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Showing posts from January, 2023

Belgian television makes reportage on Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration

The reportage said that about 400 Vietnamese people attended the traditional Tet festival in Woluwe Saint-Pierre district where not only Vietnamese people but also Belgians said to each other “Chuc mung Nam moi” (Happy New Year). Visitors to the festival had a chance to enjoy Vietnamese traditional foods and fruits, particularly grapefruit – an indispensable fruit during Tet celebrations. The channel’s reporter introduced “banh mi” (Vietnamese bread) – a specialty whose name is included in the Oxford Dictionary. The festival was decorated with parallel sentences or calligraphy brought from Vietnam. According to the reportage, hanging calligraphy is an indispensable decoration in the houses of Vietnamese people during Tet. To write calligraphy, one must learn for many years, and calligraphers look like performing martial arts when writing. Besides, the Tet festival included a peformance by an art troupe from Ho Chi Minh City. The reportage emphasised that about 5,000 Vietnames

Hanoi Among The Top Culinary Destinations In The World

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This ranking is compiled by TripAdvisor based on traveler reviews over the past 12 months. Accordingly, the city voted the most by tourists is Rome (Italy). The Italian capital attracts tourists with delicious dishes such as pasta, gelato ice cream, fried artichoke flowers, and other dishes. The second place belongs to Crete (Greece). In third place is Hanoi. Photo: nymmm The charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments, and colonial architecture, while making room for modern developments alongside. Hanoi may have shrugged off several former names, including Thang Long, or “ascending dragon,” but it hasn’t forgotten its past, as sites such as Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison attest. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards, and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city, which is easily explored by taxi, according to TripAdvisor. This is not the first time Hanoi has been named in the list of the world’s top cuisin

“I love Vietnam, its people and culture,” says Prof. Ahn Kyong-hwan

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Love for Vietnam Prof. Ahn studied Vietnamese at the Vietnamese faculty of the Korea National University from 1974. After working as executive manager of Hyundai Group in Vietnam during the early 1990s, he realised that language translation was an important channel in which to boost the development of the friendly relationship between the two sides. The RoK and Vietnam established diplomatic ties in 1992, paving the way for business executives to enter and invest in Vietnam. Financiers from the RoK had an increasing demand to learn Vietnamese, and Prof. Ahn was invited to teach Vietnamese in his hometown. “Some of my friends encouraged me to continue doing business at Hyundai, while some others advised me to take up Vietnamese studies and teaching, reasoning the relations between the two countries were developing rapidly and they needed people with a high command of Vietnam like me. I took the second option, focusing on education,” recalled Prof. Ahn. After successfully comple

Revival of Japanese Sword Art Space In Ha Long

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In an effort to give visitors the opportunity to learn, admire, and enjoy the Japanese sword art, the Chosen de l’art Art Auction and Sun Group signed a cooperation agreement to invest a project named the Interactive Art Space of the Japanese Sword – Art of the Samurai sword in Ha Long (Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam). Project signing ceremony (Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper). This is an international art project that was implemented by CHEN de l’art in April 2022 in Bat Trang, Hanoi. The 5 ancient swords introduced that time, were certified by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Japan Sword Art Preservation Association). The focus of the project was on the appearance of the “sacred sword” – a masterpiece dedicated to Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi (who ruled all of Japan from 1858 to 1866). At the exhibition, there was also a space to introduce ancient paintings, traditional masks, and experience activities for the art-loving public such as wearing typical Japanese martial arts

Calligraphy master Jean Sébastien Grill: My Mission is to introduce Vietnamese culture in France

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“Vietnamese calligraphy nourishes my soul” Jean Sébastien Grill’s calligraphy booth is named Truong Giang. “Truong Giang is my Vietnamese name, given by a friend. Giang has the same pronunciation as Jean. Truong Giang means a long, healthy life,” said Jean. Jean has studied Vietnamese for 7 years and lived in Vietnam for 6 years. Before coming to Vietnam, he worked as a graphic designer and studied oriental medicine, massage and acupressure to help friends and colleagues suffering from spine problems. Jean married an overseas Vietnamese in 2006. On their first trip to Hanoi, they were so impressed by the bustling sidewalks and folk medicine that they return to Vietnam every year to travel and learn more about Oriental medicine. Jean, his wife, and their children moved to Vietnam in 2015, when he was introduced to Vietnamese calligraphy. “I knew about Korean, Chinese, and Japanese calligraphy long before but when I learned that Vietnam also has this kind of art, I signed up for cl

Hanoi sees light traffic congestion on the first working day after Tet

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Vehicles can easily move on usually-busy two-way streets. Compared to normal days, the traffic moving towards the capital’s gateways is heavy, although there is no signs of severe congestion. A long line of vehicles waits at a green light on Nguyen Trai street. A traffic police officer arrives early on Trieu Khuc street in order to guide the flow of traffic. The Nguyen Xien-Nguyen Trai intersection is slightly crowded, with vehicles able to move at a slow pace. Vehicles only clog up the area as cars and motorbikes wait for the light to turn green. During rush hour this morning, the majority of vehicles move at a snail’s pace on Nguyen Trai street. The same situation can be seen on Truong Chinh street. There are no traffic jams reported on Kham Thien, Ton Duc Thang, and Chua Boc streets. On the first working day of the new year, clear streets means no stress and a less tiring envi

Con Dao Named One of 16 Best Island Vacations in The World

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Con Dao is named in the list of among 16 best island vacations in the world (Photo: chinhphu.vn) According to the publication, in its location off the nation’s southern coast, Con Dao is a small island with very little commercial development. “With this, the beaches are quiet and the few resort options allow for a special retreat,” says Condé Nast Traveler. The article noted that the beaches are typically long with soft sand, making them perfect for light water sports like SUP and kayaking. Condé Nast Traveler stated that the downtown area boasts a quaint seaside atmosphere with small restaurants, whilst there are also plenty of historical connections for visitors to explore. According to the magazine, a visit in August can allow holiday goers to have the chance to watch turtles hatch. “Stay through the morning when the turtle sanctuary supports the release of the hatchlings and watch them find their way to the big blue sea,” it suggested. From those visitors interes

Tet celebrations of ethnic Mong people in Central Highlands

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Cow fighting is one of the most exciting cultural activities that take place during Tet. According to a local member of the ethnic group, each cow competing in the event costs between VND10 million and VND100 million. Most notably, the Khen is always played by Mong men during New Year celebrations. It expresses love, community, and nature, as well as contacting the world of the dead. Young Mong men enjoy playing the Khen and dancing to show off their strength, sensibility, and skills. The Mong ethnic people enjoy visiting their relatives and friends, thereby extending Tet greetings. Cooking Banh Giay together represents an indispensable part of the customs of the Mong ethnic people every Tet. The new-year meal with the Mong people is very warm, featuring plenty of traditional dishes such as men men, sticky rice, banh day, and pork. Family members gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous ne