Photo contest spotlights Vietnam’s beauty

Dat Vo (Land of Martial Arts) by Hoang Bich Nhung wins the photo contest's first prize (Photo: www.nhandan.com.vn)

An award ceremony was held in Hanoi on December 20 to honour the winners of a photo contest introducing Vietnam’s charm, which was launched by Nhan Dan (The People) newspaper’s television channel.

First prize was awarded to Hoang Bich Nhung for her photo Dat Vo (Land of Martial Arts).

The first photo contest on television platform aimed to highlight the beauty of Vietnam’s landscape and people, as well as connect photography and television.

This year, it drew nearly 8,000 entries from more than 100 photographers nationwide. 

Under the contest’s rules, 11 monthly sub-contests were held with different themes, including locals’ daily lives at year-end, festivals and Vietnam’s heritage, among others. Artworks that won the monthly competitions qualified for the final round.

Trong vong tay ngoai (In Grandma's Embrace) of Nguyen Thi Le Suong earns second prize (Photo: www.nhandan.com.vn)

Along with the competition, the organisers held the Flash Moment photo contest with a theme of one day in Hanoi. It was designed to encourage creative and humorous photos.

 Le Thi Xuan Vinh earned first prize while Tran Thu Ha won the special prize. 

Nearly VND30 billion invested to upgrade Hung King Temple

A project, aiming to upgrade the landscape and plant trees in the area of cross-road in Gieng Temple under the Special National Historical Relic Site of Hung Kings Temple in the northern province of Phu Tho, was inaugurated and put into use on December 15, after three months of construction.

The project was implemented by Asia Slipform Corporation, with a VND 30billion investment, which came from private sources.

According to Director of the Management Board of the Hung Kings Temple relic site, Nguyen Duy Anh, said the project includes upgrading the system of roads, lighting and trees, and building 50 booths with architecture suitable for the landscape of the area

Secretary of Phu Tho Provincial Party Committee, Bui Minh Chau, said that the inauguration and putting into use of the project before the Lunar New Year 2019 has a very practical meaning. It will create the most favorable conditions for people across the country when they visit the Hung Kings Temple during the Lunar New Year and the Hung Kings Temple Festival 2019 and the following years, contributing to preserving and promoting the values of the Hung Kings temple relic site, he add.

The Hung Kings Temple is located on Nghia Linh Mountain, Phong Chau district, in Phu Tho province, about 100km northwest of Hanoi. It is a complex of ancient tombs, monuments and temples.

The annual festival to commemorate the Hung Kings, which falls on the 10th day of the third lunar month, was first recognised as a national event in 2007.

Historical books on National Liberation Front of South Vietnam introduced

The books feature 162 carefully selected pieces of writing and details of events throughout operations of the three organisations, along with 227 photos collected from various museums. 

The Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee held a ceremony on December 19 to introduce a set of books about the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam.

The compilation process began in August 2016. The compilation council received 493 pieces of writing about the front, the alliance and the provisional revolutionary government from collectives and individuals across the country.

The books feature 162 carefully selected pieces of writing and details of events throughout operations of the three organisations, along with 227 photos collected from various museums.

At the ceremony, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan noted the significance of the front, the alliance and the provisional revolutionary government, all of which greatly contributed to the liberation of the south of Vietnam and national reunification.

He said one of the outstanding successes of the books was the withdrawal of precious lessons of the three organisations.

The compilation work was performed by veteran officials, many of whom experienced both struggles against French colonists and the US.

According to President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, the books are significant to the front’s communications activities as an inspiration for the youth.

He proposed that Ho Chi Minh City continue exploiting the remaining documents, while popularising the books among the society.

The National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was set up on December 20, 1960 in Tan Lap commune, Tan Bien district of the southern Tay Ninh province. In 1968, to expand the great national unity bloc fighting US and South Vietnam forces, the Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces of Vietnam was introduced. After the success of the Spring Uprising in 1968, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam was formed, meeting the urgent demands of the revolution in both domestic and foreign affairs.

Agent Orange film to be screened in America

Linh Nga is an American based producer and director. Her documentary Inside This Peace will be available on Vimeo across America this Christmas. (Photo: voyagela.com)

The documentary Inside This Peace featuring a forgotten victim of Agent Orange living in Vietnam will be available on Vimeo On Demand across America this Christmas. 

The documentary by America-based producer and director Linh Nga tells the story of Thoa, a forgotten victim of Agent Orange in Vietnam, whose younger brother is also an AO victim. Thoa has “scary skin with huge black patches, numerous lumps and hair all over her body”. The lumps are filled with fluid and can’t be drained.

For decades, Thoa’s parents have been looking for Government help.

“Peace is defined as ‘freedom from the cessation of war and violence’ and peace in our documentary is just like their daily life after the war and the legacy of war that we have to face now,"  Linh Nga said on a talkshow. 

Linh Nga first met Thoa when she was 13 years old when they sat next to each other on a plane on the way to a charity performance in the central city of Da Nang.

