Photo book on Nick Vujicic in Vietnam released

A photo book on Nick Vujicic and his days in Vietnam was introduced at a ceremony in Hanoi on November 3 involving a large number of readers and disabled people.

The 200-page book includes hundreds of photos of Nick Vujicic taken by photographer Nguyen A during Nick’s five-day visit to Vietnam in late May 2013 as well as public feedback.

Nick Vujicic, who is a Serbian-Australian inspirational speaker born with no limbs, came to Vietnam in May to talk with businesspeople, disadvantaged young people, students, and children in Ho Chi Minh city and Hanoi. Nick’s talks were highly appreciated and warmly welcomed by Vietnamese people, particularly those with disabilities.

“Nick& his days in Vietnam” and “how do they live like that?” are the first two books which will be sold to raise funds for disabled people in Vietnam.

Photographer Nguyen A said what Nick left from his visit to Vietnam is very valuable for anyone inspired by a strong motive for living.

Photos featuring Vietnam’s heritage to be exhibited nationwide

The most 100 outstanding works chosen from Vietnam’s Heritage Photo Contest will be exhibited in 17 cities and provinces.

The exhibition comes is in conjunction to the 9th celebration of Vietnam Heritage Day (November 23), and is aimed to call on the public to joining hands to preserve and honour the natural and cultural heritage sites of the country.

On November, the HCM City Heritage Association and Can Tho City’s Museum organised the exhibition of these 100 photos, taken from a total 6,000 entries by 340 artists.

The works have attracted a large number of viewers. The photos feature special cultural aspects of different localities from across the country. The Can Tho exhibition will end on November 8.

After the nationwide exhibit, the organising board plans to grant awards for the best photos in HCM City on November 21.

Vietnam in the eyes of international friends

Photos capturing Vietnam’s landscape and the daily life of its people are on display at an exhibition in Paris.

The exhibition at Foyer Vietnam - known as “Vietnam House” where many Vietnamese cultural events take place - is part of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam-France diplomatic ties.

The exhibits are 20 outstanding photos selected from nearly 1,300 entries by 480 amateur and professional photographers during the three-month photo contest “Vietnam in my eyes”, which was co-organised by the Vietnamese Students’ Association in France and the Amica Travel company.

Vice President of the association Hoang Nang Thang said that the photos will be displayed for a month before being sold to raise funds for disadvantaged Vietnamese people in the northern mountainous region.

The association has so far organised a number of activities towards the homeland, including raising funds for disaster victims in the central region and underprivileged children.

Recently, it has received 20,000 EUR in aid from a non-governmental organisation and the French Foreign Ministry within the framework of the Support Programme for Migrant Solidarity Organisations (PRA-OSIM).

The funding will be used for carrying out an humanitarian project at the Ho Chi Minh City-based “Mai am Tre xanh” centre, a home for street kids.

Photo exhibition on General Giap and Hanoi youth

More than 100 photos capturing General Vo Nguyen Giap’s lifelong passion and concern for bettering Vietnamese youth are being displayed in Hanoi on November 2–3.

As well as images of General Vo Nguyen Giap’s own youth work, the exhibition includes portraits of Hanoi’s younger generations attending the late leader’s State funeral.

There are photos of the 55th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory and the 55 outstanding young people selected to represent Hanoi’s youth meeting and celebrating with General Giap.

Hanoi Open University student Tran Tuan Anh said the exhibition reflects General Vo Nguyen Giap’s major contribution to national defense and construction. It’s inspirational.”

“Hello Canada” contest launched

Hanoi hosted the inaugural “Hello Canada” contest on November 1 to mark the 40th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association Vice Chairman Nguyen Thiet Son said the contest offered Vietnamese youth an opportunity to learn more about Canadian history, economics, politics, culture, and society, as well as the importance of its bilateral ties with Vietnam.

Son joined Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Joseph Devine and Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) Vice Director Pham Quang Minh in voicing hope the contest will inspire the expansion of the two countries’ cooperation

The first of the contest’s two parts quizzed participants on Canada’s geography, history, economics, politics, society, and expatriate Vietnamese community, while the second concerned the role of people-to-people diplomacy in bilateral ties.

