Art & Entertainment News 28/7 Tien Giang man creates soil maps   Tien Giang native Vo Van Hai has made three Viet Nam maps from soil he collected at martyrs' ceremonies to honour the fallen at Martyrs' Day on July 27. "After dying, people turn into dust. So I wanted to use soil at cemeteries to honour soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country," Hai said. "I have spent three years on travelling through 63 cities and provinces, islands of Con Dao, Phu Quoc, and Truong Sa to get soil and complete the maps," he added. The 59-year-old artist used 54 square-shaped pieces of wood to make frames for the maps, and decorated them with18 Lac birds, a kind of bird found in Vietnamese stories. He said the pieces of wood symbolised the country's 54 ethnic groups, and the Lac bird symbolised the 18 Hung Kings. The smallest map was transferred to Truong Sa Islands yesterday, while the second one was placed at Hoa Lam in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Dong Thap for a prayer for peace. The largest map will be presented to the Dak Lak Museum on Martyrs' Day and will then be given to Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province. "I hope my works remind them of the older generations' sacrifices to protect the country, as well as the traditional patriotism of Vietnamese," Hai said. Hai, who had been working as a vendor and motorbike taxi driver before becoming involved in art, has created several works from wood. In 2013, Hai completed a collection of stamps made of wood. The stamps were based on images of Viet Nam's 54 ethnic groups from a collection issued by the then Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in 2005. The return of T-ara and 2NE1 to Saigon The two famous Korean girl band 2NE1 and T-ara have confirmed their return to Vietnam in August to attend two different events. Their Vietnamese fans are more than lighthearted. T-ara has announced on their official Facebook that the six girls will hold a fan meeting on August 2. Although this is their third time coming to Vietnam, it is the first time in Saigon for T-ara. The meeting will also be their first meeting to be held in South East Asia in 2014. This event is no normal fan-meeting session, as T-ara will perform 7 to 8 hit songs - making it almost like a mini-show. A representative revealed that there will also be new changes to refresh the event, something that is totally different from previous showcases and meetings that T-ara held before. The ticket price for T-ara - The 1st Fan-meeting in Vietnam ranges from VND450,000 to VND2.8 million. T-ara will donate part of their proceeds to charities, helping poverty reduction in Vietnam. The venue is at Lan Anh Club in HCM City. While T-ara is back for a meeting, 2NE1 has another purpose of visiting Vietnam this August. YG Family Vietnam announced that 2NE1 is operating their world tour, and Vietnam is one of their destinations. The tour is named All Or Nothing. The four girls will perform in Vietnam on the 10th of August. The expected venue is at Phu Tho Stadium in HCMC and the ticket price has yet to be revealed. Young teacher collects wartime objects A young teacher from Ha Nam Province has spent the last decade amassing a collection of more nearly 1,000 wartime objects. Pham Van Diep, 29, is a physical education teacher at Hoang Dong Primary School. Even though he was born after the war, he has had a keen interest in collecting wartime objects since he was a secondary school student. “When I was a little boy, I had some chances to listen to war veterans who told me stories about their fights using simple tools. Each object has its own story and is connected to the lives of solders and young volunteers. So I decided to collect these objects when I was studying at secondary school,” Diep said. His collection is quite diverse, ranging from everyday solders’ tools like knives, water-bottles and compasses to mortar shells, bicycles, old stamps and solders’ personal papers. He carefully organises the objects in a room in his house, which now looks like a small museum. He has travelled to several places in search of such objects and has spent his own money buying them. He regularly has to negotiate with the owners of the objects. “Many of these souvenirs were significant to soldiers’ lives, so they are invaluable. Sometimes, I ask dozens of times to buy something, but still get no for an answer. Surprisingly, many were willing to give things to me when they learned what I was trying to accomplish,” he said. When he acquires a new object, he carefully labels it information about the former owner, the time and location of the find along with any stories related to how he got the object. “I want to take careful notes of important information related to each object in order to avoid any mistakes. I’m really happy to share the information with visitors,” he stated. His collection includes some objects that originated very far from his hometown, including an Italian Marelli fan that he bought from a mandarin who lived through war in Saigon. Many objects were gathered from the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue. He also places several exhibits belonging to the feudal period. In order to preserve these objects he cleans them whenever he has free time and keeps the room where they reside dry. Creating such a comprehensive collection on a modest teachers salary has been no small feat, leaving many to wonder why he would put so much of his time and money into such a project. “I plan to open a private museum or a solders’ café in order to share them with interested visitors. I hope this will help young people understand how hard our forefathers worked to build and defend our country. My hope is to instill a gratitude for our peaceful time and respect for those who made it possible,” he added. Chronicle of Vietnam’s modern literature history makes debut The Vietnam Writer's Association (VWA) officially introduced the first volume of a chronicle of VWA’s activities at a ceremony in Hanoi on July 25. The work is composed by Lai Nguyen An, Tran Thien Khanh and Doan Anh Duong, reproducing the life of Vietnamese literature from 1957 to 1975 with literary work published or announced in newspapers and literature and arts magazines year by year. According to literary critic, Lai Nguyen An, writing and announcing literary work are the most important activities, helping readers visualize the true face of literary life. The first volume also records literary events and phenomena taking place each year, to help reader research activities. In the chronicle’s introduction, An said that what he wrote must be of concern to others, since literature history is created by works which are welcomed and evaluated by the public while being received and inherited by authors of future generations. Book on Cham cuisine released A book on the cuisine of the Cham people by young poet Kieu Maily was officially released this week in HCM City. The 184-page book, Doc Dao Am Thuc Cham (Unique Cham Cuisine), features Cham culinary techniques that have been transfered from older to younger generations for many years. Cham's popular dishes such as muthin ritong (rice served with fish), lithei jrau (rice mixed with meat and vegetables), abu mutham (gruel served with fish and traditional vegetables), kari cam murong (curry served with chicken or beef), and ruou (liquid made from rice), are highlighted in the book. The Cham people are an ethnic minority group, those mostly live in Phan Thiet City, An Giang Province and HCM City. They are remnants of the Kingdom of Champa from the seventh to the 15th centuries. Published by the Phuong Nam Publishing House and HCM City Arts and Literature Publishing House, the book also includes 106 colour photos to display 96 dishes. Film on navy police to hit screens A feature film on the work of the Viet Nam Marine Police and Border Defense Force is set for release early next month. The 90-minute work, titled Mo Gio (The Power of Wind), is being made by Viet Nam Feature Film Studio, the country's leading State-owned production house belonging to Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Based on a screenplay by Le Manh Cuong, a navy policeman, it tells about the life and work of young navy policemen . Nguyen Huu Phan, the film's director, said the crew began filming in HCM City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province two months ago and and then in southern provinces of Binh Thuan and Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. "Through our film, we wanted to spotlight brave officials' remarkable work for keeping our sea peaceful while there are still so many challenges ," said Phan, who spent two years to prepare for filming. Phan said that his crew had received support from the navy police force to perfect their film. The film's post-production work will be done this month. Fashion exhibition shows young designers' ambition Eight young graduates from the London College for Fashion Studies will showcase their first collections at a fashion show and exhibition titled Still Believing. The exhibition will provide an opportunity for the aspiring designers to showcase their inaugural collections and creativity. The exhibition will feature eight collections by seven Vietnamese designers and Dutch designer Danielle G Gaanderse-Rustwijk. Visitors will have the opportunity to see differently styled collections inspired by Dong Ho paintings, water puppetry and the ocean. College lecturer May Cortazzi says the exhibition provides a valuable opportunity to launch the careers of young designers in the fashion industry. "Young designers can get their names on the catwalk for the first time, to create a fashion installation based on their concept and inspiration," she said, adding that: "to prepare for the show, they have a chance to collaborate with photographers, film makers and editors in producing fashion films and videos". The outfits will be shown by 30 leading models, including Nguyen Thi Loan who won Miss Sea in the 2010 Miss Viet Nam contest. More than 20 firms from the garment industry will attend the event to scout for promising up-and-coming designers. The event will take place on August 2-3 at Ha Noi's Melia Hotel. HCM City hosts cultural exchange for children About 200 children from Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos are expected to attend a special exchange programme to be held from today to Friday in HCM City. The event, entitled Vong Tay Ban Be 2014 (Friends' Arms 2014) will feature a range of activities. The participants will meet municipal leaders and visit well-known destinations in the city, such as the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the War Remnants Museum, the Independence Palace, the former Rung Sac Guerrilla Base in Can Gio District and Cu Chi Guerrilla Warfare Tunnels, among others. A cultural programme and art performances by Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian children on Wednesday at the city's Cultural Youth House in District 1 will be the highlight of the event. "The cultural exchange among children from the three countries, the third event of its kind, has been organised to promote international solidarity and friendship, particularly to improve the relations between Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia," said Deputy Secretary of the HCM City's Youth Union Pham Hong Son. "In addition, it aims to introduce to the young delegates [from the other two countries] the history, cultural tradition and socio-economic development of Viet Nam in general, and of HCM City in particular," he added. JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi hosts first wedding fair The JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi will host a wedding fair on September 14 featuring the latest dress collections from Tiara, Ribbon, Lace and Miniature and the presence of famous wedding fashion designer John Kim. The demand for lavish weddings has increased in Hanoi over the past few years and as one of the most luxurious hotels in Hanoi offering highly personalised services for wedding couples, the Marriott is using the opportunity to showcase their venues and what their wedding specialists have to offer. At the event, visitors will have the occasion to learn about the latest in unique ideas of wedding organization, obtain discounts on jewellery, wedding flowers and cards, along with promotional specials for honeymoon getaways. The organizing board has announced that wedding parties which are booked within the fair will be given a special discount offer of 10%. A “Love Story” competition will also be staged with valuable prizes, such as a two night stay in the JW Marriott Hotel along with free dining in the exquisite French and Chinese restaurants in the hotel. The JW Marriott Hotel commenced operations in November 2013. It has been named the Best New Hotel Construction and Design in the Asia-Pacific region at the 2014 International Property Awards. Essay contest marks 20 years of Vietnam-Peru relations The Embassy of Peru in Hanoi on July 25 launched an essay writing contest as part of festivities celebrating 20 years of Vietnam-Peru diplomacy, which coincides with the country’s Independence Day (July 28). All Vietnamese residents, especially students, are encouraged to participate in the writing contest by submitting a 3,000-5,000 word essay in Spanish or English from now until August 22. There are no restrictions on the topic, thus, participants are encouraged to show off their creativity and writing skills. Entrants can send their essays to the following link: vietluan.peruembassy.vn or access the website http://www.peruembassy.vn to get further information. The jury, including representatives from the Peruvian Embassy and the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training, will select the best three essays to award first, second, and third prizes. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 10. Le Cong Tien, Deputy Director of America Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasised that the competition is an opportunity for Vietnamese people, especially youth, to learn more about the country and people of Peru, contributing to its international integration. Busan Day kicks off in HCM City Thousands of local people on July 25 attended the opening ceremony of Busan Day in Ho Chi Minh City – a festival to promote cultural identities of Busan City and the Republic of Korea. They had the chance to take part in folk games, explore the Korean paper folding art (Origami), pose for photos with the traditional costume of Hanbok, watch Taekwondo performances, and enjoy dances. Alongside stands introducing Busan’s achievements, cosmetics stands were crowded with people, especially youth who want to test high quality products. Le Manh Ha, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said relations between HCM City and Busan is an exemplary role model in the Vietnam-RoK relations. Since the two cities established their twin relationship, bilateral cooperation has been strengthened, primarily in the exchange of personnel, training and security. Kim Jong-hae, vice mayor of Busan, said the festivities will help people of the two cities better understand their cultures, so as to cement their ties and seek ways to develop them in the future. HCM City and Busan will celebrate the 20th anniversary of cooperative ties in 2015. Source: VNS/VNA/VOV/Dantri/SGGP