Hoi An saves uprooted trees

Around ten ancient trees in the old quarter of Hoi An City, which were either uprooted or blown down after the year's 11th storm, Nari, hit the central region, have been restored.

These trees are almost 100-years-old with diameters from 20cm to 50cm, vice chairman of Hoi An People's Committee, Truong Van Bay told Viet Nam News yesterday

"We have restored a 50-year-old star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) tree in Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. It was uprooted when Nari hit the city last night," said director of Hoi An City's public works company, Nguyen Quoc Tien.

"Experts and staffs will do all for the conservation of the trees, which are part of Hoi An heritage," Tien said, adding that the company has helped restore fallen trees after storms in the city for years.

However, he said he only expected the conservation would help half of the old trees to survive.

Truong Chi Trung, director of Hoi An Town's Centre for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation, said the conservation of ancient trees is an effort to restore green landscape for the UNESCO-recognised world heritage town.

Trung said fortunately all ancient houses in the old quarters were undamaged after the storm.

YxineFF screens Panorama selection

YxineFF online international film festival will screen 13 short films from its Panorama section from tomorrow at www.yxineff.com with a new film being screened daily until October 29.

The movies bring fresh points of view, brave new ways to tell a story, are character-heavy and focus on individualism.

The Journey directed by Cuong Ngo and produced by Ngo Thanh Van, is based on a true story about a boy who has inborn cardiac disease and is supported by Heartbeat Vietnam Surgeries program to have a life-saving operation, and the tireless journey as he and his mother travel back and forth to Saigon for treatment.

Short films Husbie! Open door and The tenth great thing feature the honest voices of youth about homosexuality. Being nominated for the Rainbow Heart award, these two films touch secluded sides and both have straightforward points of view and deep sympathy with stories of homosexual lovers: from the very first plain and awkward crush, to a drastic struggle for happiness.

And the sun still shines tells the story of a man who is looking for lost treasure, Deadfish sees a mother having to explain to her son about his father’s death, The next day figures out reasons for the mood and actions of a man who is experiencing glory but yet just has 17 days left to live. The puzzle sees a girl tormented in her hatred for the past. There is a serene, gentle and emotional inspiring touch to See you in Seoul. No Material Allowed takes a humorous look at school exams.

Memento Mori follows a successful man going to a luxurious shop asking to buy death. Nasty People and The Red Choice focus on two men who have to face up to familiar problems of youths: follow true style and passion or let things go with the circumvolution of life. Finally, Maudlin Room reminds us of the feeling of loss of a part of our life now consigned to memory.

Goethe Institute holds nationwide Science Film Festival

The third Science Film Festival with fascinating films, games and activities about nature, environment and new technologies will take place nationwide from October 24 until December 15.

Since 2005, the Science Film Festival has been inspiring students in Southeast Asian countries and aims to raise young people’s awareness for current scientific and environmental problems through media, film and television, the Goethe Institute announced in a statement. This year’s festival takes place nationwide as well as in Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Palestine, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

This year the festival focuses on renewable energies and sustainability. It quests on which kind of energy people will use in the future, facing climate change, which new approaches will be made to protect our natural resources and live a more sustainable life and which challenges people are facing in future decades.

The film festival tackles these and more fundamental questions in a playful way. With this year’s focus topic the festival wants to contribute to the current debate and provide some food for thought for next generations.

In addition to the pre-opening on October 24, the Goethe Institute Hanoi for the first time holds a public opening of the festival at 2 p.m. on October 26 with the Vietnamese premier of the award-winning film Chasing Ice - How climate change alters our earth: Expedition to the Arctic at Kim Dong Cinema, 19 Hang Bai Street in Hanoi.

Other sidelined activity days with films, games and experiments for the whole family at the institute at 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street on October 27 and November 2 and 3 will complete the line-up of events in different schools and universities in 11 provinces of Vietnam such as Hanoi, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, Quang Tri, Hue, Danang, Hoi An, Daklak, HCMC and Bac Lieu.

In the framework of the festival, the Goethe Institute Hanoi will also present the film Mekong, about the impact of hydropower plants on the lives of inhabitants in the Mekong Delta area at 7 p.m. on November 1.

UNICEF Vietnam will host the first ZEROawards to honor humanitarians who have contributed to saving or improving the lives of children in Vietnam on December 5 at the InterContinental Asiana Saigon in District 1.

This is an initiative of Believe in Zero, a global UNICEF campaign launched in Vietnam that aims to reduce the number of preventable child deaths to zero, the number of exploited or abused children to zero, the number of kids deprived of clean water or denied access to school to zero.

