Vietnamese clothing goes on show

They depict the attire worn by Vietnamese people from all levels of society.

The book, which was released in May, provides a detailed look at how Vietnamese people dressed in the past. Many experts describe it as the most comprehensive research ever undertaken on the subject.

However, due to print limitations, all the illustrations were kept small, said its author, Tran Quang Duc, a 28-year-old researcher from the Viet Nam Institute of Literature.

That's why he decided to open an exhibition of pictures from the book, plus old paintings he consulted and two costumes from the 16th century.

The exhibition will run until September 10 at Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich Street, Ha Noi.

Duc will give a talk at 3pm next Wednesday to exchange information with the public.

Ngan Nam Ao Mu, published by the Nha Nam Culture and Communication Company and The Gioi (World) Publishers, is sold at VND250,000 (US$12).

Hanoi to host 22 city photography exhibition

Vietnamese visitors will have the chance to enjoy photojournalistic reportage from 22 global cities at an exhibition due to open in Hanoi on August 28.

Every city boasts unique lifestyles, cultures, and social behaviours. Their mixture of opportunity and risk entices the thunderous flows of rural to urban migration seen all around the world.

The exhibition - ”The City: From the Becoming until the Decay” - features glimpses of daily reality in some of these metropolises captured by 18 members of the German photography agency OSTKREUZ.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding, OSTKREUZ has toured Tokyo, Manila, Lagos, Las Vegas, Berlin, Minsk, and Gaza since 2010 to take impressive pictures.

The exhibition will be displayed at Hanoi’s Vietnam Fine Arts Museum and Goethe Institute.

Art exhibition celebrates National Day

A new exhibition of 163 paintings, sculpture and other art works has opened at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum as part of celebrations of the 68th National Day, which falls on September 2.

The works selected from the recent eight creative camps reflect a wide range of topics, covering daily life, city’s development over the years, the task of protecting the nation’s seas and islands, and learning important lessons from late President Ho Chi Minh.

The HCM City Fine Arts Association has awarded nine top works, many of which highlight the nation’s seas and islands.

These include: Thong Diep Hoa Binh (Message of Peace), an engraved painting by Nam Anh: Trai Tim Bien Dao (Heart of Seas and Islands), a sculpture made with general materials by Tran Van Binh, and Binh Minh Tren Dao Nam Du (Dawn on Nam Du Island), a water colour by Truong Lo.

The exhibition will be open to the public at 97A Pho Duc Chinh Street in District 1 until August 30.

Promoting Vietnam’s image in Germany

The Vietnamese embassy in Berlin on August 25 introduced Vietnam’s culture to international visitors at Germany’s “Open Days” programme.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) invited more than 50 nations, mostly from South America, Africa and Asia and some non-governmental organizations to participate in the event. Each nation had a pavilion to introduce their profile.

The Vietnamese pavilion impressed visitors with traditional handicraft products such as conical hats, bamboo and rattan items, as well as publications highlighting Vietnamese culture and people.

Vietnamese artists also gave performances on musical instruments, including the monochord, 16-chord zither and T’rung of Central Highlanders.

Visiting the Vietnamese pavilion, Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, recalled his visit to Vietnam last year and said Germany is very keen on strengthening the time-honoured friendship and cooperation with Vietnam.

Within the “Open Days” Programme, BMZ leaders and ambassadors held seminars and enjoyed art performances and short film screenings.  

Hoi An hosts Japanese festival

Thousands of tourists flocked to the annual Hoi An-Japan Cultural Festival at the weekend to watch performances of folk dancing and displays of crafts and fine arts.

Japanese artists brought their works to the ancient town to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and Japan.

The two-day festival, which is part of the Viet Nam-Japan Friendship Year, is used to promote cultural exchange between Hoi An and Japan, which has had a long historic trading link with the city.

Japanese dancers performed traditional Shinbuyo and Samurai sword dances, while Vietnamese vocalist Fon Chi sang a famous song, Noi Vong Tay Lon (The Great Arm Circle), composed by Vietnamese Trinh Cong Son at the opening ceremony.

A gong dance troupe from mountainous Nam Giang District performed traditional music of the Co Tu ethnic group.

Japanese and local calligraphers also demonstrated their techniques at the 200-year-old ancestral home of Nguyen Tuong.

A painting exhibition by disabled people from Matsusaka city, a Haiku calligraphy exhibition and street performances were also held.

Japanese presentation contest in Ba Ria-Vung Tau

A presentation contest on cultural similarities between Vietnam and Japan was held at the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Teachers Training College on August 25.

More than 300 local students entered the competition, which was divided into three sections: introduction, presentation and singing performance in Japanese.

They competed in six groups, each made up of five to ten students, who talked about traditional customs, cuisine, festivals and national dress such as Kimono.

First prize was presented to the host Ba Ria-Vung Tau College, while second and third prizes went to Ba Ria-Vung Tau University and Hong Bang International University, respectively.

On the same day, a Japanese language training centre was also inaugurated at the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Teachers Training College.

The centre has eight  classrooms, one meeting hall, an audio room equipped with 40 computers, and three functional rooms capable of accommodating 320 trainees.