The hairs on Thoa’s fingers were very prickly. When she moved her arm next to Linh Nga’s, it was almost painful, but not the same pain she felt for her.

"That’s one of the reasons I wanted to make a documentary about her and do something for Thoa and people like her," Linh Nga said. 

Linh Nga won the TV Best Series award for her Xuoi Nguoc Duong Tran (In The Shadow Of Life) movie at the Vietnamese International Film Festival in 2003.  

“The documentary is an interesting blend because it portrays a sense of the environment, the city and people like Thoa, following her struggle and hopes and what she’s going through that shows how brave she is,” said film director and music composer Roy Finch.

In 1961, the American army began spraying the so-called “herbicide” in Vietnam, triggering the ‘biggest and longest chemical warfare with the most catastrophic consequences in human history’. 

From 1961-1971, America sprayed 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, 61 percent of which were AO that contained at least 366kg of dioxin – one of the most toxic substances ever known in history. That exposed 4.8 million Vietnamese people to the toxin.

The catastrophic impacts of dioxin are long lasting, making many women infertile and a large number of children born with deformities.

The documentary Inside This Peace was screened at Lift Off Global Network Festival on December 16. 

Vietnamese, Hungarian paintings on display in HCM City

At the exhibition 

An exhibition featuring paintings by Vietnamese and Hungarian artists kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on December 19. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam Ory Csaba said a similar event will be held in Budapest capital in 2020, and expressed his hope that the meeting of the two countries’ artists at the event will be a bridge for the art ties between Vietnam and Hungary. 

The diplomat highlighted the Vietnam-Hungary relations in recent years, saying that Hungary will strengthen its presence in Vietnam and open a culture and community centre in the Southeast Asian nation towards expanding culture, economic and tourism cooperation between the two countries. 

The exhibition is displaying artworks of 12 Hungarians and 10 Vietnamese who are young artists with modern painting style and wining international art awards. 

On display are oil and acrylic paintings, colored glue-on-fabric and watercolor-on-silk paintings, among others. 

The exhibition will last until December 26.

"Diary of A Cricket” musical at Opera House

The musical "Diary of A Cricket” will be staged at 8 pm on December 29 at the HCM City Opera House, 7 Lam Sơn Square in District 1.

The musical "Diary of A Cricket” will be staged at 8 pm on December 29 at the HCM City Opera House at 7 Lam Sơn Square in District 1.

The most anticipated erformance of HBSO this year is the musical "Diary of A Cricket", with a Broadway musical style by musician Vũ Việt Anh and based on the famous Vietnamese story of the same name by author Tô Hoài.

Vũ Việt Anh is known for his famous songs with beautiful lyrics. He has composed many orchestral works.

The musical is directed by Phạm Hoàng Nam and choreographed by John Huy Trần. Its fully-staged performance is expected in June.

Ticket prices are VNĐ350,000 to VNĐ900,000 per person. 

Beer buffet for Christmas and New Year on SkyEvent rooftop

The SkyEvent – Night of Beer Buffet will be held from 6 pm until late on December 24 and 31 at the SkyEvent rooftop at Capella Gallery Hall, 23 3/2 Street, HCM City’s District 10. Photo ticketbox

The Sky Event – Night of Beer Buffet will be held from 6 pm until late on December 24 and 31 on the SkyEvent rooftop at Capella Gallery Hall on 23 3/2 Street in HCM City’s District 10.

The “Beer for Christmas, Cheers for New Year” was born from a mixture of Asian and Western cuisine with urban craft beer.

A buffet of six different beer flavours from Pasteur Street Brewing and 20 delicate dishes in Asian-Western style will be on offer.

Ticktes are VNĐ699,000 per person.

Fashion show marks 125th founding anniversary of Da Lat

Production of renowned Bao Loc silk (Bao Loc Silk Group)

Latest fashion designs made from renowned Bao Loc silk, and traditional brocade costumes of K’ Ho and Chau Ma ethnic minority groups will be introduced at a fashion show in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on December 26.

Ten silk producers and 11 fashion designers will attend the event, which aims to mark 125th founding anniversary of “the city of thousand flowers”.

The silk and brocaded designs will be on catwalk by 50 models from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, 40 local students and some ethnic amateur models.

According to designer Minh Hanh, besides excellent fruits and tourism products, Lam Dong province should work more to promote its Bao Loc silk, and brocade clothes of ethnic minority groups in the locality.

As a spearheaded production sector of Bao Loc city and several parts of Lam Dong, sericulture has generated jobs for thousands of workers.

Vice Chairman of the Bao Loc city People’s Committee Doan Kim Dinh said that the province has 10,000 hectares of land under mulberry cultivation, and a productivity of some 12,000-15,000 tonnes of cocoons, meeting the demand on material for local enterprises.

In 2018, local businesses produced more than 1,000 tonnes of yarn, up to 980 tonnes of which was made in Bao Loc city. 

Present in many countries, Bao Loc silk is used to make Kimonos, scarfs and luxury cars’ interior, he added.