Tiesto to bring hot electronic music to HCM City

It has been unveiled that Dutch DJ Tiesto will bring his electronic dance music to Ho Chi Minh City for a performance at a DJ competition on December 13.

Tiesto made a name for himself playing clubs and festivals in Europe over two decades ago.

He built his brand on the pulsing beats and looping melodies that characterize ‘trance’ music.

The source says the entertainer may also serve as a jury member on the final night of competition at this his first appearance ever in Vietnam.

German band GOLF to tour Vietnam

The dynamic German band GOLF will be on tour in Southeast Asia from October 23 through November 8, the Goethe-Institut has unveiled— presenting their new songs in Hanoi, Danang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila.

During the tour, GOLF will meet with language students of the Goethe-Institut, from PASCH partner schools and local universities for workshops and talks. In addition, they will play a total of seven concerts to which everybody is welcome to join and enjoy new, German electropop music.

Jonathan Heitkämper (drums), Nils Asthoff (base), André Hörmeyer (vocals, guitar) and Wolfgang Petrasch (vocals, guitar, keyboard) have known each other since kindergarden.

Nevertheless, GOLF was only founded last year. A lot has happened since— showcase gigs for big labels, recordings with Tom Hessler, a member of the popular band ‘Fotos’ and successful concerts, for example at the well-known c/o pop festival in Cologne and the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg.

GOLF is one of the most interesting bands in the German music scene right now. Their songs combine danceable electronic beats with funky pop, resulting in catchy tunes and lyrics that will stick around in your head all day.

GOLF uses the noises of everyday items, such as key chains, coins, vacuum cleaners and frying pans, to create their very own, innovative sound.

The Goethe-Institut announcement said this is a unique musical experience which should not be missed.

Psy to bring 'Gangnam Style' to Vietnam

Korean pop sensation Psy will has a gig in Vietnam next month during a two-day music festival, local media reported on October 18.

The 37-year-old singer will perform his hit “Gangnam Style at the Super X Festival, which is scheduled to take place in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Park Jae-Sang, better known as Psy, shot to global stardom in 2012 with the “Gangnam Style” video. 

"Gangnam Style" by Psy has become the first video on YouTube to reach 2 billion views. Photo: Reuters

This video made history as the most-watched video on YouTube, having amassed more than 2.4 billion views so far.

The Super X festival will take place at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi’s Dong Da District on November 20 and at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh’s District 7 on the next day.

Coastal town Phan Thiet to host seafood festival

The central province of Binh Thuan has announced a diverse range of activities to celebrate its upcoming Tourism Day.

The highlight will be a seafood festival from October 22-24 along Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in Phan Thiet Town. 

Visitors will be able to play traditional games and watch music performances.  

Kite surfing on Mui Ne Beach in Binh Thuan province.

A photo exhibition featuring Vietnam’s heritage sites will open at the Ocean Dunes Phan Thiet Hotel from October 23-30.

Lanterns will be displayed along the Ca Ty River with southern traditional musical performances from October 22-24.

Exhibition exchanges love between VN, South Korea

Beautiful moments in Viet Nam and South Korea are captured in the works of photographers Vu Bach Lien and Lee Sang-bok.

Entitled Tinh (Love) their joint exhibition, which opened recently at the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in Ha Noi, displays 42 photos.

They are taken from the experiences of the photographers in their countries and from the trips to each other's country as Lee has worked in Viet Nam as a teacher, while Lien married a Korean man.

Through the photos, they want to share their feelings about the countries where they live, work and love.

"I have been able to love and work in Viet Nam for years," said Lee. "The more I travel through the country, the more I love it."

"I present photos capturing memorable moments at the places I visit, beautiful landscapes and touching stories I was told."

Lee currently works as vice principal of the Ha Noi Korean International School.

Nguyen Huynh Mai, a visitor to the exhibition, said he likes Lee's photo capturing the beauty of Mu Cang Chai, a rural district in the northern province of Yen Bai.

"The beautiful landscape of the site has inspired many photographers," he said.

"Lee took the photo in a very special angle, it's simple but captures the beauty of the fields which were lush with ripening rice."

Lee said he visited Mu Cang Chai last year and had to wait two hours to take the photo as he wanted to wait for the perfect light.

Lien is known for her digital art, graphics and printed paintings. She takes photos as a hobby.

The photos displayed at the exhibition express her delicacy, femininity and the feelings of a Vietnamese woman whose husband is a Korean.

Addressing the opening ceremony, KCC Director Park Nark-jong hoped that Vietnamese and Korean visitors will find themselves, their favourite things in the photos and the exhibition will help strengthen their love for their nations and culture.

The exhibition will run until October 26 at the Korean Cultural Centre, 489 Nguyen Du Street, Ha Noi. 

Ha Noi student wins first prize in painting contest

Do Thi Linh Chi, a primary student in Ha Noi, won the first prize at a painting contest titled Bac Ho Cua Chung Em (Our Uncle Ho).

Her work, Chan Dung Bac Ho depicts the portrait of Uncle Ho in modest and close style, which touches viewers' hearts.

Other prizes were given to students in Hai Duong, Lam Dong, Kien Giang, Nghe An and Ha Noi.

Apart from familiar materials such as pastels and crayons, children also used special materials like small beans and peas.

"The entries are high quality, use various materials and have a rich sense of beauty," said Trang Thanh Hien, a painter and lecturer at Viet Nam University of Fine Arts.

"The image of Uncle Ho is close to the children's activities. Their pictures prove that Uncle Ho is always in Vietnamese children's hearts." 

Vietnam holds tourism road show in Beijing

Organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), t he show is part of a national promotion campaign that runs in Beijing, Chungking and Chengdu from October 19-25. 

The event is expected to promote Vietnamese destinations and services while creating cooperation opportunities for the two sides’ tourism agencies. 

VNAT Director General Nguyen Van Tuan said since Chinese tourism arrivals have fallen short of expectations, Vietnam is paying heed to its communication efforts. 

He believed the local friendliness and rich tourism resources would attract Chinese visitors. 

Official statistics showed that Vietnam welcomed 1.9 million Chinese visitors in 2014, up 2.21 percent year on year and accounting for 24.7 percent of the total foreign arrivals. Meanwhile, 1.7 million Vietnamese travelled to China, an annual increase of 25 percent.

Conference promotes museum activities

The new roles played by museums in culture, communication and creativity will be discussed at a conference held by the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum on October 21. 

The two-day conference will discuss four topics, including exhibition design, art education, digitalisation of museums and museums as cultural venues.

Fourteen museum experts from Germany, Vietnam, as well as from neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, will share their experiences in carrying out the four topics and present insights into the practices in many museums.

Participants will include leading professionals from the Berlin State Museums, the Stadel Museum in Frankfurt, the Ayala Museum in the Philippines, as well as from the Museum and Gallery Tuanku Fauziah at the National University of Malaysia.

On the final day of the conference, participants can talk to experts and exchange personal experiences.

Lectures from Professor Dang Van Bai, Vice President of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Committee, and Professor Doctor Christina Haak, Managing Director of the Berlin State Museums, will kick off the conference on October 20 at 5pm at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi.

Quang Ninh to host national Buddhist dissemination festival

The 2015 national Buddhist dissemination festival will take place in the northern province of Quang Ninh on December 10 and 11 to commemorate 707 years of Nirvana attainment for Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran Dynasty (1226-1400) and founder of the Truc Lam Zen Buddhist Sect. 

The festival will feature a workshop on Truc Lam Buddhism, a requiem for heroes who died on the Bach Dang battlefield, a prayer for national peace and happiness, the casting of 108 statues of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong and other Truc Lam Buddhist events. 

Close to 20,000 people are expected to come, said Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, head of the provincial Buddhist Shangha’s Executive Board and vice chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS) Executive Council. He spoke at a press conference in Quang Ninh on October 16. 

The festival created an opportunity for Buddhist monks, nuns and followers across Vietnam to exchange ideas, he said. 

It would also help promote local relic sites such as Yen Tu in Uong Bi, the Tran Dynasty in Dong Trieu District and Bach Dang in Quang Yen. 

Most Venerable Thich Bao Nghiem, vice chairman of the VBS Executive Council and head of the VBS Central Committee’s Dharma Popularisation Section, said the 108 bronze statues of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong would each be 1.26 metres tall. 

As a little boy, Tran Nhan Tong showed outstanding intelligence and had a thorough knowledge of Buddhism. 

In 1274, when he was 16, he was given the title of crown prince by his father, King Tran Thanh Tong. Five years later, he ascended to the throne. During his 15-year reign from 1279 to 1294, he defeated Mongol invaders twice. Despite the demands of ruling, the king still had time for Buddhism. 

After his abdication in 1299, the former king left his palace to become a monk. He spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain (Quang Ninh province) practising and spreading Buddhism. He founded the Truc Lam School of Zen and worked to unify different Vietnamese Buddhist sects into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

Vietnam joins Asian Culture and Culinary Festival in Ukraine

Vietnam’s traditional culture, cuisine and handicrafts were introduced to an international audience at the Asian Culture and Culinary Festival in Kiev, Ukraine on October 18. 

The annual festival, the third of its kind, was organised by embassies from Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, with support from the embassies of India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Pakistan, among others. 

The event aimed to present a variety of Asian cultures and cuisines to Ukrainian people and international friends, enhancing understanding between Asian nations and the host. 

Art performances, film screenings, traditional handicrafts and food were among the event’s highlights. 

The festival’s revenue will be donated to needy Ukrainians.

Report, photo contest on Vietnamese people 

A report writing and photo contest themed 'Impressive Country - Vietnamese People' was launched in Can Tho on October 16, aiming to highlight human values and cultural identity of the Vietnamese people and country.

The contest, jointly organised by the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City Journalists' Association, will receive entries in the form of memoir, reportage and photos.

This year's contest covers a broad subject with the focus on honouring achievements in all areas particularly in peacetime and in the process of international integration in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region.

The contest also encourages entries depicting role-models who have set examples for others to follow, people making great contributions to the community, and activities of Overseas Vietnamese and their contributions to the country.

Contestants can submit their entries to the Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper via email or mail with the deadline set for May 31, 2016.

The awards ceremony will be held on the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day on June 21, 2016.

Exhibition spotlights Vietnam’s sovereignty over seas, islands

An exhibition on Vietnam’s seas and islands, as well as the cause of protecting the country’s sovereignty over Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos, officially kicked off in Da Nang city on October 19.

On display are 150 photos selected from thousands of rolls of film and files of photos in the data storage of the Vietnam News Agency as well as from numerous freelancers.

The exhibits feature the beauty of Vietnam’s seas and islands, the daily life of fishermen and local people on islands, and the drilling rigs on the sea.

The exhibition also highlights the local people, officers and soldiers who live on and protect the country’s seas and islands.

Additionally, a wide variety of photos express the great attention of President Ho Chi Minh as well as Party and State leaders to the life of officers and naval soldiers and the cause of national sea and island development and protection.

The exhibition significantly contributes to affirming Vietnam’s sacred sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos.

The event, co-organised by the VNA and the Vietnam-Russia Oil and Gas Joint Venture (Vietsovpetro), will last until October 24.

VNS/VOV/ND/VNA/TN