String quartet to help women enjoy life

The string Apaixonado Quartet will present the concert Viva la Vida on Sunday, March 8, at L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street.

In Spanish, "viva la vida" means "enjoy life". The Apaixonado Quartet dedicates every note of their performance to women across the globe for International Women's Day 8/3.

The concert will start at 7.30pm and run until 10pm. Ticket prices are VND350,000 (cocktails and finger food included) and VND600,000 for two tickets.

Artist stages solo pantomime show

Young artist Nguyen Hoang Tung will stage a pantomime performance on Sunday, March 8 at 8pm, at the Golden Bell Theatre, 72 Hang Bac Street.

Entitled The Comeback of Pantomime, the show incorporates classical pantomime techniques and modern body movements to tell the story of contemporary life from the viewpoint of the artist.

Tung has travelled in Japan and many other countries, performing and studying pantomime. Each of his performances explores a particular theme, philosophy, reflection or emotion.

Tickets cost VND80,000, 100,000, 150,000.

Cuoi Xuyen Viet begins auditions for first VN reality show

Vinh Long Television and Kmedia are organising Cuoi Xuyen Viet (TransViet Laugh 2015), the first Vietnamese reality-TV contest to find talented comedians and comic actors.

Auditions will be held on March 9 in Ha Noi, March 10 in Can Tho City and March 13 in HCM City.

People aged 15 to 55 who can speak Vietnamese and have comedic talent can register.

After the organisers develop a short list of 30 candidates, eight of the contestants will be chosen to compete in the final round.

Total prizes will be worth around VND500 million (US$23,800).

The jury will include famous comedian Kieu Oanh, comedic actor Anh Duc and one alternative jurist.

The programme will air at 8.45pm every Friday from April 10 on Vinh Long TV channel 1 (THVL1).

Conference to delve into artistic life of Emperor Ham Nghi

The French Institute in HCM City will organise a conference called Emperor Ham Nghi's Exile (1871-1944): the World of An Artist at the General Sciences Library in HCM City today.

Amandine Dabat, a PhD student at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and a descendant of the emperor, will speak at the event.

Ham Nghi (born Nguyen Phuc Ung Lich) was the eighth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty.

"The practice of art in the context of his exile was an opportunity for him to maintain links with Indochina," a release from the organisers says.

"It was an area of freedom in which he could freely express his attachment to his native country.

"The purpose of the conference is to present the work of the emperor, still unknown, and the outlines of his journey to art during his exile."

The conference will be in French and interpreted into Vietnamese.

Finding Nemo, Ratatouille to be screeened

The Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talent (TPD) will present two films by Pixar, Finding Nemo and Ratatouille.

Finding Nemo is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama film, which won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2008, the American Film Institute named it the 10th greatest animated film ever made as part of their Top 10 lists.

The computer-animated comedy Ratatouille was co-written and directed by Brad Bird. The title refers to a French dish, "ratatouille", a delicate vegetable stew which the main character, a rat named Linguini learns to cook by the end of the film. After its premiere on June 22, 2007, the film grossed US$624 million at the box office. The film later won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The screening of Finding Nemo is at 7.30pm on Friday, March 6. Ratatoille will screen at 7.30pm, Saturday, March 7, at TPD, 51 Tran Hung Dao Street (4th floor). The movies will be presented in English with Vietnamese subtitles. Entry is a VND20,000 donation for TPD's fund for movie talent.

Bikers hold fundraising event

The H2H Charity Rides, a team of 20 motorcyclists slated to ride from Ha Noi to HCM City to support poor children, will present "The Rock & Roll Circus" fundraising event at Cargo Bar on March 12.

It will feature performances by artists The Secret Asians, James & The Van Der Beeks, and Overbite DJ's. All proceeds to the event will be used to support education and healthcare for underprivileged children.

In April, H2H will ride 2,000km to raise US$40,000 for five charities, including Saigon Children's Charity, the Children's Initiative, KOTO, ILA Community Network and Live and Give.

The show will begin at 7.30pm at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 1. Tickets are VND150,000 and available at www.ticketbox.vn and Asian Kitchen Restaurant in District 1.

