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The 14.2m statue was described as a symbol of the Vietnamese people's tradition of fighting to save the country. It features the legendary hero on his metal horse flying off into the sky after fighting against northern invaders.
Addressing the unveiling ceremony, President Nguyen Minh Triet praised the great contribution of the legend of Saint Giong in the defence of the country from foreign invasion.
"Mentioning Saint Giong is referring to patriotism and the Vietnamese people's deep hatred of foreign invaders," Triet said. "Saint Giong's strength also symbolises the extraordinary strength and strong will of the Vietnamese people. That's the meaning of [President Ho Chi Minh's sentence] ‘nothing is more valuable than independence and freedom'."
Triet said the very strength which had encouraged Vietnamese people to overcome all challenges, had pushed the "Viet Nam ship" to a glorious shore.
He stressed that the statue would be a reminder to future generations to preserve the achievements of previous generations. At the same time it would be an encouragement for people to make greater efforts in studying, working and safeguarding the nation, he said.
The statute, from the design of sculptor Nguyen Kim Xuan, had been under construction since late 2007 at the total cost of VND50 billion (US$2.6 million), which had been provided by private local sponsors.
The legend has it that Saint Giong was a three-year-old child living in the northern province of Bac Ninh under King Hung VI (around 500BC), when he responded to a call from the king to fight against the northern invaders, and suddenly grew up into a strong man to join the battle.
After seeing off the invaders, he took off his metal armour and flew into the sky on his metal horse from the top of the mountain.
Since then the local community has organised a festival every year between the 6th and 12th day of the fourth lunar month to commemorate the event. The festival has been nominated to UNESCO for recognition as an intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO's decision is expected this year.
Guinness certificate
A section of the Ceramic Road along the Hong (Red) River dyke in Ha Noi received a Guinness certificate yesterday for the longest ceramic mural in the world.
The mural is on the section of the road running along 810m of the dyke from An Duong to Tan Ap on Yen Phu Road and covers a total of 1,570sq.m.
It's part of a longer ceramic mural which runs 3,950m from An Duong to the Van Kiep gates of the dyke, measuring 7,000sq m, in 21 parts covering various topics.
Beatriz Fernandez, the international licensing manager at Guinness World Records, represented the organisation at the recognition ceremony.
People's Committee deputy chairwoman Ngo Thi Thanh Hang said the city acknowledged the goodwill of artists involved in the project, including 20 Vietnamese artists and 15 foreign artists from 10 countries, 500 Vietnamese and overseas children, 50 fine arts students and more than 100 ceramic handicraft artisans and workers from all over the nation.
The work has been in progress since March 2007, using the best ceramic materials from villages throughout the country, such as Bat Trang, Phu Lang, Chu Dau, Binh Duong, Vinh Long and Bau Truc.
Music, martial arts, kites
A music gala attracted thousands of people to Hang Day Stadium yesterday.
The show was staged as a story, telling about Ha Noi from the past to the present day through songs.
A martial arts festival also began yesterday and will end tomorrow at the Quan Ngua Sports Palace.
The festival has attracted about 2,500 martial artists from 21 domestic clubs performing 50 different styles, plus guest teams from such countries as Israel, Russia, German and France.
The festival is the first of its kind in Ha Noi in the 22-year history of the development of martial arts in the country.
A new cultural venue for hosting artists' activities was opened in Cau Giay District.
Called the Intellectual Palace, it comprises two buildings on 6,700sq m land, which will host the offices of the city's Literature and Arts Association and the Union of Science and Technology Associations.
The Ha Noi Kite Festival kicks off today to celebrate the capital's millennium anniversary.
The festival at My Dinh Stadium square on Le Duc Tho Street would run into the night with 124 Vietnamese artists, said Ngo Hong Tien from the Ha Noi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. — VNS
