Thang Long Royal Citadel archeological site handed over to Hanoi authority

The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences held a ceremony on April 27 to hand over management authority of Zone D at the Thang Long Royal Citadel archeological site to Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee.

Earlier, the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee received the authority for Zone A, B and C of the vestige. With the handover of Zone D, the Hanoi administration now has control of the whole area of the historic site located at 18 Hoang Dieu Street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi.

The handover is part of the Government’s commitment to UNESCO to preserve and promote Thang Long Royal Citadel, which was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2010.

Apart from the site space, the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee also received 1,177 cubic metres of bricks, tiles and stone artifacts, as well as reports on outcomes of excavations at the site.

Fine arts exhibition honors General Vo Nguyen Giap

A fine arts exhibition on General Vo Nguyen Giap opened at Vietnam Military History Museum.in Hanoi on April 27.

The display themed “General Vo Nguyen Giap through fine art works" presents to viewers photos shot by journalists Tran Hong and Nguyen Dinh Toan, oil paintings by Dang Xuan Hung, lacquer paintings by Nguyen Van Tuan, propaganda posters by Ha Huy Le, a portrait of General Giap made from 60,000 matches by artist Ngo Thi Thuc

There is also a set of six objects, including a gold-plated copper bust of the General; a badge with the General's image; badges with image of the 60th Anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory ,  a cannon bullet shell carved with the image of the Dien Bien Phu battle, a gold-plated copper art work of General Vo Nguyen Giap and the Dien Bien Phu Victory, and a book titled “Heroes on A1 Hill” (the most famous battle of Dien Bien Phu site).

One of the highlights is a statue mold by silicone rubber of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

The event will run until May 10.

Live link-up television program celebrates Dien Bien Phu Victory

A live link-up television program marking the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954 was held at the Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument in Dien Bien Province’s Dien Bien Phu City and Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City on April 27.

Leaders of HCM City and Dien Bien Province, Vietnamese heroic mothers, war veterans were present in the TV show.

The event themed Nhung nam thang khong the nao quen (Unforgettable days) designed three parts, consisting of Memory of Dien Bien, From Dien Bien Phu to Ho Chi Minh City and Historical Rendezvous.

The program was to tribute to martyrs and wounded soldiers. This is opportunity to meet with historical witnesses during wartime, such as colonels Nguyen Can, Hoang Dang Vinh, Nguyen Kim Sang and Nguyen Boi Giong, musician Nguyen The Vinh.

The TV program also aimed to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the National Liberation Day (April 30) organized by Ho Chi Minh City Television and Dien Bien Province Television.

410 years of development in Quang Binh Province exhibition opens

Quang Binh People’s Committee organized an exhibition “Quang Binh—410 years of converging & development” in Dong Hoi Museum of Quang Tri Province on April 26.

The event attracted 33 tourism & service agencies, local organizations and state-owned companies. There are also thousands of photos highlighting Quang Binh’s army during the war.

Quang Binh Museum displayed thousands of items in Dong Son culture stage including incense, bowls, Khmer pottery and antique weapons on this occasion.

The exhibition of Son Doong Cave attracted many visitors.

National radio broadcasting festival gives 18 golden prizes

The three-day national radio broadcasting festival in Da Lat City of the highlands province of Lam Dong ended on April 26.

There were 271 entries sent to the festival with 189 best entries of reports, interviews, radio stories, live radio and talk shows selected for the final round.

The organizer, Vietnam Radio Station and Lam Dong Province's Radio and Television Station, gave 122 prizes including 18 golden prizes. All were at the same level, according to organizers.

In addition, the organizer in coordination with other agencies gave prizes to entries with categories of workers, laborers in all fields, soldiers, good models in society, in education and in health sector.

Book exhibition marks Dien Bien Phu victory

Nearly 1,000 Vietnamese and foreign books, magazines and documents related to the victory at Dien Bien Phu went on display at an exhibition in the northwestern province of Dien Bien on April 28.

The four-day event, organised to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory, highlights the leading role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and late President Ho Chi Minh in the success, which helped end French colonial rule in Vietnam.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong said that the event underlines the historical significance of the victory and the great sacrifice made by the Vietnamese people during the battle.

French artist’s love for Vietnam proven thru paintings

French artist Betty Clavel’s 27 abstract paintings on display at the “Duras, beyond the barrage” exhibition at HCMC University of Fine Arts show her profound love for Vietnam.

Clavel is enamored with the charm of very rustic things such as conical hats, traditional markets, slippers, bicycles, kids or lanterns she has seen during her time in Vietnam. All those images with color layers of oil on canvas are depicted in a skillful and romantic way.

The collection of paintings was also inspired by the autobiographical book about the life of French writer Marguerite Duras, the French author of the novel ‘The Lover’.

The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of Duras’s birth (1914-2014). It runs until May 2 at the university, 5 Phan Dang Luu Street in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District.

Model Mau Thuy returns to catwalk

Mau Thanh Thuy (Mau Thuy), the winner of Vietnam’s Next Top Model 2013, has returned to the catwalk after she sustained brain injury in a robbery last month.

The 22-year-old model last week showed her radiant appearance at three events, including Fashion and Passion show, Sea of Memory show by designer Do Manh Cuong and the 10th anniversary of Ngoisao.net online newspaper.

Early last month two robbers snatched her bag while she was traveling on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in HCMC’s District 4 to a fashion show in District 1. She fell onto the road and lost consciousness.