Annual charity cycling race begins this month

Saigon Children's Charity will host its annual cycle charity race Saigon Cyclo Challenge to raise funds for disadvantaged children on March 22.

A flea market, a decoration competition called Cyclo Decor, kid's zone and raffle will be also organised at the event. The race will take place at Celadon City in Tan Phu District.

Participants and teams can register for the event via email thuong@saigonchildren.com or phone (08) 39303502.

Saigon Outcast starts Sunday event

The District 2-based outdoor bar Saigon Outcast will organise "Sunday Side-up" every Sunday from March 8 to April 26.

The weekly event will include outdoor activities like chicken-chasing and board skating, films for kids and live music performed by resident DJ duo Cheezy Gangtaz and DJ Nick Simon. There will also be a barbeque and Belgian wheat beer Hoegaarden.

The activities will start from 3.30pm. The bar is at 188/2 Nguyen Van Huong Street in District 2. Admission is free.

Rung opens abstract paintings show

Artist Nguyen Tuan Khanh, better known as Rung, is holding an abstract paintings exhibition at Coi Xay Gio café, 6F Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street in HCMC’s District 1 until March 15.

The Tren tang thanh khi exhibition features 16 oil and lacquer abstract paintings.

“At first, I focused on realistic paintings. But since I found that overexposure damaged photographs printed on silk-coated paper, I have shifted to making paintings that look as shiny as photographs but more abstract.”

He is one of the famous painters in Vietnam. Although Khanh has been resident in the U.S. for a long time, he holds solo exhibitions in Vietnam every year. His paintings have also been introduced to audiences in the U.S. and Europe.

Art performance to celebrate southern liberation anniversary

A special art performance to celebrate 40th anniversary of the southern liberation and national unification is scheduled to be held at the Hien Luong-Ben Hai relic site in the central province of Quang Tri on April 29, said the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Themed “Bai Ca Thong Nhat” (Reunification song), the one-hour event will highlight the national struggle with a focus on the lives of local residents along the Ben Hai River during the resistance war against American imperialists, according to the Ministry.

With outstanding artistry, the event will present and connect historic events to recreate Vietnamese revolutionary heroism. It also presents a chance to honour compatriots and soldiers who gave their lives in Quang Tri and the southern battlefields during the nation’s fierce fights against the enemy.

Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River, which marked the border line between North and South Vietnam during the US resistance war, represent the everlasting desire for peace and national independence.-

Photo exhibition pays tribute to women's strength in wartime

An exhibition about the lives and strength of women in Vietnam when it was divided between north and south is being held in Hanoi, "Two Sisters - Two Front Lines" portraying how women fought and coped with difficulties in wartime.

Vietnam was divided into two zones by the Geneva Peace Accords of 1954 after the colonial forces of France were defeated by the nationalist forces under Ho Chi Minh, based in Hanoi.

National elections were supposed to be held within two years, but these never took place and a government was declared in the south, with the financial backing of the United States, which also provided military assistance in what became a long war for unification.

In 1961, the Women's Union Liberation of South Vietnam organized women of all classes to work in politics, in armed units, and propaganda. One element, formed in 1960, became known as the "Long-Haired Army", and they shot down military aircraft and engaged in guerilla warfare.

Women in the north followed the “Three Responsibilities Movement", caring for families, fighting in combat and working the factories and farms, sending what they could to the south. Millions of women lent their labor and lives to the struggle in the south during the American War.

To mark the 55th anniversary of the “Long-Haired Army” (1960-2015) and the 50th anniversary of the “Three Responsibilities Movement" (1965-2015), the Vietnamese Women's Museum in collaboration with the Southern Vietnam Women's Museum and the Nam Dinh Province Museum decided to hold the "Two Sisters - Two Front Lines" exhibition.

The exhibition opens March 6 and will run until the end of the month at the Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hanoi.

All preparations have been completed for the fifth coffee festival to be held in downtown Buon Ma Thuot, a Central Highlands city, from March 9 to 12, said the organisers.

