Girls of Giang Vo perform by ca tru (ceremonial singing)

 Hundreds of Vietnamese and foreign visitors were impressed by a ca tru (ceremonial singing) show performed by little girls at the Giang Vo communal house on July 23 evening.

Ca Tru troupe joins ranks of singing elite

Memory of world-famous whispering singer

Quan ho and Ca tru receive UNESCO certification

 

The show was organized to celebrate the 4th birthday of the Thang Long Ca Tru Club.

The two smallest singers are Doan Thanh Hien (left), 10 and Nguyen Hue Phuong, 11.

The eldest singer is an 11th grader.

Nguyen Thuy Chi, (right), has studied ty ba (Chinese four-chord lute) in the Hanoi Conservatory of Music for 13 years, but she sings ca tru very well.

Artisan Nguyen Thi Chuc, 80, performed with her student, Pham Thi Hue. She is the founder of Thang Long Ca Tru Club.

Mô tả ảnh.

This audience stayed after the show to ask a young singer to teach her how to use a traditional musical instrument.

The show attracted hundreds of people.

Source: VNE

Hanoi in Pictures

VietNamNet Bridge introduces nice moments of Hanoi captured by amateur photographers. These are winning-prize photos of “Thang Long Moments” photo contest.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter in graffiti

Hanoi’s Old Quarter streets not slated for UNESCO

Secrets of Hanoi’s two oldest water towers

“Betel friends” by Tran Huu Cuong from Dong Nai province

“Daisy season” by Dzung Nguyen from HCM City.

“That hand” by Do Manh Hung from Hanoi

“Hoan Kiem Lake” by Tran Huu Cuong, Dong Nai.

“Beautiful moment”

“Going abreast with time”

“Happiness”

“A vendor” by Ha Van Dong from HCM City.

“A vendor” by Tran Huy Phu, HCM City.

“Childhood” by Dzung Nguyen, HCM City.

Kien Trung

New shows that feature Vietnamese musical genres

The theatre on July 19 signed cooperation contracts with travel firms and introduced its new shows that feature various Vietnamese musical genres.

Hanoi lures tourists by cheo

Chèo-pop fusion singer makes triumphant return to Hanoi stage

In-home theaters preserve the past

The theatre will launch its “Spring Festival” show on July 30, performing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for tourists.

This show emphasizes entertainment rather than just the classical cheo art, advertising the unique features and beauty of various forms of Vietnamese music, song, and dance.

“Spring Festival” is a variety show, introducing quan ho, hat xam, ca tru, chau van and cheo through a story. Before the show, pamphlets in Vietnamese and English will be delivered to audiences to provide them with information about the history of Vietnamese traditional arts.

The show will not be performed by the theatre’s senior artists, but rather by young talents.

To celebrate Hanoi’s 1000^th anniversary, the Hanoi Cheo Theatre is also arranging a cheo drama about a historical character named Cao Ba Quat.

Cheo is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is today increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers.

Cheo origins date to the 12th century during the Ly Dynasty and has existed in its present form since roughly the 16th century. It derives from folk traditions, and was orally transmitted; unlike courtly theater traditions, it employs no scenery and sparse costumes and makeup. It involves a combination of traditional set pieces and improvisational routines appropriate to amateur theatre. It often carries of a message of satirical criticism of the existing social order. The traditional musical ensemble consisted of fiddle, flute, and drum, though in modern recreations more instruments are used.

PV

Tourist tramcars glide through Hanoi streets | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Tourist tramcars glide through Hanoi streets | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "Tramcars have been operating for a week now, serving visitors who want to tour the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake. The fare is reasonable, 15,000 dong for a 30-minute tour.This new service is supplied by Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company, with 12 electric tramcars with 8 seats.With 15,000 dong, visitors can sit on a tramcar to tour ancient streets like Hang Khoai, Hang Chieu, Hang Non, Ma May, Luong Van Can, Le Thai To to Hoan Kiem Lake. They run silently at average speeds of 12 kilometer per hour.

As a new service, the tramcars have not attracted many visitors yet. However, many people are anxious to test this new vehicle.

A tour on tramcar:

Source: VNE

Revolutionary martyrs recalled | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Revolutionary martyrs recalled | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "A special music programme featuring dozens of famous singers, dancers and musicians will be organised in the Binh Phuoc Province Heroes’ Cemetery next Monday.

Lyrical moment: Pop star Dan Truong (right) in HCM City will participate in the traditional music show Truong Ca Do (Red Epic) at the Binh Phuoc Province Heroes’ Cemetery next Monday. - File Photo

To celebrate revolutionary martyrs, the Truong Ca Do (Red Epic) programme will feature music in praise of the country, its history, traditional culture and lifestyle.

The event will include three parts, Linh Thieng Viet Nam (Heroic Viet Nam), Ho Chi Minh Dep Nhat Ten Nguoi (Ho Chi Minh – the Most Beautiful Name) and Me va Chien Si (Mother and Soldiers).

The show expects an audience of hundreds of mother heroes, and veterans and soldiers who were invited by the organisers.

Residents in the region will also have access to the show, which will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television, HCM City Television and Binh Phuoc Province Television channels.

“By organising Truong Ca Do at the Binh Phuoc Province Heroes’ Cemetery, we hope to help young generations improve their love and respect for many martyrs, who died for the country’s independence,” said Dinh Hong Hai of the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper, deputy head of the event’s organising board.

The Binh Phuoc Heroes Cemetery is home to 4,500 heroes and martyrs across the country, who died in battles in southern provinces and Cambodia during French and American wars, he said.

As one of the event’s organisers, Hai added, we wanted to play a role in encouraging youth to learn more about the country’s history and revolutionary tradition.

People’s Artist Thu Hien and other veteran singers, Thanh Hoa and Trung Duc, will perform during the three-part show.

They will sing songs recognised as canons of revolutionary music such as Tinh Ca (Love Song) composed by Hoang Viet and Hanh Khuc Ngay va Dem (March Night and Day) by Phan Huynh Dieu.

Pop star Dan Truong will also perform a song with support from his dance group.

The 33-year-old said he found inspiration by singing revolutionary tunes, discovering that “performing is learning”.

The show’s organisers were intent on offering a professional show and invited artists from music conservatories in Ha Noi and HCM City, including singers Ta Minh Tam and Anh Bang.

Truong Ca Do begins at 8pm next Monday. Performances are free.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Mekong Aviation First Commercial Flight Oct 2010

Mekong Aviation is completing hectic preparations for its first commercial flight, while Jetstar Pacific is trying to expand its market share.


LookAtVietnam - Mekong Aviation is completing hectic preparations for its first commercial flight, slated for October 2010, while Jetstar Pacific is trying to expand its market share.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Mekong Aviation, a private airline, has decided that it will take the first commercial flight on October 10, 2010. The information is good news for Vietnam’s aviation market.
Believing that it cannot confront airlines that have experience and a certain market share, Mekong Aviation has decided to exploit the ‘niche market’: the airline will fly domestic air routes with Bombardier CRJ 900 jets. Its air routes will be Hanoi-Phu Quoc island, HCM City-Phu Quoc island with four flights per week and also Hanoi-HCM City. At this moment, other airlines do not want to fly Hanoi-Phu Quoc, because Phu Quoc only has a small airport capable of receiving aircraft with less than 100 seats. Only Vietnam Airlines can meet the requirement because it has ATR and Forker aircraft.

As such, right when it joins the market, Mekong Aviation will have an advantage. Another advantage is in aircraft. Bombardier CRJ 900 has 95 seats that flies more smoothly and more quickly than propeller-driven planes.

Mekong Aviation is the first Vietnamese airline to use the Bombardier, chartering them from US SkyWest. SkyWest will also provide the maintenance service.

Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Vo Huy Cuong, Head of the Aviation Transport Department under the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV), as saying that SkyWest is preparing to buy 30 percent of stakes of Mekong Aviation.

If the purchase is accepted by the Ministry of Transport, this will be the third Vietnamese airline that has sold stakes to foreign partners, after Jetstar Pacific Airlines, and VietJet Air.

It is expected that in August, Mekong Aviation will receive its first aircraft. To date, the air carrier has fulfilled three out of the five steps needed to apply for AOC (air operator’s certificate).

The budget airline Jetstar Pacific is also planning to expand its market share after a long period of coping with the economic downturn. Under an agreement with foreign partner Qantas, by 2014, the airline will put 10 Airbus A320-A321s into operation to improve flight capacity. The first A320 will be delivered in October 2010.
The airline’s fleet now includes five Boeing 747s and one Airbus A321. Jetstar Pacific’s foreign partner cooperates in training pilots and technical teams and has committed to long-term investment in Vietnam.
According to Cuong from CAAV, while Indochina Airlines is facing license revocation, the fact that Mekong Aviation is preparing to take off and Jetstar Pacific is trying to increase its capacity will help the aviation market increase transport capacity.
With a growth rate of nearly 20 percent per annum, travel demand is very high, and the three currently operational airlines cannot meet the demand, especially at peak times.
 In order to take-off in October, Mekong Aviation will have to open its ticket sale system by August at the latest. It is expected that airfares will be equal or lower than the average airfare of Vietnam Airlines on the same air routes.
Source: Nguoi lao dong, Tuoi tre

Man caught smuggling 18 monkeys in girdle - World news - Weird news - msnbc.com

Man caught smuggling 18 monkeys in girdle - World news - Weird news - msnbc.com: "Man caught smuggling 18 monkeys in girdle
Smuggling suspect tells officials he worried X-rays would 'hurt them'

MEXICO CITY — A man with a mysterious bulge under his T-shirt was stopped, searched and detained at Mexico City's international airport after authorities found 18 tiny endangered monkeys in a girdle he was wearing.

The Public Safety Department said in a statement Monday that 38-year-old Roberto Cabrera arrived on a commercial flight Friday from Lima, Peru, when authorities noticed the bulge and conducted a body search.

The department says Cabrera was carrying the 6-inch titi monkeys in pouches attached to the girdle. Two of the monkeys were dead.

Cabrera was arrested on charges of trafficking an endangered species.

Cabrera told authorities he was carrying the monkeys in a suitcase but decided to put them in his girdle 'so the X-rays wouldn't hurt them.'

First 41 voices chosen for next round of Vietnam Idol -

First 41 voices chosen for next round of Vietnam Idol - ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - VietNamNet: "Thirty-seven have been selected from more than 5000 northern contestants of Vietnam Idol 2010 who participated in the preliminary round at the Hanoi National Convention Hall from July 3-7.


Dreaming of instant fame, 17,000 register for ‘Vietnam Idol 2010’ tryouts
Vietnam Idol returns
Hanoians endure scorching sun for Vietnam Idol



Nearly 5000 people queued in temperatures of nearly 40oC to register for the 3rd Vietnam Idol in Hanoi.



Four more contestants passed the preliminary round in the Central Highlands on July 9.



Today, July 13, the preliminary round for the southwestern region will start in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and then in HCM City from July 21-25.



After audition rounds, 100 contestants will enter the qualifying rounds to choose 16 for the semi-finals. The audience can vote for their favourite voices from the semi-final rounds. Contestants will be divided into three groups to perform solo. Ten will be selected for the finale. The final gala will be held in HCM City on December 25 and broadcast live on VTV6.



The winner will receive $20,000 and have his/her own album produced by the show organizers.



The competition is open to Vietnamese who are 16 to 30 years old. The jury has three members, including singer Siu Black, movie director Nguyen Quang Dung and musician Quoc Trung.



Vietnam Idol will air on VTV6 at 9pm Tuesday and Saturday from August 21 to December 25.



In total, the organizing board has already received applications from 22,614 contestants.



PV

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

800 million cigarette packs smuggled annually in Vietnam

800 million cigarette packs smuggled annually in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "Up to 800 million cigarette packs, or a fifth of the domestic consumption of tobacco, are smuggled into the country every year, according to the Vietnam Tobacco Association.
Smuggling skyrockets in northern VN

HCM City braces for rise in smuggling

The association estimated the loss of tax revenues annually to the government as a result of the smuggling at 3.5 trillion dong (US$183.7 million).

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City are among the worst affected. Smuggled cigarettes account for 70 of the tobacco market share in Can Tho and 46 percent in HCMC.
The police only discover and confiscate 1 percent of the smuggled cigarettes, the association said.

Vietnam has among the highest rates of male smokers in the world - 56.1 percent — according to the World Health Organization.

The Ministry of Health reported last year that 40,000 people died of smoking-related diseases a year, four times the road accident death tally.

But public awareness of the negative impacts of smoking, especially secondhand smoking, remains low.

Source: Tuoi Tre

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Sunset

Six beauties enter Miss Vietnam Global semi-finals

The Miss Vietnam Global 2010 preliminary round for the northern region took place in Tuyen Quang Province, attracting nearly 20 girls.

