Calligrapher explores deeper meanings

A calligraphy exhibition by artist Djoko KS will open at the Bui Gallery, 23 Ngo Van So Street in Hanoi, on September 3 till September 29.

The calligraphy exhibition “Energy Within: The Untitled Works of Djoko KS,” goes beyond traditional Chinese calligraphy to present the gist of Chinese and Oriental spiritual tradition, to convey a philosophical message beyond the scope of language.

Born with half Chinese and Javanese blood, Djoko’s calligraphic paintings evolved in his long personal quest for the essence of things and the essence of his Chinese identity. To fully uncover the Chinese system of form, he had to explore his calligraphic works.

Since childhood, Djoko studied the teachings of his Chinese and Javanese ancestors. Later, as an artist, he his interest matured towards experiments in texture.

During these experiments he learned to dig into the essential visual components of the Chinese system of form.

Djoko’s calligraphy has all the outward qualities of classical Chinese calligraphy. It shows perfect control of the quantity of paint used and is painted in one single stroke during which the whole strength of the “message” appears.

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Nation to enjoy musical feast

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Free musical shows will be held in 15 cities and provinces to celebrate Vietnam's Day of Music on Friday.

The Vietnam Symphony Orchestra together with pop singers Hong Nhung and Dang Duong and musicians from the Vietnam Academy of Music will begin the festival at Hanoi 's Friendship and Culture Palace, Tran Hung Dao Street, at 2pm on Friday.

Vietnam Television's VTV1 will live telecast the show.

Children music and folk music shows will be held in Hanoi's Vietnam Pop Music Theatre; the Ly Thai To Garden and the pedestrianized area near Dong Xuan Market from Thursday to next Monday.

Similar shows will be held in northern Yen Bai, Son La and Thai Nguyen provinces; central Thua Thien-Hue, Danang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces; and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Can Tho and Hau Giang provinces and Ho Chi Minh City.

Entry to all the shows is free.

"The Day of Music will be a festival of both professional artists and public music lovers," said Vietnam Musicians' Association Chairman Do Hong Quan.

"We would like to bring music closer to the people and this year's events may become a music week or music month with various street performances."

September 3 has been made the yearly National Day of Music after President Ho Chi Minh conducted an orchestra of professional artists and ordinary people in a performance of Ket Doan (Song of Solidarity) at Hanoi's Botanic Garden on September 3, 1960.

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Contemporary paintings exhibited

HONG KONG — An exhibition of contemporary Vietnamese paintings opened at Rotunda Exchange square in the centre of Hong Kong on Monday.

Viet Nam Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau Pham Cao Phong said the exhibition is expected to help visitors understand more about Viet Nam and its people as well as the country's efforts in its development.

He also said he hoped that the exhibition would contribute to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the people of Viet Nam and China, including those living in the Hong Kong special administrative region.

Florence Hu, acting head of the Hong Kong Civil Administration, said the event would help boost art and culture exchanges between Viet Nam and Hong Kong.

The five-day exhibition, which is jointly held by the Viet Nam Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau, Lotus Gallery and Hong Kong Land Ltd, is part of activities to mark the 65th anniversary of Viet Nam's National Day (September 2).

Vietnamese in world bake-off

HA NOI — Vietnamese candidates took part in a selection process on Saturday for the World Bakery Cup.

Run by French yeast and bread company Louis Lesaffre, the Vietnamese section attracted 23 previously prepared products from Ha Noi bakeries.

Participants were entered in three categories: bread, pastry and artistry.

Twelve Vietnamese bakers will be selected to attend the final round in December from which three will be selected to compete in the Asian section to be held in China in May next year.

The final round of the World Bakery Cup will be held in France in 2012.

Global beauties espouse environment

HCM CITY — Contestants from nearly 90 countries and territories will take part in the month-long Miss Earth beauty pageant to be held in Viet Nam in November.

HCM City's Miss Viet Nam World 2010, Luu Thi Diem Huong, will represent the host.

The pageant will open on November 4 with environmental protection activities in HCM City, Phan Thiet, Hoi An and Nha Trang.

These will include talks on environment on TV and in schools, and seminars on environmental protection.

The candidates will visit famous historical sites and schools for disadvantaged children, and take part in other cultural and community activities.

The finals and the awards ceremony will be held on December 4 in Nha Trang.

Apart from raising people's awareness of environmental protection, the pageant will also showcase tourist destinations of Viet Nam.

The pageant is organised by the Philippines' Carousel Productions Inc and Vietnamese partner Thanh Nien Media Group.

Instant pho makes top 10

HCM CITY — As the popularity of Vietnamese pho rises internationally, a brand of instant pho has made the top 10 in the IUFoST Global Food Industry Awards.

Viet Nam Food Industries Joint Stock Company (VIFON) made the instant pho that was judged at the15th IUFoST World Congress of Food Science and Technology themed Food Science Solutions in Our Evolving World held in Cape Town, South Africa last week.

The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) is a voluntary, non-profit federation of national food science organisations linking more than 200,000 food scientists and technologists worldwide and around 70 national food organisations.

IUFoST aims to strengthen global food science and technology. Every two years, it hosts a World Congress of Food Science and Technology. — VNS

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Nation to enjoy musical feast

Raise the baton: President Ho Chi Minh conducts an orchestra in a performance of Ket Doan (Song of Solidarity) at Ha Noi's Botanic Garden on September 3, 1960. — VNA/VNS Photo Lam Hong Long

HA NOI — Free musical shows will be held in 15 cities and provinces to celebrate Viet Nam's Day of Music on Friday.

The Viet Nam Symphony Orchestra together with pop singers Hong Nhung and Dang Duong and musicians from the Viet Nam Academy of Music will begin the festival at Ha Noi's Friendship and Culture Palace, Tran Hung Dao Street, at 2pm on Friday.

Viet Nam Television's VTV1 will live telecast the show.

Children music and folk music shows will be held in Ha Noi's Viet Nam Pop Music Theatre; the Ly Thai To Garden and the pedestrianised area near Dong Xuan Market from Thursday to Sunday.

Similar shows will be held in northern Yen Bai, Son La and Thai Nguyen provinces; central Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces; and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Can Tho and Hau Giang provinces and HCM City.

Entry to all the shows is free.

"The Day of Music will be a festival of both professional artists and public music lovers," said Viet Nam Musicians' Association Chairman Do Hong Quan.

"We would like to bring music closer to the people and this year's events may become a music week or music month with various street performances."

September 3 has been made the yearly National Day of Music after President Ho Chi Minh conducted an orchestra of professional artists and ordinary people in a performance of Ket Doan (Song of Solidarity) at Ha Noi's Botanic Garden on September 3, 1960. — VNS

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Vietnam kicks off folk culture projects

The Vietnam Folk Arts Association announced 2,000 research projects on the folk culture of Vietnamese ethnic groups at a press briefing in Hanoi on Tuesday.

The projects were selected from almost 5,000 researches carried out over the past 40 years, according to President of the association To Ngoc Thanh.

Addressing the event, Phung Huu Phu, Permanent Deputy Director of the Commission for Information and Education under the Party Central Committee, said that with 54 ethnic groups, Vietnamese people enjoy a plentiful and diversified culture. Those projects fortified the cultural traditions of the nation, he said.

In 2008-2012, the association plans to publish 1,000 research projects covering five fields: knowledge and behavior to environment; agricultural production with relations between people and nature; customs and practices; religions; and the achievements of literature and arts.

By the end of 2009, 100 research projects were published and in 2010 another 200 others are expected to come to the public. Each published project has a summary in English at the back.

The association plans to set up a website featuring the research projects, to introduce the traditional and unique Vietnamese culture to online audience.

The publications will be presented to local and central libraries, as well as Vietnamese embassies, Vietnamese cultural centers abroad and some international organizations in Vietnam.

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Vietnam wants to lure more German tourists: official

The Vietnamese government has invested VND4 trillion (US$205 million) in building infrastructures for the tourism industry, a Vietnamese tourism senior official said at a talk to promote Vietnam’s image in Germany.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Chief of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, met with representatives of travel companies owned by Germans and Vietnamese expats in Germany on Monday.

Introducing the country’s tourism potential, sightseeing wonders, and prominent tangible and intangible cultural heritages, Cuong also presented special programs that the tourism industry launched on Hanoi’s 1,000th founding anniversary.

He expressed his hope that tourism cooperation between German and Vietnamese travel companies would be boosted so Germany can eclipse France in terms of the number of tourists coming to Vietnam.

Present at the talks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Do Hoa Binh noted that the growing ties between the two countries have provided conditions for the development of bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including tourism.

He pledged to create improved conditions for German travel companies to do business with Vietnam.

For their part, many participants urged the Vietnamese tourism industry to equip more tour guides with the German language, along with professional skills and rich cultural knowledge, in order to lure more German visitors.

Last year, the Vietnamese tourism industry contributed $5 billion to the state budget, generating jobs for 1.3 million people.

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Insurer donates school in Phu Yen Province

ACE Insurance Limited Company (ACE Life) on Monday cut the ribbon on Xuan Lam Primary school in the central province of Phu Yen after six months of construction.

The insurance company said it donated VND1.2 billion to develop the primary school in a mountainous area of Xuan Lam hamlet in Song Cau town in Phu Yen Province.

The original school had been completely destroyed during a hurricane last year so ACE Life decided to rebuild it.

The new building has six rooms, of which five are classrooms and one office. It has two floors, offering local pupils a safe facility for learning.

The insurance company, at the opening ceremony, presented the school with extra equipment such as drums, book shelves and concrete benches.

“Primary schools are very important since they provide the first education foundation for children, and we are happy to take part in the social cause to enable more children in disadvantaged localities to go to school,”  Lam Hai Tuan, chief executive officer of ACE Life Vietnam said.

He said there was a demand for good schools for young children at many places around the country as many had fallen into disrepair or been destroyed by floods or storms.

The money to build the school came from a special “Crossing Wave Fund”, part of which was contributed by staff and agents of ACE Life nationwide. Under the framework of the fund, the company has offered a total of 1,144 scholarships to needy students in many universities of Vietnam.

From 2010 onwards, besides the scholarships, ACE Life plans to use a large part of the fund to support the building or renovation of schools in poor provinces.

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