Rockers, DJs to kick off Da Nang New Years party

Vietnamese rocker Pham Anh Khoa, PAK band, The Beats, Riflamenco&Sarah and Hanh Noir, along with DJs, will perform in a live show, Da Nang – Time to Rock 2015, Welcome New Year 2016, at the Administrative Centre's Park in the central city on Wednesday.

The live rock show, which starts at 8pm, will spark rock lovers and fans in the city as they celebrate New Years.

As scheduled, the city hosts "Weekend Entertainment" events starting in January, including street dances, hiphop, sports games and skateboarding every Sunday night from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the park on Bach Dang Street.

VNSO tunes up for Beethoven concerts

Special concerts by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) featuring masterpieces by Beethoven will be held December 28 and 29 at the French Cultural Centre L’Espace at 24 Trang Tien Street in Hanoi.

Talented guitarist Pham Hong Ha and conductor Nguyen Khac Thanh are special guests of honour at the event marking what would have been Beethoven’s 245th birthday, concert officials have announced.

Beethoven has become an iconic figure of Romanticism and is widely regarded as one of the first of the great composers in the field. His carefully crafted works were written between 1797 and 1812.

Ticket prices range VND80,000 and VND150,000 each at L’Espace. Free delivery can be arranged by calling 0913 489 858 or 0983 067 996.

Ho Chi Minh City: Sculpture camp concluded

A sculpture camp celebrating 40 years of Ho Chi Minh City’s development and integration was rounded off with a ceremony in District 9 on December 21.

Running from November 15 to December 17, the event gathered 50 sculptors, including 11 foreigners from Russia, Iran, Bulgaria and Japan, among others. These artists

were selected for their outstanding submissions out of 200 draft works sent to the organising board prior to the camp.

All participating artworks reflect a growing dynamic city with friendly and active locals. They will be displayed at various public spaces across the city, such as along Nguyen

Hue Street and Sai Gon River.

Three excellent awards came to Ket noi (Connection) by Do The Thinh, Doi ca (Fish’s life” by Ngo Liem, and Su nghien cuu triet hoc III (Philosophy III) by Fabian Saeren

from Belgium.

According to Nguyen Thi Thu, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, the camp provided an outdoor art creation space for domestic and international

sculptors, contributing to helping sculpture flourish in the country’s southern hub and boosting local tourism.

Relic site of first female doctoral laureate receives national status

A certificate of national relic site status was presented recently to honour the tomb and temple of Nguyen Thi Due, the first female doctoral laureate in Vietnam’s feudal history, in northern Hai Duong province.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued the decision recognising the national relic site status in mid-2014.

Nguyen Thi Due, also known as Nguyen Ngoc Toan or Dieu Huyen, was born on March 14, 1574, in the place which is now Van An ward.

At the age of 20, Due disguised herself as a man to take an examination held by King Mac Kinh Cung and won the top position. Though her ruse was discovered, the King forgave her, gave her the name “Tinh Phi”(Descended Star) and married her. He later assigned her to teach his other wives and concubines.

After the Mac dynasty was overthrown, she was still respected and entrusted with the educating of the palace women by the Le Kings and Trinh Lords.

She lived the last days of her life in her hometown and passed away when she was over 80 years old.

The tomb and temple of Nguyen Thi Due in Van An ward of Chi Linh township is among “Chi Linh bat co” – the eight renowned ancient relic sites in Chi Linh township.

People of the year announced in Sports, Culture and Men magazine

The Thao Van Hoa va Dan Ong (Sports, Culture and Men) magazine has just announced its men and women of the year in the fields of culture, art, entertainment and business.

Men of the Year 2015 include People's Artist Tran Hieu, businessman Dinh Nhat Nam, designer Lam Gia Khang and Muay Thai boxer Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat while the only Pretty Woman of the Year 2015 was actress Diem My 9x.

The magazine awarded also Men of Decade titles to men that won Men of the Year titles more than once since the magazine began 10 years ago.

They include actor Johnny Tri Nguyen, film directors Victor Vu and Phan Dang Di, rock singer Tran Lap, musician Quoc Trung and designer Cong Tri.   

Kon Tum struggles to save fading gong culture

The effort to pass gong culture to younger generations in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum has been facing challenges, according to artisans.

The provincial authorities and local gong artisans have organised many classes to teach the gong-performing art to ethnic minority residents, especially young people.

Artisan A Thak in Pa Cheng hamlet, Dak Long commune, Dak Ha district said he had no gongs to teach local youth the art.

Enthusiastic artisans borrow gong sets from other communes for the teaching, but new learners will soon forget how to play if they do not have the instrument for regular practice.

According to Phan Thanh Hoang, Deputy Director of Kon Tum’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province currently has 1,900 sets of gongs of various types.

Kon Tum so far has opened 26 classes to teach forms of art and culture to nearly 600 people. The province has 300 groups of gong artists who perform at local rituals and festivals.

The cultural space of gongs was recognised as an Oral Masterpiece and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

Gongs, considered the most sacred and valuable asset in every ethnic family in the Central Highlands, have historically been widely played at ethnic minority groups’ traditional rituals and festivals.

Ethnic families in the Central Highlands region are keeping more than 9,880 sets of gongs with over 5,650 sets in Gia Lai and another 2,307 in Dak Lak. Most of the gongs belong to the Jarai, Bahnar, Ede and M’nong groups.

Thai Binh: architectural traces of Tran dynasty discovered

The latest findings in a relic site in the northern province of Thai Binh believed to be the Lo Giang Palace built during the Tran dynasty in the 13th century was announced on December 20.

The findings were made during the second excavation of the relic site at Thai Lang temple in Hong Minh commune, Hung Ha districtfrom mid-November this year. A number of architectural vestiges, including pillar foundations, brick yards, dragon-headed statues, tiles, and potteries were found. Architectural materials of the Le Trung Hung (16th -18th century) and Nguyen (19th -20th century) dynasties were also unearthed.

The found relics, together with historical documents, further strengthened the theory that the site was where Lo Giang Palace, as called under the reign of King Tran Nhan Tong, or Kien Xuong Palace under King Tran Hien Tong, once stood. They also proved for the first time that this was a complex which included at least three buildings.

The discovery is expected to help serve the research of and the establishment of scientific documents on relic sites under the Tran dynasty.

Lo Giang was said to be one of the biggest palaces of the Tran dynasty. It was located at an important position connecting Thai Binh’s Long Hung district, Nam Dinh province’s Thien Truong district and Hanoi’s Thang Long. However, it was destroyed long ago and its exact location as well as its architecture and scale remain a mystery.-

TV series highlights regional ties

The Dong Nai Province Radio and Television Station (DNTV) will broadcast a documentary series featuring friendship ties between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The 30-part film, Dong Duong Chung Mot Chien Hao (Indochinese Countries are Comrades in Arms), highlights the relationships of people and soldiers of the three countries in different eras.

It focuses on historic events in 1858 when the coalition forces of France and Spain arrived near Son Tra Island to attack Vietnam and the Indochinese Peninsula later.

It also features the three countries' history, culture and lifestyle. The film used reports and interviews produced by the national TV stations of Laos and Cambodia.

The DNTV film staff spent two years working with its partners to complete the documentaries. The film was produced to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army.

The film's 25-minute segments will begin broadcast on BTV2 and BTV1 channels every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9.30pm from on December 22.

It will be subtitled in Lao and Khmer, and released in the two countries as well.

27 gold medals presented at 35th National Television Festival

The 35th National Television Festival drew to a close with a ceremony in Dong Hoi city, the central province of Quang Binh on December 19 with 27 gold, 56 silver medals and 137 certificates of merits being awarded to outstanding works and producers.  

The Best Director award went to Luong Minh Duc from VTC Digital Television with his documentary film entitled ‘Mother, I'm Back’.

Meanwhile, Meritorious Artist Hoang Yen and Viet Anh won the Best Actress and Best Actor awards respectively.

The festival attracted nearly 500 works for television competing in nine categories including children's programmes, documentaries, reportage, science and education, talk shows and dialogue, ethnic minority language programmes, musical programmes, stage and television movies.

According to the jury, the entries reflected the country’s political, economic, cultural and social achievements over the past years; as well as honoured exemplary models during the process of building new culture, hunger alleviation, poverty reduction and disaster recovery, and in the fight against corruption and the cause of national security and social safety protection.

The winning entries in documentary, reportage and dialogue categories truthfully, promptly and strongly addressed pressing issues facing the country, they commented.

Meanwhile, many entries in TV series, music, science and education and children’s programming were applauded as they were produced using modern technology, catching up with the world’s trend.

Christmas book fairs open in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

A Christmas book fair kicked off at the Centre for Women and Development in Hanoi on December 18, attracting hundreds of visitors on its opening day.

Open from 8 am to 8 pm everyday until December 20, the fair offers book readers an opportunity to buy books at 50% off or pick a book from one-price shelves of VND 15,000, VND 20,000 and VND 30,000.

Visitors are invited take part in various sideline activities such as drawing about Christmas on recycled materials and wearing Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress).

Social activities targeting women and children were also launched by the CWD on the occasion, including the opening of 'House in Peace' which provides free and comprehensive support for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and human trafficking; a mobile consultation room with consultation services related to love marriage, and family; and an exhibition of photos and documents on gender-based violence in Vietnam.

The book fair, jointly held by the Phu Nu (Women) Publishing House, Kim Dong Publishing House, the Tre (Youth) Publishing House, and the CWD, is taking place at 20 Thuy Khue, Tay Ho district.

Also on the occasion of the Christmas season, a Christmas book fair will be held at Ho Chi Minh City Exhibition House from December 23 to 27.

The event is held annually at the end of the year by the Nha Nam Culture and Communications Company as a venue for readers to purchase books discounts of 25%-50%.

In addition to promotion programme, this year’s event will invite visitors to experience a Christmas atmosphere with decorations including a snow man, a Christmas pine tree, and exciting melodies of Christmas songs.

Visitors will also have a chance to receive presents from the Santa Claus and take instant photo with him.

Pham Huong eliminated from Top 15 at Miss Universe

Supporters of Pham Huong, the Vietnamese contender at the 2015 Miss Universe, started a new week with a piece of sad news: their beloved beauty bowed out of the pageant.

The beauty queens shortlisted for the last-15 competition round are from Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, France, the U.S., Curacao, Belgium, Japan, Venezuela, South Africa, Columbia, Mexico and Thailand.

The three-hour finale of the 2015 Miss Universe is being broadcast live on Vietnamese national channel VTV6, starting 7:00 am on December 21.

Huong’s failure to be in the last 15 is a shock and disappointment for her supporters, not only in Vietnam but around the world, as it came just against all forecasts and speculations.

It had been highly expected that the 24-year-old Vietnamese beauty could make it to Top 15 as she has won the hearts of millions of supporters inside and outside her home country.

Norman Tinio, a renowned blogger covering the world’s top beauty pageants, had even forecast prior to the Monday finale that Huong would be in the last-five beauties.

The Vietnamese contender had earlier jumped to top the People’s Choice list on the Miss Universe Poll, with 2,309,280 votes, standing before beauties from Thailand, the Philippines, Hungary and Dominican Republic, who is also her best friend at the Miss Universe.

In her latest Facebook post after the Top 15 announcement, Huong said nothing about her result, but instead called on her fans to support Clarissa Molina, the representative of Dominican Republic.

Huong was born as Pham Thi Huong on September 4, 1991 in the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong.

The Vietnamese beauty has a BA in marketing and now lives in Ho Chi Minh City, where she teaches at the Saigon College of Arts, Culture and Tourism.

In October 2015, Huong was crowned Miss Universe Vietnam in the finale taking place in the south-central city of Nha Trang.

Since Huong began her journey at the beauty contest, she has gradually won more hearts not only from Vietnam but also from around the world, with her gorgeous body, with vital statistics of 80 – 59 – 90, and broad and dazzling smile.

This year’s Miss Universe has attracted over 80 contestants from countries around the world, including the UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, India, Australia, France, Singapore, and Canada.

Miss Universe 2014, Paulina Vega of Colombia, will crown her successor at the end of the event.

The winner will be responsible for raising global awareness of HIV/AIDS through numerous worldwide humanitarian activities.