Summer destination festival kicks off in Da Nang

The Da Nang Summer Destination Festival 2011 officially began the central city of Da Nang from June 25.

Diverse sports and cultural events are set to take place at the Bien Dong (East Sea) Park including music and dance shows, fashion shows, a cooking competition, a cyclo parade, boat racing, and a beach volleyball tournament.

On this occasion, travel agents are offering many attractive tours to explore Da Nang, as well as historical relics and other beautiful places in Quang Binh, Nha Trang, Hue, Hanoi, Ha Long and Sa Pa.

Hotels and resorts in Da Nang also offered discounts of up to 10 percent during the occasion.

Vietnamese family festival opens in Hanoi

The Vietnamese Family Festival 2011 opened in Hanoi on June 25 to mark the 10th anniversary of National Family Day (June 28).

The festival aims to honour the traditional values of Vietnamese families and create a forum to share experiences in promoting cultural families towards sustainable development in the current process of industrialisation, modernisation and international integration.

The opening ceremony included the launch of a programme for building family libraries and an awards ceremony of the painting contest “Say ‘No’ to domestic violence” by children.

The festival also included an exhibition “Vietnamese families with national construction and development” that exhibits photos and objects affirming achievements in consolidating families based on traditional values, developing small-sized families, promoting rights and responsibilities of family members to children, women and the elderly and gender equality.

On display are also bamboo and rattan, embroidery, porcelain and other handicraft products of 12 outstanding artisans.

Sixty paintings on domestic violence selected from more than 1,000 entries of Hanoi ’s children were also displayed at the exhibition.

Saigontourist launches part-volunteer tour to Japan

Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigontourist Travel Service Co. has launched a special tour that enables Vietnamese tourists to lend a helping hand to the people of Sendai City, Miyagi Province in the aftermath of the natural disasters that hit Japan in March.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing manager of the company, said travelers would start in HCMC, visit attractions in Tokyo and then spend one day volunteering in Sendai.

The tourists will take part in activities with members of a Japanese volunteer organization.
“Travelers will help local people to clean houses, give the elderly a bath, cook and do other things,” she said.

According to Tra, the tour operator had the idea of a special volunteer tour after a survey trip to Japan last week.

“We’ve seen volunteers from some countries go to Japan for such activities. It’s great for the Japanese people’s morale,” she said.

The four-day tour costs VND35 million per person. Saigontourist expects to start the tour on July 7 and 14. For further information, contact the company on 0913 725524 or email: info@saigontourist.net.

The company, who temporarily suspended tours to Japan, restarted them this month.

“We will have three groups of tourists going to Japan on discounted tours this month,” Tra said.

Other travel companies in HCMC such as Samurai Tour, TST Tourists and Vietravel are also promoting tours to Japan with major discounts.

Photo contest on peer educators to kick off in Hanoi

A photo contest to feature peer educators on drugs will be organized in Hanoi in late July and amateur and professional photographers can register to organizers before July 10.

Registrants can contact FHI/Vietnam at Floor 7, 18 Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Hanoi, or via email: hongthanh@fhi.org.vn.

20 selected registrant photographers will be invited to join a camp with drugs’ peer educators in Hanoi on July 29.

Photos shot during the camp can send to the event’s organizers by August 4 to take part in the contest.

The event is held by the Family Health International/Vietnam, a public health and development organization working to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable people, with sponsorship from the US President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

FHI has 2,500 staffs conducting research and implementing programs in 55 countries that advance public health and build local capacity to address development problems. Since 1971, FHI has been a global leader in family planning and reproductive health and, since 1986, in the worldwide response to HIV/AIDS.

President hails southern people’s sentiments towards Uncle Ho

President Nguyen Minh Triet on June 22 attended a ground-breaking ceremony for the restoration and embellishment of a memorial area dedicated to late President Ho Chi Minh in the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

The refurbishment of Uncle Ho memorial area, located in Ca Mau city’s Cultural Park, is to celebrate the 121st birthday of the late President and the 100th anniversary of the day he left the nation to seek pathways for national salvation.

Addressing the ceremony, President Triet applauded the contributions made by the provincial Party Committee, authorities and people to the project, which, he said, reflect their deep sentiments towards beloved Uncle Ho.

He also recalled Uncle Ho’s affections towards people in the southern region when he was alive.

The cultural work is of special significance that helps educate young generations on national traditions, President Triet said, urging local leaders and investors to step up the construction process and ensure the quality of the project.

The memorial area covers an area of 60,700 sq. m, of which 12,000 sq. m is roomed for Uncle Ho’s relic site. It is being constructed at an investment capital of VND30 billion funded by the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group.

Posters, banners deface Hue

Tourists visiting Hue and local residents both complain about the posters that are stuck everywhere in the heritage city, including its imperial relics.

At the two most crowded entrances to the Imperial City, Chanh Dong on Mai Thuc Loan Street and Chanh Tay on Yet Kieu Street, advertisements printed on A4 paper are stuck all over the walls, offering everything from tutorial classes to sex toys.

Beside posters, banners too hang everywhere, including from houses, electric poles, ATMs, and parks.

Tuoi Tre discovered that it costs only VND500,000–1 million for printing and hiring people to put up the banners and posters around the city.

Though the police go around daily to remove them and take in people putting them up, things are out of control since the deed is usually done late at night or at dawn to avoid detection.
 
A filmmaking dream

31 year-old Vietnamese American Jenni Trang Le, who has worked as an assistant director in several high-profile movies such as Phan Dang Di’s Bi, Don’t Be Afraid knows she will make her own great films one day.

Her latest short film Chay! Co Chac Khong? (Just Run), which is taking part in the on-going short film competition Clip 48G Super 8, has drawn public attention.

Graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles with a BA in Anthropology, Le first worked as an assistant director for Stephane Gauger’s award-wining movie Cu va Chim Se Se and Charlie Nguyen’s Dong Mau Anh Hung (The Rebel) both in 2006.

A year later, in January 2007, Le shot her own 5-minute cartoon titled Me Oi! (Oh Mommy!).

Shown on the Internet, the cartoon brought her many audiences.

But it was Chay! Co Chac Khong? that definitely launched Le as a director.

Basing on the story of the blockbuster movie “Super 8” of American director J.J Abram which is now playing in Vietnamese theatres, Le’s movie has had almost 100,000 views with 430 likes from Youtube users which make it a strong contender in the competition.

Le and her friends, cameraman Tony and script writer Jayvee Mai The Hiep worked very hard in two days to make the 6-minute-long movie.

Le said she was happy with positive comments and sad with negative ones and knew for sure whether people liked her work or not, she was taking the first step to become a true filmmaker as she had always dreamt to be.

Libraries must do more to lure children
 
A seminar on building a reading culture and strengthening public library activities for children was held in Ho Chi Minh City by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  

According to the ministry, children’s libraries have grown well throughout the country and many libraries in states play a key role in the development of young children.

Many libraries built and financed by private individuals give a chance to children to develop a reading habit and learning skills.

However, poor infrastructure, cramped and narrow spaces are some reasons that fewer kids visit libraries. Some recently opened libraries operate irregularly and have little to offer with interesting activities to attract young readers.

For example, Cat Tien District Library in the central highland province of Lam Dong is located in an unofficial house of the provincial radio station for five years. Furthermore, lack of skilled and professional staff and librarians is a drawback.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Xuan, director of Ca Mau Library said that parents should guide their children to choose useful books and take their kids to libraries frequently.

“Hanoi Spring” exhibition opens in Bangkok

The event marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic ties (August 6).

The exhibition showcases 80 paintings of Hanoi’s old quarter, girls wearing traditional long dresses (Ao Dai), spring time, traditional Lunar New Year’s celebrations, daily life in Hanoi, and Ha Long Bay. Portraits of late President Ho Chi Minh, the King of Thailand, Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin are also being displayed.

Thai painter Dinhin Rakpong Asok said he was very impressed by the girls in Hanoi during his visit to the capital and Ha Long Bay and he has produced many pictures of them.

He added that he drew a portrait of late President Ho Chi Minh because he studied the history of Vietnam and knew that President Ho Chi Minh is considered a father of the Vietnamese people because he brought independence and freedom to the nation.

Vietnamese painter Luong Khanh Toan displayed 12 lacquer paintings of Hanoi girls and the city’s landscape to introduce Vietnamese culture and customs to international friends.

A similar exhibition was also held in Hanoi in May.

