Art & Entertainment News 3/3 Year of Goat’s Tran Temple Festival opens A procession, one of the main rituals of the Tran Temple Festival in the Year of Goat, opened on March 1 at the Tran Temple historical and cultural relic site in Loc Vuong ward, Nam Dinh city in the northern province of Nam Dinh. According to Nguyen Xuan Hoat, head of the relic site’s management board, during the procession, incense stems in the incense bowl worshipping King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), who was the third king of the Tran dynasty (1225-1400), were ritually brought from Pho Minh Pagoda to Thien Truong Temple worshipping kings of the Tran dynasty. The procession reflects the interaction between religion and the country and between the nation and the public, Hoat said. Meanwhile, from February 28 to March 1, the Ham Yen traditional bullfighting festival took place in Tan Yen town, Ham Yen district, Tuyen Quang province, attracting thousands of local people and visitors. Overcoming 15 other buffaloes, buffalo number 56 of Nguyen Dinh Khoa, Tan Thanh commune, Ham Yen district won the final match and earned the owner VND55 million (US$2,500) Win or lose, every buffalo was slaughtered for ritual ceremonies to thank gods and pray for bumper crops. Festival honours Vietnamese tea A festival featuring Tan Cuong tea, a speciality of the northern province of Thai Nguyen opened in Thai Nguyen city on March 1. The event, themed ‘Flavours of Spring Tea’ was one of the annual activities to honour the tea tree and traditional tea growing industry in Tan Cuong, which produces one of the most popular tea brands in the country. It is also a meeting place for growers, producers and drinkers of Tan Cuong tea in particular and Thai Nguyen tea in general. The highlight of the event was a competition of tea processing in the traditional way with eight teams from Tan Cuong commune. Other activities are being held during the festival, including a tea offering ritual, art performances by local people and folk games. 2015 marks the 8th year Tan Cuong tea has been granted the geographical indication (GI) by the Department of Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is also on the list of products protected with the GI nationwide. With a total tea growing area of 17,000 hectares and an average annual production of 120,000 tones, Thai Nguyen province now has the second largest area of tea plantations in the country. The locality has more than 66,000 tea growing and producing households and over 30 enterprises manufacturing, processing and exporting tea, making tea a key industry in the province. Eight national relic sites recognised An additional eight historical, architectural and archaeological relics nationwide have been listed as national relic sites under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s decision. Five national relics in Hanoi include Gia Khanh communal house in Nguyen Trai commune, Thuong Tin district; Tuy Loc communal house, Trach My Loc commune, Phuc Tho district; Quan De temple, Hang Buom ward, Hoan Kiem district; Dong Bang communal house, Dong Thai commune, Ba Vi district; and the memorial house dedicated to Hoang Trinh Thanh in Kien Hung ward, Ha Dong district. The central province of Nghe An is home to two national relics including Tru Phap communal house, My Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district; as well as the tomb and memorial house dedicated to Ho Phi Tich, Quynh Doi commune, Quynh Luu district. Another national relic that also made the list is Hang Pagoda in Cho Chu town, Dinh Hoa district, situated in the northern province of Thai Nguyen. Arts exchange honours archipelagos soldiers An arts exchange entitled ‘Spring in Truong Sa Archipelago’ was held in Hanoi to celebrate the 85th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the south and national reunification (April 30). The programme was held jointly by the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper, the Vietnam Navy High Command, and Vietnam Television to raise public awareness of the role and huge potential of Vietnam’s sea and islands; thus increasing their responsibilities in protecting the country’s full sovereignty over its sea and islands. In addition to songs and dances praising the beauty of Vietnam’s sea and islands as well as the life of soldiers stationed there, the programme included interviews and exchanges with outstanding navy soldiers and officers. At the event, representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Bao Viet Holdings presented two CQ canoes ‘Made in Vietnam’ worth VND3.5 billion (nearly US$164,000) each to the Navy High Command. Women's Day under way in HCM City A variety of cultural programmes kicked off this week in HCM City to celebrate the international Women's Day, March 8. A painting exhibition opened at the city's Women Cultural House yesterday, featuring the latest collections of female artists from art clubs in HCM City and southern provinces. Dozens of colour paintings that portray the beauty of women are featured. Seminars and forums that highlight the work and success of Vietnamese women in modern life are launched every day. Dozens of specialists in health care, beauty, and marriage and family problems were invited deliver talks. Dam Sen Park will co-host a festival called Women on Fame Day on Saturday and Sunday, offering various music and dance programmes, traditional games and sport competitions for women and their family. Veteran and young performers will sing and dance in praise of women. Local authorities have visited and presented gifts to heroic mothers who fought for the country's independence. Women with high achievements in business and art have also been honoured. A special exchange called Nu Du Kich Cu Chi (The Legend of Cu Chi Female Guerrillas) was organised by the HCM City Television and its partners at the city's Labour Culture Palace last weekend. The event featured five woman guerrillas of Cu Chi District, such as Tran Thi Gung, Cao Thi Huong, Vo Thi Mo, who shared their glorious victories during the country's struggle for national liberation and sovereignty. Writer Ma Thien Dong introduced her latest book focusing on Cu Chi female guerrillas titled Huyen Thoai Long Dat (Underground Legend) at the event. Source: VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VIR