VietNamNet Bridge – The Kim Dong Publishing House has published the first five instalments of a comic strip series on the late President Ho Chi Minh as part of its activities to mark National Day on September 2.

The comics will be a series of 20 books titled Bac Ho Song Mai (Uncle Ho Lives Forever), to acquaint young readers with the leader's life and revolutionary career.

They will also feature stories about the President's interaction with children.

The books will contain colourful images drawn by skilled artists and simple language.

The next instalment of comics is expected to be released next year.


* Vietnamese Music Day to kick off this weekend


A variety of performances will be held in 13 cities and provinces across the country on Saturday and Sunday to celebrate Vietnamese Music Day.

A gala opening ceremony will take place at 8pm on Saturday at the Viet Nam Song and Dance Theatre. The ceremony will include classical and contemporary music performances and five choir performances by 40 music lovers from the Ha Noi Music Association under the baton of conductor Nguyen Thieu Hoa.

Notably, the music day celebration will feature an appearance by a rhapsody orchestra consisting of six young instrumentalists who will play Vietnamese works such as Pho Phuong Ha Noi (Ha Noi Streets) and OÂi Que Toi (Oh, My Homeland).

In a broad range of events, visitors will have an opportunity to enjoy traditional music in front of the capital's Dong Xuan market, a piano concert in HCM City, a music night in Hue and they will have the opportunity to meet musicians in the central coastal province of Quang Ngai.

Da Nang will host a song writing camp to seek new songs while musicians and singers of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region will gather at the southernmost province of Ca Mau to attend an art programme for the public.

Included in another programme will be songs based on poems by war marty Nguyen Van Thac, which were designed as a gift to Vietnamese soldiers who put their studies aside to fight with the liberation forces in Quang Tri Province.

Do Hong Quan, chairman of the Viet Nam Musicians Association, said: "The organising board is holding dozens of different activities so that this festival is like a beautiful flower in a colourful music garden. Vietnamese music aims to develop in a modern way while still holding on to tradition."

The annual Vietnamese music day, September 3, is organised to honour national music as well as encourage musicians and singers. On the same day 51 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh conducted a choir and an orchestra in a performance of Bai Ca Ket Doan (Solidarity Song) at Ha Noi's Bach Thao Park.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News