French camera captures VN women

A photo by Rehahn Croquevielle, which will be on display to celebrate Vietnamese Women's Day.

About 20 colour portraits of Vietnamese women by French photographer Rehahn Croquevielle will be on display at the Phan Dinh Phung Secondary School in Ha Noi on Sunday.

Croquevielle has donated the photos as part of the Vietnamese Women's Day celebrations.

This is his first exhibition, who travelled through 30 countries and settled in Hoi An two years ago.

The photos will be displayed between 9am and 10pm at 67B Cua Bac Street on Sunday.

Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre earns Asian Record

The Asian Book of Records has recognized Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre as the only Asian theatre performing water puppet shows every day of the year.

The Theatre held an October 17 ceremony to officially receive the title. In 2006, it was acknowledged as Vietnam’s sole art unit performing live shows all year round.

Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre Director Nguyen Hoang Tuan its shows embrace traditional Vietnamese values, the root of the uniqueness that has earned the theatre domestic and international acclaim.

Over the past two decades, the theatre has expanded to offering an average of five shows on each of the year’s 365 days.

The theatre is currently preparing to participate in the 4th International Water Puppet Festival next year.

Percussion performances celebrate ASEAN-Japan ties

A two-day music programme called “Drum and Song” is being held in Hanoi to mark the 40 th anniversary of the cooperation and friendship between ASEAN and Japan .

Taking part in the performances, which started on October 17, are 12 professional traditional percussionists from Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Brunei and Japan.

The programme will be performed in six ASEAN countries until next month before ending in Tokyo in December.-

Dien Bien prepares for international “con” throwing festival

The northwestern province of Dien Bien is gearing up for the third Vietnam-Laos-China “con” (colourful fabric ball) throwing festival due to open one week later.

The three-day festival will draw the participation of athletes from the Chinese district of Jiangcheng (Yunnan province), the Lao district of Nhot U (Phongsaly province) and the Vietnamese districts of Muong Nhe and Dien Bien (Dien Bien province).

Apart from “con” throwing festival, there will be other activities such as folk games, a costumes pageant, a cooking contest, and a trade fair to introduce Vietnamese consumer products.

Hanoi University and Dien Bien College of Economy and Technology are responsible for providing students to work as translators.  

The opening ceremony with a firework display is expected to leave good impressions on both Vietnamese and international guests and participants.

Many streets in Dien Bien city have been beautifully decorated.  

The two previous “con” throwing festivals were held in China’s Jiangcheng district.

Ladies and love in Rung’s paintings

Women’s beauty and love are depicted in more than 50 paintings made of acrylic on paper by artist Rung which came on display on Wednesday at Du Mien Café, 48/9A Ho Bieu Chanh Street in Phu Nhuan District.

As a forte as well as his great admiration for women, Rung seems to dotingly adore the female bodies which are brimful of vitality. Fulsome shapes are honored in his nude art, in which vaporous, mysterious, soaring and graceful looks are seen, taking visitors to admire young ladies flying through galaxies with stars, colorful flowers and romantic spaces.

Love seems to be an endless inspiration for Rung. Not obsessed by sad love stories which often are set in tragic movies, Rung depicts love with happiness, sweetness and affection.

Memories, landscapes, maternal love and many portraits are also exhibited at the show which runs until October 30.

Urgent repairs begin on leaning Cham tower in My Son

Experts from the Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with central Quang Nam province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will start emergency repairs on another of the world famous Cham towers, known as B3, in the My Son Sanctuary this week.

The tower in danger of collapsing is 5m away from a complex of towers B, C and D. It's the first tower that has been repaired in My Son, however other towers have been fully or partly restored over the years.

Director of the Management Centre for Relics and Tourist Landscapes, Phan Hong Cam, said that the Cham tower had started tilting towards the southwest four months ago."We found cracks on the entrance arch and discovered that the foundations on one side had sunk by eight degrees, calling for emergency repairs," he said.