Miss Vietnam Global 2010: ticket revenue for charity

Miss Vietnam Global 2010 finals scheduled in August

Ministry approves Miss Vietnam Global 2010 in Nha Trang

Global Vietnamese beauties to converge in Nha Trang

Six were selected for the semi-finals, including Bùi Thị Thu Hư�ng, Lý Thị Lan, �ỗ Kim Dung, Nguyễn Thị Thu Hằng, Lâm Huy�n My and Vũ Thị Lan. All of them are students.

The final preliminary round for the northern delta will be held in Hanoi on July 11-12, drawing more than 100 contestants.

The six contestants:

Bui Thi Thu Huong, 22.

Do Kim Dung, 22.

Ly Thi Lan (left), 20 and Do Kim Dung.

Lam Huyen My, 18 and Bui Thi Thu Huong.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, 20.

Vu Thi Lan, 20.

Lam Huyen My.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hang.

PV

New Asian customer in spotlight at Web in Travel 2010

The new Asian customer and the way she plans, books and buys travel will be in the spotlight at this year’s Web In Travel conference taking place in Singapore in October.

“There is a new customer emerging in Asia,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, owner of the conference.

“She is extremely value-conscious and tech-savvy in the way she seeks and accesses information on the web, comparing not only prices but also what other people are saying about a product or service.

“Game-changing gadgets such as the iPhone or the iPad, social networks such as Facebook and travel review sites such as TripAdvisor are just some of the factors that are influencing traveller behaviour across the region.

“We also have a very Internet-savvy and mobile-connected generation of customers emerging in Asia. In July, Asia became the largest producer of tweets on Twitter and some of Facebook’s biggest growth markets are found in the region.”

This, she said, explains why TripAdvisor, the biggest travel review site in the world, and Facebook are setting up regional headquarters in Singapore.

Social networking activity is on the rise in Asia, as tracked by comScore, the global company that gathers digital media intelligence, showing that 50.8 percent of the total online population in the Asia-Pacific region visited a social networking site in February 2010, reaching a total of 240.3 million visitors.

Brett Henry, vice president marketing, Abacus International, the travel technology company which processes most of the region’s air reservations, said, “The people going to social networks are no longer just the younger generation.

"Granted that in Asia, there is still a market for the 50s and above who are less Internet savvy and prefer to book offline. But if you project ahead, in a decade or less, the Internet and social media savvy Generation C will be ruling the world.”

In India, for instance, more than one-third of its total Internet population visit travel sites with comScore reporting that top online travel brands are seeing double and triple-digit growth as consumers take to the web in search of deals.

AirAsia’s Facebook fan page grew from zero members to more than 200,000 within a year and now stands at 339,009 members.

Said Kathleen Tan, regional head of commercial for the airline group which will fly its 100th million passenger by the fourth quarter of this year, “With an average of 6,500 fans and over 33,000 visits to our fan page weekly, we know that they are taking us seriously on the social media front.”

Said Yeoh, “Everyone recognises the huge travel demand there is in Asia, not only in the major population areas of China and India, but also across the whole of South-east and North Asia.

"People are travelling either for the first time, thanks to low cost airlines, or for the umpteenth time, and they are branching out to try new places. And they are being adventurous not only in where they travel to but how they plan and book their travels.”

In July as well, Google, which commanded 72 percent of the search market in the US in May 2010 (Experian Hitwise), paid US$700 million to acquire ITA Software, a company whose technology solution helps travellers search for air fares.

“This development which sees Google moving into the travel vertical can only benefit travellers as this will spur the industry to improve search and make it easier for us to look for the best air fares to anywhere,” said Yeoh.

It is against this backdrop that leading travel marketing and technology experts from around the world will gather at the Web In Travel conference to discuss and debate the latest customer trends emerging in Asia.

Represented on the speakers list are new brands such as TripAdvisor; travel.co.jp, the publicly-listed Japanese meta travel search site; koreahotels.com, the leading online hotel portal in South Korea; NileGuide, the US-based travel planning site; Holiday IQ, the India-based travel media site that’s expanding in South-east Asia; and Indonesia’s Mandala Airlines, which is launching international services to Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau soon.

Established online travel brands such as Wotif, ZUJI/Travelocity, Expedia and Hotels.com will also be represented, along with the leading players in search, revenue management, social media, branding, marketing and distribution.

