Festival for heroic Trung sisters opens

A festival to celebrate the 1,971 st anniversary of the Trung
sisters’ uprising (40AD) was solemnly organised in Hanoi’s outskirts
district of Me Linh on the sixth day of the lunar year which fell on
Feb. 8 on the modern calendar.

The opening ceremony
saw the presence of Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and
representatives from ministries and agencies.

According to the Vietnamese historical account, Trung Trac and her
younger sister Trung Nhi, rode elephants to lead the troops in battle
and defeated Chinese troops coming from the north, gaining independence
for the country after more than two centuries of domination by the
foreign feudal invaders.

The revolt was briefly
successful and Trung Trac established herself as ruler of an independent
state, becoming the first royal leader and also the first female leader
in the country’s history. She chose Me Linh as a new capital.

During the three-day traditional event, an array of folk games and artistic performances will take place./.

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Uyen Linh proclaimed “Vietnam Idol 2010”

Tran Nguyen Uyen Linh beat Van Mai Huong in a vote of mobile phone users
to be named ‘Vietnam Idol 2010', in a live televised finale in HCM City
on Dec. 25 night.

In their final performances of the
competition, Uyen Linh sang a duet with diva My Linh while 16-year-old
Huong peformed alongside veteran singing star Hong Nhung.

Uyen
Linh, a 22-year-old graduate of the Academy of Diplomacy, was a comeback
of sorts, as she failed to win enough audience support during the sixth
round of the competition to continue in the competition. But competitor
Anh Khoa withdrew from the competition, allowing her to advance.

On
Saturday night, Uyen Linh also expressed her gratitude to Khoa, saying,
"It's you who gave me the chance to become Vietnam Idol."

Uyen Linh said she would dedicate her upcoming debut album as a "thank you" to all the people who supported her in the contest.

"I
would like to say congratulations to Uyen Linh," said Vietnam Idol
judge Quang Dung. "Not only because young fans became crazy about her,
but also because many older people sympathised with her and voted for
her."./.

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Danish artist joins Vietnamese group

Ngoc Dai and his group Dai Lam Linh will perform with Danish saxophonist
Lotta Anker in a concert of contemporary music in Hanoi on Dec. 10.

The concert will also include singers Thanh Lam, Linh Dung, and Ha Linh,
the Thai Ha ca tru (ceremonial singing) troupe, and a 12-member string
band from the Vietnam Academy of Music.

The programme would aim to combine traditional and modern, Eastern and Western music, Dai said.

"The artists will perform as they tell stories in their own ways," said Dai.

"For instance, the song "Regret" will be performed three times,
experimentally by Linh Dung and Thanh Lam, in a pop style by Ha Linh,
and in Lotta Anker's version.

"I met Lotta last year and I like her very much," he added. "She listens my music too and I wanted to collaborate with her."

Anker arrived in Vietnam last week and has been rehearsing with Dai's band and material.

Dai debuted his first symphony in 1979 before he had even graduated
from the Vietnam National Academy of Music. He has written about 500
songs in various genres and released four CDs. His 2002 concert Solar
Eclipse I was a shock to the Vietnam music scene and was recognised as a
landmark of innovation and originality.

For this Dec.
10’s concert, the stage will be designed by artist Dang Huy Quyen in a
black-and-white motif echoing the yin and yang.

The
concert, funded by the Danish Culture Exchange and Development
Foundation, will take place at the 8pm at the Kim Ma Theatre, 71 Kim Ma
Street./.

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Quoc leads medal hopes at SEA table tennis tourney

Olympian Doan Kien Quoc and his team-mates Tran Tuan Quynh, Nguyen Nam
Hai and rising star Dinh Quang Linh will all compete in the All-Stars
Southeast Asian Table Tennis Championship starting on September 11 in
Hai Duong city.

Quoc, who qualified for the second round
at the Beijing Olympics, will lead the Vietnamese in a tough contest
against top tour athletes from Singapore and Thailand in the
men's singles.

Known for his left-hand smashes, the
31-year-old is hoping to be on top form in what could be the most
important game of the year.

"Quoc has always been a key
member for Vietnam . He has gained experience in world competitions.
But Tuan Quynh and Quang Linh have also won medals in regional
contests," said Vietnam Table Tennis Federation official Nguyen Duc
Long.

"The tournament, which is being held the first time,
is a crucial test for our players, who've lacked tough competition
throughout the year," Long added.

In the women's division,
the hosts will display their power with top-form sisters Mai Hoang My
Trang and Mai Xuan Hang and teenager Nguyen Thi Viet Linh.

Linh, 16, who won the U15 girls' singles in the Southeast Asia junior
championships in Thailand last year, begins her first competition at
a senior tourney.

As scheduled, athletes will compete in
the men's and women's eight group round-robin competition at Hai Duong's
2,000-seat Gymnasium.

The two top players from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.

"We're ready to host the tournament. The gymnasium, which was built for
the Southeast Asian Games in 2003 and upgraded last year, will be an
ideal venue for the biggest table tennis event of the year," said
director of Hai Duong gymnasium Nguyen Van Thanh.

Vietnam will send a 24-member squad to compete in the two-day event, which the country will host for the first time.

Quynh was the first Vietnamese player to win the Southeast Asian Championship in 2002./.

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