Culture

Mid-Autumn Festival is a happy day. But several years ago, the mid-autumn season brought sadness to artisans in the craft village where they make traditional toys, as modern imported toys were sold everywhere. However, in recent years, it seems that the Mid-Autumn Festival has found its origin. Sad time Each Mid-Autumn season, Nguyen Thi Tuyen, an artisan in Hau Ai Village, Van Canh Commune, Hoai Duc District, in Hanoi, who is also called Tuyen "paper doctor" because she silently makes the star-shaped lanterns, paper doctor (Vietnamese folk toy) to provide for schools, museums and cultural centres. The family of Nguyen Thi Tuyen, at Hau Ai village, Van Canh commune, Hoai Duc district, Hanoi, has had many generations who have made traditional the Mid-Autumn toys. In the past, many Hau Ai villagers made Mid-Autumn toys, especially the star-shaped lanterns. At the end of summer, farmers gathered to collect bamboo and other kinds of paper. From the age of seven years old, she knew how to … [Read more...] about Mid-Autumn Smile

Miss Vietnam 2018 Tran Tieu Vy will vie for the Miss World title later this year. With her outstanding height, modern and charming beauty, the Vietnamese representative receives constant compliments from the international community. She is expected to bring great success for Vietnam. The 18-year-old girl from Quang Nam Province is 1.74 meters tall and measures 84-63-90. Many potential candidates for the Miss World crown have already been unveiled. They promise to be strong rivals for Tieu Vy at the global beauty pageant. Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan was crowned Miss World Thailand 2018 and will represent Thailand at Miss World 2018. Limsnukan, 19, is studying business administration at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, Thailand. Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan has experience from many beauty contests. She finished in the top 10 of Miss Universe Thailand 2018. In 2014 she came first in two pageants including Miss Teen Asia held in the US and Miss Thai New Year. … [Read more...] about Tieu Vy’s rivals for the crown of Miss World 2018

Vu Huy Dong’s family makes mid-Autumn toys (Photo: Ngoc Anh) The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, and is a major traditional festival of many Asian countries. In Vietnam, it is also a special festival for children who are presented with toy drums, masks, star-shaped lanterns, cylindrical lanterns, lion dances, rabbit lanterns, glutinous rice figurines, and delicious moon cakes. According to village elders, nobody knows exactly when tanning became the Hao village’s traditional craft, but they are all sure that drum-making for children for the mid-Autumn festival has been shaped for more than 100 years. Villagers make both toy drums and big drums for schools and festivals nation-wide. Vu Huy Dong, an elder villager, recalls, “In the past we only made drums, masks, puppet uncle Teu, and lanterns. Recently we have diversified and started making more products. For the mask product alone, there are 20 types, mainly originating from 12 … [Read more...] about Mid-Autumn toy making village busy ahead of festival

The exhibition brings into focus discussion around how we use plastics in our everyday life, and hopes to spark conversation around environmental shifts within this issue. Exhibited artworks explore the materiality of plastic itself, its likeness to fabric and paper, but also bring a positive, beautiful perspective on what would have been trash. Main pieces also speak to our current fast fashion industry, which contributes to pollution across the world. Inspiration for Bianca’s artworks is her exploration of collections at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, as well as the historical artifacts at the Muong Cultural Space Museum in Hoa Binh province. “There is a lot of great possibility in connecting with the traditional practices of the ethnic tribes in Vietnam, and the First Nation People in Australia, who lived far more sustainably with the land. I think we have so much to learn from every culture, and with a collective knowledge we can help solve this issue”, … [Read more...] about RETHINK

The Hanoitimes - The Huong Son landscape complex still holds the historical value and represents special cultural value of Vietnamese buddhism. The My Duc district People’s Committee has received a certificate honoring the Huong Son landscape complex, known as Huong Pagoda a special national relic site. The ceremony also aimed to mark the 130th founding anniversary of My Duc district and 60 years since then President Ho Chi Minh visited the Huong Pagoda.   Huong Son landscape complex receives certificate of recognition of special national relic site. Photo: Hanoimoi.com.vn The Huong Son landscape complex consists of 21 Buddhist pagodas, caves and temples worshipping local agricultural gods. The complex was built under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1442 – 1497). From 1947 to 1950, the complex was destroyed by French colonialists and has been rebuilt with the support of the state, local residents and visitors. In December 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc … [Read more...] about Huong Pagoda named special national relic site