200kg rice cake sets Vietnamese record; Beerfest Saigon to returns in May; Danang ready for int’l fireworks contest 2010; Photo exhibition marks Danang’s Liberation Day; Music performance for Earth Hour

A rice cake 396 times bigger than a traditional one and weighing 200 kilograms was recognized March 20 as the largest of its kind in Vietnam.

The Thua Thien-Hue city Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized a ceremony the same day to announce a tourism promotion scheme for the year and presented the giant rice cake known as banh khoai.

Hue is famous for its banh khoai, a small, crispy yellow pancake, fried with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, and several kinds of vegetable with sauce.

Phan Anh Dung, chairman of the Hue Kitchen Club, said it took 35 people to make the cake. Cooks used 20 kilograms of flour, 120 eggs, 5 kilograms of pork, 5 kilograms of pork bologna, and 5 kilograms of shrimp and vegetables to create the cake.

Beerfest Saigon to returns in May

The 2nd annual Beerfest Saigon will be hosted by the Windsor Plaza Hotel in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City from May 6 to 9 promising beer lovers the opportunity to sample the largest collection of brews in Vietnam.

Last year, the event attracted over 5,000 people. This year’s festival will be larger with an extra day of fun and extended hours.

The beerfest will open at 6 pm and end late on May 6 and 7, while on May 8 and 9, festivities will start at 3 pm and run late into the night.

Guests will also be able to sample a variety of cookings, take part in a host of games, and join nightly lucky draws for prizes.

In addition, festival-goers can also enjoy a free beer sample from each of the numerous booths while watching performances by some of Saigon’s hottest rock and pop acts.

Beerfest Saigon will be held in the Jade Ballroom on Level 7 of the Windsor Plaza Hotel and is open to anyone aged 18 and above.

Da Nang ready for int’l fireworks contest 2010

Da Nang will host its second international firework contest on March 27-28 under the theme of “Huyen thoai song Han” (the Legendary Han River), attracting five teams from the US, Japan, France, Portugal and the host Vietnam.

The event is held to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Da Nang’s Liberation Day and leads-up to the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

On a large and professional scale, the contest is expected to bring impressive and unique firework performances to viewers.

To date, the installment of 26,000 seats in A and B grand stands carried out by the Dong Duong industrial investment construction JSC is 85 percent complete.

Photo exhibition marks Da Nang’s Liberation Day

A nine-day artistic photo exhibition, entitled Nhip Thoi Gian (Rhythm of Time), will open at Da Nang’s general science library on March 25, said artist Phan Ngoc Hoi.

The show will display 122 works selected from Hoi’s photos taken over more than 30 years.

It will have four themes: Lich Su Trong Long Toi (The History in My Heart), Da Nang, Tinh Yeu va Noi Nho (Da Nang, Love and Nostalgia), Dat Nuoc (The Country), and The Gioi Qua Ong Kinh Ngoc Hoi (The World through Ngoc Hoi’s Lens).

“The exhibition aims to mark important dates,” Hoi said, referring to the city’s celebration of its 35th year of its liberation and preparations for the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. “It’s a great honour for me, to contribute together with city artists, to the cultural activities of the nation.”

Music performance for Earth Hour

Popular singers including Dinh Manh Ninh, Duong Hoang Yen, and Thuy Chi will perform at the “Earth Song” concert on March 25 in response to the “Earth Hour 2010” campaign.

The performance, to be co-organised by a group of students and environment clubs in Hanoi, PB Media and UCEvent, is aimed at spreading the message on climate change and environment protection.

The event includes performances given by professional singers, as well as ballet, hip-hop and piano. There will also be interesting reports and images on the environment, making “Earth Song” a significant event for the capital’s youth.

Free tickets are now available at the gate of Hanoi University of Technology, the Academy of Journalism and Communication, Me Tri hostel, and the Dong Da hill. People can also book tickets at http://sites.google.com/site/earthsonghanoi.

PV