Real-life adventurous Escape Room lures young people

Escape Room, a popular real-life adventurous  game in many countries adapted from a computer game of the same name, is now available at Crescent Mall in HCMC’s District 7, attracting a lot of participants, especially youth.

There are six categories in the game including jail, slaughterhouse, bubble house, vampire lair, and burglary at the museum and crime scene. Participants will have a chance to join different missions and conquer ordeals in each category.

Within 45 minutes in a locked room, players together with their partners have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, seek clues and escape from the room within a limited time. They must keep a watchful eye and have a sense of critical thinking. The game aims to encourage and strengthen teambuilding among members.

Time pressure together with creepy sound and scary images inside the dark room might make gamers nervous and exciting. The more difficult the challenge is, the more thrilled players get.

Despite completing or losing the game, players will be released after 45 minutes and keep the costumes as they wear during the challenge as giveaways. The photo of the winning team will be posted on the score board.

Tickets priced at VND285,000 a person can be booked at vn.escaperoom.international or 08 5413 8341.

New Year's show for 500 disadvantaged children

A performance raising funds for disadvantaged children will be held at the Friendship Culture Palace on January 1.

Popular singers, clowns and animals from the Youth Theatre, Viet Nam Circus Federation, Ha Noi Martial Arts Club and Ngoc Trai Viet Club aim to enchant young audiences with extraordinary performances.

About 500 disadvantaged children will be invited to watch the show and receive gifts worth about VND200,000.

The show is co-organised by Dong Do Show, Phap Luat va Xa Hoi (Law & Society) newspaper and Than Chau Ngoc Viet Jewellery Company.

Tickets cost VND100,000-200,000. To order them, call 0966469989 or 0915138818.

Canada Food Festival opens in Hanoi

The Embassy of Canada launched the Canadian Food Festival the Hemisphere Steak & Seafood Grill restaurant at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel on December 16.

Taking place from December 16, 2014 to January 15, 2015, the annual event aims to promote the best Canadian food products to Vietnamese consumers. Premium products from Canada will be featured at this event, including Canadian beef as well as a wide range of Canadian seafood including lobster, oysters, snow crab, black cod, Atlantic salmon, and mussels. Canadian wines and spirits, maple syrup, Ambrosia apples and dried fruits will also be featured.

Joining the promotion this time are a number of restaurants, hotels and shops in Hanoi including Don’s Tay Ho, Hai Cang, three of the Sen buffet restaurants, four restaurants of the Sy Phu hotpot chain and the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel. They will offer a special discount on the Canadian food menu items during the month-long Festival. Canadian spirits will also be available at discounted price at Camus retail stores. 37% discount on Canadian Ambrosia apples will also be offered at Klever Fruits stores.

“I am happy to launch the 2014 Canadian Food Festival for Hanoi residents. This is an opportunity to experience the finest Canadian products” remarked Ambassador David Devine. “Canada's vast and varied land, bounded by oceans on three sides and dotted with freshwater lakes, nurtures a diverse range of high-quality food ingredients.

He added “Canadian beef is widely acknowledged as being of premium quality, thanks to grain feeding of barley and corn. The same can be said of our seafood: Canada’s clean and cold water, as well as our dedication to quality and freshness, have made Canadian aquaculture products famous around the world.  We hope that events such as the Canadian Food Festival will help Vietnamese consumers understand the extremely high quality of our food ingredients and that as a result they will include our products into Vietnam’s fine dining culture and extraordinary culinary tradition.”

Teachers' art works showcased

More than 60 artworks created by the lecturers of Ha Noi – and HCM City-based fine arts universities are on display in downtown Ha Noi.

The pieces were categorised under various genres and made use of different art forms, including paintings, graphics and sculptures.

A sculpture by Nguyen Xuan Thanh of Ha Noi Fine Arts University displayed at the exhibition.

The exchange exhibition is part of the series of exchange activities conducted between the two universities, including workshops and creative camps. It will remain in Ha Noi Fine Arts University, located at 42 Yet Kieu Street, until this Sunday.

Vietnam heritage winning photos on tour

A photo collection of the best images from the 2014 Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards contest has embarked on a tour of the country and is now on display at the memorial complex for President Ton Duc Thang in Long Xuyen city, An Giang province.

The contest, the third of its kind, had received 4,402 entries since its launching in July, including 2,795 single works and 254 collections of photos from 477 photographers, 138 more than the previous event.

It is part of the activities marking the 10th anniversary of Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23), calling for the community to join hands in discovering and preserving original values of Vietnamese cultural heritages.

The event runs from December 16, 2014 to January 26, 2015 inclusive, at which time the tour moves on to the An Giang Museum for an exhibition on January 28 through March 16 next year.

