Kim Hong to judge Mrs. America 2013

Vietnam’s First Mrs World Doan Thi Kim Hong on August 7 flew to the US to work as a jury member of the Mrs. America 2013 due to take place from August 18-28.

“This is an opportunity for me to exchange and learn experience from a prestigious pageant which has been held for the past 40 years,” said Hong. “It is also a very good chance to promote Vietnam’s culture, history, people and landscape to Americans through television channels and other popular media.”

Hong brings with her Ao Dai (traditional long Vietnamese dresses), handmade fans, cyclo models, lacquer paintings, and CDs introducing the 2013 Miss Ethnic Vietnam pageant.

The Mrs. America pageant aims to honour the physical beauty, talent and intelligence of successful women who have made a great contribution to society. Contestants come from 51 states of the US.

Hong judged the Mrs. America pageant 2011 in Virginia.

Local artists attend China-ASEAN theatre festival

The Vietnam Drama Theatre will perform Cải Lão Hoàn Đồng (Rejuvenation) at the China-ASEAN Theatre Festival, hosted by the Chinese city of Nanning from August 27 to September 1.

The play is a short folk drama adapted by Nhat Linh, recounting a poor farmer’s victory over greedy and dishonest rivals thanks to superior intelligence and endearing cunning.

Stage Director Tuan Hai has cleverly combined folklore and humourous features to make the story more interesting.

Vietnam Drama Theatre Director Nguyen The Vinh says he will introduce the nation’s dramatic arts to the festival’s attendees.

Delegations from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and China will join Vietnam at the festival, boosting long-term cooperation and arts exchanges among ASEAN member nations and China.

Miss Vietnam becomes AO/dioxin victim charity ambassador

The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin (VAVA) has chosen 2012’s Miss Vietnam Dang Thu Thao as the first charity ambassador of its programme “Easing AO/Dioxin Pain Together”.

Thao is representing the programme in the media from August 1 to September 30, helping to promote VAVA activities in the wider community.

Thao is the figurative link between donors and millions of Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims.

She plans to urge participation in an SMS campaign organised through the national humanitarian portal 1400.

VAVA Chairman Nguyen Van Rinh outlined the association’s charity ambassador strategy from 2013 onwards. Candidates must possess positive public images, invite admiration, and demonstrate respect for Vietnamese culture and customs.

The ambassador needs to connect the more than 3 million AO/dioxin victims with donors, agencies, and domestic and foreign organisations, said Rinh.

Dang Thu Thao was born in Bac Lieu province in 1991 and is currently studying at Tay Do University. After being crowned Miss Vietnam in 2012, she donated nearly 40% of her cash prize to charities in Bac Lieu province, Danang city and Can Tho city.

She gave 2 tonnes of rice to Hong Dan district’s General Hospital in Bac Lieu province, presented gifts to cancer children in Hanoi’s K Hospital, and assisted victims of the September 2012 flooding in Thanh Hoa province.

Thao is also a regular contributor to communal charity activities helping disadvantaged children. She served as road safety ambassador in 2012, Understanding Heart Foundation ambassador from 2012–2013, “Swallow” community award ambassador, and an Operation Smile volunteer.

Mila Le crowned Miss Overseas Vietnamese 2013

Vietnamese American Mila Le was crowned Miss Overseas Vietnamese 2013 in California, USA.

In the final round of competition, she defeated 25 other contestants from many countries.

The first runner-up was Que Van from Hanoi-one of the four Vietnamese nationals.

Minh Chanh, head of the organizing board, expressed satisfaction with the final result announced by a jury consisting of many reputable people, including Miss Vietnam 1992 Ha Kieu Anh.

During the event, art performances involved singers coming from Vietnam such as Dan Truong, Tim and Ung Hoang Phuc.    

Vietnam’s Got Talent in Japan closes

Le Thi Quynh Anh, a student from the Tokyo International University won the first prize in the final round of Vietnam’s Got Talent in Japan on August 11.

Anh was crowned champion with an overwhelming majority of SMS votes for her important contribution to improving the living conditions of children in the northwestern mountainous areas.

The competition was sponsored by the Vietnamese community in Japan to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan and raise funds for Vietnamese children in mountainous areas.

It was also part of a charity program launched by Vietnamese Youth and Students in Japan.

Le Minh Ngoc, President of the Vietnamese Youth and Students Associations, said that all money collected from the competition will be transferred to the association’s Golden Heart Fund for charity.

Pianist Hinrich Alpers to visit Vietnam

German pianist Hinrich Alpers will perform at HCM Municipal Theatre on August 21.

Born in 1981, in Uelzen, Henrich Alpers has won the 1st Prize at the 3rd International Telekom Beethoven Competition and the Honens International Piano Competition.

He is widely known for having performed both classic and contemporary works.

“I want to inspire music lovers. As music is one of the most direct and powerful ways of communicating, they depend on honest and polished performers,” he said.

Hinrich Alpers teaches piano at the Hannover Musikhochschule.

Vietnam attends film and TV exhibition in Tokyo

Five Vietnamese units are expected to take part in an exhibition on Asian marketplace for film and TV in Tokyo in October.

The exhibition will provide a good chance for domestic film and TV stations to exchange experience and promote cooperation with leading Asian and international partners, including those in Spain, the US, and the Republic of Korea.

ADPEX Company says it will choose five units from a wide range of domestic TV stations, channels, communications companies and cartoon producers, and units operating in digital communications, internet, and music production areas to attend the event.

This is the first time Vietnam will join such an exhibition which is part of the Tokyo Film Festival scheduled for October 22-24 at Grand Pacific le Daiba, Tokyo, along with the Tokyo International Music Market and Tokyo International Anime Festival.

