Renowned saxophonist to jazz up HCMC; Vietnamese cuisine introduced in Paris; Thang Long Citadel relics to be open to the public; Vietnam-Yunnan railway line nominated as a world heritage

At the Sensational Jazz show, audiences will enjoy bebop, swing, blues and jazz.

The show will feature jazzed-up Trinh Cong Son songs as well as foreign jazz favorites.

Artists will share the stage with Minh and the Red River Big Band include saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan and singers Tuyet Loan, Ho Quynh Huong, Kasim Hoang Vu and Duc Tuan.

The show will begin at 8 p.m. at Crescent Lake, Block A, Phu My Hung new urban area, District 7.

Vietnamese cuisine introduced in Paris

Vietnamese cuisine lovers and French-speaking chefs from around the globe gathered in Paris on March 31 for a four-day cooking festival dubbed “Cooks’ village in Paris”.

A book titled “Time zone cuisine” was launched by Menu Frettin Publishing House at the festival, which has been an annual event since 2007.

The book, introducing typical dishes and culinary culture of many different countries, was co-authored by 26 famous Francophone chefs.

Vietnamese cuisine was prominently featured, thanks to the articles by Didier Corlou and David Lacroix, who are fascinated with Vietnamese food.

According to Corlou, Vietnam has a unique culinary culture, and he never misses an opportunity to show off the country’s typical dishes.

Vietnamese food plays a positive role in bringing Vietnam’s culture to the world.

A programme of Vietnamese food will be broadcast on April 4 on TV Channel 5 with French chef David Lacroix demonstrating two dishes.

Thang Long Citadel relics to be open to the public

The Hanoi People’s Committee and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) have agreed to showcase some of the relics at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on the occasion of the capital city’s 1,000th anniversary.

At their meeting on March 31, the two sides agreed that the exhibition must comply with the Heritage Law and meet the demand and aspiration of people who want to study the relic site.

Relevant agencies are required to build a careful plan for the display before summiting it to the authorities for approval.

Also at the meeting, historians and archaeologists said that initial studies have discovered the special cultural values of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic complex, which was a centre of the Chinese and Indian cultures lasting through 13 centuries and served as Vietnam’s national administrative centre from the feudal dynasties of Ly and Tran to the era of Ho Chi Minh.

The site is one of the 10 special national relics nominated for UNESCO recognition as world cultural heritage in 2010.

Bac Ninh Festival 2010 to be organised at national level

The 2010 Bac Ninh Festival will be held at the national level at the Kinh Bac cultural centre, said Nguyen Dang Tuc, Head of the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on April 1.

Party and State leaders, representatives from Ministries, Agencies and Embassies and Ly clan representatives from the Republic of Korea will attend the opening ceremony on April 17.

The five-day festival will feature a ceremony to mark the Quan Ho singing’s recognition by UNESCO as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Other highlights of the festival will include the 20th annual Quan Ho singing contest as well as wrestling, badminton and other games.

A trade fair, exhibitions of cultural artifacts, paintings, sculptures and photos and other activities to mark the 35th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany diplomatic relation will be held during the festival.

Music festival to feature revolutionary war

The professional song, dance and music festival with theme on revolutionary war will be held from April 28 to May 2 in Ho Chi Minh city to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and the national reunification.

The festival, which is co-organised by the Department of Performing Arts and the Ho Chi Minh city Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will have the participation of around 10 professional arts troupes.

The festival includes various performances praising the undaunted fighting spirit of the Vietnamese people in the struggle for national liberation as well as introducing the beauty of the land and people of Vietnam in the past and at present.

Gearing up for Ha Long Tourism Festival

The 2010 Ha Long Tourism Festival called “Ha Long-Thang Long” will be held at the Bai Chay Tourism Site and in surrounding areas from April 29 to May 2.

Carnival Ha Long will take place on May 1 with a series of activities, such as a street procession and masquerade with the images of Ha Long and Hanoi with Khue Van Cac, Tortoise Tower, and Hanoi girls wearing the Ao dai (traditional long dresses) on their bicycles.

Other highlights of the festival will include the Ha Long beauty contest on May 2, a meeting for the most beautiful bay in the world club on April 30, a film week in Ha Long, dragon dances, music performances, and photo exhibitions.

Vietnam-Yunnan railway line nominated as a world heritage

Vietnam and China will jointly petition the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to recognise the Vietnam-Yunnan railway line as a World Heritage, according to the Vietnamese Consulate General in Kunming, Nguyen Hong Hai.

At a seminar to mark the 100th anniversary of the railway line, Mr. Hai noted that the railway line has rich and colourful history and is a valuable shared asset of the two countries.

Construction of the Vietnam-Yunnan railway line was begun in 1901 and completed in 1910. The line runs 850km, connecting Hai Phong-Hanoi-Lao Cai to Kunming-Yunnan.

Today, after 100 years, the line is still operating at maximum capacity and plays a key role in the region’s transportation.

Belgian food experts help train Gov’t Guest House staff

A group of senior Belgian chefs will arrive in Vietnam on April 3 to train staff at the Government Guest House.

The training is part of a cooperation programme between Vietnam and Belgium within the framework of the French-speaking Community.

The delegation is led by Professor Du Thanh Khiem, Director of the Woluwe Saint-Pierre Institute of Education.

Also at the programme framework, Vietnam will send several hotel staff to Belgium for training at deluxe restaurants run by members of the Belgian Association of Super Cooks.

Ho Chi Minh song contest launched in Laos

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Lao Culture and Information Ministry on April 2 jointly launched a contest on composing songs about Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh in Laos.

The contest was held in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the late Vietnamese leader’s birthday (May 19).

All amateur and professional composers holding Lao nationality can send in works in the Vietnamese or Lao language from April 2 through the end of May.
The winners will be announced in early June.

According to the organising board, the contest is a good opportunity for Lao artists to express their sentiments toward President Ho Chi Minh, the symbol of Vietnamese heroism and someone who made great contributions to fostering the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

Hung Kings Temple festival to be held on a grand scale

The 2010 Hung Kings Temple festival will be held across the country in the most spectacular way so far, with various activities, including large-scale art performances and the participation of senior Party and State officials.

A big incense offering ceremony for Hung Kings believed to be the founders of the Vietnamese nation will be held at 7am on April 23 (or the 10th day of the third Lunar month) in the northern midland province of Phu Tho. Similar ceremonies will also take place in every other province and centrally-run city at local temples.

The opening ceremony of this great cultural festival will coincide with the beginning of the seventh Cultural, Sports and Tourist Festival for ethnic groups in the Northeast on April 14, with performances by artists from Phu Tho and several other provinces as well as national theatre groups.

In the spotlight at the historic Den Hung relic complex will be a special arts programme in celebration of the coming 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, together with folk games, a Chung (square) cake wrapping contest, a marital arts show, and a fireworks display.

Many other activities such as exhibitions, sports and tourism will take place continuously throughout the 10-day festival in Viet Tri city and the Den Hung complex.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son says that the number of overseas Vietnamese returning home for the occasion is expected to triple or even quadruple.

Phu Tho province has completed all the basic preparatory work in order to hold the approaching Hung Kings Temple Festival and the 2010 Sports and Culture Festival for ethnic groups.

Before the events, numerous construction projects surrounding the relic site are being spruced up to welcome this significant festival. Van Anh, an official from the Hung Kings Temple’s management board, says that the board is restoring and preserving relic sites in order to maintain the original architecture of the Hung Kings temples.

This year’s Festival, which will last until April 23, is expected to welcome about five million pilgrims.

The provincial authorities are working closely with various agencies to ensure security and traffic safety for the visitors.

PV