Art & Entertainment News 4/8 Contest launched to promote world heritage in Hoi An A contest themed “Join hands for the World Heritage site of Hoi An” has been launched to promote the ancient city of Hoi An, the Vietnam News Agency reports. Held by the city authorities, Quang Nam Province’s Tourism Association and Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in association with the UNESCO office in Hanoi and the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Vietnam, the contest aims to honor organizations and individuals in the tourism sector for innovations to attract tourists and preserve Hoi An, said Nguyen Van Son, vice chairman of Hoi An City People’s Committee. It is also intended to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving and developing the World Heritage site. According to the organizers, products or ideas submitted to the contest should make visitors aware that purchasing tickets to visit Hoi An is to contribute to preserving the city. Submissions to the contest can be images, posters, panels, brochures or essays that can help contribute ideas to promoting tourism in the ancient town. They should show creativity, aesthetic values, applicability and environmentally friendliness. The organizers will wrap up the contest by the end of September. Son La to install Ho Chi Minh statue   A tall statue depicting late President Ho Chi Minh's attachment for the northwestern mountains' ethnic groups, will be built in Son La City in Son La Province from October. The statue is expected to be 5m to 8m tall, and will be installed in Tay Bac Square, located in Chieng Coi Ward, and To Hieu Ward of the city. The project also includes the construction of a war memorial for the Vietnamese soldiers who died for the country's reunification, a park of trees, a museum featuring the history and culture of the province and Tay Bac Square where 20,000 people can congregate. The estimated area required for the project is 10ha to 15 ha. The VND1,400-billion (US$64 million) project, to be funded by the state budget, will be ready by 2019. The construction of the project will start on October 11 this year, to coincide with the 120th anniversary of the foundation of the province. The project aims to express the gratitude that the country's northwestern ethnic groups in general and the ethnic groups of Son La Province have towards the beloved President. It also aims to improve the infrastructure of the province. Thousands flock to Bodhisattva festival in Thua Thien-Hue Thousands of Buddhist monks, followers and tourists flocked to the Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) festival that opened in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on August 3, or the 19 th day of the sixth lunar month. The festival includes a ceremony to pray for peace of the nation with balloon and pigeon release and other activities featuring Buddhist culture, including incense offerings. The annual event was held at the Quan The Am Buddhist Spiritual Tourism Centre in the town of Huong Thuy by the provincial chapter of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee. On the occasion, the chapter organised a ceremony to commence the construction of 32 six-metre-high Bodhisattva statues made of natural granite./- Vietnam film week launched in Paraguay A Vietnam Film Week opened on August 2 in the Paraguayan capital city of Asuncion on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations (May 30, 1995). Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina and Paraguay Nguyen Dinh Thao said Vietnam values the importance of its friendly relationship and multifaceted cooperation with Paraguay, of which, culture plays an important role, serving as a bridge to increase understanding and connection between the peoples of the two countries. Seven Vietnamese films are being screened, including the famous “Con Chim Vanh Khuyen” (Passerine bird), “Mua Gio Chuong” (The season of the whirlwind), and “Dung Dot” (Don’t burn), said Delia Evangelista Ocampos, Chief of the Department of Culture under the Paraguay Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An exhibition featuring Vietnamese photos and handicraft products will also be organised on the occasion, she added.- Phu Tho moves to preserve Xoan singing The northeast province of Phu Tho is undertaking all necessary actions to preserve and revive Xoan singing, according to Ha Ke San, Vice-Chairman of the People's Committee of the northern province of Phu Tho. The province is working with the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association on a document to submit to UNESCO by the end of this year proposing Xoan singing be removed from the organisation’s list of heritages in need of urgent protection, San told Vietnam News Agency correspondents. Xoan singing, one of the oldest forms of Vietnamese performing arts, was listed by UNESCO among the world's Intangible Cultural Heritages in need of urgent protection in 2011. An upcoming conference will review Xoan singing preservation efforts from 2011-2015 and gather information and feedback for reports to be submitted to UNESCO this August. The locality is also expected to receive comments from international experts during the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritages set to take place from November 30 to December 4 in Namibia. The province has been backing the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the study and collection of Xoan lyrics to accelerate the publishing of a 1,200-page book titled Hat Xoan Phu Tho (Phu Tho Xoan Singing) as a crucial part of the documentation being submitted to UNESCO. More than 4,000 CDs and 3,000 books about Xoan singing have also been published to promote the traditional singing. These have also been used as aids for teachers and students to introduce Xoan singing at schools. A number of projects have also been carried out to preserve and maintain Xoan singing-related relic sites in the locality. Other efforts have focused on promoting Xoan singing values with worship rituals for Hung King, closely linked with tourism and service development. Xoan singing performances and promotion and publicity events have been organised at home and abroad and training classes and activities have been conducted to ensure the continuity of the traditional rituals, practices and festivals. As many as 23 clubs have since been established across the province with 1,148 regular members and hundreds of others interested. A number of studies have also been funded to preserve the diversity of “xoan” singing while developing it in a more audience-friendly way to incorporate it into modern life. Between 2012 and 2015, 51 individuals were honoured as Phu Tho Xoan Distinguished Artisans. The province is working on presenting the title to additional individuals this year. Xoan singing is believed to have been developed during the reign of the Hung Kings (2890 BC to 250 BC). Traditionally, singers from Xoan guilds performed songs in sacred spaces, such as temples, shrines and communal houses during spring festivals. There are three kinds of Xoan singing, including songs of worship for Hung Kings and village guardian spirits; ritual songs for abundant crops, health and good luck; and festival songs, with villagers alternating male and female verses in a form of courtship. The singing is accompanied by dance and musical instruments, such as clappers and drums. Phu Tho is home to over 1,370 relic sites and 260 festivals, many of which have become unique spiritual symbols, such as the festival of Hung Kings and Dao Xa elephant festival. Numerous intangible heritages, such as Moi and Chuong dance, originate here.- SC VivoCity hosts Days of Singapore To mark the 50th National Day of Singapore (August 9, 1965-2015), the newly launched shopping mall SC VivoCity in HCMC’s District 7  is hosting numerous activities to promote Singapore’s culture, gastronomy and healthcare from now until August 9. People can find some popular brands in the program, including 5th Element, BreadTalk, F&N, Pokka, Tiger, FarmPack, Yeo, Super, FairPrice, Hanh Phuc, Resorts World Sentosa, Vietravel and Singapore Airlines. During the event, there are typical dancing performances of Singapore, China, Malaysia and India and a food fair consisting of 12 booths from Singapore, a tourism and healthcare exhibition, free food tastings and entertainment activities. Participants to the event will enjoy up to 25% discounts on several products and receive free vouchers and gifts from the organizers. New flea market debuted in town Shoppers are seen at the first flea market of New District, a newly launched venue for shopping and entertainment activities at Cargo Event Space in HCMC’s District 4. The “Head in the Clouds” themed event which was held during the weekend attracted thousands of shoppers to browse for hundreds of fashion items, accessories, food and beverages at 80 popular brands known on Instagram and Facebook. Participants also had a chance to enjoy live DJ performances, Henna drawing, nail decorating and Tarot fortunetelling. People can get updates on the next events on New District’s Facebook page or Instagram. Cargo Event Space is located at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in HCMC’s District 4. Source: SGT/VNA/VNS/ND