Cultural activities to celebrate National Day in Dien Bien

The Dien Bien provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will host an assortment of cultural activities to celebrate the National Day (September 2).

Accordingly, an arts programme to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day will be held at May 7 Square in Dien Bien Phu province.

Local artists will bring to the stage folk songs and dances praising the Party, Uncle Ho, the Vietnamese land and people, and the cultural beauty of ethnic groups in Dien Bien province.

A range of folk games and sporting events will take place around the Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument Site, inviting locals and visitors to take part in competitions of ‘Con’ (cloth ball) throwing, bag jumping, tug of war, and 'to ma le' (throwing seeds of the 'ma le' fruit).

On the occasion, the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum and Dien Bien provincial Museum will be open for free for visitors throughout September 2.

A wide variety of activities will be held to mark the 73rd anniversary of National Day (September 2).

On this occasion, Vietnam Television will present to audience a series of documentary films on the late President Ho Chi Minh, including Nho mua thu nam ay (Remember that autumn), Ky uc mua thu (Autumn memory), Ho Chi Minh - Di ra tu nhan loai (President Ho Chi Minh’s journey to salvage the nation), and a 4-volume documentary movie tilted Ho Chi Minh-Bai Ca tu do (Ho Chi Minh- Song of freedom ), Dau an ban tuyen ngon ( The Proclamation of Independence, Duong Kach Menh-Ngon duoc the ky (Revolutionary Path-Century torch) and Nguyen Ai Quoc -An so tu nuoc Phap (Nguyen Ai Quoc- An unknown number from France).

The films will be broadcast on VTV1, VTV3, VTV4 channels on September 1-2.

The national concert ‘Dieu Con Mai’ (Things Everlasting) 2018 will once again be brought to the stage on September 2 at the Hanoi Opera House.This year’s event will feature the participation of popular artists, who will present to music lovers popular revolutionary and romantic songs of famouse musicians, such as Hoang Van, Hoang Viet, Do Nhuan, Doan Chuan, Nguyen Duc Toan, Nguyen Van Thuong, Vu Thanh and others.

Launched in 2009, the concert has been held annually on National Day, September 2 to promote the spirit of national pride and the love for country and people.

An art performance marking 49 years of implementing Uncle Ho’s Testament will be also held at Hanoi Opera House on August 29.

Music festival to mark Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties

A Vietnam-Japan music festival to mark the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties is scheduled for September 9 by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam Television and the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi.

The festival will feature songs and images highlighting the special characteristics of the two peoples imbued with their tradition of solidarity and close cooperation for common development and a world of peace and humanity.

Famous artists from both nations will take part in the event, including Hoa Minzy, Trong Hieu, My Linh, Dong Nhi and Vu Cat Tuong from Vietnam, and Godai Natsuko, Atsushi, W-wina band, along with cultural Ambassador Sugi who has made significant contributions to fostering Vietnam-Japan friendship.

Geography book highlights local specialties

A geography guide book on the country’s natural and cultural heritage has just been published by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Titled Chỉ Dẫn Địa Lý – Di Sản Thiên Nhiên và Văn Hóa Việt (Geography Guidebook – Vietnamese Natural and Cultural Heritages), the book brings audiences a general picture of the quality, fame, traditional values and origins of certain products.

According to Phan Ngân Sơn, deputy director of the ministry’s National Office of Intellectual Property, the book is useful material for State management agencies, organisations and individuals.

Lưu Đức Thanh, an official from the office, said the book is published with the support of the French government.

“The book helps introduce local delicacies to international friends,” he said.

Worldwide, there are some 10,000 geography guide books that aim to enhance consumer awareness of protected local specialties. The geography guide books have annual trading value of up to US$50 billion.

Việt Nam possesses many agriculture and handicraft products associated with distinctive aspects of Vietnamese culture, many of which are widely known in domestic and international markets.

By June this year, 60 geography guide books in 39 provinces and cities have been published, according to the office.

Various famed delicacies of localities throughout the country have been registered including Phú Quốc fish sauce (Kiên Giang Province), Mộc Châu Shan Tuyết tea (Sơn La Province), Buôn Ma Thuột coffee bean (Đắc Lắc Province), Đoan Hùng grapefruit (Phú Thọ Province), Bình Thuận dragon fruit (Bình Thuận Province), Lạng Sơn star aniseed (Lạng Sơn Province), Thanh Hà litchee (Hải Dương Province), Phan Thiết fish sauce (Bình Thuận Province) and Vinh organge (Nghệ An Province).

Mahatma Gandhi Bust inaugurated in Hà Nội

A ceremony to inaugurate the Mahatma Gandhi Bust took place on Monday at the Indian Embassy in Hà Nội as this year Indian people will celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth. 

