Ho Chi Minh City to host Southern Fruit Festival

The week-long festival is expected to attract around 5 million domestic and foreign visitors.

The Southern Fruit Festival will open at the Suoi Tien Park in HCM City’s District 9 on June 1. The annual event, held by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development aims to introduce domestic and foreign visitors wide range of fruit from the South and other regions of the country.

The festival will begin on May 25 with a floating fruit market, selling famous fruits from around Vietnam.

The highlight of the event will be the “safe and delicious fruit” contest with nearly 600 artisans from 21 provinces and cities competing. The contest aims to encourage farmers to apply advanced technology to produce high quality varieties and introduce safe and delicious fruit.

A variety of activities will be held during the event, including a contest for making things from fruit, fruit cuisine, an exhibition, a fruit parade, artistic displays, traditional music and folk games.

Nguyen Thanh Rum, Director of the HCMC’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and head of the organizing board, said that the festival will promote the reputable trademarks of southern fruit.

HCMC concert to feature Vietnamese chamber music

Vietnamese band Song Hong (Red River) will perform chamber music at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music Saturday night in the likes of world-renowned composers like Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann and Astor Piazzolla.

They will perform “Trio for Piano, Violin and Violoncello no.1 in B major, op.8,” “Piano quintet in Eb major, op.44” and “The Spring.”

The band is mad up of five members from the Hanoi-based Vietnam National Academy of Music. They include: violists Pham Truong Son and Phan Thi To Trinh, violist Ho Viet Khoa, pianist Pham Quynh Trang, and cellist Dao Tuyen.

They have participated in symphony orchestras in Japan, China and Thailand.

Tickets are available at the conservatory at 112 Nguyen Du.

Exhibition features Hanoi’s traditional treasures

An exhibition featuring sculptures covered with composite material, which gives them the appearance of being encased in amber, is now open at the French Cultural Exchange Center L’Escape in Hanoi.

Titled “Villages in the City,” artist Vuong Van Thao’s exhibition hopes to draw people’s attention to the contradictions between new and old Hanoi.

One highlight of the exhibition is a village gate.

“A village gate is a work of art,” Thao said. “Its beauty and diversity of architecture boldly expresses a village’s culture. Furthermore, it is a lively picture demonstrating the history of the city. We need to preserve and respect village gates.”

The exhibition is part of the project “Living Fossils” which was ranked as one of the top 10 in the competition “Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2008″ in Singapore for contemporary artists in the Asia Pacific region.

Thao has taken many things representing daily life in Hanoi with the hopes of preserving those that are under threat of extinction due to modernization.

Born in 1969 in Hanoi, Thao graduated from the Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1995 with a major in painting. He is now a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

His works have been displayed in China and Singapore.

The exhibition will run until June 18.

Hue city Nguyen Dynasty relics to be restored

The government has approved a VND2.5 trillion (US$125 million) plan to restore and conserve Hue’s relics over the next decade.

It seeks to restore degraded Nguyen Dynasty relics, including the Inner City, to their original state.

Hue was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty, which ruled between 1802 and 1945 when Bao Dai abdicated and transferred power to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The Inner City, which is divided into the Royal City and Forbidden City, is the largest site in Hue and was built between 1804 and 1833.

There are 100 other constructions inside but most of them have deteriorated due to natural causes and damaged during wars.

Mercedes Fascination Motorshow stops in Hanoi

Mercedes-Benz Vietnam brings the Mercedes Fascination Motorshow to Hanoi’s Giang Vo Exhibition Center next month.

As part of its 125th anniversary celebrations, Mercedes Fascination showcases its history from the moment Karl Benz invented the world’s first automobile and patented it on 29th January, 1886 up to the latest classy models.

The show will celebrate new arrivals including the top of the line S500 Blue Efficiency, SL350 Night Edition and CL500 AMG. There are more surprises to be revealed on the night. Beauty queen Jennifer Pham and many Vietnamese celebrities will join the event.

Doors are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from June 9-12.

City hotels celebrate Children’s Day in style

For International Children’s Day on June 1 many restaurants and hotels under management of Saigontourist in HCMC will offer wonderful buffets to give families a happy day with unforgettable moments.

Liberty Central Hotel (179 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1)

The hotel offers a buffet with many delicious dishes for children and animated games from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The buffet will feature more than 30 cooking choices along with a vast selection of cakes. Tickets are VND299,000 per adult and VND199,000 per child. If you buy ten tickets, you get one guest free.

Continental Hotel (132 Dong Khoi Street, District 1)

Kids and adults alike have the chance to experience a buffet party which features more than 40 Western and Asian dishes. The fun night includes a drawing contest, puppet show, music shows and games. The evening is from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It costs VND390,000 for adults and VND250,000 for kids, inclusive of drinks.

Star 39 Hotel (39 Nguyen Van Ba, Thu Duc District)

There will be an outdoor BBQ buffet from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a drawing contest, lucky draw and music show. Tickets are VND150,000 per adult and VND100,000 per child. With every ten tickets purchased, you get one free.

Saigon Hotel (41 Dong Du Street, District 1)

From 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the hotel will hold a buffet called ‘Festive day for children’ with more than 30 dishes, a game show, singing and drawing contests. Tickets cost VND169,000 for adults and VND119,000 for kids.

Fun summer at Vinpearl Land Nha Trang

Vinpearl Land Nha Trang goes all out to make it a great summer for the kids with a special program from June 1.

Highlights from the summer of fun will be the ‘Happy Children’s Day’ on June 1 and ‘Full-moon festival’ on September 11 with both promising lots of entertainment for children and their parents.

On ‘Happy Children’s Day’ kids will receive gifts and free coupons to savor fast food at any restaurant and food stalls in Vinpearl Land.

Lion dances, an offering ceremony and special gifts are awaiting the kids at the ‘Full-moon festival’.

On normal weekdays from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. children have the chance to join in team building activities instructed by the Vinpearl Land’s coaches.

Other interesting entertainment programs like water puppetry will be performed during the week and weekends; there will be outdoor music performances and a music fountain stage seven days a week with extra shows on weekends.

The Vinpearl Underwater World has added over 600 new sea creations to serve visitors who love to discover the ocean. The orchid garden is another special area worth exploring with its precious orchids.

Additionally, Vinpearl Land also runs its new service of taking pictures of travelers to turn into cute souvenirs.

Village gates are to be cherished

A painting exhibition titled “Villages in the City” by Vuong Van Thao on Thursday opened at L’Espace in Hanoi.

The exhibition is part of the celebrated 2008 works ‘Living Fossils’.

Village gate, made of composite, is the main piece of the exhibition. Vuong Van Thao said: “Village gate, an artwork, is the beauty and diversity of architecture which expresses boldly the village’s culture as well as a lively picture demonstrating the origin of the city. We need to preserve and respect village gates in the city.”

Born in 1969 in Hanoi, Thao graduated from Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1995 with a painting major. He is a member of Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

The show at 24 Trang Tien Street will run until June 18.

Meeting appraises HCM City theatre scene

The HCM City Literature and Arts Association reviewed the city theatre scene at a meeting of its members on Wednesday.

Prof Ca Le Thuan, its chairman, said with more young, talented artists appearing on the scene in recent years, especially in traditional forms like cai luong (reformed theatre) and tuong (classical drama), things have been looking up.

He urged the association to study the market for traditional theatre forms and find out how to popularise them in modern society.

Director Hoa Ha, who has staged plays for more than 10 years, said: “Theatre reflects changes in society, especially urban society.

“I think new performance styles allow young people to explore.”

Both comedies and serious plays staged by private troupes like Phu Nhuan, IDECAF, and Hoang Thai Thanh have been warmly received by critics and viewers, including all ages.

Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theatre’s Chiec Ao Thien Nga (Swan Coat) and IDECAF’s Ngan Nam Tinh Su (Thousand Years of History and Love) are still enjoyed by hundreds of people though they debuted two years ago.

Ha said while theatre artists, many of them young and energetic, are trying hard to introduce modern Vietnamese theatre to younger audiences, they face many challenges.

My Uyen, an actress at the HCM City Small Theatre, said: “We need financial support from the city to stage quality plays.”

Her theatre received more than VND20 million (US$1,000) from the People’s Committee to stage a set of serious plays depicting the life and revolutionary cause of President Ho Chi Minh. But the money was not enough, she complained.

Tran Thanh Giao, a member of the city Writers Association, lamented the fact that many musical and theatre works created by young artists he had read were not good enough, one of the reasons critics ignore them.

Students win prizes video, photo contest

The video entry entitled Letter to My Mother submitted by a group of Vietnamese students received the grand prize yesterday in a video and photo competition held by the Australian Embassy and the online newspaper VnExpress.

The video was a joint entry by Trung Kien, Trung Nghia and Hung Anh, who are all studying in Australia.

Competition entries grabbed the attention of VnExpress readers, attracting over 2,300 reader comments.

“We are honoured to be recognised because the competition attracted many quality entries and the attention of readers, especially Vietnamese students studying in Australia,” said Nghia. “The first person I thought after receiving the prize was my mother, who has sacrificed much to give us the opportunities we now have.”

The entry impressed judges and readers with its engaging and creative story-telling of a young adult Australian’s experience. The winning entry will receive a return trip to Australia sponsored by Tourism Australia.

The grand prize for photo entries was presented to Le Quang Phuc for his photo essay entitled Working Class Australian Helps Vietnamese Students. The jury applauded the entry for its empathetic portrayal of the warm welcome given by an Australian citizen to many Vietnamese students newly arrived in Australia. Phuc will receive an iPad 2 for his entry, sponsored by the Australian Trade Commission.

Winners were selected from among more than 110entries posted on VnExpress by the judging panel, which was comprised of Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam Allaster Cox, VnExpress editor-in-chief Thang Duc Thang, and journalist Diem Quynh.

“We were impressed by the quality and obvious effort which had gone into the entries,” said Cox. “They reflect the warm and diverse people-to-people links between Australia and Viet Nam.”

“The overwhelming impression from this competition.. is of obvious heartfelt warmth by many contributors for their ‘second homeland’ in Australia,” said Quynh.

CAMA music festival gets ready to electrify capital audience

The 5th CAMA Music Festival, highlighted by both rock and electronic music, will be held in Ha Noi on May 28.

Drawing both local artists such as Rosewood, Recycle, Gibbon Suburbia as well as DJs Tri Minh and Vu Nhat Tan and international acts including Chinese rock sensation P.K.14, Japanese rising star Okamoto, Thai-British rockers The Standards, Australian indie-pop favourites Ball Park Music and Malaysian-Vietnamese quartet 6789, the one-day festival is sure to set the city on fire.

All festival profits will go towards Fauna & Flora International in order to help save the Vietnamese Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and the Cao Vit gibbon.

Ha Noi’s first independent music promoters, CAMA Viet Nam has brought over 50 international acts from more than 10 countries to Viet Nam since 2005.

The 2011 CAMA Festival will kick off at 1pm next Saturday at the American Club, 19 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ha Noi.

Secondary school student wins Universal Postal Union prize

Eighth-grade student Huynh Minh Hieu received the first prize in the 40th International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People.

The boy, who is studying at Hoa Lu Secondary School in HCM City’s District 9, disguised himself as a pine tree to write a letter to the International Federation of Association Football president Joseph Sepp Blatter.

His letter will be sent to organiser Universal Postal Union’s headquarters in Bern, Switzerland, to compete with other entries by young people internationally.

The Ministry of Information and Communications awarded three second prizes, five third prizes and 30 consolation prizes.

The competition is annually held to raise awareness among young people about social problems, develop their enjoyment of writing and help strengthen international friendship.

Seminar raises awareness of HIV among high school students

A Connecting Hearts seminar takes place this afternoon at Yen Hoa High School.

Students will have a chance to learn more about HIV, practise dances and listen to the stories of HIV infected patients.

The seminar is part of a series of events held from May to September organised by the Dance4Life project to raise HIV awareness among young people.

Gourmet enthusiasts lick their lips for European Food Festival

The sixth European Food Festival will be held on May 28 at the National Library of Viet Nam at 31 Trang Thi Street.

This festival, the greatest social event of the European Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (EuroCham) in 2011, will promote a range of European cuisine. Visitors could enjoy paella, beef zurichoise with spatzle, lasagna, spaghetti bolognese, baguettes and pizzas.

In addition, well-known chefs from Ha Noi’s five-star hotels and restaurants including the Sofitel Legend Metropole, Sofitel Plaza, Hilton, Melia, Grand Plaza and 1911 will provide delicious foods and beverages.

Famous band Hi Jinks and other music bands will bring an exciting atmosphere for participants while games activities including giant bouncing castle, house of balls and face painting are on offer for kids.

Tickets, priced at VND250,000 (US$11.9) each, are available at the EuroCham office, 1 Thanh Nien Road, Pane e Vino Restaurant at 3 Nguyen Khac Can Street or at the library’s gate on May 28. Entrance is free for under10 kids.

Italian musicians to lure audiences in Hanoi

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Italian Embassy in Vietnam will jointly organise a music performance on June 1 with the attendance of two well-known Italian artists, soprano Paola Stafficci and pianist Stefano Ragni.

Stafficci studied at the Conservatorio “F. Morlacchi” in Perugia , with highest graduating grades. She then refined her vocal technique, focusing on the classic Italian Opera repertoire.

She took part in many master classes in Italy and abroad with world renowned artists and achieved the final phases of several international competitions, among them the “Pavarotti International”.

After first performing in 1996 in “Tosca” and “Aida” in Odessa ( Ukraine ), Stafficci has played several key roles in the Italian Opera, receiving huge appreciation from both audiences and critics.

Pianist Stefano Ragni has performed in many countries in Europe and Latin America. He has been working as critic for the last twenty years, and is the author of several works. Among his publications is the “Course of History of Music” for Italian students.