HCMC to kick off 2015 Asia-Pacific Bonsai Festival

The 2015 Asia-Pacific Bonsai Festival will take place at Japanese Cultural Park in Hoc Mon district’s Xuan Thoi Dong commune from June 5 to 8, announced Chairman of HCMC Ornamental Creature Association Vo Van Cuong.

At the present, there are 614 work arts made from stone, wood, bonsai tree and other materials on display.

During this event, visitors will have a chance to contemplate bonsai performances making by Vietnamese and foreign artisans.

My Chau-Trong Thuy love story takes to the stage

A dance performance based on the epic Vietnamese love story between My Chau and Trong Thuy will debut on June 2 at the municipal Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring dancers from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

According to the legend, An Duong Vuong, the King of Au Lac state, received help to build Co Loa citadel from the Holy Turtle, who offered the King his claw to make a magic cross-bow which could kill thousands in one shot, saving the country from aggressive invaders from the North.

At the time, Trieu Da was the Lord of the rival state Nam Hai that bordered Au Lac in the North. After failing to invade his neighbours on numerous occasions, he sent his son, Prince Trong Thuy, to negotiate a peace treaty and ask for the hand of Princess My Chau, An Duong Vuong’s daughter, in marriage.

My Chau carelessly told her new husband about the cross-bow, who then stole it and replaced it with a fake one, leading to a devastating defeat against Nam Hai.

Fleeing his enemies, King An Duong spotted his daughter leaving a trail of goose feathers for Trong Thuy to follow. The King pulled out his sword and beheaded My Chau. Trong Thuy found My Chau shortly after and, overwhelmed with grief, drowned himself in a well in Co Loa citadel.

A Korean book about the Three Kingdoms era features a similar folk tale about the love story between Princess Nakrang and Prince Hodong, who were members of rival dynasties. Princess Nakrang surrendered her Kingdom to the enemy by destroying its mystical war drum. The Prince and Princess were both killed.

Choreographed by Korean dancer Chun Yoo Oh, the dance performance entitled “Cay No” (Cross-Bow) was inspired by the lives of the two countries’ princesses. It features traditional Korean dance moves and Vietnamese ballet, and is performed by 10 dancers from the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera.

The choreographer plans to launch a new dance show in early December this year, inspired by the two countries’ histories.

Chun Yoo Oh has been living in Vietnam for 10 years. Through her works, she wishes to highlight the RoK and Vietnam’s similar cultural aspects.

She used to be a dance professor at Seowon University in the RoK. Last year, her dance show “Arirang Saigon” was well-received by local experts and audiences.

Saigon Ranger to host reggae night

Saigon Dub Station, an organisation promoting reggae music and related genres in HCM City, will host a music night at Saigon Ranger on June 2.

Twelve local and expatriate DJs and music bands Maraphoria, Starchild, and Cheezy Gangstaz will perform during the eight-hour show.

The event will begin at 6pm at 5/7 Nguyen Sieu Street in District 1.

Festival for Children to be held in Culture Village

A festival for children will be held at the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese ethnic groups in Dong Mo, Hanoi, from May 29 to June 1, which is International Children’s Day.

The festival’s main part will take place this weekend, with traditional kite-making and flying displays being organised alongside and art workshops held by painters for around 125 children who will get to exhibit their own work.

An area for ethnic folk games will play host to traditional pastimes such as stilt walking for the entertainment of children, while singing and dancing performances will also be held.-

Enjoying Nha Trang with 150m high lighthouse

A lighthouse built on the 45th floor of of the Best Western Premier Havana in the coastal city of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province will be lighted up in coming time.

The construction called Skylight with a capacity of around 1,000 people includes a Beach club, 360˚ Skydeck, skywalk, and lighthouse with an overall view to Nha Trang City.

The lighthouse is 150m high and has a capacity of around 10 people.

It is the first attraction of its kind in Nha Trang with unrivaled views encompassing the entire beach and beyond. It will be a must-visit destination in the coastal city.

German fairytale movies to be screened for Vietnamese children

Ten German fairytale movies by the Brothers Grimm will be screened every weekend on the Vietnamese public television channel Voice of Vietnam (VOV TV) from May 31 to August 8.

The information was announced by delegations from the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi and the Vietnamese public television channel Voice of Vietnam at a press conference in Hanoi on May 28.

The ten films, produced by the Consortium of public broadcasters in Germany (ARD), are adapted fairytales by the Brothers Grimm: Cinderella, The Valiant Little Tailor, Mother Hulda, Rapunzel, The Town Musicians of Bremen, The Wishing-Table, Snow White, The Frog-Prince, Puss in Boots and Sleeping Beauty. The films, dubbed in Vietnamese, will be shown every Sunday at 3.30 pm and repeated every following Saturday at 8 pm.

Addressing the press conference, Deputy Director and Head of the Language Department at the Hanoi Goethe Institute, Michael Flucht, expressed his hope that the ten films would be meaningful gifts for Vietnamese children and their parents during the summer holiday.

The film programme is part of a German-Vietnamese Fairytale Multimedia Project in celebration of International Children’s Day (June 1). The project is being co-organised by the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi and Vietnamese public television channel Voice of Vietnam.

According to Deputy Director Michael Flucht, a fairytale is a type of short story that typically features folklore fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, along with magic and enchantments. Fairytales showcase the culture of the country where the story has been created. The story is usually transmitted orally from one generation to the next, he said.

For this reason, “the German-Vietnamese Fairytale Multimedia Project is a fantastic vehicle from which to promote creativeness, exchanging culture between Vietnam and Germany, and growing relationships between family members’, Deputy Director Michael Flucht said.

As part of the project, the organising board will hold a contest after each screened movie in which audiences can answer a quiz question on the project’s Facebook page.

Additionally, a fairytale book was produced accompanying the project. The book includes all ten fairytales in Vietnamese and German and unique illustrations by six German and five Vietnamese artists. The book was translated by Truong Thu Phuong.

The project also includes a poster-competition for Vietnamese students learning German at Vietnamese schools, organised by the German Federal Republic Initiative PASCH. The best drawers will take part in the Youth Summer Camp in Lang Co from June 5 to 15.

Cultural programme boosts Da Lat tourism

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong will be bustling with tourists from all over Vietnam and foreign countries thanks to an exciting cultural programme being organised in Da Lat city.

The highlight of the event will be the Da Lat Summer Festival “Rain in the mountain city”, which kicks off at the beginning of August. The vibrant festival, the second of its kind, boasts a number of activities, such as speed dating in the rain, pedalo and tandem races, a raining flashmob and other games in the rain.

During the two months of summer, an art performance programme is being organised in Lam Vien square every weekend. Furthermore, other cultural events are also planned, such as photograph exhibitions and the National Chess Championships to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.

Visitors to Da Lat will have the chance to watch free revolutionary movies at theatre.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has asked local businesses to upgrade their facilities and stabilise commodity prices while ensuring visitors’ safety at tourism sites. The move aims to provide the best possible services for holiday-makers in summer 2015.

Famous for its mild climate all year round, Da Lat has two distinct seasons, the rainy and the sunny season. The rainy season usually begins in May and finishes in October. Da Lat never has storms, which makes it ideal for hiking or leisurely walks.

It is also well-known for its beautiful French colonial architecture, such as King Bao Dai’s Palace, Ngo Dinh Diem and Nguyen Cao Ky’s villas, and the Hang Nga villas.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri