Art & Entertainment News Headlines 26/6 Vietnamese photo and writing contest invites entries All Vietnamese people and foreigners of all ages and occupations are invited to participate in a photo and writing contest about their feelings for Viet Nam's people and natural landscape. The contest has been jointly organised by Tuoi Tre (Youth) daily newspaper and Saigontourist, one of the country's largest tourism agencies, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sai Gon liberation which took place on April 30, 1975. Entitled Tan Huong Ban Sac Viet (Enjoy the Vietnamese Identity), the contest's themes are about beautiful moments which depict the beauty of nature, daily life and traditional customs, festivals, local gastronomy and the hospitality of the Vietnamese people across the country. In the writing category, the contest welcomes new ideas as well as descriptions of personal experiences of experts and tourists about tourism products, local culture and cuisine. All written entries should be submitted by October 31, 2014, while the photo entries should be sent by February 28, 2015, to http://bansacviet.tuoitre.vn or to the Tuoi Tre newspaper, 60A Hoang Van Thu Street, Phu Nhuan District, HCM City. The contest's jury comprises well-known photographers, writers and journalists from HCM City and Vietnamese Artistic Photographers' Associations and the Tuoi Tre newspaper. Bands rock the HRC stage Rock bands The Observatory from Singapore, MoE from Norway, and Hanoian local technopunk group XAI will gather for a one-night performance at Hanoi Rock City tomorrow night. Based in Singapore, The Observatory have released five albums. Their indie and improv leanings reflect an obsessive intent to stifle inhibition and undermine mechanical ways of commercial music-making. Norway's MoE are known for mixing their minimalistic compositions with alternative and experimental approaches that fail to fit in the rock genre. With countless collaborations exceeding the borders of rock and noise. Vietnamese technopunk band XAI is a group consisting of young artists from Ha Noi's experimental music school – Dom Dom, and two members of the punk band Go Lim, as well as English front woman Lizo. Loosely defining their music as technopunk, this frantically playful, live electronic band blend trumpet and keyboard melodies with crashing drums, scratchy vocals and analogue object play upon layers of solid baselines and originally crafted beats and textures. The event will take place at Hanoi Rock City, 27/52 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District from 7.30pm. Vietnam Film Festival to take place in France A Vietnam Film Festival is set to get underway in the coastal city of Saint Malo, France from July 1-6 as part of activities celebrating the Vietnam Year in France. The information was announced by Do Duy Anh, Deputy Director of Cinema Department, at a press conference in Hanoi on June 25. Historical films to be introduced include Khat Vong Thang Long (Aspirations of Thang Long), Lua Phat (Buddha fire), Mui Co Chay (The Scent of Burning Grass), Nhung nguoi viet huyen thoai (The legendary writers), and Trang noi day gieng (Moon at the Bottom of the Well). Event organisers will also introduce a series of documentaries and a number of internationally acclaimed films about Vietnam directed by either French or overseas Vietnamese directors in France such as Choi voi (Adrift), Dong Duong (Indochine), Mui Du Du Xanh (The Scent of Green Papaya), Song cung lich su (Living With History), and Dien Bien Phu. A wide range of exhibitions, meetings and seminars are also set to be held within the framework of the festival. The event provides a golden opportunity to further promote cooperation between Vietnam and France in the fields of film production and tourism as well as contributing to popularising the image of Vietnam’s land, culture and people to international friends. Concert to raise fund for fishermen HCMC Labor Culture Palace in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera will hold a concert program themed ‘Unforgettable Melodies’ on July 11. The concert will introduce Vietnamese and international well-known songs to audiences with different musical styles like classical, romantic to contemporary music. Musician Nguyen Anh 9 and leading singers of Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera like Ngoc Tuyen, Ngoc Mai, Duy Linh, Dieu Hien will be perform at concert. Total money from selling ticket will be raised fund for fishermen, maritime police forces with ‘Sentimental attachment to Paracel, Spratly Island’ program launched by Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. HCM City celebrates National Family Day Cultural houses and entertainment centres in HCM City are offering new shows to celebrate National Family Day (June 28). To encourage family unity, the Women Cultural House will organise celebrations of sports, music, cooking competitions, and seminars on topics popular with young married couples, including problems confronting modern family life. The cultural house will present congratulation certificates to model families who have overcome obstacles to create a "good family life" for themselves, one of the goals of the country's Family Day, which was established by the Population, Family and Children Committee. Cultural activities by the city's Women Union began this week and have featured thousands of families, mostly young married couples and their children. Through these events, young couples are encouraged to take part in courses on love, marriage, family and reproductive health care. Tonight the 5B Theatre and Phu Nhuan Drama Troupe will debut new plays, Hanh Phuc O Dau (Where Is Happiness?) and Vo Va Nguoi Tinh (Wife and Lover), featuring love, family relations and conflicts. The play includes veteran artists Kim Xuan and Kieu Mai Ly. It is staged every Friday and Saturday at 5B Vo Van Tan Street in District 1. Discover the Holy Land of Zen Buddhism Friends of Vietnam Friends Heritage (FVH) will host an excursion to the Yen Tu Mountain on Saturday – the Holy Land of Zen Buddhism in Viet Nam, which was founded by King Tran Nhan Tong in the 13th century. Arriving at the site at 10am after a scenic drive through Yen Tu National Park, the group will have a light lunch before taking a cable car to Hoa Yen Pagoda, which is half-way up the mountain. There, visitors will see 500-year-old pine trees, a frangipani forest, the Pear Island Tower Garden and the One Roof Pagoda. The excursion will continue to the top of Yen Tu Mountain at 1,100m above sea level to visit the Bronze Pagoda and enjoy a panoramic view that stretches as far as Ha Long Bay. The group will leave the site at 3.30pm to return to Ha Noi. On the way back, they will visit some charming countryside villages. To join, contact Mai at phmai@fpt.vn or 0917294923 by Friday. Map display depicts development Forty maps and hundreds of documents featuring the development of Da Lat, a well-known resort town founded by Dr. Alexandre Yersin in 1893, is now on display at the HCM City Library of General Sciences. Titled Dalat, et la carte crea la ville (Da Lat and the establishment map), the exhibition is jointly organised by the French School for Far East Studies, the French Institute in Viet Nam and the HCM City Library of General Sciences, with support from the French Consulate General in HCM City and Viet Nam's National Archive Centre. The maps, photos, and documents collected from archive centres in Viet Nam, France, Switzerland and Japan were published in a 200-page book by the French School for Far East Studies. While introducing the history of Da Lat, the event also aims to preserve the city's architectural heritage. The exhibition is at the HCM City Library of General Sciences, at 69 Ly Tu Trong Street in District 1, until July 4. Photo, banner exhibition on seas Photos and banners of the country's sea and islands are on display at Bach Dang Park on the banks of the Han River in the central city of Da Nang. The exhibition includes 130 photos from the Han River Photography Club and a photo contest organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with 40 banners. The event aims to show local people and tourists Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagos. The Hoang Sa islands are a district of Da Nang. The exhibition will run until next Monday. Cham ethnic people celebrate Ramadan festival The Islamic Cham ethnic community in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang are celebrating their traditional Ramadan festival, starting their one month of fasting from June 25. The festival, which falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, has special meaning for the Islamic Cham. On these days, Islamic followers from 15 years of age abstain from food and drink during the daytime in order to understand the lives led by poor people, teaching them patience and humility. Ramadan also offers Muslims in the province an opportunity to review their rights and wrongs and work towards becoming better followers of Islam and better citizens to society. The Islamic Cham ethnic community in An Giang is one of the province’s four largest ethnic groups, along with the Kinh, the Hoa and the Khmer. With a population of more than 15,300 people, they live mainly on traditional brocade weaving, cattle farming and agricultural production. Vietnam Day held in Nagasaki, Japan A “Vietnam Day” was organised for the first time in Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture on June 25, with the aim of furthering the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership in the fields of trade, investment and culture. Present at the event were Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung, several Vietnamese Deputy Ministers, and Japanese Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Tomioka, among others. Addressing the event, Nagasaki prefecture Governor Nakamura Hogo noted that the “Vietnam Day in Nagasaki” will provide people in Nagasaki and surrounding areas a valuable opportunity to learn about Vietnam’s culture, business, investment environment, and boost trade activities with Vietnamese partners. Within the framework of the event, several seminars were held on the economic and trade ties between Vietnam and Nagasaki, the investment and business environment in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Nam, as well as Vietnamese human resources. Vietnamese students in Nagasaki also conducted art performances during the event. Nagasaki has set up its ties with Vietnam since the 17th century. The prefecture’s strength in aquatic products, processed farm produce, handicrafts, mechanical industry and electronic equipment is suitable for the cooperation direction between the two countries in the coming time. Jewellery, sculptures in hotel exhibit The Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon today will host a "Day of Discovery" event featuring contemporary jewellery and sculptures by artists Sam Tho Duong and Truc-Anh at its Atrium Lounge. Sam Tho Duong, who has won many international prizes for his jewellery designs, will show his Frozen collection of necklaces covered with ice crystals, while Truc-Anh, whose artworks have been displayed in Paris and New Delhi, will present his Relative collection of sculptures made from metal and paper with a video projection. The event takes place from 6-9pm at 8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1. Brazilian DJ at Cargo Bar Marco Antonio Silva, aka DJ Marky, a Brazilian drum and bass DJ, will perform in HCM City at the Cargo Bar on June 27. The musician, who was nominated for the "Greatest DJ of All Time" award given by Mixmag (the world's biggest electronic music magazine), has performed at the world's most prominent music festivals, including Lovebox Festival and Noting Hill Carnival in London. The show will begin at 9pm at 4 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4. Carnival summer party celebrates World Cup A festival with the Carnival theme to celebrate the World Cup called Escape Summer will be held at the Phu My Hung urban area on July 12. Local and international artists will perform music of various genres, including techno, house, dubstep and hip hop. There will be performances by dancers in carnival costumes, a pool party, a foam party, a motor show, and other outdoor entertainment activities. The party begins at 12 pm at lot 13, Tan Trao Street, District 7. Football tournament to raise funds for charity The British Business Group Vietnam (BBGV) will host the first BBGV Inter-Company Football Tournament for Charity at the RMIT University on July 19 to raise funds for registered charities in Viet Nam. The event is seeking 16 company teams to compete for the championship title. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.bbgv.org. There will be games for adults and children throughout the day. The event will take place from 8.30am to 5.30pm. The university is located at 702 Nguyen Van Linh Street in District 7. Lacquer panting display kicks off Vietnam days in Russia An exhibition of 30 lacquer paintings by Vietnamese artists was started at the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, Russia, on June 25, becoming the first in a series of activities within the “Vietnamese Culture Days in Russia”. Among those attending the opening were Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh and Deputy Director of the Russian Ministry of Culture’s Department of Cultural Heritage Dmitry Sergeev. Le Ngoc Dinh, deputy head of the Vietnamese ministry’s International Cooperation Department, said the display introduces special values embodied in Vietnamese lacquer paintings. Lacquer paintings are composed on wooden boards on which numerous layers of lacquer are applied through a lot of steps. Artists use popular materials such as shell and mineral powder along with precious metals like gold and silver to create their works. The “Vietnamese Culture Days in Russia” is scheduled to run through July 1 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yaroslav cities. Eighty Vietnamese artists will participate in the event, which will feature Vietnamese Ao dai (long dress), traditional and contemporary music, martial arts, paintings and films. A round-table conference on cultural partnership and trade promotion between the two countries will also be held during the event. Saigontourist launches writing and photo contest Saigontourist Holding Company on Monday launched a writing and photo contest named ‘Savour Vietnam’ to honor and promote the beauty of the country and people. The contest is for both local and expats at all ages and careers. Contestants are encouraged to write interesting stories and take amazing photos about stunning landscapes, unique cultural features, traditional festivals, local culinary and charms of Vietnamese people around the country. “The contest means very much to promote tourism attractions to foreigners as well as to raise public awareness on tourism development and culture and heritage preservation,” said Tran Hung Viet, general director of Saigontourist. He also added that winning photos and essays will be printed into a book ‘Savour Vietnam’ to promote Vietnam’s images both at home and abroad. In the photo category, the deadline for submission is February 28 next year. There will be two award ceremonies, with the first one scheduled for December for winning photos submitted between June 23 and October 31, and the other to take place before April 30, 2015 for best entries sent from November 1 to February 28. The first winner will be awarded VND40 million and a travel voucher worth VND20 million while the two second-place winners will be given VND25 million and a travel voucher worth VND10 million each. Three third prizes include VND15 million and a travel voucher worth VND5 million each while four consolation prizes are worth VND10 million each. Photos can be sent to bansac@tuoitre.com.vn. Photos must not have been posted in any media or social networks, not given any prize before and have been taken in the last 36 months. Each contestant can send maximum 30 photos with captions in detail. In the essay category, the deadline for submission is October 31. Writers can make their essays in English or Vietnamese and can submit a maximum five essays of not more than 1,500 words. The first winner will pocket VND25 million while the two second prize winners will be awarded VND15 million each. Three third places will be given VND10 million each and four consolation prizes will be worth VND5 million each. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in December. Submissions can be sent to bansacviet.tuoitre.vn. Source: VNS/VNA/VOV/SGT/SGGP