Young actress banned from performing for pole dance

Model and actress Angela Phuong Trinh has been temporarily suspended from performing because she pole danced scantily clad.

The Art Performing Department requested departments of culture, sports and tourism across the country to temporarily cease granting performing licenses to Phuong Trinh, said Nguyen Dang Chuong, director of the department.

“The department’s assessment council has reviewed photos and videos of Phuong Trinh’s performances at bars in Hanoi and Haiphong and came to the conclusion that her costume was unsuited to Vietnamese traditional culture and her behaviour during the performances was distasteful," Chuong said.

The ban decision will last until Phuong Trinh complies with all administrative punishment decisions by relevant agencies.

On August 22, Phuong Trinh wore a skimpy costume while pole dancing at the Next Top Club in Hanoi. Photos and videos of the performance were widely spread and received much criticism.

Hanoi's municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to fine the bar VND3.5 million (USD165.25).

Despite uproar, Phuong Trinh continued to put on a similar show in Haiphong City on August 25.

On August 30, Hanoi's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed that the Art Performing Department ban Phuong Trinh from any further performances.

Children's book translated into Korean

Children's book Give Me A Ticket to Childhood by Vietnamese writer Nguyen Nhat Anh has just been published in South Korea by Dasanbooks publishing house.

The book was translated by Jeong Hae Yeong, who has completed his MA in translation from Ehwa University and has translated various noted works into the Korean language.

The book has also been translated into Thai by Montira Rato and published in Thailand by Nanmeebooks publishing house in 2010.

In Viet Nam, around 200,000 copies of the book have been published since it first hit bookshelves in 2008 and it always remains on the list of the year's best-sellers.

HCMC to host Winter Fair 2013

There will be as many as 150 stalls put up by 80 foreign and domestic enterprises at the Winter Fair 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City from December 19-22.

According to Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, Director of the ETC Communication Center, visitors will have the chance to attend a wide range of activities in the field of culture, food, entertainment, and shopping.

During the event, a series of community activities will also be held by non-governmental organizations and education consultancy centers.

Asian Journalists' Cultural Forum due in RoK

The “Asian Journalists' Culture Forum” will open in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on September 5 with the aim of promoting dialogues and cultural exchanges among Asian countries.

The forum is consisted of two main sessions including “The Media’s Role in Promoting the Exchange and Prosperity of Asian Cultures” and “The conditions of Cultural Complexes in Asian Countries and the Role of Asian Culture Complex.

Vietnam journalists will take part in discuss how to preserve cultural values in Asia and a tour of the Gwangju Asian Culture Complex (ACC) and other cultural places.

The forum is hosted by the RoK Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and organized by the Asia Journalists Association.

New book on sea, islands targets youth

The book “100 questions and answers on sea and islands issues for Vietnamese youth” made its debut on September 3.

Compiled by the Education and Popularisation Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and relevant agencies, the book targets young people, who are in the vanguard of national construction, defence, integration and development.

The questions and answers cover a wide range of issues from the position, role and potential of Vietnam’s sea and islands, to Vietnam’s rights and protection of rights in the East Sea, as well as the development of sea and island-related issues.

The book is expected to provide young people with an overview of Vietnam’s sea and islands and a better understanding of the position and role of sea and islands in the cause of national construction and defence.

Phu Yen TV channel debuts

The Phu Yen TV channel launched its official broadcast on UHF channel 37 on Monday to mark the 68th National Day.

It is the last province in the country to have its own local TV station.

In addition to broadcasting national VTV's programmes, Phu Yen TV will also showcase its own programming featuring daily news, features and entertainment with a total broadcasting time of 8.5 hours per day.

The Phu Yen TV channel will use its VND32.6 billion (US$1.5 million) budget to provide information and updates to its people.

Vietnamese, Japanese royal music show honours 40th anniversary

As many as 15 artists from Hue's Royal Art Theatre have joined forces with Japanese musicians to perform in Japan's Nara prefecture in honour of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The royal music performance, titled "A Meeting of Japanese and Vietnamese Royal Music," started on September 1 and will run until the 8th, according to the director of the theatre, Truong Tuan Hai.

The performance sees Vietnamese artists performing alongside artists from Japan's No Yokohama Drama Theatre, which is also host to the Nanto music orchestra.

Artists will have the chance to interact and discuss the similarities and differences in royal music between Viet Nam and Japan.

Champa Culture Exhibition kicks off in Ninh Thuan Province

From August 27, a display of 426 Champa Culture Exhibits is taking place at the Center for Research in Ninh Thuan Province.

The exhibits are made of iron, copper, silver, brick, stone and ceramic, which are traditional materials used in Champa Culture.

The exhibits will provide for scientists and researchers some significant historical evidence during the Champa period.

These exhibits were collected by Mr. Nguyen Van May who is a member of UNESCO, and some other collectors from Lam Dong, Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Nam Province.

The exhibition will be on for one month.

Nhat Linh’s installations on show in Hanoi

Bang Nhat Linh will host installation exhibition ‘Born in 1983 – Kham Lien’ at the French Cultural Center, L’Espace, from September 5 to 28.

This installation will display objects whose use has been transformed by users.

The artist recycles objects left over from the war, such as aircraft debris, sandbags and bullet casings into useful materials. The exhibit aims to narrow the gap between the post-war generation and those who endured tough times during the wars and the aftermath and are still suffering today.

He expresses that the generation born in post-war period are obsessed by the stories of survivors and, above all, their way of life.

Born in 1983 and graduating from Hanoi University of Fine Arts, Linh has given some solo exhibitions such as ‘Bui,’ ‘Xe mo bong pho,’ and ‘Troi.’

L’Espace is located at 4 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

Phap Luat newspaper hosts green photo contest

Phap Luat and Ajinomoto Vietnam on Wednesday announced photo contest Vi moi truong xanh nam 2013 (For a green environment).

The annual event is intended to raise people’s awareness on environmental protection and contestants can apply a maximum of five photos via email to moitruong@phapluattp.vn or to the editorial office of Phap Luat at 34 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District.

The contest is open from Monday until December 31. Results will be announced in February. There is a first prize worth VND10 million, a second prize worth VND8 million, a third prize worth VND5 million and five consolation prizes worth VN3 million each and ten special prizes worth VND2 million for those who vote on the website www.phapluattp.vn.

Australian author’s cyclo ride and a half

Australian author John Pullinger had the experience of his life being interviewed for VTV3 on a cyclo downtown.

The prolific writer, whose Southeast Asian trilogy features all-Australian hero Steve Conway, Manila hotelier and war veteran, is part of this weekend’s ‘Heart in Vietnam’ series which will be aired on both Saturday and Sunday at 8.45 a.m.

One part of his trilogy is ‘The Last Cyclo to Thanh Da’ which is mostly based in Saigon.

Pullinger said: “The Last Cyclo to Thanh Da is basically a love story with a bit of action thrown in. I met the producer through a friend and she thought I’d be perfect for the program ‘Heart in Vietnam’ and we arranged to film in my apartment.

“However, because of the book’s title and reference to a cyclo, the director Nam decided the interview would take place on cyclos. I was taken to the Notre Dame Cathedral in District 1 and I met the host of the program Khang Nguyen.

“The crew discussed the procedure and I heard one say, ‘oh two cyclos beside each other is a big problem’.  I don’t know how they resolved the problem but after further discussion the interview began with Khang and I side by side in cyclos traveling through the usual heavy Saigon traffic filmed by two daring cameramen on motorcycles.”

The host Khang later admitted it was the hardest filming of his life as he tried to ask questions above the cacophony of passing traffic with an interviewee whose cyclo sometimes drifted away.

Pullinger added: “There was the odd scary moment when a heavy vehicle got a little too close but it had its lighter moments too.” The interview finished up at Reunification Palace.

The premise for Pullinger’s part of Heart in Vietnam is about his writing and why he wrote a book based in Vietnam.

Pullinger admits he dedicated The Last Cyclo to Thanh Da to the people of Vietnam and is trying to get it translated and published here in both Vietnamese and English.

For more information on the writer, check out www.johnpullinger.com, johnpull13@yahoo.com or tel: 0903911484.

Students gear up for ‘Discovering Canada from A to Z’

‘Discovering Canada from A to Z’ contest held by the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam and the consulate general of Canada in HCMC is available until November 31

The contest, which aims to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada, has opened for high-school students nationwide.

It consists of three rounds. The first round is where entrants have to answer an online test in Vietnamese with 20 questions about Canada’s history, geography, culture, education, society and sports. The second is a writing test in English or French. Contestants will be given a random syllabus from A to Z to write a short essay about Canada (for example: B-Beautiful, writing about the beauty of Canada or Q-Quality, writing about quality of Canada’s education).

Based on the results of the first and second rounds, 15 finalists will be chosen for the final round, an English/French speaking challenge to find the winner who will be awarded a scholarship for an English/French course, a two-week trip to Canada accompanied with their father/mother and joining an exchange program.

Second and third prize winners receive a Blackberry Bold Touch 9900 and a Blackberry Curve 9320 respectively. Additionally, there are 12 consolation prizes of students’ kits.

Further information can be found at www.duhoc-canada.vn or www.facebook.com/CanadaVietnam.

Fine art exhibition opens in central region

More than 150 outstanding photos are on display at the 18th art photo exhibition for the southern central and Central Highlands region which opened in Tuy Hoa city, Phu Yen province on August 18.

The photos were selected from 1,594 entries by 238 artists from Da Nang city and Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dac Nong, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam provinces.

The works were created by various materials and feature the beauty of landscapes, people and traditional culture of Vietnam in general and the southern central and Central Highlands region in particular.

The organising board presented one gold, three silver and four bronze prizes to eight best works.

The exhibition, which is scheduled to run through September 10, is held to mark the 68th anniversary of Vietnamese National Day (September 2).