Bodhisattva statue changes color

Mr. Huynh Huu Loc from Vinh Ngoc Commune in Nha Trang City possesses a bronze Quan The Am Bo Tat (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) statute which changes its color according to light.

According to him, the 52cm tall statue changes color not only in daylight but also electric light. It is black at night and electric light makes the color turn into grey, brown, yellow and others.

Mr. Loc hoped that cultural researchers, archaeologists, historians and authorized agencies will assess the statue’s value in order to better preserve and protect it.

The 9kg statue is left from his late brother, Mr. Loc added.

Huge wooden anchor found in Hue

A giant wooden anchor has been found in the Thuan An Sea off the central city of Hue.

After pulling the eight metre-long anchor out of the water, fisherman Nguyen Hao sold it to his neighbour, Nguyen Van Chinh, who then contacted the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre to find out if they knew more.

The anchor may have belonged to a ship passing through the area between 1600 and 1885, said Ho Tan Phan, a researcher with the conservation centre.

It is the largest wooden anchor ever found in the area.

Large wooden anchors believed to have been from invading Mongol ships in the 13th century were recently found in northern Vietnam.

Visitors enjoy mixture of VN, S Korean dishes at craft fair

The culinary arts of South Korea and Viet Nam were honoured here on Friday as part of the 2014 Ha Noi Traditional Craft Village Festival.

The event aims to promote a cultural exchange between the two countries and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the capital city's Liberation Day.

According to event organisers, the exchange is also an occasion for the two countries to seek opportunities for economic co-operation.

At the event, South Korean experts introduced to the participants kimchi, South Korea's national dish, a traditional side dish consisting of fermented vegetables with a variety of seasonings.

For their part, Vietnamese experts introduced typical and famous Hanoian dishes, including pho (rice noodles), bun cha (grilled pork served with fresh noodles) and cha ca La Vong (grilled fish), all of which the Asian Record Organisation have recognised.

Mai Tien Dung, deputy director of the city department of culture, sports and tourism, pointed out the similarities in culture and culinary tastes of the two nations.

"While many Koreans have a special fondness for Vietnamese cuisine and find the food in Ha Noi particularly pleasing and tasteful, kimchi has also become very popular in Viet Nam," he said.

In 2013, kimjang, South Korea's tradition of making and sharing kimchi that usually takes place in winter, was added to the list of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The listing has allowed South Korea to preserve the annual household tradition and the community spirit that goes with it, as well as promote kimchi on a global scale.

Park Wan-soo, director of the World Institute of Kimchi, said his organisation would consider co-operation with Viet Nam in making and exporting kimchi to other countries.

Over the last few years, South Korea has imported a variety of vegetables from Viet Nam which are important ingredients for kimchi, including chili, garlic, ginger and cabbage.

Viet Nam is home to several kimchi shops run by South Korean businessmen. The kimchi in these shops, made with ingredients from Viet Nam, are exported to various countries in Southeast Asia.

Moving images stress need for protecting women and children

Children's innocent eyes and mothers breast-feeding their babies are among the touching images in a photography exhibition at the Vietnamese Women's Museum in Ha Noi.

Provided by Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, the photographs come from Afghanistan, Haiti, Bangladesh and other countries where Canadian support has im-proved the quality of life of mothers and children.

"The exhibition provides a unique opportunity for Canada to showcase our commitment to maternal, newborn and child health efforts in many parts of the developing world," said Canadian Ambassador David Devine.

The exhibition is timed on the occasion of the International Girls Day in order to raise awareness about the particular challenges that girls face.

Speaking at the exhibition, Devine said that saving the lives of women and children was not only a moral imperative, it was the foundation for building prosperous communities for this generation and the next.

Each year, six million children die before their fifth birthday and nearly 300,000 women die in pregnancy; most of these deaths could be prevented by access to clean water, nutritious food and basic health care, he said.

Visitor Suzanne Lecht said the event was important to raise awareness about protecting maternal and child health.

"We need to ask people to join hands with us to protect children," she said.

Viet Nam has reduced its ma-ternal mortality rate by two-thirds and has more than halved its under-five mortality rate in recent years.

While challenges remain, the photos depict signs of hope, such as women being provided with medical services and maternal health care and children receiving education and nutrition support.

The exhibition will run until October 21 at the Vietnamese Women's Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Ha Noi.

Concert to mark Vietnam-Japan friendship

A Vietnam-Japan friendship concert featuring renowned artists of the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) under the baton of Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji is set for the Hanoi Opera House on November 15.

The event, organized by the Japan-Vietnam Cultural Association (JVCA), aims to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the VNSO.

The concert will open with “Rhapsody Chim ưng” (Rhapsody Falcon) written by composer Dam Linh as a hello from Vietnam, performed by violinist Bui Cong Duy.

Additionally, audiences will have chance to listen to “Rhapsody for Orchestra” written by Japanese composer Yuzo Toyama and “Symphony No1 C Minor OP.68” written by German composer Johannes Brahms.

HCM City: Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda rebuilt

Construction of the new Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda began on October 12 in district 10, Ho Chi Minh City.

Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, said the project will be a 13-storey, 63-metre-high tower to symbolise the spirit of service and unity of 13 organisations, associations and sects in the establishment of the Unified Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in 1963.

The stupa will house an altar for the heart of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, who set himself on fire 51 years ago to protest against the repression of Buddhists by the American-supported Saigon government, said the Venerable, who heads the HCM City Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Board.

The work, covering a site of 10,000 square metres, is expected to be completed in two years at a total cost of 150 billion VND (7.1 million USD).

The old Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda was built in 1963 on a site of nearly 4,000 square metres.

In September this year, the HCM City’s People Committee donated more than 7,200 square metres to the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha to re-build the Pagoda.

Charity concert gathers award-winning pop stars

Award-winning singers will perform at a charity concert on October 18 to raise money for needy children in the northern province of Hoa Binh.

The artists include Tan Nhan, Tuan Anh, Thuy Mien, Minh Ngoc and Trung Quan, who have won singing contests such as Sao Mai (Morning Star), the X Factor, Vietnam's Got Talent and Vietnam Idol.

The concert, I Have a Dream, will be held at the National Academy of Music, 77 Hao Nam Street, Hanoi.

Funds raised will go toward scholarships and bicycles for students in Du Sang commune, Kim Boi district, Hoa Binh province. Many of them live far from school.

The Going to School project, launched by advocacy group Seed and Soul, organised the concert. Visit Facebook.com/seedandsoul for free tickets and more information.

Hanoi boosts efforts to preserve Ca Tru singing

The city of Hanoi, which has a history of preserving and promoting the value of the ancient northern Vietnamese traditional Ca Tru singing, has pledged to increase its efforts by calling for more public participation in the city’s Ca Tru clubs.

Ca Tru, also known as Hat A Dao, features a female singer who is accompanied by a small group of musicians. It has been popular for more than 500 years.

It is a complex form of poetry found in the north of Vietnam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese verse. Originally, it was a form of entertainment for wealthy people and was even performed for royalty.

This kind of singing is now practiced in 15 provinces and cities throughout Vietnam .

In recent years, in addition to the efforts undertaken by Ca Tru clubs, local authorities all over Hanoi have paid special attention to the preservation of the art form, which is in danger of being forgotten and disappearing from cultural life.

Several districts ran campaigns to raise the public’s awareness of the cultural value of Ca Tru and to encourage them to join the preservation efforts. Furthermore, authorities mobilised the necessary resources to fund their efforts.

In a bid to safeguard this unique genre of songs, recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection in October 2009, historical documents on Ca Tru were collected, books were published, and the teaching of Ca Tru was increased.

The municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organised Ca Tru festivals to promote an exchange between clubs. Several historical sites were upgraded to provide space to perform Ca Tru.

According to Chu Chi Cang, director of Hoai Duc district’s Ngai Cau Ca Tru singing club, cultural management agencies should develop measures and plans to help support the activities of clubs in Hanoi and other localities throughout the country.

Vice Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Truong Minh Tien said his agency considered the conservation of Ca Tru singing a priority, adding that the department would introduce Ca Tru at tourism sites and festivals to popularise the traditional art form.

The department wants the traditional northern form of singing to be taken off the list of endangered world cultural heritages and be granted the status of intangible cultural heritage of humanity instead.

The Department also proposed an annual event to honour Ca Tru vocalists and allocate funds from the budget for performances and promotional measures, Tien added.

Belgium’s Silly municipality launches Vietnamese culture week

Silly municipality in Belgium’s Hainaut province is hosting a Vietnamese culture week to honour the Southeast Asian country’s rich culture.

The event was kicked off on October 10 with an exhibition of paintings by overseas Vietnamese painter Thi Truong Minh, a display of photographs depicting Vietnamese people and land taken by Silly residents, and a traditional drum performance staged by Vietnamese artists.

