Cong Tri joins Asian Couture Federation

Designs by Cong Tri.

Nguyen Cong Tri is the first Vietnamese designer to become a member of Asian Couture Federation (ACF).

Well-known Japanese designer Kenzo Takada granted ACF certificates to Tri at an annual awards ceremony taking place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on November 25.

At the event, the talented artist introduced his three latest fashion collections and displayed one item at a fundraising auction.

On this occasion, ACF also awarded a certificate to Le Thi Quynh Trang, chairperson of Multimedia JSC acknowledging her as its senior member.

Trang will have the responsibility to look for and introduce Vietnamese talented designers to ACF in the coming time.

Bolero reality TV show chooses final 10 contestants

Ten out of some 8,000 contestants from Can Tho City in Mekong Delta and HCM City have been chosen to enter the final round of Solo Cung Bolero (Performing Bolero Solo), a Vietnamese reality show highlighting the bolero, a style of Latin music that became popular in southern Viet Nam in the 1950s.

They will be trained by a vocal music teacher before every competition night.

The celebrated singer Le Thu said criteria for the choice include the voice, performing style, technique, and emotive delivery.

The final round will include six nights. The fifth night will be a gala with the performance of all 10 contestants before the final three compete for the crown on the sixth night.

Tingvall Trio to perform in HCMC

Tingvall Trio’s jazz concert from the German city of Hamburg is slated for 8 p.m. this Saturday at HCMC Conservatory of Music located at 112 Nguyen Du St. in HCMC’s Ditrict 1.

The concert as part of the European Music Festival 2014 held in Vietnam with the participation of famous German jazz band Tingvall Trio comprising Swedish pianist Martin Tingvall, Cuban double-bass player Omar Rodriguez Calvo and German drummer Jürgen Spiegel will bring vibrant and attractive melodies from Cuba.

Tingvall Trio won the prestigious ECHO Jazz awards twice in the category of Ensemble of the Year in 2010 and 2012. With over 10,000 copies of album Norr sold, the trio received its third German Jazz Award in Gold last year. Tingvall Trio is now considered one of the top European jazz artists.

Having performed in more than 20 countries, the jazz band has won recognition in specialist magazines such as Jazzwise of the UK or Jazz Life of Japan. Tingvall Trio has appealed to the audience far beyond those who are jazz purists.

Quintet to perform Colour of the Wind

The wind quintet, Fantasia will present the concert Colour of the Wind on Saturday at Manzi Art Space.

Founded in 2006, the quintet features some of Viet Nam's most accomplished professional musicians. All five members teach at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music and performer in the Viet Nam Symphony Orchestra.

Scores by Franz Danzi, Franscois Devienne, Emilio Provinciali, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov will be played.

The concert starts at 8pm at 14 Phan Huy Ich Street.

Due to limited seating capacity, please pre-register via manzihanoi@gmail.com before 8pm, Thursday, November 27.

Angry Birds launches pangolin-protecting game

England's Prince William has teamed up with the Angry Birds designers in a game that aims to raise awareness about illegal wildlife poaching.

Angry Birds is a video game franchise created by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Entertainment. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylised wingless birds, the first game was released for Apple's iOS in December 2009.

United for Wildlife, a group of seven international conservation organisations, joined Prince William, the group's president, and Rovio, to create an Angry Birds Friends tournament online featuring pangolins.

The team hopes to encourage younger people to start saying "no" to poached ivory, rhino horn and other animal products based on killing rare animals.

Angry Birds reaches a vast audience online, especially in countries like Viet Nam, where there is high demand for illegal wildlife products.

Players can access the game at www.friends.angrybirds.com.

Hanoi, Danang among top 10 tourist attractions in Asia

Prestigious online tourism magazine, Smart Travel Asia, has cited Hanoi and Danang of Vietnam as top holiday destinations in Asia.

This is the second time these two Vietnamese cities were included in Smart Travel Asia’s rankings.

In the 2014 online poll launched by the SmartTravelAsia.com, Hanoi and Danang were placed 8th together with Singapore. Bali of Indonesia secured the fist position in the list.

The vote, which ran in three months, from May to July, is based on substantial hands-on travel experience.

Hungary communications delegation visits Vietnam

A Hungarian delegation comprising representatives of TV stations, press and travel agents are visiting Vietnam’s famous landscape and tourism sites and enjoying cuisines.

Chairwoman of the Fund for Hungary-Vietnam Relations Phan Bich Thien said the delegation includes representatives of Hungary TV 2, HVG magazine, Turizmus Trend, Nepszabadsag, index.hu and travel agents. After visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Danang, Hanoi and Ha Long bay, they will make TV programmes and write articles on Vietnam’s tourism to introduce to Hungarian people.

Thien added that the delegation members have deep impression on Vietnam and agreed that the country has great tourism potential with long and beautiful beaches, rich nature, hospitable people and delicious dishes.

Kohegyi Anna, Editor-in-chief of Aktiv TV programme on TV2 said during their time in Vietnam they had tasted dozens of delicious dishes.

Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, hoped the visit will open up a new period of tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary.

Son to open museum in honour of late father

A Ha Noi citizen plans to create a private museum in honour of his late father, Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Huyen.

Under a decision by the municipal People's Committee, the museum, located in Kim Chung Commune, Hoai Duc District, will be operated by his son, Dr. Nguyen Van Huy, former director of Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology.

It aims to present materials and objects demonstrating the life and career of the late professor.

Born on the outskirts of Ha Noi in the district of Hoai Duc, Huyen (1905-75) was an historian, ethnologist, educator, and cultural researcher.

As education minister for the nation, he served a record 28 years.

He received Ho Chi Minh Awards in social science and humanities and the Independence Order, First Class. The road on which the Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology is located is called Nguyen Van Huyen.

Festivals to be held in HCM City

A number of attractive festivals and fairs will be held in Ho Chi Minh City from December 1 to 31 in an effort to boost good consumption and attract more tourists.

A fair will take place from December 28, 2014 to January 3, 2015 at Phu Tho Gymnasium where 400 booths showcase garments, food, cosmetics and handicraft items, said Deputy Director of the municipal Tourism Promotion Centre Nguyen Bao Anh.

Earlier, a food festival introducing special cuisines from 20 countries and territories will open at 23/9 park from December 4 to 7.

The visitors will be indulged in a joyful atmosphere with various cultural and sporty activities such as Flamenco dance and street music performances.

The annual ceremony to welcome the first international tourist delegation on January 1, 2015 will be held at Tan Son Nhat airport, showing the local people’s hospitality.

The city expects to welcome 4.4 million foreign holidaymakers and 17.6 million domestic visitors a year-on-year increase of 7 percent and 13 percent respectively, and the total revenue of tourism sector is estimated at 89,405 billion VND (4.3 billion USD) by the end of 2014, according to HCM City’s people committee.

Concert presents score of traditional music

Heritage Space will present a series of special concerts to explore the essence of Viet Nam's diverse and traditional music, starting November 27.

With the support of the Centre for Viet Nam Music and Art Development, the series will present some of Viet Nam's well-known music artists such as Van Ty, Thu Phuong, Duc Huy and Xuan Quynh.

The concert will stage a repertoire of traditions, featuring hat trong quan (special songs sung for mid-autumn festival celebrations), hat xam (ballads that wandering blind musicians used to sing) and hat chau van (ritual singing).

The Quintessence of Traditional Music concert will be held on the second and the fourth Thursday every month, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

Heritage Space is located at Dolphin Plaza, 28 Tran Binh Street, Tu Liem District.

Les Aromes Festival returns to the Metropole

Chef Patrick Jeffroy, winner of two Michelin stars and Executive Chef at L'Hotel de Carantec in northwest France, will kick off Les Aromes Festival at the Sofitel Legend Metropole with a cooking show tomorrow.

Some of Viet Nam's most notable chefs, including Didier Corlou and Olivier Genique, will also grace the Metropole's kitchens. Blind tastings, chocolatiers and fashion shows will diversify the festival's six-day menu.

The Metropole's new Executive Chef, Nicholas Shadbolt, will join the cooking extravaganza with an impressive five-course dinner on December 2. On the following day, chefs Shadbolt and Genique will supply the food while five female winemakers introduce vintages from their respective chateaus.

For further information about the festival, call (04) 38266919, ext 8200.

Consular Club to hold charity market

The HCM City Consular Club, whose members are spouses of foreign diplomats, will host its 21st annual charity market in HCM City at the White Palace Convention Centre this Saturday.

The International Charity Bazaar will sell a wide range of foods and other items.

Visitors can purchase raffle tickets at VND50,000 to have a chance to win a variety of prizes, including a return airline ticket from Vietnam Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airlines and Singapore Airlines; a 5-star resort and hotel stay; spa packages; and lunch or dinner vouchers at the city's luxury restaurants.

Entry tickets cost VND100,000 for adults; children under 10 accompanied by an adult can enter free of charge.

Projects supported by the Consular Club through funds generated from the bazaar include scholarships, medical care, and construction of water wells, bridges, and schools, among others.

The event is held between 9.30am and 2.30pm at 194 Hoang Van Thu Street in Phu Nhuan District.

LA-based artist holds solo exhibition

Los Angeles-based artist Christine Nguyen will present a solo exhibition of her new and recent photo-based work ranging from intimate c-prints to ambitious mural-size work at Galerie Quynh's locations in HCM City starting from December 4.

Combining drawing with photographic techniques, Nguyen's work revolves around the imaginings of an organic prism, a dream-like world where oceans merge with outer space, a press release from the gallery said.

Christine is a noted artist known for works that draw upon the imagery of science and nature. Solo and group exhibitions of her work have been featured in the US, Hong Kong, Viet Nam and Germany.

The exhibition will take place at Galerie Quynh's main gallery at 65 De Tham Street, District 1 from December 4 to January 10, and at its downtown gallery at 151/3 Dong Khoi Street, District 1 from December 4 to January 17.

Charity Christmas concert to be held

The International Choir and Orchestra of HCM City will host a Christmas charity concert featuring classic carols at the St Paul's Convent Chapel on December 5 and 6.

The show will include a silent auction. Donations will be appreciated.

All proceeds will go to the Poussieres De Vie organisation and the Loreto Vietnam-Australia Programme to help disadvantaged children in remotes areas.

The concerts will start at 7:30pm. The chapel is at 4 Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1. Entrance is free.

Internet revitalises women's careers

Nguyen Thi Tha took my hands, excitedly showing me a photo of her piggery, which houses 20 animals she cares for herself with information learned online.

The photos are on show at an exhibition called Women and the Internet: Opportunities and Changes, which opened at the Vietnamese Women's Museum here yesterday.

It tells the stories of many women from the northern province of Hung Yen, 30km from Ha Noi, who were given the opportunity to use the internet. It will run until December 17 at the museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Ha Noi.

The exhibition is the culmination of a project launched by the museum in May, with co-operation from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Finland's Fairspectrum Company.

Officials spent six months in Ban Yen Nhan Town, and Di Su and Nhan Hoa communes, selecting subjects for 30 stories, a short film and photos to display at the exhibition.

Tha, 49, from Ban Yen Nhan Town, said she used the computer primarily to find information online about chicken and pig rearing.

"I was sent to a training class about rearing livestock, but it was not effective, and there were no updates on new disease outbreaks and treatments," she said. "Using information on the internet is much better, because I can learn new techniques and experiences to raise the pigs and protect my livestock better."

Tha's sister-in-law, Chu Thi Man, 42, bought a computer to help her children with their studies in 2010. Before the project, she didn't know how to use a computer.

Man and her family own an area of 1500sq.m, where they grow orchids. Now, thanks to the internet, she has found a wealth of technical information on caring for orchids.

"My husband and I still spend time learning about new orchid varieties, buying new types of plants, and selling plants online," she said.

"We have more customers, including clients in Taiwan and Thailand. Our family income every year is about VND300 to 400 million (US$150,000-200,000)."

The stories and messages shown at the exhibition prove that the women appreciate the internet's advantages. It helps them connect with relatives and children abroad, learn, entertain themselves and care for their families. They also indicate some flaws in the internet, such as sexually suggestive content and scams.

Truong Manh Dung, 58, a turtle breeder from Nhan Hoa Commune, said his wife uses the internet very effectively. They use it to find out about market demand, the price of turtles and techniques for raising them.

"Life is long and there are still many things to learn," he said. "My wife should learn how to help the children filter out bad on-line content."

Heikki Kokkinen, director of the Fairspectrum Company, which also helped with the project, said it was interesting to learn how the internet had changed rural women's knowledge and awareness, even through simple stories of daily life.

"Thanks to internet, they share many difficulties in life and inner feelings," he said. "I think for them, the internet is as necessary as food or water."

Geolocative audio tour links past with present in Vietnam’s capital city

A free interactive, geolocative audio tour is being organized in Hanoi, offering participants opportunities to explore the capital city’s rich culture by listening to its hallmark sounds echoing from a century ago as they stroll in its old quarter.

“Hanoi Soundwalk” has been back to town for the second time with more worthwhile, free experiences.

Getting started on Saturday, the tour is part of the “Locative Audio” project, which is jointly organized by British national Josh Kopecek, who holds a doctoral degree in music, Mathias Rossignol, a Frenchman who has a doctorate in information technology, and some Vietnamese artists and scholars.

As participants take leisure strolls in the capital’s old town, they will hear sounds on their 3G-connected smartphones.

The sounds, which vary according to the participants’ position, are those iconic of the capital city and its people’s life around a century ago, such as the clanks of bicycle chains and trams, a well-loved old tune, peddlers’ ware cries, haunting “ca tru” (northern Vietnamese ceremonial singing) melodies or excerpts of iconic traditional music performances.

The recordings are aimed at helping revive sounds which have seemingly fallen into oblivion amidst the hustle and bustle of today’s fast-paced life, the organizer says on their website.

At its core, Soundwalk is a smartphone app and a map of sounds. To explore a Soundwalk, the phone must be equipped with GPS and, optionally, other location technologies.

When participants open a Soundwalk map, sounds will be played as if they were hearing them from a point, like surround sound, except for the arena which is the real world.

“Hanoi Soundwalk” is scheduled to come to an end later on Sunday.

The tour debuted in April last year in the capital. It was the first time such an event had been held in a Southeast Asian country, the organizer says.

Over 100 people, including 10 visually impaired youths, embarked on the “sonic vision” tour at the Grand Cathedral and finished at Dong Xuan Market – two of the capital’s icons.

Apart from Hanoi, last year’s project took place in 11 other places in the world, including Virginia (U.S.), Oxford (U.K.), Valencia (Spain), and Avignon (France).

The tour was held in Copenhagen – Denmark’s capital – in September.

SGT/VNN/ND/VOV/SGGP