Music bashes to celebrate New Year in Hanoi, HCMC

Several music performances are being readied in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to entertain the locals and usher in the New Year on January 1.

The Springtime Rendezvous will take place at the outdoor stage at 19:30 on January 1 at 23/9 Park, District 1’s Pham Ngu Lao Street, with performances of pop stars like Quang Linh, Thanh Thao, Quang Ha, Khanh Ngoc, Quang Vinh, and Bao Thy.

Rock lovers will have a chance to immerse themselves in electrifying performances of various rock bands, including UK rock band The Lost Souls Club and two local rock bands Unlimited and Microwave.

The event takes place at Tiger Translate 2011–Metropolis at 20:00 on January 7, District 1’s Nguyen Du Stadium, promising to rock up the city.

Also in the pipeline is Charming Vietnam Gala organized by Thanh Nien Daily Newspaper, at 20:00 on January 8-9 in Tuy Hoa City of Phu Yen Central province to raise money for the Nguyen Thai Binh Fund for poor students and the Vietnamese Talent Fund.

The event will feature famous singers, beauties, and models from across the country and the two emerging stars of Vietnam Idol 2010, Lan Nha and Uyen Linh.

The 23rd gala will witness the return of Bolero music which is expected to be a special cultural and art event in the South Central Coastal National Tourism Year 2011.

“A day of wind & haven” is also a good choice for music lovers. The event will feature French artists (Pierre Diaz, Trio Zéphyr), French performers of Vietnamese origin (singer Huong Thanh and artist Alex Tran), and Vietnamese violinist Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy. They will perform at Idecaf at 20:00 on January 12.

In the northern hub, Hanoi Cultural Friendship Palace will present the “Wise wife teaches foolish husband” drama directed by Meritorious Artist Xuan Huyen and scripted by People’s Artist Doan Hoang Giang, with the participation of a group of artists from HCMC like Hong Van, Duc Hai, Minh Hoang, Trinh Kim Chi, and Van Anh.

In other news, well-known musician Le Minh Son’s evening performance, themed “Guitar for me”, will take place on January 1 at Hanoi Opera House, in collaboration with famous local artists in the north like Tung Duong, Thanh Lam, and Ha Linh.

The capital city will also feature a children’s music show from 15:00 to 20:00 the following day at Hanoi Opera House, and “Prosperous Spring”, a music program, on 20:00 on January 4 at the Hanoi Cultural Friendship Palace, with the appearance of famous local artists Hoai Linh, Hong Van, Thanh Bach, Quang Dung, Thanh Thao, Anh Tho, Thanh Thanh Hien.

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Bosch, STF grant scholarships to students

Vo Quang Hue (L) managing director of Robert Bosch Vietnam Co., Ltd., hands scholarships to students at the HCMC University of Technology - Photo: Tuong Vi

The Saigon Times Foundation ( STF) in association with Robert Bosch Vietnam Co., Ltd. granted 10 scholarships on Thursday to poor studious students at the HCMC University of Technology. These students will receive VND17.5 million during three and a half academic years.

In the last six years, STF has awarded short-term scholarships worth a total of VND4 billion for students in cities and provinces of the Mekong Delta, HCMC, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Danang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, Thua Thien- Hue, Kontum, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh and Ninh Thuan.

STF has also cooperated with local enterprises and individuals to donate long-term scholarships to 226 students in HCMC, Binh Duong, An Giang, Can Tho, Lam Dong, Danang, and Quang Ngai worth over VND2 billion in total.

At the award ceremony, students met with leaders from local technical companies to learn about recruitment policies for interns.

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Vietnam dance group to host hi-hop contest

Vietnam’s leading hip-hop dance group Big Toe

A hip-hop contest will be monthly organized for nationwide dancers in preparation for a final round at the end of next year, says Nguyen Viet Thanh, head of the Southeast Asia hip hop champion crew 2010, Big Toe.

Thanh said that the move was aimed at offering opportunities for hip hop lovers nationwide to practice, compete and enhance their dancing skills and develop the Vietnamese hip hop movement.

The first monthly contest was held on December 26 in Hanoi, attracting 66 dancers throughout the country, competing directly in a knock-out format. The judges included members of Hanoi-based Big Toe namely Nguyen Anh Duc, Bui Manh Thang and Nguyen Manh Nam .

Thanh added he hoped to invite foreign dancers to join the judges for the final round.

"We want to develop hip hop as a healthy way for Vietnamese youths to express their characters," he said. "The final winners will represent Vietnam to compete at an international competition."

Big Toe won the Battle of the Year (BOTY) Southeast Asia in Singapore in October to earn the 10-member dance team tickets to France for the BOTY International Final 2010 competition in November.

Founded in 1992 when hip hop first arrived in Vietnam with just seven members, the crew has grown to 60, and won national and international acclaim.

BOTY is an international competition for break-dancers. Each region or country will have one representative at the BOTY International Final in France.

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Top ten culture, sports and tourism events in 2010

Vietnamese film director Dang Nhat Minh (R) was honored in Los Angeles, US by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Photo: Tran Hoang Anh

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Thursday announced ten outstanding cultural, sports and tourism activities in 2010 for Vietnam including president Ho Chi Minh’s 120th birthday and the Hanoi millennium anniversary.

