A twenty-three-member art troupe from the Central Light Music Theatre and HCM City performed in Germany from December 23-26.

While there, the Vietnamese artists gave performances in Munich , Leipzig and Berlin . Their performances were welcomed by overseas Vietnamese communities, especially the show in Berlin last Saturday, which was watched by more than 2,000 people, including Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Ba Son.

On Sunday, the Vietnamese art troupe left Germany for Poland , the next leg of its performance tour of Europe .

(Source: VNA)

The RoK agreed to support Vietnam Week in RoK in 2005 as part of Vietnam's major festivals initiative.

A programme on cultural exchange between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) for the 2005-2008 period was signed in Hanoi on last week.

The programme, signed by the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Korean Committee for Cultural Co-operation, covers co-operation in culture, fine art and information.

The programme defines specific co-operative activities between the two countries in the next four years.

The RoK also agreed to support Vietnam Week in RoK in 2005 as part of Vietnam 's major festivals initiative. The Vietnam-RoK friendship week was held in Hanoi recently.

Under the Vietnam-RoK 2001-2004 cultural exchange programme, cultural and information activities were successfully organised, marking the 10th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties.

The 2005-2008 programme will acts as a foundation for the two countries to further promote cultural co-operation.

(Source: Tin Tuc)

VietNamNet - Christian Schicklgruber, a culturist with the Vienna Museum Ethnology, Austria, was awarded for his contribution to Vietnamese culture on November 9.

Dr Christian Schicklgruber.

Dr Dang Van Bai, Director of National Department of Cultural Heritage, gave the award of Vietnam Ministry of Culture and Information for Mr Schicklgruber at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Dr Christian Schicklgruber, Curator for Insular Southeast Asia, compiled the collection on South-East Asia , South Asia and Himalayas of the Vienna Museum Ethnology.

He and doctor Miriam Lambrecht, who compiled the collection of India and South - East Asia of Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, have opened two shows of Vietnamese culture and history Vietnam: Arts and Culture from Prehistory to Contemporary Time, exhibited in Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels on September 2003 - February, 2004, and Vietnam's Impression: Deities, Hero and Ancestor exhibited in Leoben City on April, 2004 - October 2004.

The two culturists started the project in 1993; collecting 450 categories of art, history, and ethnic culture of Vietnamese minorities were flown in to 13 museums in Vietnam .

According to Nguyen Van Huy, Director of Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the exhibition is the first and biggest of its kind showing Vietnam 's rare cultural heritage, attracting 85,000 Austrian and 450,000 Belgian visitors.

Vietnam: Art and Culture from Prehistoric to Contemporary Times marks the first time the artifacts from Vietnam's early history are being shown outside the country.

The most interesting treasures on display are the Dong Son bronze drums, representative of not only music, but also to show the power and prestige of community leaders.

Hoang Dan

The cool autumn night air surrounding the Hanoi Children's Palace was lit up by hundreds of colourful lanterns for the Japanese Aki Matsuri (Autumn Festival) last weekend.

Dozens of Vietnamese and Japanese people attend the god procession at the festival.

The presence of hundreds of Japanese and Vietnamese guests filled the night with noise, including Japanese women in yukata (Japanese summer kimono) and men in traditional costumes, creating an authentic ambience to the festival which is traditionally held to honour the following year's hopefully abundant crop.

The festival, held by the Japanese Embassy and Japanese Businessmen's Association in Vietnam, arranged rows of stalls to serve their guests with a feast of Japanese cuisine, cultural theatres, singing, dancing and even traditional games for the children.

It's not often that people are given the chance to see the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, Hattori Norio in traditional costume, but at the celebration the happy emissary even joined in with the dances and religious processions, while playing host to officials and clerks from a range of organisations and companies.

Dozens of people took part in the kami (god) procession, a traditional part of Japanese culture which is now making its presence felt in Hanoi. The kami was taken out in a portable shrine and carried in a long procession, its massive weight causing organisers to invite even the guests to help out.

"Just lovely!" Tamura Takashi from Japan's International Volunteer Centre in Vietnam uttered while watching Vietnamese and Japanese children perform at the Japanese children perform at the festival, only pausing to relay the significance and meaning of each act to his Vietnamese colleagues.

"The festival is so real it's making me feel homesick," he added.

The Japanese Women's Association in Vietnam gave attendants a truly genuine glimpse into their culture with the bondori dance, performed by the colorfully clad bondori dancers. After the main dance, revelers were able to join in themselves in the cheerful, circular steps.

Nguyen Thu Huong, a student from the Chu Van An Secondary School, sampled some of the onigini (rice balls) and yakitori (grilled chicken) at the festival.

