Ho Chi Minh City’s War Remnants Museum has launched an exhibition on November 22 tracing the history of Vietnam’s iconic long dress Ao Dai during wartime.

The exhibition, open until December 17, was part of activities marking Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).

Visitors can admire the variety of Ao Dai styles worn by women who joined the past struggles against foreign invaders.

Dozens of exhibited artifacts and documents offer insights into the daily lives and revolutionary sacrifices of Vietnamese women during wartime.

The Museum’s organising board also introduced a collection of Ao Dai from a variety of different historical periods.

Fire jumping heats up tourism week

A fire jumping performance by 100 Pa Then ethnic artisans warmed up Cultural Heritage Tourism Week for Ethnic Minority Groups in the northernmost province of Ha Giang on November 22.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Sen Chin Ly said the week is honouring the national intangible cultural heritage and traditional identities of ethnic groups in Ha Giang. It also aims to popularise them and the province’s tourism potential to domestic and foreign visitors.

The five-day event is taking place in the province’s Quan Ba, Yen Minh, MeoVac, and Dong Van districts, which are located in the Dong Van Stone Plateau – a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks.

Ha Giang is home to five pieces of national intangible cultural heritage: the Fire Jumping Festival of the Pa Then people, the Cap sac (age-coming) ritual of the Dao People, the ancestral worship of the Lo Lo people, the Gau Tao festival (a spring festival praying for happiness or longevity) of the H’Mong people, and the Forest God worship ceremony of the Pu Peo people.

Valuable French furnishings on show

Antique lovers will have a chance to contemplate old French furnishings which appeared in Vietnam throughout the 19th century and are now on display at Bien Hoa Ancient Citadel in the southern province of Dong Nai.

The exhibits are made up of as many as 125 artefacts manufactured in France in the 19th century, such as kerosene lamps, fireplaces, pottery and Mobylette, the first model of moped introduced in Vietnam.

The import of French culture into Vietnamese society in previous centuries has helped make local life more diverse. Thus, the conservation of French cultural values can help reinforce solidarity between the two nations, said the organising board.

The exhibition, a joint effort between the Dong Nai management board for historical and natural relics and collectors nationwide, is running between November 22 and 28.

President Ho Chi Minh’s biography in Hindi language 

The late President Ho Chi Minh’s biography in the Hindi version has been published in India.

The 115-page book covers the President’s daily life and thought in different revolutionary periods. It also contains his poems showing his warm feelings towards Indian leaders and people.

The book also includes 22 photo pages relating to his revolutionary life and activities in India.

In the biography’s foreword, Karan Singh, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations said that the publication aims to deepen the Indian people’s understanding of President Ho Chi Minh.

Geetesh Sharma, President of the Indian – Vietnam Solidarity Committee in West Bengal state is the author of the book.

Japanese Katazome paintings displayed in HCM City

Japanese artist Toba Mika’s painting exhibition “Landscape in Memory” opened in Ho Chi Minh City on November 22.

Co-organised by the Japanese Consulate General in HCM City and the HCM City Fine Art Museum, the exhibition is part of activities celebrating the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

Its 31 paintings capture the beauty of famous Vietnamese landmarks including HCM City’s thatched cottages, Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district streets, Hoi An’s old houses, and the river that meanders through Hue City.

Toba Mika painted the works, primarily using the Katazome dyeing technique, during the 20 years following her first visit to Vietnam. Vietnamese scenes are a recurrent theme in her artistic oeuvre.

Mika Toba was born in 1961 in Aichi prefecture. She currently lectures at the Kyoto City University of Arts, her MA alma mater.

Her contributions to promoting the Vietnam-Japan friendship were officially acknowledged with a medal from Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The exhibition will run until December 15.

UNESCO membership raises Vietnam’s global profile

A Vietnamese diplomat believes the country’s success as a UNESCO Executive Board member during 2010–2013 testifies to its multilateral outlook and comprehensive international integration.

Ambassador Duong Van Quang, head of the Vietnamese mission to UNESCO, granted the media an interview on the sidelines of UNESCO’s 37th General Assembly in the French capital Paris.

Quang said Vietnam has honoured the Executive Board’s status as one of UNESCO’s three most powerful bodies with proactive contributions during the past four years.

The recent 37th General Assembly of UNESCO issued a resolution recognising Vietnam’s great poet Nguyen Du and other international figures as cultural activists.

“It is a great honour of Vietnam to have another national recognised by UNESCO as a cultural activist. Together with UNESCO, Vietnam will carry out numerous activities in 2014-15 to celebrate Nguyen Du’s 250th birth anniversary,” said Quang.

UNESCO has so far recognised three Vietnamese as world cultural activists, namely Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Trai, and Nguyen Du.

The General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention also elected Vietnam to its 21-member board in Paris on November 19.

Vietnam is aware of the gravity of the position’s responsibilities. Quang explained, adding every year committee members have to evaluate submissions of sites or relics to be recognised as natural or cultural heritage of the world.

“During the [heritage] appraisal process, we must offer relevant opinions informed by a high level of technical expertise and foreign language proficiency.”