"Experts and engineers from the institute and our experts have been discussing ways to fix the tower, and emergency repairs will start this week," Cam said, adding: "Dteel cages will be placed in the middle of the tower and steel supports on the walls. All materials have been approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."

The move is only a temporary solution to save the tower from ending up a heap of rubble. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will submit a long-term restoration programme for the tower next year.

The monuments of the My Son Sanctuary are the most important constructions of the My Son civilization. The tower temples have a variety of architectural designs symbolizing the greatness and purity of Mount Meru , the mythical sacred mountain home of Hindu gods at the center of the universe, now symbolically reproduced on Earth in the mountainous homeland of the Cham people.

They are constructed in fired brick with stone pillars and decorated with sandstone bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Their technological sophistication is evidence of Cham engineering skills while the elaborate iconography and symbolism of the tower-temples give insight into the content and evolution of Cham religious and political thought.

The My Son Sanctuary is a remarkable architectural ensemble that developed over a period of ten centuries. It presents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in an important phase of the history of South-East Asia .

Conservation of the My Son monuments began in the early part of the 20th century soon after their discovery in modern times by French archaeologists. During World War II, the first Indochina War and, especially, during the second Indochina War, many tower temples were damaged. However, conservation work has been carried out and the remaining tower temples have been maintained and are well-preserved.

The site is at risk from severe climatic conditions such as flooding and high humidity, though stream widening and clearance of surrounding vegetation have minimized these impacts. There remains an enduring issue of the possible presence of unidentified, unexploded ordnance within the boundaries of the property’s buffer zone, which has affected the archaeological research of newly-discovered areas, restoration of eight monumental areas, as well as site presentation for visitors.-

Balade en France food fest to attract 2,000 guests

Balade en France, a large-scale French gastronomy and wine festival, will be held for the fourth time at the five-star Hotel Equatorial HCMC in District 5 next weekend from October 25-26, as one of the main activities to mark French Year in Vietnam.

Participants who buy a ticket in the shape of a passport to Balade en France can savor five different traditional French dishes, three desserts, five glasses of wine and a glass of cider from local restaurants and wine merchants who are partners of the event. Guests can use discounts from the passport at these restaurants or merchants after the event. Those who wish to sample more food can buy coupons at any food/wine stall at the site.

Some of this year’s top dishes are raclette, fish soup and crème brulee.

Additionally, diners can taste wines from the most renowned French wine regions, including Bordeaux, Rhone, South-west, Languedoc, Loire and Provence.

During the two-day event, there is a live show from the Hot Tzigani Project band with its unique sound of the accordion, bilingual songs by Vietnamese-French artist Minh Le Maximum/ a resident artist of Flo Lobby Lounge of the hotel, a fashion show by Hoa Sen University and Mod’Art, traditional French Cancan dance by the Urban Dance Group from HCMC-based Dancenter as well as a performance from DJ Peanut. Besides, guests have a chance to win vouchers from Air France. There will also be an entertainment corner just for kids.

Especially, underprivileged children from Poussière de Vie - an association helping poor children in Vietnam - will enjoy a fun evening.

Tickets are priced at VND570,000 (in advance) or VND700,000 (at the site). Children aged 14 or under will be charged VND200,000 and it’s free for children under five.

Balade en France 2012 is organized by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV), Sopexa (the French agency for international marketing of food, wine and lifestyle) and the Hotel Equatorial with support from the French Ministry for Agrofood, Agriculture and Forestry and the French Consulate General in HCMC.

*The Hotel Equatorial HCMC is located at 242 Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5, Tel: 3839 7777.

The Hotel Equatorial HCMC invites diners to a French week of gastronomy with the participation of guest chef Jerome Toumelin from Market Restaurant in Paris from tomorrow until October 26.

There are buffet dinners at the Chit Chat restaurant on ground floor priced at VND840,000++ per adult with a free flow of beer, wine and soft drinks. It is half price for kids from 6-12 years old and kids under six eat for free. There is a Brittany night on Saturday with Crepes Bretonnes on the menu and entertainment from Gwenilli and Lang Du live acts.

Orientica Seafood Restaurant and Bar on level 2 offers a nine-course fusion feast paired with specially selected wine from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire valley, Cotes du Rhone and Champagne for dinner on October 24 priced at VND1.59 million++ per person.

Toumelin is an executive chef for the Market, a fashionable restaurant near the Champs-Elysses in Paris. He has worked under famous chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Toumelin gets his inspiration from local products, the seasons and from his traveling around the world.

Gourmets are advised to reserve in advance due to limited seating. For reservations, call 3839 7777.

Hanoi hosts Charity Music Show at Obstetrics Hospital

A Charity Music Show for inpatients will be held at Hanoi's Central Obstetrics Hospital on October 18 on occasion of Vietnamese Women's Day on October 20.

Participants include Meritorious Artist Viet Hoan; singers Bui Thu Huyen, Thai Thuy Linh, Trung Quan, Minh Thu; Master of Ceremonies Manh Thang; magician Duy Nguyen; and kid singers Vu Thai An and Mai Chi Cong.

Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) will offer 10 gifts to disadvantaged patients.

Funds raised at the concert will be donated to poor patients in the hospital.

‘Nap' show offers chilled-out beats

Siestes Electronique (Electronic Naps), an experimental music concert to take place at Thong Nhat Park today, lets attendees enjoy music in a casual setting.

Listeners can wander around the park, sit on chairs or lie down on the grass and close their eyes.

The music event started in 2002 in Toulouse, France. After becoming an annual music event in France, it spread to Berlin, Montreal, Kyoto and Brazzaville in the Congo.

Viet Nam's first-ever Siestes Electronique will present a mixture of electronic and experimental music as well as traditional Vietnamese music performed by French and local artists.

The French guest artists include filmmaker Vincent Moon, famous for his "Take-away Concert", in which he filmed musicians in various locations such as streets, buses and parks before the eyes of amused onlookers. Tomorrow he will show some of these raw, improvised sessions.

Laurent Jeanneau, another French artist, has worked for more than 10 years to preserve the music of ethnic minority groups, mixing live recordings with electronic and acoustic elements.

Musician Jean Nipon will impress local audiences with unique melodies that move from 8-bit to breakcore and techno.

Sharing the stage with them will be Viet Nam's "best sound wizard", Vu Nhat Tan.

Widely seen as the country's top experimental sound artist and electronic musician, Tan has performed in Germany, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Bangkok and Singapore.

HCM City-based musician Nguyen Hong Giang, who goes by Writher when performing electronic music, will also present his progressive compositions.

Siestes Electronique will take place from 3-6pm.

Guide to HCM City life hits bookshelves

Searching for a school for your children? Wondering where to pay bills? Looking for higher value housing? Interested in new activities? All these questions and more are answered in the new HCM City Resident Guidebook published last month.

Published by City Pass Guide, the English language guidebook (website is in five languages) provides all kinds of pertinent information necessary for an extended stay in the city.

It covers housing, family, leisure, business, and shopping and has detailed maps of the central districts and a city bus route map.

It was complied by an international and Vietnamese team in collaboration with experts.

The book is sold at bookshops and other stores around the city.

Photo exhibition on Hanoi in early 1980 opens

A photo exhibition titled “Hanoi- Soul of a land” featuring British diplomat John Ramsden ‘s pictures of the capital opened in Exhibition House at 29, Hang Bai Street in Hanoi on October 17.

The exhibition displays 100 photos taken in Hanoi in early 1980. The exhibits describe the beauty of the capital, the optimism and confident of the people of Hanoi in the postwar period.

They are presented to the public for the first time after 30 years since John Ramsden left Vietnam.

The event will run until October 27.

Another show themed “Hanoi: Spirit of Place” by the British diplomat was introduced in London in the UK in May.