Water buffalo, not bull, fights in Vietnam

Different from bull fighting in Spain where the animals are trained for the specific job, fighting water-buffalos in Vietnam are not professional fighters as they perform their daily job of ploughing on rice field.

They are only turned out to be fighters for a couple of days during festivals held in the first month of a year on lunar calendar for entertainment.

Traditionally, buffalo fighting in Vietnam was originated from annual contest to select strongest animals for ploughing in villages, said culture researcher Tran Ngoc Them.

The tradition has been observed till now and so, fights are held at different venues in the nation in the season of festivals during the first lunar month.

Arena for such a fight is an open place on rice field after harvest, or in the middle of stadium. It is rimmed by a low hedge made by wooden sticks available in rural places.

Only two fighting buffalos and their owners are allowed to step into the arena. Viewers stand outside.

Following are images of a buffalo fight in Hai Luu Commune in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After knocking out rival, the winning buffalo will be blinded with the flag available at the fight to cool down his rage before taking the tame animal home

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Photo show explores Mexico

Intensely Mexico: Photos on display at the National Library of Viet Nam introduce traditions and places in Mexico.

HA NOI — A photo exhibition, Mexico, Country of Colours, opens in Ha Noi today, hosted by the Mexican Embassy.

The exhibition is by author and photographer Ricardo Espinosa and features 30 large photos (1.2m by 1.7m) taken during the past 10 years.

The exhibition allowed viewers to feel the intensity and the power of the natural scenery, monuments, architecture, art, festivals and the popular traditions of Mexico, said Mexican Embassy charge d'Affairs Sergio Rivadeneyra Martell.

Espinosa was born in Mexico City in 1958, studied Graphic Design in the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City and worked in photography for more than 25 years.

He has been professor of photography in the Universidad Iberoamericana since 1985.

Espinosa does corporate, advertisement and commercial photography and is director of Spanish-language photography portals: www.antecamara.com.mx. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions in Mexico.

"The panoramic photography work I have been doing for the last 10 years is mainly focused on interior and exterior spaces in Mexico," Espinosa said.

"I do not see it only as a record of the landscape or description of these places, but also as the portrait of inner personal landscapes.

The archaeology, the deserts, the shorelines, the mountains are somehow self portraits, moods and spiritual searching," he said in a statement.

The photos have been exhibited in South Korea, Ulan Bator, Shanghai and Tokyo, Sydney and Singapore.

The colours of Mexico will be on show at the National Library of Viet Nam, 31 Trang Thi Street, Ha Noi, until next Friday.

Also on the occasion, a book collection of literature and academic works by Mexican artists and scholars will be presented to the National Library of Viet Nam through the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. — VNS

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Sea Festival to spotlight Spratly Archipelago

NHA TRANG — The fifth biennial Sea Festival will be held in the central coastal city of Nha Trang on June 11-15 with the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago as a key topic.

Khanh Hoa People's Committee deputy chairman of Le Xuan Than said the festival would introduce the archipelago in a photo exhibition, a music show and a conference on the Truong Sa District.

Various activities will be held at Nha Trang and Doc Let beaches in Ninh Hoa District and Bai Dai Beach in Cam Lam District of Khanh Hoa. Such events like the Salagane Festival, Miss Khanh Hoa contest and Made-in-Viet Nam Goods Fair will be held for the first time.

The festival will open with a fireworks display. The provincial authorities expect foreign partners from France, South Korea, Cuba and Japan to join in the event.

The festival will also host many environment protection activities including rubbish clean-up in the city and a scientific conference on preserving Nha Trang Bay.

Nha Trang ranks second as best pageant host city

HA NOI — Beauty pageant website Globalbeauties.com has announced the winners of the Global Beauties Awards 2011 in categories including Best in an Evening Gown, Face of the Year, Best Host City and Sexiest Woman Alive.

The website ranks Nha Trang city, in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa which hosted Miss Earth 2010 as the second best host city after Sanya, China.

Miss Earth Viet Nam Luu Thi Diem Huong stands in third place in the Best in Asia category after Miss Earth India Nicole Faria and Miss Universe Philippines Venus Raj. — VNS

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Cyclo Challenge announces bigger better format

Cyclo riders compete at the Saigon Cyclo Challenge 2010 at the Taipei School in District 7 - Photo: Ngoc Hung

After 10 consecutive years the Saigon Cyclo Challenge has changed its format to the Cyclo Challenge Version 2.0,  Formula 1 – with cyclos! at 9 a.m. on March 12 at The Crescent in Phu My Hung Urban Zone in HCMC’s District 7.

