'Super Crab' wins award

Bui Thanh Mai, aged 8, a primary school student from Ninh Binh Province, received a Gold Award for artwork titled Super Crab Car at a Dream Car Art Contest in the capital run by Toyota.

Her work displayed a car-machine with crab-like claws that recycles waste straw after harvest.

The straw is turned into paper for learning materials, such as books, notebooks and paper for poor students.

The first grader at Le Hong Phong Primary School was among the 31 winners selected from 662,898 entries by children from 75 countries and regions worldwide.

The contest has been held by the Toyota Motor Corporation since 2004 with children from around the world showing their dream cars.

Exhibition puts Tri An Lake in the spotlight

When he stumbled upon Tri An Lake in 2010, photographer Le Nguyen Duy Phuong was mesmerised by the stunning view.

He returned to the lake in southern Dong Nai province several times, sometimes spending weeks trying to capture the people and scenery.

The results of those explorations are now featured in Gone with the Flow, a photo exhibition at the French cultural centre L'Espace.

"What I like most about the lake is that the water here has a light blue colour. It is much different from the pinkish water of the Mekong Delta rivers in my hometown," the HCM City-based photographer said.

Water is captured from many angles in his photos, from vast expanses of water stretching to the horizon to quiet, peaceful backwaters.

For Phuong, water has always been an inseparable part of life. Citing the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, a source of inspiration for his photos, he said he sees water as a medium to reflect on oneself, one's memory and one's life.

Mixing arranged setups and spontaneous shots, his photos expose the harmony between human and nature by capturing the ordinary life of the villagers along with the rise and fall of water on the lake.

"My photos are hard to come by sometimes. While waiting for them, I sit down and chitchat with my subjects to make them feel relaxed," said Phuong. "It may take hours to capture a moment on camera."

The photographer added that he is not trying to send a particular message. Rather, he hopes each individual will find his or her own meaning in his photos.

For Vanessa Mulheim, a French teacher in Ha Noi, they produced a startling revelation.

"The photos make me realise life itself originated in water and we are likely to feel most comfortable inside water," she said.

The exhibition will open until September 27 at L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street.

NZ logo design contest launched

Aspiring Vietnamese graphic designers can enter a logo design competition launched to celebrate the 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Viet Nam.

Organisers are looking for a logo that introduces New Zealand in an innovative and modern way.

"The winning logo from this competition will be an important expression of the friendly relationship between the two countries and a core part of the branding for the events and activities to mark this important milestone," said New Zealand Ambassador Haike Manning.

Entries can be sent to the New Zealand Embassy until October 15. The awards ceremony will take place on November 5.

Café Racer bikes a new fad in Vietnam metropolis

In recent years, Café Racers, originally a style of motorcycle used for quick rides from one coffee bar to another, have increasingly appealed to bike enthusiasts in Ho Chi Minh City.

The term "Café Racer" developed among British motorcycle lovers in the early 1960s, specifically in the Rocker (or ton-up boy) subculture.

Café Racers were also common in Italy, France, and other European countries.

The bikes, with their rough appearance and speed, are a sharp contrast to elegant scooters.

The term “Café Racer” is thought to derive from groups of people who would gather at coffee shops.

They would play a piece of music and begin a race. They would bend their upper bodies as low as possible and speed up to reach their destination and get back to the departure point before the piece of music ended.

In short, Café Racers are simple bikes which have been revamped from classic sport lines, including BSA, AJS, and Norton.

They typically boast clip-on handle bars, an exhaust pipe pulled to the rear, and a one-passenger seat.

Café Racers come to Ho Chi Minh City

Over the past few years, Café Racers have wooed more bikers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Groups of Café Racer buffs have formed and adopted different varieties of the bikes.

Most Café Racer bikes are revamped, with parts taken from different models.

These revamped bikes usually fetch exorbitant prices, but many devotees do not mind spending large sums on them.

Compared to Café Racers in their early days, today’s bikes are notably different, especially when it comes to fuel tanks and chassis.

More bike lines can now be turned into Café Racers compared to the 1960s.

They are no longer limited to the sport classic lines of BSA, AJS, or Norton. Instead customers can alter the Honda CBX750, Honda CB1000, Yamaha SR400, and Kawasaki K750.

BMW’s K100 and R75/6 bikes, as well as average old bikes such as a Honda 67, Honda Win100, and Suzuki GN250, can also be upgraded into Café Racers.

These bikes are not complete without a pair of Ducati S2R front forks, an Ohlins buffer, a Trail Tech indicator, Vee Rubber tyres, and a K&N filter.

“The chassis must be built and refined manually. This phase takes almost a month and requires a thorough understanding of vehicle structures,” noted Vi Tu, owner of Tu Thanh Da Garage.

A striking Café Racer stands out for its uncovered, powerful engine.

Therefore, considerable time is spent searching for the engines of powerful models, such as the Honda CB1000, Honda GL400, Honda CBX750, and BMW K100.

Many Café Racer enthusiasts hunt for components on overseas forums and trading websites and have them shipped to Vietnam.

Aficionados also do not hesitate when it comes to spending money buying their fuel tank, one of the bikes’ most notable details.

Enthusiasts of the coarse-looking bikes are no longer limited to rockers or thrill seekers, but also now include intellectuals and artists.

What they typically have in common is the urge for adventure and hitting the road.

The bike lovers usually get together for long trips to the countryside or across the country.

According to Hung, a member of Psychotramps 13, a group of Café Racer enthusiasts, his friends cannot do without such accessories as bike helmets that reveal three-fourths of their face, goggles, Levi’s jeans, and boots.

“It takes genuine passion to be a Café Racer aficionado. It would be hard to stay committed to the hobby if one takes it up merely to keep up with the trend or to look cool, as maneuvering the bike in crowded streets in large cities is quite a challenge, and the bikes leave their riders fatigued on long trips,” shared a veteran enthusiast.

Danang announces newly-excavated antiques

The Museum of Cham Sculpture in Danang City announced on September 4 that 161 antiques were recently excavated at Hoa Vang District.

The excavation was carried out with the cooperation of the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, between July and August in Qua Giang 1 and Qua Giang 2 villages.

The objects include 21 sandstone sculptures; 29 pieces of reliefs in brick, statues of deities and other decorative artworks. All of the objects have been taken to the museum for display and research.

Nguyen Chieu, a lecturer at the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said that the excavation is expected to inform similar projects in the villages of Qua Giang 1 and Qua Giang 2.

The finding of the deity statues has excited suspicions among archaeologists of the existence of an entire complex of worshiping places, Chieu added.

However, there is a belt road project planned for Danang which could potentially threaten these sites. Some archaeologists have called upon local authorities to take measures to protect these sites and the relics still underground.

Nineteen intangible cultural heritages recognised

The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to announce a list of 19 national intangible cultural heritages.

The newly recognised national intangible cultural heritages include folk performance arts, traditional festivals, social practices and beliefs, ancient Vietnamese script, traditional handicraft, and traditional knowledge.

The list comprises Chu Nom (Ancient Vietnamese script) and Luon Sluong singing of Tay ethnic people in northern mountainous province of Bac Kan; Hat Boi (classical theatre and folk singing) in the central province of Binh Dinh; Bai Choi (singing while playing cards) singing in central provinces of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Quang Nam; the Tay ethnic group’s Then singing rituals in northern Cao Bang province; Non Nuoc stone sculptures in Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) in Da Nang city; the Giay ethnic group’s lunar New-year festival of in Ha Giang province; cultivation technique in rock hollows in Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang province; Tet Khu Cu Te (New Rice Celebration Festival) of the La Chi ethnic group in Ha Giang province.

Other national intangible cultural heritages honoured this time are Tug of war of Tay and Giay ethnic groups in Lao Cai province; Ba Cho Duoc (Madame Cho Duoc) Cart Welcoming Festival in the central province of Quang Nam province; brocade weaving of Co Tu ethnic group in Quang Nam; the Tung Da da dance of Cotu ethnic group in Quang Nam; planting Cay neu (Tet pole), a folk ritual of Co ethnic group in Quang Nam province; Du Ke, a style of musical theatre created by Khmer people in southern Soc Trang province; Cap Sac, a traditional ritual to recognise a mature Dao ethnic man in Thai Nguyen province; Tac Xinh dancing of San Chay ethnic group in Thai Nguyen province; and Ok Om Bok festival of Khmer ethnic group in southern Tra Vinh province.