A ceremony to inaugurate the Mahatma Gandhi Bust took place on Monday at the Indian Embassy in Hà Nội as this year Indian people will celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth. 

Gandhi (1869–1948) was an activist leading the Indian independence movement against British rule. The bust was brought to Việt Nam from India.

The ceremony was part of activities organised during the visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

On the same day, she donated artificial limb fitments of Jaipur Foot to Vietnamese beneficiaries in the northern province of Phú Thọ.

She also witnessed the MOU signing ceremony between the International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS) and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary Management Board. Accordingly, Indian experts will support Việt Nam to restore and preserve the antiques.

“India and Việt Nam’s relations are not only the relations established after India’s independence, these relations are centuries old and are cultural, historical and also commercial,” she said.

Indian Ambassador Shri P Harish said the past few years have seen a significant strengthening in defence and security cooperation. 

“In the field of culture, the establishment of Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre two years ago has enhanced our cultural footprint,” he said.

“Thousands of Vietnamese have been participating in the International Yoga Day celebrations with passion. The Archaeological Survey of India is actively contributing in the conservation and preservation of our joint cultural heritage at the world heritage site of Mỹ Sơn.”  

Three famous comedians reunite in TV series

A scene in the drama Yêu Thì Ghét Thôi (I Hate You Because I Love You). — Photo courtesy of the VFC

Famous comedians Vân Dung, Quang Thắng and Chí Trung will star in the television drama Yêu Thì Ghét Thôi (I Hate You Because I Love You) directed by Trịnh Lê Phong.

Though they have performed together many times in comedies onstage, this is the first time they join a drama project produced by the Việt Nam Feature Film Centre (VFC).

The series also stars young actors and actresses such as Phương Anh, Đình Tú and Duy Nam.

It’s a humourous and touching story of the two marriages of a young and middle-aged couple. At different ages, their marriages face different troubles such as the appearance of a third person and the need to earn a living. However, love and family happiness are the most important things they are concerned about.

The TV series will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays on VTV3 channel from August 29. 

Book explains oil-on-canvas for VN readers

Invisible Vermeer, a painting by Nguyễn Đình Đăng, is selected as a cover of the book.

The secrets of canvas, brushes and palettes as well as special techniques of oil painting are revealed in a book released on Saturday in Hà Nội.

Entitled Kỹ Thuật Vẽ Sơn Dầu (Technique of Oil on Canvas Painting), the book by Nguyễn Đình Đăng explains basic and advanced techniques of painting.

It reveals the materials needed to make brushes, how to preserve oil paintings from becoming mildewed, tells the history of oil painting in the world and introduces the specific techniques of artists such as Rembrandt, Leonardo de Vinci and Van Eyck.

“It’s the first comprehensive book about oil on canvas published in Việt Nam,” said painter Lê Huy Tiếp.

“It’s a combination of more than 40 studies and essays written by painter Đăng, who has spent 40 years pursuing this genre,” he said.

Tiếp remarked that the book will provide necessary knowledge for students, artists, researchers and anyone interested in art.

Đăng was born in 1958 in Hà Nội. He started to draw when he was very young, around five years old. During the US bombing of northern Việt Nam, he was evacuated to the countryside for five years.

His family was very poor at that time. Even supplies of paper for students ran short. He had no access to proper art materials and his first painting, created around 1970 in oil colours, was a portrait of an European lady, which he painted on a piece of rough material cut from a bag for keeping rice. In spite of these hardships, he managed to develop good drawing skills.

At that time, being a creative painter was not a profession in Việt Nam, as painting was considered to be an instrument for political propaganda, like the mass media. He realised he would have to go abroad to develop his artistic abilities further. Being a brilliant student of mathematics and physics, he was able to study physics at Moscow State University from 1976-82 and completed his PhD in 1985 on the structure of nuclei.

In Moscow, he had the opportunity to visit many museums and art galleries. For a few years, he worked in Europe as a physicist, then he moved to Japan. He pursued his painting while simultaneously undertaking demanding work as a nuclear physicist. As an artist, he was self-taught, mostly through copying from reproductions of Vermeer, Boticelli and Velasquez. Starting in 1987, he joined various professional art associations in Việt Nam and Japan.

He has had many solo exhibitions in Russia, Việt Nam and Japan. Many of his works are in private collections in Austria, the UK, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Russia and Việt Nam. Currently, he works as a Vietnamese nuclear physicist at RIKEN, Japan’s largest research institution in a range of scientific disciplines. 

