Vietnam-Czech literary works debut

A collection of Vietnam-Czech literary works by Do Ngoc Viet Dung made debut in Prague, the Czech Republic on December 11.

The debut was one of 65 cultural events celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Vietnam Culture and Arts Association in the Czech Republic Doan Cat said author Do Ngoc Viet Dung is among a few Vietnamese who published a number of books and poems about Vietnamese lives in Czech and translated hundreds of Czech literary pieces, history books and songs into Vietnamese.

Dung, for his part, expressed his honour to be the third Vietnamese admitted to the Czech Writers’ Association.

Cat said his association will establish a team to translate several famous Vietnamese works into Czech language.

‘Dialogue with Rivers' exhibition opens

A photo exhibition entitled Doi Thoai voi Dong Song (Dialogue with Rivers) has been held at the Temple of Literature in downtown Ha Noi.

Over 100 photos of rivers from all over Viet Nam were on display, showing different artistic styles of contestants, and highlighting the amazing scenes of rivers, the livelihood of people living by the rivers, the pollution they have caused to the rivers and their activities to fix it.

The exhibition is also the opening ceremony for the contest with the same theme, which has been launched by Viet Nam River Network, with the aim of creating opportunities for professional and amateur photographers to share their viewpoints and awareness over the issues relating to the rivers.

Over the past five months since the contest was launched, 130 contestants have submitted 593 works, including 884 photos, both in black and white and colour, to the organisers.

Nguyen Minh Son from Northern Province of Ha Tinh, who won the first prize with his work, Ben Hen (Mussel Wharf), said he felt honoured at receiving the news.

"I took a random picture when I visited Hen Wharf, and was invited to try the delicious mussel with rice pancake by local people. When I went to the wharf to buy some mussel, I saw such a beautiful scene of people raking the ground to catch mussels on the river. I hope to preserve this moment forever, as due to industrialisation, this scene may not last long," he said.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Thu Nga, a visitor to the exhibition, excitedly admires photo Gian Nan Tim Chu (The Struggling Road to Find Education), by Tran Phuong Lan, an amateur photographer.

"Most of selected photos this year are so unique. Thanks to the contestant, I know more about the pollution in the rivers caused by people, not only in Viet Nam but in the world," she said.

Nguyen Quy Hoai, a member of the organising board, said this is the first photo contest on rivers to be held on Facebook.

"Rivers all around the world are dying. We are also paying for what we had done to nature. Thanks to the contest, we are receiving sponsorship from NGOs and other organisations to help save the rivers before it is too late. This is also a chance for us to create a collection of database of rivers for researchers and students in Viet Nam," he adds.

The exhibition is open till Sunday. All winners and entries can be seen at this link: www.facebook.com/events/854630221284165/.

Shim Eun Kyung holds ‘Miss Granny’ presser

Korean actress Shim Eun Kyung attended a press conference on December 9 in Hanoi for the upcoming Vietnamese remake of the movie ‘Miss Granny’ entitled ‘Em la ba noi cua em’.

Kyung made her appearance at the Hanoi Pullman Hotel alongside director Hwang Dong Hyeok, also from Korea, fielding queries from the press and fans in comical fashion.

“The movie is a remake of the original Korean movie that premiered in January 2014,” she said, and though the Vietnamese version will take on a similar story-line there will also be some intriguing differences.

In it, Vietnamese star Miu Le has given a superb performance and director Phan Gia Nhat has brought new life to the romantic-comedy that provides a fascinating twist.

“I am sure Vietnamese fans and movie buffs alike will be delighted with it,” she poignantly pointed out, adding that it will screen on December 11 in Ho Chi Minh City at the 19th Vietnam Film festival.

DJ van Buuren comes to town

DJ Armin van Buuren, a trance music producer and radio personality from the Netherlands will perform in Ha Noi on Sunday.

His one-night performance has been announced on his individual website.

"I haven't played in Viet Nam yet. I can't wait to play there," he said.

Van Buuren is the most recognisable DJ around the globe. He is the only one crowned as World's Number 1 DJ for four times consecutively by DJMag, a British monthly magazine founded in 1991 for electronic dance music fans and DJs.

His own label Armada Recordings is one of the most successful record labels worldwide. Since 2001, Van Buuren has hosted a weekly radio show called A State of Trance, which currently has more than 20 million weekly listeners from 74 countries on over 150 FM radio stations.

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia enhance links in fine arts

Leaders of the fine arts associations of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia met at a friendship get-together in Hanoi on December 10 to discuss ways to enhance cooperation among the associations.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Vietnam Find Arts Association Tran Khanh Chuong highlighted recent effective collaboration among the three associations, especially after their 2nd meeting in 2013.

The agencies worked closely to organise practical activities, contributing to promoting friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding among the three countries, Chuong said.

Delegates from Laos and Cambodia spoke highly of support provided and experience in organisation and management shared by their Vietnamese counterpart in the recent years.

They said they hope for stronger ties among the associations in the coming time, expressing their belief that this will contribute to tightening friendship among Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian artists and further promoting their countries’ fine arts development.

