Multicolored activities at Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary

Just two days until the opening of the Thang Long-Hanoi Grand Anniversary. The festive atmosphere is everywhere in Hanoi. Here is the detailed program of activities for the ten-day anniversary (October 1-10) as announced by organizers.

October 1

- 8 a.m.: Opening ceremony at Ly Thai To Flower Garden (in front of the Hoan Kiem Lake)

- 9:30a.m.: Art shows at five stages around Hoan Kiem Lake

- 2 p.m: Exhibition of literary and art works about Hanoi at 2 Hoa Lu, Hai Ba Trung Street

- 3 p.m.: Photo exhibition about Hanoi at 45 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District

- 7:30 p.m.: Exhibition of Vietnam and Hanoi’s economic-social achievements at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Center, 138 Giang Vo Street

- 7:30 p.m.: Film week at the National Cinema Center, 87 Lang Ha Street

- 8 p.m.: Video conference between Hanoi and other provinces on VTV channel, special arts show and ao dai performance around the Hoan Kiem Lake

- 8 p.m.: A concert by artist Dang Thai Son at the Hanoi Opera House

October 2

- 8 a.m.: Exhibition of artifacts about Hanoi’s 1,000 years at the Thang Long Royal Citadel, 9 Hoang Dieu and 19 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street

- 9 a.m.: Introduction of a bookshelf about Thang Long-Hanoi at the National Library, 31 Trang Thi Street

- 2 p.m.: Announcement of a comprehensive scientific research work about Hanoi at the Hanoi Opera House

- 8 p.m.: Introduction of new songs about Hanoi at Ba Kieu Temple

- 8p.m.: Thang Long-Hanoi International Tourism Festival to open at Bao Son Heaven Park

October 3

- 7 a.m.: Ha Noi Moi newspaper marathon race around Hoan Kiem Lake

- 8 p.m.: Thang Long-Hanoi in Ho Chi Minh Age art show at Hang Day Stadium

October 4

- 8:30 a.m.: Award ceremony of the contest about knowledge of Thang Long-Hanoi’s 1,000 years and the city’s heroes at the Hanoi Opera House

- 3 p.m.: Exhibition of Vietnamese heroes and great men in Vietnamese culture at the Revolutionary Museum, 25 Ton Dan Street

- 3:30 p.m.: Exhibition of famous battles and military campaigns in Vietnam.’s military history at the Vietnam. Military History Museum, 28A Dien Bien Phu Street

- 5 p.m.: Calligraphy exhibition and festival at the Temple of Literature

- 8 p.m.: Award ceremony of the national press contest about Thang Long-Hanoi’s 1,000 years at 8 Huynh Thuc Khang Street

- 8 p.m.: Thang Long-Hanoi ancient dance show at Ly Thai To flower garden

October 5

- 9 a.m.: Introducing the Hanoi ceramic road on Yen Phu Road

- 2  p.m.: Bat Trang ceramic – Tradition and Modernity exhibition at Bat Trang village

- 2 p.m.: Hearts for Thang Long-Hanoi exhibition at the Hanoi Cultural Friendship Palace

- 8 p.m.: A music show of famous Vietnamese artists at the Hanoi Opera House

- 8 p.m.: A great show entitled “Thang Long Spirit – Song for the Country” at Hang Day Stadium

October 6

- 8 a.m.: Hanoi Kite Festival at My Dinh Square

- 8 a.m.: Martial arts performance at Quan Ngua Sports Palace

- 8:30: Inauguration of Hanoi Museum

- 2 p.m.: Inauguration of Hoa Binh Park at Tu Liem District

- 2 p.m.: Inauguration of President Ho Chi Minh – President Ton Duc Thang statues at Thong Nhat Park

- 2 p.m.: Old Hanoi photo exhibition at Hanoi Museum, Pham Hung Road

- 2.30 p.m.: Inauguration of Kim Dong Theatre at 19 Hang Bai Street

- 8 p.m.: Inauguration of Worker Theatre at 42 Trang Tien Street

- 8p.m.: Inauguration of Dai Nam Theatre at 48 Hue Street

- 8p.m.: Hanoi food festival at Ho Tay Water Park

October 7

- 8  a.m.: International workshop on Hanoi’s sustainable development at 11 Le Hong Phong Street

- 9 a.m.: Award ceremony of international contest about Hanoi at the Hanoi Opera House

- 8 p.m.: Traditional music show at the Hanoi Opera House

October 8

- 7 a.m.: Cultural and arts program for youngsters at outdoor stages around the Hoan Kiem Lake

- 8 p.m.: Meeting of 1,000 heroes and heroic mothers at the National Convention Center

- 8 p.m.: Carnival at State Bank of Vietnam Square, 49 Ly Thai To Street

October 9

- 8 a.m.: Inauguration of Thanh Tri and Vinh Tuy bridges

- 9:30 a.m.: Inauguration of Thang Long Avenue

- 8 p.m.: Shows by international art troupes at outdoor stages in Hanoi

October 10

- 8 a.m.: Meeting and marching at Ba Dinh Square

- 8 p.m.: Cultural and art festival at My Dinh National Stadium

During the festival, there will be 245 performances by local artist troupes and 38 performances by foreign troupes.

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Multicolored activities at Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary

Just two days until the opening of the Thang Long-Hanoi Grand Anniversary. The festive atmosphere is everywhere in Hanoi. Here is the detailed program of activities for the ten-day anniversary (October 1-10) as announced by organizers.

October 1

- 8 a.m.: Opening ceremony at Ly Thai To Flower Garden (in front of the Hoan Kiem Lake)

- 9:30a.m.: Art shows at five stages around Hoan Kiem Lake

- 2 p.m: Exhibition of literary and art works about Hanoi at 2 Hoa Lu, Hai Ba Trung Street

- 3 p.m.: Photo exhibition about Hanoi at 45 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District

- 7:30 p.m.: Exhibition of Vietnam and Hanoi’s economic-social achievements at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Center, 138 Giang Vo Street

- 7:30 p.m.: Film week at the National Cinema Center, 87 Lang Ha Street

- 8 p.m.: Video conference between Hanoi and other provinces on VTV channel, special arts show and ao dai performance around the Hoan Kiem Lake

- 8 p.m.: A concert by artist Dang Thai Son at the Hanoi Opera House

October 2

- 8 a.m.: Exhibition of artifacts about Hanoi’s 1,000 years at the Thang Long Royal Citadel, 9 Hoang Dieu and 19 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street

- 9 a.m.: Introduction of a bookshelf about Thang Long-Hanoi at the National Library, 31 Trang Thi Street

- 2 p.m.: Announcement of a comprehensive scientific research work about Hanoi at the Hanoi Opera House

- 8 p.m.: Introduction of new songs about Hanoi at Ba Kieu Temple

- 8p.m.: Thang Long-Hanoi International Tourism Festival to open at Bao Son Heaven Park

October 3

- 7 a.m.: Ha Noi Moi newspaper marathon race around Hoan Kiem Lake

- 8 p.m.: Thang Long-Hanoi in Ho Chi Minh Age art show at Hang Day Stadium

October 4

- 8:30 a.m.: Award ceremony of the contest about knowledge of Thang Long-Hanoi’s 1,000 years and the city’s heroes at the Hanoi Opera House

- 3 p.m.: Exhibition of Vietnamese heroes and great men in Vietnamese culture at the Revolutionary Museum, 25 Ton Dan Street

- 3:30 p.m.: Exhibition of famous battles and military campaigns in Vietnam.’s military history at the Vietnam. Military History Museum, 28A Dien Bien Phu Street

- 5 p.m.: Calligraphy exhibition and festival at the Temple of Literature

- 8 p.m.: Award ceremony of the national press contest about Thang Long-Hanoi’s 1,000 years at 8 Huynh Thuc Khang Street

- 8 p.m.: Thang Long-Hanoi ancient dance show at Ly Thai To flower garden

October 5

- 9 a.m.: Introducing the Hanoi ceramic road on Yen Phu Road

- 2  p.m.: Bat Trang ceramic – Tradition and Modernity exhibition at Bat Trang village

- 2 p.m.: Hearts for Thang Long-Hanoi exhibition at the Hanoi Cultural Friendship Palace

- 8 p.m.: A music show of famous Vietnamese artists at the Hanoi Opera House

- 8 p.m.: A great show entitled “Thang Long Spirit – Song for the Country” at Hang Day Stadium

October 6

- 8 a.m.: Hanoi Kite Festival at My Dinh Square

- 8 a.m.: Martial arts performance at Quan Ngua Sports Palace

- 8:30: Inauguration of Hanoi Museum

- 2 p.m.: Inauguration of Hoa Binh Park at Tu Liem District

- 2 p.m.: Inauguration of President Ho Chi Minh – President Ton Duc Thang statues at Thong Nhat Park

- 2 p.m.: Old Hanoi photo exhibition at Hanoi Museum, Pham Hung Road

- 2.30 p.m.: Inauguration of Kim Dong Theatre at 19 Hang Bai Street

- 8 p.m.: Inauguration of Worker Theatre at 42 Trang Tien Street

- 8p.m.: Inauguration of Dai Nam Theatre at 48 Hue Street

- 8p.m.: Hanoi food festival at Ho Tay Water Park

October 7

- 8  a.m.: International workshop on Hanoi’s sustainable development at 11 Le Hong Phong Street

- 9 a.m.: Award ceremony of international contest about Hanoi at the Hanoi Opera House

- 8 p.m.: Traditional music show at the Hanoi Opera House

October 8

- 7 a.m.: Cultural and arts program for youngsters at outdoor stages around the Hoan Kiem Lake

- 8 p.m.: Meeting of 1,000 heroes and heroic mothers at the National Convention Center

- 8 p.m.: Carnival at State Bank of Vietnam Square, 49 Ly Thai To Street

October 9

- 8 a.m.: Inauguration of Thanh Tri and Vinh Tuy bridges

- 9:30 a.m.: Inauguration of Thang Long Avenue

- 8 p.m.: Shows by international art troupes at outdoor stages in Hanoi

October 10

- 8 a.m.: Meeting and marching at Ba Dinh Square

- 8 p.m.: Cultural and art festival at My Dinh National Stadium

During the festival, there will be 245 performances by local artist troupes and 38 performances by foreign troupes.

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Rejuvenate the spirit at Long Thuan Garden

A bridge across Chan Lac Lake

Local nature lover and designer Sy Hoang  invites visitors to come and recharge their batteries in his large traditional style garden in HCMC’s District 9.

The beautiful garden boasts ornamental trees, bonsai and grassy areas, where visitors can escape the sounds of traffic for a while.

A wooden house where Sy Hoang worships Buddha and practices meditation - Photos: Uyen Vien

The garden has a long narrow hall, where a lot of workshops and painting and design classes are held.

There is a lake called Chan Lac that has wooden chairs made of cart wheels scattered along the banks.

In the lake is a floating stage where artists hold folk art performances of the three regions - North, Central and South. Behind the stage is a Buddhist worship house where the artist and his mother pray and practice meditation.

A wooden house in the garden has displays of pottery and wooden artworks that the designer has collected for many years.

Sy Hoang took eight years to build the garden with an investment of VND40 billion. He also planted a mini rice field that can produce about 100 kilograms of rice a year.

The artist is collaborating with Hanh Huong Viet Travel Company in HCMC’s District 3 to hold one-day tours called “peaceful spirit” twice a month on Sundays. The tour departs from 6 a.m. and closes at 8:30 p.m. with many activities such as meditation practice, exchanging life experiences, releasing fish, hanging lanterns to pray, Buddhist worshipping and vegetarian meals.

Visitors can also enjoy fashion and traditional music shows.

“I hope that one day, children can sit under the trees to paint and businessmen can find peace for their soul in this garden, said Hoang.

He said he expects to develop areas to teach fashion design and cooking and wants it to be a venue for cultural exchange and ethnic performances.

This month, there are two tours on October 17 and 24 at VND695,000 per person.

For bookings, visit www.hanhhuongviet.vn or call (08) 3884 0608.

To get there take the Ben Thanh – Long Thuan bus to District 9 from Ben Thanh Bus Station. It takes about one hour by motorbike from the center of the city.

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Song of the gibbons

Tourists catch a boat from the national park headquarters to visit the primate rescue center

If the wind is blowing from the right direction you can hear the gibbon’s song from your bungalow at Cat Tien National Park about five hours drive from HCMC. The sound comes from an island in the Dong Nai river not more than a kilometer from the park headquarters and accommodation.

One of the juvenile gibbons at the center - Photos: Mong BInh and Wendy Derham

On the island there is the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Rescue Center that specializes in rehabilitating golden cheek gibbons for release into the wild. The gibbons there sing all day long – it is a strange haunting song whose high pitch is more like a drawn out note from a keyboard synthesizer than a primate’s voice. The sound takes a little getting used to as it is quite loud.

Gibbons that live in the wild at Cat Tien National Park sing songs that declare their territory or let other gibbons know that that they are looking for a mate. The songs are normally sung in the morning and they reverberate around the jungle for miles. But at the center the gibbons sing all day long – perhaps because they are in such close quarters.

The primates are there mostly because they have been rescued or confiscated by rangers from poachers or households or petrol stations that kept them as pets or mascots. Sometimes because of the growing awareness of wildlife conservation in Vietnam households surrender them voluntarily and they wind up in the rescue center that was set up by Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre in 2008.

To visit the center just talk to the rangers at the park headquarters and they will arrange a boat to take you across to the island. From where the boat drops you off there is about a 15 minute walk to the center – so remember to take some water. It is not really set up for tours but it’s worth visiting for an hour or two to see these beautiful but endangered primates. Some of the rangers don’t speak English well so if you want to find out more about the gibbons, one of the Western staff there may be able to help you.

If you are hoping to get to cuddle one of the cute gibbons, you will be very disappointed. The center is very strict about human contact, not even the staff are allowed to touch them. You are not even allowed to walk up to their big cages, which are set well about 20m off the path. To prepare them for the wild the gibbons are exposed to a minimum of human contact. Do you will have to be satisfied with seeing them from a distance.

Visitors must walk on the path between the large cages. There’s six or seven big cages and a special nursery for the juvenile gibbons and with a fenced off tree area so they can learn the physics of swinging through the jungle.

The island also has a semi wild area where gibbons are let go prior to being totally released into the national park. The semi wild area is bordered by the river and a special fence that the center built this year.

Monkey world set up the Endangered Asian Species Trust (E.A.S.T.) to help continue this conservation work in to the future so if you want to support the work they are doing, including rehabilitation, research and awareness raising at schools, then donate at the office or buy a T-shirt or hat.

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Song of the gibbons

Tourists catch a boat from the national park headquarters to visit the primate rescue center

If the wind is blowing from the right direction you can hear the gibbon’s song from your bungalow at Cat Tien National Park about five hours drive from HCMC. The sound comes from an island in the Dong Nai river not more than a kilometer from the park headquarters and accommodation.

One of the juvenile gibbons at the center - Photos: Mong BInh and Wendy Derham

On the island there is the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Rescue Center that specializes in rehabilitating golden cheek gibbons for release into the wild. The gibbons there sing all day long – it is a strange haunting song whose high pitch is more like a drawn out note from a keyboard synthesizer than a primate’s voice. The sound takes a little getting used to as it is quite loud.

Gibbons that live in the wild at Cat Tien National Park sing songs that declare their territory or let other gibbons know that that they are looking for a mate. The songs are normally sung in the morning and they reverberate around the jungle for miles. But at the center the gibbons sing all day long – perhaps because they are in such close quarters.

The primates are there mostly because they have been rescued or confiscated by rangers from poachers or households or petrol stations that kept them as pets or mascots. Sometimes because of the growing awareness of wildlife conservation in Vietnam households surrender them voluntarily and they wind up in the rescue center that was set up by Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre in 2008.

To visit the center just talk to the rangers at the park headquarters and they will arrange a boat to take you across to the island. From where the boat drops you off there is about a 15 minute walk to the center – so remember to take some water. It is not really set up for tours but it’s worth visiting for an hour or two to see these beautiful but endangered primates. Some of the rangers don’t speak English well so if you want to find out more about the gibbons, one of the Western staff there may be able to help you.

If you are hoping to get to cuddle one of the cute gibbons, you will be very disappointed. The center is very strict about human contact, not even the staff are allowed to touch them. You are not even allowed to walk up to their big cages, which are set well about 20m off the path. To prepare them for the wild the gibbons are exposed to a minimum of human contact. Do you will have to be satisfied with seeing them from a distance.

Visitors must walk on the path between the large cages. There’s six or seven big cages and a special nursery for the juvenile gibbons and with a fenced off tree area so they can learn the physics of swinging through the jungle.

The island also has a semi wild area where gibbons are let go prior to being totally released into the national park. The semi wild area is bordered by the river and a special fence that the center built this year.

Monkey world set up the Endangered Asian Species Trust (E.A.S.T.) to help continue this conservation work in to the future so if you want to support the work they are doing, including rehabilitation, research and awareness raising at schools, then donate at the office or buy a T-shirt or hat.

Related Articles

• Song of the gibbons

Song of the gibbons

Tourists catch a boat from the national park headquarters to visit the primate rescue center

If the wind is blowing from the right direction you can hear the gibbon’s song from your bungalow at Cat Tien National Park about five hours drive from HCMC. The sound comes from an island in the Dong Nai river not more than a kilometer from the park headquarters and accommodation.

One of the juvenile gibbons at the center - Photos: Mong BInh and Wendy Derham

On the island there is the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Rescue Center that specializes in rehabilitating golden cheek gibbons for release into the wild. The gibbons there sing all day long – it is a strange haunting song whose high pitch is more like a drawn out note from a keyboard synthesizer than a primate’s voice. The sound takes a little getting used to as it is quite loud.

Gibbons that live in the wild at Cat Tien National Park sing songs that declare their territory or let other gibbons know that that they are looking for a mate. The songs are normally sung in the morning and they reverberate around the jungle for miles. But at the center the gibbons sing all day long – perhaps because they are in such close quarters.

The primates are there mostly because they have been rescued or confiscated by rangers from poachers or households or petrol stations that kept them as pets or mascots. Sometimes because of the growing awareness of wildlife conservation in Vietnam households surrender them voluntarily and they wind up in the rescue center that was set up by Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre in 2008.

To visit the center just talk to the rangers at the park headquarters and they will arrange a boat to take you across to the island. From where the boat drops you off there is about a 15 minute walk to the center – so remember to take some water. It is not really set up for tours but it’s worth visiting for an hour or two to see these beautiful but endangered primates. Some of the rangers don’t speak English well so if you want to find out more about the gibbons, one of the Western staff there may be able to help you.

If you are hoping to get to cuddle one of the cute gibbons, you will be very disappointed. The center is very strict about human contact, not even the staff are allowed to touch them. You are not even allowed to walk up to their big cages, which are set well about 20m off the path. To prepare them for the wild the gibbons are exposed to a minimum of human contact. Do you will have to be satisfied with seeing them from a distance.

Visitors must walk on the path between the large cages. There’s six or seven big cages and a special nursery for the juvenile gibbons and with a fenced off tree area so they can learn the physics of swinging through the jungle.

The island also has a semi wild area where gibbons are let go prior to being totally released into the national park. The semi wild area is bordered by the river and a special fence that the center built this year.

Monkey world set up the Endangered Asian Species Trust (E.A.S.T.) to help continue this conservation work in to the future so if you want to support the work they are doing, including rehabilitation, research and awareness raising at schools, then donate at the office or buy a T-shirt or hat.

Related Articles

• Song of the gibbons

Song of the gibbons

Tourists catch a boat from the national park headquarters to visit the primate rescue center

If the wind is blowing from the right direction you can hear the gibbon’s song from your bungalow at Cat Tien National Park about five hours drive from HCMC. The sound comes from an island in the Dong Nai river not more than a kilometer from the park headquarters and accommodation.

One of the juvenile gibbons at the center - Photos: Mong BInh and Wendy Derham

On the island there is the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Rescue Center that specializes in rehabilitating golden cheek gibbons for release into the wild. The gibbons there sing all day long – it is a strange haunting song whose high pitch is more like a drawn out note from a keyboard synthesizer than a primate’s voice. The sound takes a little getting used to as it is quite loud.

Gibbons that live in the wild at Cat Tien National Park sing songs that declare their territory or let other gibbons know that that they are looking for a mate. The songs are normally sung in the morning and they reverberate around the jungle for miles. But at the center the gibbons sing all day long – perhaps because they are in such close quarters.

The primates are there mostly because they have been rescued or confiscated by rangers from poachers or households or petrol stations that kept them as pets or mascots. Sometimes because of the growing awareness of wildlife conservation in Vietnam households surrender them voluntarily and they wind up in the rescue center that was set up by Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre in 2008.

To visit the center just talk to the rangers at the park headquarters and they will arrange a boat to take you across to the island. From where the boat drops you off there is about a 15 minute walk to the center – so remember to take some water. It is not really set up for tours but it’s worth visiting for an hour or two to see these beautiful but endangered primates. Some of the rangers don’t speak English well so if you want to find out more about the gibbons, one of the Western staff there may be able to help you.

If you are hoping to get to cuddle one of the cute gibbons, you will be very disappointed. The center is very strict about human contact, not even the staff are allowed to touch them. You are not even allowed to walk up to their big cages, which are set well about 20m off the path. To prepare them for the wild the gibbons are exposed to a minimum of human contact. Do you will have to be satisfied with seeing them from a distance.

Visitors must walk on the path between the large cages. There’s six or seven big cages and a special nursery for the juvenile gibbons and with a fenced off tree area so they can learn the physics of swinging through the jungle.

The island also has a semi wild area where gibbons are let go prior to being totally released into the national park. The semi wild area is bordered by the river and a special fence that the center built this year.

Monkey world set up the Endangered Asian Species Trust (E.A.S.T.) to help continue this conservation work in to the future so if you want to support the work they are doing, including rehabilitation, research and awareness raising at schools, then donate at the office or buy a T-shirt or hat.

Related Articles

• Song of the gibbons