An art show entitled Buon Ma Thuot Coffee – Essence of Forest will open the festival on the night of March 9.

More than 660 stalls offering various kinds of coffee products, items processed from coffee plants, machines for processing coffee, and fertilisers and pesticides used for coffee plants will be available at the fair.

The largest-ever festival to be held to promote coffee products, the event will be accompanied by a national workshop on orientations for coffee production, while ensuring sustainable development and enhancing product quality.

Art exhibition features American landscapes

An exhibition featuring 67 oil paintings by Vietnamese American artist Trinh Lu has opened in Hanoi at 31-33 Hang Dong Street.

The works were completed between July and December of 2014 in hisminiature studio-on-a-bicycle in the US city of Milwaukee and the surrounding countryside, which is famous for its lush woods and gorgeous vistas filled withwalking and bike trails.

The exhibition also features the artist’s own stories told in a 170-page diary recently published by Phuong Nam Book and the Vietnam Writers’ Association Publishing House.

It opened on March 1 and runs through March 11.

CNNGo to air show about HCM City

Ho Chi Minh City will be featured in a CNNGo program, which will be broadcast on March 11, CNN said on March 4.

CNNGo is a monthly 30-minute show featuring a unique take on global destinations, bringing views from genuine insiders on what gives dynamic cities in Asia and beyond their distinctive buzz, the cable news network said.

In this month’s show, CNNGo will take its viewers on a “journey around Ho Chi Minh City on the back of a bike with Vietnam Vespa Adventures which allows passengers to see snapshots of local life and tucked away hot spots.”

“The city is in the middle of balancing a growing economy with an intense desire to hold onto its history,” the city was described.

CNNGo will also meet up with local rapper Suboi, who proudly took the crew to her favorite places that have hints of old Saigon, including an incredible family-style meal at Cuc Gach Quan.

The show will also feature historian Tim Doling, who explains the changing face of Ho Chi Minh City and shows CNNGo a hidden part of history in the middle of the city.

Finally, CNNGo takes a quick trip down to the island of Con Dao, one of the newest tourist destinations in Vietnam.

“While the island may have a dark past with many revolutionaries imprisoned there during the French occupation, it also boasts breathtaking beaches,” CNNGo said about the destination.

National Geographic photo gallery features ‘Glow of Vietnam’

National Geographic photographer Catherine Karnow has shared some of her favourite photographs from a recent assignment in Vietnam.

Photographer Catherine Karnow said she is impressed by the traditional culture and rapid development of Vietnam.

Hoi An's new tourism festival gets fishy

Hoi An City will organise for the first time a new tourism festival at Lang Beach in Cham Isle today.

Dem Cu Lao (Isle Night) will feature cultural activities and other entertainment like contests to mend fishing nets and packing banh it (three-cornered patty), a food market with seafood dishes and local specialties like sim (tomentose rose myrtle), and cha la (date palm).

Centre showcasing Van Phuc silk opens

A centre to display and sell traditional Van Phuc silk products to both international and domestic tourists has opened in Van Phuc Ward in Ha Noi's Ha Dong District.

It has 22 pavilions, 14 of them selling high-quality silk and six others selling souvenirs.

Local authorities and the association of Van Phuc silk weaving village will undertake many activities to preserve and showcase the value of traditional trade villages in tourism development.

Quang Nam festival recognised as national heritage

Co Ba Cho Duoc, a festival to commemorate a woman who established Duoc Market in Quang Nam Province, has been recognised as a national intangible heritage.

Ba, a kind person who helped people in need, once went by chance to Phuoc Am Village in Thang Binh District, and, liking the area's charming landscapes, established the market.

The festival is held on the 11th day of the first lunar month every year.

Circus festival celebrates Vietnam - Russia diplomatic ties

The Russian Federation - Vietnam - Belarus Circus Festival is taking place at National Circus, No. 67-69 Tran Nhan Tong Street, Hanoi from March 6 to 8 to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Vietnam- Russia diplomatic ties.

The Vietnam Circus Federation has co-ordinated with the Phuong Nam Arts Theatre to hold the event with participation of many famous Russian artists such as Kristina, Anna, Vitaly, Volha, Dzimtry and Rustam, who will master skillful and flexible performances on the stage.

