HCM City awaits South Korean girl band

Famous South Korean girl group 2NE1 will perform in HCM City on August 10 as part of its "All or Nothing" – 2014 World Tour.

The four-member band, consisting of CL, Park Boom, Dara, and Minzy, will perform songs from their latest album Come Back Home, which was released early this year, and latest singles like Missing You and Falling in Love.

Two world-renowned directors Travis Payne and Stacy Walker are set to join the girl band's tour.

The concert will take place at 6pm at Phu Tho Stadium, 219 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10.

The Aristocrats tour to stop in HCM City

As part of their "Culture Clash" Asian tour, US rock band Aristocrats will perform at a live concert in HCM City on August 13.

The band, made up of guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummer Narci Minnermann, will play instrumental rock and jazz fusion.

The show will begin at 8 pm at the HCM City Music Centre, 57 Cao Thang Street, District 3. Tickets costing VND500,000-1 million are available at the venue.

A live music and visual art performance will be held at Cargo Bar on August 9.

Don't Feed the Monkey will feature Vietnamese and expat bands like The Love Below, Tofu Band, James and the Van Der, and Freckled Gypsys. The visual art show will be presented by LAV (Live Audio Visual) Syndicate.

The event will start at 5pm. The bar is at 4 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 4.

Hanoian Trio to show off instrumental tunes

The newly-founded Hanoian Trio consisting of cellist Ha Mien and composers Luu Hoang and Kien Cuong will perform at the Manzi Art Space tomorrow night.

The evening performance, entitled Summer Shines, will present classical pieces by Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach and William Henry Squire as well as original pieces composed by the trio.

The performance will start from 8pm at 14 Phan Huy Ich Street. Admission is VND200,00.

Two Project Runway winners to launch fashion collection

Ly Giam Tien and Hoang Minh Ha prepare their Autumn-Winter Collection - Photo: Courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Hoang Minh Ha and Ly Giam Tien, who won the Project Runway Vietnam contest in 2013 and 2014, is joining hands to launch their own fashion collection for the Autumn-Winter season in November.

Ly Giam Tien, an 18-year-old self-taught designer who won this year’s Project Runway Vietnam, is now working for local brand Canifa after receiving a cash prize of VND300 million from the company.

Tien, together with Ha who has cooperated with Canifa for one year, is preparing a trip to Australia in October to learn more about wool, a main material for their creations.

Tien, formerly a construction worker, has received many orders from customers since his victory in the fashion contest. He is also working on a collection for the New York Couture Fashion Week in September and another for the first Vietnam International Fashion Week 2014 in December in HCMC.

“Due to a tight schedule, I haven’t had time to relax and come back to my hometown to visit my family. However, I will try to arrange a week to be back home to meet my parents and neighbors who supported me during the contest,” Tien said in a statement.

Positive Mass bike ride returns

Inspired by the global cycling phenomenon critical mass, Ha Noi's own monthly iteration will return to the city's street on the last Friday of July.

Named Positive Mass, Ha Noi's mass bike parade will start from The Hanoi Bicycle Collective tomorrow, alongside bike rides in HCM City, Thai Nguyen and Son La.

The Hanoi Bicycle Collective is located at 29 Nhat Chieu Street, Tay Ho District.

Film offers insight into German psyche

German documentary Berg und Tal (Mountain and Valley) will be screened at the Goethe Institute in the city tonight.

A 2014 production by Philip Widmann and Karsten Krause, Berg und Tal is the exploration of a society's mindset through the examination of personal documents, statistics, popular literature and architecture.

Made for research and study purposes only, the documentary will be presented in German with English subtitles.

The free screening will start from 6pm followed by a discussion with the directors.

The Goethe Institute is located at 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.

Visual documentary project calls for local entries

The Visual Documentary Project 2014 – People and Nature in Southeast Asia is calling for Vietnamese enthusiasts to compete with other young filmmakers in ASEAN countries to win a trip to Kyoto.

Short documentaries are required to reflect on people and nature in Southeast Asia. Themes can include human and animal interactions, environmental issues, protection, natural disasters, conservation and biodiversity.

Documentaries should be no longer than 25 minutes. Translation and subtitling are also the responsibility of directors and a synopsis (no longer than 700 words) that describes the documentary, its background and the purpose of making it should accompany the documentary. Applicants should also submit a C.V. All submitted documentaries will be uploaded to a website for public viewing.