The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam won first prize, followed by the USSH and Hanoi University.

Malaysian culture introduced in HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City’s Friendship House hosted a Malaysian Culture Day on November 1, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties.

Co-organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Vietnam-Malaysia Friendship Association, and the Malaysian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the festival encompassed a photography exhibition and screened documentaries on Malaysia’s land and culture.

Students from SMK Convent Kajang and Sri Cempaka prepared a special art performance for the celebration.

The event is aimed at strengthening the existing bilateral friendship and encouraging HCM City youth to learn more about their regional neighbour’s vibrant culture.

Vietnam-Malaysia Friendship Association Chairperson Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung reviewed positive developments in the two countries’ 40-year relationship, spanning politics, national defence , economics, trade, culture, sports,  tourism, and education.

Shazryll Zahiran, Malaysian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said improving and expanding bilateral relations will help refine strategic cooperation and step up efforts towards forming a strong, united ASEAN community in the region.

Vietnamese guitar student honoured in US

Vietnamese guitarist Tran Tuan An has been bestowed the most outstanding student at the 39th annual ceremony to honour Student Laureates of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

At the ceremony on November 2, the last-year student at the North Park University's School of Music was presented with a medal, certificate and a US$1,000 monetary grant.

The criteria for selecting the recipient of the Student Laureate Award is based on academic success and extracurricular achievements.

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois Executive Director, Julie Keelless said “it is my honour to congratulate you on behalf of all the members of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. This honour is bestowed on only one student from your college each year and there is no doubt you represent your institution's finest quality of student and future leader."

On November 10, the Evanston Music Club 2013 Scholarship winner will play at Music at Mallinckrodt, a concert of classical guitar music hosted by the Services for Adults Staying in Their Homes, Illinois.

An will play a variety of contemporary and international classical compositions, including works by Mauro Giuliani, Joaquin Rodrigo, Nakita Koshkin, Johann Kaspa Mertz and Roland Dyens, and an arrangement of Vietnamese traditional folk music by Dang Ngoc Long.

A graduate of the Hanoi National Conservatory of Music and named as Hanoi's 2010 Best Overseas Student, An first earned recognition for his exceptional musicianship at the age of 12, when he won first prize in the Hanoi National Guitar Competition.

An has since earned numerous awards and competitions, including first prize in the 2013 Society of American Musicians Guitar Competition. In December, An will begin a two-month tour of Hanoi sponsored by the Hanoi Red Cross.

Chinese writers visit Ho Chi Minh City

A delegation of Chinese writers led by writer Tie Ning, Chairwoman of the Chinese Writers' Association and member of the Chinese Communist Party paid a visit to Ho Chi Minh City on November 3.

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee received the delegation and stressed on the good relationship between the two countries which has seen much progress and strengthened to one of respect, solidarity and mutual understanding on both sides.

She highly appreciated Chinese businesses that have contributed in charitable activities, and the economic and cultural development of the City.

Ho Chi Minh City has currently 129 Chinese projects worth US$290 million and many Chinese art and literary works are translated into the Vietnamese language.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha hoped that exchanges and forums on literature and culture will strengthen the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and China.

Tie Ning, Chairwoman of the Chinese Writers' Association, expressed her deep impression of the development and activeness of the youth in Ho Chi Minh City.

She wished that Vietnamese literary works will be translated into Chinese and published in China in coming times.

A magazine of the Chinese Writers' Association has introduced some Vietnamese authors’ works.

The Chinese delegation will visit Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper on November 4 and then travel to Hanoi and Quang Ninh Province.

Da Nang to build Hoang Sa exhibition centre

The central city is planning to build a new exhibition centre to store and display collections of artefacts and documents on Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, chairman of Hoang Sa district Dang Cong Ngu said.

The centre, which is situated on an area of 685sq.m near Hoang Sa coastline street in Son Tra district, will display a full collection of 50 maps published between 1626 and 1980, 10 of which indicate the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as part of Viet Nam, with 102 books published in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and the Dutch, and Han Chinese script.

The centre will be based on designs currently being submitted, with the winning design to be chosen by the city next year.

Regional culture days to be organised

Thousands of locals and artists from six north-western provinces will participate in a culture, sports and tourism event to be held between November 16 and 18.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed the event will take place in Hoa Binh, with Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces to be represented.

Themed "Ethnic groups in north western region — solidarity and integration for future", the event will include various culture, sport and tourism activities introducing ethnic cultural customs and costumes.

A mountain market will also be set up at the site.

National anthem to be sung live at official events

Participants at official events, including national celebrations and award ceremonies organised by the private sector or the Government, will be encouraged to sing the national anthem rather than listen to a record, according to a new decree signed recently by the Prime Minister.

The decree also encourages participants to wear national costumes, religious costumes or military uniforms during the ceremonies.

Da Lat farmers plant seeds for upcoming culture festivals

Farmers in Da Lat flower villages in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong are busy preparing for Culture and Tourism Week 2013 from December 27 to December 31.

In the Thai Phien flower village in Commune 12, farmers have scattered seeds of daisies, carnations and lilies on 30ha to serve the festival.

Ho Ngoc Dinh, chairman of the local farmers' association said that along with introducing flowers at the festival, the village will welcome travellers who want to learn about traditional flower plant activities.

In other places, farmers are setting up the 120m-rose road to welcome the event.

The week includes eight main events and 15 other programmes to meet the demand of domestic and international tourists.

The main events are the Da Lat Flower Festival, UNESCO Cultural Heritage Festival and another one to promote the Tay Nguyen-Da Lat National Tourism Year 2014.

Japanese film fest will introduce country's cinema to HCM City

The government of Japan plans to organise a film festival this month to introduce the most typical Japanese films to the public in HCM City.

Entitled Blow, New Wind! Japanese Film and Animation 2013, the festival will screen 30 movies with Vietnamese subtitle in celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Japan.

According to the Japan General Consulate in HCM City, the festival, the largest ever, which will be organised between November 15 and November 21.

Besides showing popular movies including Oshin and Wolf Children, works by young Japanese will also be featured during the festival.

Before each movie is screened, producers of cartoons and directors from Japan will speak with audiences.

The festival will open at 6.45pm on November 15 at BHD Star Cineplex Icon 68 in the Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu Street, District 1, HCM City. Free tickets can be obtained at the cinema from November 9.

Mountain town celebrates 110th birthday

The famous town of Sa Pa in Lao Cai Province is celebrating its 110th birthday with various cultural activities.

Famous for its stunning mountainous landscape and unique ethnic culture, Sa Pa attracts thousands of tourists every year. The cool climate and magnificent green vistas first attracted the attention of French colonisers in the first years of the 20th century.

In following decades, hundreds of French-style villas were built in the area.

Aiming to turn this town into a "summer capital", the French even built a railway route linking Ha Noi and Lao Cai. However, Sa Pa and its French-style buildings were seriously damaged in the wars against France and the United States. In 1990s, thanks to several State rebuilding plans, the town was revived to become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Viet Nam.

Sa Pa Noi Gap Go Dat Troi (Sa Pa, Where Land Meets Sky), an open-air exhibition in Sa Pa, displays 110 photos of the town and landscape.

While some photos portray the town as a "Sleeping Beauty" covered in the veil of early morning mist, it is covered in drifting clouds in some others. In winter, the town is at its most breathtaking, covered in a coat of snow.

The photographers share their stories about each photo, telling viewers about the difficulties they experienced to capture these moments on film.

Another exhibition showcasing photos, objects and documents relating to the town's history and development also opened in Lao Cai City.

The celebration officially kicked off yesterday with a street carnival gathering 500 artists and local ethnic people, followed by a nighttime art performance at Sa Pa's central square.

