Entitled Phuc Loc, the collection includes 42 pottery pieces such as vases, incense burners and dishes. Artist Pham Dat and co-workers spent 180 days working on it. Dat created the collection with traditional enamel and gold inlays, intended to bring good fortune to owners. Dat is the owner of Gia Toc Viet Pottery Brand at the Bat Trang Village on the outskirts of Hanoi. He previously made some cracked-enamel vases that received the certification from the Vietnam Book of Records as the biggest vases in the country. He is devoted to preserving the traditional techniques of Bat Trang Pottery Village and creating unique artworks representing Vietnamese culture. … [Read more...] about Pottery collection sets Vietnam record
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Artifacts on Vietnam resistance war during 1945-1975 displayed in New York
NDO – Over 300 items and evidence are displayed at an exhibition on the theme of the past war in Vietnam during 1945-1975, which officially opened at New York Historical Society, New York city, the US on October 10. “The Vietnam War: 1945-1975” opening was attended by Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Head of Vietnam's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, with more than 400 delegates, including historians and activists involved in pro-Vietnam movements before or after the US war in Vietnam, and US veterans. Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Nga expressed her confidence that through this significant event, viewers would understand more about the value of peace and history, thereby contributing significantly to promoting mutual understanding between Vietnam and the US. She stressed that more than 40 years after the end of the war, the two countries have become comprehensive partners. The strong, positive developments in the two countries' relations are … [Read more...] about Artifacts on Vietnam resistance war during 1945-1975 displayed in New York
Vietnam to host ASEAN Film Awards
The judging panel consists of film producer Jonathan Hyong-Joon Kim of the Republic of Korea, director Roger Garcia of Hong Kong (China) and director and scriptwriter Karolina Bielawska of Poland. The winning film will receive a prize worth US$3,000. The Vietnam Film Festival aims to honour Vietnam’s best movies and create a platform for artists and film producers to share experience. It is part of the activities to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The festival affirms the crucial role of the cinema industry in promoting culture, traditional friendship and cooperation among the ASEAN member nations. The first Vietnam Film Festival was held in Hanoi in 1970. … [Read more...] about Vietnam to host ASEAN Film Awards
Photo contest yields snapshots of national life
Titled Tu Duy Tre, Goc Nhin Tre (Young Thoughts, Young Views), the contest is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism every two years. The first iteration took place in 2015. During the three-month submission period, the organisers received more than 3,200 entries from 658 photographers between ages 18 and 35. After an initial round in which submissions were evaluated online, a jury of seven evaluated 180 finalists. The winning photo, titled Mam Song (Living Sprout), won the unanimous support of the jury members The winner walked away with VND30 million (US$1,300) in cash. “It’s really different from traditional angle that photographers have held,” veteran photographer and jury Nguyen Viet Thanh, said of the first-prize photo. “It illustrates a desire for green colour in the middle of a busy city. It … [Read more...] about Photo contest yields snapshots of national life
Life-long love for Hanoi
NDO – The capital city of Hanoi is well on its way to becoming a modern metropolis. Throughout the historical course of development from autumn 1010 to the historic year 1954, and over the past 30 years of Doi Moi (Renewal) process, the long-standing culture of Hanoi is a treasure of many generations of Hanoians, who have strived to preserve and nurture the cultural values of the city. Cultural researcher Huu Ngoc was born into a family in Hanoi with a rich tradition of Confucianism. However, when he grew up he was significantly affected by Western culture and is fluent in many foreign languages. Working in a number of jobs relevant to culture, Ngoc contends that cultural exchange in today’s life is a multi-dimensional interaction among countries which has posed certain challenges in preserving a traditional and authentic cultural essence. On the other hand, he recognises that cultural exchange also provides a good opportunity for promoting the … [Read more...] about Life-long love for Hanoi
Contemporary dance “Urban Distortions” returns to Ho Chi Minh City
The routine is a combination of dance, music and visual arts created by artist Pierre Larauza and choreographer and dancer Emmanuelle Vincent, who established t.r.a.n.s.i.t.s.c.a.p.e. in 2003. The artists will perform inside transparent inflatable bubbles to transport audiences to a world of diverse cultures. French-Belgian dance company t.r.a.n.s.i.t.s.c.a.p.e.will bring “Urban Distortions” contemporary dance back to Ho Chi Minh City next week. Photo: transitscape.net The highlight of the show will be Suboi, known as the Vietnamese queen of hip-hop, who will compose lyrics for the dance and perform it during the dance. Speaking at a recent press conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vincent said: “We have been working with the talented Suboi from the beginning of this year to prepare for the show.” Born in 1990, Suboi, whose real name is Hang Lam Trang Anh, was introduced to hip hop … [Read more...] about Contemporary dance “Urban Distortions” returns to Ho Chi Minh City
Reviving Vietnam’s folk art of Dong Ho woodcut painting
A child tries printing paintings using woodblocks at an INGO event. The idea of founding INGO, the stylization of the Vietnamese words ‘in go’ (woodcut), came to Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai by chance during her time studying mechanical engineering in Singapore. Bringing along some Dong Ho paintings as a gift from Vietnam, Mai recalled how she had felt so embarrassed when she could not explain to her foreign friends their origin or meaning while attending an international student fair. “It was a bugging feeling of incompetence not to be able to give foreign friends information on Dong Ho paintings,” Mai recalled. “I kept asking myself why I hadn’t bothered to learn about the art of my own country.” The thought prompted Mai to make a trip to the northern province of Bac Ninh, home to Dong Ho … [Read more...] about Reviving Vietnam’s folk art of Dong Ho woodcut painting
Luk Lak offers the best of regional food
Located on Le Thanh Tong Street facing the magnificent Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Luk Lak is in the upper scale of dining. The restaurant puts diners at ease the moment they step through the doors. This is achieved by lush green climbing plants, tropical trees and a green turquoise enamelled greeting wall. The restaurant has the freshness of a resort. Adorning its walls are oil paintings of the Vietnamese countryside by local artists. Luk Lak it out of the ordinary. It offers delicacies hand-picked from different regions of the nation.. I went as part of a big group and was therefore able to try most of the dishes on the menu - all of them rather special. For starters, we chose banana-flower salad and jicama salad. Banana and chicken salad (Nom hoa chuoi ga xe phay for VND129,000) is a popular traditional dish, but Luk Lak offers one of the … [Read more...] about Luk Lak offers the best of regional food
Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Hanoi Award
The Award was initiated in 2008 by the Sports and Culture Newspaper and the family of the late painter Bui Xuan Phai. It is given in four categories: Grand Prize, Idea Prize, Job Prize, and Work Prize. This year’s Grand Prize went to culturist Huu Ngoc, who has written 34 books, many of which are about Hanoi, over the past six decades. His book “A Sketch of Hanoi Culture”, in French and English, was presented to heads of state at the 7th Francophone Meeting in Hanoi in 1997. Huu Ngoc wrote 10 volumes entitled “Hanoi, who are you?” in English to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in 2010. His deep love for Hanoi is described in his book “My Hanoi”. Le Xuan Thanh, editor in chief of the Sports and Culture Newspaper, said: “Huu Ngoc’s studies of Hanoi are thorough and different … [Read more...] about Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Hanoi Award
Birdcage making in Canh Hoach village
Canh Hoach has been making birdcages for hundreds of years. Artisan Nguyen Van Ty is considered the village’s progenitor. He handed down the craft to his son Nguyen Van Nghi, also known as Ba Mi, whose talent was widely-recognized. Now Ba Mi’s son Nguyen Van Nghe, the only villager, has been granted with the title ‘Skillful artisan’. Nghe feels proud when his family made 10 birdcages as ordered by Mr. Vu Ky, Secretary of President Ho Chi Minh, to hang in the stilt house in the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. Birdcages made by Canh Hoach village are beautiful and durable. Artisan Nghe said the selection of materials is important. He said, “A birdcage is made of bamboo, neohouzeaua, or ivory bamboo. We must go to Cao Bang to get the best ivory bamboo or to Vinh Phuc to buy bamboo of high quality. A good bamboo tree should … [Read more...] about Birdcage making in Canh Hoach village