Currently taking place at the Silly Culture Centre, about 50km away from Brussels, there will have classes taught how to cook Vietnamese food instructed by Vietnamese expatriates.

Vietnam’s scenery attractions such as Ha Long Bay, Hue imperial capital, Phu Quoc island and the Mekong Delta will be introduced.

The culture week will be wrapped up by the screening of “Scent of Green Papaya”, a movie directed by Vietnamese- French director Tran Anh Hung telling a story in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City today) in 1950s, and “Discover the world of Vietnam- Au Co and Lac Long Quan”, a work of Chistian Verot featuring Vietnam with beautiful and peaceful landscapes and friendly people.

Vietnamese cultural festival opens in Australia

The Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2014 (Vietfest 2014) took place at the Australia National University (ANU) in Canberra October 10, drawing the participation of around 1,000 overseas Vietnamese and foreign students.

The event, jointly held by ACT Vietnamese Overseas Students Association (ACTVOSA) and the Association of Vietnamese Students at the ANU, saw the presence of Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi.

The festival, the third of its kind, aimed to introduce and promote the special cultural identities of Vietnam to people in the host country and international friends. It also offered an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese students to show their love towards the homeland.

Participants at the event enjoyed quan ho (love duet) performances, traditional dances with bamboo and an ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) show. They were also interested in Vietnamese traditional dishes and handicrafts.

Photos on the landscapes and people of Vietnam were also on display at the event.

On this occasion, Ambassador Nghi granted certificates of merit to the organisers in recognition for their contributions to maintaining and popularising the nation’s culture as well as connecting the Vietnamese community overseas.

Embroidery pictures help Quang Ninh fully tap tourism potential

Hand embroidery pictures will be a new tourism product of northern Quang Ninh province, said Ha Quang Long, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In addition to the province’s traditional tourism products such as landscapes, hand embroidery pictures are expected to become a specialty of Quang Ninh for both domestic and foreign visitors in the near future.

In an effort to honour the value of the traditional handicraft, a space was held on October 9 in Ha Long city to feature the royal embroidery art, showcasing hand embroidery pictures on Ha Long Bay and the land of Vietnam, jewellery made of threads and vases with thread decorations.

This is part of a series of events to mark the 20th anniversary of UNESCO recognition of Ha Long Bay as a World Natural Heritage.

An exhibition on hand embroidery pictures will be held by the end of October.

Peace cultural festival honours outstanding citizens

A peace cultural festival was held in Hanoi on October 12 to mark the 60th anniversary of the capital liberation and 15 years of being recognized as a “City for peace” by UNESCO.

The festival attracts about 2,000 participants, many of them are expats.

Twelve foreigners were honoured the title of “Honourary citizen of Hanoi” in this occasion.

They were acknowledged as making great contributions to Hanoi’s development in many fields.

Dr. Naoto Keicho, Chairman of Vietnam-Japan Tuberculosis programme in Hanoi, one of 12 honoured individuals said that this honor is not only for him but also all his colleagues in Vietnam and Japan.

Street art performances, a painting contest on Hanoi – the city for peace, circus and magic performances, traditional martial arts performances, night music on peace and aspiration, exhibition on Ha Noi – the city for peace, walk for peace, and balloons for peace release were held during the festival.

Concert staged in two-million-year-old Dau Go Cave

More than 20 artists assembled in the Halong Bay ancient Dau Go cave for a 30-minute acoustic concert as part of the Asian-European New Music Festival on October 11.

The cave accommodated an audience of about 200 guests, the artists performed with traditional acoustic instruments, such as zithers, monochords, two-string violins and flutes on a wooden stage large enough to hold 40 artists.

After the concert, an art programme themed “Friendship Melody” was staged in the Vietnam-Japan cultural palace in Halong city, Quang Ninh province, which was attended by Vietnamese famous artists Quang Tho, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Minh Quan, Nhat Thuy and Vo Hong Quan.

Hanoi concert features Asia-America symphony

A special programme of the Japan-America Institute for New Music (JAINM) was held at the Concert Hall, Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi on October 10 within the framework of the Asia-Europe New Music Festival.

This is a reunion of composers from Asia and America with the aim of exchanging culture and experiences in the development trend of the world music.

At the event, domestic and foreign artists introduced the audience to seven outstanding works including Collage (Thailand), My Beloved (China), Lilac Nova (Japan), Ling Hu and Namura Cuo (China), and Wild Grass on the Riverbank and Five Minutes for a Century Ago (the US).

The festival will continue to take place in the capital city of Hanoi and Quang Ninh province on October 11 with two interesting programmes, including "The Programme of Chamber Music and Choir" at Concert Hall in Hanoi, and the Programme of "Friendship Melodies" at Vietnam - Japan Friendship Cultural House, Ha Long City.

Hanoi hosts Vietnam-RoK culinary exchange

A Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) culinary festival was held in Hanoi on October 10 to promote cultural exchange between the two nations.

The festival is one of the activities marking the 60th anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day and was organized within the framework of the 2014 Hanoi Traditional Craft Village Festival.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Mai Tien Dung pointed out the similarities in culture and culinary tastes between the two nations.

“Many Koreans have cultivated a special fondness for Vietnamese cuisine and find the food in Hanoi particularly pleasing and tasteful to the palate,” he said.

The Korean homemade plate, Kim Chi (a dish of vegetable pickle), has also become very popular and a favourite of many Vietnamese, he noted.

At the event, an expert from the International Institute for Korean Kim Chi introduced the traditional Korean cuisine to those in attendance, which was also featured by five Korean businesses.

War veterans call for ao dai revival

More than 300 participants, mostly from governmental offices, veterans, universities and students, took part in a talk on promoting ao dai, the Vietnamese traditional costume for women.

The event was organised by a club of female officials at the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the HCM City War Remnants Museum yesterday to celebrate Vietnamese Women's Day on October 20.

The talk aims to introduce the beauty of ao dai and its conveniences.

It also sent a message to the community on preserving and promoting traditional clothes.

Le Tu Cam, chairwoman of the HCM City Cultural Heritage Association, said that in the past, ao dai was a uniform for women teachers, students and officials in most governmental agencies. Now, it is worn at special events.

"The ao dai is being replaced by more convenient clothes like skirts, trousers and shirts. Therefore, preservation of the national dress is a priority work for the community," Cam said.

She also gave some suggestions to the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote the costume.

"The department should encourage women officials, especially those who are working in culture and tourism agencies, to wear ao dai every Monday and at special events," Cam said.

She called for women officials to become pioneers in preserving and promoting ao dai to the world.

At the event, female former political prisoners in ao dai presented instrumental and singing performances featuring popular revolutionary songs.

They also shared their experiences and memories about the role of ao dai in the political movements in Sai Gon.

In recent years, many activities, including exhibitions and seminars on ao dai in old and modern times, and the role of the costume, have been organised.

Last November, the War Remnants Museum hosted a one-month exhibition introducing designs in use during the war years used by female soldiers and Vietnamese women in activities to protect the country.

The first Ao Dai Festival was held at the city's Dam Sen Cultural Park in March. The two-day event introduced new collections of ao dai by well-known local designers, and a ao dai show performed by 2,000 women. 

Magnificent programme 'Hanoi - Faith and Hope' delights audience

A large-scale art programme entitled 'Hanoi - Faith and Hope' was held simultaneously at four locations in inner Hanoi and broadcast live by Vietnam Television on the night of October 10, fascinating millions of viewers.

The elaborate art programme taking place at Ly Thai To flower garden, Thang Long Citadel, August Revolution Square, and Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) was among a series of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day.

The colourful event told the story of historic moments of Hanoi from the early days of the resistance against the French colonialists through to the present day with TV reports, song and dance performances, Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) performances, talks with historical figures and more.

The event brought together hundreds of famous artists including People's Artists Quang Tho and Thu Hien, Meritorious Artists Duong Minh Duc and Quang Huy, singers My Linh and Ngoc Anh, and the participation of hundreds of thousands people.

At Ly Thai To flower garden near Hoan Kiem lake, the city’s centre of artistic activities, audience enjoyed the arts programme entitled 'Hanoi, the return day' which featured the day the capital welcomed Hanoian soldiers from the outside city returning to liberate the city.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Toursim, Nguyen Khac Loi, said that 'Hanoi, the return day' was the highlight of the 'Hanoi - Faith and Hope' programme which was intended to promote the historical values and revolutionary traditions of Hanoi.

In the meantime, an arts programme themed 'Hanoi October' was held at the August Revolution Square and an Ao Dao performance was organised at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam.

At Thang Long Citadel, a flash mob performed by thousands of young people took place, creating an exciting celebratory atmosphere.

At 9pm, 30 locations in Hanoi simultaneously set off fireworks to fill the capital city with sparkling colours and joy.

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