VTV9 to broadcast reality-talk show

Viet Nam Television's VTV9 channel and furniture and home decor retail chain UMA Viet Nam are set to run a reality-talk show on furniture and interior decoration.

O Nha Voi Ong Tam (Staying Home with Mr Eighth), which will air every Saturday starting on April 25, will talk about housing design and decoration, with an expert panel offering tips on decoration.

Interestingly, the experts will also help solve a real house design or decoration problem for an invited guest.

The invitees will include celebrities and common people from various backgrounds.

For anyone wanting to be a guest on the show, more information is available at www.uma.vn and UMA stores in HCM City.

Swedish furniture expert August Wingardh and two other furniture designers at UMA will make up the expert panel.

The 24-episode show will focus on a different topic each week.

Writing forum opens in HCM City

Amateur writers in Viet Nam and abroad are encouraged to participate in a writing forum to be held by the HCM City-based Phu Nu (Woman) newspaper this week.

The forum's theme is Sai Gon Toi Yeu (Sai Gon – I Love You), and it focuses on the lives of people in HCM City, their dreams and their challenges at work.

Writing on memories of Sai Gon (former name of HCM City) and its culture and lifestyle is also encouraged.

The organisers hope the forum will introduce the beauty of Sai Gon to the world.

Submissions should be no fewer than 1,000 words and the best ones will be published.

People interested in participating should send their works to saigontoiyeu@baophunu.org.vn.

Vietnamese students host cultural event in Russia

Vietnamese students in Russia hosted a cultural event, called “Hello Vietnam”, to promote their country’s landscapes and people among international friends at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

An exhibition was placed at the main entrance of MGIMO, featuring photos on Vietnamese people, landscapes and cuisines, alongside a fair where visitors could have a look at and purchase handicrafts and signature products of Vietnam, for example, tea, coffee, rattan and bamboo works, embroidery, and other souvenirs.

A workshop was also organised as part of the event, focusing on Vietnam’s history and public holidays, the Vietnam-Russia relations and its legal framework as well as a review of the recent visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Vietnamese students shared the stage with their Russian peers in a concert kicked off by a fashion show of Vietnam’s traditional dress (ao dai).

The Russian students sang “Doan ve quoc quan” in Vietnamese and danced with Vietnam’s “Di cay” folk song playing in the background.

The event was intended to mark the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Russia.

Cambodian students celebrate traditional New Year festival

The Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association held a celebration in the northern province of Bac Ninh on April 12 for Cambodian students in Vietnam on the occasion of their traditional New Year festival.

Addressing the event, Head of the Association Vu Mao extended his New Year greetings to the students and told them that they can make important contributions to the development of Vietnam and Cambodia relationship.

Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Hul Phany hailed the friendship association for its activities over the past three decades to foster the solidarity between the two countries. He particularly praised the initiative to find sponsor families for Cambodian students studying in Vietnam, which is of great help to the students while enhancing mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.

Cambodia’s traditional New Year festival or Chol Chnam Thmay in the Khmer language, which falls from April 14-16 this year, is one of the most important festivals of the year for the Cambodian people. It lasts three days (four days in leap years).

On these festive days, Khmer people go to visit each other and wish good health, good luck and prosperity to each other. They also join in fun activities.

Da Nang prepares to have a blast

The central Da Nang city has reserved more than 16,000 rooms in preparation for the seventh Da Nang International Fireworks Competition on April 28 and 29.

The city also expects to see more business on the country's Reunification Day, April 30, and on May Day.

The city's 453 hotels have committed to offer stable prices and post room prices publicly during the fireworks competition and long holiday, a vice director of the city's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, Tran Quang Thanh, told the media on April 10.

"We carry out constant inspections at all hotels and accommodation services in the city to create favourable conditions for visitors, as we have in past years," Thanh said. "The department fined two hotels for 78 million VND (3,700 USD) for unsafe conditions during inspections last week."

He said the city's five-star hotels and resorts have reached 80 percent capacity, while four- and three-star hotels reached 65 percent.

The vice director said that of 20,600 firework competition tickets available, nearly 10,000 tickets have sold out.

The organising committee built a 32,000-seat stage on the bank of the Han River for the event. Teams from the US, South Africa, Australia, Poland and Vietnam will compete.

The central city will organise the event biennially from this year.

Last year, the US team Melrose Pyrotechnics won first prize.

Vietnam attends multicultural festival in Egypt

The Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and the Vietnamese community in the country are participating in the 2015 Zee Festival in Cairo, Egypt as part of efforts to promote Vietnam and its culture and people to international friends.

During the 11-day event which began on April 3, Vietnamese participants are arranging a number of pavilions displaying handicrafts and fine art products, books, photos, brochures and leaflets to introduce tourism and the country’s distinctive cultural characteristics to visitors.

The ever delicious and unique Vietnamese coffee is being served free of charge at the event.

International spectators also have a chance to watch a 10-minute video touting popular destinations in Vietnam.

As a multicultural festival, the 2015 Zee Festival features six countries, Nepal, Palestine, Australia, Ethiopia, Vietnam and its host Egypt.

Hanoi-Hue-Ho Chi Minh City relationship spotlighted

The relationship between the northern capital city of Hanoi, central Thua Thien-Hue province and southern Ho Chi Minh City was spotlighted at a programme, broadcast live over the three local television channels on April 11.

The event was designed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Liberation of South Vietnam and National Reunification (April 30) and mark 55 years since Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City set up their partnership. The unity of the three localities contributed significantly to Vietnam’s Great Spring Victory, which brought about complete independence for the country.

The programme recalled a number of historic events during the country’s struggle to safeguard its national sovereignty, as told through eyewitnesses.

Artists from the three regions also performed, praising the late President Ho Chi Minh, patriotism and the sacrifices of Vietnamese people who devoted their lives to the country’s independence.

Vietnam Spring Press Festival 2015 opens in Laos

A Vietnam Spring Press Festival 2015 opened at a ceremony in Vientiane, Laos on April 10 on the occasion of the Lao traditional New Year Festival Bun Pi May.

The event is being co-organised by Vietnam’s Ministries of Information and Communications (MIC) ; Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnamese Embassy to Laos.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of MIC Truong Minh Tuan said Vietnam’s press has always reserved plenty of room to cover achievements in politics, economy, culture, and society of the Laos’ Party, Government and people.

On his part, Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Savankhone Razmontry stated the event has helped to fortify the special relation and solidarity of Vietnam and Laos.

The festival features thousands of Spring publications of the Vietnamese press. It will run until April 20.

On the occasion, Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan presented 100 movies on Vietnam’s country and people as a gift to the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Laos.

Cities work to bring nation together

The relationship between the capital city of Hanoi, Hue and HCM City has been spotlighted at a special programme, broadcast live over the three local television channels.

The event was held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and National Re-unification (April 30) and mark the 55 years since the three cities set up their partnership.

The unity of people from three localities contributed significantly to Vietnam's great spring victory, which brought about complete independence and reunification for the country.

The event was held separately on April 11 at the National Museum of Vietnam History in Hanoi, Ngo Mon Square in Hue, and Reunification Hall in HCM City.

Prominent at the event were Le Thanh Hai, the Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee; former Vice State President Truong My Hoa, mothers of Vietnamese war martyrs, war veterans and overseas Vietnamese.

The programme recalled a number of historic events during the country's struggle as told through eyewitnesses.

In 1960, a ceremony was held where the three cities sisterhood with each other.

People from Hue offered people from Hanoi and Saigon (now HCM City) a large embroidery painting entitled Hanoi-Hue-Saigon: Trees from the Same Root, Children of the Same Family.

When the country was at war, northern young people volunteered to leave villages to go fighting in the South. Those who stayed home worked hard to supply logistics for the battle fields. In the South, diverse campaigns broke out to protest against the United States' war of destruction against the North.

