants for the Most Promising Male and Female Singer prizes will be nominated by journalists and leaders in the music industry, while VOH listeners will vote for other categories such as Face of the Year, Favourite Singers, Favourite Composers, Favourite Album, and Favourite Band.