| VietNamNet has reviewed 2010, the
year of great cultural events inVietnam,
to choose the top ten events. 1.  This event
was a hallmark of 2010. the preparations took three years. hundreds of
activities were held from January until November. During the
great anniversary (October 1-10), the city was splendidly decorated with flowers,
lamps, banners, etc. Dozens of exhibitions, music shows, fashion shows,
firework shows, etc. and the largest-ever parade were organized. The capital
city welcomed nearly 1 million visitors at the time. The ten-day great ceremony
was the unforgettable event the city’s 1000-year history. Importantly,
the Thang Long Royal Citadel was recognized by the UNESCO as a world cultural
heritage. 2.  For the
first time Vietnam
held an official international film
festival, which honored the best films, actors and directors of Asian
productions in 2010. The
festival attracted 67 films from 20 Asian countries and territories, which were
screened at three cinema complexes in Hanoi. Many Asian
stars and famous directors joined the
event, including Hong Kong Star Daniel Wu, Australian director Philip Noyce,
Venice Film Festival Director Marco Muller, etc. Vietnamese
actress Nhat Kim Anh won the Best Actress Award for her role in “Long Thanh Cam
Gia Ca” (The Fate of a Songstress in Thang Long). 3. Senior singer Y Moan passed away  People’s
Artist and pop singer Y Moan died in early October at the age of 53 after a
long fight with stomach cancer. Born in
1957, Y Moan was discovered in 1976 after reunification. He left his home in
the mountains of the Central Highlands and headed for Hanoi when he was recruited for the Song and
Dance Troupe. He studied at the then Hanoi Conservatory of Music from 1979
until 1986. He is noted
for singing songs about the Central Highlands
written by Nguyen Cuong, Tran Tien, Linh Nga Nie K’dam and Ama No, making sure
the land became well-known to millions of people both within and outside the
country. The Central
Highlands singer who dedicated his life to panegyrizing his homeland was
conferred the title of People’s Artist this year. It is the highest honor given
by the State to artists. 4. Restoration of cultural relics  Many
important relics were restored in 2010, including Chu Quyen Temple, Mac Dynasty citadel, O Quan
Chuong gate, Son Tay ancient citadel, etc. Hundreds of
billions dong were invested in these projects. Some were successful (Chu Quyen
temple) but some drew public criticism (Mac Dynasty citadel). Some projects
have not been finished yet (O Quan Chuong, Son Tay citadel). The
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just issued the rules on the
procedure of preservation of relics. 5. Vietnam Idol and Morning Star
Rendez-vous  The two
singing contests have attracted large numbers of audiences, from the youth to
the elderly, especially Vietnam Idol. Vietnam
Idol 2010 finished on December 25. Tran Nguyen Uyen Linh, 22, a graduate from
the Institute for International Relations, was the winner, taking a $20,000
prize. Uyen Linh
has won the support of the audience’s majority, the jury and experts. She is
considered as a new talent and a phenomenon in the music circle of this year. The Morning
Star Rendez-vous will close on January 1, 2011, with four remaining
contestants: Minh Chuyen, Dinh Manh Ninh, Luong Viet Quang and My Nhu. 6. Avatar 3D  This
Hollywood blockbuster earned more than $1 million from local cinemas, a record
figure, and triggered a “fever” for 3D movies in Vietnam in 2010. 7.  In a
charity auction for flood victims in central Vietnam in HCM City on November 11,
which had the participation of the Miss Earth 2010 pageants and many
businessmen, four items were auctioned, including a bronze drum, a 10kg raw
ruby, a gemstone painting and the set of four fossil wood artworks featuring
four sacred creatures (dragon, unicorn, turtle and phoenix). All of the items
were auctioned at very high prices. However, it
turned out that the three auction winners for the bronze drum, the ruby and the
gemstone paintings were faked (These people joined the auction though). The Bao
Long Ceramics Company, which won the auction for the four fossil wood artworks
at VND47.9 billion (over $2.3 million) refused to pay for the items. The firm
also didn’t fulfill its commitment to donate VND1 billion to flood victims. At the same
time, it was rumored that the original prices of the four fossil wood artworks
are only VND20 million ($1000) while they were auctioned at over $2.3 million. 8. MTV Exit Concert Tour  The
concerts, sponsored by the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign,
aim to raise awareness ofand prevent human trafficking and exploitation. MTV EXIT, produced
by the MTV Europe Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the Australian Government’s Agency for
International Development (AUSAID), has held 15 concerts across Asia over the
past two years, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Taiwan, the
Philippines and Vietnam (March 2010) to raise the awareness of and prevent
human trafficking and exploitation. The tour took
place in Hanoi on March 27, with the participation of Korea’s famous band,
Super Junior, and Australian star, Kate Miller-Heidke as well as Vietnamese singers
Ha Anh Tuan, Phuong Vy, Anh Khoa, Hoang Hai, Luu Huong Giang and hip-hop dance
troupe Big Toe. In Ha Long,
the show was held at Hoang Gia stage, with singers Ha Anh Tuan, Anh Khoa, Hoang
Hai, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Hoang Nghiep, Hoang Yen and the Big Toe. In Can Tho
on April 10, the tour continued at Outdoor Sports Centre, with Ha Anh Tuan, Anh
Khoa, May Trang group, Nam Cuong, Yen Trang, Yen Nhi and Thien Minh. The
American band, The Click Five, recipients of the Knockout Award at the MTV Asia
Awards, joined the final show at Military Zone 7 Stadium in HCM City
on April 17, with Vietnamese singers Ha Anh Tuan, Anh Khoa, Phuong Vy, Luu
Huong Giang and May Trang group. All
concerts were aired on VTV and YanTV. MTV Exit
Live in Vietnam
was produced in partnership with USAID, AUSAID, Phibious, Campaign Solutions,
An Thuan Media and XPRC. MTV Exist
was the largest music tour in Vietnam
in 2010, which lured dozens of thousands of young audiences to each show. 9. Dai Lam Linh music  The first
appearance of the trio Dai (composer Ngoc Dai) – Lam (singer Thanh Lam) – Linh
(singer Linh Dung) at Vietnamese Song live show which was aired live on
national VTV3 channel in June surprised the audience with their extraordinary
music, which is called contemporary experimental music. Until now, this group’s
music remains a big controversy. 10. The show by violinist Sarah
Chang  As one of
the most famous violinists in the world, the Korean-American violinist’s
performance at the Hanoi Opera House on January 22 attracted special attention
of classic music fans and the common audience. On this occasion, she attended
an online interview with VietNamNet’s readers. Born in Philadelphia to Korean
parents, Sarah Chang began her violin studies at age 4. She has performed with
most major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia
Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Chang was
honored as a Young Global Leader for 2008 by the World Economic Forum for her
professional accomplishments, commitment to social causes and potential to
shape the future of the world. In 2006, she was named by Newsweek Magazine as
one of the Twenty Top Women on Leadership. VNN | 