In addition to raising funds for Saigon Children’s Charity (SCC), the Cyclo Challenge Version 2.0   includes a digital campaign designed to introduce the work of Saigon Children’s Charity to the community to encourage young people to participate in making positive change through working in their communities and volunteering.

This year’s race has new rules and designs that could surprise veterans to the event. The racing teams will be made up of representatives from the event’s exclusive Platinum sponsor and event Partner, VNG, as well as seven Gold sponsors including VinaLiving of VinaCapital Group, Adidas, HSBC, Hoang Long Hoan Vu, Jardines/ JLT / Schindler, MegaStar and Halliburton. These eight teams will face each other in a thrilling team vs. team time trials to find the best and the fastest among them. The three fastest teams will enter the final round.  The event is free for spectators.

Another exciting feature of Cyclo Challenge Version 2.0 is the online campaign which  was  launched  on Thursday,  three  weeks  before  race  day.  Cyclo Challenge Version 2.0 , SCC has partnered with Zing Me, Vietnam’s largest social network, and launched a completely new version of the game  Parking Challenge, one of the most popular online games on the Zing Me network. By introducing Cyclo Challenge Version 2.0 to the Zing Me audience, Saigon Children’s  Charity hopes to reach out and inspire young people to effect positive change for the community.

Previous Cyclo Challenges attracted 2-3,000 people a year. With the increased promotion as well as the elimination of ticket fees, the organizer hopes many more will come and help raise the target of US$30,000 to support disadvantaged children in the southern provinces of Vietnam.

Since 2001 Saigon Children’s Charity’s annual Saigon Cyclo Challenge has attracted thousands of participants and over US$500,000 to help educate children in poverty and those who are disabled or vulnerable by building schools and providing scholarships and vocational training, enabling these children to gain a good education and equip themselves with the skills necessary to work their way out of poverty.

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Short films displayed at Himiko Cafe

Himiko Visual Café will host a week of short films called “The beginning frames” by young director Tran Ly Tri Tan from February 17 to 25. There will be a party on opening night starting at 6pm at Himiko Café, 324Bis Dien Bien Phu Street, District 10, HCMC. Four short films and a trailer will be shown in the following week from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All will have English subtitles.

Tran Ly Tri Tan born 1982, a 2009 graduate of HCMC University of Theater & Cinema, made the short films about people that inspire him.

“I’m obsessed with many things in this life: a handicapped prostitute, a barber working in a hospital, a boy with a dream about magic, a bald visual artist… Those obsessions demand expression and I retell the stories in the film frames. I call them the beginning frames.”

The movies have all been made since 2008.  “Cut” (Cat) – the film about a life of a barber - was screened at the San Diego Asian Film Festival (US) and “The boy who saw fire” (Dua be nhin thay lua) – a documentary about the visual artist Nguyen Kim Hoang – appeared at the International Film Schools Festival (France) in 2009.

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Diem Huong enters top 3 Asian beauties

Luu Thi Diem Huong

Diem Huong, 21, who is among top 14 beauties at Miss Earth competition 2010, has just been voted by Global Beauties online magazine as one of three most beautiful Asian women in Asia.

Miss Earth 2010 Nicole Faria from India topped the voting while Miss Universe 2010’s fourth runner-up Venus Raj from the Philippines secured the second place.

Global Beauties, which covers international beauty contests, also rated Vietnam’s Nha Trang city as the world’s second best host city for beauty pageants.

Chinese city Sanya is on top while another Chinese city, Chengdu, is in third place.

Diem Huong is currently the sophomore student at Hoa Sen (Lotus) College in Ho Chi Minh City.

She was crowned Miss World Vietnam 2010 last August.

She represented Vietnam to compete in the Miss Earth beauty pageant held in Nha Trang last December when she won the Best in Swimwear contest and was listed among the top 14 contestants.

Some images of Miss Diem Huong from Vietnam:

 

 

 

 

 

Other titles:

Stage Presence: Winner – Adriana Vasini (Venezuela/World); 2nd place – Jimena Navarrete (Mexico/Universe); 3rd place – Yendi Phillips (Jamaica/Universe)
Best Catwalk: Winner – Karina Pinillo (Panama/Supranational); 2nd place – Angela Martini (Albania/Universe); 3rd place – Jennifer Pazmiño (Ecuador/Earth)
Radiance & Personality: Winner – Jesinta Campbell (Australia/Universe); 2nd place – Jimena Navarrete (Mexico/Universe); 3rd place – Adriana Vasini (Venezuela/World)
Best in Evening Gown: Winner – Venus Raj (Philippines/Universe); 2nd place – Anna Poslavskaya (Ukraine/Universe); 3rd place – Hana Verna (Czech Republic/Supranational)
Face of the Year: Winner – Emma Wareus (Botswana/World); 2nd place – Jimena Navarrete (Mexico/Universe); 3rd place – Nicole Faria (India/Earth)
Most Photogenic: Winner: Nicola Mimnagh (Scotland/World); 2nd place: Rozanna Purcell (Ireland/Universe); 3rd place: Manasvi Mamgai (India/World)
Sexiest Woman Alive: Winner – Sandra Marinovic (Slovenia/Supranational); 2nd place – Angela Martini (Albania/Universe); 3rd place – Yuwaret Sirirat Rueangsri (Thailand/World)
Beauty With Substance: Winner – Natasha Metto (Kenya/World); 2nd place – Jesinta Campbell (Australia/Universe); 3rd place – Nicole Faria (India/Earth)
Best in Swimsuit: Winner – Angela Martini (Albania/Universe); 2nd place – Karina Pinilla (Panama/Supranational); 3rd place – Nicola Mimnagh (Scotland/World)
Supermodel Look: Winner – Rozanna Purcell (Ireland/Universe); 2nd place – Alexandria Mills (United States/World); 3rd place – Angela Martini (Albania/Universe)
Best in Africa: Winner – Emma Wareus (Botswana/World); 2nd place – Nicole Flint (South Africa/World/Universe); 3rd place – Natasha Metto (Kenya/World)
Best in the Americas: Winner – Jimena Navarrete (Mexico/Universe); 2nd place – Karina Pinilla (Panama/Supranational); 3rd place – Adriana Vasini (Venezuela/World)
Best in Asia: Winner – Nicole Faria (India/Earth); 2nd place – Venus Raj (Philippines/Universe); 3rd place – Lưu Thị Diễm Hương (Vietnam/Earth)
Best in the Caribbean: Winner – Mariana Vicente (Puerto Rico/Universe); 2nd place – Wendy Phillips (Jamaica/Universe); 3rd place – Aiasha Gustave (St. Lucia/World)
Best in Europe: Winner – Angela Martini (Albania/Universe); 2nd place – Hana Verna (Czech Republic/Supranational); 3rd place – Rozanna Purcell (Ireland/Universe)
Best in Oceania: Winner – Jesinta Campbell (Australia/Universe); 2nd place – Mihilani Teixeira (French Polynesia/World); 3rd place – Cody Yerkovich (New Zealand/World)
Best Host City/Country: Winner – Sanya/China (World); 2nd place – Nha Trang/Vietnam (Earth); 3rd place – Chengdu/China (International)

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Nha Trang named 2nd best city for beauty contests

Global Beauties, an online magazine covering international beauty contests, has rated Nha Trang as the world’s second best host city for beauty pageants.

According to a list released last Tuesday for the Global Beauties Awards aimed at honoring best host cities for beauty contests last year, Chinese city Sanya is on top.

Another Chinese city, Chengdu, is in third place.

The Global Beauties Awards honors contestants, presenters and directors in categories such as Sexiest Woman Alive, Supermodel Look, Men’s Pageant of the Year, Best Pageant Presenter and Best National Director.

Miss Vietnam World 2010 Luu Thi Diem Huong, who won the Best in Swimwear contest at the Miss Earth pageant, was third in the Best in Asia category behind Indian Nicole Faria and Filipino Venus Raj.

>> Diem Huong enters top 3 Asian beauties

Nha Trang hosted the 2010 Miss Earth and 2008 Miss Universe pageants. Thanks to its beautiful beaches and mild weather all year round, it is one Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations.

 

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