Charitable art performance to be held next week

The 12th charitable art programme “One Heart-One World” will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 17 to draw the community’s attention to caring for disabled and orphaned children.

The annual event aims to honour outstanding people with disabilities and orphans nationwide as well as connect people and organisations towards supporting these vulnerable groups, President of the Association in Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans Nguyen Dinh Lieu told the press on April 10.

He added that with the donations mobilised over the past 11 years, a wide range of programmes have been organised to improve the livelihoods of the handicapped.

Besides the art performances, the audience also had a chance to engage with disadvantaged people who have made every effort to overcome their difficulties and integrate into the community.

This year, the Association plans to conduct orthopaedic surgeries for 1,200 people and cataract surgeries for 4,500 blind people, provide 6,000 wheelchairs for disabled people, present 8,000 scholarships and bicycles to orphans and offer vocational training and jobs for 1,500 people.

The art performance will be broadcasted live on VTV2 at 20:30.

About 357 billion VND (16.6 million USD) was raised at the 11 th annual event.-

Artist Tran Luong receives prestigious Prince Claus Award

“Luong is more than just an individual artist. He uses his artistic skills and his personality to create dynamism, a movement that inspires others, which has impact on the fabric of the surroundings. What would any society be without people like that?”, said Netherlands Ambassador to Vietnam, Ms Nienke Trooster.

Through its annual Awards, the Prince Claus Fund honours outstanding artists, thinkers and organisations whose cultural and artistic actions have had a positive impact on their countries’ development.

It is the third time that this prize is awarded to a Vietnamese artist.

According to the Prince Claus Awards committee, Luong, born in 1960, receives the award for his dedication to helping develop performance and video arts in Vietnam, and his commitment to freedom of expression, international dialogue, community enrichment and nurturing younger generations.

Vietnamese national television and newspapers have reported widely about Luong receiving this prestigious award, since it was officially announced in September last year.

A special exhibition of Luong’s artworks will be open to the public at the EU Delegation to Vietnam (Lotte Centre, West Wing, 24th floor, No 54 Lieu Giai, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi) from April 10th - 17th, 2015 (weekdays from 16:30 till 18:30 hrs).

Thirteen central provinces to join Ethnic Groups Cultural Day

Thirteen provinces will participate in the 2015 Central Region Ethnic Groups Cultural Day, scheduled to be held in Nghe An from May 17 to 19, said the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The thirteen central provinces comprise Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.

Themed ‘Ethnic Groups in the Central Region - United, Preserving and Promoting National Cultural Identity - Contributing to Sustainable Development of the Nation’, the event aims to raise the awareness of people, especially younger generations, to preserve and uphold the nation’s traditional cultural values, consolidate solidarity among Vietnamese ethnic groups, especially those in the central region, and popularise images of the country and people.

During the cultural days, each ethnic group will present their distinctive cuisine, cultural features and traditional products.

Other activities such as an art programme, cultural exchanges, folk games and festivals of each ethnic group will also take place.

Culture, tourism festivals look to enthral visitors

The 2015 Sa Pa Culture and Tourism Week will take place from April 28 to May 3 in foggy Sa Pa town in northern Lao Cai province.

Thousands of visitors are expected to be immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of the “festival in the clouds” – a cultural villages performance, a traditional costumes show and a farmers’ day programme.

The annual festival will also feature a cuisine fair and a photo exhibition on the land and people of Sa Pa.

Locals and tourists will be treated to a spectacular pyrotechnic display during the April 30 opening ceremony along Xuan Vien Lake in Sa Pa town, along with a programme to highlight the cultural space of local ethnic minority people.

During the festive week, Sa Pa is expected to welcome over 50,000 visitors.

Meanwhile, the 2015 central region ethnic groups Cultural Day is scheduled to be held in Nghe An on May 17-19 in celebration of the 125 th birthday of the late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890), announced the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 9.

As many as 13 provinces—Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan—are expected to partake in the event.

The festival aims to strengthen the solidarity between ethnic groups in the central region while promoting their cultural identities and sustainable development.

During the three-day event, each ethnic group will present their distinctive cuisine, traditional costumes, cultural products and folk games.

Sa Pa is famous for natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain , Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge , Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. It is home to six main ethnic minority groups, each with its own various traditional festivals, unique cultural practices and regular events, including Bac Ha market and Sa Pa love market.

Meanwhile, central provinces boast rich potential for tourism development. The region is home to a number of world heritage sites recognised by UNESCO such as the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (Thanh Hoa province), Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Quang Binh province), the Complex of Hue Monuments (Thua Thien-Hue province), Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary (Quang Nam province).

Quang Ngai restores Cor traditional houses

The Tra Bong district in the central province of Quang Ngai has invested 2.7 billion VND (125,000 USD) to restore a traditional house of the Cor ethnic group, according to Head of the district’s office Phung Tan Nho.

The stilt house covers 105 square metres and consists of 16 poles, one communal living compartment, two bedrooms, and two kitchens.

The construction, part of a project on the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values of the Cor ethnic group from 2011-2020, is expected to be completed in June.

The Cor belong to the Mon-Khmer group and have a population of almost 30,000, having settled primarily in central Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces.

They live mainly on slash-and-burn agriculture, growing rice, maize, cassavas and other plants in newly cleared areas.

The Cor lived in raised houses large enough to accommodate extended families. In recent years, the ethnic majority population has begun shifting to smaller, ground-based homes.

Cor ethnic people in Tra Bong district are one of the few ethnic minority groups in the province with specific preserved traditional culture, including musical instruments and gongs, traditional clothes and jewellery, and tools for daily life.

Korean farm culture on display

The first Vietnamese – South Korean Cultural Day will be held on Saturday at Ha Noi's Quan Ngua Sport Palace.

The event, organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Viet Nam and the Korean Residents Association, emphasises the integration of Korean expatriates into Viet Nam.

Korean traditional music Samulnori will be performed to wish for a successful festival.

Samulnori is a style of traditional Korean music which originated from Poongmul, a type of music performed by farmers in villages as a way to wish for and celebrate good harvests.

The day will include Vietnamese and Korean folk games, hanbok costumes, and singing and dancing contests. Korean artists Park Sang Min and Kim Ho Jung will perform, as well as Vietnamese singer Tuan Hung. Bands Switch, Nom and On Hui Jung will play sets. The evening will be hosted by MC Lee Chang Min.

About 80 boothes will offer food, drinks and agricultural products. Money raised through the event will be donated to Vietnamese charity organisations.

Film week honours Re-unification

Film screenings will begin this week to celebrate the country's Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1).

The screenings are organised by the Viet Nam Cinema Department in co-operation with its partners, the People's Army Cinematography and Giai Phong (Liberation) Film Studio, together with film companies and cinemas.

Four films, Duong Xuyen Rung (Roads through the Forest), Nhung Duc Con Cua Lang (Children of the Village), Nhin Ra Bien Ca (Reaching to the Seas) and Tieng Khen (The Voice of Pan-Pipes), and the documentary Dinh Cao Chien Thang (Peak of Victory), will be shown.

Produced by State-owned film studios, the films feature the topics of love, family and social problems, while the documentary is about historic battles and victories during the American war.

The organisers will also send videos and DVDs of the films to people living in remote areas of provinces and cities.

Viet Nam Television will also launch its special screenings to feature films and war documentaries this weekend.

Prize-winning films, including Mui Co Chay (The Scent of Burn Grass), Dung Dot (Don't Burn), Nhung Nguoi Viet Huyen Thoai (The Legend Makers) and Giai Phong Sai Gon (Liberated Sai Gon), will be included.

The screenings begin at 9:35pm every Sunday and end on May 30.

Documentaries on Long Bien bridge screened

Four short documentaries on the 112 year-old Long Bien Bridge will be screened next Thursday at Ha Noi Cinematheque.

The documentaries, which will be subtitled in English, were produced by the Ha Noi Centre for Experimentary Documentary and Video Art, and after the screenings, audiences will have a chance to talk with the directors.

The screening starts at 7pm at 22A Hai Ba Trung Street.

Exhibition to mark 40th Southern Liberation anniversary

As many as 100 outstanding posters featuring Vietnam’s struggle against the US are being showcased at the exhibition held at the 23/9 Park in Ho Chi Minh City from April 10.

The exhibition is being jointly held by the municipal People’s Committee and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification and the late president Ho Chi Minh’s 125th birthday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue said the exhibition helps instil national pride and express gratitude towards President Ho Chi Minh and generations of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence.

He added that it also inspires patriotism among the residents.

The exhibition will run through April 14.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri