Festival commemorates 143rd birthday anniversary of national hero Nguyen Trung Truc

The Kien Giang Department of culture, sports and tourism announced that the Festival to commemorate the 143rd birthday anniversary of national hero Nguyen Trung Truc will open on September 9 in Rach Gia city (Kien Giang).  According to the organising board, all units have carried out all the tasks assigned to hasten the preparation for the festival to ensure they produce a quality event on time. This year’s festival will take place from September 23-25 (August 26-28 in lunar calendar). In addition to the festival, there will be many other exciting activities. Many fair exhibitions and kermis will be held at the Cultural Centre of Kien Giang province and Vinh Thanh Van quarter– Rach Gia City. Besides these, there will be many artistic, cultural and culinary activities at Lac Hong - Bai Duong park, while folk games, performances of Lion - Dragon dances will be held at the Cultural Centre of Rach Gia City.

Mid-Autumn Festival entitled “The colours of the seas” to open at Vietnam Ethnology museum

In order to respond to Hanoians’s demand for entertainment on the occasion of the Mid–Autumn Festival, the Vietnam Ethnology museum, in conjunction with Kids TV – VTC 11, will host the Mid–Autumn Festival 2011 entitled “The colours of the seas” from September 10 to September 12 (August 13-15 lunar calendar). The event will include various and interesting activities for local Hanoians and both domestic and international tourists. The nuances of the sea will be expressed through various activities of coastal and island people from different localities: singing ba trao and playing bai choi (Binh Thuan – Quang Ngai), lion dances on stilts and knitting fishing-nets (Hai Trieu – Nam Dinh) and bending hooks (Cam Xuyen – Ha Tinh). Besides these, there will be other activities such as water puppets, making green rice and making the sticky rice cake of the Red river delta. More than 20 traditional games will also be on display during the events introduction. The public will be able to experience many games with coastal and maritime themes, such as shaking shells, particles, guessing shells, blindfolded shell searching, treasure hunts, playing catch-up in square and playing follow-the-leader.

2011 Buffalo Fight final round

More than 30,000 spectators cheered the contestants in the final round of the 2011 Do Son Buffalo Fight in the Do Son district of Haiphong on September 6. One of the 15 national festivals, the competition takes place on the ninth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar. The organizers held two qualifying rounds in the fifth and six months of the lunar calendar to choose 16 buffalos from the seven wards in Do Son district. The buffalos were divided into eight pairs and competed in a knock-out format to qualify for the semi-finals. The owner of the champion buffalo won VND40 million in prize money.

Vinpearl launches mid-autumn festival

To celebrate the mid-autumn festival, Vinpearl Land prepares a number of entertainment activities for customers and their children. Customers can experience the festive atmosphere on the island with red lanterns, five-color flags, models of fruit trays and mooncakes located in many places. There will be a mid-autumn festival night with the participation of talented child artists who will perform a unicorn dance, juggling and a lantern parade at 6:30 p.m. on September 10, which is the thirteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Children will receive traditional toys like drums, lanterns, masks and to he (toys made from rice) and propellers at the event.

Week-long Indian food festival

ndian food lovers should head to Cafe Rivoli of the Sofitel Saigon Plaza to join in the Indian Culinary Festival organized by the hotel from August 30 until September 6. The opening ceremony of the festival, which is supported by the Consulate General of India in HCMC, kicked off on August 30 with Indian traditional music and yoga performance while guest chef Montu Saini from the Ashok Hotel in New Delhi and his assistant chef Jagan Nath presented his delicious dinner buffet. During the festival, the chefs will showcase to diners a flavor-filled selection of curry, the spirit of Indian culinary dishes, and many authentic recipes containing typical Indian ingredients such as coconut milk, cumin, cardamom, clove, green and red chilies and other special foods like tandoori chicken, dosa, garam masala and chicken tikka.

Quang Nam hosts first Global Choir Festival

Nearly 40 choirs, including over 1,000 domestic and international singers, will perform at the first International Choir Festival & Competition in Hoi An city in the central province of Quang Nam, from March 16-20 in 2011.  The event, jointly organised by Quang Nam province and the German-based Association InterKultur, is part of the 2011 National Tourism Year programme in the central southern coastal region and Phu Yen province . Tran Minh Ca, Deputy Chairman of Quang Nam provincial People’s Committee said on September 17 that the festival will include amateur singers from Vietnam and other countries from across the world.

First International Tea Festival in Thai Nguyen

The first International Tea Festival will be held from November 11 to 15, 2011 in the northeastern province of Thai Nguyen.  The festival will include six major events: the opening ceremony, a Thai Nguyen International Tea Workshop, a tea culture festival, a Miss Thai Nguyen Beauty contest, an exhibition to introduce the people and landscape of Thai Nguyen and Vietnam, and the closing ceremony. The festival is expected to draw the participation of 10 countries and territories, 30 provinces and cities nationwide, 30 traditional craft villages and 25 tea businesses in Thai Nguyen.

Cham Kate Festival in Phan Thiet

Authorities in the central coast province of Phan Thiet have approved a Kate Festival celebration of the Cham people at Po Sah Inu Tower in Phan Thiet City from September 24 to 26.  The festival, which aims to preserve traditional culture of Cham people and to promote the image of the local tourism sector, will feature a procession of palanquins and costumes of Po Sah Inu Goddess, a ceremony to open the tower’s gate, washing the altar for linga and yoni ceremony, traditional music performances, goods fair, contests of weaving brocade, pottery and cake making and folk games.