Ca tru artists offer free weekly shows

Anyone who loves ca tru (ceremonial singing) – one of the most preserved Vietnamese traditional art forms and a piece of world cultural heritage – will be delighted to learn that the Ha Noi Ca Tru Club is launching free weekly performances, starting this Saturday.

Located at 34 Hoang Cau Street, the weekly show will take place from 8.30pm until 10pm. Famous traditional instrumentalists will be there, including Ngoc Anh (flute), Thu Ha (36-stringed zither), Thanh Nam (drum), Ba Hai (three-stringed day) and Bach Van (singer). The artists will perform both classic ca tru melodies and contemporary music on traditional instruments.

Space is available on a first come first serve basis. However, please arrive early to reserve your seats. There is no need to book in advance.

Photo adventure in Moc Chau Plateau

Viet Nam in Focus – a photography tour company that aims to give travellers practical photography skills and experiences – will organise an adventure over the forthcoming long holiday weekend to the mountainous town of Moc Chau in Son La Province and its annual Mong love market.

The group, which should be no more than six people, will travel by minibus to Moc Chau, where they will take up residence for the weekend at a local homestay in the countryside.

A workshop on landscape photography, composition and portraiture, culminating in a guided photo journalistic project is among the activities that will take place ahead of the love market. The weekend will also include trekking around Moc Chau and tasty home-cooked ethnic minority food.

Anyone interested should contact 0121 515 0522 or visit vietnaminfocus.com.

Cargo Bar hosts Film Friday

Film Friday, a film industry networking and social event, will be held at the Cargo Bar tomorrow.

This is a chance for young filmmakers to present their ideas and receive advices from professionals. It will also offer presentations and discussions with investors, producers and filmmakers, short film screenings and film quizzes.

The event will take place from 6.30-9pm at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4.

UK artist captures Hoi An charms

A week-long exhibition of works by UK artist Bridget March featuring different aspects of Hoi An will open early next month at the town's Vin Gallery.

"A Week in Hoi An" will showcase 60 original drawings and watercolour sketches with notes from her newly published picture book with the same title.

Before coming to Viet Nam last September, March had worked as a freelance product designer and art lecturer in the UK. She has done hundreds of paintings and drawings on Scotland and northern England for more than 20 years.

The exhibition will open September 7-14 at 4 Le Van Mien Street in District 2.

Digital showroom opens to preserve intangible heritage

A data bank of intangible cultural heritage of Viet Nam's ethnic groups has been opened at Can Tho City Museum as a showroom for visitors to access information.

With modern equipment and digital technology, the bank would help collect and store information about the intangible heritage and share it with visitors, said Nguyen Hoai Van, vice director of the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Wide range of performances to celebrate Music Day

A variety of performances will be given across the country from this Saturday to next Tuesday to celebrate the Vietnamese Music Day (September 3), according to Do Hong Quan, chairman of the Viet Nam Musicians Association.

This would be an occasion to honour Vietnamese music and musicians as well as to bring music closer to the public, he said.

Highlights of the event include a gala night at the Ha Noi Opera House, featuring works by the late composers Nguyen Dinh Thi and Van Cao, winners of the Ho Chi Minh Award; and performances on outdoor stages near Ba Kieu Temple and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ha Noi, and public places in HCM City.

The annual Vietnamese Music Day was organised for the first time on September 3, 2010. On the same day in 1960, President Ho Chi Minh conducted a choir and an orchestra in a performance of Bai Ca Ket Doan (Solidarity Song) at Ha Noi's Bach Thao Botanical Garden.

Sound artist presents Romance of High Tech

The stage at Manzi Art Space tonight will be devoted to local "sound wizard" Vu Nhat Tan.

A very chilled-out night of experimental music awaits. The show, titled The Romance of High Tech, will mix digital piano, sound synthesisers and midi controllers on Tan's laptop.

The show will start from 8pm at 14 Phan Huy Ich Street. Tickets will be available at door.

Ha Noi student wins eco-diary contest

An eighth grader from the Ha Noi-based Doan Thi Diem Secondary High School, Ngo Hai Anh, grabbed first prize in the Eco Picture Diary Contest 2013, earning her the shot at taking part in the Global Award Ceremony in Paris, France, late this year.

Launched globally by Panasonic Corporation in 2009, the third contest in Viet Nam drew participation from 530 students from primary schools in Ha Noi and central Quang Nam Province.

The theme of the third contest focused on practical solutions to promoting green living, such as organising "green journeys" with friends, using public and green means of transport, planting trees, saving electricity, water and reusing materials.

Besides paper and paint, Anh used cuttings, cotton, and fabric scraps for her winning work. The five-day diary tells of environmental protection activities she is involved in at home, school and in public life, including eschewing plastic bags, saving water and energy, as well as planting trees.

"The quality of the submissions is higher in both content and drawing, with various materials and art techniques utilised to express the ideas. It shows that students have paid more intention to environmental protection and been aware of how to preserve the environment," Wakita Shinichi, general director of Panasonic Viet Nam.

Anh will be eligible to go to Paris for the Global Award Ceremony if her diary is chosen among the top six worldwide.

HCM City marks National Day with Art Performances

Many Art Performances will take place across various venues in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 68th anniversary of the August Revolution, National Day on September 2, and the fourth anniversary of Vietnam Music Day on September 3.

The performances will be held at the City Opera House on morning of August 31; an Art Exchange Program at the Cultural Center of Hoc Mon District on night of August 31; and a musical program titled ‘Vietnam-My Homeland’ will be broadcast live on HTV Channel on September 1.

On this occasion, the City Music Association will hold a ceremony to admit new singers and musicians at Nga Ba Giong Memorial Area of Heroic Martyrs in Hoc Mon District.

The Art Performances will be organized by the HCMC Music Association, the HCMC Cinema and Performing Center, HCMC Youth Cultural House, the People’s Committee and Cultural Center of Hoc Mon District.

Ho Chi Minh Museum receives exhibits of Uncle Ho from collectors

The Ho Chi Minh Museum in the City has received more than 200 photos, documents and various other items from 21 individuals and organizations as donations.

They include a Movado watch that late President Ho Chi Minh presented to Professor Vu Dinh Hoe, Minister of Education and Minister of Justice in 1975; five paintings of Uncle Ho done by political prisoner Vu Huy Quang and his friends at Con Dao prison from 1964 to 1971; 36 National and Party flags from Truong Sa Archipelago.

Two exhibitions themed ‘Unobtrusive and Noble Samples’ and ‘Uncle Ho Temples in Southern Region’, also opened at the museum. The shows display more than 400 exhibits of collectors and individuals.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan on August 28 announced plans to organise “Vietnam Days in Japan” from Sept. 12-22 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year 2013.

The event will take place in five big cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe Nagoya and Fukuoka, under the co-sponsorship of the Ministries of the Foreign Affairs, and Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan.

This will be the largest of its kind held so far in terms of scale and duration, with a wide range of activities. In particular, the “Vietnam Festival 2013” held at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo from Sept. 14-15 expects to welcome about 150,000 visitors.

In addition, the “Hello Vietnam-Aichi 2013” festival will be organised for the first time in Aichi province, where Vietnamese students form the largest community among those from Asia.

For his part, Senator Iwao Matsuda, co-head of the organising board of the “Vietnam Festival 2013” said the event “Vietnam Days in Japan” is a very valuable opportunity to promote bilateral relations.

Through sport and cultural activities, the two countries’ relationship will not stop at the level of strategic partnership but foster the friendship between the two countries’ people, he said.-

First News gives books to prison inmates

In celebration of National Day, First News visited and handed out 1,500 books to inmates in Thu Duc Prison in Tan Duc Commune, Ham Tan District in Binh Thuan Province.

It gifted 1,000 copies of Hat giong tam hon (A seed for soul) and 500 of Tam Sida – Vuot len cai chet (AIDS-hit Tam – Overcoming death). The donation was among activities of the program ‘Reading and following book advice’ conducted by the prison and First News.

The company previously donated 5,000 books to the prison, of which 1,500 were of limbless writer Nick Vujicic’s autobiography Unstoppable and Life without Limits and more than 8,000 photos of the Australian motivational speaker.

Ho Chi Minh Museum receives hundreds of artifacts

Ho Chi Minh Museum’s HCMC branch on Tuesday received 229 artifacts, documents and images from 21 organizations and individuals on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the August Revolution, National Day and 44 years of Ho Chi Minh’s testament.

Some highlighted artifacts express the nation’s love and respect for Uncle Ho.

The event is the result of a campaign of collecting artifacts related to the late President that the museum launched in September 2010. Until now, the museum has received nearly 700 artifacts from the public.

On Tuesday, the museum also opened the exhibition ‘Simple and valuable examples of Ho Chi Minh’ and ‘Uncle Ho’s Monument in the South.’ The themed show ‘Simple and valuable examples of Ho Chi Minh’ features more than 300 images and documents about works of organizations and individuals.

Meanwhile, the second themed exhibition shows off more than 100 documents, artifacts and images on monuments of Uncle Ho.

Chinese art club displays watercolors in town

Sixty watercolor paintings by 34 artists from Chinese Art Club in HCMC on Tuesday were displayed at the HCMC Fine Arts Association in celebration of National Day on Monday.

The theme of traditional art genre of watercolor paintings often depict spring landscapes with peach or apricot flowers, waterfalls, mountains or bamboo clusters and egrets. However, in this exhibition, visitors can see more familiar images of daily life. Therefore, the peaceful life by the river, farmers harvesting on the rice field, cyclo riders on the busy streets or women gossiping on corners or men loading goods on the road are visible.

Moreover, landscapes around the country such as the misty towns with ethnic women in the northeast region, stunning waterfalls in the highlands or peaceful rivers in the Mekong Delta are also depicted. The show presents a harmony of traditional techniques and modern ideas.

The exhibition will last until September 5 at the association, 218A Pasteur Street in  District 3.

 French artist hosts fashion show/exhibition and BBQ

French artist Sautel Cago will hold an installation art show on Sunday at the Deja Vu Café at 314 Dien Bien Phu Street in District 10.

The event features 20 of Cago’s clothing items, including T-shirts, dresses and jackets printed with special patterns and hats from Shoko brand.

In the morning and afternoon, all the fashion items will be displayed in the garden of the café. In the evening, there are three models parading these clothes in the main hall of the location.

Cago is pursuing a long-term art project in Vietnam. So far he has conducted two exhibitions and another six live performances on visual effects combined with digital music in HCMC.

Participants to the event will also enjoy a BBQ party and drinks.

Local reporter shows U.S.-themed documentary in town

The American Center and the U.S. consulate general in HCMC will host a screening of documentary My Du Ky (U.S. travel story) by reporter/writer/director Vo Dac Danh at 1:45 p.m. on Friday at Diamond Plaza downtown.

Film fans can watch the movie which features popular sightseeing spots in major cities of the U.S. and meet with the author.

Danh, born 1960 in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, joined the Vietnam Writers’ Association in 2008. He was a journalist for Minh Hai, Dat Mui, Nguoi Lao Dong, Phap Luat and Sai Gon Tiep Thi newspapers and has published numerous books including Noi niem U Minh Ha (sentiments about U Minh Ha) (2001); Dong co chat (acrid meadow) (2004); The gioi nguoi dien (a world of madmen) (2007) and Canh bac (gamble) (2009).

During his 20-year-career, Danh is known for his notes on the life of southern farmers and people respect him due to his profound knowledge about farmers in the Mekong Delta. His notes were turned into documentaries by HCMC Television.

The event takes place at Level 8, Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan Boulevard in District 1.

 Psychology conference in city next month

The HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Van Hien University and the U.K.-based Worcester University will organize a scientific conference on “Psychological therapy and advisory” which will be attended by leading experts in the field.

The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. on September 9 at Van Hien University, 624 Au Co St., Tan Phu District.

Professor Joanna E. Smith is teaching at Worcester University and is working for the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust based in the U.K. Doctor of Psychology Pham Toan is a director of psychological services at Hamilton-Madison House New York in the U.S. Associate professor Nguyen Van Tho, formerly of the National Psychiatric Hospital No. 2, is teaching at Van Hien University. Doctor Tri Thi Minh Thuy lectures at Van Hien University.

The above specialists will talk about the development, therapy of psychology and music therapy to treat patients with mental disorders in the U.K., the U.S., the Philippines and Vietnam.

A training course on psychology will also be held from September 9-10 on Van Hien University’s campus in Tan Phu.

For registration, please contact Ms. Pham Thi Huong, tel: 083 9755 703, mobile: 0934 976 916, email: [email protected].

Over 400 pictures and objects depicting the unique culture of the Cham ethnic group are being displayed in Phan Rang-Thap Cham city of the southern province of Ninh Thuan at an exhibition that opened on August 27.

Most of the exhibits were donated by Nguyen Van May, a member of the UNESCO Antiques Research and Collection Club in Lam Dong province, including Cham household utensils, manufacturing tools, instruments, offerings and jewellery.

A collection of precious Champa antiques are also on show, said director of the Ninh Thuan Research Centre for Cham Culture (NRCCC) Dang Nang Tho.

The exhibition creates a chance for domestic collectors and researchers to work with the centre to study, preserve and uphold the valuable culture of the Cham ethnic community.

The NRCCC and the Centre for Religion and Civic Culture used the occasion to sign a cooperative agreement to conduct research on Cham ethnic people from now to 2020 with a vision towards 2030.-

Festival to celebrate Vietnam’s tea industry

The second Thai Nguyen – Vietnam Tea Festival will take place in the northern province of Thai Nguyen from November 9-11.

The festival will draw the participation of 34 domestic provinces, 25 tea companies and 50 traditional tea villages around the country. Representatives from embassies, consulates and diplomatic agencies of the countries under the World Green Tea Festival will also attend.

The three-day event features a wide variety of activities, including an opening ceremony, a seminar on tea products and investment promotion of the tea industry, a cultural festival, a tea carnival, a ‘Miss Tea Land’ contest and a closing ceremony.

A photography exhibition introducing Thai Nguyen tea and Vietnam’s landscapes and people, a village market featuring tea products and various sporting activities will also take place during the festival.  

The biennial festival aims to introduce Thai Nguyen tea products and honour Vietnamese tea culture. It also offers a good opportunity for domestic and foreign tea producers to exchange experience on tea growth and processing.