Mount Sam becomes national tourism site

Mount Sam heritage site in the Mekong Delta of An Giang was recently included in a national list of tourism destinations.

Located in Vinh Te commune of Chau Doc city, the site boasts a picturesque natural landscape as well as a range of architectures and cultural areas.

A spiritual festival honouring the holy lady of Mount Sam was certified as a national intangible heritage on June 8. The Via Ba Chua Xu festival, which became a national event in 2001, takes place annually from the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, reeling in approximately 4 million visitors.

Local authorities have been tasked with researching and planning the site in accordance with current regulations.

Foreign publisher Hachette exhibits books in HCMC

Hachette Book Group, the world’s third largest publishing house based in the U.S. and UK, is showcasing a wide section of books at Fahasa Nguyen Hue in HCMC’s District 1 until August 15.

The group has partnered with Fahasa to exhibit over 3,000 book titles about skills, thinking development, languages, novels and picture books, among others at the exhibition of more than five months.

Apart from books for children and non-fiction books, the exhibition also features romantic and detective novels of renowned authors such as J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, David Baldacci and Nicholas Sparks.

In addition, Fahasa Nguyen Hue is coordinating with Aston Vietnam, an international English center under Aston Education Group, to hold story telling in English for children to help them practice English speaking skills.

Australian documentary film-maker shares lessons

Associate-Professor Trish Fitzsimons, Australia’s prize-winning documentary film-maker, last week ran a workshop on “Documentary making-Australian experiences” for directors, film makers and reporters of Vietnam Television (VTV) and HCMC Television (HTV) in HCMC.  

Australian Consul General John McAnulty said Fitzsimons shared with Vietnamese reporters the breadth of the Australian documentary industry and her experience of new developments, techniques and styles in documentary production in Australia.

Fitzsimons, who presented a similar workshop in Hanoi in June, utilized a range of contemporary Australian documentaries, including constructed formats, investigative and observational, and general character-based styles, to illustrate the diversity of the Australian documentary film industry, and inspire the further development of Vietnamese documentary films.

Artist Dinh Quang dies at 78

Dinh Quang, founder of Vietnamese theatre and mentor to many famous artists, died at 87.

"He's a prestigious artist who's well-known in theatre at home and abroad," said Le Chuc, vice director of Viet Nam Association of Performing Artists.

Dinh Quang, who besides a strong career as writer for many plays, also served as vice minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism from 1984 to 1993, was born in 1928 in Ha Noi. He studied theatre in Beijing and obtained a PhD degree at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Many of the students Quang taught are now People's Artists, such as Trong Khoi, The Anh and Doan Chau.

Quang, first principal of the Ha Noi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, was an ideologist and cultural activist who wrote many books on arts and culture. He published dramas, poems, short stories and screenplays. In 2007, he received the Ho Chi Minh award in literature and arts.

Quang Tri art show to salute martyrs

An art show entitled Hung Thieng Dat Me (Sacred and Heroic Motherland) will be held in Giai Phong Square in the central Quang Tri Province on Saturday.

The show will feature moving stories about one of the fiercest battles in the war with the United States to defend Quang Tri Citadel, including ones that have never been told before.

A scene showing young soldiers crossing the River Thach Han to approach Quang Tri Citadel will open the show, which will begin at 8:10pm.

The show will be followed by the screening of clips showing the martial spirit of the local people during the war, to defend the Quang Tri Citadel and the during the province's construction and development process.

The show is expected to be attended by witnesses to history, such as war veteran Nguyen Van Hoi and photographer Doan Cong Tinh.

Hoi was among the last soldiers to leave Quang Tri Citadel in 1972. Tinh will tell the stories behind his photo entitled Xung Phong (Pioneer).

At the show, war souvenirs will be given to people who are verified to be the relatives of martyrs.

"New details and stories about the battle in Quang Tri Citadel will be revealed at the show. They will surprise the audience," Nguyen Kim Anh, deputy-governor of State Bank, said. "We hope the show will help younger generations to appreciate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence."

The Sacred and Heroic Motherland show will be jointly organised by the State Bank, the Central Committee for Publicity and Education, Lien Viet Post Bank and the Quang Tri People's Committee to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27.

The show will be performed by A-list artists such as People's Artist Lan Huong and singer My Linh, and artists from the Viet Nam Central Dance, Singing and Music Theatre and the Quang Tri Singing and Dance Troupe.

There will be performances that praise the country, its history and traditional culture, as well as songs that are recognised as the canon of revolutionary music.

The show will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television's Channel 1 from 8:10 pm on Saturday.

The performance of Dutch DJ/producer Head Hunterz, who was ranked 11th out of the world’s Top 100 DJs in 2012, thrills audiences at the Budweiser Future Now – Rave in color at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) in District 7, HCMC on Saturday.

Around 7,000 people attended the music festival themed Party like Picasso to enjoy live performances of overseas Vietnamese singer Toc Tien and local leading DJs Nimbia, SlimV, Popo Duong, ZonC, Looze Khuong, Thuan Hoang and Bnuts.

The event also wowed the audience by some colorful UV paint atomization and fire shows accompanied by lighting effects.

Another major Future Now music festival is planned at the end of this year. Last year’s event lured 9,000 people.