Oldest silk craft village recognized in Hanoi

Van Phuc village on the outskirts of Hanoi has been recognized as the oldest silk village that has maintained the trade in Vietnam for more than 1,000 years.

The Vietnam Record Centre (Vietking) presented its certificate to the village at a ceremony on March 13.

Van Phuc was once chosen by a King to take part in an international fair in Marseille, France, in 1931 and another event in Paris in 1932, winning great applause from French customers who described Van Phuc silk as the best of its kind in Indochina.

At present, local villagers are still preserving their traditional silk weaving techniques and showcasing their handicraft products on more than 150 stands in Van Phuc, Ha Dong district.

Van Phuc silk village has previously beenhonoured for its prestigious “Golden Thang Long (Dragon)” trademark, and selected among seven traditional craft villages in Hanoi that need preservation.

Russian pianists to perform at Hennessy Concert

Russian pianists Vladimir Ashkenazy and his son, Vovka, will perform at the Hennessy Concert, being held in Hanoi on March 20.

The concert is the result of the collaboration between the Vietnam Performing Art Centre and Hennessy. This is the 18th edition of the Hennessy Concert Series, which has been hosted in Hanoi since 1996.

Ashkenazy is one of the few artists to have combined a successful career as a pianist with that of a conductor. He and his son will play some of the finest melodies, dedicating them to music lovers.

The concert will begin at 8 pm, and live broadcasts will appear on a large screen outside the Hanoi Opera House set up for the purpose.

HCM City lends Hindu sculptures for Met exhibition in NYC

HCM City's Museum of History has lent New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art 20 objects to display under an agreement between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the American museum.

The objects include five statues of Vishnu, Surya, Avalokitesvara, Durga and Lokeshvara.

They are part of an exhibition on ancient Hindu and Buddhist sculpture that will last until August 25.

Music festival begins in Central Highlands

A two-day music festival kicks off today in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. The festival is being held to develop the music industry in the Central Highlands and the southern provinces.

The festival will bring together about 20 composers and artists from 19 cities and provinces who will meet and exchange notes about their work experiences.

This is also an opportunity for the festival attendees to introduce their new works. The festival is expected to boost musical activities in the region, and meet the increasing demand for local entertainment.

Norwegian opera singer to perform tonight

A talk on the art of opera will be held tonight at Trung Nguyen Coffee Creativity Space, 52 Hai Ba Trung, Ha Noi.

Norwegian opera singer Siri Torjesen will host the event, which will be a great opportunity for classical music buffs to know more about traditional opera as well as Torjesen's career.

Known as a mezzo-soprano, Torjesen has successfully performed in classical and contemporary forms of opera. She also conducts and produces music.

The artist has performed with the Viet Nam National Symphony and Orchestra and held master classes at the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera in 2011.

Torjesen and Vietnamese artist Le Thuyen Ha will also perform at the event tonight.

Vietnam attends ASEAN Day in India

The Vietnamese Embassy joined other ASEAN embassies to attend the ASEAN Day held in India on March 15.

The event attracted a large number of embassy staff, their families and students with the aim of promoting cultural exchange and tightening solidarity and friendship among ASEAN member countries.

Participants had the chance to enjoy music performances, sample traditional cuisine and take part in sports games, such as volleyball and tug-of-war.

Vietnamese dishes, such as chicken noodle soup and spring rolls, were much favoured and the fan dance presented by Vietnamese students received great applause.

Vietnamese black-white photos exhibited in France

An intriguing black and white photography collection featuring hundreds of images of traditional Vietnamese culture is on display in Paris.

The photos, on loan from the French School of the Far East (EFEO), were originally taken in late 19th to middle of 20th century, introduce Vietnamese traditional customs, like praying to Kitchen Gods and Nam Giao ceremonies, as well as the everyday life of the period.

Included in the collection are captivating photos of well-known French explorers, scholars and archaeologists, such as Louis Bezacier, Louis Finot, Jean Manikus and Rene Mercier, even managing to capture Henri Parmentier’s enthusiasm in researching Vietnamese civilisation.

This collection is a priceless treasure for young generations who want to glean a better understanding about Vietnam’s culture.

Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of the Vietnamese Culture Centre in France, speaking at the opening ceremony on March 13 dwelled on the need for preservation of the Vietnamese and French heritage so that future generations could develop a better appreciation for it.

The exhibition as part of Vietnam Exchange Year in France will run until June 29.

Hanoi marks Int’l Francophone Day

Vietnam was, is and will be an active, responsible member of the Francophone community, ready to build a bloc of solidarity and strength, said Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan at a ceremony to mark International Francophone Day (March 20) in Hanoi on March 14.

The Vice President hailed what the French-speaking community has reaped over the past time, especially its involvement in global efforts to realise Millennium Development Goals, cope with climate change, reform the world financial system, and promote diversity of cultures and languages.

Doan thanked the global community, especially Francophone member countries, for electing Vietnam as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 tenure.

Secretary General of the International Francophone Organisation (OIF) Abdou Diouf praised Vietnam for successfully hosting the Hanoi summit, a milestone in the history of the Francophone bloc with the adoption of the Francophone Charter and the election of the first Secretary General.

At the ceremony, Prof. Phan Huy Le and Asso.Prof. Dr Nguyen Ngoc Luu Ly were honoured for their contributions to the Francophone movement in Vietnam.

Celebrating Central Highlands Tourism Year

A wide range of activities have been held over the past two days in the central highlands province of Gia Lai’s Pleiku city in response to the Central Highland National Tourism Year.

The events aim to promote the central highlands region’s nature and indigenous people and encourage locals to develop and preserve the traditional cultural identities of ethnic minority groups.

Artisans and skilled craftsman took part in a festival to celebrate the victory of Bahnar ethnic minority people through which visitors can get a better understanding about the spiritual life of Bahnar people and how they overcome poverty, hunger and natural disasters.

A wooden sculpture festival also attracted a large numbers of visitors. More than 50 J’rai and Bahnar artisans carved various different kinds of wooden statues.

In addition, a photography exhibition, and a cooking competition were organised.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched tours to attract regular visitors, such as tours of Pleiku, T’nung Lake, Pleiku Prison, Dong Xanh Park, Ayun Ha Lake, Phu Cuong Fall, and S’tor village – homeland of Hero Nup.

Many domestic and foreign tourists have already registered to join these tours.

Preserving Vietnamese culture worldwide

Representatives of the Vietnamese community in New York expressed their desire to preserve and develop Vietnamese culture around the globe, at a recent working session with a Foreign Ministry delegation.

The delegation, led by Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA), made a fact-finding tour of New York on March 15-16.

The representatives proposed the Vietnamese State introduce more incentives to attract intellectuals and talents overseas for the betterment of the country.

They urged relevant agencies at home to provide a sufficient number of highly skilled teachers of the Vietnamese language at centres in New York and stock the education centres with the latest books and curriculum.

Some said they plan to develop online Vietnamese language teaching websites with support from local residents in providing audio and visual clips on the national history and culture.

Deputy Foreign Minister Son acknowledged their proposals and hoped that Vietnamese nationals in the US will further make a practical contribution to national construction and development.

Indian festival showcases Buddhist culture

Thousands of pilgrims and visitors flocked to Phat Tich Pagoda in Bac Ninh province on March 14 night to witness a vibrant display of India 's Buddhist culture.

The headline event of the 10-day Festival of India, which takes place in Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang , the inaugural ceremony for the Buddhist Festival featured the art of making a sand Mandala and butter sculptures, along with Lama chants and dancing.

Twenty Indian Lamas from the Himalayas showcased the unique art of multi-coloured Mandala, a cosmic diagram that represents the dwelling place or celestial mansion of a deity.

"Sand is considered to be a superb medium because of its number and the great skill required to create the mandala's exquisite details," said monk Gelong Sange Tseving.

"The artist will chant before starting the mandala creation.

"Then the blue print of the mandala's design is outlined and the artist begins constructing the mandala from the centre to outward. The coloured sand is applied through a metal funnel."

Attendees to the festival were also offered a rare glimpse into the ancient Himalayan Buddhist art of butter sculpturing, which dates back to the 15th century.

Using coloured butter, Lamas skillfully create different shapes of flowers, trees and animals into a sculpture, with the image of Buddha focused in the middle.

Monk Tseving said: "Butter sculptures are made for offerings to enlightened beings with an eatable substance in decorative form to bring peace, prosperity and good luck to individual and society."

After watching the performances, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Preeti Sara said: "Nothing short of divine inspiration and blessing could have made this possible."

"The activities celebrate our cultural, spiritual, historical and civil linkages with Viet Nam ," Sara told a packed audience.

"We hope the monks' visit will lead to greater exchanges among our monasteries, for spiritual discourse and exchange of ideas to propagate the teachings of Lord Buddha, for peace, prosperity and harmony in the universe."

The event marks the first visit to Vietnam by the Indian Lamas, who attended the Buddhist festivals at the Pho Quang and Vinh Nghiem pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City , from March 5-10. The group also visited pagodas in Vinh Phuc and Quang Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city, conducting daily ritual meditation, Lama chants and sacred dancing, which were also performed on March 14.

Vietnamese audience members were wowed by the spectacular performances, with the monks donning colourful masks and embroidered clothes.

Associated with Mahayana sects of Buddhism, the dance is an important part of the Buddhist Festival. Accompanied by music played by monks using traditional instruments, the sacred dance is a form of meditation that is said to benefit those around it. The accompanying sacred chanting is meant to prepare the mind for meditation.

"All these activities, which have been handed down from many generations in the Himalaya region are mainly for purification, the dispelling of outer and inner obstacles and to bring harmony, peace and good luck to the individual as well as to society," explained Venerable Jambey Dorjee who leads the delegation.

The ancient Phat Tich Pagoda in Tien Du district has been chosen to host the Buddhist festival. The site is said to have a historical significance, believed to be imprinted with the footsteps of the first Indian monks who visited the country some 2,000 years ago.