Renovation project sparks debate over gate

History matters: O Quan Chuong before and after  renovation.— VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Ha

HA NOI — Public outrage stirred when O Quan Chuong, one of Ha Noi's five oldest gates and the former eastern entrance to the capital citadel, was renovated. Agencies in charge of the project were asked to restore the gate to its former shape and colour.

O Quan Chuong stands tall in Ha Noi's Old Quarter with its official name written in ancient Han Chinese characters just below the bell tower.

Once you pass through the gate, the street becomes Hang Chieu. It runs close to the busy Dong Xuan Market before turning into Hang Ma Street in perhaps the most atmospheric part of the capital's Old Quarter.

Many Hanoians have childhood memories of shopping trips along the busy market street and the thrill of passing through the venerable arched gateway.

O Quan Chuong was built in 1749 when the Le dynasty rebuilt the Thang Long Citadel on a war-torn fort destroyed by northern invaders.

The gate breathed life into several trades that later formed the famous streets and alleys surrounding it.

Restoration

Nguyen Doan Tuan, head of the project's management board, said officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have visited the site and ordered workers to use the correct bricks to restore the gate.

Le Thanh Vinh, head of the Institute for Research and Preservation of Relics, said the new paint for O Quan Chuong is not right yet.

"Experts are trying to find the proper paint colours for the gate. It is very difficult," said Vinh.

Architect and former director of the Ha Noi Department for Architecture and Planning Dao Ngoc Nghiem said it's not easy to determine the original materials used to build the gate because it has been renovated many times.

"The gate's ancient and mossy image has been used in poems, and embedded in every Hanoian's memory so we should respect its former image while restoring it," Nghiem said.

He said before upgrading the gate again, relevant parties should establish a plan and use that to get an appropriate investment so that there will be more money than just the amount provided by a few organisations.

"We should immediately restore the original surrounding landscape and the original colour of the site," Nghiem said.

Architect and deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Architecture Association Nguyen Thuc Hoang agreed with Nghiem: "We should respect the site for its special place in the public's heart by taking immediate measures to bring it back to its former shape and colours." — VNS

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Three-centuries-old Hue tree gets heritage status

THUA THIEN-HUE — A 312-year-old persimmon tree in Hue has been conferred the status of a heritage tree by the Viet Nam Association of Natural Resources and Environment Protection (VANREP).

VANREP also placed a sign saying "Heritage Tree" on the tree in Duong Xuan Ha village in Thuy Xuan Ward at a ceremony on Friday.

The tree, which is 25m tall and has a trunk 1.4m across, was planted in 1698 to mark the border of the Than Van family's house of worship.

It was healthy for centuries until being damaged by a bomb in 1968.

VANREP chairman Nguyen Ngoc Sinh said the association is responsible for protecting all heritage trees in the country.

Earlier last month the association had conferred the status on nine 700-year-old mango trees in Ha Noi's Voi Phuc Temple.

HCM City to launch Sai Gon River tour to promote tourism

HCM CITY — HCM City tourism authorities hope to launch a new tour on the Sai Gon River this year to promote river tourism.

Nguyen Thi Hong, vice chairwoman of the People's Committee, said it will take tourists through Bach Dang Wharf, the Nha Be crossroads, and the Painters' Village in District 2.

The city will co-operate with neighbouring provinces like Dong Nai and Binh Duong to develop tours to those provinces, she added.

Hong, city tourism authorities and their counterparts from the two provinces, and 20 tour operators surveyed routes along the Sai Gon on Friday.

A conference is planned to gather opinions from the industry and tourism experts about promoting river tourism.

The city tourism authorities have been keen for years to develop river tourism but were handicapped by the lack of wharves and other services.

Diamond Place to host Miss Earth's Beauty and Talent Night

HCM CITY — The Beauty and Talent Night, an exclusive event for the Miss Earth competition in Viet Nam, will be held at Diamond Place conference hall in HCM City's Binh Thanh District tomorrow.

This year's Miss Earth contest will take place in Viet Nam, marking the first time that it has been held outside the Philippines.

With the motto Beauty for a Cause, the competition's organisers aim to improve awareness on the environment and eco- sustainability.

The winner will be spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation and the UN Environment Programme.

The contest include 90 participants, 20 of whom will be selected to attend the grand finale.

Celebrities Jennifer Pham and Binh Minh will be the presenters and star singers My Tam and Dam Vinh Hung, among others, will perform.

Starting from 5.30pm, the event also features classical concerts and opportunities for guests to socialise with the contestants. After dinner, there will be a talent contest among the selected final 20 participants. — VNS

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Translator receives praise from Russia

Honour: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (left) pins a Friendship Medal on Vietnamese writer and translator Hoang Thuy Toan for his contributions to promoting friendship and cultural co-operation between Viet Nam and Russia. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Lanh

MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday presented Vietnamese writer and translator Hoang Thuy Toan with a Friendship Medal at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

Another 11 foreign citizens also received the award for boosting ties between their countries and Russia.

At the awards ceremony, Medvedev thanked his foreign guests for promoting Russia's great historical and cultural legacy.

The president said world peace would only come through a greater appreciation and understanding of different nation's cultures.

Toan said the award was in recognition not just of his work as a translator but of all Vietnamese translators and teachers of the Russian language in Viet Nam.

In return, Toan gave Medvedev a book he had translated from Russian into Vietnamese and that was published in Viet Nam in 1987.

Toan is now the director of Viet Nam's East-West Culture-Language Centre. He is also an honourable member of the Russian Writers' Association. — VNS

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Vietnamese writer wins literary prize

Childhood dream: Writer Nguyen Nhat Anh signs books for his fans. — File Photo

HA NOI — Nguyen Nhat Anh is among eight writers from the region to win recognition at the Southeast Asian Writers Awards 2010.

The award ceremony was held yesterday in Bangkok to honour leading poets and writers in the ASEAN region.

The ten countries which comprise the ASEAN region are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The author won a prize for his Give Me a Ticket Back to Childhood which was written in 2008.

"I wrote the story not only for children, but for people who used to be children," Anh said.

Anh is a Vietnamese author well-known for his engaging stories for both teenagers and adults. He also works as a teacher, a poet and a reporter.

His works are enormous, including approximately 24 short stories, two giant novel series and poetry collections.

He is regarded as one of the most successful writers for teenagers.

The story Give Me a Ticket Back to Childhood was a best-seller at the 5th HCM City book fair, with over 15,000 copies sold within 10 days.

His most well-known series Kinh Van Hoa, (Kaleidoscope) which contains 45 volumes about three teenagers and the stories around their friendship and school life, has recently been transformed into four drama series of the same name.

The series became a major success and received extravagant acclaim from both readers and critics. In 1995, he was voted the most popular writer for the last 20 years (1975-1995) and the most talented individual through a poll held by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

In 1990, he received A-class Literature for Youth Prize for Chu Be Rac Roi (The troubled boy).

The Southeast Asian Writers Awards was established in 1979. About 13 Vietnamese authors have been awarded since 1996. — VNS

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US, VN filmmakers share experiences

HCM CITY — Local filmmakers and their American counterparts met at a cultural exchange programme yesterday held by the US Consulate General in HCM City to share experiences about documentary film-making.

Cinematography expert, Diane Carson, and two film directors, Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, have been in Viet Nam as part of the American Documentary Showcase.

The showcase is one of several cultural exchange programmes of the US Consulate General to promote mutual understanding between the countries.

The programme selects the best or most powerful documentaries in the US to screen in other countries.

The main goals of the showcase are to provide a glimpse into American culture, highlight the role of documentary and foster mutual understanding, Patricia Norland, the consulate's Public Affairs Officer, said.

The showcase delegations and various films are currently touring the world, including American embassies and consulates in Ecuador, the Czech Republic, Poland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan, Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan and others.

A documentary about life after the Katrina hurricane in the US was shown during the programme.