A ceremony today will honour the "Sa Pa Terraced Rice Fields", listed in 2009 as one of the world's Top 7 Most Beautiful Terraced Fields by the US-based magazine Travel&Leisure. At the event, the field will be given the title "National Attraction".

The town's O Quy Ho Mountain Pass will be given the "Viet Nam's Longest Mountain Pass" certificate by the Viet Nam records book VietKings. The pass was previously recognised as one of Viet Nam's 10 most beautiful attractions by travel blog Global Grasshopper.

An international workshop on Mountainous Ethnic Cultural Heritage Conservation with Sustainable Tourism Development is also on the agenda.

Other activities during the three-day celebration include a groundbreaking ceremony for the Fansipan Tourism and Entertainment Complex, a programme for tourists to discover the culture of ethnic groups living in Sa Pa and a fireworks performance.

A cultural exchange programme will highlight the traditional culture of those ethnic groups, which include Mong Den, Mong Hoa, Dao Do, Tay and Giay.

Mountain dew: Picturesque Sa Pa town is an endless inspiration for photographers. An open-air exhibition entitled Sa Pa Noi Gap Go Dat Troi (Sa Pa, Where Land Meets Sky) displays 110 photos of the town and landscape. — Photo xomnhiepanh.com

Lao Cai's director of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Huu Son said infrastructure in the famous town had been upgraded to prepare for the celebration, such as the central square where most of the events will take place.

To create a positive impression for tourists, the Sa Pa Tourism Association called on every hotel and accommodation service supplier not to increase room rates and to publicise service prices. Given the huge number of tourists flocking to the town during the celebration, households in the town centre and near regional attractions were encouraged to offer accommodations.

While local youth volunteers will offer necessary information to tourists, a joint force of policemen and military soldiers will take care of security and controlling traffic during the celebration. All vehicle parking lots have been relocated outside the town to keep the streets clear for celebratory activities.

Short films get free screening

A mobile film projection scheme aiming to screen free short films to the public is officially launched today in Ha Noi by the The Viet Nam Cinema Association's Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents (TPD) and Viet Nam New Media Group.

During the "Cinevans" opening ceremony today at Platinum Cineplex in Tu Liem District's The Garden Shopping Mall, documentaries Nhoc Nhan Than (Life of Coalminers) by Le My Cuong and Chung Toi Da Cuoi (We Got Married) by Nguyen Ha Phuong and Mai Thi Bup, plus Nguyen Diep Thuy Anh's feature film Ngoai Kia Co Gi? (What's Out There?) will be screened.

Under the auspices of the US Embassy in Ha Noi, the Cinevans scheme will show audiences the skillfully shot products from participants of We Are Filmmakers, a project initiated by TPD.

According to TPD deputy head Bui Thac Chuyen, during its first phase the best short films from the past four years of the We Are Filmmakers project will be shown to senior secondary students in the capital city.

"We would like to create interesting extracurricular activities for the students, and through short movies made by their peers, we hope they will share their own stories as well as voice their perspectives on life," Chuyen said.

In addition, Cinevans organisers hope the film screenings will enable audiences to learn more about cinematography and heighten their own aestheticism.

Cinevans will be carried out over the 2013-14 period in varied phases, each of which will target a particular audience group. The first phase, running from September – December, will screen feature movies and documentaries on the topics of Family and Youth.

Festival to improve northwest ethnic groups’ solidarity

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival of ethnic groups in the northwest region will take place in Hoa Binh province on November 16 -18.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan told a recent press briefing in Hanoi that the three-day festival, themed ‘Northwest Ethnic Groups Unite, Integrate and Look towards Future’, will bring together participants from six regional provinces, including Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Lao Cai and Yen Bai.

The event will not only honour and promote the cultural identities of the region’s ethnic groups but also help strengthen the great national unity.

It will also offer a good opportunity for participating localities to exchange experience, thus raising their responsibilities in building and upholding the Vietnamese culture imbued with national identities.

A wide range of activities are scheduled for the event, including an incense offering at the statute of Uncle Ho, an arts programme, a photo exhibition, a rural market, folk games, and a fair featuring indigenous cultural and tourism products.