Japan, Vietnam promote cultural exchange

As many as 1,500 Japanese and Vietnamese people gathered in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province on August 24 to celebrate the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Day 2013.

The event enticed a variety of participants, from Kawasaki City leaders and Japanese Consulate General representatives, to expatriate Japanese citizens, and hundreds of interested local students.

Organisers arranged introductions to Vietnamese and Japanese culture and customs, including the art of origami paper folding, traditional painting, and composing Haiku.

Attendees could also sample special cuisine, try their hand at traditional Japanese games, and observe a calligraphy demonstration.

The Cultural Day aims to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries and thereby help reinforce bilateral diplomatic ties.

Ly Nha Ky named Jewellery Ambassador

The Vietnam Association of Fine Arts, Gold Jewellery, and Gemstones (VAFAGJG) on August 23 announced Ly Nha Ky as the National Jewellery Ambassador.

Ky – the former Tourism Ambassador – now represents the Vietnamese jewellery and gemstone industry at domestic and international events, promoting VAFAGJG’s image and bridging domestic jewellery producers and international friends  

She will attend the ASEAN summit on jewellery, gemstones, communications, and art photography.

She will also share her knowledge and experience with this year’s Miss Jewellery Vietnam Pageant.

Ky’s term lasts two years.

Exhibition highlights Guangdong culture

The venerable cultural and artistic traditions of China’s Guangdong province are on display at a Ho Chi Minh Museum exhibition opened in Hanoi on August 22.

More than 100 photos and documents narrate the province’s historical achievements in the arts, handicraft, architecture, and folk customs.

The exhibition devotes a special focus to Guangdong’s Guangzhou City, famous for its drama, music, dance, circuses, and calligraphy, as well as its sophisticated embroidery and ivory and wood carving traditions.

Guangdong City’s unique combination of Western and Eastern architectural styles are captured in photos of monasteries and pagodas built under the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The historic monuments sit side by side modern architectural accomplishments like the 103-storey TV tower and the International Finance Centre.

The event is co-organised by the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Guangdong Revolutionary History Museum.

Vietinbank helps restore musical instruments in Hue

Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) will provide VND300 million for restoration of the set of Bien chung (brass bells), an instrument of the Hue Royal Court Music band.

The offer was announced at the aid package signing ceremony held in Hue city on August 22.

The restoration of Bien chung (brass bells) will be done in Duc ward, Hue City with the assistance of the Republic of Korea’s traditional musician Kim Hyun Kon.

Dr Phan Thanh Hai, director of the Hue Relics Conservation Centre, said that Bien chung (brass bells) and Bien khanh (stone gongs) are two kinds of percussion instruments like bronze bells, which are arranged in a certain order of sound levels. However, since early 20th century, the knack of making and restoring such musical instruments has fallen into oblivion.

Since the Hue Royal Court Music was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as intangible cultural heritage in November 2003, the Hue Relics Conservation Centre has organized practical activities to preserve and promote the values of unique cultural heritage.

Ten German films to be shown in Vietnam

The 4th German Film Festival will take place in Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Thai Nguyen from September 5 to October 3.

Ten famous films with Vietnamese or English subtitles will be shown, including Barbara, Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion, Stopped on track, Hell, Kaddish for a friend, Animals United-Adventure in Africa, Sound of Heimat-Germany sings!, Four days in May, Vincent want to sea, and Home for the Weekend-all featuring historical and contemporary issues related to family, identity, love, death, friendship and responsibility.

Free tickets will be available at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi as from 10am on August 29.

Korean Band to do charity work in Vietnam

The Republic of Korea’s VIXX band will be visiting Vietnam in November to carry out volunteer activities within the “Eye Camp Expedition” project.

The project, co-organised by SBS MTV channel and Standard Chartered Bank, aims to help people with visual impairment.

With the help of the band, Eye Camp Expedition plans to support eye surgeries for the blind and build water tanks for the visually impaired in Vietnam.

The six-member VIXX was set up on May 24, 2012 and now has a relatively stable position in Korean music after the success of its first single “Super Hero”.

The band has taken photographs for the campaign to be broadcast on SBS MTV channel in the near furture.

Photo exhibition on Red River Delta Civilization

A national photographic exhibition based on two themes “Discovering the Red River Civilization” and “Homeland’s sea and island” will take place in Haiphong city from August 28 to September 6.

“Discovering the Red River Civilization” was a national photo contest launched from March to June 2013. As many as 286 photographers from 35 provinces and cities sent a total of 2,902 entries to the contest, and only 162 photos were selected for display.

These photos illustrate the Red River Delta’s culture and civilization, as well as its landscape and local people’s daily life, so as to promote tourism potential in the country and the delta in particular.

The exhibition’s organizing board will also display 153 photos selected from 716 works to a photo camp themed “Homeland’s sea and islands”. Selected works shed light on the daily activity of naval soldiers garrisoned on islands in Haiphong city and Quang Ninh province.

These photos help deepen visitors’ understanding of the national sovereignty over sea and islands and instill a source of pride and sense of responsibility towards the nation in every citizen.

The exhibition will be organized by the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions in collaboration with Haiphong’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists.