VietNamNet Bridge – An exhibition entitled Mua Thu (Autumn) featuring paintings of mountainous Sa Pa landscapes and ethnic minorities has lured many visitors since opening in Ha Noi.

Painters Cao Ban Ban, Tran Duy Hung, Dinh Cong Khai and To Ngoc Thanh spent months in capturing the famous old town and its spectacular surroundings.

Hung, born and bred in the area, focused on portraits of women belonging to different ethnic minorities while Ban painted kids and Sa Pa's famous terraced rice fields.

Khai compiled a collection of typical stone fence images alongside veteran Thanh whose work centred on the unique features of local women during market day and an overview of Sa Pa from the mountain.

The exhibition will be displayed on the 2nd floor of the Fine Arts Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street, Ha Noi, until Friday.

* Hue citadel wall restoration and resettlement forecast to cost $61m

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien Hue have approved the restoration of a wall system running around the royal citadel in Hue at a cost of VND1.3 trillion (US$61 million).

The wall was destroyed in several places during wars and many buildings have been built illegally on its top and sides.

Around VND784 billion will be spent to move the families living in the buildings and resettle them elsewhere.

The rest of the money will be spent to restore the wall and install a lighting system.

The biggest ever restoration work on the citadel will begin later this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

The wall, built of bricks in the 19th century, is 6.6m high, 21m thick, 10km long, and zigzag in shape in the classical manner of a Vauban fort.

* VTV broadcasts live programme on the Ho Chi Minh sea route

A live television programme featuring the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea will be broadcast on Viet Nam Television (VTV) next week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the trail on October 23.

Sang Mai Duong Ho Chi Minh Tren Bien (Shining Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea) refers to a waterway supply line used to take weapons, provisions and people from north Viet Nam to the south during the American War.

The programme also describes stories of brave soldiers who made hundreds of such trips.

The organiser, VTV, will use video conferencing technology for the programme, which will allow participants at three sites, Do Son in Hai Phong city, Cat Lai in HCM City, and Vam Lung in Ca Mau Province, to interact.

The programme will be broadcast live at 8pm on October 23 on VTV6 and VTV1 channels.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News