Festival of lanterns to be held; Argentina announces violin contest; Documentary depicts leader’s life; Charity concert to benefit disabled kids

Lantern exhibitions, artistic performances, fireworks displays, a flower garlands festival, street festivals and a competition to make artistic lanterns will be held during the festival at various venues such as Hoai River, the Old Quarter and An Hoi Garden of Statues.

Hoi An will hold the festival for the second time with the aim of showing respect and popularising the traditional trade of making lanterns in Hoi An city and luring tourists to the city on the occasion of new year.

Argentina announces violin contest

The first International Violin Competition for violinists between the ages of 15 and 27 will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from July 10-21, next year, the Argentine Embassy in Viet Nam has announced.

Candidates can apply to take part in the competition by sending their applications, together with two DVD’s containing their repertoire and required material, before March 31.

The organising board will award the top prize of US$15,000 and two special prizes of $2,500 for the best performance of the mandatory Argentine pieces Pampeana No1 by Alberto Ginastera and Tango Argentino.

Vietnamese violinists can send their applications via the Argentine Embassy in Viet Nam, 306 Kim Ma Street, Ha Noi.

Documentary depicts leader’s life

A nine-episode documentary film entitled Lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho – The History’s Choice has premiered on HTV9. The film will run until Friday.

The film was directed by Ho Minh Duc over two years of production, with locations in HCM City, Ha Noi, Phu Yen and Son La provinces, to display the revolutionary life of the lawyer with the aim to teach the youth patriotism and revolutionary ideals.

Tho (1910-96) was the Chairman of the National Assembly, Acting President of Viet Nam, President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee and President of the National Front for the Liberation of Southern Viet Nam.

Charity concert to benefit disabled kids

A charitable concert to raise funds for Vietnamese disabled children will be held at 10am, this Sunday at the Ha Noi Opera House.

Vu Dang Minh Anh, 16, an overseas Vietnamese living in Poland, will perform famous pieces by Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Bacewicz and Rachmaninov.

Anh, who won a prize at the Piano Val Tidone music competition in Italy in June, will be joined by Hy Vong (Hope) Band, singer Xuan Thanh, soprano saxophonist Quyen Thien Dac, flutist Huy Dat and Nguyen Dinh Chieu Chorus of blind children.

Exhibition marks fine arts congress

An exhibition of artworks selected over ten years from the Viet Nam Association of Fine Arts has been opened to celebrate the association’s annual congress which is taking place today and tomorrow in Ha Noi.

The exhibition displays 142 paintings in different genres by different artists from 30 cities and provinces across the country and 11 pieces by painters from the US, Spain, Argentina and Laos.

It will run until next Thursday at 16 Ngo Quyen Street, Ha Noi.

Hoi An to invest in tourism development

Hoi An will receive investments totalling VND300 trillion (US$15.7 billion) over 20 years to launch new cultural, economical, societal, tourist and ecological development programmes, said the city’s People’s Committee.

The projects will be launched with the specific aim of preserving Hoi An’s heritage, protecting its environment and retaining the cultural background of the city’s Old Quarter.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News