Jewellery artifacts on display in Hanoi

A four-month exhibition at Hanoi’s National History Museum is showcasing almost 140 priceless pieces of ancient Vietnamese jewellery.

Opened on August 30, the exhibition hopes to help domestic and international visitors improve their understandings of the development of Vietnamese aesthetics throughout the different periods of its history.

The display includes pieces dating back to the prehistoric cultures of Dong Son, Sa Huynh, and Oc Eo, shaped from materials ranging from crystal, stone, and gems to metal and even bone.

One of its highlights is a rare collection of royal Nguyen dynasty gold, silver, jade, ivory, and tortoiseshell jewellery. The workmanship of these pieces represents the peak of the jeweller’s craft.

National History Museum Deputy Director Nguyen Dinh Chien noted the exhibition’s pieces are selected from thousands of years ago right up until the early 20th century.

Then-and-now photos of Hue relics on display

A photographic exhibition opened in the former imperial city of Hue on September 2, featuring its relic sites of the past and present.

The event is part of the activities to mark the 68th anniversary of Vietnam’s August Revolution and National Day, the 20th anniversary of the Hue

relic complex, and the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO-recognised Hue Royal Court Music as the world intangible heritage of humankind.

On display are 34 posters and thousands of photos which have been taken at Hue’s relic sites over the years.

The former imperial city was seriously damaged during the previous struggles against foreign invaders. Thanks to international aid and joint efforts by the government, local authorities and people, Hue’s relic sites have now been preserved and upgraded.

The Hue relic complex was recognized by UNESCO as the world heritage site in 1993.

Visitors to the exhibition have the opportunity to learn about Hue’s valuable vestiges and its efforts in preserving national cultural values.

As part of the golden tourism month and in a bid to attract more tourists to the former capital city, the Hue Relic Preservation Centre offered free entrance tickets to domestic visitors to all relic sites in Hue on September 2.

Exploring Vietnamese culture in UK

The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and Northern Ireland will hold a cultural festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, on September 7 to mark the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties.

The festival, the biggest ever to be held in Scotland, will provide a great opportunity for the Vietnamese to promote their culture, identity and traditions to the Scots. It will also be the highlight in a series of events and activities organized to mark the Vietnam-UK diplomatic relations.

St.Andrew’s Square in the centre of Edinburgh will be packed with Vietnamese festivities and traditional music.

Images of Vietnam, the charming country and hospitable people will be featured through fashion shows of designers Hoang Hai and Le Xuan.

Visitors will also have the chance to sample Vietnamese dishes and beer “Made in Vietnam” as well as taking part in folk games with attractive gifts from Vietnam Airlines and other sponsors.

The festival will help Scottish people gain a better understanding about a country rich in culture and steeped in wonder and history. It will even

help boost tourism and attract Scottish visitors to Vietnam, which is now widely considered a top Asian destination.

Panpipe performances held in Dong Van district

Nearly 200 Mong ethnic people in the northern province of Ha Giang have enjoyed the impressive sights and sounds at the Mong Panpipe Festival, starting on August 31.

The festival, the first of its kind, is taking place at Dong Van ancient market – one of Ha Giang’s famous tourist attractions.

The panpipe is a musical instrument synonymous with the daily life of the Mong people.

Although it was first used in spiritual rituals, the panpipe was then widely included in other activities, in particular as a way for young people to convey their messages to their beloved.

However, these days not many Mong people are keen on using this musical instrument and it is now rarely seen, even in their traditional festivals.

In an effort to preserve the panpipe, the Ha Giang provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and an international organisation have jointly held courses for youths to make and blow panpipes.

The Dong Van district’s People’s Committee has also held many cultural events to encourage Mong people to use the panpipe more frequently. It has decided to organise the annual Mong Panpipe Festival at a time which coincides with Vietnam’s National Day (September 2).

Dai Lai Conference Hall wins Int’l Architecture Award

Vo Trong Nghia Architects’ Dai Lai Conference Hall designs were included in the winners of the 2013 International Architecture Awards.

This is the sixth time the company has been recognised by these prestigious awards.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects have already won acclaim from the 2013 World Architecture Festival (WAF), FuturArc Prize, and FuturArc Green Leadership.

Its past achievements include two Architects Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA) awards and two WAF first prizes, raising the international profile of Vietnamese architecture.

The International Architecture Awards were launched by the Chicago Athenaeum’s Museum of Architecture and Design in 2005 and aim to honour outstanding design in architecture all over the world.

Vietnam Discovery Day to be launched in Scotland

The Scottish city of Edinburgh will host a Vietnam Discovery Day on September 7, celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the UK and Northern Ireland (1973-2013).

St. Andrew Park will resound with the atmosphere of a traditional Vietnamese festival.

An outdoor stage will be graced by Vietnamese music performances interwoven with images of banyan trees, boating piers, rice fields, the Hue Royal City, and the majestic Central Highlands.

Visitors can explore the culinary sophistication of Vietnam through chef demonstrations, sample freshly brewed Vietnamese beer, and try their hands at folk games.

Vietnam Airlines will offer participants the chance to win airfares to Vietnam and a range of other prizes. A tourism and culture promotion space will help Scottish people learn about Vietnam‘s plethora of wonders.

A fashion show exhibiting designs by Hoang Hai and Le Xuan and featuring the performances of leading Vietnamese models will also take place.

