VN-Thailand relations featured in photo display

Nearly 150 photos highlighting the relationship between Vietnam and Thailand are being displayed at an exhibition that opened at Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi on Thursday.

The event, jointly held by the Thai Embassy in Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency and Ho Chi Minh Museum, marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Thailand falling on August 6.

The exhibition features important events in the Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relationship, Thailand ’s investment in Vietnam, the land and people of Vietnam and Thailand, and the relationship between the people of the two nations, who shared many similarities in culture and beliefs.

Addressing the ceremony, both Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai and Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Anuson Chinvanno stressed the significance of the event.

The 1928-1929 period, when President Ho Chi Minh worked in Thailand on his revolutionary activities, was a milestone in the history of the two countries, they said.

They agreed that during the past 35 years, bilateral relations between Vietnam and Thailand have developed fruitfully in a wide range of fields, especially politics, economics and culture.

New caves discovered at Phong Nha-Ke Bang

Two new caves have been discovered at the UNESCO world heritage site, the Phong Nha- Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh, said well-known cave explore Ho Khanh on Thursday.

Khanh, who found the caves and named them “97” and “98,” which are the years he got lost in the deep forest of the national park in an exploration trip and had a chance to explore the geological formations there, said “97” is 765 m long and “98” is 750 m long and both are at least 60 m high.

Different from most caves of the park that have rough floors, the floors of these newly found caves are flat like a man-made structure.

Khanh said the two caves are located in the Doong area, which is home to Son Doong, the world’s largest cave discovered in 2009 also by Ho Khanh and a team of British cave explorers from the British Caving Association.

Before the discovery of Son Doong Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang held several world cave records such as the longest underground river and the largest caverns and passageways.

Ancient Cham vases found in Quang Binh

Two ancient ceramic vases of the Cham culture dating back to the 7th or 8th century were found in Canh Duong Town in the central province of Quang Binh yesterday.

The vases are handcrafted, gourd-shaped, and decorated with ancient Cham patterns.

One is 32 cm high and the other is 75 cm high.

Vietnamese-American artist wins Prince Claus Award  

Vietnamese-American visual artist Le Quang Dinh will be presented with the 2010 Prince Claus Award at the Dutch Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City next week.

The 43-year-old artist, whose works are informed by the Vietnam War and Cambodia’s experience under the Khmer Rouge, will receive a cash award of US$35,635.

An announcement on Prince Claus Fund’s website said, “Le is honored for his strong creative work exploring different constructions of reality, for providing inspiration and practical opportunities for young artists, and for advancing free thought and contemporary visual expression in a context of indifference and hostility.”

It said the theme of the 2010 awards was “Frontiers of Reality.” It is a “crucial theme for contemporary culture and development since perceptions of reality vary according to people’s knowledge and the cultural, political and social environment in which they live.

“Especially in today’s world of new information technologies, many new versions of reality are surfacing and people feel the need to make sense of these new perspectives.”  

The award aims to honor those “who open up different perceptions and make significant contributions to the construction of new knowledge, better understanding, empowerment and greater equity – essential factors for local and global development and stability,” it said.

At the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Le once exhibited a helicopter that symbolized all the American helicopters sent to Vietnam during the war.

Another artwork emerged after a visit to the Tuol SlengGenocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Le used the photographs of Khmer Rouge prisoners for his 1994-99 series Cambodia: Splendor and Darkness.

Le has co-founded a number of art organizations, including the Vietnam Foundation for the Arts and San Art, a non-profit art space for exhibiting work by both international and local artists.

San Art, which was founded in 2007, has already had an enormous impact on the vitality and accessibility of contemporary art in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Prince Claus Awards, founded in 1997, are presented annually to individuals, groups and organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development and the positive effect of their work on their environment and on the wider cultural or social field.

So far, the award has been presented to more than 150 individuals and organizations.

Turn-of-the-century antiques on display in HCMC  

Three hundred century-old antiques are on show at Ho Chi Minh CIty’s Vietnamese History Museum from now until this December, Tuoi Tre reported.

The exhibition, held in tandem with the “Antiques in the 21st century’s first decade” seminar, gathers several precious antiquities not only from Vietnam but also from other Asian countries including Thailand, Laos and China.

The exhibit highlights a diamond statue traced back to the 19th century, collections of ancient Vietnamese and European money and Go Sanh pottery (made from 13th to 15th century in Vietnam’s Central region) donated by Allison from New Zealand.

The Vietnamese History Museum is located at No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Dist.1, HCMC.

Vietnam world heritages presented in photo exhibit  
 
A photo exhibition called World Heritages in Vietnam 2011 will open in both Hanoi and Da Nang City from August to October.  

More than 200 photos, highlighting the country’s world cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO, have been chosen for display at the event, held by the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition.

The photos are selected from entries submitted for a contest organized by the department earlier this year.

From among the selected works of 138 photographers nationwide, 16 were awarded a first prize, two second, three third and 10 consolation prizes will be awarded.  

Organizers say the contest received 2012 photos by 282 photographers in total.

The event exhibition will be held at the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum from August 30 to September 6; and at the Exhibition Center of Fine Arts and Photography in Hanoi from October 10-17.

VND49 trillion for tourism development in Thua Thien-Hue

The central province of Thua Thien Hue has been spending VND49 trillion on 43 construction projects for its 2012 National Tourism Year.

The 2012 Hue National Tourism Year entitled Ancient Hue-New Experience will be held throughout the year to promote the province’s tourism to foreign and domestic visitors.

It will be closely held along with the 2012 Hue Festival, aimed at introducing its tangible and intangible cultural values as well as natural heritage sits to international friends.

A number of events include Charming Vietnam Gala, the second International Choir Festival, the ASEAN International Chess Championships, the International U18 Wrestling Championships will also be held as part of the Tourism Year.

The province’s tourism industry is expected to receive 2.5 to 3 million visitors and earn more than VND3 trillion, contributing 47-48 percent to its Gross Domestic Product by 2015.

Vietnam to compete in documentary award

Vietnamese students, together with others from the region, will take part in the Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award for the first time this year.

The competition, which is a co-operative project of the Goethe Institutes in Southeast Asian countries, is inviting students aged between 18-28 years old from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, to join in the event.    

All participants must submit a portfolio of their work and a motivational essay on the process of making a film under the theme of “Trees of Life: Seeds of Change” by September 2, 2011.  

A jury of film, television and forestry experts in each country will select three students based on their submission. The national shortlisted students will then receive expert guidance during the eight week production period for their competition entry film.

During the production period, the film ideas of the students will be explored and developed under the guidance of a consultant. The students will also receive a grant of US$300 to produce the short documentary film (maximum 10 min. in length) in relation to the theme, which must be submitted by November 11, 2011.

The three regional winners will be selected by an international jury and will receive a cash prize of US$500 each. Furthermore, the first place winner will receive a grant of up to US$5,000 to produce a feature length documentary.

The competition aims to encourage the art of documentary filmmaking in the region as a platform to engage with pressing social and environmental issues.

Design your own tour and win a holiday

Local tour operator Vietravel will launch a competition with stunning prizes called ‘My Ideal Tour’ on the social networking site www.facebook.com/travel.com.vn for Vietnamese people who love traveling nationwide on Monday.

The contest has one first prize of a six-day tour to Singapore and Malaysia for two people; one second prize of a tour to Hanoi-Yen Tu-Halong-Bai Dinh-Trang An for four days for two; and one third prize of a tour to Nha Trang-Dalat for five days for two.  

To enter the contest, from August 8-31, participants have to access either https://travel.com.vn/tour-du-lich/ or http://www.facebook.com/travel.com.vn and follow the steps instructed by a video clip on the web to design their ideal tour.

Apart from being a contestant, entrants can support their favorite participants by voting for their entries. Target competitors are Vietnamese people aged 18 or over. Every contestant can submit a maximum of three entries during the competition period, while each individual can vote for his/her favorite candidate one time only.  

For more information, contact the organizer via email support_event@travel.com.vn

Current affairs through cartoonists’ works

Nearly 100 original editorial cartoons on themes ranging from fighting corruption, traffic safety, urban planning, the environment and education, to construction, agriculture and food safety are on display at the Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street in Hanoi.

The cartoons are produced in a variety of media including pen and ink, ballpoint pen, pencil, watercolour, and gouache.

Editorial cartoons belong to a special category of artwork which presents current affairs in a humourous way that makes viewers laugh, but also helps raise awareness and contributes to improving society. However, because of their sometimes 'deeply bitter humour' and critical nature, cartoons have often not been fully recognised and appreciated.

According to the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, the exhibition was originally intended only for cartoonists who were members of the Association, but it was then expanded and received entries from many non-member artists across the country. 'We hope this exhibition will provide a good opportunity for interesting dialogue between viewers and the artists through their work,' said painter and architect Nguyen Truc Dung.

Japan helps Vietnam restore Chieu Kinh palace

Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) will sponsor over US$70,000 to help Vietnam restore the Chieu Kinh Palace in the Thai Mieu Temple in the Hue Citadel, the Thua Thien – Hue authority said on August 2.

The project will be implemented between 2011 and 2015 with the assistance of the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Research Institute, an affiliate of Waseda University.

In addition to the Japanese aid, the remaining US$90,700 for the project is being funded by the provincial budget.

This is one of many projects to restore and renovate the relics in Hue city, the former capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty (1802 – 1945).

The Chieu Kinh Palace was constructed under the reign of Emperor Gia Long but was destroyed during the wars in the early 20th century.

Son La to host 'Crossing the Northwest' tourism programme

A variety of activities featuring the cultures of Vietnam’s northwestern region will be held during the 'Crossing the Northwest - Son La 2011' tourism programme, scheduled from August 27 to September 2 in Moc Chau district.

According to the Son La provincial People's Committee at a press briefing in Hanoi yesterday, the tourism programme will present a series of cultural and sports events including a trade fair introducing tours to Son La, Muong La, Yen Chau, and Moc Chau; a seminar on promoting tourism in the Northwest, a food expo, an ethnic minorities sports competition, folk games, photography exhibitions, and traditional ethnic festivals. Son La has also invited the other northwestern provinces Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, and Lai Chau to participate in the programme hoping to develop a regular alternating tourism programme to promote the entire Northwestern region.

The opening ceremony for ‘Crossing the Northwest’ will be broadcast live on Vietnam Television channel VTV1 on the evening of August 27.

PV