Fishermen honor ‘Big Whale’; Dien Bien Phu remembered; South Central province introduces hi-tech art

This is one of many events being held to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954).

On display are 200 photos documenting unforgettable events of Dien Bien Phu, including the battles at A1 Hill and Him Lam Hill.

Many of the photos also show the feelings between the soldiers and locals, as well as the emotions on the last day of battle.

The exhibition will remain open until May 25.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu took over two months, leading to a heavy French defeat that helped end the war.

South Central province introduces hi-tech art

The exhibition commemorates Liberation Day (April 30, 1975) and celebrates International Labor Day.

Forty paintings by ten local artists were presented to the public for the first time. After the exhibit, eight will be added to the Vietnam Fine Arts Association’s collection.

Most of the paintings were warmly received, with Hon bien (Soul of the sea) by Huong Lan, Trang (Moon) by Duy Hong, Bong chieu (Evening shadow) by Dinh Nam and Pho ben song (The little town by the river) by Dinh Tan receiving special attention.

The exhibition will remain open until end of May.

Though the paintings are created on a computer, like canvass painters, each picture is a one-off.

Fishermen honor ‘Big Whale’

The fishermen on Bich Dam Isle in Nha Trang celebrated ‘Cau Ngu’ (Pray to the Big Whale) over May 1 – 3. The festival is held to honor the Big Whale and pray for a good catch of fish.

The Cau Ngu Festival is an annual event for the fishermen, which originated from the province of Quang Binh.

This year, the Bich Dam Isle’ fishermen decided to hold the celebrations one week earlier than usual.

The festival features variety of entertainment and religious events.

Incense is offered to the fairies, ancestors and also local martyrs. Fishermen visit and burn incense at Nam Hai Temple, worship the founder of the isle and pray for peace and a good catch of fish.

The most anticipated event is Ba Trao singing, where fishermen pray for peace and good catches.

This festival is one of the various events for the Nha Trang Festival 2009, with most events to be held in June.

VietNamNet/SGGP