"This is the first time I've joined this kind of event," she said, tasting the pyramid-shaped onigiri with seafood and a small piece of nori (dried seaweed).

"Japanese food tastes so good," she said.

After a night attending the festival, she revealed her desire to study Japanese, which could help her understand more about Japanese culture and give her the opportunity to contribute to the next festival.

My Japanese lessons have already begun with the two words: aki (autumn) and matsuri (festival)," Ms Huong said.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Vietnamese artists will tour Europe and North America to perform before overseas Vietnamese for Christmas and New Year.

Singer My Linh will perform in Europe.

On December 20, a delegation of Vietnamese artists led by Tran Binh, Director of the Central Song and Dance Ensemble will leave Vietnam to tour in Europe .

 

The delegation consists of famous young singers, including Ngoc Son, My Linh and the girl band May Trang (White Cloud).

 

The delegation will perform in Germany , Poland , and the Czech Republic from December 20 to January 5, 2005 with Christmas Eve in Munich ( Germany ).

 

Another delegation consisting of three singers will depart on December 21 to Canada and another will follow, including My Tam, Dan Truong, Vinh Hung and Hong Ngoc, on January 4.

 

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

Pop diva My Linh.

VietNamNet - After over two months in the US to record a CD with Blue Records, pop diva My Linh and her husband returned Vietnam August 10.

According to the singer, the first songs of the album entitled ‘Coming to America’ have been recorded and she was pleased with how things turned out.

Linh said that it was initially hard for her to get comfortable with the intense style of work of her American partners, who are well trained, professional and successful at what they do.

During the trip, she also held performances for overseas Vietnamese in the US. “These are unforgettable memories. We’ve had some really warm reunions. I’m really lucky to have this opportunity,” Linh said.

My Linh is goes on record as the first Vietnamese singer to officially record an album in the US.

Son Ha

Pop singer My Tam.

VietNamNet - Pop diva My Tam has been invited to the first Asian Song Festival at Olympic Park, Songpa Gu, Seoul, the Republic of Korea from November 24-27.

My Tam will perform with stars from nine Asian nations, including BoA and Lee Hyo Lee (RoK), Hamasaki Ayumi (Japan), Leon Lai (Hong Kong), F4 (Taiwan), Palmy (Thailand), and Sun Nan and Yang Kun (China) on November 26. The stars will shine under sponsorship of the RoK Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Somewhat the ever-present Asian oxymoron, the festival is an effort to highlight the diversity of regional cultures through pop music performances. It will be broadcast live by KBS (RoK), NHK (Japan), BTV (China), ATV (Hong Kong), ThaiTV3 (Thailand), ASTRO (Malaysia), AZIO TV (Taiwan), Channel U, and MediaworksTV (Singapore).

Local My Tam fans can tune in to the show on HTV.

PV

An exhibition of Vietnamese arts and crafts with uses in daily life opened at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum last Friday.

Souvenir silver box by Quach Van Hien won a gold medal at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.

Thirty-three items out of 565 entries submitted by artists and craftsmen from around the country were selected for the exhibit by the Ministry of Culture and Information, including advertising designs, book covers, family utensils and souvenirs.

 

This first-ever exhibition of its kind was jointly organised by the ministry and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association (VNFAA) in order to honour the value of arts and crafts used for in daily life.

 

"It is important to have such an exhibition because three quarters of Vietnamese artists make their livings on such works, and we should take into consideration the value of artworks used in ordinary daily life," said Tran Khanh Chuong, the general secretary of the VNFAA.

 

The exhibited works were also honoured by awards from the ministry. Two gold medals worth VND15mil (US$1,000) each were given to a poster advertising canned products by artist Tran Minh Giang from An Giang province, and a souvenir silver box by Quach Van Hien from Hanoi.

 

Four runners-up, Nguyen Mai Huong of Hanoi with a set of book covers, Le Quy Hai of Hanoi with a symbol for the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation, Nguyen Thi Thu of Ha Tay with a set of three bamboo boxes, and Nguyen Ngoc Trong of Hanoi with a set of silver-plated cups, each won silver medals worth VND10mil.

 

Among the selected works, five won bronze medals. worth VND5mil and the rest were awarded prizes worth VND1mil.

 

According to the Chairman of the Art Council, Pofessor Le Thanh, the works displayed in this exhibit demonstrate the aesthetics and creativity of the artists.

 

"The artists are able to explore novelty even when sticking to the national colours," he said. "The art of application is a result of the development of production. It is an essential rule of economics. "

 

The exhibition runs until December 30.

 

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Hue royal court music, which has been recognised as world culture heritage by UNESCO.

