Man revives renowned piece of literature in ceramic

With skillful hands, patience and burning passion, artisan Pham Xuan Hoa from Bat Trang village, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, has recreated ‘Binh Ngo Dai Cao’ (Proclamation of Victory over the Ngo), a renowned work by scholar Nguyen Trai, in ceramic.

Pham Xuan Hoa, a former airman of the C363 combat unit in Hai Phong city, was born in 1941 to a family of artisans in Bat Trang village with a rich tradition of producing ceramics. After retiring from the military, he started a ceramic workshop in his home town. “I opened the shop to support my family, but the more I worked with pottery, the more I became absorbed in its essence,” he said.

Besides his passion for pottery, Hoa is also obsessed with Nho (Chinese) script. He came up with the idea to produce ceramic Nho letters in 2000 but he had to deal with many difficulties, which made him want to give up many times.

Fortune smiled on him in 2006 when he met Tran Duc Canh, an 82-year-old war veteran who taught a Nho class in Ngu Xa ward, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi. Hoa attended Canh’s class once a week and found that the class not only helped him improve his Nho writing, it also helped him understand the profound meaning of the Chinese words and enabled him to read and translate the parallel sentences at temples and pagodas.

He thought of making a pottery version of the ‘Binh Ngo Dai Cao’ many years ago, but only began putting the idea into action in 2009.

The ‘Binh Ngo Dai Cao’ comprises 1,350 white glazed ceramic tiles with raised blue Chinese letters measuring 18.5 cm by 16.5 cm, and can be read from 20 metres away.

To make the piece, Hoa first had his mentor, Tran Duc Canh, write down all the letters in the original version so he could carve them in ceramic, the most difficult step in the production. After they were carved, he blended and applied the glaze and fired the tiles in a kiln at 1,200 degrees Celsius. The process required a lot of time, patience, concentration, and accuracy so Hoa and his son only produced 10 letters a day.

The treasured work is Hoa’s special gift to Thang Long - Hanoi. He wanted to introduce the ‘Binh Ngo Dai Cao’ to the young generations and inspire their national pride.

Hoa also previously presented his 214 letter, 4.5 by 10 metre, ceramic version of King Ly Cong Uan’s ‘Chieu Doi Do’ (Royal Edict on the Transfer of the Capital’) to the Do temple in Bac Ninh province.

Lung Lo mountain pass recognised as national historical site

Lung Lo mountain pass, an arterial road which contributed to the glorious Dien Bien Phu victory in May 1954, has been recognised as a national historical site.

A certificate of recognition was presented to the People’s Committee of Thuong Bang La commune, Van Chan district, in Yen Bai province on May 7.

The construction of the road over Lung Lo pass linking the locality to Son La province began in April, 1953 and was completed after more than five months of hard work, both day and night, by nearly 125,000 local residents.

Despite fierce bomb attacks by the enemy, this arterial road helped transport hundreds of tonnes of military equipment, cooking, arms and ammunition to the battlefield during the historic Dien Bien Phu campaign of 1954.

Binh Thuan hosts national boating championship

The traditional national boat racing championship 2011 is being held in Mui Ne in Phan Thiet City in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan.

The competition will attract more than 10 boating teams from the provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Da Nang City, Soc Trang, An Giang, Tra Vinh, Can Tho, Kien Giang and the host province Binh Thuan.

The competition will be in two categories of 10-rowing boats and 20-rowing boats covering three distances of 1,000m, 500m and 200m, and run until May 12.

The traditional national boat racing championship 2011 aims to present to visitors a glimpse of the beautiful local landscape and exploit the economic and tourist potential of Mui Ne-Binh Thuan area.

The event is part of the National Tourism Year 2011, which is being held throughout the southern central coastal provinces of Phu Yen, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Da Nang city.

With the theme ‘Paradise for Sea and Island Tourism’, the National Tourism Year 2011 is an opportunity for the region to promote its tourism potential.

Vietnam’s quintessence introduced at RoK

Special characteristics of Vietnam’s cultural assets were spotlighted at a fair titled ‘Seoul Friendship 2011’ at Seoul Square, the Republic of Korea (RoK), from May 7-8.

Prior to the opening ceremony, the Vietnamese artistic delegation staged a ‘Non La’ (palm-leaf conical hat) and ‘Ao Dai’ (traditional long dress) performance, which was applauded by a large crowd of visitors.

Artists from Hanoi College of Arts brought to the fair a special programme, featuring the diversified culture from different regions across the country.

With two stands at the fair, Vietnam had chance to introduce international friends to its cuisine and handicraft products, of which ‘nem ran’ (spring roll) and ‘Pho’ (rice noodle) were the most “favourite dishes at the fair”, said Nguyen Thi Thai Thong, Culture Counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK.

The fair is part of the five-day festival themed ‘Hi! Seoul 2011’, which started on May 5.

Vietnamese Culture Month in France begins

Vietnamese Culture Month 2011 is being celebrated in Tours and Lorient in France from May 5-27.

The programme features three main themes, including ‘The Land and People of Vietnam’, ‘President Ho Chi Minh in France’, and ‘Vietnam-France Co-operation’, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh leaving to seek a way to save the nation (1911-2011) and the 65th anniversary of his visit to France as a guest of honour in 1946.

A variety of activities are being organised throughout the month including seminars on Vietnamese history, culture and tourism; art exhibitions; literature exchanges and a Vietnamese film show.

The event is organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Phu Yen to host ASEAN traditional music festival

The 2011 ASEAN traditional music festival will be held in Tuy Hoa city in the south central coastal province of Phu Yen from June 23-26.

Permission to organize the event has been granted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The event is expected to attract the participation of a variety of art troupes from ASEAN member nations and partners such as China and Japan.

The international cultural event is the highlight of the National Tourism Year 2011 in Phu Yen province. It will offer an opportunity for ASEAN member countries to hold cultural exchanges, and strengthen cultural cooperation through art performances.

Phu Yen is the first locality to pave the way for a series of major events for National Tourism Years from 2011-2017 aiming to build a Vietnam tourist map. It is also part of the national tourism development strategy for the next decade.

European Film Festival scheduled in Vietnam

The 12th European Film Festival featuring movies and short films will be launched in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on May 16.

Films that will be screened inlcude Chameleon from Hungary, Sweet Rush (Poland), Pans Labyrinth (Spain) and El Greco from Greece.

Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch, Director of the Goethe Institute, said that this year Germany will present Ganz Nah Bei Dir a comedy, drama and love story by Almut Getto.

The festival is considered one of the most successful annual cultural events held by the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam. In 2010, it drew nearly 8,000 movie lovers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Nha Trang Sea Festival to feature charity show

The charity show, Vu dieu tren bien (Dance on the Beach) will be held on June 10 as part of the Nha Trang Sea Festival.

A press conference jointly held by the Khanh Hoa Department of Sport, Culture and Tourism and Hoang Hung Media Company on May 8 announced that the show will include the participation of popular singers My Tam, Doan Trang, Cam Ly, Ha Tran, Quoc Dai, Nhat Kim Anh and Phuong Anh; models Thanh Hang, Hoang Le Trang and Thao Nhi as well as MCs Binh Minh and Lan Kieu.

Part of the the proceeds from the programme will be sent to the Khanh Hoa Television and newspapers’ charity funds, said Nguyen Linh Nam, Director of Hoang Hung Company.

The Head of the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Truong Dang Tuyen, said that this year’s festival will feature more than 60 events and activities.

Eco film producer shares passion with youths

Fast Food Films Group, whose “A Superhero’s Choice” ranked in the top 30 at the online international eco film competition 48 Go Green met young fans in Ho Chi Minh City Sunday.

At the meeting at Café Chieu Thu 7, the producers, mostly amateur filmmakers who have become better known through the movie, shared their film making experience with the fans.

The group said they were also carrying out a long-term project to make short movies for HCMC’s HTV3 channel.

The talk was part of a weekly program organized by TYM Group whose mission is to provide a venue for young Vietnamese to meet.

Vietnamese designer to compete at Asian competition

25-year-old designer Ngo Quynh Phuong will compete in the final of the 2nd Asiawide fashion design competition “Star Creation” in Singapore this month.

Phuong, a student of the Mod-Art International Institute, will join other contestants from Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Myanmar and Nepal in the final to be held on May 11 at Ngee Ann City.

Phuong’s collection, titled Cocoon, is described on the competition’s website as “symbolizes that transformation and evolutions of Asia, and the region stepping out of its cocoon and into new beginnings.”

Three top winners will receive US$10,000 in cash, plus a 12-month internship with Singapore’s leading fashion retailer F J Benjamin.

The competition is an annual event held by Singapore’s Textile & Fashion Federation to uncover Asian talents and give them an opportunity to launch their careers.

Paintings by female artists showcase natural beauty

An exhibition showcasing paintings of Vietnamese landscapes by 33 female artists of the Ho Chi Minh City Female Painters Club has been launched on Saturday at the city’s Art Museum.

Titled “Vietnam’s Landscapes Paintings”, the exhibition features 165 works that capture the beauty of the different regions that the painters, aged 27 to 76, have visited.

The exhibition will run until May 15 at the museum at 97 Pho Duc Chinh, District 1.

European Film Festival scheduled in Vietnam

The 12th European Film Festival featuring movies and short films will be launched in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on May 16.

Films that will be screened inlcude Chameleon from Hungary, Sweet Rush (Poland), Pans Labyrinth (Spain) and El Greco from Greece.

Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch, Director of the Goethe Institute, said that this year Germany will present Ganz Nah Bei Dir a comedy, drama and love story by Almut Getto.

The festival is considered one of the most successful annual cultural events held by the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam. In 2010, it drew nearly 8,000 movie lovers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: SGGP/ND/Tuoi Tre/VNA