The Japan Foundation Asia Center, the organizer of the project, will select five successful documentaries and invite winning directors to Kyoto, Japan for a movie screening and presentation at an international forum.  The five documentaries will be archived in the center and will be made available online on the center’s website.

The center will cover costs of travel to Japan and their stay in Kyoto. The deadline of the project is October 21 and finalists will be announced on November 17. Application forms can be downloaded at http://sea-sh.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/visual-documentary-project-2014/.

Five int’l female DJs to join Electric Party next Friday

Electric Party is a special occasion for fans of EDM (Electric Dance Music) to enjoy performances of international DJs and local popular artists at Queen Hall in HCMC’s District 4 on Friday, August 1.

The Steam Punk themed event features DJs Colleen Shannon (U.S.), Miss Kelly Marie (UK), Roxy June (Thailand), Licca (Japan), Suki (Hong Kong) and singers Ho Ngoc Ha, Hoang Thuy Linh, Thu Thuy and Trang Phap, among others.

Participants to the show might be interesting to see a large space turned into a Wild West, mingled with the modern world. The organizer, YanTV, will also bring audiences a concept of fashion, art and mechanics.

Tickets to the show are priced at VND200,000 per person. For further information, visit

www.mox.vn/electricsteampunk.

Japanese, VN artists usher in summer

A group of Japanese and Vietnamese artists in HCM City is showcasing works in oil and lacquer, watercolours and mixed media, as a greeting to summer.

The “Summer Meeting” exhibition displays 30 abstract paintings featuring the beauty of the natural world and landscape.

Tokyo-based artist Kato Shojiro brings to the show his love of Vietnam. He uses vivid colours to express his emotions and sensitivity. "My intention is to convey an impression about Vietnam, through a foreign eye, to the local community," said Kato.

His Vietnamese colleagues, Nguyen Duy Linh of Hue City, Le Thanh Thu of Quy Nhon city and Vo Xuan Huy of Quang Tri city, display a contemporary taste.

Thu's art is a harmony of fine arts and poetry, expressed in a series of landscape in blue and white.

His oil paintings on canvas depict white clouds on a clear and blue sky, mountains and waves of water.

A young talent, Huy is one of the few artists displaying abstract works in lacquer.

Linh's art is a gift of love presented to her homeland, Hue, a beautiful city in central Viet Nam.

He said the works are based on fond memories and his love of life.

The exhibition can be seen at the Tu Do Gallery, 53 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 1, until July 28.

Indochinese kids to join HCM City cultural exchange

Nearly 200 children from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia will take part in an exchange programme in Ho Chi Minh City from July 28 to August 1.

According to Pham Hong Son, deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s chapter in the city, the event aims to tighten solidarity and friendship among the three Indochinese nations.

It is expected to provide participants an insight into the culture, history and socio-economic development of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

During the programme, attendees will meet with municipal leaders and visit a number of famous tourist sites in the city. They will also participate in a cultural and art performance on July 30.

This is the third time the event has been organised in Ho Chi Minh City, offering a venue for kids in the city and their peers from Laos and Cambodia.

Farmers' photos reveal impact of dams and deforestation

Eighty-six photos taken by farmers in areas affected by hydro-electricity power dams were on display in Tu Tuong park yesterday to raise awareness on the need for environmental protection.

The photos feature nine communities in three central provinces of Quang Nam, Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Binh, where the Vu Gia, Huong, and Long Dai river basins have been affected by the impacts of dams and deforestation.

"The photos reflect changes in the water volume of the basins at a time they drive the power dams," said Lam Thi Thu Suu, director of Hue-based Centre for Social Research and Development.

During the exhibition held yesterday, folksongs and plays were performed, conveying the communities' wishes for rivers unaffected by the changes.

On May 15, German foundation Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, which funded the exhibition, lent cameras to the communities to take photos.

The communities include Dai Hong and Dai Loc communes in Quang Nam, A Luoi and Ben Van communes in Thua Thien - Hue, and Lam Thuy and Truong Xuan communes in Quang Binh.

‘Conjuring Capital’ quests on responsibility towards nature

‘Conjuring Capital’, a group exhibition inspired by the resourcefulness of six contemporary artists, will open at San Art on August 7, featuring talents of Adriana Bustos from Argentina, Christopher Myers and Hank Willis Thomas from the U.S., Ngoc Nau in Vietnam, Sudarshan Shetty from India and Than Sok from Cambodia.

The show, encompassing videos, sculptures, installations, paintings and drawings, is curated by Zoe Butt as part of the three-year endeavor ‘Conscious Realities.’ The exhibition raises public awareness on the environmental asset and stresses the people’s responsibility towards nature in the modern life.

‘Landscapes of the Soul’ by Adriana depicts a guard admonishing a child, making viewers wonder what is alive and what is dead, what is fact or part of the artists’ illusion. In the work of artist Than Sok, a question of conscience is challenged through the religious practice of giving alms. ‘To Give is to Receive’ is a reconfiguration of objects used in ritualistic practice between Buddhist monks and laity in Cambodia.

Ngoc Nau’s snake straddles the dualism of death and mortality, pointing to the value of belief and tradition in providing hope and explanation for the impermanent world in which we live. In the short film ‘Am I going too fast?’ Thomas and Myers focus on the cities of Nairobi and Nakuru to speak of the difference between perception and reality, begging the world to look at the transformation that is happening on the ground, to move beyond the persisting stereotypes of color and class to focus on the wonder of their historical context.

Sudarshan Shetty presents ‘Waiting for others to arrive’ to reaffirm the cycle of creation and destruction. The exhibition will be on until October 30 at San Art, 3 Me Linh Street in HCMC’s District 1.

The project ‘Conscious Realities’ (2013-2016) seeks to stimulate creative activity in Vietnam, engaging different ideas of contemporary artistic process, consisting of lectures, workshops and an artist-in-residency program. Focusing on the shared cultural histories of South East Asia, South Asia, Latin America and Africa, invited artists and intellectual expertise on and from this region, will engage the divergent reactions to these histories and the lessons to be learned in thinking laterally across these creative communities.

Taiwan artist to give visual dialogue to art enthusiasts

Taiwanese Chou Chien-Pang, an exchange residency artist from Bamboo Curtain Studio in Taipei, will hold an art talk at San Art Laboratory, 48/7 Pham Viet Chanh Street at 5 p.m. this Sunday.

Chou, who holds a Master’s degree in law, brings to Vietnam his “Project Connection,” a visual dialogue and an interactive documentation realized by means of drawing, lettering, interview, photographs and digital communication with the local community he visits. Nicknamed ‘A Pang’, he will be staying in the city for a month to talk to young artists and art lovers.

Chou, 35, currently lives and works in Taiwan. The artist participated in the 2013 Young Art Taipei at Taipei Sheraton Hotel, the 12th Artist Fair at Shihlin Paper factory and Tainan Cultural and Creative Industry Park, Taipei and Tainan in October 2013, and most recently, a solo show at Lei Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan in early July.

He established a drawing group on Facebook and started to teach young children to draw, paint on the walls of his rooms, and give people the artworks he made for free.

Saigon hosts belly dance festival on weekend

This weekend, Saigon Belly Dance will introduce a belly dance festival, including a workshop and a gala.

The workshop will be on both July 26 and 27, and the gala show will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 27.

Belly dance has a long history rooted in Arabian countries and has been gradually booming in Vietnam in recent years. Belly dance can be seen as a special sport that has attracted a lot of people to join not only because of the beauty of the dance movements, but also it helps to enhance the endurance and flexibility of the body.

Long-term exercising belly dance will also reduce the risk of degenerative spinal, combat osteoporosis and strengthen bones. This type of dance also makes ladies feel more confident and sexier.

This is why Saigon Belly Dance is arranging a belly dance festival for people who are interested in this dancesport this weekend. Saigon Belly Dance, a leading belly dance training center, is organizing this festival together with three talented guests as professional teachers from different countries: Daily Klara Jasikova from the Czech Republic, Serverine from Switzerland and Amit Gilboa from the U.S.

There may be four workshops per day with many interesting activities available for dancers to join, such as city culture tour, dinner and belly dance shows. Free tea break will be available between each workshop.

Participants are advised to bring their own towels, shampoo and outfit to get change. Prices of each workshop range from VND215,000 to VND1,280,000.

