Dragon Bridge gets US engineering award

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) presented the engineering Excellence Award to the Rong (Dragon) Bridge which spans the Han River in the central city.

The award was presented at the Grand Award ceremony in Washington DC, the US, on April 30.

The bridge, which was designed by the Luis Berger Group and Ammann & Whitney, was among eight works to receive awards at this year's event.

"The dragon bridge is the pride of DaNang's people. We are honoured to receive the prize. The bridge will help connect Viet Nam with friends across the world," Vice Chairman of the city's People's Committee Vo Duy Khuong said at the award ceremony.

Architect Tom Andesson said he had designed the bridge after being inspired by the legendary story of the Dragon and the Fairy, which is about the origin of the Vietnamese people.

The 666-metre Rong Bridge, which was inaugurated last year, connects the main road with the airport and the My Khe beach in the Son Tra peninsula, and the UNESCO-recognised world heritage Hoi An City.

The dragon-shaped bridge is designed to breathe fire from the dragon's head on Saturday and Sunday nights, while spraying water during the day.

The 500-metre long body of the dragon was built using five 1.2-metre arched steel pipes which weigh a total of 1,000 tonnes. The six-lane bridge is illuminated by 5,000 LED lights at night.

The dragon's head is inspired by the stone dragon with a lotus-shaped tail from the Ly Dynasty.

The central city's department of transport has registered the Rong Bridge with the Guinness World Records as being the ‘largest steel dragon'.

In January, the lighting design of the Bridge was shortlisted for the Lighting Design award at the 2013 FX International Design Awards in London and the 2014 Lighting Design Awards for International Projects (Interiors) category.

Photo exhibition features Dien Bien Phu victory

A collection of 60 photos featuring General Vo Nguyen Giap leading the charge in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu opened in Vung Chua, Quang Dong commune in central Quang Binh province on May 4.

The photos aim to provide visitors an insightful glimpse into the historical significance of the battle and instill a sense of pride and patriotism encouraging them to continue the glorious tradition of their ancestors, contributing to the cause of national construction and defence.

At the conclusion of the exhibition, the photos will be donated to Quang Binh province where they will go on permanent display at the grave site of General Vo Nguyen Giap in eternal remembrance of the great leader.

The event, co-orgaised by Vietnam Photography Magazine, VNA Photo Department, and the Vietnam War Veterans Association, will last through May 14.

Art exhibition to commemorate the country's Reunification Day

An art exhibition opened on Tuesday to mark the 39th anniversary of the country's Reunification Day (April 30), displaying 96 sculptures and paintings at the Da Nang's Fine Art Museum.

The works of art, created by artists from Da Nang and HCM City during a field workshop in Hoi An town, My Son Sanctuary, and Da Nang, showcase the beauty of the landscapes and people in the central region.

The exhibition will run until May 10. The Ho Chi Minh Museum in the city is not charging entry fees from visitors until Friday.

Vietnam Film week in Laos set to kick off

Vietnam Film Week in Laos is scheduled to take place from May 5-11 in Vientiane and Savannakhet provinces, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory (1954-2014).

During the festival, eight famous films about the Dien Bien Phu campaign which will be screened including Vo chong A Phu (A Phu husband and wife), La Co Chuan (Standard Flag), Hai Nguoi Me (Two Mothers), Dien Bien Phu, Hoa Ban Do (Red Banhinia Flower), Chien Thang Dien Bien Phu (Dien Bien Phu Victory) and Cot moc vang Dien Bien Phu (Dien Bien Phu golden milestone).

The films will also be broadcast on Lao National TV’s channel 1 and 3.

The week-long festival provides a time for younger generations of both nations to reflect on the significance of the historic victory and, most significantly, the assistance the Laotian people provided Vietnam in the struggle for independence from the French colonialists.

This is also one of meaningful events which features the time-honoured friendship, solidarity and all-around cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, contributing to the cause of peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The event was co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, Vietnam Culture Centre in Laos, Vietnam Film Institute and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos.

Novel goes deep behind enemy lines

The fall of American-backed Sai Gon regime and the fates of most of its leaders are vividly described in a new, historical novel just released by the National Political Publishing House.

Bien Ban Chien Tranh 1-2-3-4.75 (War Minutes January-April, 1975), is authored by former Vietnam News Agency (VNA) journalist Tran Mai Hanh, who was part of the agency's special mission following key military units marching to liberate Sai Gon in the spring of 1975.

The 19-chapter novel is based on interviews with and confessions by many figures in key positions in the Sai Gon regime. It depicts in detail the collapse of defence lines around Sai Gon; drawing on original telegraphs, meeting minutes of the Sai Gon regime leaders and news printed in newspapers and broadcast on Sai Gon radio between January and April 1975.

"I had been working on the novel for dozens of years," Hanh told Viet Nam News. "Time has not faded but highlighted further the Vietnamese people's Great Victory of Spring 1975 under the wise guidance of the Party. I think I was lucky to witness the victory and get close access to original materials of the rival side so that I could sketch both a general and detailed picture of the (US-backed) regime's collapse."