“What we wanted to do this year was to widen our net to cover players who are making waves in Asia Pacific, international brands who are entering the region and emerging markets such as Indonesia and Korea,” said Yeoh.

Close to 60 speakers have been confirmed, with more likely to be added in the months to come.

Berlin Philharmonic to perform in Hanoi, HCM City | Look At Vietnam -

Twelve cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the world top orchestras, will hold a concert at Hanoi Opera House on July 10 and HCM City Theatre on July 11.

Buddhist events for Hanoi’s anniversary

Vietnam – my beloved country

Vienna Charity Ball held for first time in Vietnam

The twelve cellists include: Ludwig Quandt, Nikolaus Römisch, Dietmar Schwalke, Richard Duven, Solène Kermarre, Christoph Igelbrink, Olaf Manninger, Martin Menking, Knut Weber, Rachel HelleurDavid Riniker, David Riniker and Martin Löhr.

“Innovative, brilliant, humorous”, that is the message of the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.

The ensemble, an unique group of musicians, has taken its place in the first row of the international musical landscape. More than one hundred contemporary composers have created works especially for the 12 Cellists. Their broad repertoire has impressed audiences around the world for the last 37 years.

Whether playing classical, jazz or avant-garde, the 12 Cellists produce an unmistakable, richly facetted mix of musical colors and unparalleled sound quality. The instruments they play contribute as well: all come from Italian workshops of the 17th and 18th centuries.

They accompany German Federal Presidents on official travels, and the Japanese Emperor welcomes them regularly. Their appearances in Hanoi and HCMC will be one of the highlights of “Germany in Vietnam 2010”.

Google weighs into airfare market-

Google weighs into airfare market


News out of the United States that Google has entered the online travel market, buying ITA Software, a flight information software company, for $US700 million.

The move to acquire Massachusetts-based ITA will see Google muscle into a market controlled by Expedia, Kayak, Orbitz, Microsoft's Bing Travel and other sites.

The web search giant said its acquisition of ITA "will create a new, easier way for users to find better flight information online".

"The acquisition will benefit passengers, airlines and online travel agencies by making it easier for users to comparison shop for flights and air fares," Google said in a statement.

"Airline travel and search are a terrific opportunity for more innovation, more investment and more interesting products,"
Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said in a conference call.

"There's clearly more room for competition and innovation here."

Google stressed that it "won't be setting air fare prices and has no plans to sell airline tickets to consumers”.

"Our goal is to build a tool that drives more traffic to airline and online travel agency sites where customers can purchase tickets," the company said.

ITA specialises in organising airline data, including flight times, availability and prices.

Bing, Kayak, Orbitz and TripAdvisor are among ITA's present customers and Google said it looked forward to working with them and will "honor all existing agreements".

Google vice president Marissa Mayer said nearly half of all airline tickets are now sold online and Google said requests for travel-related information are among the highest-volume queries received at the search engine.

"But for many people, finding the right flight at the best price is a frustrating experience," Mayer said.

Vietnam Airlines halts selling domestic low-cost air tickets | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Vietnam Airlines announced it would temporarily cease applying its special airfare scheme for agencies participating in a domestic tourism stimulus
LookAtVietnam - Vietnam Airlines (VNA) suddenly announced it would temporarily cease applying its special airfare scheme for agencies participating in a domestic tourism stimulus program between July 1 and August 15, 2010
Grenade joke costs Vietnam Airlines passenger $500, lifetime ban
Tran The Dung, vice deputy head of the HCM City Tourism Stimulus Group, also director of the Young Generation Tourist said the decision will negatively impact tourist companies and the tourism stimulus program “Vietnam – your destination’’ launched by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Participating in the stimulus program, VNA had pledged to cut airfares for domestic tours provided by travel agents that join the program until the end of this year, excepting specific holidays.

Travel agents speculated that perhaps so many customers have exploited the low-cost air tickets that VNA had to adjust its program.

Under the Vietnam Airlines’ special airfare program, the HCMC Tourism Stimulus Group attracted 4,052 tourists to central and northern provinces in all-inclusive tours packaged together with low-cost airfares this June.

Tours were offered at rates discounted by 30-35 percent. The number of tourists soared by three times compared to that of May, and ten times over the same period last year when the first tourism stimulus campaign, “Impressive Vietnam,” launched.