Category: Lifestyle

The Vietnam Festival 2023 with the theme of “Hope” opened at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on June 3.

Hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, the event is one of the major celebrations for the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi affirmed the effective cooperation between the two countries in recent years, reflected in regular exchanges at all levels. Of these, the most notable one was Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s attendance at the expanded G7 summit in May this year.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said that as the largest-ever of its kind, the Vietnam Festival 2023 shows the wishes of governments, localities and people of the two countries to join hands towards the future, entering a new stage of development.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu said that the annual festival in Tokyo offers an opportunity for the Vietnamese community in Japan and Japanese friends to exchange and enjoy Vietnamese music, arts and cuisine, thereby understanding more about each other.

The two-day festival features 140 booths run by Vietnamese companies and organisations, which showcase a wide range of traditional Vietnamese foods and products.

Visitors to the event will also be able to enjoy cultural and music performances by artists from both nations./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2023 officially kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on June 2 evening with performances by the Vietnamese and Finnish teams.

After three years of hiatus, over 5,000 fireworks enthusiasts were once again able to witness the magnificent displays of light and sound along the Han River, creating a familiar and dazzling “feast” for the eyes.

This year’s festival features teams from the UK, Poland, Canada, France, Finland, Australia, Italy, and Vietnam, all of which have a long-standing tradition in the art of firework displays. These teams will come together to tell stories through light, music, and the soaring heights of artistic expression and emotions, promising to deliver unforgettable surprises and impressions.

The host Vietnam took the stage with their presentation showcasing a story of peace and friendship under the theme “Da Nang – The Sound of Peace.” The Finnish team, on the other hand, expressed intense emotions and deep love for life in their performance centred around the theme “Igniting the Heart.”

Themed “The World Without Distance”, the festival is scheduled to take place from June 2 to July 8.

Da Nang is the only locality in Vietnam to have hosted a fireworks festival, making it a magnet for the best fireworks producers from around the world each year since 2008. It has been building a “Fireworks Festival City” reputation to promote it as a top destination in central Vietnam and Asia.

The DIFF has helped the city win recognition as Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination in 2016 and 2022 by the World Travel Awards./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A multimedia installation exhibition named “Walking Through A Songline” opened at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi on April 27, as part of celebrations to mark the 50th founding anniversary of Australia-Vietnam diplomatic relations.

The exhibition invites visitors to a space of immersive light projections, following the footsteps of the Seven Sisters as they traverse the Western and Central deserts of Australia.

Songlines (or Dreaming) are central to the existence of Australia’s First Nations’ (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) peoples, mapping the routes of Ancestral beings as they travelled across Australia, creating the land and its people. They are a way of holding and passing on knowledge to new generations.

Addressing the event, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said that one of the Australian Government’s missions is to bring the stories of Australia to the world. This includes knowledge and stories about Australia’s indigenous people.

By bringing the exhibition to Hanoi, the Australian Government is sharing these stories with friends in Vietnam, he said.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet, Director of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, a co-organiser of the exhibition in Hanoi, said the exhibition offered an in-depth exploration of the cultural and historical stories of Australia through a unique digital display form, adding that this will be a great gift for Hanoians.

The exhibition will run until May 21./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hong Kong has one of the most influential pop cultures among Asian cities, especially its pervasive Cantopop and movies from the 1980s to the 1990s, which gave birth to a lot of superstars who were well-known internationally. The timeless influence of those masterpieces can still be found in the pop culture of Hong Kong and even the rest of Asia. The first-ever “Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival” kicks off in April, with over 20 exciting events scheduled throughout the year. An array of experiences await visitors to relive the golden age of Hong Kong superstars, including Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, who reigned in the music and movie industries. Some pop culture classics will be reinterpreted with unconventional modern elements, including makeovers of some one-of-a-kind melodies with new components, like jazz and a cappella. With fresh presentations of Hong Kong classics, these events pay tribute to the legendary trendsetters who have assiduously contributed to the local pop culture. Here are four recommended experiences for visitors to savour and reminisce about the old days, paying tribute to the legends. Passing on the Legend with a Brand New Interpretation Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of Leslie Cheung (“Gor-gor”) this year, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum has organised an exhibition, with Cheung’s close friends Florence Chan, William Chang and Wing Shya as guest curators. Featuring his stage costumes, vinyl records, music and film work, awards and personal collections, the exhibition presents Cheung’s legendary achievements in music and film, as well as his influence on popular culture. Movie Tram Tales Told by Cinematic Storytellers Movie Tram Tickets available online for registration quintessential Hong Kong symbol on the move, the tram is a vessel of the city’s unique scenery and memories, making it an ideal backdrop for a lot of Hong Kong movies. The Festival will present “Movie Tram” tours, in which the participants will take a walking tour around film locations in Central and Western District before hopping onto a tram, where famous filmmakers, including Stanley Kwan and Kearen Pang, will share behind-the-scenes stories and inspirations for cinematic creativity, uncovering the gems of the city’s moving pictures. In the Mood for Qipao A Showcase of the Flourishing Era of Hong Kong Cinema Cinderella and Her Qipao Exhibition The qipao (cheongsam) is a fashion symbol of Chinese culture, as well as a key styling element for female leads in a lot of Hong Kong movies. This exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive, with over 30 qipaos from a selection of films spanning different eras will be on display, recreating the cultural landscapes of the past with pieces worn by iconic actresses such as Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin. Out of Thin Air: Hong Kong Film Arts and Costumes Exhibition The Hong Kong Heritage Museum and Hong Kong Film Arts Association will jointly present the exhibition. Through the display of iconic costumes, props, sets, paraphernalia and workshop scenes, the exhibition will take visitors behind the scenes to explore the nature of Hong Kong’s film culture, as well as the highly adaptable professionalism and creative inclusiveness of film industry workers. More riveting activities will debut soon. Make these experiences part of your itinerary and embark on a distinctive pop culture journey in the footsteps of legendary Hong Kong superstars. Contacts For media enquiries: Ms Alice Chen Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Source: Antara News Agency

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry will hold a cross-border festival in Jayapura city, Jayapura, in 2023, and is aiming to attract at least two thousand visitors to the event.Head of the Jayapura Tourism OfficeMatias Manosaid that Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno expressed his intention to conduct the festival during a visit to the border post in Skouw village on Tuesday (March 21, 2023). “Aside from the cross-border festival, other activity to rouse tourism in Jayapura city is the ten-km run competition,” he added. The ten-kilometer race will involve Indonesians and Papua New Guineans living in the city, he informed. “So, the setup of the competition is five kilometers in Indonesia, then five more kilometers in Papua New Guinea,” he said. Mano informed that the race has been designed with such a setup so that people will become interested in coming to the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border in Skouw village. He also disclosed that the ministry is intending to make Jayapura a creative city, just like Ambon city in Maluku, which is known for its music. “This is also in accordance with President Joko Widodo’s directive when he established Papua Youth Creative Hub in Jayapura city on Tuesday, March 21, in which he expected a Jayapura street carnival event (to be held),” Mano said. He informed that the carnival will kick off in June as part of the Sentani Lake festival, which will take place in Jayapura. “(This initiative) can serve as a direction for us in creating Jayapura as a city of fashion, on top of other choices from Jayapura municipal government should they wish to make Jayapura a city of dance, it is possible,” he said. baca-jugaRelated news: Minister to develop two tourism activities at Indonesia-PNG borderRelated news: Tourism, investment development to be focused in 4 Papua districtsRelated news: Papua urged to develop tourism sector more seriously: BPS

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) – Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara, is selected to host the 9th Eastern Indonesia Forum Festival scheduled to take place on July 26-27, 2023.”Kupang City is very ready to host the East Indonesia Forum IX Festival that will be attended by one thousand participants from Indonesia’s 12 eastern provinces,” Acting Mayor of Kupang George Melkianus Hadjoh remarked here on Wednesday. Hadjoh said representatives from the Indonesian Eastern Region Knowledge Exchange (BaKTI) Foundation and officials from the province’s regional research development and planning agency had met with the Kupang City Government to discuss preparations for the forum. ccording to the acting mayor, more national-scale activities being conducted in Kupang City translated to greater boost to drive growth in the local economy. Hadjoh believes that the forum will offer the necessary momentum for Kupang to advance cultural arts in order to encourage growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region. “The Kupang city administration will also activate the calendar of events in every village for them to participate in this forum and to foster the locals’ love for art, culture, and sports as well as attract tourists from outside the region,” Hadjoh explained. Furthermore, he urged Kupang City’s Planning and Development Agency (Bappeda) to establish coordination and communication with the BaKTI foundation that serves as the forum’s secretariat to discuss any preparations for making the event a success. The city administration said it will partner with cultural and tribal centers from 12 eastern provinces to enliven the culture night event planned for the festival. “All associations from 12 eastern Indonesia provinces that are based in Kupang City are invited to perform at the opening night of the festival, such as cultural arts performances originating from their respective regions,” Hadjoh stated. baca-jugaRelated news: andgtovt helps self-employed workers to have competitive edges: ministerRelated news: Singkawang’s harmony capital for tourism development: Minister Uno

Source: Antara News Agency

Mentok, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA) – The West Bangka district government, Bangka Belitung Islands, is planning to seek cultural heritage status for four historical buildings in MentokCity.”Currently, cultural officers are still collecting data; we hope that this year, a proposal can be drafted so that the buildings can be designated as cultural heritage,” West Bangka’s Tourism and Culture Office SecretaryBambang Haryo Suseno said here on Tuesday. The plan for seeking historical cultural heritage status for the four buildings is a part of the local government’s efforts to preserve them. From 2018 to 2020, the West Bangka administration designated 24 historical buildings as cultural heritage. “This year, we started the preservation program again by proposing four buildings, namely a former fort, Gelora Field, a prison, and a former Chinese school, to be designated as cultural heritage,” Suseno informed. The former fort, which was a military dormitory complex, currently functions as the Mentok City Police station, while Gelora Field, where Indonesia’s first President, Soekarno, delivered a speech once, was originally a square built in the Dutch colonial period. The prison, which is still functioning as a detention center, is located beside the Indonesian Tin Museum in Mentok, and the former Chinese community school (Cung Hua School) is in Mentok’s old market complex. The West Bangka administration is striving to obtain cultural heritage status for the buildings as soon as possible so that efforts can be made to protect, develop, and utilize them, in accordance with Law No. 11 of 2010 concerning Cultural Heritage. District-level recognition of cultural heritage buildings is expected to increase welfare through development, implementation, and supervision policies. West Bangka has the most cultural heritage buildings in Bangka Belitung Islands, which reflects the local government’s commitment to managing and preserving the wealth of cultural heritage in the region.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Culture is the very foundation of village development, Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar has said.”What’s for certain is that the first basis of village handling is culture,” he said here on Wednesday while receiving a visit from the director general of cultural affairs at the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry, Hilmar Farid.

positive culture is necessary for development; and the revitalization of cultural aspects is important, so that it can meet the need for improvement, the minister added.

Thus, the ministry has responded positively to the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry’s initiative to host the Village Culture Development program, he said.

The program seeks to identify patterns that can cater to different problems, potential, and needs of each region, Iskandar informed.

“The pattern must be determined. But it still has to be measured, and obviously, must remain consistent and sustainable,” the minister added.

The program is the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry’s priority program and was initiated in 2021. It aims to promote the development of culture through the empowerment of village residents.

The target is in keeping with Minister Iskandar’s idea outlined in the 18th point of the Village Sustainable Development Goals, which covers the development of dynamic village institutions and an adaptive village culture so that villages can develop without letting go of their deep-rooted culture.

Minister Iskandar said that culture should not be lost to time; instead, it must become the basis of growth toward an independent village.

Meanwhile, Farid informed that the program will target at least 235 villages. Those villages will be given training on village development through a cultural approach.

“The point is, we collect data. Cultural potential is not only art, but also technology, including language. We want to address issues in villages, like stunting and such, but we are more so focused on the cultural approach,” he said.

Source: Antara News Agency