VietNam Life Style

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Tourism flourishes during Tet holiday

Tourists visit the Royal Palace at Hue Citadel in Thua Thien-Hue Province. —VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hung

HCM CITY — More local and foreign tourists have taken inbound and outbound tours during the Tet (Lunar New Year) 2011 holiday compared to previous years.

The number of foreign visitors arriving in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue reached 50,000, mostly from Europe, Japan and Thailand, an increase of about 20,000 over previous years.

Local officials said that numerous cultural festivals held in Hue during Tet had attracted a large number of visitors. They said the festival was a harbinger for many other cultural events to be held in the province this year in order to welcome the National Tourism Year set to be celebrated in 2012.

All historical relics in Hue remained open to visitors free of charge from February 3-5 (Jan 1 – 3 on the lunar calendar).

Da Lat welcomed roughly 75,000 tourists during this Tet holiday, with most hotels and guesthouses in the Central Highland city reporting 80 per cent occupancy.

In Ha Noi, about 1,000 passengers on 109 international flights arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport from February 3 – 5, mostly European tourists and Viet kieu (Vietnamese overseas) from many countries, according to the airport's Customs Department.

Besides, about 8,000 passengers on 82 flights departed from the airport to other countries during the holiday.

The first international flight carrying 184 tourist passengers from Hong Kong arrived at the Da Nang International Airport on the second day of Tet.

They came on a 5-day tour offering relaxing stays at high-end resorts and hotels, as well as visits to many tourist sites like the Son Tra Peninsula, Ngu Hanh Son Mountain and many world heritage sites in Hue and Hoi An Town.

The Sebourn Pride carrying 200 passengers from the UK, France, Germany, and the US also arrived at the Tien Sa Port in Da Nang on the second day of Tet.

Meanwhile, thousands of tourists flocked to Kim Lien historical site in the eponymous commune, Nam Dan District, in the central province of Nghe An, which is late President Ho Chi Minh's home village.

The site's management board mobilised more staff to offer better services during Tet because of the increase in number of visitors during the festive season.

The site, which has normal working hours of 7:30am till 5pm, was opened even earlier until late in the night to serve a large number of visitors on the first and second days of Tet, the board said.

Travel firms do well

The surge in Tet festival tourism saw HCM City-based Viettravel company serve 18,000 – 20,000 customers, a soar of 40 per cent over the same period last year.

Viettravel mobilised an unprecedented 300 tourist guides to serve customers during this Tet holiday.

Meanwhile, Saigontourist Company in HCM City attracted 10,000 customers to join 130 domestic tours, an increase of 40 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Saigontourist also welcomed and served 9,000 foreign tourists on this occasion. — VNS

Fireworks, festivals ring in new year

Day in the sun: Many pilgrims flock to Yen Tu site in the northern province of Quang Ninh to attend the spring festival and pray for good fortune in the new year. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Tran

The sand flies: A wrestling competition in the traditional festival of Mai Dong Village, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi, on the occasion of new year. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhat Anh

HCM CITY — Splendid displays of fireworks and traditional festivities animated the country during the first week of February to welcome Tet (Lunar New Year), which falls under the zodiac sign of the Cat.

On New Year's Eve, when the Cat takes over rule from the Tiger, fireworks lit up the sky across the country.

A 15-minute display of fireworks entertained various ethnic groups in the capital of the northernmost province of Ha Giang, while fireworks were accompanied by a count-down concert in Dien Bien Phu city in northwestern province of Dien Bien, which borders Laos.

Fireworks in Ha Giang were made possible with funding from local enterprises rather than from the provincial budget, according to Hung Thi Hong, a senior provincial official.

This year's Tet Holiday coincided with the 81st anniversary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and followed a successful Party Congress, the country's premier political event which takes place every five years.

Thousands of locals, including elderly people and children took to the streets in spite of chilly weather to view a fireworks display at the sports arena in northern Ninh Binh Province.

A fireworks display was also staged in Thu Dau Mot Town and every district of southern Binh Duong Province, while provincial party chief Mai The Trung headed a delegation to pay New Year's visits to soldiers, police officers and workers of state-owned enterprises.

Trees and houses lining downtown streets in northern Nam Dinh City, were decorated in red with thousands of flags and flower lanterns, and artists of traditional opera like cheo and cai luong performed classical dramas in colourful costumes during the New Year's Eve.

The sun finally emerged after many days of a severe cold spell.

Droves of people thronged into Buddhist pagodas and temples in Ha Noi to pray for a happy new year and the well-being of their families, and streets surrounding the Temple of Literature were lined with calligraphy stalls where calligraphy-painted Chinese characters representing "Luck" and "Happiness" were on sale.

In HCM City, downtown avenues like Nguyen Hue and Le Loi have become traditional magnets that drew thousands of revelers during Tet with colourful arrangement of flowers and decorations.

The city's Party leader Le Thanh Hai joined the revelers on the avenue on Sunday and tossed a coin into a lake to wish for peace and prosperity for citizens.

"I'm so glad that the city has made great changes in the past years," said Nguyen Van Dac, an overseas Vietnamese in the US who returned to the country for the first time after 15 years.

In the world heritage town of Hoi An in central Quang Nam Province, lanterns in various shapes of the cat made by local craftsmen, lit up both sides of the Hoai River that runs through the town.

Farmers in the Mekong Delta took to rice paddy fields on Saturday, the third day of Tet, in a symbolic deed to wish for good crops. — VNS

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Grannies of the gong perform highland tunes

Jamming: A group of women from Trap Village play mountain rhythms from the heart. — File Photo

DAC LAC — In the autmn of their lives, a group of E De Bih women have discovered the freshness and vigor of spring.

At Trap Village in Dac Lac Province's Krong Ana District, six women in their mid-seventies have taken to playing gongs – cong and chieng, folk instruments of the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) region – as a way overcome their problems and enjoy life.

They are also hoping their band will be able to bring passion and joy to their villagers. The deep sounds of the gongs are the very soul of the highlands. These instruments are played to celebrate good harvests, religious festivals as well as occasions like child-birth.

The band, Jho - Buon Trap, plays original folk songs of the E De Bih people in a unique style.

"While male artists show off their talents with their hands, our women perform with their inner emotions," said Vu Lan, former deputy chairman of the Dac Lac Literature and Arts Association.

While strong minds and hands are typically needed to play the gong, the septugenarian women are able to hold their own, he said.

"Although the women's music is softer than their male counterparts, they are giving villagers a new taste in playing cong and chieng and their way has been received with warm enthusiasm by music researchers," Lan said.

He explained that Jho - Buon Trap stands for "a sweet music and more".

"We love playing gongs because it represents our love and passion for life and people. We want to bring fans the wonderful world of Tay Nguyen – where they can enjoy music that is creative and emotional," said H' Riu, head of the band.

H' Riu first fell in love with the melodies of cong and chieng when she was a little girl. She later gathered her five friends and formed Jho - Buon Trap.

Thanks to their performances after work, many songs of E De Bih people, including Drok tue (Welcome Guests) and Wak wei (Happy and New Harvest) have now become familiar among the youth.

"Our band prefers to play songs in praise of the country, family, women and children because their melodies are suitable to our performance style," said 70-year-old H' San, a member of the band.

"Winning the hearts of villagers is the most influential part of our life. It has encouraged us to continue with our music," she said.

H' San also said that it feels "weird and happy to be playing gongs the way we want to".

"Not only are all of the Jho - Buon Trap members talented, but through performing a different style of playing, they have become important personalities in the village," said Lan.

"The work of these artists is not simple. They are the only female band in the area to play gongs. They have to practice their skills and dance for several hours each week. They also have to learn how to keep their instrument's sounds strong, sweet and clear."

Youth support

H' Rut Y Ban, a 16-year-old Jho - Buon Trap fan, said: "Jho - Buon Trap's members are like our grandmothers who have introduced us to a fresh style of playing gongs. They are different from many professional bands and artists and we want to support them."

"I like the way women – who work hard everyday in their fields – express their emotions through their music," she added.

H' Rut is one of the band's young female students who believes the music of the Tay Nguyen people reflects more than their myths, legends and stories.

"Each ethnic group has its own way of playing gongs. I learned how my E De Bih people can represent their thinking through their music." — VNS

Festival for farmer king

Kickin' it: During the festival a number of games were played to celebrate the martial spirit. — VNA/VNS Photo Phuong Hoa: During the festival a number of games were played to celebrate the martial spirit. — VNA/VNS Photo Phuong Hoa

HA NOI — Thousands of visitors flocked to Dong Da Hill in Ha Noi yesterday to celebrate the 222nd anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da Victory.

The Dong Da festival takes place annually on the 5th day of the lunar first month. It is a festival organised in memory of King Quang Trung's great military victory.

Many new activities were included in this year's festivities. "The traditions of placing offerings, dragon dance and palanquin procession have been brushed up and given a new face," said Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, director of Dong Da Culture Park.

Performers from the Ha Noi traditional opera recreated the heroic story of King Quang Trung and his troops defeating invaders on the hill in 1789.

Quang Trung, a Tay Son farmer who later became a national hero, defeated more than 200,000 soldiers of the invading Qing army. Dong Da Hill became known as one of the nation's most glorious historical sites.

In the early morning of the festival, a procession for the historical event's celebration commenced at Khuong Thuong and ended at Dong Da Hill. The procession included flags, a processional parasol, palanquins in a variety of colours, and the sounds of gongs and drums.

During the festival a number of games were played to represent the martial spirit. Among them, the procession of Thang Long dragon was considered by many as the most original.

"The festival has become an essential part of the capital's culture. It's a way for people to remind themselves of the historical event and open the eyes of young people," said Tran Duc Hoc, chairman of Dong Da District People's Committee.

Authorities in the central province of Binh Dinh's Tay Son District – King Quang Trung's (Nguyen Hue) homeland – also attended the ceremony and gave speeches recalling the historic battle. — VNS

UNICEF’s Photo of the Year features Vietnam girl

UNICEF Germany’s 2010 Photo of the Year features a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl struck with Agent Orange.

The winning photo, by America-based photojournalist Ed Kashi captures a slice of life of Nguyen Thi Ly, a third generation suffering from Agent Orange in the central province of Da Nang which was heavily affected by the War.

Born into a family infected with Agent Orange, Ly suffers from serious birth defects and deformities.

Bed ridden from birth, Ly only started learning to walk at the age of 5, first used her voice at 6, and went to school at 7, thanks to her family’s tireless effort to integrate her into life.

The winning photo featuring Ly

Ly’s mother is also a victim with poor health and a deformed face, who inherited Agent Orange damaged genes from her father.

It is not a rare story in a contaminated land which used to be an American base of operations where tons of Agent Orange were stored for defoliation missions like Danang.

Agent Orange contains dioxins that are known to cause cancer and damage genes. The effects of the toxic substance can be seen among Vietnamese people to this day: cancer, immune disorders and severe deformities.

Through a project for the non-governmental organization “Children of Vietnam” which supported Agent Orange victims, photographer Ed Kashi had come to live with Ly’s family for 4 days to make his photo series.

“Kashi excellently uses strong light and shadow effects to emphasize the longing of a disabled girl to lead a normal life”, said Jury Chairman Klaus Honnef, Art Historian and Journalist of the winning photo.

Despite her ill health, Ly has been doing well at school and received awards for satisfying performances.

With a defected lung, Ly has to endure pain for every breath she takes.

Her only wish is to be able to breathe normally.

Human body is the best canvas for painting: artist

Artist Phuong Vu Manh (L) is painting on nude body of a model

Two illustrious body-painting artists Phuong Vu Manh and Ngo Luc discuss their love for and beauty of the art, which – like nude photography and body tattooing – is developing discreetly in conservative Vietnam.

As Manh hails from the northern capital of Hanoi and Luc from Ho Chi Minh City down south, the two’s viewpoints could be seen as representative of two regions and two styles.

Can you describe briefly what body painting is?

PVM: Body painting highlights the sympathy between human beings, between models and artists who combine together in their effort to seek perfect value.

NL: Body painting is the harmonious combination of human body, painting and sexual desire.

What are your ideas of the remark that it is more inspiring to paint on the body of a nude or semi-nude girl?

PVM: Not wrong. It’s a wonderful job to paint on the body of a nude girl because I can then express my ideas through the paintbrush and discuss with her – the model – about our perceptions of art, life as well as the outlook on politics and society.