The gala show is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 27 at Nam Quang tearoom, 147 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 3, HCMC. Tickets are now available at the reception.

For more information about schedule and fees, visit http://www.saigonbellydance.com/; or contact Ms Ngan at ngan@saigonbellydance.com.

Saigon Belly Dance Training Center is located at 94 - 96 Street Number 2, Cu Xa Do Thanh, District 3, HCMC.

Exhibit offers glimpse into Cham craft village life

Nearly 200 artefacts and documents related to the Cham people's traditional craft villages in the central province of Ninh Thuan are on display at an exhibition that opened on Wednesday at the Southern Women's Museum in HCM City.

It also has 29 photos of such villages and the role of women in preserving and advancing Cham culture.

"Many traditional craft villages of the Cham ethnic group have disappeared," Nguyen Thi Thu, director of Ninh Thuan Province's Centre for Cham Culture Studies, said.

"Only pottery, brocade, and traditional medicine villages have been preserved and developed by the Cham."

Bau Truc pottery village, My Nghiep brocade weaving village, and An Nhon and Phuoc Nhon traditional medicine villages have a long-standing reputation, she told the opening ceremony.

"Cham women play a key role in passing on traditional crafts and culture to new generations."

The exhibition, organised by the museum in co-ordination with the centre, will go on until August 30.

Islands exhibit features President Ho

As many as 200 artifacts documenting the central Party's and President Ho Chi Minh's ideology on protecting the country's maritime and island territory are on display at an exhibition in Ha Noi.

Titled Ho Chi Minh with Viet Nam's Sea and Islands, the exhibition showcases historical evidence of Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands and the nation's reactions to China's illegal placement of oil rig in Vietnamese waters.

Various letters and pieces of writing by President Ho to navy soldiers and fishermen are also on display, alongside maps, photos, documents, among other objects.

The exhibition will be on display at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, 19 Ngoc Ha Street, until mid August.

Horror film takes in VND12 billion

The Vietnamese horror film Doat Hon (Hollow) attracted 160,000 cinema-goers in the first four days after being released, bringing VND12 billion (US$556,000) in turnover, its producer, BHD Co., Ltd, has said.

Rated NC 16 (No children under 16), the film has been more successful than two other films produced by BHD, Co Dau Dai Chien 1 (Brides'War), and Long Ruoi, which attracted 110,000 and 130,000 viewers, respectively, in the first four days.

Doat Hon tells the story of the Vuong family, whose daughter becomes possessed after nearly drowning.

It features several veteran actors of Vietnamese cinema, including Kieu Chinh, Thuong Tin, Ngoc Hiep, and Minh Trang, as well as emerging star Tran Bao Son.

Quan Dai Temple recognised as national historical relic

The People's Committee of Quang Yen town in Quang Ninh province on July 22 received a certificate from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in recognition of Quan Dai Temple as a National Historical Relic.

The temple is located in La Khe hamlet, Tien An commune, Quang Yen town as a place of worship for two courtiers of the Nguyen dynasty, Truong Quoc Dung and Van Duc Giai.

They were famous generals in the late 19th century who commanded warriors and the people of Quang Yen to fight against the French colonialists to protect national sovereignty.

Quan Dai Temple now preserves many objects with historical, cultural and artistic values of the two generals such as inscriptions, scrolls of honour, pictures and worship items that are in need of protection and restoration to educate younger generations about this patriotic tradition.

Each year, on the 26th day of the sixth lunar month, local people in Tien An commune hold the Quan Dai Temple Festival to commemorate and show gratitude to the two courtiers of the Nguyen dynasty.

Free extracurricular classes for children

The Crescent Mall in District 7, HCMC will organize free extracurricular classes on the third floor of the mall including piano, guitar, drum, drawing, yoga and zumba for children from 18 months old to 15 years old. The program will take place from July 21 to August 8.

According to the organizer, money has been spent on infrastructure and instructional contents to create a useful, interesting and secure playground for children.

Coming to Guitar class, children (age group 6-15) will get familiar with the basic steps to play guitar. There will be two Piano group classes, for children from age 3-5 and 6-15.

The Crescent Mall also has drum classes for interested kids. Students in these classes will be taught the right sitting posture and how to use drumsticks.

Kids can also learn how to dance, sing and paint from Gymboree special curriculum to support comprehensive development of physical, cognitive, emotional and social skills. More interestingly, children aged from 3 to 15 years old will have a lot of fun when joining Zumba dance classes and team games. They can join Yoga classes designed especially for kids from 5 to 15 years old for relaxation and practicing to become more flexible and healthier.

Besides, a team of professional coaches from art schools and prestigious sports like Vietnam Trade, Gymboree and Fit24h together with Crescent Mall staff will direct and take care of the children to guarantee safety and comfort, and help kids develop their potential through the classes.

The only requirement is that a parent or guardian must be present during the entire session of their children.

Winners of southeast region photo contest announced

Photographer Ngo Dinh Hoa from Binh Thuan province won the gold medal of the Southeast region photo contest for his picture entitled, ‘To Quoc Goi Ten Anh’ (The Call from Motherland).

The photo was highly appreciated by the judges as it captures the determined smile of young soldiers in naval uniforms, while reflecting their readiness to serve their motherland.

According to Hoa, the picture was taken at the enlistment ceremony held at Nguyen Tat Thanh square in Phan Thiet city in 2013, when new recruits waved off their families and friends to join the army.

Two silver medals went to Dang Kim Binh and Nguyen Bao Son, both from Ninh Thuan province, for their photos entitled ‘Thu Hoach’ (Harvesting) and ‘Mua Kho’ (Dry Season), respectively.

Four bronze medals and six consolation prizes were also presented to other entrants.

Under the theme ‘Land and People of Southeast Region’, the contest was launched by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) and Tay Ninh provincial Literature and Arts Association. It received around 1,800 entries by 254 photographers from eight provinces including Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh and Lam Dong.

Fallen female volunteers at Dong Loc T-junction commemorated

A programme was held at the Dong Loc T-junction monument site in Can Loc district of central Ha Tinh province on July 24 to commemorate the ten female youth volunteers who lost their lives for the historical Dong Loc T-junction victory 46 years ago.

During the war, Dong Loc intersection was the most important site on the legendary Truong Son – Ho Chi Minh trail where trucks carrying soldiers, food, arms and munitions from the north to battlefields in the south passed through.

In 1968, while levelling bomb craters, the ten girls were buried alive by bombs dropped by US forces. Their sacrifice remains immortal and becomes a symbol of the Vietnamese heroism.

The historic site also witnessed the death of thousands of soldiers, volunteers, traffic workers, drivers and innocent civilians.

Named “Dong Loc – the Immortal Intersection”, the event was comprised of art performances showing the gratitude of today’s generations to heroes and martyrs who shed their blood for the country.

On this occasion, Ha Tinh province also received a certificate recognising the Truong Son – Ho Chi Minh trail as a special national relic site.-

Theory and criticism of literature and arts crucial to improve quality

The theory and criticism of literature and arts play an important role in improving the quality of literary works, helping them keep up with the changes in social life and meeting the increasing demand of readers.

This remark was made by poet Huu Thinh, Chairman of the National Committee for the Vietnam Literature and Arts Associations and Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association, at a seminar held in Hanoi on July 24.

The seminar was held under the theme ‘Building system for theory of Vietnam’s literature and arts’ by the Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper and the Central Council for the Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts (CCTCLA). The event was held to realise a Party Resolution on building and developing Vietnamese culture.

Delegates at the event, who are researchers and critics working in the fields of literature, the arts and culture, focused their discussion on major topics, namely clarifying the urgent need to improve the system for theory of Vietnam’s literature and arts, highlighting the leadership of Party and State in the work, devising the fundamental contents of the system and designing a roadmap for the task.

Addressing the event, Nhan Dan newspaper Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association Thuan Huu said that shortcomings in the work of theory and criticism have posed negative impacts on the composition of literary works.

The shortcomings have also caused difficulties in the time it takes to discover good-quality literary works and bring them to the public.

CCTCLA Chairman, Associate Professor Dr. Hong Vinh suggested that the system for theory of Vietnam’s literature and arts should be built in line with the ideology of Marxism, Leninism, President Ho Chi Minh and Party’s guidelines on the field as well as the legacy of the country’s literature and arts.

Opinions were raised at the workshop calling for further positive involvement of press agencies throughout the country in boosting the development of literature and arts.