Anthropologists call it ethnocentrism, the act of judging other cultures based on the preconceptions in one’s own. The decision asking its H'Mong residents not to celebrate their traditional New Year festival was taken recently by commune leaders in the northern province of Hoa Binh. The Pa Co Commune People's Committee in Mai Chau District, Hoa Binh Province, issued an official document last week informing its H'Mong ethnic minority residents that they should relinquish their traditional New Year holiday and instead celebrate the one observed by the majority Kinh people, Tet Nguyen Dan. The decision has been met by surprise among higher authorities and experts. "They did discuss it with us but we didn’t know about the official statement until recently," Ha Thi Hoa, Head of Mai Chau District's Information and Culture Department in Hoa Binh Province, told VnExpress International. The local authorities said that their decision was derived from conclusions drawn at a … [Read more...] about Local authorities’ decision to scrap ethnic minority New Year denounced
What local authority
Children continue to snub local authors
Children continue to prefer stories written by foreign rather than Vietnamese authors. Many children read either Japanese comics or foreign children’s stories that had been translated into Vietnamese. "Vietnamese stories always talk about what we should and should not do, while in foreign children’s stories we find our dreams and our wishes realised," says seventh-grade student at Ha Noi’s Nguyen Du Secondary School Nguyen Thuy Linh. Need for new blood Although the reasons for their preference seem simple, responding is proving difficult for domestic authors, especially when only a few want to write stories for children. Publisher Kim Dong’s statistics show that Vietnamese authors write just 20 per cent of children’s books each year. Most are reprints of books written by such famous authors such as To Hoai, Vo Quang and Tran Hoai Duong. Among 357 books chosen for consolation prizes from more than 26,000 books published in 2007, only two were for children … [Read more...] about Children continue to snub local authors
WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 15-31 (DAILY UPDATE)
2016 New Year Celebration in Hanoi 2016 is coming in just two days! Are you wondering how to celebrate the special moments of New Year's Eve? Check out some suggestions below: EXTRAVAGANT COUNTDOWN PARTIES: 1. Heineken Countdown Party Thu 31 Dec 2014, 8 pm - 00.30 am Ly Thai To Park The most popular annual countdown and music party is equipped with world-class lighting, amazing sound systems and mind-blowing visual effects, featuring top-notch Vietnamese and international singers and DJs. Don't miss the chance to scream at the top of your lungs and welcome the first moments of the new year at this special event! 2. Yamaha ClearMen Countdown 2015 Yamaha ClearMen Countdown 2015 Thu 31 Dec 2014, from 8.30 pm Cach Mang Thang 8 Square, in front of Hanoi Opera House No. 1 Trang Tien A night of celebration with Remix (music) Party with some of the most well-known Vietnamese singers, impressive 3D mapping and lots of surprises and gifts! Who are you going to enjoy this fabulous party with? … [Read more...] about WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 15-31 (DAILY UPDATE)
WHAT’S ON NOVEMBER 15-30 (DAILY UPDATE)
Trinh Cong Son Music night "Vẫn có em bên đời" Sun 29 Nov 2015, 8 pm Yabai Teabar No 1 Luong Yen Str, Hanoi You are invited to Trinh Cong Son music night "Vẫn có em bên đời" (Stay with me always) with the participation of singer Ha Anh and guests. The special concert will feature famous love songs written by Trinh Cong Son. Free entry. Hotline for booking table: 09 77 90 69 90 Artist Talk with Mat Logan Sun 29 Nov 2015, 2 pm Manzi Art Space 14 Phan Huy Ich, Hanoi Manzi is pleased to host an artist talk with Mat Logan (b. 1990, Nelson, New Zealand) After graduating from the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Arts in 2012 majoring in sculpture, Mat has exhibited in a variety of public and artist-run art spaces. He was an artist-in-residence at the Taipei Artist Village, Taiwan, in 2013. Mat uses found and altered objects to describe facets of the cultures and places he encounters. Often using a small number of elements, his works have a touch of playfulness and lightness, regularly … [Read more...] about WHAT’S ON NOVEMBER 15-30 (DAILY UPDATE)
Organizing national tourism years, what for?
The purpose of organizing national tourism years in different localities is to advertise the hosting localities as the tourism destinations, which serve as the key events of the years to popularize Vietnam tourism images. However, the events have not brought the desired effects. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism VNAT has admitted that the biggest achievement of the national tourism years is… the monumental opening ceremony. Meanwhile, local authorities do not pay attention to develop their special tourism products to attract travelers. National tourism years fail to fulfill their duties According to travel firms, which can exactly measure the efficiency of the activities of organizing national tourism years based on the actual turnover and number of tourists, the event aims to popularize local tourism products and attract more travelers; therefore, the event should be organized in the localities with good tourism foundation that can serve as good … [Read more...] about Organizing national tourism years, what for?