VietExplorer

“The art of Xoe Thai” was honored by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It’s a pride and inspiration of the Thai and other ethnic groups to further promote Xoe Thai in the contemporary life. At a ceremony to to honor Xoe Thai dance on September 19 in Son La province, performances by Thai people refreshed the folk art and cultural values of the Thai people in the northwestern region. Luong Pham Mai Phuong, a Thai woman in Son La province, said, “I’m proud to join the Xoe Festival and celebrate UNESCO’s recognition of Xoe Thai as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. I’ll try to preserve the traditional art and promote it to many more people.” Xoe Thai is a folk dance genre with movements representing human activities, which is performed at religious events and festivals. The Thai say that “Without Xoe, flowers can’t bloom, people aren’t happy, a boy and a girl can’t become a couple, and rice and corn can...

People in Vietnam’s northern mountains say that the old Then melodies have a special attraction. The preservation and promotion of Then singing is a major concern of Then artists. People’s Artisan Ha Thuan of Tuyen Quang province has devoted his life to singing and teaching Then. At the age of 80 he still remembers by heart several stories about the old Then melodies of the Tay. Thuan recalls that in the past shamans sang Then at ceremonial rituals for families in the village. When he was small, he often followed senior villagers to worship rituals and the Then singing he heard imprinted itself on his heart and mind. Thuan still spends most of his time collecting and teaching ancient Then melodies to young people.  “There was a time when people said Then was superstition. I’m very happy that UNESCO has recognized its value,” says Thuan. “I’m trying to preserve the cultural identity of our group by teaching young people. I tell them that, just as I’m teaching them now, they...

The Red Bull driver won a dramatic, rain-shortened race in Suzuka and claimed the championship when his nearest rival Charles Leclerc was relegated to third by a five-second penalty. The flying Dutchman said it was a “crazy feeling” to lift the trophy for a second time — then set his sights on ruling the sport for years to come. “If I have a competitive car, I’m confident that we can keep this going,” said the 25-year-old, who has won 12 of 18 races this season. “It also depends on what the competition is going to come up with. I really believe in this group and I really hope that in the coming years we can enjoy a lot more wins and potentially of course championships.” Verstappen was only informed he had retained his title midway through the post-race TV interview, and even the driver himself was not sure. Ferrari’s Leclerc crossed the line second in front of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, but he was hit with a penalty after squeezing Perez in the final chicane and being deemed to have...

A post on Casillas’ official account on Sunday said: “I hope you respect me: I’m gay” to which former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol responded: “The time has come to tell our story, Iker.”The post on the Casillas account was later deleted and he said his account had been hacked and he apologised to his fans and the LGBT community, as did Puyol for what he said was a “clumsy joke”. Cavallo criticised the Spanish duo for making fun of the issue. “@IkerCasillas and @Carles5puyol joking and making fun out of coming out in football is disappointing,” Cavallo, who became the first active A-League player to come out as gay last year, said on Twitter. “It’s a difficult journey that any LGBTQ+ ppl have to go through. To see my role models and legends of the game make fun out of coming out and my community is beyond disrespectful,” Cavallo said. Casillas and Puyol did not immediately respond to a request for comm...

The Hanoi Golf & Cultural Exchange Week 2022 kicked off on October 17 with the expectation that the event will become an annual occasion for domestic and international golfers. Vietnam Tourism Association (second, right), and Nguyen Minh Duc, Editor in Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper (third, right) at the opening of the Hanoi Golf & Cultural Exchange Week 2022. Photo: Pham Hung" src="https://media.hanoitimes.vn/2022/10/17/golf%201.jpg" alt="" title="" style="max-width:100%;height:auto;"> Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tourism Association (second, right), and Nguyen Minh Duc, Editor in Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper (third, right) at the opening of the Hanoi Golf & Cultural Exchange Week 2022. Photo: Pham Hung The event runs between October 17 and October 23, 2022 drawing the participation of more than 400 non-professional golf players, including business executives...

This plan was set out during an international conference on Vietnamese baguette held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 11 by Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper, the World Association of Master Chefs’s Vietnam Chapter in Ho Chi Minh City, Van Lang University and Saigontourist. Dr. Nguyen Cao Tri, chairman of the Board of Directors of Van Lang Education Group, said Banh Mi represents a special part of the local culinary culture, particularly as this kind of food can be found on the street or at luxury parties, making it an indispensable part of the cuisine of both Vietnamese people and foreign visitors. On March 24, 2011, Banh Mi was officially admitted into the Oxford English Dictionary.  Since 2020, Google Doodle has celebrated the savory and satisfying Vietnamese street-food, describing it as a smorgasbord of unique flavours that represent a true melting pot of cultures and ingredients alike.  Through the conference, over 1,000 del...

Concert is anticipated to see several special performances by artists from both Vietnam and the RoK, including Korean pianist Eun Young Joo, cellist Hye Young Joo, Vietnamese violinist Le Minh Hien, and the United Youth Harmony Choir (UYHC). Aside from classical music pieces by famous composers Vivaldi, Mozart, Rameau, Chopin, and Dvorak, familiar Vietnamese and Korean folk songs will also be performed in a new style of chamber music for audiences to enjoy. The concert will also celebrate five years since the founding of the UYHC, a community choir established by the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music under the sponsorship of Korea United Pharm Inc. This is also a testament to the friendship and co-operation in culture and art that exists between the country and the RoK. The past five years has seen the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music develop the choir in a socialised way to bring music closer to the public, drawing the participation of many local people who have ...