250 compete in Ta Cu Mountain trek

Athletes trek to Ta Cu Mountain in Binh Thuan Province - Photo: Khai Nguyen

In the chill of the seventh morning of Lunar New Year on Wednesday, thousands of locals and tourists went to watch the trekking contest to Ta Cu Mountain in Ham Thuan Nam District, Binh Thuan Province.

The contest, organized for the fifteenth time, attracted 250 male and female athletes from Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Thuan provinces. The course covered 6,300 meters for males and 5,300 meters for females, of which are 2,300 steps to Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda.

After 40 minutes, Ta Thanh Xinh in Binh Thuan won in the men’s open division, while Nguyen Ngoc Quang in Dong Nai and Tran Cong Binh in Binh Thuan came second and third, respectively. In women’s division, Nguyen Thi Diem My of Binh Phuoc won the first prize while Nguyen Thu Hiep of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Nguyen Thi Dung in Binh Phuoc pocketed the second and third prizes.

Binh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau won the team prizes.

In the individual division for men, Ta Thanh Xinh won, Tran Van Cong and Nguyen Hoang Duy came second and third. In the individual division for women, Huynh Ngoc Bao Tuyen came first while Nguyen Thi Hong Lin won the second and Huynh Thu Thu Thuy won the third prize.

Phan Thiet City and Tuy Phong District of Binh Thuan Province won team prizes.

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Museum at the home of a hero

A tourist takes pictures of the statue of King Nguyen Hue at the museum’s main gate. The building in the background has exhibits about the Tay Son Movement and Emperor Quang Trung. There are also two other buildings with displays about Nguyen Hue’s family, martial arts and music.

About 45 kilometers north-west of Quy Nhon City of Binh Dinh Province there is a museum full of information and exhibits about Emperor Quang Trung and the Tay Son Dynasty in the late 18th century. The Tay Son Dynasty refers to the period of united Vietnam ruled by three brothers from the village of Tay Son (Tay Son brothers).
Nguyen Hue was one of the brothers and he took on the reign name, Quang Trung, when he became emperor.

During a four hour visit to the museum we learned about the history of the famous king and Binh Dinh Province, which is the cradle of Vietnamese martial arts. Here some pictures of our trip to the museum.

The well that Nguyen Hue’s family used. The museum is set on the site of Tay Son Village where the national hero, Nguyen Hue, grew up with his two brothers Nguyen Nhac and Nguyen Lu. While we were there, a woman drank and washed her face in the water believing that it has healing properties.

The Tay Son Martial Arts show has 12 drums with three phases of military engagement: going into battle, battle engagement and triumph. After the drum performance instructors perform Tay Son martial arts. - Photos: Minh Duy

A young girl views the gongs and weapons from Tay Son Dynasty. The museum holds tens of thousand objects and historical documents from the period.

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The home of Uncle Ho’s father

Life size models of carpenters in Hoa An ancient village at the new Nguyen Sinh Sac Tourist Area

To mark 81 years since the death of Nguyen Sinh Sac (1862-1929), the father of the late Vietnamese President, Ho chi Minh, the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has inaugurated the Nguyen Sinh Sac Tourist Area in Cao Lanh City.

The area, which was expanded to 9.3 hectares from 3.6 hectares at a cost of VND5 billion, has Vietnamese culture and history displays and an ancient village.

When completed the replica village will comprise nine wooden houses built in traditional southern style. Displays will include palm leaf weaving, metal forge and carpentry, all jobs that Nguyen Sinh Sac did in Dong Thap.

The village will also feature canals, rows of coconut trees, vegetable farms, cornfield and sugarcane.

Dang Van Hoang, director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Dong Thap Province, said the village will open for tourists in mid-2011 adding that visitors would be able to participate in traditional farming and learn about southern culture.

In 1917, Nguyen Sinh Sac came to Hoa An Village to teach and give medical treatment to local residents. He joined the revolutionary activities till he died in 1929.

A canal along wooden houses in the tourist area - Photos: Uyen Vien

A corner of the Hoa An ancient village

Young men join a chicken fight

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The home of Uncle Ho’s father

Life size models of carpenters in Hoa An ancient village at the new Nguyen Sinh Sac Tourist Area

To mark 81 years since the death of Nguyen Sinh Sac (1862-1929), the father of the late Vietnamese President, Ho chi Minh, the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has inaugurated the Nguyen Sinh Sac Tourist Area in Cao Lanh City.

The area, which was expanded to 9.3 hectares from 3.6 hectares at a cost of VND5 billion, has Vietnamese culture and history displays and an ancient village.

When completed the replica village will comprise nine wooden houses built in traditional southern style. Displays will include palm leaf weaving, metal forge and carpentry, all jobs that Nguyen Sinh Sac did in Dong Thap.

The village will also feature canals, rows of coconut trees, vegetable farms, cornfield and sugarcane.

Dang Van Hoang, director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Dong Thap Province, said the village will open for tourists in mid-2011 adding that visitors would be able to participate in traditional farming and learn about southern culture.

In 1917, Nguyen Sinh Sac came to Hoa An Village to teach and give medical treatment to local residents. He joined the revolutionary activities till he died in 1929.

A canal along wooden houses in the tourist area - Photos: Uyen Vien

A corner of the Hoa An ancient village

Young men join a chicken fight

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Artists respond to sacrifices of the oldest sister

The birds in this three panel painting by Hoang Cong Minh represent freedom at different stages of the older sister’s life - Photo: My Tran

A group exhibition at San Art that opened last night reveals how a brother views the sacrifice of the oldest sister in a traditional Vietnamese family.

The show named after a 1980’s song, Chi Toi (My eldest sister) features paintings, installations and conceptual art from 10 male artists. Next month women artists will present their point of view on Chi Toi.

The artists in the show are Nguyen Xuan Nguyen, Mai Thanh Nam, Le Dinh Chung, Le Nhat Thanh, Nguyen Thanh Lan, Hoang Cong Minh, Pham Tran Viet Nam, Le Nguyen Chinh, Do Thanh Lang and Truong Cong Tung.

The song that is popular on radio and Karaoke bars talks about the familial duties and love of the eldest sister, who often never marries and never has a family of her own, as she takes the role of a surrogate mother for her siblings.

Mai Thanh Nam’s piece is a three dimensional collage of small  photographic portraits, blurred to depict movement in his pursuit of fun. He enjoys himself both inside and outside the framework that is set by his sister.

A small glass installation by Nguyen Xuan Nguyen on the floor of the gallery as you enter is a powerful commentary on the strict morals meant to guide women in this country.

The gallery assistant Le Xuan Hong Nhung said the piece, which is made of small squares of glass stacked like bricks, is a village-well that represents how easy and dangerous it is to break the rules and moral codes for women. An areca fruit that is a traditional fruit used in marriage customs sits at the bottom of well, lit by diffracted light from the sharp pieces of glass surrounding it.

All of the pieces show the loneliness and unfulfilled dreams that the male artists sense in their older sister.

The show will run at San Art Gallery at 3 Me Linh St, Binh Thanh District until Dec.4. The second part of the exhibition featuring female artists will open Dec.16.

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Lac Viet and IBM set up eSchool

Ha Than, general director of Lac Viet Computing Corp., and Duong Thi Truc Bach, principal of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School, exchange a sponsorship deal for the eSchool program Photo: Courtesy of Lac Viet Computing Corp.

Lac Viet Computing Corp. in conjunction with IBM has set up an eSchool (electronic school) system for Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School in HCMC’s District 1. The IT application is based on IBM’s DB2 cloud system.

Eschool has applications for HR and administration management, education and training management, financial management, e-library, online education, payment management and students’ information management. The functions help simplify procedures and help students, teachers and officers.

Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School is pioneering the eSchool model aiming to boost educational quality.

For further information about the eSchool, contact Lac Viet Computing Corp. at 23 Nguyen Thi Huynh Street, 76/23 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC, tel: 3842 0246, website: www.lacviet.com.vn

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Relic evokes civil war ‘memories’

The Luy Thay (Master rampart) system must have been an imposing structure 400 years ago.

It is still a must-see destination in the northern central province of Quang Binh, not least for its history, its place in what historians have called a 50-year civil war between the Trinh and Nguyen families. They ruled the north and south of the country respectively between 1558 and 1777.

Built in 1630 by Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634), a famous high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen lords, the 34-kilometer system had three ramparts: Truong Duc, Tran Ninh (or Dau Mau), and Truong

Sa. It was called Thay rampart because Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, who ordered Tu to build the system, considered Tu as his master.

After four years of construction, the ramparts, made of clay and stones, were six meters high and at some points, the bottom had a width of six meters as well.

Wars and time have taken their toll, and the impressive defense system that once protected the

Nguyen lords’ reign from the attacks of the Trinh lords can now only be seen along the Nhat Le River. The 12-kilometer long Tran Ninh rampart is one of the few vestiges of the Luy Thay.

Another section can be found in the center of Dong Hoi Town, marked by Quang Binh Quan - one of the three gates built along the Truong Sa rampart.

Now on Tran Phu Street, the gate was first strengthened with stones in 1825 by King Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). It was repaired again in 1961 but was almost destroyed by US bombs during the Vietnam War.

In 1994, the Quang Binh Quan section, which is 8.4 meters long and two meters high, was restored and recognized as a national relic.

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Relic evokes civil war ‘memories’

The Luy Thay (Master rampart) system must have been an imposing structure 400 years ago.

It is still a must-see destination in the northern central province of Quang Binh, not least for its history, its place in what historians have called a 50-year civil war between the Trinh and Nguyen families. They ruled the north and south of the country respectively between 1558 and 1777.

Built in 1630 by Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634), a famous high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen lords, the 34-kilometer system had three ramparts: Truong Duc, Tran Ninh (or Dau Mau), and Truong

Sa. It was called Thay rampart because Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, who ordered Tu to build the system, considered Tu as his master.

After four years of construction, the ramparts, made of clay and stones, were six meters high and at some points, the bottom had a width of six meters as well.

Wars and time have taken their toll, and the impressive defense system that once protected the

Nguyen lords’ reign from the attacks of the Trinh lords can now only be seen along the Nhat Le River. The 12-kilometer long Tran Ninh rampart is one of the few vestiges of the Luy Thay.

Another section can be found in the center of Dong Hoi Town, marked by Quang Binh Quan - one of the three gates built along the Truong Sa rampart.

Now on Tran Phu Street, the gate was first strengthened with stones in 1825 by King Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). It was repaired again in 1961 but was almost destroyed by US bombs during the Vietnam War.

In 1994, the Quang Binh Quan section, which is 8.4 meters long and two meters high, was restored and recognized as a national relic.

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Relic evokes civil war ‘memories’

The Luy Thay (Master rampart) system must have been an imposing structure 400 years ago.

It is still a must-see destination in the northern central province of Quang Binh, not least for its history, its place in what historians have called a 50-year civil war between the Trinh and Nguyen families. They ruled the north and south of the country respectively between 1558 and 1777.

Built in 1630 by Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634), a famous high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen lords, the 34-kilometer system had three ramparts: Truong Duc, Tran Ninh (or Dau Mau), and Truong

Sa. It was called Thay rampart because Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, who ordered Tu to build the system, considered Tu as his master.

After four years of construction, the ramparts, made of clay and stones, were six meters high and at some points, the bottom had a width of six meters as well.

Wars and time have taken their toll, and the impressive defense system that once protected the

Nguyen lords’ reign from the attacks of the Trinh lords can now only be seen along the Nhat Le River. The 12-kilometer long Tran Ninh rampart is one of the few vestiges of the Luy Thay.

Another section can be found in the center of Dong Hoi Town, marked by Quang Binh Quan - one of the three gates built along the Truong Sa rampart.

Now on Tran Phu Street, the gate was first strengthened with stones in 1825 by King Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). It was repaired again in 1961 but was almost destroyed by US bombs during the Vietnam War.

In 1994, the Quang Binh Quan section, which is 8.4 meters long and two meters high, was restored and recognized as a national relic.

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Relic evokes civil war ‘memories’

The Luy Thay (Master rampart) system must have been an imposing structure 400 years ago.

It is still a must-see destination in the northern central province of Quang Binh, not least for its history, its place in what historians have called a 50-year civil war between the Trinh and Nguyen families. They ruled the north and south of the country respectively between 1558 and 1777.

Built in 1630 by Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634), a famous high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen lords, the 34-kilometer system had three ramparts: Truong Duc, Tran Ninh (or Dau Mau), and Truong

Sa. It was called Thay rampart because Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, who ordered Tu to build the system, considered Tu as his master.

After four years of construction, the ramparts, made of clay and stones, were six meters high and at some points, the bottom had a width of six meters as well.

Wars and time have taken their toll, and the impressive defense system that once protected the

Nguyen lords’ reign from the attacks of the Trinh lords can now only be seen along the Nhat Le River. The 12-kilometer long Tran Ninh rampart is one of the few vestiges of the Luy Thay.

Another section can be found in the center of Dong Hoi Town, marked by Quang Binh Quan - one of the three gates built along the Truong Sa rampart.

Now on Tran Phu Street, the gate was first strengthened with stones in 1825 by King Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). It was repaired again in 1961 but was almost destroyed by US bombs during the Vietnam War.

In 1994, the Quang Binh Quan section, which is 8.4 meters long and two meters high, was restored and recognized as a national relic.

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Ship battles through Tammy Nguyen’s eyes

An Australian visitor identified as Alan looks at an installation work by Tammy Nguyen on the opening day of My Diary From That Battle of 10,000 Ships at L’usine - Photo: My Tran

My Diary From That Battle of 10,000 Ships is the name of an exhibition by Vietnamese American Tammy Nguyen that opened last night at L’usine, 151/1 Dong Khoi Street in HCMC’s District 1.

Organized by the San Art, the exhibition is about a series of installations that unite drawings, paintings and embroideries.

Using paper and silk, and thread-work and ink, Nguyen offers a window upon a battle at sea. The ships made of ink travel across large pieces of paper accompanied by figures reminiscent of calligraphic pictograms. These warriors rage across an ocean, losing limbs, skin and bones.

These pieces of bodies are transformed as anatomical drawings, protected by swathes of stitched thread woven like a healing armor over their disfigurations. These contorted human remnants rest within carved wooden altars, referring not only to that spiritual place of rest, but also the harnessing of an inner emotional endurance.

“I choose simple materials but when they are put inside mirrors, they will create 3D effects for viewers, make sense and give an impression of the sorrow and loss of battles, not at sea but in life,” said Nguyen.

This is Tammy Nguyen’s imagined diary of battle. These ships are not only the variety found at sea, but also the battles she faces in contemporary life.

Born in 1984 and trained at Cooper Union School of Art, New York, Nguyen moved to HCMC on a Fulbright Grant in 2007 to further studies in the traditional techniques of lacquer.

The artist continues to take her fascination with painting, printmaking and construction into new heights of experimentation.

The exhibition runs till November 18.

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Twelve bakers selected for Louis Lesaffre Cup finals

Huynh Tin Buu, one of the finalists of Louis Lesaffre Cup in Vietnam, poses with his artistic piece named Suc manh rong thieng (The power of Sacred Dragon) - Photo: Quoc Hung

The 12 best pastry bakers from the North and the South have been selected for the final round of the Louis Lesaffre Cup in Vietnam in December.

Finalists in the bread making category are Vo Thanh Tuan, Nguyen Ngoc Tuan and Diep Minh Cong from Big C, Vu Duc Thanh from the Intercontinental Asiana Hotel Saigon and a contestant from the bread making school in Hue City. 

Nguyen Truong Kim Phuong from ABC Bakery, Le Hong Giang from the Intercontinental Asiana Hotel Saigon, Nguyen Thi Mac from Hoa Sua School and Do Duc Lam from the Sheraton Hotel Hanoi will compete in the category of Viennese pastry while Nguyen Van Hung from Caravelle Hotel Saigon, Huynh Xuan Vinh from ABC Bakery, Huynh Tin Buu from Big C and Nguyen Van Tien from Hoa Sua School are rivals in the category of artistic piece.

The three best from these 12 finalists will represent Vietnam at the Asian qualification round in Guangzhou, China in May, 2011. 

Created in 2003, the Louis Lesaffre Cup is part of a cycle of competitions (national and international selection rounds), that culminate in the Bakery World Cup. The Louis Lesaffre Cup is open to professional bakers between the ages of 18 and 55.