Vietnam’s seven UNESCO-listed sites of cultural and natural heritage oblige the country to officially report on heritage exploitation and preservation every year.

“As a member of the World Heritage Committee, the exploitation and preservation of our recognised heritage must be exemplary,” said Quang.

The diplomat believes Vietnam has earned international trust through its effective contributions to UNESCO initiatives. It has also demonstrated diplomatic flexibility regarding sensitive issues such as human rights, the debated Syria resolution, and Palestine’s UNESCO membership submission.

The flexibility reflects Party foreign policy, protects Vietnamese interests, and aligns the country with UNESCO’s progressive members. It shows Vietnam’s efforts to address all complex global issues and strengthen UNESCO.

Quang recalled the budgetary and structural crisis the organisation faced two years ago when the US rescinded financial support after Palestine was welcomed as an official UNESCO member.

Responding to UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova’s appeal, Vietnam and other member states made immediate financial contributions to secure it some much needed funding stability.

In fact, Vietnam paid its 2013–2014 annuities well ahead of schedule, supporting UNESCO activities and General Director Bokova’s reform programme.

Prior to the 37th General Assembly, Vietnam also organised an Asia-Pacific regional consultation conference for UNESCO member states and UNESCO National Commissions, and hosted meetings marking the 40th anniversary of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention and the 10th anniversary of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention.

Vietnam’s educational and sustainable development achievements win regular praise.

Quang stressed Vietnam’s key role in boosting UNESCO-ASEAN relations during the previous term.

Vietnam lobbied the ASEAN Secretariat to encourage its member states’ acceptance of a draft framework agreement on ASEAN-UNESCO cooperation. The draft was submitted to the UNESCO Executive Board at the recent 37th UNESCO General Assembly. The draft is expected to be signed in December 2013.

Quang said Vietnam’s involvement in all important UNESCO bodies has elevated the country’s profile on the world stage. He believes such success will inspire Vietnam’s diplomatic confidence and allow it to effectively expand its voice and presence at UNESCO’s multilateral forums in the near future.

Binh Duong hosts Vietnam-RoK Cultural Festival

Fifty young people from the Republic of Korea’s Daejeon city joined their Vietnamese counterparts at the second Vietnam-RoK cultural exchange in Binh Duong province on November 23.

Binh Duong Provincial Youth Union Secretary Nguyen Pham Duy Trang said the festival is designed to encourage cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK, and offer RoK enterprises investing in Vietnam a memorable taste of Vietnamese culture.

The festival’s focus on international youth exchanges is especially conducive to promoting comprehensive economic and cultural development between the two nations and peoples.

Its attendees enjoyed tea samples, paintings, photo opportunities with traditionally costumed Korean students, cosmetics displays, and manicure demonstrations.

Official youth delegations representing both countries toured Minh Sang Plaza, HCM City’s Cu Chi Tunnels, New Binh Duong City, and Hoi Khanh Pagoda.

The event, to mark 21 years of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic ties, was jointly organized by the Vietnam-RoK Cultural Exchange Centre and Binh Duong’s provincial Youth Union.

Preserving ethnic costume traditions

Experts discussed measures to preserve the costume and fashion traditions of the country’s ethnic minorities, at a seminar in Hanoi on November 22.

They acknowledged modern life threatens these valuable traditions in a number of ways.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan noted traditional costumes reflect cultural values and the story of their changes over time. Factors impacting preservation efforts range from socio-economic conditions and the natural environment to the history and lifestyles of ethnic communities themselves.

Tuan said he believes official cultural policy can be integral to preservation success.

International integration and constantly accelerating cultural exchanges mean ethnic minority groups, especially those residing in remote and border areas, struggle to maintain traditional cultural identities.

The ethnic minority costume preservation measures proposed focused on increasing the public’s awareness of their inherent value, surveying the current state of costume traditions in ethnic communities, and educating younger generations in traditional brocade weaving and jewellery craft.

Holland Village takes shape in HCM City

The Consulate General of the Netherlands has inaugurated its 2013 Holland Village at District 1’s September 23 Park, marking the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Dutch diplomatic ties.

The space offers visitors the chance to admire Dutch artwork, inspect architectural models of Schiphol Airport and Rijks Museum, and sample traditional cuisine. Its design reflects a typical street in the Netherlands filled with bakeries and florists.

Famous Dutch brands including Dutch Lady Dairy, Unilever, Heineken, and Philips are using the village to promote their products.

Addressing the opening ceremony on November 22, HCM City People’s Committee Vice Chairman Hua Ngoc Thuan said the Holland Village showcases the beauty of Dutch people, their land and culture to local Vietnamese people.

The Netherlands is one of Vietnam’s key partners in finance, the environment, and infrastructure, Thuan said.

He said he hopes bilateral ties will continue to develop, especially in the fields of trade and investment.

Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Joop Scheffers expressed admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable economic achievements in recent years. He pledged his country’s support as Vietnam works to improve its business climate and expand trade and investment for mutual benefits.

Ambassador Scheffers said the Netherlands considers Vietnam an important partner in climate change adaptation, agriculture, and education and training.