Vendors encroach on historic, cultural sites

HCM CITY — The HCM City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department should closely manage the use of cultural facilities, many of which are being used inappropriately.

During a meeting on the urban lifestyle campaign in HCM City last Thursday, Tran Thi Ngoc Anh, head of the Culture and Society Agency of the city People's Council, said cultural houses and children houses were being rented for purposes other than entertainment.

She named several sites in Ward 2 and Ward 3 in District 10 that were being used improperly.

The front of many historical sites are being used by moto-taxi drivers and vendors, and some sites, which have been renovated with billions of Vietnamese dong, had been turned into private parking lots and incense markets.

The department said district agencies were not monitoring the situation closely, and that many groups of people were unaware that the activities were unsuitable.

Because outlying districts lack funds to organise entertainment activities at their cultural houses, cultural and children's houses rent the space for purposes other than entertainment. — VNS

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Culture village throws open doors

Members of the Ba Na ethnic group of the Central Highlands perform a traditional dance at the Culture-Tourism Village. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Ha

HA NOI — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is urging Ha Noi and other localities nationwide to build the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in the Son Tay District of Ha Noi into an attractive destination for foreign and domestic tourists.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the village in Ha Noi yesterday, Dung said that the village would help enrich the nation's culture.

Culture is the society's spiritual foundation, said Dung, noting that the Party and State always pay attention to preserving and promoting cultural identity.

Together with the State's investment, all economic sectors should be encouraged to invest in cultural activities to help boost national development, said Dung.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung,Chairman of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Huynh Dam, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Giang Seo Phu, village patriarchs and cultural researchers from across the country attended the opening ceremony.

The village, located on a 1,544-ha area in Dong Mo, is composed of traditional Vietnamese architecture that highlights the unique characteristics of the country's culture.

The Vietnamese Ethnic Culture-Tourism Village project, approved by the Prime Minister in 2008, aims to honour and preserve the cultural value of Viet Nam's 54 ethnic groups and promote Viet Nam's image to the world. It is also expected to become the nation's cultural, sports and tourism centre to meet the public's demands for recreation and display aspects of the country's cultural heritage.

On the threshold of Ha Noi's millennial anniversary, the opening of the village is a politically, culturally and socially significant event, representing a commitment to preserving Viet Nam's rich history.

On the day of the opening, there were a variety of activities, including a ceremony to honour the craft villages of the 54 ethnic groups, an exhibition showcasing products of these groups, and a multitude of cultural exchanges. — VNS

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Professor praised for cultural contribution

HA NOI — Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh congratulated the country's leading cultural scholar, Professor Vu Khieu, for his huge contribution to the country's cultural development on the occasion of Khieu's 95th birthday yesterday.

The Party leader praised Khieu's valuable contribution to the nation's revolutionary cause and cultural development – the social spiritual foundation – during his visit to the professor.

Khieu, a native of northern Nam Dinh Province, is continuing his research on the ancient capital city's literature, which he has been working on for the past 10 years. His research on Thang Long literature is significant in helping to preserve and develop the nation's culture.

Minister tips final decision on VN-Germany university

HA NOI — Minister of Science and Technology Eva Kuhne Hormann of German state Hessen said the Viet Nam-Germany University was a special project for the two countries while meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan in Ha Noi yesterday.

It was the first public university to be developed overseas by Germany with another country, she said, adding that the university council was scheduled to meet on November 4 for a final decision on the implementation of development plans.

Deputy PM Nhan expressed his hope that the German partner would choose the most suitable model and best project management for the university soon.

He said the World Bank had accepted a request for a preferential loan for the development of the university.

The Viet Nam-Germany University launched its first course in September 2008 in HCM City, focusing on engineering and natural sciences.

Also yesterday, a ceremony was held at the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi, to grant scholarships from the University Support Organisation (WUS) to 71 students from Ha Noi and surrounding areas in the presence of Minister Hormann and the WUS President Kambiz Ghawami. — VNS

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