Hanoi Storytelling Slam helps poor children

The second Hanoi Poetry and Storytelling Slam, titled “Lost in Translation”, will be held in Hanoi on September 11.

The event is designed to encourage creative intercultural communication between younger generations from a diverse range of backgrounds.

“Lost in Translation” will also encompass cocktail tastings for audience members and performances by composer Jordan Senior.

Hanoi Slam is not-for-profit—all proceeds benefit Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam (HSCV).

Founded in 2002, the non-governmental organization works tirelessly to keep vulnerable children safe and in school.

It has provided 300,881 kg of rice to malnourished children, awarded 1,508 scholarships, equipped 15,402 disabled children with wheelchairs, donated 321 bicycles to poor children, assisted in funding 72 heart surgeries, covered everyday necessities for over 300 orphans, and established the Girls Foster Home for 14 autistic orphans.

Vietnamese culture shines in Australia

The Vietnam Dynamic Students (VDS) in New South Wales on August 31, successfully hosted the Gala Blossom, promoting the traditional Vietnamese culture to international friends.

Participants enjoyed songs and theatre pieces performed by Vietnamese students demonstrating their pride and love for their country, people and their determination to build a strong and prosperous nation.

The highlight of the event was the final stage of the Miss University beauty pageant to seek a representative for the Vietnamese students in New South Wales.

The VDS also held a charity event whereby its students sold drinking water, postcards and embroidered paintings to raise funds for the Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Vietnam and for the Rice with Meat programme for disadvantage children in mountainous and remote regions of the country.

Hue holds boat race to celebrate National Day

Hue held a boat race yesterday on the Perfume River to celebrate National Day.

Eight men's and women's teams competed on the race in front of the imperial palace in the former capital city.

The teams were made up of the best crews in the districts that have a tradition of boat racing.

Each boat had a skipper and 14 crew members, who competed on the 3km course.

Nguyen Van Dau, head of the organising committee, said the race was a tradition of localities in the province.

In the early morning, remote-control model planes and boat shows were held to warm up the atmosphere.

Throughout the province, other boat races were held yesterday in Phong Dien and Huong Tra districts to mark the anniversary.

Top chefs to heat up Da Nang cooking competition

Eighteen chefs from HCM City, Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang will compete in the annual Chef Competition at Bien Dong Park in the central city today.

According to the organising committee, each competitor will cook a mandatory seafood dish and one optional dish for the knock-out competition.

It's the fifth time that the competition has been held in the central city.

How children lived during the war

A picture book showing powerful images of Vietnamese children smiling despite the suffering caused by the war around them was released to mark National Day on Monday.

Entitled Tre Em Thoi Chien (Children at War), the book depicts the life of children during the American War through nearly 100 photos taken by photo journalists from Vietnam News Agency, Thieu Nien Tien Phong (Young Pioneers) newspaper and Japan-based Nihon Denpa News.

The photos were previously displayed in Ha Noi and HCM City and drew much attention. Young visitors were able to understand how hard their parents had lived and studied during the cruel war.

Many children had to live far from their families. After school time, they often had to dig tunnels, weave straw hats to protect people from bomb fragments and make bread. Besides books, they always carried first-aid kits to school.

The book is distributed by the Kim Dong Publishing House and costs VND150,000 (US$7).

An exhibition titled ‘President Ho Chi Minh with Vietnam's sea and Islands opened at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Thua Thien-Hue Province on August 31 to mark the 68th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.

The event features more than 200 photos, documents, maps and other items presenting President Ho Chi Minh’s interest in the nation’s sea and islands.

The display will run until September 30.

On this occasion, an art photo exhibition of the central coastal province of Quang Tri was also organized by the Literature and Arts Association of Quang Tri Province.

In addition, more than 200 pictures of national liberation struggles, and the achievements of the country and Ho Chi Minh City opened at Lam Son Park.

The photo display themed ‘Vietnam-68 years of Independence, Integration and Development’ will end on September 9.

 Ninh Thuan Province hosts Raglai Ethnic Cultural Festival

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with Ninh Thuan Province is organizing the Raglai Ethnic Cultural Festival in Bac Ai District of the Province from August 29-31.

This is the first time the festival is being held in Ninh Thuan Province, attracting participation of 500 Raglai craftsmen, and artists and musicians from Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong Provinces.

The Festival also has 150 artists from Viet Bac Folk Music, Song, and Dance Theatre, and other large theaters of Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong Provinces.

At the festival, artists will perform Raglai folk music and songs in Vietnamese as well as Raglai language, play folk instruments, hold a wedding ceremony, and pray for the rain festival.

Sao Mai Singing Contest winners announced

The winners of the 9th Sao Mai (Morning Star) National Television Singing Contest 2013 were named on the final night of the competition in the northern coastal city of Hai Phong on August 31.

The final night saw the performances of 12 finalists in the pop, folk and chamber music categories. Finalists were chosen from three regional semifinals.

Vo Hong Quan from France won first prize in the chamber music category while Huyen Trang from Nghe An province took first in the folk music category.

The winner of the pop music category was Thanh Huyen from Thanh Hoa province.

One second and two third prizes were also awarded to other finalists in each category.

The organising board also presented the Audience prize to Thuy Dung from Quang Ninh province and Promising Singer prizes to three other finalists.

The singing contest, held every two years by Vietnam Television, aims to promote music nationwide and seek new faces for the Vietnamese musical stage.