Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: 1st French week in Vietnam

Thursday, April 3, 2008

1st French week in Vietnam

The event, co-organised by the French Embassy in Vietnam and French economic agencies, will take place from April 6-12 in HCM City.

During the week, Vietnamese people can participate in or attend various cultural, sports and economic activities such as a marathon, a friendly match between former football players of the Vietnamese and French national teams, fashion shows, a photo exhibition, dance performance, the Montmartre night gala, the French economic and trade exhibition and some special seminars.

The French week will open at 5.30pm, April 6 with a marathon, which is expected to attract around 5,000 runners.

Nicolas Cornet’s photo exhibition on Vietnam and Vietnamese people from April 6-19 at the HCM City Museum of Arts at 97A Pho Duc Chinh, 1 will be the following event.

On April 7, Dominique Boivin will give a dance performance called “Dance, my story” at the Ben Thanh Theatre, 6 Mac Dinh Chi, District 1. On the same day, the Bamboo Ecological Museum will open in Phu An Village.

Some activities that will raise money for charity include: a friendly match between former players of the French and Vietnamese football national teams at 7pm, April 8 at Thong Nhat Stadium; a gala party served by chefs of Euro – Toques and a fashion show “On Aura Tout Vu” involving Vietnamese designer Cong Tri, French singer Lydia Martinez at White Palace, 194 Hoang Van Thu, Phu Nhuan district on April 9; the Montmartre Festival in the garden of the French General Consulate, 27 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai.

The French week will close with the inauguration ceremony of the illumination project for the HCM City Opera House at 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, District 1 on April 12.

The French Embassy has prepared for this event for 1.5 years. A similar event will be organised in June 2009. The organisers have launched a website introducing the event at www.tuan-le-phap.com.

On the occasion of the French Cultural Week, the HCM City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra (HBSO) will have a French music and dance programme on April 9 at the HCM City Opera House. The concert will include music by J. Offenbach, C. Saint-Saens, G. Fauré and an extract from the ballet Le Corsaire. Conductor Tran Vuong Thach and violinist Tang Thanh Nam will participate in the programme.

No comments:

Post a Comment

They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.