The Great Victory in 1975 in which the Ho Chi Minh Campaign liberated Sai Gon continued to affirm the nation's aspiration for reunification.

Two US architects, Tran Hoanh and Archie Pizzini, have recently introduced their PhD thesis which focuses on the architecture of Saigon since Emperor Gia Long’s reign until now.

An exhibition, which is a part of the thesis project, kicked off on April 10 and will close on May 2 at Galerie Quynh at 151/3 Dong Khoi Street, District 1 to showcase photos, installation artworks, and presentations about the architecture of Saigon by Archie Pizzini and Tran Hoanh.

Pizzini studied architecture and fine arts at Rice University in the US, then started working in Ho Chi Minh City in 2005.

Through different periods, he said that the architecture of Saigon is the totality of at least four cultures including Vietnam, France, the US, and China.

The American man regards the utilization of Saigon sidewalks for business and living purposes as creativity and vitality rather than something chaotic and hectic.

Tran Hoanh started his work in Ho Chi Minh City in 1996, ten years earlier than Pizzini. He received a master of historic preservation from Columbia University in New York and a master of architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

The problem that has attracted him most is the preservation of architecture which has cultural, historical significance in Saigon.

Hoanh’s concept is a balance between the old and the new, as a developing city always considers between maintaining old things and constructing contemporary structures.

He highlighted the role of public opinion, saying that local residents are interested in preserving the city’s heritage sites such as the Saigon Tax Trade Center or the Saigon Central Post Office.

Emperor Gia Long was born in 1762 and died in 1820.

He was the first emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, which was the last of the Vietnamese dynasties. He ruled from 1802 to 1820.

Over 2,000 join India-inspired race in HCM City

Over 2,000 people, including many foreigners, were sprayed with colored powder all over their bodies during a fun-packed, India-inspired race in Ho Chi Minh City on April 11.

The event, “Color Me Run,” took place from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Truong Van Bang Street in District 2.

Groups of participants, mostly youngsters, jogged or ran excitedly on a five-kilometer track and playfully sprinkled one another with the colored powder or dabbed the harmless substance on their friends’ faces at the end of each of the five legs.

Some were even seen lying prostrate on the street at the “mercy” of the powder sprayers.

Covered with the flamboyant powder from head to toe, they reached the destination in the bouncy rock music.

Those whose faces and white shirts were the most smeared won the race and received roaring applause.

Two similar colorful events are scheduled to run from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on June 27 in Danang and in September in Hanoi.

Inspired from the Holi Festival, a hugely popular event in India, the “Color Me Run” race is organized annually in many countries, including Vietnam.

The race attracted 6,853 participants in its debut edition, which was held in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City in May last year.

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.

Azerbaijan, Vietnam share cultural similarities

The Azerbaijani history and culture research center and the Azerbaijan Embassy in Vietnam on April 10 first co-hosted a seminar featuring parallels of Azerbaijani and Vietnamese culture.

In his opening speech, Azerbaijan Ambassador Anar Imanov said after two years of living in Vietnam, he found that both nations share cultural similarities despite geographical distance.

The two countries have many things in common such as the cultural tradition of respecting parents, elderly, and caring for children during the whole life, or having long holidays in early spring.

From this point of view, Ambassador Imanov urged both sides to learn more about each other through customs and traditions of the two peoples. He expressed his hope that from now on, the seminar of its kind will become an annual event.

During the event, reports from leaders, teachers, researchers, and young students were presented, highlighting the cultural characteristics of each country and the support of Azerbaijan- previously a part of the former Soviet Union- for Vietnam, especially for the cinematography.

Hoang Thuy Toan- a famous translator in Russian language- said despite being a small country, Azerbaijan has a long-standing history with the voluminous literature, adding that he hopes more Azerbaijani literary works will be translated into Vietnamese.

Ambassador Imanov promised to provide financial assistance for literary translation from Vietnamese into Azerbaijani as well as literary works from Azerbaijani or Russian into Vietnamese.