Following are top ten events in 2010:

1. The US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored Dang Nhat Minh, renowned Vietnamese director of “Don’t Burn” in Los Angeles November 10

2. Cultural and fine art activities to celebrate the 80th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, late president Ho Chi Minh’s 120th birthday, the 65th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2 and the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front

3. Cultural, sports, and tourism activities marking the grand celebration of the Thang Long-Hanoi millennium anniversary including the biggest-ever parade held at Ba Dinh Square on October 10

4. The Saint Giong Festival and Soc Temple in Hanoi recognized by UNESCO as humankind’s intangible cultural heritage

5. Vietnam hosted some international cultural and sport events for the first time including International Fine Art Photo Exhibition, International Film Festival, International Piano Contest, Miss Earth 2010, and the Thang Long-Hanoi International Football Cup

6. The sixth national sports festival

7. The Vietnamese sport delegation bagged 33 medals including at five Olympics sport events for the first time at the 16th Asian Games, Guangzhou, China

8. Vietnamese disabled athletes secured 17 medals, ranking 11th out of 42 delegations at the first Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China

9. Vietnam warmly welcomed the 5 millionth international tourist - Chinese auditor Zhou Zhing who was presented with gifts, a medal, a return ticket for the trip, and a Hue-Da Nang tour for two

10. Vietnam launched the tourism promotion campaign “Vietnam – Your Destination”, aiming at attracting foreign tourists to Vietnam and promoting domestic tourism. The country’s tourism industry has received more than 5 million visitors from abroad and is estimated to earn more than VND100 trillion (US$5 billion)

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Airline magazine published in Japanese

HA NOI — Heritage, the Vietnam Airlines inflight magazine, began publishing a Japanese edition on Wednesday to serve passengers on flights between Viet Nam and Japan.

The magazine, in its 10th year of publication, is considered a bridge to introduce Vietnamese culture and fashion to international friends.

Mister Viet Nam pageant final begins

HA NOI — The final round of the Mister Viet Nam 2010 pageant will take place in the southern city of Vung Tau tomorrow and will be broadcast live on VTV9 and VTV4.

Thirty contestants are competing in such categories as Mister Gentlemen, Mister Sports, Mister Talent, Mister Environment, and Mister Knowledge.

Viet Nam Television and the Bac Dau Entertainment Co have co-organised the pageant with an aim to find a winner who represents Vietnamese men who are confident, fashionable, strong and elegant.

The winner will receive a cash prize of VND750 million (US$38,500) and represent Viet Nam in the Mister International 2011 competition to be held in the Philippines.

Researchers digitise Thai ethnic script

THANH HOA — A project to compile fonts for the ancient script of the Thai ethnic group has been approved by the central province of Thanh Hoa.

The project will be carried out by the Thanh Hoa Informatics and Media Centre with the aim to popularise the use of the Thai language.

The specialists will also research the differences between the scripts of the Thai in the province and elsewhere in the northwestern region of the country. — VNS

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Anti-hunting film wins green movie award

HA NOI — A film featuring the illegal hunting of wild animals won a special prize at the fourth Environmental Film Festival held in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

Le Hoai Phuong received VND30 million and the Viet Nam Green Award for his documentary Toi Ac Rung Xanh (Crime in the Forest).

The film depicts hunting activities of wild animals in Binh Thuan Province.

The film's topics and visual effects have left a strong impression on the jury and audiences.

To make the film, Phuong and his staff spent three years following and working with illegal hunters, who agreed to the filming but asked the director to conceal their faces.

"Phuong's work condemns people who destroy forests and hunt wild animals. His film's message calls on people to protect and keep the world and environment safe from disease," said Bui Dinh Hac, veteran film director.

The VND20 million first prize was shared by Vuong Duc for the movie Rung Den (Black Forest), Gia Hung for the documentary Ngu Ngon Thoi Nay (Modern Fable), Trong Hoa for the investigating report Thien Tai va Nhan Tai (Natural Calamities and Man-Made Calamities), and Nguyen Nhan Lap's cartoon Meo Vat (Small Trick).

Ha Noi-skilled director Duc's Rung Den is a quality film that attracted young audiences back to the cinema after its release in 2008. It featured young actors such as Kieu Chinh and Thach Kim Long.

The film described the tragic lives of people who destroy forest land.

Viet Nam Green winner Phuong said that making films featuring environmental problems was not a new experience in Viet Nam.

"Through our work, we hope audiences can learn about saving the natural world and have a visual treat as well," he said.

Organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and its partners, the Viet Nam Cinematography Association and Viet Nam Television, this year's national Environment Film Festival attracted 131 entries, including 70 investigating reports, 35 documentaries, 18 science films, four films and four cartoons. — VNS

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Japanese print maker exhibits in Hanoi

A katazome print of a railway line in Hanoi by Japanese artist Toba Mika - Photo: The organizers

An exhibition of katazome paintings, called “Nara and Hanoi – Linking Eternal Capitals” by Japanese artist Toba Mika will be at the Temple of Literature and Vietnam Art Museum in Hanoi from January 6-25.

The katazome exhibition will commemorate Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary and Nara City’s 1300th anniversary.

The Japanese artform is a method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste applied through a stencil, something similar to Indonesian batik.

Toba Mika came to Vietnam in 1994, after traveling through other South Asian countries. She has painted around 100 Vietnamese landscapes and has had exhibitions in Hanoi in 2003 and in Hue in 2005.

In this exhibition, Toba Mika will introduce 35 paintings, mostly Vietnamese landscapes. She made prints of small streets in Hanoi, riverside houses in HCMC, urban scenes and tropical landscapes, which Toba Mika calls her own ‘world heritages’.

The prints show houses lining railway lines, walls scribbled with numbers and words and dimly lit slums.

After appearing in Hanoi the show will move to Yakushi-ji Pagoda in Japan.

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