“Mirai-chan: little girl with chubby red cheeks” exhibition held

A photographic exhibition titled “Mirai-chan: A little girl with chubby red cheeks” will take place at the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Hanoi from August 18 to September 15.

The author of “Mirai-chan” photos, Kotori Kawashima, will be present at the opening ceremony on August 17 as part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties and the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Year 2013.

After appearing on the cover of “BRUTUS”-a legendary famous arts and culture magazine, “Mirai-chan” became the talk of the town as a super adorable girl who conveys the vitality and energy of life.

Over 100,000 copies of the “Mirai-chan” photography book has been sold out since March 2011.

The “Mirai-chan” exhibition has received warm welcome in Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, and other cities in Thailand and Taiwan. Vietnam is the third foreign country to host the coming event.

Short-film artist Farocki to attend workshop

German experimental video artist Harun Farocki's current project Labour in a Single Shot is the topic of a workshop at the Goethe Institute Ha Noi from August 19-30.

Harun Farocki's will present four of his films on two evenings, tomorrow and August 22.

The films deal with labour workers, war pictures, inextinguishable fire and the consumer society.

Farocki will open a discussion with the audience on how he depicted each subject at each showing.

Screenings start at 7pm at institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. Entrance is free.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau marks Japan ties

A series of events to promote culture, trading and tourism will be held in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau between August 17 and 25 to celebrate long-established ties between the province and Japan.

The events include a quiz with the theme, the Japan-Ba Ria-Vung Tau relationship; a cultural exchange between local and Japanese families; a conference to promote Vietnamese tourism to Japanese people; an exhibition of photos featuring the province and the city of Kawasaki, along with a conference on Japanese investments in the province.

This is part of a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries being held throughout Viet Nam

New lacquer, fine arts gallery opens

A new Minh Phuong Lacquer and Fine Arts Showroom has opened in HCM City, catering to both domestic and international tourists.

Located on Phung Khac Khoan Street in District 1, it is the third showroom opened by the Minh Phuong Fine Arts and Handicraft Company.

It displays more than 1,000 models of handmade lacquer products made at its 1,500sq.m production facility in Binh Duong Province.

At the new showroom, visitors can also see the different stages that a traditional lacquer work goes through, courtesy demonstrations by skilled artisans.

Ethnic heritage gets ready for 2014

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh has asked Central Highlands region localities to hasten the categorising of ethnic minority groups' tangible and intangible cultural heritages.

The valuable cultural heritages of the region will come into sharp focus during the 2014 National Tourism Year, which is scheduled to kick-off from late December.

A meeting of the steering committee for the 2014 National Tourism Year chaired by Anh was held in Lam Dong Province on Saturday to prepare for the event.

Themed "High Mountains and Thick Forests of the Central Highlands", the event will be held in the province and other provinces in the region throughout next year. It will comprise 44 events organised jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the provinces of Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum.

Central city to host fine arts exhibition

Artists from coastal central provinces and cities have sent over 230 works of art to display at the 18th Central and Central Highlands Region Fine Arts Exhibition, opening on Sunday.

Da Nang Fine Arts Association chairman Nguyen Trong Dung said the exhibition would be a major event for regional artists in various forms, such as painting, sculpture, lacquer, ceramic, wood, plastic and glass.

Korean language aired on TV

A Korean language teaching programme will be broadcast on VTV 2 from today as a follow up to the first part aired last year.

The programme is implemented by the Korea Foundation in co-ordination with the University of Language and International Studies under the Viet Nam National University (VNU).

Korean is being taught at 14 universities in Viet Nam to a total of 2,600 students in addition to numerous language centres situated mostly in Ha Noi and HCM City. However, with around 3,000 businesses from the Republic of Korea operating in Viet Nam, employing nearly 400,000 Vietnamese workers, demand to learn the language is huge and existing facilities cope with all the new learners. As a result, the first Korean teaching programme to air on TV in 2012 received warm response and there are great expectations for the second part.

With the aim of popularising Korean and its culture in Viet Nam, the Korean Foundation, in collaboration with Kookmin bank, has published a Korean language textbook in Viet Nam, comprising six volumes.

Promotors to open ‘Electric Kicks' in Ha Noi

EADJ is one of the best and longest running promoters of indie, indie electro and synth pop in Sai Gon, listed in the Lonely Planet's guide to Viet Nam as one of the "hippest club nights" in the city.

Starting this Saturday, they'll join forces with CAMA ATK to bring EADJ parties to Ha Noi on a regular basis. The first ELECTRIC KICKS will see ATK vinyl villain Giles square up to EADJ founder Superkid.

They'll play new and old indie rock, indie electro, 80s new wave and 50s/60s tunes at ATK, 73a Mai Hac De, Ha Noi.

Hard Rock Cafe to present Champorado

Hard Rock Cafe will present performances by rock band Champorado on August 13 and 27.

The band will perform classic rock, Latin, R&B, love songs, and some of their own compositions.

The shows will begin at 9pm. Hard Rock is located at 39 Le Duan Street in District 1. Entrance is free.

Canadian rock duo to perform at Cargo Bar

Rock duo Japandroids from Canada will play at the Cargo Bar on August 21.

Formed in 2006, the duo consists of guitarist and vocalist Brian King and drummer and vocalist David Prowse.

The group has released two albums – Post-Nothing in 2009 and Celebration Rock in 2012 – and toured North America.

In Viet Nam, they will perform the best songs from their albums.

The show will begin at 7 pm.

The bar is located at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 1.

Tickets cost VND350,000 at the door and VND150,000 for students.