VietNamNet – The ‘Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Dialogue among Cultures and Civilisation for Peace and sustainable Development’ is taking place in Hanoi on December 20 – 21.

VietNamNet - Truyen Kieu (The tale of Kieu), a Vietnamese masterpiece by great poet Nguyen Du, has been translated into Korean language.

Professor Ahn and a copy of Truyen Kieu in Korean.

The poem was translated by Professor Ahn Kyong Hwan, Head of the Faculty for Vietnamese Language at the Yong San University of the Republic of Korea (RoK).

 

Mr Ahn also translated President Ho Chi Minh’s Nhat Ky Trong Tu (Prison Diary) into Korean.

The translation, comprising 3,254 lines of poetry and almost 1,600 notes, was presented in Hanoi on December 20 by the Union of Vietnam Friendship Associations to mark the 12th founding anniversary of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic relations.

Some 1,000 copies of the translation have already been issued in RoK.

Graduating from the Vietnamese Language Faculty of the RoK Foreign Studies University in 1976, Prof Ahn was the first Korean to earn MA and doctorate degrees in Vietnamese, from the HC City University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Prof Ahn said that he spent six months completing the Kieu translation, however, it was made easier as he had known the Truyen Kieu for tens of years, buying an old version of Truyen Kieu at a bookstore in HCM City in 1992.

He was awarded the "Medal for the Cause of Culture" by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture and Information in 2003, and the "For Peace and Friendship among Peoples" Medal by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations earlier this year, for his contributions in increasing mutual understanding and co-operation between Vietnam and the RoK.

He revealed that he would also translate another Vietnamese masterpiece, Cung oan ngam khuc (The Lament of a Concubine), by famous poet Nguyen Gia Thieu, into Korean.

Doan Diem

French painter Dominique de Miscault, 57, will exhibit her work at the French cultural exchange centre IDECAF in HCM City from December 20, 2004 to January 9, 2005.

In March 2003, Ms Dominique de Miscault exhibited The Trembling of Life, a collection of silk paintings. She also participated in an exhibition with Vietnamese painters Nguyen Anh Tuan and Nguyen Tuan and illustrated Ngo Tu Lap’s Vietnamese-French poetry collection entitled L'Univers et Moi (The Universe and Me.)

After her debut in 1969, the Paris-born painter traveled through France and other countries throughout the world looking for inspiration for her work. She has had more than 300 exhibitions in France, Russia, Western Europe and Vietnam.

(Source: Nhan Dan)

The contest is for children between 6-19 years old.

VietNamNet – A creativity contest for juveniles at the age of 6-19, the first of its kind in Vietnam, was launched on December 9 in Hanoi.

The organisers include the Vietnam Fund for Supporting Technological Creations (VIFOTEC), the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, and the Vietnam Television.

Children aged 6-19 years can send in creations, from tools to machinery be they mock-ups or model designs in various fields to the contest before June 30, 2005. The top awards grant (VND5mil) for five top entries, ten second grade and 20 third grade prizes across five competitive fields.

At the launching ceremony, VIFOTEC presented prizes to five entrants who won the gold cups at an international creativity contest for adolescents in Tokyo, Japan this August.

Kieu Oanh

The three pillars education are family, school and society, General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has said in a letter to the first congress to honour 'learned' families which opened in Hanoi yesterday.

President Tran Duc Luong congratulates delegates to the first national 'learned family' congress.

The campaign to create such families, launched by the Vietnam Fund for Study, was a continuation of the tradition of learning instituted by our forefathers, he said further.

 

Soon after Vietnam became independent in 1945, President Ho Chi Minh showed his concern for creating learned families, he said. President Ho Chi Minh considered each learned family a unit of a learned society. Also greeting the learned families was General Vo Nguyen Giap, honorary chairman of the Fund for Study.

 

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai attended the congress where representatives of 313 learned families were present.

 

One of the guiding principles of the fund is encouragement to all children of school-going age to go to school, to at least achieve a minimum knowledge level.

 

It also requires adults to find the time, amidst their job preoccupations, to further their education arid improve their skills.

 

It encourages even elderly people to learn, to enrich their knowledge and contribute more to the community. To quality as a 'learned family', all the members in a family should achieve four major tasks: study to acquire knowledge, study to work, study to co-exist with others and study to become a good citizen.

 

Since its inception about two years ago, the Vietnam Fund for Study has encouraged more than I million families to try and secure the honour; tens of thousands have succeeded. Thanks to the campaign, more than 4,000 community based learning centres have been created in addition to 1,000 classes on general education, foreign languages, computers and vocations.

 

Representatives of the ‘learned’ families were later received by President Tran Duc Luong.

 

(Source: Viet Nam News)