HTV's annual emcee contest enters into final stretch
HCM CITY — The final of HCM City Television's annual competition to unearth talented emcees begins tomorrow.
The nine finalists will host a short TV reportage or programme, talk briefly on a topic chosen by them and the judges, and debate with guests and the judges over four rounds.
The jury will judge them on their appearance, and emceeing and presentation skills.
Elimination of candidates will begin in the second round until four finallists remain after the fourth round.
The winner stands to get a prize of VND35 million (US$1,680) and the runner-up, VND25 million.
The final will be held at the HTV Theatre on September 7 - 29.
All the rounds will be shown live on HTV9.
This year's contest attracted nearly 500 people aged between 18 and 30 who competed in the preliminaries in mid-August in HCM City and Ha Noi.
The competition was first held in 2004.
Mid-Autumn Festival to raise funds for UNICEF education programme
HA NOI — A fullmoon festival to raise money for UNICEF's Education programme will be held at the Sheraton Ha Noi Hotel on Sunday.
The festival will feature several activities, including a traditional lion dance performance and fireworks show, lasting from 6-9.30pm.
The proceeds from the programme will support UNICEF's education programme: building and improving schools, providing quality teacher training and essential school supplies to impoverished areas, helping children return to school after emergencies with "School-in-a-box" kits, providing teaching programmes for ethnic minority areas and communicating awareness of gender and health issues in school.
Painter, photographer join forces for capital city exhibition
HA NOI — Famous contemporary painter Dao Hai Phong will join photographer Ngoc Thai in an art exhibition at the Hotel de l'Opera, 29 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi opening tomorrow.
Considered a dialogue of painting and photography, the exhibition will present Phong's colourful oil-on-canvas paintings with Thai's black-and-white photos.
Veteran painter Le Thiet Cuong is the curator of the display, hosted by the Italian haircare label Davines.
Cat Ba islands on course to attain world heritage status
HA NOI — In addition to the Trang An Grottos, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is preparing to nominate the Cat Ba Archipelago in Hai Phong for recognition by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Located south of Ha Long Bay and 30km off downtown Hai Phong City, the archipelago has 367 islands, with Cat Ba Island being the largest.
Viet Nam now has seven world cultural heritages sites acknowledged by UNESCO: Hue Royal Capital, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Cham Tower Complex, Thang Long Royal Capital, Ho Dynasty Citadel; Ha Long Bay, and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
The country also has intangible cultural heritages recognised by the UN body, including the Hue Court music, Bac Ninh love duets, Giong Festival of Phu Dong Village and Soc Temple.
Photo exhibition documents traditional gong music culture
HCM CITY — The HCM City Museum on 65 Ly Tu Trong Street is hosting for the first time a photo exhibition on the gong musical tradition of the Central Highlands. The exhibition, which runs until September 31, features nearly 90 pictures selected from French archives, including the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient, Societe des Missions Etrangeres de Paris, and Quai Branly Museum in Paris.
These photos were taken between 1930s and 1960s by colonial and military officials, evangelists and scholars, who wished to record life in highland villages of some ethnic groups such as Ba Na, Gia Lai and Mo Nong at that time.
The exhibition is part of a larger effort to preserve and promote the values of the Central Highlands' gong culture. — VNS