Thang Long Ca Tru music school opened; Hue city owns biggest plain rice cake in Vietnam; Rockstorm drives tens of thousands to coastal city; Shanghai’s photo exhibition opens in HCM City

The exhibition, co-sponsored by the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France and the French association for Vietnamese children affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin, is showcasing 50 colour and black and white photos of different sizes.

The photos, taken by French people visiting to Vietnam, vividly describe the lives of Vietnamese women, both at work and at home, from different angles.

Modern Vietnamese people are not only considerate towards their families but also take part in the social work and many of them have become successful people.

However, there are still many women and girls seriously affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin, to which they or their parents were exposed during the American war in Vietnam. They are facing many difficulties in integrating into social life. Many French people have come to Vietnam and taken part in charity campaigns to make the lives of the victims better.

Since its establishment in 2001, the French association for Vietnamese children affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin has held many activities to raise funds and provide the children with free surgeries and scholarships.

Thang Long Ca Tru music school opened

The Thang Long Ca Tru (ceremonial songs) music school was opened at Giang Vo communal house, Dong Da district, Hanoi on March 18.

The establishment of the school is based on the former Thang Long Ca Tru Club which has been operating for four years.

The school will restore some genres of songs which are often performed in special events such as festivals, longevity, house warming celebration and so on.

Nguyen Phu De and Nguyen Thi Chuc, co-founders of Thang Long Ca Tru Club attended the opening of the school.

Currently, the Thang Long Ca Tru music school has more than 20 members, the oldest one is 87 years old and the youngest one is 10 years old.

Hue owns biggest plain rice cake in Vietnam

Thua Thien-Hue’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on March 20 organised a ceremony to announce the city’s 2010 tourism year and presented to the public the country’s biggest plain rice cake.

A parade of 5,000 people with 400 motorbikes, automobiles, bicycles and cyclos accompanied the ceremony to promote major culture and tourism events in 2010.

A plain rice cake 396 times bigger than a traditional one was carried out by the Hue Tourism Promotion Information Centre and the Hue Kitchen Club.

The cake, which weighs 200kg, was made by 30 bakers in one hour.

Vietnam’s contemporary art on show in Busan

The Museum of Arts in Busan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), is hosting an exhibition of 100 outstanding paintings of Vietnam ’s modern art, from March 10-April 25.

The displayed items are selected from a huge collection of 374 works by 25 painters. The collection was hand-picked and preserved by two Japanese collectors – Ito Toyochiki and Ito Tamiko – over the last 20 years.

The works, which include paintings by big names like Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Gia Tri and Nguyen Sang, are said to be a harmonious combination of Vietnam ’s traditional art and modern graphic techniques from Western countries, thus having a special role in the modern art of Asia .

Addressing the opening ceremony, the charge d’affaire of the Vietnamese Embassy Hoang Xuan Hai praised the efforts of the two Japanese collectors, who have reserved love and respect for Vietnam ’s painting and helped in promoting Vietnam ’s culture and art among Japanese and RoK audiences.

Hai emphasised that the displayed works not only reflect the life and spirit of the people of Vietnam through different stages in their history, but also send a strong message of peace, friendship and cooperation.

The exhibition was jointly organised by organisations and individuals of Vietnam , Japan and the RoK.

Rockstorm drives tens of thousands to coastal city

Tens of thousands of music fans flocked to April 2 Square to experience the excitement of rock music performed at the “Rockstorm 2010” festival held in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province.

Entitled “connecting passions”, Rockstorm 2010 has connected rock to the hearts of tens of thousands of fans.

The fest was a banner event with the participation of popular rock groups like Microwave, Ngu Cung, Recycle and the Deep Blue Sea.

New blood is one of the things that makes this year’s event a successful one, said the programme director Tran Lap, who is also a singer in a band.

This is the third annual rock concert sponsored by Mobifone, a mobile phone service provider.

RoK beauty queens visit Vietnam for cultural exchange

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Ho Chi Minh City has organised a cultural exchange programme from March 18-22 to commemorate the 18th establishment of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic relations.

A fine arts exhibition was held at HCM City University of Fine Arts on March 18, drawing the participation of modern RoK and Vietnamese painters.

A cooking exhibition of Kimchi, the most relished food in the RoK, are taking place in the Rex Hotel on March 20-21. Also the two countries’ traditional costumes, the Hanbok and the ao dai (long dress), will be modeled at a fashion show on March 21.

Among the models will be 10 beauty queens who were crowned Ms RoK from 1996 to 2007, along with those from Vietnam.

In particular, a Vietnam-RoK cultural exchange programme at Lan Anh Club on March 22 will attract Vietnamese singers and bands such as 5 Dong Ke, singers Minh Quan and Doan Trang, together with artists from the RoK, including singers Lee Yo Gun and Yang Yi Gu, violinist Park Eun Joo, actress Lee Yo Won and the Yeca traditional art troupe.

Shanghai’s photo exhibition opens in Ho Chi Minh City

A “Shanghai – World exhibition” opened at the Ho Chi Minh City Exhibition Centre on March 19.

The exhibition was co-organised by the HCM City People’s Committee and Shanghai’s Foreign Affairs office to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam – China diplomatic relations and the 15th anniversary of cultural relations between HCM City and the city of Shanghai.

Approximately 100 colour photos showcased at the exhibition feature Shanghai’s economic, political, cultural and social achievements in recent years.

The exhibition, a rehearsal for the World Photo Exhibition to be held in Shanghai in May, gives visitors a comprehensive view of the city’s origins and history.

The exhibition will remain open until March 27.

PV