Vietnam’s heritage photos have been on tour for display in HCMC, Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Can Tho, Hanoi, Danang, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, Vung Tau, An Giang and My Tho.

Quang Nam takes measures for heritage value preservation

The central province of Quang Nam has taken measures to promote and preserve values of the world heritage sites of My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An ancient town.

The province continues to collaborate with relevant agencies, international organisations and scientists to study the Cham architecture in different aspects with a view to restoring the My Son Sanctuary in a scientific and concerted manner, Nguyen Chin, Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam People’s Committee said.

Meanwhile in Hoi An ancient town, the province will take appropriate policies for collective and individual owned relics, including the provision of timber for the restoration, Chin told the December 16 conference on preserving and promoting the two UNESCO cultural heritage sites after 15 years getting the world status.

Apart from building special policies on investment and procedures for its preservation works, the province will continue carrying out its international programmes to take advantage of investment and technologies in the effort, he added

Over the past 15 years, the two heritage sites have been invested 502 billion VND (24 million USD) for preservation works from different sources.

Earlier, the Prime Minister approved plans on preserving and promoting values of the My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An ancient town for the 2008-2020 and 2012-2025 periods, respectively.

Ha Nhi people celebrate traditional New Year

The Ha Nhi people in northern mountainous Dien Bien province celebrate their traditional New Year festival (Tet) on the first dragon day in December, which fell on December 11 this year.

On the first day of Tet, every Ha Nhi family kills a pig, which they have raised since the beginning of the year particularly for Tet, as pork is the must-have offering to ancestors. The liver of the pig will be examined to see whether the new year is a good or bad for the family.

The head of the family will offer a food tray to the ancestors, which includes boiled pork, a bowl of rice, a piece of ginger and three cups of wine.

Known for their hospitality, Ha Nhi people always invite lots of relatives and friends to their home to enjoy Tet. After sumptuous meals, every one will flock to the communal space to join dances and singing late into the night.

The next day, the sound of rice pounding can be heard as early as five o’clock in the morning as people pound steam sticky rice to make Banh day (round rice cake), which is essential to the Ha Nhi’s Tet. The first rice cake will be offered to the ancestors before every one else has their share. After making the cakes, people visit each other’s house to extend New Year greetings and wishes, while children keep themselves busy with various traditional games.

The Ha Nhi is one of a few ethnic groups in Vietnam who celebrate both the Kinh's traditional Lunar New Year Festival and their own festivals, which are scattered throughout the year.

According to the General Department of Statistics, the Ha Nhi ethnic group in Vietnam has a population of more than 21,700, living mostly in the northern mountainous provinces of Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Lao Cai.

Film week celebrates Vietnam People’s Army anniversary

A film week marking the 70th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army will take place across the country from December 22-28.

A scene in Nhung nguoi viet huyen thoai (The legendary makers)

Flms Nhung nguoi viet huyen thoai (The legendary makers) of Vietnam Feature Film Studio and Duong Den Doc Lap Tu Do (Road to TheIndependence and Freedom) of Viet Nam National Documentary and Scientific Film Studio will be screened.

Of these, the Legend Makers directed by Bui Tuan Dung won the golden lotus prize at the 18th Vietnam Film Festival in 2013.

The film week aims to honor glorious history and combats, promote patriotism and national pride in building the revolutionary armed forces and the whole-people defense in the new period.

Theatre artists urged to promote roles in national development

President Truong Tan Sang has urged theatre artists to promote their tradition and further their roles in the national construction and development cause.

President Sang made the statement during a December 16 meeting with artists who were presented titles of People’s Artist, Meritorious Artists and the Ho Chi Minh and State prizes on the occasion they were in Hanoi for the eighth national congress of the Vietnam Theatre Artists' Association (VTAA).

The State leader stressed artists’ important role in the national liberation cause in the past and the current national construction and development.

On behalf of the artists, People’s Artist Le Tien Tho, VTAA President, reported President Sang about the theatre sector’s achievements and preparations for the congress.

The artists expressed their sentiments and gratitude to the Party and State leaders’ care and encouragement for the development of the theatre sector.

After hearing the artists’ ideas and suggestions, President Sang affirmed that the Party and State would pay further attention to training the young generation of theatre artists and promoting special features of traditional theatre to international friends.

He expressed his belief that with artists’ talents and artistic passion, the country’s theatre would develop strongly to accompany the nation in the construction and defence cause.

Festival to honour cultural essence of Vietnam’s Thai ethnic group

The first-ever cultural festival of Vietnam’s Thai ethnic group will be held in Lai Chau province on December 27-29.

The three-day event will draw the participation of eight provinces, including Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An.

Typical cultural features of Thai people will be introduced to visitors during the event, including a show of their traditional costumes; performances of traditional festivals, rituals and cultural practices; displays of cultural and tourist products; and folk dances.

In addition, an exhibition showcasing photos, objects, musical instruments, and ancient books of Thai people will be open to the public on the occasion.

There is also a display of documents, publications and pictures on the daily life and traditional craft villages of Thai group.

Visitors will have an opportunity to take part in a wide range of sporting events, including stick pushing, ‘Con’ (cloth ball) throwing, ‘to ma le’ (throwing seeds of ‘ma le’ fruit), and crossbow shooting.

The opening of the festival will be broadcast live on December 27 on Vietnam Television Channels 2 and 5 while the closing ceremony will be aired live on December 28 on Lai Chau provincial Television.

The event is intended to honour cultural essence of Thai ethnic groups while advertising tourism potential of Lai Chau provinces to visitors.

Fine Arts Association convenes eighth congress in Hanoi

The eighth national congress of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association (VFAA) is taking place in Hanoi from December 15-17 with the participation of over 440 delegates.

Addressing the congress, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam praised the VFAA’s efforts and achievements and openly stated the shortage of art works with ideological and artistic values, piracy and the slow development of applied arts, art criticism and aesthetics orientation.

The Government official expressed his hope that the congress would devise a plan for the association’s upcoming four-year tenure in the spirit of promoting artists’ creativeness and responsibilities in order to develop the country’s fine arts and create a new driving force for a further effective and inspiring tenure.

Deputy PM Dam asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), the Vietnam Confederation of Fine Arts Associations and authorities to work together to create favourable conditions for the VFAA to operate effectively in line with the Party resolution on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people for the country’s sustainable development.

Numerous important documents of the VFAA are planned to be approved at the gathering while a new central standing committee and an inspection committee of the association will be elected.

The VFAA now has 1,780 members of 70 branches nationwide. In the 2010-2014 tenure, the association organised 86 field trips, 106 composing camps and 181 exhibitions, including 45 regional arts exhibitions. It supported 1,311 arts work, presented 455 arts prizes, organised 72 workshops and seminars and worked with the MCST to organise national and international exhibitions.

‘Fine art exchange’ exhibition opens

An exhibition, named ‘Fine Arts Exchange’, kicked off at Vietnam University of Fine Arts at 42 Yet Kieu Street in Hanoi.

The exhibition showcases 65 artworks including paintings, graphics, and sculptures by teachers and staffs from Vietnam University of Fine Arts in Hanoi and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. Among the works, 35 were contributed by Vietnam University of Fine Arts while 30 works come from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts.

The event is part of the co-operation between Vietnam University of Fine Arts in Hanoi and HCMC University of Fine Arts. It is also a way to celebrate the eighth Congress of the Vietnam Fine Art Association.

The two universities signed a co-operation agreement on training and research fields on December 27, 2013.

The exhibition, offering teachers and staffs the chance to share experience, improve knowledge on fine arts and contribute to the exchange of education, scientific research and art creation, runs until December 22.

Oil paintings show in Hoi An

Local artist Nguyen Dinh Hien is showcasing 20 of his oil paintings at 46 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Hoi An City until January 10 next year.

His Tim kiem (search) exhibition has attracted a lot of local and foreign visitors as it features his best creations about women in Vietnam’s northwest and the ancient town of Hoi An, and other works incorporated in Human tree funded by the Australian city of Melbourne. Hien hopes he will be able to discover new elements to create more environmentally-friendly and lively works to call for environmental protection.

MPK stages final photo display

Photographer Michael Phuoc Khung (MPK) will be putting on his final photo exhibition at 214/19/37 Nguyen Van Nguyen Street in HCMC’s District 1 from tomorrow until next Thursday.

MPK, whose real name is Nguyen Van Phuoc, has been a famous local photographer since 1975, with more than 15 exhibitions held at home and abroad. Some of his works have been included in a curriculum on photography at Colombia University, USA.

Called “30/30”, the display features MPK’s 30 most outstanding creations among thousands of his photos taken over the past 30 years. Photography lovers will have a great opportunity to admire the well-known pictures in MPK’s collections like Hoa dai, Dalat mo, Mat con trung, Tien trinh tam thuc, Mua & trang, Nhieu Loc, Mam and Café.

MPK was born and grew up in the Central Highlands city of Dalat. He had gone through a number of jobs before he took up photography. At the age of 27, Phuoc bought a camera and passionately discovered the art of photography by himself. He quickly became a well-known photographer in his hometown. Later, his amazing photos went beyond borders to reach many foreign countries.

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