The 1.78m-tall model said she feels much better. She has been in the modeling career for four years though she studied hotel reception.

Old photos of Ha Long Bay displayed

Photos of Ha Long Bay from the 19th century will be displayed for the first time this afternoon in downtown Ha Long City in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The collection, mostly taken by French experts between 1885 and 1950, belongs to Ha Noi-based retired history teacher Doan Thinh and his son, architect Doan Bac. There are about 150 photos of Ha Long Bay taken from airplanes, mountain peaks and boats as well as images of people living in the bay.

"Early photos by French in Viet Nam are important historical material," noted historian Duong Trung Quoc. "The collection is among the most valuable materials recording French people's lives in Viet Nam. We all know that when the French first set foot in Viet Nam, their first interest was finding the way to China from the southwest [of China]. During their search, they passed Ha Long and took the photos."

The exhibition also features 100 bottles of Da Lat wine bearing photos from the collection, which will be auctioned to raise funds for needy children in the province.

The exhibition is a key event in the annual Carnival Ha Long, which started on April 25 and lasts until May 1.

Thinh and his son have gathered old photos from various regions for the past ten years. They displayed their collection of old Ha Noi in 2010, during the celebration of the1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi.

Art exhibition celebrates Vesak Day

An exhibition of paintings and sculptures by 52 well-known artists in HCM City has opened at the city's Fine Arts Association as part of the celebration of Vesak Day, an officially recognised United Nations holiday that celebrates the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

"Proceeds from the sale of paintings will be given to the Buddhism Today Charity Fund and for assistance to cancer patients," said artist Nguyen Dam Thuy, who helped organise the exhibit.

On display are 59 works in oil, lacquer and wood, reflecting a wide range of topics, covering daily life, landscapes, people, lotus flowers and still lifes.

The exhibition will close on May 9 at the venue at 218A Pasteur Street in District 3.

Dance to connect youth with the past

The HCM Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera's Giai Dieu Tre (Young Melodies) programme will this month feature contemporary dance performance Cham Tay Vao Qua Khu (Touching the past) by two young choreographers Nguyen Phuc Hai and Nguyen Phuc Hung.

The show, at the city's Opera House at 8pm today, will be about war and peace and the past and present, the HBSO said in a press release.

The younger generations born after the war know about it only through films and stories, it said, adding that the show meant to reveal the views and feelings musicians, choreographers, and dancers have about the war.

Young Melodies is a free monthly show by the HBSO that seeks to educate the younger generations about music and dance, including foreign genres.

Worship of Mother Goddess discussed

Mother Goddess worship in southern Viet Nam was discussed at a workshop on Saturday in the southern province of An Giang.

People pray to the Mother Goddess about concerns in daily life, as well as good health and good fortune. The practice is connected to the deep-rooted respect for mothers in Vietnamese culture, researchers said.

At the workshop, they introduced the origin, formation, development, characteristics and significance of the Mother Goddess worship culture and pointed out the particular features of the belief in the south that differ from the belief in the north.

The workshop was organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Viet Nam Centre for Research and Conservation of Culture and Belief.

40 years of Vietnam-France relations through the lense

A photo exhibition and film week opened in Paris, France on April 26 showcasing hundreds of unique photos, publications and documentaries.

The event is part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-France relations and promote Vietnam as global tourist attraction in 2014.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son highlighted the event as an overview of political, diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between Vietnam and France, particularly Vietnam in the renewal and integration process.

Son added that the event introduced French people to Vietnam’s achievements, open-door policies and integration process, contributing to mutual understanding and promoting the strategic partnership signed in September 2013.

Vietnamese ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung said that the presence of Information and Communications Minister at the opening ceremony has demonstrated Vietnam’s keen interest in developing cooperative relations with France.

Sharing the viewpoint, Minister Son also stressed the importance of the event in recalling historic moments between the two nations and proved their determination to build a future based on reliable and profound relations.

For his part, Benoit Paumier, General Commissioner of the France-Vietnam Year said that the event also has a “symbolic” significance, adding that France Year in Vietnam has helped introduce French culture, in particular the HCMC Reunification Palace’s light show in December 2013, to Vietnamese people as well as French universities, research centres and the dynamic development of French businesses.

When the exhibition concludes, all photos, publications and films will be handed over to the Vietnam Culture Centre in France and the Vietnamese embassy in France so as to further educate French friends about the beauty of Vietnam, its national identity and its road to integration and development.

Exhibition brings sea, islands closer to inland people

A photo exhibition on Vietnam’s sea and islands was opened on April 28 at a museum of the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, providing the public a closer look at the inseparable part of the country.

The display, which will run until May 4, features 120 photos on daily activities of residents and soldiers on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos as well as other islands, thus raising the awareness of people, especially the young, of patriotism and the national sea and island sovereignty.

The same day, a similar exhibition kicked off in the northern coastal city of Hai Phong.

From now to May 8, visitors will have an overview on the development of the Vietnam’s Navy, which has firmly safeguarded the country’s sea, islands and continental shelf.

Four Nguyen Dynasty cannons unearthed in HCM City

Four damaged cannons have been discovered at Thu Thiem Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City.

A joint initial survey by the HCM City Military Command and HCM City Museum showed the rusted guns were made of alloy, not bronze as expected.

They are believed to belong to the Nguyen Dynasty under the reign of King Minh Menh (1824).

The four guns have a similar size, with one, 1.78m long, remaining intact, and three others broken.

The HCM City Museum is finalizing procedures to take over and display the artifacts on its premises.