According to UNICEF’s statistics, every day more than 100 children die from preventable causes such as pneumonia and diarrhea; every hour, a child dies from an injury such as drowning or a traffic accident; more than three million children do not yet have access to clean water; and more than two million kids aged under five suffer permanent physical and brain damage caused by malnutrition.

UNICEF ZEROawards, with ticket sales starting today, aims to provide companies and individuals with one of many ways to join UNICEF’s long-term efforts to help children. Benefactors can visit www.unicef.org/vietnam/zeroawards or call Ms. Le Thi Thanh Tam at (08) 3821 9413 for more information.

UNICEF has supported Vietnam in saving children and improving children’s lives for more than 50 years with an official presence for more than 30 years.

Star Malaysian DJ to spin at Park Hyatt

DJ J Morell will perform for one night only at the Martini Bar of Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son Square, District 1, one of HCM City's most popular live music venues.

J Morell, known as Romel Johan, was born in Malaysia and started his spinning career at the age of 15. Two years later, he was offered a resident DJ gig at Atmosphere, one of Malaysia's most renowned clubs.

He quickly built a following for his signature three-turntable sets. He is also known to spin an average of 35 to 50 records per hour. Morell was asked to host his own weekly radio show on Red 104.9, focusing on techno, which has attracted a steady audience of 2.1 million listeners.

He has toured Spain, Germany, Japan, Kore, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia, gaining consistent success as a producer with his first track titled Offshoot, which was listed on the Top 30 Charts on www.Juno.co.uk and www.Trackitdown. net. The show begins at 9.30pm tomorrow.

Oktoberfest comes to capital

Germany's largest cultural event –Oktoberfest – will be replicated in Ha Noi on October 24 and 25.

The event will recreate the atmosphere of a beer hall in Munich, complete with delicious German cuisine and premium imported German brews.

As last year, Munich band Gaudiblosn will keep the party rocking through the night with authentic Bavarian music.

Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the event, which will take place at Cung Xuan Event Centre at 1 Vo Thi Sau Street, Hai Ba Trung District.

For more information and ticket reservations, contact the Movenpick Hotel Hanoi (84 4 38 22 28 00) or KBT Biburger (84 8 38 23 97 72).

Swap meet to be held at Saigon Outcast

Saigon Outcast, one of the HCM City's art clubs, will host a swap meet called Recycle, Reuse and Reduce for its members this weekend.

Bring clothing, accessories and books to swap for something new. And don't forget to bring clean items and classify them into male, female and infant items, and accessories.

After swapping, the rest of the clothes and books will be sorted and sent to a local charity.

On offer at the swap meet will be cocktails, frosty brews and tasty bites from the club's restaurant members. Performances of Vietnamese and foreign DJs will be included. Families are encouraged to attend.

The event begins at 10am to 10pm. Saigon Outcast is at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street, District 2.

KOTO dinner aids disadvantaged youth

A charity dinner will be hosted on October 24 by KOTO, a non-profit vocational training programme and restaurant supporting disadvantaged youth in Viet Nam. The dinner will take place at KOTO Van Mieu, 59 Van Mieu Street.

Funds will go towards buying warm clothes and blankets for trainees from the South, who will experience the coming winter of the North for the first time.

The event, including a welcome cocktail, buffet and live entertainment, will start at 6pm and last until 10pm. Supporters will also meet KOTO trainees and hear how their support makes a difference.

Clothes, blankets and cash donations are highly appreciated.

Tickets will be sold at KOTO Restaurant (59 Van Mieu Street), KOTO Training Centre (710B Lac Long Quan Street) and Pots ‘n Pans (57 Bui Thi Xuan Street). Email tickets@koto.com.au to secure your place.

Enjoy blues and roots night with TVJones

Tonight, Australian blues and roots artist TVJones will perform in Ha Noi.

His performance will start at 8pm at The Hanoi Social Club, 6 Hoi Vu Street.

This award-winning songwriter and musician, who has played at hundreds of festivals and gigs around Australia, will present guitar melodies that blend funk and folksy blues in the style of Fink and John Martyn.

Tickets are available at the door.

Classical music programme promotes Vietnam-France friendship

French artists Jean François Heisser and Marie Josèphe Jude and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra will stage a joint classical music performance at Hanoi Opera House on November 14.

The event, co-organised by the French Embassy in Vietnam and Hanoi’s French Cultural Centre L’Espace, is part of celebrations marking 40 years of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties.

Jean François Heisser is a multi-talented artist, working as a pianist, master conductor and teacher.

He developed the Poitou-Charentes symphony project orchestra in which he played five concertos of Beethoven, winning high acclaims.   

Marie Josèphe Jude is a famous pianist with recordings of Brahms written for solo piano. She has co-worked with Jean François Heisser since 1997, founding the Heisser Jude piano duet.

The performance is also one of many cultural exchanges between Vietnam and France for France Year in Vietnam 2013.

Palestinian newspaper carries book on Dien Bien Phu battle

The Alhayat Aljadeeda daily of the Palestine on October 14 and 15 published the first two episodes of a book on the 1954 Dien Bien Phu battle, which was translated into Arabian by Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama.

The book “Dien Bien Phu: five miracles never seen before in history of war” by Mai Trong Tuan was first published in Vietnam in 2011.

In its introduction of the book, the daily described General Vo Nguyen Giap as an outstanding general of international stature, who was a close friend with the Palestinian people.

The newspaper will carry the next three episodes of the book on October 16, 17 and 18. According to Ambassador Saadi Salama, this is the first Vietnamese book to be translated into Arabian.

Earlier, Palestinian and Arabian media have touted the book as a valuable historical document, helping the Palestinian people understand better about General Giap, the legendary general of Vietnam, as well as the history of the country’s struggle for national independence and reunification.

The ambassador stressed that from the historical 1954 Dien Bien Phu victory over French colonialism, General Vo Nguyen Giap has become a revolutionary idol, as well as a well-known military figure in human history.

Vietnam Festival in UAE

The Vietnam Festival is taking place in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from October 9-19 as part of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of Vietnam-UAE diplomatic ties.

The event, co-organized by the Embassy of Vietnam in the UAE and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to introduce Vietnam’s people, landscape and culture.

Participants have the chance to enjoy performances given by artists coming from the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Music, delicious Vietnamese food made by two chefs winning the first and second prizes of the 2013 Master Chef Vietnam competition.

The event has been widely covered on Dubai One-the largest television channel of the UAE.

Festival celebrates Vietnam-India cultural exchange

The sixth Vietnam-India People Friendship Festival will be held in Vietnam from October 20-26 to promote understanding, friendship and cooperation between the two countries’ people.

The information was released at a press conference in Hanoi on October 15.

The event attracts 30 Indians from the worlds of politics, culture and art, with a delegation led by D.P.Tripathi, General Secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party and Vice President of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO).

The Indian guests will pay tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum, offer incense at the monument dedicated to Indira Gandi, and visit Tran Quoc pagoda where there is a Bo tree that was gifted to Ho Chi Minh by Indian President Rajendra Prasad in 1957.

They will make a tour to the central city of Danang to explore Champa culture and the Cu Chi underground tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City, a historic relic site where local people took refuge and fought against US troops during the American war in Vietnam.

The event will include a talk themed “Vietnam-India Cultural Exchange” and a Vietnam-India joint artistic performance in Danang.

Nguyen Van My, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), said following the establishment of a strategic partnership between Vietnam and India in July 2007, VUFO and AIPSO have designed a series of activities friendly, including the organisation of an event to engage with people from all walks of life.

Accordingly, the first Vietnam-India People Friendship Festival was held in India in September 2007.

Exhibition celebrates life of General Vo Nguyen Giap

Three photographs and artifacts are featured in the exhibition ‘Vo Nguyen Giap – General, Commander-in-chief’, which officially opened on October 15 at the Museum of Vietnam Military History.

The opening ceremony was attended by Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Xuan Lich, secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and chief of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army.

The exhibition is divided in six parts, including the General’s childhood, the General in the national wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, the General during national construction and defence, and the General in daily life.

The exhibition was staged to show gratitude to the great contributions made by General Vo Nguyen Giap to the Party, State and Vietnamese people in the causes of national liberation, construction and defence.

The exhibition runs until December 30 at 28A Dien Bien Phu street, Hanoi.

On the same day, the museum also opened an exhibit showcasing nearly 500 photos and artifacts reflecting the activities of soldiers at the moment when the guns fell silent.

The exhibition, held by the Museum of Vietnam Military History, the Museum of Logistics of the Vietnam People's Army and the Air Defence and Air Force Museum, is part of activities to mark the 68th anniversary of the foundation of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22).

Exhibition on female martyrs opens

More than 200 items and 54 images illustrating stories on female soldiers during the war are being put on show at an exhibition that opened in Ho Chi Minh City on October 15.

Those are belongings of female soldiers who took a direct part in the war or the keepsakes they handed to their family members or relatives before going into battle and laid down their lives.

Stories behind the items will help visitors learn about the lives of those who rendered services to Vietnam ’s struggle for its independence and liberation.

The exhibition, co-organised by the Southern Women’s Museum in HCM City and the Museum of Mekong Delta Ben Tre province, will run until January 15, 2014.-