Cultural rituals practiced by the region’s ethnic groups as well as their traditional costumes will also be introduced to visitors.

The 11th festival was held in Lai Chau province in 2009, seeing the participation of more than 600 artisans and people from the six localities.

Thang Long Water Puppetry Theater sets Asian record

The Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre in downtown Hanoi now holds the Asian record for being the only theatre in Asia offering nonstop live performances for 365 days. It is also responsible for introducing the traditional art form to more than 50 countries. The Voice of Vietnam Radio reports.

Vietnam’s Thang Long Puppetry Theater has won recognition by the India-based Asian Book of Records for “being the only theatre in Asia that performs water puppetry all 365 days of the year”. The recognition rewards the theatre’s effort to preserve Vietnam’s traditional art and promote it worldwide.

Water puppetry is a unique folk stage art which is associated with Vietnam’s wet rice civilisation and its history. Previously, water puppetry was performed at the time of the lunar new year and other traditional festivals. But performances now occur every day at the 57B Dinh Tien Hoang street, right in the heart of Hanoi.

Over the past 20 years, the Thang Long Puppetry Theatre has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors, including foreigners who want to explore the Vietnamese culture. Despite a decline in the popularity of traditional theatre, the puppetry theatre is lit up every night and packed with spectators.

Meritorious artist Chu Luong, Deputy Director of the theatre, said: “Our theatre works all year around to entertain, introduce and promote the most distinctive feature of Vietnamese culture: water puppetry. This is a highlight of Hanoi’s cultural scene. This is the 20th consecutive year that we have been involved in this job and set the Asian record.”

The theater impresses visitors with an installation of colorful puppets at the entrance. The water puppetry performances have been adapted from nearly 400 folk tales, depicting the history of Vietnam and people’s daily lives. There are favorite scenes like farmers ploughing, a buffalo boy playing the flute, and fishermen catching fish. Some stories require special techniques like a dragon waggling violently and breathing fire, a fox climbing a tree and fishermen casting their net into the river. Young puppeteers are encouraged to diversify their performances, contributing to the success of the theatre.

Young puppeteer Bach Quoc Khanh said: “I think the Thang Long Puppetry Theatre’s full operation all year round is a happiness and mental encouragement for the artists amidst the difficulties facing Vietnam’s traditional stage art. This is not only a source of pride for the artists of the Thang Long Puppetry Theatre but also other Vietnamese folk artists.”

The shows are attractive to foreigners because they reflect the pure Vietnamese soul through music, costumes, customs, and farm work. As word spreads, the theatre’s audiences are growing and the number of shows is increasing. Artist Luong said: “Each day there are six or seven performances – never less than four shows a day. Our audience is mostly tourists and children. We have also made performance tours in remote areas, where water puppetry is still less popular.”

Each year, the Thang Long Puppetry Theatre stages about 4,000 shows. Since 1992, the puppeteers have performed in nearly 50 countries and participated in world renowned festivals, making Vietnamese puppetry better known to foreigners.

Dutch book on friendship with Vietnam made debut

Dutch author Peter de Goeje’s book “Met Solidaire Groet” featuring Dutch people’s support for Vietnamese people in the latter’s struggle for national independence and reunification was introduced to the public at a ceremony in Hanoi on October 30.

At the ceremony, President of the Vietnam-Netherlands Friendship Association Dao Xuan Ngoc reviewed the cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands in all fields and Dutch people’s solidarity movements with Vietnamese people in wartime.

He said the launch of the book is a significant activity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

The Netherlands was among the first countries in West Europe to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1973.

The book was translated into Vietnamese and Professor Phan Huy Le – a historian, who had joined in many science and education cooperation programmes between Vietnam and the Netherlands, wrote the preface of the book.

At the launch ceremony, readers met with the author, who is a member of the Science and Technology Committee for Vietnam, which had provided Vietnam with scientific and technological assistance during wartime and the then national construction cause.-

Source: VOV/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri