VietNam Life Style: 11/14/10

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bridge to become open-air gallery

Train of thought: Visitors welcome a train at the Long Bien Bridge Festival last year. This year, foreign artists will perform songs of Long Bien Bridge on a train. — VNS File Photo

HA NOI — The Long Bien Bridge Festival opens this weekend with more events and performers than ever, according to festival founder and organiser Nguyen Nga.

Nga, an overseas Vietnamese living in France, is busy completing final preparations for the festival, to be entitled Dragon Bridge.

The festival will be closed to motor vehice traffic and will become an outdoor art gallery, featuring an exhibition of contemporary arts, including paintings by disable children and children affected by Agent Orange, as well as woodblock art and a collection of kites by artisans from Ha Noi and the northern province of Hai Duong.

The festival will also feature an exhibition of photographs, documents and other artefacts depicting national defence over the past 10 centuries. Throughout the length of the 1,682m bridge, it will be divided into ten sections representing the 10 centuries (1010-2010) of Ha Noi, each section brought to life by diverse art forms, antiquities and costumes, representing the lifestyles of the people of the time.

"Long Bien Bridge is alive," said Nga. "It's not only in the memory of Hanoians, but it is also the bridge of the resistance, the bridge of pains and sufferings, the bridge of happiness, the bridge of loves, and the bridge of peace and freedom.

"It's the flesh and the blood of the Hanoians, an umbilical cord between past and present, between Ha Noi, the country, and the world."

For the festival, the bridge will be divided into three areas. The eastbound side of the bridge (the northern span) will become the Bridge of Memories and will symbolise people of courage. The eastbound side (the southern span) will be decorated with the flags of 70 countries and territories and animated by street performers. Symbolising peace and friendship, this side will be called "The Bridge of Dreams".

The highlight of the festival will be a concert and light show on the bridge on Sunday, to be broadcast live on television. Two musical pieces composed by French musicians as gifts for the Long Bien Festival – On the Long Bien Bridge and See Ha Noi – will be presented by artists from Viet Nam National Academy of Music and the Flonflons troupe from France and Belgium.

The festival's general director, People's Artist Le Hung, said, "The designer of Long Bien Bridge is also the designer of the Eiffel Tower, which is a world-famous tourist attraction, so why we can't turn Long Bien Bridge into a bridge for tourism? The festival was initiated with that goal in mind, so I agreed to be the general director of the event."

During the event, the organising board will also raise funds for flood victims in the central region. — VNS

Rare documents archivist honoured

HA NOI — Historical researcher Phan Thuan An has received a commemorative insignia for his archiving career presented by the State Records and Archives Department of Viet Nam.

"National Archives Centre 1 has carried out the arrangement and stored all the rare documents provided by Phan Thuan An," said department's director, Vu Thi Minh Huong.

An has provided two original records and 86 copies of records of the reign of King Bao Dai (1926-1945), some of which detail the past sovereignty of the national sea and islands.

At present, An is the only Hue researcher whose name is listed in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia. His studies have been translated into many languages and stored in international libraries.

A similar insignia will also be given to Pham Van Khoi, who is storing 15 royal conferments under the Nguyen dynasty.

Miss Earth proceeds go to flood victims

BINH THUAN — The organising board of Miss Earth 2010 has decided to donate nearly VND2 billion (US$100,000) to the flood victims of the central provinces, including Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, and Quang Nam.

During the traditional costume night, contest representatives gave VND300 million ($15,300) to flood victims. The rest will be given during the gala nights held in Nha Trang, Phu Yen and Quang Nam.

No charge to view historical movies

HA NOI — Four historical films will be shown for free to celebrate the Viet Nam Fatherland Front's 80th birthday.

The movies, namely Sai Gon Liberation, The White Silk Dress, Don't Burn and The Fate of a Songstress in Thang Long, all focus on war and ethnic solidarity. They will be shown daily at 8pm from November 18 to 21 in the National Cinema Centre.

Environment films to be awarded

HA NOI — The best films about the environment will be awarded at the 4th National Environment Film Awards in December.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in co-operation with Viet Nam Television and the Viet Nam Cinematography Association launched the awards held every three years.

The films have been in the works since 2008 and fall into various categories like documentary, science, reporting, cartoon and feature films.

A special prize, Geen Viet Nam, and many others, will be awarded. — VNS

Long Bien Bridge Festival this weekend

After numerous delays, the Long Bien Bridge Festival will take place on November 20 and 21, reports VietnamPlus.

The street festival will be themed “The dragon bridge tells the Thang Long-Hanoi story – The bridge of peace, integration and development.”

The main festival event will be the arrival of dragon boats from Ninh Binh Province on Hoa Lu River on their way to Ha Long Bay. There will be performances on the boats.

The bridge will have two different themes: the bridge of memory and the bridge of dreams.

The bridge of memory section featuring exhibitions and displays about the national victory and traditional costumes and artifacts will be in the outbound lanes from Hoan Kiem District to Gia Lam District.

In the inbound lanes of the bridge from Gai Lam District to Hoan Kiem District, the dreams section will feature exhibitions about the era of integration and development and an artist camp and art related to the theme Green Globe.

The organizers encourage festival goers to dress up in traditional costumes to make the spirit more celebratory. There will also be collections for flood victims in the central region.

French photojournalist shows two decades of Hanoi

A photo of Long Bien Bridge by Nicolas Cornet at the exhibition in Hanoi that opens on November 23

French photo-journalist Nicolas Cornet is holding a retrospective exhibition of photographs at L’Espace – French Cultural Center in Hanoi from November 23 until December 10.

The exhibition, held during French Week, features 30 photos from Cornet’s latest book titled “Hanoi”. The book covers 23 years of photojournalist’s work in the capital.

Cornet’s photos of landscapes and people show how the city has changed in two decades.

He has worked with French newspapers and magazines including L’Espresso, Mare, D-La Repubblica, Le Figaro Magazine, Le Monde, Ulysse, Siete Leguas-El Mundo and Geo and published many photo books about Vietnam such as Khi binh minh lo dang (When the dawn comes), Chan dung Viet Nam (The portrait of Vietnam) and Sai Gon, mien dat mong tuong (Saigon – a dreamy land) among others. His photos have been displayed in France, Germany, Switzerland, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The introduction for Nicolas Cornet’s photo book was written by journalist Jean-Claude Pomonti who was awarded the Albert-Londres prize for his reports about the Vietnam War. Pomonti has written books about Vietnam, among them a book about Vietnamese spy Pham Xuan An named Un Vietnamien bien tranquille (2006).

Nicolas Cornet and Jean-Claude Pomonti will present a talk on the opening day of French Week at 7 p.m. on November 23.

Comedian Nguyen Hanh dies

The much loved comedian, Nguyen Hanh (R), who passed away on Saturday

Comedian Nguyen Hanh passed away at the age of 70 at Hospital 115 last week after a long struggle with diabetes, heart and kidney disease, reports Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.

Nguyen Hanh performed in many cai luong (Southern opera) and drama troupes including Kim Hoang Nhu Mai, Bich Thuan, Kim Cuong, Song Tuy Hong and Tham Thuy Hang among others. Hanh also played in two movies named Loan mat nhung of Cosunams Film Studio and Sau gio gioi nghiem (After curfew) of My Van Film Studio.

Hanh was known by many fans for his role as Tu van nghe in the television drama Gia dinh ong Ky (Mr. Ky’s family) with actors Tam Van, Kim Cuc, Minh Chanh and Tu Trinh.

After South Liberation Day on April 30, 1975, he joined Bong Hong Theater Company and No. 284 Cai luong troupe where he took part in famous pieces such as Doi Co Luu (The life of Ms. Luu), To Anh Nguyet, Pha Le va Cat Bui (Crystal and Dust) and Nhung vi sao khong ten (Nameless stars). Audiences especially loved his role in the drama Ngao so oc hen of the Sai Gon 1 Stage. His last stage role was as a showman in Than tuong nua dem (Midnight idol) by playwright, Thu An.

In his personal life, Hanh was known for his optimism and sense of humor and his readiness to teach young actors. Most comedians at Saigon Drama Stage and Nu cuoi moi stage called him their father. Hanh’s work and devotion will be a lesson for generations of young artists.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Festival to celebrate Delta's ‘Plain of Reeds'

Blossoming future: A farmer works in the Sa Dec Flower Village, one of the sites for the upcoming festival to celebrate the Plain of Reeds. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khuong

HCM CITY — Dong Thap Province plans to organise the biggest ever festival in the Mekong Delta region to mark the 30th anniversary of the Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) sub-region.

As many as 500 booths in the ornamental plant and trade festival will feature various products and activities. They will review the achievements of the region during the past 30 years and promote tourism in the area.

Besides showcasing beautiful trees, flowers and bonsai creations, several conferences will be held on developing the Dong Thap Muoi region and promoting investment in the Mekong Delta. Several contests will also be part of the December 1-5 festival in Cao Lanh city.

Le Minh Hoan, deputy secretary of the province's Party Committee, said the festival will honour the economic social, cultural achievements of the region that has great potential for tourism.

The province expects to attract more domestic and foreign tourists to the area, especially through eco-friendly tours. Hoan said one of the important events during the festival would be the opening ceremony of the Nguyen Sinh Sac historical site.

The site comprises the village and tomb of the late President Ho Chi Minh's father, Nguyen Sinh Sac.

According to organisers, ecological tours to the Sa Dec Flower Village and other beautiful destinations in the province will promoted during the festival.

Thirty years ago, when the Dong Thap Muoi region spanned the three provinces of Long An, Tien Giang and Dong Thap, it was a fallow marsh famous for its lotus blooms.

Agriculture was even then the region's mainstay, with the three provinces that comprise it being top exporters of rice in the country, according to local officials.

Of late, however, tourism, industry and trade are being developed in the region. — VNS

Fest to celebrate cultural heritage

Carved in stone: Stone steles at Ha Noi's Temple of Literature, which have been recognised as world heritage. — File Photo

HA NOI — A five-day festival will open at the Viet Nam Culture and Art Exhibition Centre this Saturday to mark the sixth Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Day.

Dubbed Hallmark of Thang Long – Ha Noi and the Youth with Vietnamese Cultural Heritage, the festival celebrates the country's rich past and young people's contribution towards preserving the nation's cultural traditions.

An earlier festival to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of the Thang Long Royal Citadel – which was recently recognised as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO – was a resounding success, organisers said.

On display during the festival will be artefacts belonging to the Thang Long Citadel that were discovered during the excavation of the fortress in 2002.

In addition, about 500 antiques dating from the Dong Son Culture (700-100 BC) to the Nguyen dynasty (19th-20th century) will be on show.

There will be also paintings and photos of Ha Noi, as well as publications and valuable documents kept at the National Library.

The festival has been co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the People's Committee of Ha Noi; the Ministry of Education and Training; and the Association of Viet Nam Cultural Heritage.

Among the activities that will take place during the festival will be a calligraphy demonstration, a display of traditional culture and arts, folk games, music and dances.

Researchers will also hold a workshop on the day to discuss the preservation of Ha Noi's tangible and intangible heritage, such as ca tru (ceremonial singing) and Thang Long folk dance.

A performance in honour of Viet Nam's cultural heritage will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television from the Au Co Theatre.

The festival will run until next Wednesday. — VNS

European Music Festival returns

Members of the Tharichens Tentett jazz band from Germany

The European Music Festival returns to HCMC and Hanoi from November 26 to December 4 to celebrate 20 years of diplomatic relations between the EU and Vietnam.

The music festival will make its come-back with a remarkably diverse line-up of concerts with the pop night by El Guincho from Spain and a jazz night with the 10 piece German jazz band, Tharichen Tentett.

The festival is organized by the European Commission Delegation to Vietnam and the embassies of 10 European Union member states, including Wallonia-Brussels (Belgium), France, Austria, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

The festival will be staging jazz, classical, world music, pop, electronic music, fusion of jazz and flamenco, graceful piano pieces and warm tones of the harp. The jazz night by Tharichens Tentett will be at Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street in Hanoi on November 26 and the pop night by El Guincho will be at the Youth Theater,11 Ngo Thi Nham Street in Hanoi on November 27 and at the HCMC Opera House in November 28.

All performances start at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale in Hanoi at the Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, tel: 04 3734 2251 and in HCMC at Do Thanh Apartment at 18, Street No.1, HCMC’s District 3.

A month of German art talks in Vietnam

The Goethe Institute will hold a major series of activities as part of German year in Vietnam with its project ‘Open Academy’.

Activities including workshops, screenings, performances, concerts, actions, lectures and discussions will be held in Hanoi, Hue and HCMC.

Ten artists and musicians from Berlin working in collaboration with Vietnamese artists and musicians will devise works with an emphasis on new media, performance art, conceptual art and design.

The events will bolster the cultural exchange between the two countries. All events are supported by the Goethe Institute Hanoi and the Senat Berlin – Cultural Affairs.

The internationally sought-after performance artist Nezaket Ekici will hold a performance art workshop at Goethe Institute in Hanoi, 56-58 Trang Tien Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November 16 to 19, at HCMC University of Fine Arts, 5 Phan Dang Luu Street, HCMC’s Binh Thanh District from November 22 to 25 and a present a talk at San Art at 5 p.m. on November 21.

Visual artist, Juliane Heise, will give a workshop of mapping in art at the Hue University of Fine Arts from November 16 to 19 and at HCMC University of Fine Art from November 24 and 25.

Fuasi Khaliq is a performing artist who since the early 90’s worked in Los Angeles with a jazz project called Horace Tapscott´s Pan African People´s Arkestra. Khaliq was an assistant conductor, arranger, composer, and player of saxophone, clarinet and flute. He will hold a workshop on jazz improvisation at HTX/La Cooperative, 46 An Duong Street in Hanoi on November 22-24 and give a jazz concert at 9 p.m. on November 24, a workshop in Hue on November 26-27, concert at 4 p.m. on November 27 and a workshop at Himiko Cake, 324bis Dien Bien Phu Street, HCMC’s District 10 on November 30 and a jazz concert at the café at 9 p.m. on December 3.

Artist Stephan Kurr will give workshop on tourism and travel in HCMC University of Fine Arts from November 15 to 19.

Veronika Radulovic, who has participated in numerous international symposiums and projects, among others in Hungary, Norway, Poland, Japan and the Netherlands and studied Vietnamese lacquer painting techniques and worked as the first German DAAD guest lecturer at the Universities of Fine Arts in Hanoi, Hue and HCMC, will give a workshop called Das Private in Hue from November 17 to 19 and in HCMC from November 19 to December 1.

While Andreas Schmid will give a workshop ‘Dealing with Space’ in HCMC from November 17 to 20. Maria Vedder will screen her video art in HCMC University of Fine Arts at 3 p.m. on November 18, 19 and at San Art at 7 p.m. November 20.

Machael Vorfeld will give a concert at ZERO Station, 91A Dinh Tien Hoang Street, HCMC’s Binh Thanh District on November 19; Danh Vo will take a city tour with students in Hanoi from November 30 to December 4. Veronika Witte will give workshop on videoart and scenic sculptures at University of Fine Arts Hue on November 22 to 25.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Films kick off Russian culture fest

Flying high: Soviet soldiers wave a victory flag at the Reichstag, Berlin, in 1945.

V-Day: Russian soldiers celebrate victory over fascism in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 1945.

HA NOI — Five Russian films have kicked off to open a Russian Culture Week in Viet Nam in Ha Noi.

The event was jointly organised by Viet Nam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Russia's Ministry of Culture.

The Russian films include Kandahar, A Battlefield, Russian Emperor, I Am still Fine Mum! and We Are from the Future.

The films will also be held in Da Nang on Thursday and HCM City on Saturday, respectively.

Running in conjunction with the event is a photo exhibition entitled Moscow: the Victory of May, 1945 at 29 Hang Bai Street.

Fifty black and white photos detailing the fight of the citizens and soldiers of Moscow against the Nazi are on display at the exhibition.

Gennady Stephanovik Bezdetko, counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Viet Nam, said: "These photos are messages to modern generations about the pain of their fathers' sacrifices for the nation and reminds them to value their independence today."

He also said that he was deeply impressed by the photo Mother and Son Reunited, Moscow, Summer 1945, because of the reality it portrayed.

The exhibition will run until Sunday.

A two day series of performances by well-known Russian artists, the Russian National Academic Troupe and young talented artists from the University of National Cinema will also wrap up today at the Ha Noi Opera House, Friendship and Culture Palace, Au Co Art Centre, and Viet Nam National Academy of Music.

Similar activities will also be held in Da Nang and HCM City on November 18-20. — VNS

Museum celebrates bygone era

Seeking the past: Y Thim works hard to find items to exchange. He is sometimes willing to pay up to tens of millions of dong for unique and rare artefacts.

Long legacy: Y Thim's house in Cu Ea Buar Hamlet, Buon Ma Thuot City, is known locally as the "Museum of the Central Highlands Legacy". — VNA/VNS Photos Le Nguyen Phu

DAC LAC — On a journey to the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) province of Dac Lac, visitors can discover a unique house which showcases machinery and artefacts of a bygone era in the surrounding villages.

The house in Cu Ea Buar Hamlet, Buon Ma Thuot city, is privately owned by Centre of Culture and Information official Y Thim and known locally as the "Museum of Central Highlands Legacy".

Y Thim regularly drives his ploughing machine to remote areas to collect old and broken machinery and artefacts for restoration.

The devices, including musical instruments – one example is a flat metal disc (gong) which is hit by a mallet – ornamental jars, Kpan chairs and so on. All have been thrown away by villagers.

"Once I visited a villager's house and saw his family selling a set of damaged gong to a scrap dealer. I offered to buy the instrument for a higher price and then have them restored," says Y Thim.

Y Thim says that he always pondered the fact that the modern generation no longer sees value in such cultural and subsistence artefacts, causing the instruments and machinery to be discarded and forgotten.

"I want to preserve these traditional treasures of the villages," says Y Thim.

Many traditional pieces are still plentiful and easy to find, and generally their owners just hand them over and are glad to get rid of them, Y Thim says. But with rare and unique artefacts, he has to find something to exchange for them or to pay for them, sometimes up to tens of millions of dong.

For instance, Y Thim once heard of someone who owned a set of 10 bronze-mixed-gold gong aged 100 years old. But the owner wanted to exchange them for three male elephants, which the family could not afford. After frequent visits Y Thim got the price down to three buffaloes, which were worth 20 taels (US$ 33,52).

At present, there are nearly 20 sets of gong, 30 ornamental jars and many other unique devices in Y Thim's museum, the results of 20 years collecting.

Y Than Nie K'dam, the patriarch of Ea Bong Village in Cu Ea Buar Hamlet, says the collection maybe worth "tens of elephants and hundred of buffaloes".

"Even the total number of villagers can not compare to his collection," K'dam said.

Y Thim is also a music teacher and teaches children in the village how to use the ethnic devices.

His two sons, Y Nal and Y Na are graduates of the Military of Culture and Arts College, while his youngest child, Y Thu E Ban, is capable of playing eight kinds of musical instruments.

Y Thim, whose family and museum house are considered "living treasures" of the Central Highlands, says: "Preserving traditional devices is necessary so that younger generations will learn about their ancestors and will treasure the cultural legacies of their fathers." — VNS

Polish up the Vespa for Charity Scooter Run

Actor Johnny Tri Nguyen (3rd, L) and Pat Joynt (R), director of Saigon Scooter Center, pose with underprivileged children at the press conference to announce the SSC Annual Scooter Charity Run - Photo: Le Minh Khue

Some of the city’s most classic scooters will be revving up for the fifth SSC Annual Scooter Charity Run on November 28 to deliver presents and toys to orphans and underprivileged children in Dong Nai Province’s Dieu Phap Pagoda and Orphanage.

The organizer, Pat Joynt, director of Saigon Scooter Center, said, the charity run was held every year to share love with unlucky children and build community spirit.

“Last time we had more than 200 people participating in the 40km ride and we raised over US$5,000 worth of gifts and toys for the orphans in HCMC’s Can Gio District,” Joynt said.

Advance-purchase tickets are VND300,000 and VND350,000 on the day. Interested riders should come to Sesame Training School at 53 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street at 8 a.m. on November 28 for registration. The ticket includes buffet breakfast and goodie bag including T-shirt, banner, sticker and lunch time free entry into Vuon Xoai Resort in Dong Nai and entertainment and lucky draws in the evening. Following the ride, a party will be organized for participants at Quan Xua Restaurant in Thanh Da Island where the lucky draw and other charity activities will take place.

Vo Manh Quoc wins accounting contest

CPA contest winner,Vo Manh Quoc (R), answers questions in the final round at University of Economics on Saturday - Photo: My Tran

Vo Manh Quoc defeated five other contestants to win the final round of the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) contest organized by the Accounts and Auditing Club of HCMC University of Economics in District 3 on Saturday evening.

Quoc pocketed VND10 million in cash and will be receive three extra marks in his final exam.

Vo Chau Khanh Hoang came second, taking home VND7 million in cash and two extra marks in his finals while Hoang Thi Thu Thuy pocketed the third prize worth VND5 million in cash, plus one mark in his final exam. KPMG Audit Company offered the three winners work-experience at the company.

The annual contest, sponsored by CPA Australia, KPMG, and Hoithao.vn aimed to give students a chance to demonstrate their skills to potential employers and improve student’s soft skills.

The contest,which was in its ninth year, had 3,500 entrants majoring in accounting and auditing from universities in HCMC.

Brahms’ hidden power revealed

Conductor Honna Tetsuji - Photo: Fukui Takaya

Brahms stands in the very center of the Western orchestral tradition. The heir of Beethoven and precursor of the late Romantics, his sumptuous, well-upholstered tones hide a scholarly mind and a private personal life. These layers of significance are at the heart of his music’s perennial attraction.

On Friday evening the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, in Saigon as part of their Vietnam tour, offered us both his Violin Concerto and First Symphony, with Tamaki Kawakubo as the violin soloist and Tetsuji Honna conducting.

Ms. Kawakubo offered us a silken, refined rendition of the concerto, as if teaching her auditors another way to listen to this august composer. There was no barn-storming, and certainly no question of the soloists fighting against the orchestra. Rather than rampage through this well-known score, she let her silvery tones inveigle their way into our hearts.

As a result, you felt, the orchestra had to moderate its energy, and it was only in the symphony, in the concert’s second half, that they were finally able to let themselves go. Now the wonderful music seethed out of them, both sonorous and precise, magnificent and transparent.

The symphony’s second movement was full of Grecian light and warmth, as it should be. Conductor Tetsuji Honna’s pacing and modulations were beautifully managed, with transitions from light to shade expertly handled.

The fourth movement was appropriately stupendous. The magical moments before the arrival of the big theme were magical indeed, and the stately melody when it came couldn’t have been better articulated. The return of the magical phrases towards the end of the work couldn’t do other than bring a joyous tear to the eye.

This was a stunning and, above all, a lovable rendition of a deeply lovable work. The full house responded with appropriate enthusiasm, and the Japanese players seemed clearly, and rightly, aware of what a very fine performance they had just come up with.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Vietnamese pupil receives gold medal in letter writing contest

HA NOI — Ho Thi Hieu Hien, a Vietnamese pupil from the central city of Da Nang has been presented with the gold medal by Edouard Dayan, director general of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Bern, Switzerland.

The twelve-year-old girl passed over two million candidates from 60 countries worldwide and won the first prize of the 39th UPU international letter-writing competition this year with the theme "Write a letter to someone to explain why it is important to talk about AIDS and to protect yourself against the disease".

In her letter to Zhang Yi-mou, a popular Chinese film director, Hien expressed her hope that the director would produce more movies on HIV/AIDS to help raise public awareness of the danger of the disease to effectively prevent it from spreading.

Addressing the presentation ceremony on Friday, Hien said she was honoured to receive the award and that this is the second time she has taken part in the contest. Hien said that she will continue to participate in the next year's competition on forest protection.

Director General Dayan said Hien's letter showed her intelligence and creativity. He said he hopes more pupils will take part in the UPU Letter-Writing Competition to share their views for the social progress freely and openly.

Fine art exhibition to raise funds for Agent Orange victims

HCM City — A photo and fine arts exhibition opened in HCM City on Friday to raise funds for Agent Orange /dioxin victims in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

The exhibition is showcasing 34 oil paintings, 35 black and white and colour photos taken by a group of artists and photographers after their fact-finding tours of Tan Binh and Chau Thanh districts in late July this year.

Through the event, the authors expressed their deep sentiments towards AO victims and called for donations from the public to them.
The exhibition will last until Saturday.

Charity scooter run to help underprivileged children

HCM CITY — The fifth annual charity scooter run will be held on November 28 in HCM City to raise funds for more than 100 orphaned and underprivileged children who live in Dieu Phap Pagoda Orphanage in Dong Nai Province.

To participate, tickets can be purchased for VND300,000 (US$15) in advance and for VND350,000 ($17) on the day of the event, according to the organiser Sai Gon Scooter Centre.

To join the ride, participants should arrive at the Sesame Training School for Disadvantaged Kids in HCM City's Binh Thanh District on the day of the event at 8am.

More than 500 children have benefited from the fund-raising activity, and nearly 500 people have participated over the last five years.

Student beats nearly 2,000 to win English Olympic competition

HCM CITY — Ngo Hoang Long, a student at the American International School in HCM City, has won first prize in the English Olympic Contest 2010, jointly organised by Apollo English Organisation and the HCM City Department of Education and Training.

This contest was launched in September and drew nearly 2,000 students from 85 high schools in the city. Preliminary rounds produced 10 finalists who competed in oral presentations.

Lam Tran Nhat Uyen from Sai Gon South International School bagged second place, while Bui Quang Minh Hoang from the University of Pedagogy won third prize. The winners received gifts and scholarships, as well as certificates from both Apollo and the department. — VNS

VietNam Life Style

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bridge to become open-air gallery

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Rare documents archivist honoured

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Long Bien Bridge Festival this weekend

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Festival to celebrate Delta's ‘Plain of Reeds'

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European Music Festival returns

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A month of German art talks in Vietnam

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Films kick off Russian culture fest

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Museum celebrates bygone era

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Vo Manh Quoc wins accounting contest

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Vietnamese pupil receives gold medal in letter writing contest

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