Diane Carson, former head of the US-based University Film&Video Association, said documentaries had always been popular in the US, but had become more common in the last 20-30 years.

Although the Katrina film criticised the US Government, the US Department of State decided to screen it around the world.

The film has been shown in 300 cities and 500 schools in the US, and broadcast by two TV networks in the country. The powerful documentary was awarded 10 prizes in 2008.

The film shows how 3,000 people lost their lives and millions lost their homes in the city of New Orleans after the devastating storm.

Deal, the film's director, said the situation was somewhat similar to the aftermath of severe storms that often hit Viet Nam.

The story is a redemptive tale of self-described street hustlers who become heroes, two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning.

The film opens the day before the storm makes landfall when a 24-year-old aspiring rap artist Kimberly Rivers Roberts turns her new video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbours trapped in the city.

The Showcase, funded by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, is designed to promote American documentaries and filmmakers at international overseas venues. — VNS

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Miss Earth contestants prepare to show talent

HA NOI — Pageant contestants will compete at the Miss Earth talent show at Diamond Palace in HCM City next Tuesday.

About 20 of the 90 contestants are registered to show off their talents at the competition. Viet Nam's representative Luu Thi Diem Huong will compete at the show. She will perform folk dances that are inspired by traditional steps from the north, south and central regions of the country.

The talent show will be broadcast live on VBC and SCTV6 channels. An auction will be held at the event to raise funds for flood victims in the central region of the country.

This is the first time the Miss Earth contest will be held outside of the Philippines. The final round will take place at Vinpearl Land resort in Nha Trang city on December 4.

Germany's leading youth choir to perform in Ha Noi

HA NOI — The German Youth Choir from Wernigerode will be performing at Ha Noi's Youth Theatre next Wednesday and Thursday as part of celebrations to mark German Year in Viet Nam 2010.

The 35-member group, aged from 15-18, will be conducted by Peter Habermann.

The choir will sing classical and modern German pieces, in addition to well-known contemporary songs from around the world.

Since its foundation in 1951, the Wernigerode broadcasting's choir has recorded more than 30 CDs and has been awarded the title Best German Choir.

Free tickets for the performance are available at the Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ha Noi from Thursday.

French gypsy jazz band comes to HCM City

HCM CITY — French gypsy jazz guitar band Le Nouveau Trio Gitan will perform in HCM City next Monday.

Christian Escoude, Jean-Baptiste Laya, and Hugo Lippi will play contemporary music but with a distinct gypsy-music touch.

The band was established in 2004 by Escoude, 63, whose father, an ethnic Roma and a guitarist, had a passion for the music of gypsy jazz inventor Django Reinhardt that he passed on to his son along with a guitar at the age of 10.

The concert, organised by the French consulate in HCM City, will be held at the HCM City Opera House in District 1.

Tickets costing VND200,000, VND150,000, and VND100,000 are available at the venue. — VNS

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Martial arts documentary wins Italian award

Quang Ngai Province’s Radio – Television on Thursday announced that its sport documentary named Doi vo or Martial Arts Life won the Guirlande D’Honneur 2010 award in the sports individual category at the 2010 Sport Movies and TV competition in Milan, Italy, reports Thanh Nien newspaper.

 Doi vo is a touching documentary about a dedicated martial arts teacher named Ngo Bong, born in Nghia Dien Commune, Tu Nghia  District, Quang Ngai Province who devoted his life to the growth of Hung Ke Quyen (Bravery Cock Fighting Style) a once-famous traditional fighting style originating from Binh Dinh Province.

There were 150 documentaries screening from 50 countries that were judged with 13 winners including feature films, documentaries, cartoons, television programs and advertising films. Some of the winning documentaries came from China, Russia, Uzbekistan and Hungary.

The boxer, Mike Tyson, was awarded with the most prestigious honor recognizing his contributions to boxing and his role in the feature film, “The Hangover”.

All the winning films will be screened from November 15 to 18 in Doha (Qatar), the Federation International Cinema Television Sports (FICTS) said.

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