You see, no canvas can bring me such feelings.

NL: To be frank, painting on a human body is inspiring and it’s even more so when you do it on the body of a person of the opposite sex.

If it’s the desire for sex, I will drop my brush.

What do you think about the idea that body painting is obscene?

PVM: Give them [critics] more info about the developments of body painting.

NL: I never think of it that way. Those who do think will not make that statement.

body 1

What is the difference of painting on a human body and on a canvas?

PVM: The best-ever canvas on earth is the human body and the body itself is the masterpiece of the Creator. And the artist just makes it look different with colors and patterns to display his/her perception.

NL: It’s much different. Human body is itself a wonderful work of art and the artist can just honor it.

A work of body painting can last for a couple of hours and then will be washed out. What do you think about its short life?

PVM: Body painting can actually survive longer with photography and filming. And I believe that in a not so far future, lovers of the art will search for collections of images of body painting.

In developed countries, an artist of body painting can earn from US$500 - US$5,000 by painting a piece of art. Some others work for media and advertisement firms with a handsome income of $1,000 an hour.

But it’s not the case in Vietnam now.

NL: The short-lived survival applies not only to body painting. For me, I make some small sum from body painting.

Do sponsors help?

PVM: My body painting events got sponsored. However, an artist needs their own work of art and then, I have to cover all costs.

NL: I see a clear border between doing a job to earn my livings and doing other things for my passion.

Anyway, you always need sponsors to be successful with body painting.

Do feelings of sexual sensation survive while you are painting on a body? And how does it help in making a great artwork?

PVM: I am a man and an artist. Either a man or an artist knows how to respect and honor natural beauty, especially the charming bodies of women. So both of the feelings intertwine to make up my feelings and urge me to draw.

But after a moment, I would forget I am a man and my feelings of an artist would rule until I complete my artwork.

NL: Nothing can stop sexual desire but it grows just only enough to make my feelings soar high and nothing more.

ngo luc 1

Artist Ngo Luc (R) is creating patterns on the body of a foreign model

ngo luc 3

You paint not only on men and women, but also on buffalos

PVM: It’s different to draw on the body of a buffalo. Its hairs are stiff and so you need more labor to make the ink adhere. And a buffalo can hardly understand you so you must understand him.

NL: For me, I like it best when I paint on the body of a woman.

Bio of artists Ngo Luc and Phuong Vu Manh

Phuong Vu Manh, 42, graduated from the Hanoi Fine Art University in 1998 and has taken part in 40 exhibitions. Not only making body painting, he works on oil paintings, and lacquers.

Ngo Luc, 32, graduated from the HCMC Fine Art University and becomes well known for his involvement in contemporary visual art.

ngo luc 2

A pattern created on model Hanh Quyen by artist Ngo Luc

Sapa becomes Heaven on Earth during Tet

Both local and international tourists were dazzled when they witnessed miraculous sights in the Sapa tourism town in Lao Cai northern province during the first days of the lunar New Year of the cat.

Locals told Tuoi Tre that these picturesque scenes only appear on sunny days in Sapa, which was recently hit by a prolonged cold spell as temperatures dropped to minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Sapa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful.

Markets are crowded and joyous, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods.

Following is a series of photos depicting Sapa’s fantastic landscape during two first days of the lunar New Year of the Cat:

Sapa

Sa Pa is one of Vietnam 's top holiday and relaxation destinations at the height of 1,600m above sea level. The average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter. Visitors to Sa Pa in the summer can feel the climate of four seasons in just one day.

The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season.

In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air.

Sapa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.

Sa Pa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m.

Fansipan is part of the Hoang Lien Mountain Range, also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan is not only the highest peak in Vietnam, but also in the Indochina Peninsula.

The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.

Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country.

VietNam Life Style

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Tourism flourishes during Tet holiday

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Fireworks, festivals ring in new year

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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Grannies of the gong perform highland tunes

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UNICEF’s Photo of the Year features Vietnam girl

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Human body is the best canvas for painting: artist

Artist Phuong Vu Manh (L) is painting on nude body of a model

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Sapa becomes Heaven on Earth during Tet

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