The circus festival promises to deliver a series of spectacular performances exhibiting the Russian artists’ ingenuity, strength and body movement through trapeze and acrobatics skills. The artists represent the pinnacle of circus performance with eye-catching costumes and impressive tricks.

In the international circus industry, the Russian circus has always occupied a high position along with the Chinese circus. Russian artists capture audiences’ hearts by their intricate repertoires and classic acrobatics.

Vietnamese artists will also bring special performances from the animal circus, magicians and clowns dancing to the well-known pop song “Gangnam Style”.

“This will be an opportunity for Vietnamese artists to have an exchange with their Russian counterparts and encourage the passion for circus among young artists.” said Ta Duy Anh, Director of Vietnam Circus Federation.

Full-moon celebrations at pagodas

In Vietnamese folk culture, people often say “thang gieng la thang an choi” (the first lunar month is just for entertainment). Even today, it is evident in a large number of spring festivals during the month after the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet).

One of the biggest festivals is the full-moon celebration, mostly at pagodas.

Since the 13th of the first lunar month, which was Tuesday, Thu Dau Mot Town in Binh Duong Province, which borders HCMC, has attracted a lot of visitors from other cities and provinces to come and celebrate the first full moon on the 15th day of the lunar calendar.

Organizers at Ong Ngua Pagoda give li xi (lucky money) to visitors and prepare free meals for them, while dozens of dragon and kylin dance troupes perform to celebrate the event.

At other pagodas in the town such as Ba Binh Duong, Ba Thien Hau and Ba Bung Cau, visitors can see activities including procession, dragon and kylin dances, and singing.

Apart from the pagodas in Binh Duong, one can also visit Ba Chua Xu Pagoda at Sam Mountain in Chau Doc City in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. It takes 7 to 9 hours to travel from HCMC to Sam Mountain either by coach or motorbike.

After visiting the pagoda, one can try climbing the mountain which is around 400 meters high. On the way to the top, climbers can rest to enjoy bun rieu cua (rice vermicelli soup served with crab) and the stunning views of paddy fields, rivers, and lakes below.

On the way back, mountain climbers can take a thrilling motorbike ride at VND20,000 each to go down the steep mountain slope.

At the foot of the mountain, a lot of specialties of Chau Doc City are available, with banh bo thot not, a Vietnamese sponge cake made from flour and palm sugar, highly recommended.

Exhibition to present Vietnam literature to foreigners

More than 650 Vietnamese and international writers, poets and translators are attending an exhibition themed “Vietnamese literature with international readers” at the Vietnamese Literature Museum on March 2 in Hanoi, Vietnam News Agency reports.

The event belongs to a series of activities to promote Vietnamese literature to international readers held between March 1 and 7 in Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh.

Visitors to the exhibition share the same opinion that museums for Vietnamese literature are still hard to be found elsewhere in the world.

Bakhitkozha Rustemov, a delegate from Kazakhstan, said the Vietnamese Literature Museum plays a role in presenting Vietnamese literary works to foreigners.

Nguyen Thanh Minh, the museum’s deputy director, said the museum has three areas for displaying nearly 3,000 items about Vietnamese literature through eras, awards and items about the lives of Vietnamese people in rural areas, among 40,000 items the museum is keeping.

The museum is in the process of completion and is expected to open in April, he said.

Filmmakers showcase Danang City

A filmmaking team calling itself Zoomations has launched a specular video clip showcasing Danang City as part of its "Vietnam is Awesome" project.

"No words can describe the beauty of Danang, the city is too great," the group said on its Facebook page.

The "Danang is Awesome" clip runs for about 3:30 and features the city's beauty from many angles using ground and aerial camera, taking in its architecture, and urban and natural landscapes, including My Khe Beach, Dragon Bridge, the Ba Na Hills, and the merging high-rise cityscape.

The cinematographer and editor was Trieu Dinh Nam, the aerial camera operator Phuoc Led, and the music was composed by Tony Anderson.

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