Hanoi to embellish three historical sites

Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to upgrade the historical relic sites of Hoan Kiem Lake, The Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison.

Accordingly, the department will focus on repairing damaged areas, while replacing seriously downgraded areas in the Hoa Phong Tower, the Ngoc Son Temple and other areas around Hoan Kiem Lake.

The department also plans to diversify tourism products in the area through organising traditional art performance programmes at the Tran Ba Temple and festivals reproducing historical legends related to the lake.

The Temple of Literature will be developed into a cultural centre, where more artistic events will take place for visitors.

Meanwhile, the department will apply several measures to preserve and restore Hoa Lo Prison in order preserve the site’s historic nature. In addition, talks between former political prisoners and visitors, will be held to attract more tourists to the site.

Hoa Lo prison was built in Hanoi by the French colonialists in 1896. Over more than half a century, 200 revolutionary soldiers died and the health of many soldiers was affected by cruel torture and long detainment at the prison, which is now a historical site open to visitors.

Along with repairing and upgrading the three sites, the department will also enhance connectivity among them and other attractions to promote tourism development in the capital.-

New Vietnamese directors show changing face of film

Director Do Quoc Trung and his peers joined a workshop in Hoi An last week for Vietnam's leading young filmmakers, under the guidance of Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung, plus local directors Phan Dang Di and Bui Thac Chuyen.

Trung, 23, who graduated from Hanoi's Cinema and Stage College, has introduced his short screenplay "Dong Vao Mo Ra" (Heaven Island) at the four-day workshop, the Autumn Meet. He is hopeful production on the film can start next May.

"I hope my short film screenplay can win sponsorship for production. I have produced four or five short films so far and I want to make something new from a different angle, focusing on the lifestyles of young people," Trung said.

"Young men are always dynamic and eager to travel around the world. That's the reason I decided to choose a tough topic for this film. I want to explore their desires, inner thoughts and dreams," he said.

Trung's film script tells the life of an elevator operator in a trading centre. His only job is to press the floor button that visitors want to reach. It's his daily mission and he finds it very boring. However, his life changes when a pretty young girl arrives to work for a fashion company on the fourth floor.

He feels elated whenever the elevator stops at the fourth floor because he can see her when the door opens. He dreams that he falls in love with that girl on a white sandy beach. The elevator operator is then devastated when the girl changes her position and he can no longer see her face from the elevator. He finally quits his job and leaves the city on a bus. Where he leaves for, nobody knows.

Trung said he planned to shoot the film at a trading centre in Hanoi and Bai Tu Long Bay in Ha Long city. He said investment for the film would need to meet 112 million VND (5,300 USD).

Trung's short film, "Ca Chuoi" (Mother Never Cries), won first prize at a short film contest in Cambodia in March. The story is about a middle-aged woman who tries everything to find a girl to sleep with her mentally-challenged son. She fastidiously denies that there is anything wrong with her son and expects a grandson to maintain the family line. Trung said the film was completed in six months with an investment of 24 million VND (1,100 USD).

At the Autumn Meet, Da Nang-born Nguyen Trong Khoi also introduced his screenplay "Tinh Yeu va Du Hanh Thoi Gian". Khoi tells the story of a college student and his female teacher. The final-year student falls in love with the stubborn teacher strives to express his love and persuade the woman to reciprocate. He eventually finds true love.

Khoi's first short film, "Khong Co Gi Quy" (Even Just for One Day), was selected to compete at an international competition.

Autumn Meet organiser Dang Hoai Nam said it was the first time the event had been held in Da Nang city. "They are the youngest generation of film directors in Vietnam. The event was a chance for them to gain experience from senior and famous directors," Nam said.

"We hope Da Nang will host an International Film Festival next year. Da Nang and the central region needs to develop its film industry," Nam said, adding that the Autumn Meet would be organised annually in the central region to help this goal.

A festival to showcase the traditional arts of Lao ethnic groups from around the country kicked off in Vientiane on November 12.

Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, senior government officials and Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Manh Hung attended the opening ceremony of the fifth National Ethnic Arts Festival.

Speaking at the event, a representative from the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism noted that the festival aims to preserve and uphold the culture and artistic traditions of Lao ethnic groups, which have been passed through generations.

It is also being held to celebrate the 38th Lao National Day (2 December), as well as contributing to the movement to protect, build and develop the country, while enhancing the solidarity and mutual understanding with international friends, he added.