Vietnam sets up booth in Canada’s largest annual fair

The Embassy of Vietnam in Canada set up a booth to promote Vietnamese culture and its stunning landscapes at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) – the country’s largest annual fair and the fifth largest in North America, running from August 24-26.

The booth was installed near the entrance of the fair with Vietnamese traditional “non la”, a kind of conical hat; “chu Teu”, a foolish character of Vietnamese water puppetry; cyclo, the three-wheel bicycle taxi in Vietnam; and numerous colourful dragonflies made of bamboo; and much more on display. 

Many visitors have stopped by the Vietnamese booth with curiosity for its displayed items and soon struck by the fascinating stories of Vietnamese culture and people, as well as the country’s landscapes and cuisine. 

Among those visiting the booth were James Nickle and Laura Cavacece from Toronto who travelled to Ho Chi Minh City last year. They are planning to return to Vietnam this winter to visit Hanoi, Hue, and Phu Quoc island. 

The aspects that left the biggest impression on them from the southern hub of Vietnam were the hustle and bustle of the streets, the friendliness of locals, and the amazing array of food, the pair told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

Meanwhile, John Dsovza and his wife, Debbie Dsovza, told the VNA reporter they would take a five-week tour of Vietnam for the first time in February next year. They said they want to visit the entire country, from the north to the south, to meet people, enjoy the local cuisine, and immerse themselves with the street life.

This year’s CNE takes place from August 17 to September 3, expecting to welcome 1.5 million visitors. The 140th fair consists of a mix of shopping areas; exhibits; live entertainment; agricultural displays; sports events; a casino; and a large carnival midway with rides, games, and food.

The organisers employed a total of 2,500 people to serve the exhibition.

Vietnamese versions of Russian classic literature works made public

The Vietnamese versions of four Russian classic literature works were made public on August 24 at the Russian Science and Culture Centre under the Russian Embassy in Hanoi.

The activity came within the framework of a Russia – Vietnam project on translating and publishing literature works.

The four works made public this time are selective plays by Lev Tolstoy, poems by Sergey Esenin, story “Ivan’s daughter, Ivan’s mother” by Valentin Rasputin, and an essay on the theoretical basis of translation by Andrey Venhediktovich Fedorov.

Director of the centre Natalia Shafinskaya stressed that thanks to efforts of the translators, more and more Russian literature works have been translated into Vietnamese and, as a result, more and more Vietnamese readers can access Russian classic literature. This contributes to the unceasing development of cooperation between the two countries, she highlighted.

Translator Hoang Thuy Toan, head of the translators’ group, spoke highly of the members’ devotion and efforts in bringing Russian classic literature to Vietnamese readers.

Since the establishment of the project in 2012 on the occasion of the visit to Vietnam by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, nearly 40 Russian and Vietnamese classic literature works have been translated and published.

Folk singing festival opens in Ha Tinh

A performance at the opening ceremony (Photo: baohatinh)

The fifth festival featuring Vi and Giam folk singing of Nghe Tinh, named an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, kicked off in the central province of Ha Tinh on August 25.

The four day event, co-organised by the provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, attracted the participation of over 600 artists from 24 folk troupes.

The festival aimed to create an opportunity for the artists and singing troupes to perform and exchange experience, as well as find new talents, and develop the key artists in order to promote folk singing and pass down on the art to younger generations.

Vi and Giam are sung by communities in Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The lyrics use the unique dialect and linguistic idioms of the region and are sung with the particular singing voice of the people there.

The folk music is traditionally sung while people are working in the rice fields, rowing boats, making crafts or lulling children to sleep. Singing is a chance for locals to ease theirs hardship in life as well as express the feelings between men and women.

It was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2014.

Binh Thuan: Joyful activities to celebrate Cham people’s Kate festival

Cham people celebrating Kate festival  

The Cham Cultural Centre in Bac Binh district of Binh Thuan province will host a range of joyful activities on October 10 to celebrate the Cham people’s traditional Kate festival.

A programme honouring Cham folk arts and a display of objects featuring Cham culture will be held at the centre, while ethnic Cham artisans from Bac Binh, Tuy Phong and Ham Thuan districts will play Saranai trumpet, make ginger cakes, and prepare offerings to ancestors.

Visitors will have an opportunity to join traditional Cham dances such as Biyen, Chron, and Balaiy and explore two traditional crafts of Cham people: weaving and pottery making.

According to the Cham ethnic calendar, the seventh month, which falls at the end of September and early October) marks the beginning of the Kate festival, an occasion for them to worship their ancestors and gods.

Being observed as one of the most important festivals of the Cham community, the festival also conveys people’s wishes for bumper harvests and the growth of all beings.