Vingroup to build $500mil. park in HCM City

Vingroup to build $500mil. park in HCM City

Real estate conglomerate Vingroup has announced it will build a VND500-billion (US$21.9 million) park along the Saigon River, saying it will be the largest in Ho Chi Minh City and on the lines of Central Park in the US city of New York.

The 14-hectare park, which will be part of an apartment complex the company is building, will be completed next year, local media reported.

Vingroup was quoted as saying the park would consist of gardens, some in Japanese style, areas for exercise and children’s play areas.

A lawn big enough for events with more than 1,000 people would also be part of more than 40 works at the park, it said.

US landscaping company EDSA is the consultant for the park’s design.

Photos, films give Russians insight into Vietnam

Some 200 photos depicting Vietnam- Russia relations as well as Vietnamese history, culture, landscapes and cuisine are being on display at an exhibition at the Hanoi-Moscow Multifunctional Complex in Russia from September 1-6, according to Ha Noi Moi newspaper.

More than 100 documentary films are also being screened to mark the 70 th anniversary of Vietnam ’s National Day and the 65 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between two countries.

The photo exhibition and film screening, themed “ Vietnam -World Destination 2015”, aim to promote the image of Vietnam as a socialist republic and foster the bilateral relationship.

Visitors have a chance to see how Vietnam is integrating into the world while retaining its traditional identity.

After the events concludes, all the photos and films will be handed over the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia for other displays.

Bac Kan to host northeast ethnic groups’ cultural festival

The ninth tourism, sports and culture festival of ethnic groups in the northeast region will take place from September 10-12 in Bac Kan province.

Speaking at a press conference on August 31 in Hanoi, Head of the Department of Ethnic Culture under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hoang Duc Hau said the festival aims to promote and preserve the cultural identities of ethnic minority groups in the northeast region while contributing to develop the economy and improving the material and spiritual life of local residents.

Diverse cultural activities will include performances of excerpts of outstanding ethnic group festivals, mass art performances, traditional ethnic clothing shows, an exhibition on cultural products and tourism and a photo exhibition on specific cultural identities in the region.

Sports and tourism activities will be organised, such as football matches and seminars on tourism development in the region.

Bac Kan authorities said the event is an opportunity to promote and honour the ethnic groups’ historical and traditional cultural values as well as to introduce the potential of the culture, sports and tourism sector of Bac Kan and other northeast provinces.

The ten participating provinces include Bac Kan, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh and Vinh Phuc.

RoK hosts culture, sports exchange with Vietnam

The 10th cultural-sports exchange festival between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) was held in the Yongin city of Gyeonggi province on August 29 in a bid to deepen the bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Parliamentarian Lee U-hyeon, Chairman of the municipal Council, highlighted the significance of the event, which took place on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the National Day of Vietnam (September 2) and the RoK’s Liberation Day (August 15).

President of the city’s Korea-Vietnam Friendship Exchange Association Gwak Jae-woo noted that close to 430 multicultural Vietnam-RoK families are living in Yongin.

He said he hopes the exchange programme will help embrace links between Vietnam-RoK families as well as the friendship between the two countries.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Huu Chi described the annual festival as a warm gathering between members of a family.

He took the opportunity to thank the Yongin authorities for hosting a myriad of activities to support the multicultural Vietnam-RoK families and especially for helping Vietnamese brides integrate into the host community.

He expected the city’s Korea-Vietnam Friendship Exchange Association would organise more programmes to strengthen the amity between the two nations’ people.

After the opening ceremony, participants were treated to Cookin’ Nanta, a Korean musical comedy show using kitchen utensils, as well as popular folk and contemporary melodies of the two countries.

Volleyball and table-tennis matches received warm responses from nearly 500 audience members in the sporting hall, while huge applause greeted the Taekwondo performance by students of Yongin University.

The festival wrapped up with a friendly atmosphere and left a positive impression on the familial ties between Vietnam and the RoK.

Concert in Czech Republic marks Vietnam’s National Day

The Vietnamese embassy in the Czech Republic held a concert on August 31 to mark Vietnam’s 70th National Day.

The event drew the participation of Vietnamese world and home prize winners such as pianist Ton Nu Nguyet Minh, classical guitarist Dang Ngoc Long and young singer Trinh Thu Huong.

The Czech audience all enjoyed the show. Emily Curryova was filled with admiration at the music  while Alexandr Svoboda was very impressed by young singer Trinh Thu Huong.

Pianist Ton Nu Nguyet Minh who graduated from Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music expressed her honour to participate in the event.

Vietnamese ambassador to the Czech Republic Truong Manh Son said 2015 marks Vietnam’s 70th National Day, the 65th anniversary of Vietnam – Czech diplomatic ties and Vietnam’s Culture Year in the Czech Republic. The Vietnamese embassy held the chamber music night orienting the Czech people to popularize the image of Vietnam.

Similar events will be held by the embassy to help the Czech people learn more about Vietnamese culture. 

Hanoi to hold exhibition of ASEAN’s 48-year path

An exhibition highlighting the ASEAN’s 48 years of peace and development as well as Vietnam’s 20 years of ASEAN membership will open from September 8-15 in Hanoi, announced the organising board on August 31.

The exhibition, available at 15A Ly Thuong Kiet Street , will see the involvement of nine ASEAN member countries and Timor Leste.

Jointly held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations’ Hanoi chapter and the embassies of the grouping’s member countries, the exhibition will introduce outstanding attainments of each country since they joined the bloc.

The event is also a chance to promote the nations, landscapes and cultures of regional countries among Hanoians and international visitors.

The venue is divided into two areas, with stages for cultural and art performance and spaces for photo exhibition.

So far, the organising board has received more than 100 photos from the embassies, which is expected to give visitors an overall and diverse view of efforts, achievements and booming growth of ASEAN countries.-

Reality music show crowns winner

Pham Chi Thanh, 19, has won the Ngoi Sao Phuong Nam (Southern Star) reality music show held by Vinh Long Television and KMedia.

In the final last Friday he got a perfect score of 10 from four of the five judges, who are themselves renowned singers – Siu Black, Doan Trang, Duong Trieu Vu, and Nguyen Hung – for his rendition of Nguyen Hai Phong’s Bay (Fly).

The other judge, Phuong Thanh, gave him 9.5 points, saying, “Singing too high sometimes made him short of breath”.

Thanh also performed duets with his two rivals in the finals, Nguyen Thi Kieu Oanh and Le Vu Phuong.

Thanh won a cash prize of VND300 million (US$13,600).

Oanh and Phuong were placed equal as runners-up.

Thanh was also the most favourite singer of audiences who sent in SMS votes.

Photographer breaks record

A photo from the photo book Viet Nam’s Islands and Coastline Seen from Above.

Photographer Gian Thanh Son has been recognised by the Viet Nam Book of Records for the first high-level photo book of Viet Nam’s islands and the coastlines.

The photo book entitled Viet Nam’s Islands and Coastline Seen from Above was printed by Vietnam News Agency Publishing House in early 2015. The collection of nearly 400 pages features the beauty of Vietnamese islands and seas from photos that he took from army helicopters during the last 20 years.

“This is a great recognition and encouragement for photographers to have more works of Viet Nam seas and islands. I am very happy and proud that my photos, which claim the inviolable sovereignty and sacred territory of the country, have been recognised,” said Son.

Gian Thanh Son, a senior journalist and photographer, has been recognised for his three earlier books of photo collections: Statesmen’s Portraits, A View of Viet Nam from the Sky, and Integration Milestone.

Prose by women writers gains popularity

Prose works recently issued by female writers are leaving a strong impression on readers in HCM City.

Le Minh Ha’s 174-page Con Nho Nhau Khong (Can We Remember) is a collection of prose works featuring reviews about her native city, Ha Noi, that she wrote while living in Berlin.

In her book, Ha Noi and its people in the 1970s are still seen through fresh eyes.

Ha’s words are simple but meaningful which evoke readers’ childhood memories of times with their family and friends.

The HCM City-based Tre (Youth) Publishing House, one of the country’s prestigious printers, was not sure that the book would be successful but knew that urban readers would find it attractive.

They have also printed a collection of 75 prose works by Kieu Bich Huong, Dan Ba Yeu Thanh Pho (Woman Loves the City) last month, which has attracted both readers and critics.

The 344-page book includes short stories capturing the culture and lifestyle of Viet Nam and Belgium in Rotselaar, where the author lives with her husband and children.

The book is available at online bookstores including Atlazbooks.

In 2012, Huong released her first book, Khi Vo Dong Chong Tay (Eastern Wives and Western Husbands), on the love between women of the East and men of the West.

The 198-page book was among the market’s best-selling books.

According to a report from two bookselling websites, Tikiweb and Vinabook, books by female writers, including Huong and Ha, have all been best-sellers in recent years.

“Female writers add something new that have gained from their life and experiences to a market dominated by traditional writing styles. Young readers, particularly women, found themselves on the pages of their books,” said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy, a 32-year-old fan of Ha.

Thuy is reading Trai Tim Dan Ba (The Heart of Women), a book written by female journalist Nguyen Quynh Huong of Phu Nu (Women) newspaper.

Printed by the Association of Writers’ Publishing House, the 187-page work includes writings featuring love and life.

More than 2,000 copies of the book were sold within a week after release.

“My friends and I love reading prose works by female writers. I expect them to take the market by storm,” Thuy said. 

Lap An walking street to be built

The management board of Chan May-Lang Co economic zone has approved the project on building a walking street in Lap An lagoon located near Lang Co town in Thua Thien – Hue province.

The walking street will include a natural park, a water park, a fountain, a pier, and other entertainment facilities.

The lagoon with 800 ha brackish water is one of tourist attractions of Thua Thien-Hue province. It is part of the Gulf of Lang Co. The lagoon is famous for its poetic beauty of clouds reflected in water, and plentiful marine resources and diversified ecosystem, thanks partly to a large area of mangrove forests that surround and protect it.

VNA/TN/VOV/VNS

Vingroup to build $500mil. park in HCM City

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