Some 360 gorgeously costumed traditional musicians and dance troupes took part in the event, staging a host of sparkling performances imbued with Lao characteristics.

RoK’s winter beauty introduced in Hanoi

The Republic of Korea’s Tourism Organisation (KTO) held a programme in Hanoi on November 12 to introduce the country’s beauty, particularly in winter, along with attractive tourism products to Vietnamese tourists.

Visiting the RoK at this time, tourists can enjoy snow-capped mountains and forests or go skiing and ice skating. They can join in winter festivals, fish on ice or light lanterns on islands.

This is one of the large-scale promotion campaigns of the year to popularise the Northeast Asian country’s beauty in winter and encourage travel agencies to sell more tours to the RoK in this season.

A campaign with various activities is being implemented by KTO to lure Vietnamese tourists to the country.

Vietnam is considered a potential market for RoK tourism. Since the beginning of this year, some 108,000 Vietnamese tourists have visited the country, an increase of 8 percent from a year earlier.-

Soc Trang builds up to boat race festival

The first regional “Ngo” boat race festival, a traditional race among ethnic Khmer in the Mekong Delta, is slated for November 14-17 in the southern province of Soc Trang with 61 teams on the waiting list.

Competitions will be divided into two categories of 1,200 metres for men and 1,000 metres for women.

The festival is expected to lure hundreds of thousands of visitors both at home and abroad.

As a sacred object of the Khmer people, every “Ngo” boat (Ghe Ngo) is made of wood by artisans and Khmer Buddhist monks. It is decorated with images of dragons, tigers, elephants, lions and peacocks representing its power.

“Ngo” boat racing is also one of the activities to celebrate the Ok Om Bok (worshipping the moon) festival which is held on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month every year with plenty of entertainment, art performances, traditional sports and games.

As part of the racing festival, over 50 contestants are competing in a traditional Kinh-Khmer – Hoa costumes performance competition from November 11-16.

The organising board will honour the top four finishers and award consolation prizes to 10 others.

Added to the festive atmosphere, the first Southern Khmer “du ke” singing festival opened in Soc Trang on November 11 with nearly 500 artists from six southern provinces taking part.

“Du ke” is a popular form of folk art created by the Khmer in the southwestern region of Vietnam . All performances praise the good and condemn the bad, but always with a happy ending.

Listed among the 12 intangible elements of cultural heritage nominated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to UNESCO for the 2012-2016 period, “du ke” originated from Cambodia ’s royal art of dancing, but has been influenced by Cai Luong (Renovated Theatre), as well as the art of singing by the Hoa ethnic group in the region.

Audiences who do not understand the Khmer language can still comprehend the story thanks to the professional skills of actors.

In the 1920s, it developed in leaps and bounds with many troupes taking shape in Tra Vinh.

Artist evokes distant memories

A veteran artist in a new exhibition in HCM City evokes beauty, nostalgia and a sense of sadness for disappearing scenes and traditions in Viet Nam.

Van Y, a graduate of the Gia Dinh Fine Arts College in Sai Gon (former name of HCM City), showcases his best works in the Dau Xua (Traces of Old Times) exhibition at Tu Do Gallery.

Most of the 26 oil paintings, which were created between 2010 and 2013, depict rural landscapes and women in different moods.

Some of the lighter-coloured paintings feature young women, beautiful in the traditional ao dai, in states of joyfulness and sadness, and others show memories of life and people.

"Y finds unlimited sources of inspiration in old houses, beautiful women and flowers in small streets. Colours are his language," artist and collector Thu Ha, owner of the gallery, said.

Through Y's art, viewers feel nostalgic for times of the past, but they acknowledgethat society is changing.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition are Thieu Nu Va Meo (Young Girl & a Cat), Hoai Co (Nostalgia), Ganh Hoa (Carrying Flower) and Dau Xua (Traces of Old Times) that include the colours of yellow, red, white and brown.

In Thieu Nu Va Meo, the artist uses only white and red to depict a young girl in ao dai sitting with a small cat in a sad and lonely state. The work's meaning and colours left a strong impression on viewers.

"I hope viewers will be able to think about their lives and loves as well as happiness and failures in the past and present," the 62-year-old artist said.

A member of the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association, Y has held several solo and group exhibitions at home and abroad. Dau Xua is the sixth solo exhibition of his held in the city.

The exhibition closes on November 24 at Tu Do Gallery, 53 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 1.

