Foreign embassies join Hanoi marathon for peace

About 200 foreign athletes representing 29 Hanoi-based embassies and international organisations have registered to participate in the Hanoi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper’s annual open marathon.

In an October 1 press briefing, race organisers said its 40th iteration is expected to attract 1,200 competitors from 80 of the capital city’s districts, universities, and colleges.

The marathon, as well as promoting peace, will mark the 59th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10), the 14th anniversary of Hanoi’s UNESCO City for Peace status, and the 56th anniversary of New Hanoi newspaper’s inaugural edition.

The marathon has developed into one of the capital city’s most loved events, capturing the enthusiasm of locals and foreign residents alike.

Toulouse Culture Week in Hanoi

Hanoi will host its Toulouse Culture Week from October 4–9,marking the 40th anniversary of French-Vietnamese diplomatic ties and celebrating the close ties between the two municipalities.

The week will introduce French arts and culture and Toulouse specialties to both local Hanoians and foreign tourists.

Its programme includes classical music concert by the Anches Hantées Quartet, flamenco music from Sandoval Trio, and a jazz performance by saxophonist Fernand Doumec. Kim Dong Cinemax will screen David Alaux’s and Eric Tosti’s famous animation Les As de la Jungle on October 5 and 6.

The Royal Citadel at 19C Hoang Dieu Street will hold a water in life and society exhibition on October 9.

Australia launches digital postcard competition

The Australian Government has launched the online competition “Win your Future Unlimited” which will run from 1 October to 18 November 2013.

“This Win your Future Unlimited is an opportunity for one lucky student to show how an Australian education can generate real career outcomes,” said H.E Mr Hugh Borrowman, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam.

“Studying in Australia delivers real life benefits in the shape of future professional and personal success.”

The main prize includes one year of study in Australia in 2014, including flights, tuition, accommodation, a stipend, an internship and more.

Before the winner is announced on 17 December 2013, seven finalists will be flown to Australia for a two-week study tour during which they will meet with representatives of tertiary institutions from coast to coast.

A year of study in Australia awaits the winner of an exciting new online competition asking students to design digital postcards about their future and how an Australian education could take them there.

Managed by the Australian Trade Commission, the competition is supported by 21 of Australia’s tertiary education and training providers and the following gold sponsors: Educational Testing Services (ETS), National Australia Bank, Qantas, Telstra, the University of New South Wales.

Ha Long Bay, one of the "world's most dramatic coasts"

Famous for its numerous islands rising from the emerald water, caves with amazing stalactites and unique animal life, Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh has been listed among the world’s top 10 most impressive coastlines by Huffington Post Magazine.

"Vietnam's Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO-recognized wonderland of over 3,000 whimsically-shaped islands jutting sharply out of the tranquil green waters," writes the US magazine.

"Aside from sheer visual splendor, Ha Long Bay is also home to countless caves, many offering privileged views of the surrounding islands, and a wide variety of endemic wildlife. Your best bet to thoroughly explore the nooks and crannies of this magical coast is to buy a bunk on one of the local boats, which regularly take excursions to key points in the bay," it stresses.

From the magical bays of Southeast Asia to the rugged, red coasts of North Africa, the US magazine also honoured Cape Town in South Africa, Lofoten Islands in Norway, Krabi in Thailand, Amalfi Coast in Italy, Twelve Apostles in Australia, Legzira in Morocco, Cap Blanc in Mauritania, Los Gigantes in Spain and Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.

Khanh Hoa hosts international fashion event

Fashion House International (FHI), an event to seek fashion designers, models and singers with the participation of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and hosts Vietnam, will take place in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa from October 26 to 29.

The organizers are seeking potential designers aged from 17 to 35 to apply at least five pieces each by the deadline of October 10. Designers who are chosen by the organizers will be sponsored to make their collection.

In the category for models, there are criteria for Podium models, photo models, commercial models, child models and sports-wear models. Winners receive cash prizes, certificates and training courses on fashion in France and the U.S. Deadline for registrations is October 10. Miss Vietnam World 2010 Luu Thi Diem Huong will be the ambassador/judge of the contest.

The organizers are also seeking singers, musicians and actors.

The contest’s purpose is to mark achievements in economy and tourism of participating countries. Recently, the number of Russian tourists coming to Vietnam has increased considerately. This year, Vietnam expects to welcome around 300,000 guests from Russia.

Tra Vinh, Vinh Long prepare for Sene Dolta festival

The Khmer community in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh is gearing up for the Sene Dolta, one of their biggest annual festivals scheduled for October 3-5.

It is held to commemorate their ancestors, and to wish blessings to family members. An array of musical and sporting events will also take place at pagodas and temples.

On the first day, each family tidies up the house and makes offerings to their ancestors at the altar. On the second day, they will invite ancestors’ souls to the pagoda with them to pray to Buddha.

Families prepare meals and fruit on the final day like on the first day to worship their ancestors and say goodbye to them. When the rites finish, the festival also ends.

On the occasion, provincial authorities visit and present gifts to families of war heroes and heroic Vietnamese mothers.

Tra Vinh now has a population of over 1 million, nearly 30 percent of them Khmer people. Over 40,000 poor families have so far been supported with housing and thousands of others have been given access to vocational training and production land.

While in the southern province of Vinh Long, the Southwestern Steering Board led by its deputy head Duong Quoc Xuan on October 1 visited and extended greetings to Phu Ly 1, Dai Tho, Can Thay and Hanh Phuc Trang pagodas, the Patriotic Clergy Solidarity Association and six local Khmer households.

VN gets behind UNESCO reforms

Viet Nam will continue to support reform efforts initiated by the Director General of UNESCO to help the organisation overcome current difficulties and enhance its effectiveness.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son made the commitment at the 192nd session of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's Executive Board on Monday in Paris.

Son, who is also President of the National Vietnam Committee for UNESCO, said that Viet Nam applauds the organisation's decision to prioritise Education for All (EFA) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Viet Nam has recorded a number of achievements in implementing EFA and ESD, and is eager to share its experience with other member countries, Son said.

Firm friends: Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son meets with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

He noted that the tripartite co-operation model under the ESD initiative involving UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Training and Samsung had proved effective, contributing to student awareness of environmental protection.

The diplomat also underscored UNESCO's conferment of tangible and intangible cultural heritage titles had made positive impacts on raising people's awareness of preserving and promoting the heritage's value.

He reported that on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in June this year, Viet Nam organised the Quang Nam Heritage Festival with the participation of ASEAN member countries, realising its high-level commitments to popularising the convention among localities.

Son added that in December this year, Viet Nam would host a Viet Nam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to honour the tangible and intangible heritage of ASEAN members.

Highlighting the significance of the role of science and technology, the diplomat said Viet Nam valued UNESCO's programmes, including those on Man and Biosphere (MAB), Memory of the World (MOW) and Global Geopark Network.

The 192nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board will run from September 24 to October 11.

In early discussions, members of the Executive Board agreed that the organisation has maintained its relevance and significance among all member countries.

The effective reform programme initiated by Director-General Irina Bokova also received support from UNESCO members, who urged speeding up reform in the future.

Before the session convened, Director-General Bokova hosted a reception for Deputy Foreign Minister Son, saying she and members of the Executive Board recognised Viet Nam's actitive and constructive contributions to UNESCO's operations.

Viet Nam, a significant source of cultural heritage, deserved to be a heritage pillar in the ASEAN community, she said, adding that the first Viet Nam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival to be hosted by Viet Nam would be an important event in strengthening ASEAN's efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

Bokova expressed hope that Viet Nam would promote its role in conserving natural, tangible and intangible heritage.

Vietnamese filmmakers turn to comedies

A scene from "Tia oi..."

Filmmakers have been sticking to culturally and financially safe ground recently, as the peak film season approaches.

However, most of the movies introduced this time are “commercial films” in which producers do not pay much attention to the content but just try to attract audience by inviting famous celebrities to the cast and planning a good PR program.

This October, dozens of cinemas across the country are introducing a comedy named “Am muu giay got nhon”, literally translated as “Conspiracy of a model” with advertisements saying about the staring of many famous models including Kathy Uyen, Truc Diem, Phuong Mai and popular comedian Don Nguyen. Another comedy named “Tien chua” is also being introduced as stared by young artists and hot models including Khuong Ngoc, Van Trang and Leu Phuong Anh. However, the film is directed by an overseas graphic designer and these artists have never clowned.

While local film critics and the media have continued to complain about the laziness and carelessness of filmmakers, it is easy to see that they (Vietnamese filmmakers) will gladly produce comedies with budgets of just VND 3-5 billion and a popular comedian.

In their introduction for the screening of two comedies “Tia oi…!” or (Father!) and "Dai nao hoc duong" (School chaos) in November, several cinemas are providing not much information about the content except for they being stared by famous comedian Hoai Linh.

Looking at several films to be launched during the 2014 Tet festival such as “Co dau dai chien 2”, Nam sau con lai ve, and Hai lua, a cinema critic predicts that there is not much for audience to expect because they are similar to comedies made in previous years.

Phuoc Sang Film Production Company has been very successful in terms of revenues over the past Tet film seasons just by having some famous people and a popular comedian in their comedies. In 2012, the film “Hello co Ba” or “Hello Ms. Ba” was critised by film experts and the media for their poor script but still brought in surprisingly high revenue of over VND 25 billion after just two weeks thanks to the starring of comedian Hoai Linh.

According to the company’s director, Mr. Phuoc Sang, people always want to watch something fun during Tet holiday. “I think the success of “Hello co Ba” was attributed to the appearance of the most popular names in the local showbiz and their funny scripts,” Sang said in an interview with the TTVH Newspaper.

And in the 2013 Tet season, three producers including Song Vang, Century Star, and Midi followed Phuoc Sang to invite many hot names from some popular reality shows to join their VND8-billion film “Nha co nam nang tien. They quickly signed an exclusive contract with Hoai Linh the popular comedian. And the film was among the top in revenues, with VND 60 billion.

One of the reasons leading to the rising number of these comedies is that local film makers are facing possible risks when making other genres, after seeing many historical films losing ground at cinemas or action films being banned by local cultural managers.

Jimmy Nghiem Pham, a representative of Chanh Phuong Film Production Company whose recent action film Bui doi cho lon or Chinatown was banned for containing too much violence, shared that they may only produce comedies in the coming time.

“We always want to make something new and better, but we cannot predict whether our films will be approved for screening or not,” Pham said. “Comedies are much easier and safer. We have invested VND 12 billion in one titled “Teo Em” for this Tet holiday.

Southern women’s costumes on display

An exhibition showcasing 200 photos and artifacts of women’s costumes and jewellery from southern ethnic groups opened on October 1 in Phan Rang – Thap Cham city, Ninh Thuan province.

Costumes and jewellery reflect a group’s cultural identity, level of economic development, aesthetic perspective and also the cultural exchanges between ethnic groups, according to Phan Quoc Anh, director of the Ninh Thuan provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to discover the many materials, designs and colours of the costumes and jewellery worn by Southern ethnic women from various groups, including Ba Na, E De, Xo Dang, Co Tu and Ta Oi.

The event, co-organised by the Ninh Thuan provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Southern Women Museum, coincides with the traditional Kate festival of the Cham people and with Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).

The exhibition runs until October 30.