Over 100,000 photos form an S-shaped map of Viet Nam

More than 100,000 photos have been collected from the social networking community to create an S-shaped map of Viet Nam.

Launched on June 23, the co-organizers including the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam Red Cross, Vietnam Television, VTC Television and the social network go.vn received 106,800 photos by July 18.

The collection campaign titled “We love Vietnam so much” has attracted many people from different backgrounds. It aims to arouse Vietnamese patriotism, create a message of love for the country's sea and islands.

The map also hails the marine police in protecting the country; encourages fishermen in their fishing at deep sea; and conveys warm sentiments from people across the country towards their beloved sea and island.

Vocal contest return fetes Hanoi

A vocal contest will be held as part of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of Ha Noi's Capital Liberation Day on October 10 in 1954.

To Van Dong, director of Ha Noi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced this at press conference on Thursday.

The contest, which began in the 1980s, will be for youngsters 16 years and older who are studying and working in Ha Noi. It has not been held for the past five years.

About 60 contestants will be selected during qualifying rounds from August 25 to 31. Semi-finals will be held on September 13 and 14.

The top 10 vocalists will be given basic lessons in singing and performing skills before competing at the final night at Friendship Culture Palace on October 2. The night will be aired live on Ha Noi television.

The finalists will be invited to study at the Ha Noi Arts College.

Jurors include musician Truong Ngoc Ninh, singer and head of Ha Noi Arts College Minh Anh, musicians Giang Son, Hong Kien and Nguyen Duc Cuong and music reporter Ngo Ba Luc.

"The contest will focus on Vietnamese songs, particularly those dealing with Ha Noi," said musician Ninh, one of the founders of the contest.

"The contest discovered talent that has become the A-list singers of Viet Nam, including Hong Nhung in 1987, My Linh in 1993, Trong Tan in 1997 and Tung Duong in 2003".

This year's winner will receive VND100 million (US$5,000).

Winner of the third season of “Vietnam Digital DJ Battle 2014” kicking off on July 31 will pocket a cash prize of VND200 million.

The winner will also represent Vietnam at the Pioneer Digital DJ Battle Asia-Pacific taking place by the end of this year in Manila, the Philippines with the participation of other DJs from Australia, the UAE, Singapore, Thailand, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Israel.

The contest is open to Vietnamese DJs of all ages who must send their CDs to the organizer, Bao Duong Co., Ltd at 531-533 Tran Hung Dao Street in HCMC’s District 1.

A judging panel will search for talents who have best techniques and performance skills. Sitting in the judging panel are DJ Dinh, DJ Hoang Anh, and DJ Duy Duy, who are winners of Heineken Thirst 2006, 2004 and 2007 respectively. Others include DJ Kaiser T,  winner of Vietnam Digital DJ Battle 2012, DJ L’bass as Vietnam’s hip hop DJ/producer, and DJ ET, third runner-up of Asia-Pacific Pioneer Digital DJ Battle 2012.

Ngoc DJ, a representative of the organizers, said: “The contest aims to build a solid background for the local community of DJs to integrate into the international environment. The quality of this year’s contestants is quite good. We highly evaluate their music tastes and mixing skills. I am imagining that there are exciting upcoming battles among talented participants.”

There is one champion, one second prize and one third prize and five Achievement titles.

The qualification round will take place from July 31 to August 3. The semi final will be held on August 14-15 to find out the best eight contestants to the final round at 8 p.m. on August 24. All the competition nights are at Fuse, 138 Le Lai Street, District 1, HCMC. For invitations and further information, access http://www.pioneerdjvn.com/, tel: 08 3920 0121.

Exhibition to display Vietnamese art in Ulan Bator

Works of eleven Vietnamese artists will be featured at an international fine art exhibition in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, from July 21-27.

The artists include Bui Mai Hien, Dang Thi Duong, Tran Thuy Linh, Cao Thi Duoc, Huynh Phuong Thi Dai Trang, Nguyen Thuy Huong, Nguyen Thi Anh Dao, Nguyen Thi Kim Chi, Tran Thi Suong, Tran Phuong My and Vi Tuyet Mai.

Vietnamese artist Dang Thi Duong will make a presentation highlighting the language of love in arts.

As many as 124 artists from 20 countries have been invited to showcase their works using different materials such as oil, lacquer ware, ink, and silk, at the exhibition.

Cai luong play tells ethnic love story

The Ha Noi-based Viet Nam Cai Luong Theatre premiered a new play about the culture of ethnic minority people living in Ha Giang Province at HCM City's Ben Thanh Theatre yesterday.

The cai luong (reformed theatre) performance, Chuyen Tinh Khau Vai (Love Story in Khau Vai Market), is about the love between a young man, Ba, and his girlfriend, Ut, who belong to the different ethnic groups of Nung and Giay.

The couple's tragic love story occurs at Khau Vai Market, a popular mountain destination in Meo Vac District.

According to the theatre's director, Trieu Trung Kien, the US$200,000-play features 70 actors and musicians who worked many hours every day to perfect their performance.

The show will move to Can Tho and Soc Trang after three nights in the city on July 18, 19 and 20.

Phuong Nam art theater opens in town

HCMC authorities have decided to establish Phuong Nam Art Theater by merging the HCMC Circus Company and the city’s Water Puppetry Troupe. The new theater, which focuses on traditional arts for international tourists, will make its debut at Sen Hong Theater on Pham Ngu Lao Street in HCMC’s District 1 at 8 p.m. on July 18.

Nguyen Duc The, director of Phuong Nam Art Theater, said that the theater’s artists will focus on Southern cultural features and Southern traditional arts and they will entertain audiences with Southern plays in the first show ‘Southern Colors.’ The program will feature six repertoires, including Khan hoang (Breaking Southern Land), Vu dieu tren song (Dance on the River), Tro choi gian gian (Folk Games), Doi song tam linh (Spiritual Life) and Nhip song hien dai (Modern Life Rhythm).

The show will bring visitors back to the history of the Southern region in the early days when pioneers came to break ground for cultivation. The daily activities, love duets on the river, religious rituals and typical customs as well as life rhythm will be reproduced. Stories on culture, history and people of the South will be told by more than 100 artists by art languages in circus, dance moves and folk songs.

Experienced artists are selected for the show, including Phi Son, Phi Vu, Dinh Nhat, Hoang Huu Muoi, Bich Lien, Ngoc Anh, Quoc Bao, Giang Quoc Co and Giang Quoc Nghiep.

Circus director Ngoc Anh, deputy director of the theater, said that the show has been prepared for about four months with a cost of over VND1 billion.

Awards for short films, docs launched

The Golden Lotus Bud 2014 awards will be kicked off tonight (July 18) to assess short films and documentaries made during the last year by young directors.

The jury board includes Mark Jonathan Harris – three-time Oscar winner for his documentary films, journalist Ta Bich Loan, director Nguyen Thi Kim Hai, actress Hong Anh, actor Thai Hoa, cameraman Ly Thai Dung and director Arnaud Soulier.

They will consider five short films and 10 documentaries selected from 100 films produced last year. The awards ceremony will take place on August 3, in Ha Noi.

This year, the awards will be given for the fifth time with the theme "Where the Wave Starts". It honours outstanding young filmmakers and their products under the project "We Are Filmmakers".

Launched in 2009, by the Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents (TPD), Viet Nam Cinema Association, the long-term programme aims to support young people in filmmaking.

The project aims to make cinema more popular in Viet Nam, and to aid young film makers to create original works. This project has contributed to the establishment of a film-making community in the country.

Int’l Grapes and Wine Festival 2014 wraps up

The International Grapes and Wine Festival 2014 wrapped up successfully in Phan Rang-Thap Cham city, the central province of Ninh Thuan, on July 19.

An international trade fair, a photo exhibition and several scientific seminars were organised during the three-day festival.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Quoc Anh said that the success of the festival has created a breakthrough for the grape planting and wine processing industry in the province, opening up a new and promising development direction for the tourism sector of not only Ninh Thuan but also the entire central coastal and Central Highlands regions.

The event, with the participation of 11 countries over the world, such as France, Italy, the US, and Germany, also gave the locality a chance to promote itself to investors and tourists from in and outside the country, Anh added.

More than 50,000 foreign and domestic tourists visited the province during the festival.

Ninh Thuan has the largest vineyards in Vietnam, with 2,500 ha mainly in Ninh Phuoc and Ninh Hai districts and Phan Rang-Thap Cham city. The grape output is between 60,000-65,000 tonnes a year.

On February 17, 2012, the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam (NOIP) issued Decision No. 194 certifying the geographical indication of Ninh Thuan grape products, which helps raise the value of Ninh Thuan grapes on the market.-