Journalist and poet Doan Ngoc Thu, who is with the Viet Nam Plus online newspaper, said this is a book that is worth reading because "it is a long news story without any comment or subjective opinion from the author".

In an article introducing the book, she wrote: "It exposes an indispensable truth that there is no ‘win-lose' notion, there is only a certain fall of injustice and the final official overwhelming prevalence of justice, which has been based on historical evidence by a talented and passionate journalist."

An introductory blurb in the book by poet Mai Linh, general director of the To Quoc (Father Land) online newspaper, also underlines the value of the book. It says: "History is never old. If it lays a great value on truth, which is worth searching for, the older the history is, the newer value it brings along. Antiques are invaluable."

A journalist with the VNA between 1965 and 1995, Hanh now works as a senior advisor of the To Quoc.

He has published several collections of short stories and reportage including Nang Thu Bon (Sunshine over Thu Bon River), Tinh Yeu va An Tu Hinh (Love and the Death Sentence) and Ngay Tan The (Apocalypse).

Arts programme in HCM City celebrates Vesak Day

Singing and dancing performances by Buddhist monks and followers in Ho Chi Minh City on May 3 made up an arts programme to celebrate the upcoming United Nations Day of Vesak.

The performances were selected from a shortlist of 160 gathered by different localities. They demonstrated the values of Buddhism and its importance in the life of Vietnamese people, while delivering wishes for happiness.

The main celebrations of the United Nations Day of Vesak (Buddha’s Birthday, Enlightenment and Passing Away) will be held in Bai Dinh Temple in the northern province of Ninh Binh from May 7-11.

This will be the second time Vietnam has hosted the event.

In 2008, the Vesak celebrations in Hanoi were attended by over 600 Buddhist delegations from around the world.

Buddhism has been practiced in Vietnam for over 2,000 years. The country has more than 12 million Buddhist followers, over 40,000 monks and nuns and almost 15,000 temples, monasteries and other places of worship.

Historical bridge repainted to commemorate Reunification Day

The Quang Tri-based historical Hien Luong Bridge, serving as the border link between North and South Viet Nam in 1954-1964, has been repainted in dual colours characteristic of the period.

Since the Reunification Day in 1975, the paint on the bridge's steel frame has faded, leaving a grey rusty look.

The bridge has been recently repainted in blue, on the northern part, and in yellow, on the southern part. The repainting has been done based on historical documents and witnesses, according to the managers of the historical bridge.

They believe that the repainting is a way of showing respect to history and to educate the young generation.

During a ceremony to celebrate the Reunification Day in Quang Tri on April 30, the bridge has been recognised as a national unique heritage.

The bridge, which runs over the Ben Hai River, was the border separator between North and South Viet Nam after the signing of the Geneva Convention in 1954. At that time, each part was 89m long. The northern surface has 450 wooden plates, while the southern surface has 444 plates in the same size.

Presently, the bridge is no longer a means of commuting. It receives about 20,000 visitors every year.

New museum commemorates Dien Bien Phu victory

A new museum which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory was inaugurated on May 5.

Tourists will be able to learn about the victory through the photos and objects displayed at the new Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum. It has been rebuilt from the old museum which was established in 1984 on one of the many relic sites in the northern province of Dien Bien. It has many valuable documents and objects related to the historic Dien Bien Phu campaign.

The victory played a decisive role in ending Viet Nam's resistance war against the French and in bringing new momentum to Viet Nam's revolution and the struggle for peace, national independence and socialism.

The battle occurred in Dien Bien between March and May 1954 under the command of General Vo Nguyen Giap. The victory led to the signing of the 1954 Geneva Accord in which France agreed to withdraw its forces from the colonies in Indochina.

Located in Muong Thanh District, Dien Bien city, the old museum displays 270 objects and more than 200 paintings and photos of great historical value. It also has huge outdoor exhibits such as artillery guns, cannons, tanks and machine guns.

It was upgraded at the end of 2003, and its exhibition sections were reorganised to give visitors a panoramic view of the nine-year long resistance war against the French and the remarkable Dien Bien Phu victory.

Spread over a total area of 7,000 square metres, the new museum has about 1,000 objects divided into five exhibit sections, featuring the strategic location of Dien Bien Phu, the enemy's scheme at Dien Bien Phu, the Party's guideline regarding preparations for the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the impact of Dien Bien Phu at home and abroad and the present-day Dien Bien Phu.

The indoor exhibition area in the new museum is triple the size of the old one.

On the occasion, a statue of late General Vo Nguyen Giap was donated to the museum on Wednesday. Measuring 83 centimetres in height and weighing 115 kilograms, the bronze statue sits in the commemorative room of the museum. It is an expression of gratitude for the great contributions made by the general to the Vietnamese revolution, particularly the Dien Bien Phu victory.

It also helps to educate the Vietnamese people, especially the younger generations, about the moral values and talents of General Giap, who was born in 1911 in the central province of Quang Binh. He passed away in Ha Noi last year at the age of 103.

Along with the statue, the room also has photos of heroes of the People's Armed Forces, and the youth volunteers who transported supplies to the battlefield during Dien Bien Phu campaign.

VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV