Building in HCMC collapses, injures 11 11 workers were injured when a three-story building under construction in Ho Chi Minh City suddenly collapsed Saturday morning. The accident occurred at 8:30 am Saturday when 16 workers were working at the construction site near a swamp in Can Gio District's An Thoi Dong Ward. Of these workers, 11 were hit by or buried in the ruins of the collapsed building. They were later taken to the People's Hospital 115 for emergency treatment. Two of the victims are in serious conditions. Works on the building started two months ago and its owner has obtained a construction license, the ward police said, adding that the contractor has bought insurance for the construction. Some local residents blamed the collapse on the weak foundation of the house as it had been built next to a swamp. The ward's construction inspectorate and police are blocking the site and investigating the cause of the accident. Ward authorities have visited the … [Read more...] about SOCIETY IN BRIEF 16/10
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Art & Entertainment Headlines December 16
Japanese couple brightens wall The blue mural, depicting a large multi-petal flower and several bold curved lines, is part of the art display entitled Abilight – the Viet Nam debut exhibition of the Japanese artistic collaboration Hitotzuki. Founded in 1999 by the wife-and-husband couple, Kami and Sasu, it seeks to promote creativity rooted in the dimension of street culture, as the artworks present the harmony between that which is feminine and masculine. Their distinctive worldview stems from the interaction between the dynamically flowing curves fashioned by Kami – the husband, and the strong and flamboyant symmetric motifs engineered by Sasu – the wife. This vision breathes new life into the sense of beauty derived from the street, and has succeeded in invigorating the era with a steady of vivid new landscapes. "Hitotzuki stands for the sun and the moon, being contrary to one another. They differ, but fuse together. That is how we are. And this ideology has … [Read more...] about Art & Entertainment Headlines December 16
Social Highlights for November 4
Shop blaze kills four family members The victims are a couple, their 15-year-old son and 74-year-old father. The cause of the blaze remains unknown. Rescue teams failed to save the victims because it took time to break down the family's automatic rolling door, which was tightly closed, when the blaze occurred at 1am. The case is under investigation. Dozens survive passenger bus fire Dozens managed to escape a passenger bus with bunk beds after it was on fire in Ha Tinh province early on November 4. The North-South express bus caught fire when it was travelling past Phu Viet commune, Thach Ha district, at 04.00am. The blaze was said to break out at the rear-end of the bus and quickly spread across the vehicle. Passengers managed to get out of the bus before local fire fighters put out the roaring fire within 30 minutes. Investigation into the cause of the incident is under way. Students win American Academy scholarships As many as 28 students in the central city were … [Read more...] about Social Highlights for November 4
Art & Entertainment Highlights for October 30
Vietnamese artists among top five at Asian Fashion Awards Asian Fashion Awards is considered the Oscar Award for Asia's fashion industry which is organized annually by the Asian Fashion Federation to honor individuals for outstanding achievement in the local fashion industry as well as in the Asian fashion industry. Vietnam was represented by model Lan Khue, make-up artist Thong Bao and designer Quynh Paris. Model Lan Khue is well known in Vietnam among the younger generation. She had won the third prize in the Asian Supermodel contest in 2012 and the Golden Award for Vietnam Model in 2013. Thong Bao is a leading make-up artist in Vietnam. He is a favorite of many famous artists, models and beauty queens such as Truong Tri Truc Diem, Lai Huong Thao, Hoang Oanh, model Hoang Thuy, actress Hong Anh. For many years he has been a make-up artist at HCMC Television. The final awards ceremony will take place in Hangzhou in China on October 30 and will be broadcast live on China … [Read more...] about Art & Entertainment Highlights for October 30
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 29/1
Spring Flower and Beverage Festival 2011 opens in Hanoi The Spring Flower and Beverage Festival 2011 is being held at the Vietnam Culture and Art Exhibition Center in Hanoi from January 25 to 30. The festival organizers plan to use this occasion to gather people’s opinions on various national costumes, flowers and wines of Vietnam. The ‘People's Choice’ result will be announced on January 29. The festival will have special displays of Vietnamese and royal costumes from the Ly-Tran-Le dynasty, famous brands of delicious traditional and industrial wines and photographs and decorations of the lotus. Visitors will also see mock displays of the Dong Van – Ha Giang village market in the northern Ha Giang mountainous province, wine making equipment and facilities, cultural spaces for tea and coffee, traditional festivals of lunar New Year such as Kitchen God Festival, folk games, photo exhibitions and art performances celebrating the 81st anniversary of the … [Read more...] about ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 29/1
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 25/7
HCM City to hold Buddhist music concert The HCMC Buddhist Church of Vietnam will hold a concert to celebrate Vu Lan (Ghost Festival or Ullambana), one of the main Buddhist celebrations in Ho Chi Minh city at the end of this month. Called Doi ca thien thu tieng Me cuoi (or Trading the eternity for a Mother’s smile), the event is to bring more Buddhism-related cultural and art activities to the public, a spokesperson of the Church said. Stressing on the practice of filial piety, Vu Lan or Ullambana is also an occasion when Buddhists donate offerings to the deceased and wandering souls. Songs with love, hope, sharing and forgiving messages will be performed by top Vietnam’s singers from My Linh, Cam Van, Ha Anh Tuan to Phuong Thanh. Son Vo, director of the concert said this would be the first time a 3D technique is used in a Buddhist music concert, as LED screen displays will also be installed above the audience to create the best stage effects. Planning to hold the concert … [Read more...] about ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 25/7
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 17/2
Vietnamese writer wins Southeast Asian Writers Award Vietnamese writer Nguyen Chi Trung was among eight ASEAN artists to receive the 2011 Southeast Asian Writers Award (SEA Writers Award) on Feb 16. However, the awards conferring ceremony had been delayed to 2012 due to the floods in Thailand last year. Trung was born in 1930 in the central province of Da Nang. He served in the Vietnam People’s Army in the rank of Major General. He has worked in Ve Quoc Quan newspaper, Van Nghe Giai phong Quan and as vice editor-in-chief of Van Nghe Quan Doi magazine. He won a prize in 2007 for his novel Tieng Khoc Cua Nang Ut (The Cry of Ms Ut), based on the life of a young woman during the Tra Bong up-rising against the US-backed Saigon regime in the central province of Quang Ngai in August 1959. The novel had earlier scooped up a Vietnamese Writers' Association award in 2008. He is also author of several short stories and novels: Da Nang (1950), Buc Thu Lang Muc (Letter from Muc village) … [Read more...] about ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 17/2
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 28/11
Hoi An ancient houses host art exhibitions Two exhibitions on souvenirs, paintings and statues are on at two ancient houses in the World Heritage-listed town of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province on the central coast. The ancient house at 46 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is showcasing 29 works by 21 artists who entered the final round of a contest to create souvenir products for Hoi An in 2011. Visitors to the exhibition will vote for their favorite artworks made from environmentally friendly materials including bamboo and wood and some from silver and bronze. A prize presentation ceremony for the contest winners is slated for December 4 to coincide with the 12th anniversary of Hoi An being proclaimed the World Cultural Heritage in 1999. The second exhibition at the ancient house at 39 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street features over 100 works on contemporary art, pearl statues, carpets and precious stones by artists Le Dinh Quy, Do Quoc Vi and Pham Huynh. The exhibition runs until February 18. Second street … [Read more...] about ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 28/11
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 8/11
Coffee industry to spend $600m in bid to regain trademark Viet Nam will spend roughly US$600 million in a lawsuit that aims to regain the Buon Ma Thuot coffee trademark from foreign businesses, said deputy director of the Dak Lak Department of Science and Technology Trinh Minh Duc. The move was made after it was found that the trademark of Buon Ma Thuot coffee from the Central Highland province of Dak Lak has been registered in China for monopoly protection for 10 years while the Dak Lak coffee trademark has also been registered by a French company in more than 10 different countries since 1997. Of the total US$600 million, the Dak Lak People's Committee will contribute half of the funds while the rest will come from members of the Viet Nam Coffee Association and the Intellectual Property Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Minh said that the lawsuit could last two to three years, adding that the Viet Nam Coffee Association has so far received proposals … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 8/11
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 29/9
Hoi An's website now online The Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation Center has set up the website http://hoianheritage.net in a bid to provide information on the town which is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist locations. The website features an introduction of Hoi An, which is a world cultural heritage, Cu Lao Cham - the world biosphere reserve - as well as other ancient buildings and pagodas. The website is being upgraded to meet the growing need for information on the ancient town in Quang Nam Province.Art in the Auditorium comes to city Art in the Auditorium - a selection of short film and video art by artists from Germany, Norway, Turkey, Lebanon, Chile, New Zealand and the U.S. - will be screened at Saturday Cafe, 37 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street in HCMC's District 3 at 8 p.m. on October 7. The program, organized by San Art in collaboration with Saturday Cafe and Whitechapel Gallery, London, was initiated in London, and has toured all countries of participating … [Read more...] about ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 29/9