‘Transformers 3’ to be screened in Vietnam

The 3D movie ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ will be screened in Vietnam from June 29, one day before the North American market.

The film was first released in Moscow on June 24 in the presence of director Michael Bay and actor Shia LaBeouf on the sidelines of the 33rd Moscow international film festival.

The third film in the Transformers series, which uses many high-tech special effects, was produced at a total cost of US$200 million.

Vietnamese diplomats popularize culture in Japan

The Vietnamese embassy in Tokyo and Japan’s NHK Broadcasting Corporation hosted an exchange to introduce Vietnam and its people to over 150 guests on June 24.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Phu Binh highlighted the cultural similarities between the two countries and spoke highly of the development of the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership.

The event offered guests the chance to learn about Vietnam’s history, culture, tourism and its famous beautiful landscapes, and to enjoy traditional dishes and musical performances by Vietnamese diplomats, students and Japanese artists.

Ambassador Binh said that this event aimed to increase mutual understanding between the two peoples, adding that this was important to developing political and economic ties between Vietnam and Japan.

The embassy also plans to cooperate with Japanese partners to organize a Vietnam Festival in Tokyo next mid-September to promote the country’s culture and tourism.

Laos appreciates Vietnam’s help in circus arts development

The Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Bosengkham Vongdara, has praised Vietnam’s assistance to the development of circus arts in Laos.

Minister Vongdara made the appraisal while talking about cooperative ties between the Laos and Vietnam circus arts sectors over the past 45 years.

He affirmed that the two circus arts sectors have cooperated closely and contributed significantly to increasing the Laos-Vietnam friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation.

The Lao National Circus Troupe and the Vietnam Circus Federation jointly organised a special performance in Vientiane from June 17-20 to mark the 45th anniversary of their ties.

Daily life unmasked by Corazon Higgins

‘Losing face’ painting exhibition by American artist Corazon Higgins on Thursday opened at the Himiko Visual Cafe in HCMC’s District 10.

The show features 15 works made of acrylic on paper. The main focus of this body of work is the mask and the way that we mask our real identities. The artist explains that people change masks multiple times throughout the day to trick others, to hide ourselves, to indulge in role-playing fantasies or just to have fun.

Cultures all over the world have used masks and animal symbolism to explain some aspects of human behavior, both the light and the dark sides. In the day-to-day, we are expected to acknowledge and respect each other’s masks, not doing so results in ‘losing face’. But when do people get to take these masks off? Would they recognize themselves and the people close to them?

The exhibition at 324 Dien Bien Phu Street runs until July 11.

Vietnam Fine Arts Museum celebrates 45th anniversary

The Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi celebrated its 45th anniversary on June 26.

Over the past 45 years, the museum has gained significant achievements and has been recognised as a first class national museum.

With nearly 3,000 square metres of exhibition space, the museum is home to more than 20,000 valuable artifacts and artworks from many different time periods displayed in a number of specific collections.

Throughout its history, the museum has welcomed millions of local and international visitors.

The museum has been awarded the Independence Order, third class, the Labour Order, first class, and many certifications from the Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for its contributions to preserving and promoting the country’s fine arts.

An exhibition opened at the museum on the day of the anniversary, showcasing 58 works by 41 artists who have worked at the museum in a variety of genres including painting, graphics, sculpture and ceramics . The exhibition will run through July 2.

Songs for AO victims awarded

Twenty-one songs about Agent Orange victims selected from 172 entries were awarded in a ceremony at the Hanoi Friendship Culture Palace in Hanoi June 25.

Composer Khanh Vinh from Ho Chi Minh City won the first prize with his song entitled ‘Loi Ru’ (Lullaby).

The contest, launched in October 2010 in response to the 50th anniversary of the use of AO in Vietnam (August 10, 1961 - 2011), was jointly held by the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), the ASEAN Communications Joint Stock Company and the Vietnam Musicians’ Association.

At the award ceremony, the national humanitarian portal 1400 announced that it received 351,238 SMS in support for the ‘Joining Hands in Easing AO Pains’ programme between February 22 and June 19, raising over VND 6.3 billion.

With the money, the VAVA Central Committee will build 55 communal-level day care centres for AO victims and 550 charitable houses, grant over 1,000 scholarships to and find jobs for children of AO victims.

PV