Music show commemorates life of noted VN composer

Music by Van Cao (1923-95), one of Viet Nam's greatest contemporary composers, will be performed in downtown Ha Noi on November 22.

Co-organised by the Viet Nam Musicians' Association and the composer's family, the concert celebrates what would be Cao's 90th birthday (15/11/1923).

Leading singers including Quang Tho, Anh Tuyet, Dang Duong and Lan Anh will perform a selection of the composer's work, including two never-before published songs.

The original version of Tien Quan Ca (Marching Song), chosen by President Ho Chi Minh to be the national anthem and edited by the National Assembly in 1955, will be performed by a choir for the first time.

The show will start at 8pm at the Ha Noi Friendship Culture Palace, 91 Tran Hung Dao Street. Tickets ranging from VND500,000 (US$24) to 2 million are available at the venue.

Born Nguyen Van Cao in the northern coastal city of Hai Phong, the artist initially composed romantic ballads like Thu Co Lieu (Lonely Autumn), Suoi Mo (Dream Spring) and Cung Dan Xua (Old Melody).

In 1942, he started to follow the revolutionary movement and composed patriotic marching songs, followed by songs like Truong Ca Song Lo (Epic Lo River), Lang Toi (My Village), Ngay Mua (Harvest Day) and Tien Ve Ha Noi (Marching to Ha Noi), which reflected how enthusiastic Vietnamese people were to fight the French invaders.

Earlier this month, the Viet Nam Writers' Association published a poetry collection by Van Cao and organised a workshop on the book.

At an exhibition titled Van Cao of 18 Years Ago, those who were too young to be familiar with the artist can see 27 photos of Van Cao and his friends by photographer Nguyen Dinh Toan. The exhibit will be held at Vietnamese Culture Space, 16 Le Thai To Street from November 15-17.

Toan, who works at Xua & Nay (Then & Now) magazine, specialises in taking photos of celebrities. He started taking photos of the composer in 1987.

"I went to his house every day between 9am and 3pm," Toan recalls. "He never asked to see the photos, just sat silently, thought deeply and drank wine while I worked."

Books published on General Vo Nguyen Giap

The National Political Publishing House – Truth has published five books, which assemble Vo Nguyen Giap’s articles and works on the General.

Two of the books – Nhung Chang Duong Lich Su (Stages on the Historical Road) and Tong Hanh Dinh Trong Mua Xuan Toan Thang (The General Headquarters During the Spring of Total Victory) – feature General Vo Nguyen Giap’s memories on the national wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists. The books offer clear insight into the fighting skills and spirit of Vietnamese soldiers during important historical moments.

Dien Bien Phu gathers General Vo Nguyen Giap’s articles on the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

Vo Nguyen Giap – Mot Cuoc Doi (Vo Nguyen Giap – A Life), is translated from ‘Vo Nguyen Giap - Une Vie’, which was written by French professor of history Alain Ruscio and published by the Les Indes Savantes Pari publishing house of France. The professor, an authority on Vietnamese history, was a resident reporter of L’Humanité newspaper in Vietnam. The book is based on his interviews with General Vo Nguyen Giap between 1979 and 2008.

Vo Nguyen Giap – Danh Tuong Thoi Dai Ho Chi Minh (Vo Nguyen Giap – Famous General of the Ho Chi Minh era) by Colonel Tran Trong Trung discusses the great contributions made by General Vo Nguyen Giap to the Party, State and the Vietnamese people in the causes of national liberation, construction and defence.

Through these books, readers can gain a better understanding about a great personality and one of the most important figures in modern Vietnamese history.

Dutch fishmonger will show talents in town

Taking part in the Holland Village 2013 held from November 22 to December 1 in September 23 Park downtown will be Dutch fish expert Gerrit Morren.

Visitors to the festival will have a chance to taste his typical Dutch fish dishes such as delicious herring cured with salt, smoked cobia, fried battered fish bites or battered boneless fish fillets with crunchy crust.

Morren, 49, has been working in the seafood industry since he was 15 years old. He moved to Vietnam in 2005 and works as a quality inspector, sales and searching agent for the NVU (Dutch Fish Association) and American fish company Seven Seas International.

Morren is based in Nha Trang, on a small island connected to the mainland via a small bridge.

“I love the outdoors. When I worked on the markets in the Netherlands I was always outside. I love living here. It’s a beautiful, fertile island.”

Source: VOV/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP