Yen Tu Buddhist spring festival kicks off

Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum, opening the Yen Tu Pagoda Spring Festival in northern Quang Ninh Province Saturday, the tenth day of the first lunar month.

Prominent at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu.

Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then left the throne to devote his life to Buddhism.

They also joined another ceremony to pray for peace to the country and people.

Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and the festival will last three months during spring. The site received over 2.1 million visitors in 2010.

Yen Tu mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the mountain’s highest peak, is more than a kilometre above sea level.

The area’s beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with surrounding ancient pagodas and hermitages, are said to have been the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so that he could devote his life living as a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu mountain. Whilst there, he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect, which has led to Yen Tu being recognised as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.

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Yen Tu Buddhist spring festival kicks off

Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum, opening the Yen Tu Pagoda Spring Festival in northern Quang Ninh Province Saturday, the tenth day of the first lunar month.

Prominent at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu.

Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then left the throne to devote his life to Buddhism.

They also joined another ceremony to pray for peace to the country and people.

Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and the festival will last three months during spring. The site received over 2.1 million visitors in 2010.

Yen Tu mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the mountain’s highest peak, is more than a kilometre above sea level.

The area’s beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with surrounding ancient pagodas and hermitages, are said to have been the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so that he could devote his life living as a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu mountain. Whilst there, he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect, which has led to Yen Tu being recognised as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.

 

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Legendary Bob Dylan to perform in Vietnam

Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan

World-famous American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is scheduled to perform in Vietnam in April to mark the 10th death anniversary of the legendary Vietnamese composer Trinh Cong Son.

According to initial source, the 70-year-old Bob Dylan will perform at HCMC-based Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) on April 10 in front of around 10,000 music lovers in the show “Bob Dylan tribute to Trinh Cong Son”.

Son is renowned internationally for his romantic music and is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern (non-classical) Vietnamese music along with Pham Duy and Van Cao.

Son is also known as a talented painter.

In related news, Backstreet Boys is set to perform in HCMC-based Military Zone 7's stadium on March 24 and grace Hanoi's My Dinh national stadium two days later.

Bob Dylan, who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, has been a major figure in music for five decades. His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences.

Dylan onstage at the Azkena Rock Festival. June 26, 2010

As cited by Wikipedia, much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler, and an apparently reluctant figurehead, of social unrest.

Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

He was named among the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999.

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Legendary Bob Dylan to perform in Vietnam

Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan

World-famous American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is scheduled to perform in Vietnam in April to mark the 10th death anniversary of the legendary Vietnamese composer Trinh Cong Son.

According to initial source, the 70-year-old Bob Dylan will perform at HCMC-based Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) on April 10 in front of around 10,000 music lovers in the show “Bob Dylan tribute to Trinh Cong Son”.

Son is renowned internationally for his romantic music and is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern (non-classical) Vietnamese music along with Pham Duy and Van Cao.

Son is also known as a talented painter.

In related news, Backstreet Boys is set to perform in HCMC-based Military Zone 7's stadium on March 24 and grace Hanoi's My Dinh national stadium two days later.

Bob Dylan, who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, has been a major figure in music for five decades. His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences.

Dylan onstage at the Azkena Rock Festival. June 26, 2010

As cited by Wikipedia, much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler, and an apparently reluctant figurehead, of social unrest.

Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

He was named among the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999.

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Valentine’s Day set to light up HCMC Bridge

Singer Uyen Linh

Photo: Tuoi Tre

A dazzling Valentine night fest for 100 couples will light up the romantic Anh Sao Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City’s district 7 Sunday night, with the participation of Vietnam Idol 2010-winner Uyen Linh.

The event will be graced with Uyen Linh’s special performance of the hit song “Cam On Tinh Yeu” (Thank You Love), in addition to other popular songs for teenagers performed by the duo Wanbi Tuan Anh and Truong Quynh Anh.

It also attracts the appearance of many renowned photographers like Ly Vo Phu Hung, Quoc Huy, Hai Dong, and Thanh Nguyen, who are on duty to capture impressive kisses under the night sky at the fest.

Anh Sao Bridge

Their photos will go to a photos exhibition held in HCMC Youth Cultural House on Valentine’s Day, falling on the following Monday.

In other related news, HCMC-based Lan Anh Music Center is staging a spectacular music show titled “Ngoi Sao tinh nhan” (Star Lovers), with the participation of many famed local artists and promising young singers at 20:00 pm on February 14.

Meanwhile, the special monthly live show “Thay loi muon noi” (Let the music do the talking) themed “Hen yeu 2011” (Rendezvous with Love in 2011) will feature various love stories, sweet love’s avowals of courting couples and love songs by Elvis Phuong, Hong Hanh, Quang Dung, Thanh Thao, Hien Thuc, Phuong Linh, and Nathan Lee.

With artists Quynh Huong and Quoc Khanh as MCs, the show will be broadcast live on HTV9 and VTV4 at 8:30 pm February 13.

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When models leave catwalk for the silver screen

Model Thanh Hang (R) in "Gia tai bac si" (Fortune of Doctor)

Movie and TV series featuring models and beauty pageant winners are becoming standard fare to Vietnamese viewers. With their exceptional acting skills, some fashion models like Anh Thu, Thanh Hang, Vu Thu Phuong and Trang Nhung are now highly sought-after by movie-makers.

“When I sign a contract for a movie project, I often negotiate to still have time for night fashion shows,” said Vu Thu Phuong, who played an extra in the film Shanghai released last year starring John Cusack and Gong Li.

“But now I am too busy with my shooting schedule to join fashion shows organized outside the city. It is quite a pity.”

Similarly, Thanh Hang, a top model in high-profile fashion shows, has recently put her modeling career on hold to focus on her role in the movie Model, a Vietnamese version of the popular Korean series.

“It’s such a pity that I couldn’t participate in many recent fashion shows, as I have quite a busy film schedule to keep,” said the long-legged model.

Quynh Thu, who was voted the favorite contestant at Vietnam Model Awards 2008, has left the catwalk for a year as she was too busy with her acting career in six movies. Thu said she had to keep pace with one movie after another and has no time for fashion shows. Afraid that she cannot manage the double role of model and actress at once, Thu chooses to put fashion aside to make room for her new passion for movies.

With more and more models leaving the catwalk to appear in movies, fashion shows in 2011 will be noted for the conspicuous absences of the big names. The top-notch models, however, have reasons to prefer playing a role in front of the movie-camera to posing in a photo shoot.

“Acting is a lot harder than modeling but the reward is also higher, that is, a more stable source of income,” said 23-year old model Nhu Thao, who was in top 10 Miss Vietnam World 2007.

“Thanks to acting in movies, I could earn enough money to support my parents and sister at home. If I “toil” hard in the film industry for 2 years, I can buy an apartment, a car,” added the beauty who came from the southern province of Ca Mau.

“If I accept a role in 2 movies, working with them over a period of 2-3 months, I can buy an apartment and a decent bike. That’s why this year I’m giving priority to movies,” said My Linh, who was crowned Miss Vietnam Photogenic 2006 and is also actively participating in many movies.

 

Model Anh Thu (L) in the film "Tuyet nhiet doi" (Tropical Snow)

 

 

 

Model Nhu Thao

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Hai Phong cancels Valentine’s kissing contest

A kissing contest in China

The romantic kissing contest for 100 couples supposed take place in northern city of Hai Phong Sunday to celebrate Valentine’s Day has been canceled.

Le Tat Vinh of Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the agency decided not to authorize the kissing contest set to take place at Hai Phong’s Viet-Czech Cultural Center at 14 pm February 13.

Director of the center, Trinh Phuc Tue said a contract to lease the venue for the event was also canceled.

Operated under the motto “there is no everlasting love, just everlasting moments of love”, the contest, named “The party of kisses”, is meant to create a unique opportunity for the city’s youth to demonstrate the depth and length of their love for their significant others.

100 couples, all over 18 years old, had signed up for the knockout competition.

According to the contest’s rules, couples would have to compete in an assigned compulsory position which allowed only one of the two to stand while kissing.

20 would be selected from the audience to serve as judges evaluating couples’ performance.

The couple exchanging the most impressive kiss in the longest time would be awarded a special prize, a VND 15million (US$ 769) laptop.

The event, if authorized, would be hosted by joint-stock media company Golden Brand in collaboration with Doublemint Vietnam and PNJ Jewelry Company.

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