Dong Ho paintings Fifty-one folklore paintings handpicked by the Vietnam Fine Art Museum are on display at the Quang Ninh Museum at Ha Long city’s 165 Nguyen Van Cu Street in the eponymous northern province from December 3 – 25.

Visitors will have a chance to witness Vietnamese woodcut paintings like Hang Trong paintings and Dong Ho paintings and some others. Originating from the North, the Dong Ho woodcut prints are considered among Vietnam’s finest folk arts and a cultural heritage.

The exhibition is aimed at introducing various values and meanings and expose visitors to the Vietnamese way of life captured through the art.

Painted hundreds of years ago, they depict farmers’ simple life in symbolic ways and poke fun at human foibles besides satisfying spiritual, moral and artistic values.

In related news, artist Le Van Hai has promised to donate nearly 150 woodblock tablets to Quang Ninh-based pagodas and communal houses.

Ikebana School takes shape in Hanoi  
The Binh Minh Trade and Technology Joint Stock Company will collaborate with Japan to set up a vocational training school for Ikebana flower arrangements in Hanoi to promote a city of peace and development.

This information was released at a show of Ikebana flower arrangements held in Hanoi on December 5 by the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee, the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association and the Binh Minh Trade and Technology Joint Stock Company.

Ikebana is a 600-year tradition. However, flower artisan Eikou Sumura, chairwoman of the school, said nowadays, Ikebana is a combination of traditional and modern styles where the vitality of flowers and leaves create a new beauty and send a message that transcends the barriers of nationality and language.

The school will help promote mutual understanding and friendship between Vietnam and Japan, and create new jobs for rural workers.

On the occasion, the Binh Minh Trade and Technology Joint Stock Company and Hanel One Member Limited Company presented gifts to the Vietnam Support Fund and the Relief Fund of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee to help the flood-hit victims in the central region overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

Vietnam-Denmark modern music gala to be held  
A Vietnam-Denmark project on experimental modern music will hold a gala concert for the public at Kim Ma Theatre in Hanoi on December 10.

The performance will include musician Ngoc Dai, singers Thanh Lam, Linh Dung, and Ha Linh, the Thai Ha band from the Vietnam Conservatoire and saxophonist Lotta Anker from Denmark.

The event aims to combine traditional and modern arts, and Eastern and Western cultures.

Japanese martial arts performed in Hanoi  
The Japanese Embassy in coordination with the Aikido Yukishudokan and Kendo Hanoi Clubs held a performance of Aikido and Kendo in Hanoi on December 4.

Speaking at the event, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yasuaki Tanizaki said that Aikido and Kendo are Japan’s two traditional martial arts that represent the unique cultural identity of the people in the country of cherry blossoms.

He expressed his wish that the performance would help Vietnamese people, especially young people, understand more about the Japanese culture, and strengthen the friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.

Aikido was formed in Japan and developed throughout the world in the middle of the 20th century. Aikido practitioners do not use attacking movements but take advantage of their rivals’ strength to master them.

Formed 1,200 years ago, Kendo uses bamboo-made sticks to attack the rival with the aim of strengthening physical and spiritual health as well as improving concentration on study and work.

Mr Vietnam to be held in Vung Tau  
The final stage of the Mr Vietnam contest will take place in the southern city of Vung Tau on December 1.

The qualifying round began on November 12 and the organising board has so far received 100 profiles from applicants.

Contestants are usually students and professional and amateur models. Mr Vietnam is the first such contest held for men in the country to honour the strength, appearance and intelligence of Vietnamese men.

It also provides a chance for them to express their talents, personalities and social knowledge.

Seminar on culture, sports and tourism organised in HCM City  
A seminar on popularising culture, sports and tourism in southern Vietnamese provinces was held on December 3 in HCM City by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Popularisation of culture, sports and tourism in 22 southern provinces over recent years has greatly contributed to the development of stage, film, museum, library, and tourism services, as well as other social groups and friendship associations.

The seminar also showed its shortcomings as it has not responded to the potential and social resources in all provinces. 

Participants discussed the difficulty and evaluated the implementation of the campaign in their localities and suggested solutions for the future.

PV