The Vietnam Fine Arts Association suggested its Lao and Cambodian counterparts join hands in organising a number of activities such as exhibitions and exchange programmes for their members.

The Vietnamese association plans to host a fine arts-related international event for artists from ASEAN member nations and those from Northeast Asia in 2016, and coordinate with the Lao association to publish the book “Vietnam-Laos Fine Arts”.

On the occasion, representatives from the Fine Arts Associations of Vietnam presented insignia “For the Cause of Vietnam’s Fine Arts” to two members from Cambodia’s association.

Guitar concert held in Da Nang

Guitarists from Malaysia and Thailand will perform with local artists in the Da Nang Guitar Concert at Nguyen Hien Dinh Theatre on December 29th.

Da Nang City's event and festival centre said it's the first time the annual concert will have foreign and local guitarists play together to celebrate the new year.

Artists will play solo, duo, quartet and quintet guitar pieces with a violin accompaniment for the guitar festival's fourth year running.

Tickets are available at the Nguyen Hien Dinh Theatre at 155 Phan Chau Trinh Street, or at 102 Le Loi Street in Da Nang.

Children's book fair opens

The HCM City-based Books Distribution Corp (Fahasa) yesterday kicked off an exhibition of children's books "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with Friends and Books" at three bookshops in HCM City.

On display were 15,000 Vietnamese-language books selected from local publishers such as Tre, Kim Dong, Dinh Ty, Minh Long, Dong A, and Tan Viet.

These include well-known picture books for Vietnamese children such as De Men Phieu Luu Ky (Cricket's Journey); Than Dong Dat Viet (Vietnamese Child Prodigy), and Dat Rung Phuong Nam (Forestland from the South).

On display were over 10,000 foreign-language books from overseas publishers such as Little Tiger Press, Penguin Group UK, Hechette Book Group, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Parragon, Harper Collins, and Usborne.

The exhibition is taking place at Fahasa's bookshops at Xuan Thu, 391 Tran Hung Dao Street, District 1; Nguyen Hue, 40 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1; and Sai Gon, 60-62 Le Loi Street, District 1. It will last until January 10.

Thua Thien–Hue unveils tourism week

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue will celebrate a "golden week" from December 24 to 30 to promote tourism in Hue, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Entrance tickets at imperial palaces and tombs will be waived or sold at reduced prices during the week and visitors can also avail other services at discounts.

Ticket prices will be reduced by 30 per cent for the nha nhac (royal music) performance at the Duyet Thi Duong Royal Theatre, which was built in 1826.

Besides its beautiful sights and ancient palaces, Hue is also famous for its delicious and unique dishes like com hen (rice with mussel) and bun bo (spicy beef noodle soup).

The province has many popular destinations like Bach Ma National Park, Lang Co Bay, Huong River, Hue garden houses, Phuoc Tich ancient village, and Linh Mu Pagoda.

The province hopes to receive more than three million tourists this year after welcoming nearly 2.9 million, including more than 948,000 foreigners, in the first 11 months.

Can Tho Islet develops home stays

Con Son Islet in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has recently started offering community tourism.

Situated in the Hau River, a tributary of the Mekong, the 67ha islet is a magnet for tourists with its quiet setting, fresh air, fruit orchards, floating houses, and delicious traditional southern cakes made by locals.

It has 80 households living on farming and tourists can stay with them, experiencing first hand the life of a farmer, catching fish in a pond and making cakes together with their hosts.

There are around 50 floating houses that farm fish in cages, and tourists can feed the fish and spend a night in the houses.

The islet is 600 metres from the river bank and it takes 5-10 minutes by boat from Co Bac Boat Station in Binh Thuy Commune.

Dong Thap Tourism Festival opens

Dong Thap Tourism Festival 2015 was opened at Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on December 9.

Many attractive cultural and art activities have taken place during the festival such as music performance, photography and 3D-painting exhibition about the national park, cuisine festival, introducing new tourist programs at Tram Chim national park in the delta's flooding season.

The tourism festival is a favorable opportunity for boosting Tram Chim Ramsar site  as an attractive destination for domestic and international travelers, contributing to develop Dong Thap’s tourism industry.

On the occasion, Tram Chim National Park was granted the Third- Class Labor Medal, and was recognized as a national natural landscape by Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.

The Dong Thap Tourism Festival will last until December 11.

Tram Chim National Park covering over 700,000 hectares of Tam Nong District in Dong Thap Province that has protected many rare birds like the Big Cormorants, Painted Storks, Lesser Adjutants and the Sarus Cranes that are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

At present, over 100 species of plants, 100 species of vertebrate animals, 40 species of fishes, and over 200 species of birds  at Tram Chim National Park.

Saigon Classical to stage anniversary concert

Saigon Classical Music Group will celebrate its 10th anniversary by staging a concert at the Southern Women’s Museum in District 3 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Audiences will have a heart-to-heart talk with musicians and artists and listen to their dazzling performances in various forms such as solo, duet, trio, quartet, quintet, piano concerto and orchestra.

The show will feature some renowned pieces like Zigeunerweisen, Op.20 by Pablo de Sarasate and Overture from “Orphée aux enfers” by Jacques Offenbach performed by pianists Nguyen Tuan Manh and Phi Phi; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Valse sentimentale, from “6 Pieces, Op.51”; Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.3 in D major, BWV 1068, II. Air; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Divertimento in F major, K.138 performed by Nguyen Lu Hiep; and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No.13 in B-flat major, K.333, I. Allegro played by Nguyen Luan Du.

Baritone Nguyen Hoang Nhat Quang and piano accompanist Le Hoa Phong Lan will play Charles Gounod’s “Avant de quitter ces lieux” from “Faust” and Tito Mattei’s Non è ver’ while a guitar quartet consisting of Tran Quang Huy, Le Ngoc Nien, Hoang Kieu Anh, and Nguyen Quoc Chinh will perform Joao Pernambuco’s Sounds of Bells and Issac Albeniz’s Asturias.

Due to limited seats, spectators are advised to register as soon as possible via info@saigonclassical.vn. Children aged below six will not be admitted and audiences are recommended to arrive at the concert venue at least 15 minutes before the performance.

Although the concert is free, SCG and its artists are willing to take donations from audiences to maintain their activities.

The Southern Women’s Museum is located at 202 Vo Thi Sau Street, District 3, HCMC.

Free portrait photography for needy people in 13 provinces

The sixth Help-Portrait program last week took more than 10,000 portrait photos of underprivileged people in 13 cities and provinces at no charge.

Volunteer photographers of the program took portrait photos of people at 68 locations including hospitals, centers for children with disabilities and underprivileged people, and areas for workers in HCMC, Hanoi, Haiphong, Hue, Danang, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, Dalat, Bao Loc, Binh Thuan, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong and Can Tho.

Huynh Thi Tuyen, a woman lottery ticket vendor in HCMC’s Hoc Mon District, said the program allowed her to have a second photo shoot in her life after the first wedding photo shoot that happened years ago.

Fifth grader Mau Thi Bich Tram from Son Hiep Elementary School in Khanh Son District, Khanh Hoa Province said she had never been photographed before, so she was thrilled when some volunteers offered to take photos of her and her friends free of charge.

Help-Portrait is a community of photography enthusiasts from around the world who volunteer to devote time and effort to take photos of needy people.

In Vietnam, the program has been carried out by members of some photography forums such as photo.com.vn, vnphoto.net, ddth.com, and saigonphoto.net since 2010 in the hopes of doing something good for society.

This year’s program is co-organized by Help-Portrait Vietnam community, Vietnam Youth Union in HCMC, Uoc mo cua Thuy (Thuy’s dream) program by Tuoi Tre newspaper, Chung uoc mo xanh (sharing green dream).

VN-Korea culture exchange in Da Nang

A Culture Exchange Viet Nam- South Korea Festival will be opened at the central city's Tien Son Sports Centre today and tomorrow.

The festival, which aims to promote culture and tourism between Da Nang and South Korean cities, features cultural exhibitiond, Hanbok snapping, folk games, a photo exhibition, art performances and film screenings.

Art troupes from Viet Nam and Souh Korea including K-Tiger, Bibap, Trung Quan Idol and Nonlas will also take part in the festival, while Korean films such as Detective K: Secret of the Lost Island, Goodbye Mom; Mini Force, Cloud Bread and Super Wings will be also screened at the festival.

South Korean tourists comprise the second largest segment of foreign tourist arrivals in the city.

Last week, budget airline carrier Jeju Air officially launched its new air route, connecting the central city of Da Nang and Incheon, Seoul, Korea, while the Korean Air Busan introduced a chartered flight between the central Da Nang city and Busan from last year.

‘December Dialogue' exhibition opens

An exhibition, titled December Dialogue displaying paintings and sculptures, was opened at the central highlands province-based Ho Chi Minh Museum yesterday.

The event has drawn 30 works from four young artists – Nguyen Van Chung, Le Nguyen Thao My, Mai Qui Ngoc and Nguyen Vinh – in the topic of culture of the Central Highlands region.

The exhibition displays oil paintings, wood carvings, composite and gypsum sculptures, and will last until December 17th.

EF launches public speech competition

EF Education First yesterday opened registration for the EF Challenge – a public speeking competition for high school students all around the world, including Viet Nam.

The competition invites young people to compete with fellow students to give a speech on the theme "Do you believe nothing is impossible?". Winners will be invited to join EF's Youth Leadership Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 2016.

Each speech should be delivered in English, with the goal to showcase ideas and concepts that inspire and engage the audience.

Twenty students with the best speeches will be announced on April 30.

Teachers can start registering their classes and students today at www.ef.com/efchallenge. The speeches should then be submitted in video format.

In the first contest, Tran Duy Kien from Vinh Phuc Secondary School overcame 2,000 other students to become the only Vietnamese winner to join the Global Forum of Young Leaders held in New York in August.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri