Man United have mental edge over City, says Mancini

Manchester United have more of a winning mentality than their city rivals, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said on the eve of Saturday's Premier League derby.

With both sides of Manchester challenging for the title for the first time in many years, the meeting (1245 GMT) has taken on added significance with Mancini saying there is little between them apart from a confidence that comes with trophies.

"Maybe United has more than us a winning mentality because they (have) won (for) a long time, I think this is the difference," the City boss, seeking to bring the club their first league title since 1968 and first silverware since the 1976 League Cup, told a news conference on Friday.

"I think that when we start to win trophies it can change. But when you are a team that wins for 20 years your mentality is very strong -- when you don't play well you know that you are a strong team and if you don't concede a goal you can win.

"I think we are improving in this ... I think that for us it is very important to win something at the end of the season -- Europa League, FA Cup (or) Premier League."

United are seeking a record 19th league title and are moving towards it with a four-point lead over second-placed Arsenal at the top of the table. City are five points behind their city neighbours having played one game more.

City could be boosted by the return of striker Mario Balotelli, although he is pushing for a place on the bench rather than in the starting lineup after missing a month with a knee injury.

"I will decide if he can go on the bench. If he is not fit, maybe he will need another week," Mancini said.

Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong is a doubt with an ankle injury after also missing last weekend's 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion and a midweek international friendly.

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Their time to shine

A group of 52 artists from HCM
City is presenting an overview of current lacquer paintings at their
exhibition at the HCM City Fine Arts College.

Son Mai Sai
Gon 2011 (Sai Gon Lacquer) features more than 50 works in different
styles, using the traditional material of lacquer.

Being a
native of the northern province of Ha Tay (now part of Hanoi ),
the influence of Le Xuan Chieu's birthplace can be seen in his art
works.

The lecturer of the HCM City Fine Arts College
highlighted work is Ho Guom (Sword Lake), featuring Vietnamese girls
in traditional costume ao dai (traditional long dress) at Ho Guom, a
landmark of Hanoi .

Like Chieu, landscapes and
beautiful women are also sources of inspiration of veteran artists like
83-year-old Hoang Tram's Ha Long (Ha Long Bay) and Ca Le Dung's Xom Cau
Van (Cau Van Village).

This year's exhibition features
works of artists born in the 1980s, including students of the Fine Arts
College Tran Thi Ngoc Linh and Vu Thi Thuy Dung.

The
youngest participant, Linh of the college, brings a modern breath and
image to her lacquer work. Linh's Toi Dang Lang Nghe (I Am Listening)
portrays a girl in modern clothes listening to music with an earphone.

Held for the first time last year, the event falls on December 21 of
the lunar calendar, the day that honours the memory of the ancestor who
founded Vietnamese lacquer-making.

The exhibition remains
open until February 12 at the Applied Arts Gallery at HCM City Fine Arts
College, 5 Phan Dang Luu Street, Binh Thanh District./.

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HCMC sports official spells out tasks

HCM CITY — Mai Ba Hung, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told Viet Nam News about his agency's main tasks this year.

What are your main tasks in 2011?

The city will continue to strengthen major sports and support elite athletes.

The city will speed up the process of setting up a management unit to manage the Rach Chiec Sports Complex.

The city is also seeking permission from the Government to host a continental- or regional-level sports event like the 2018 Southeast Asian Games and Asian Youth Olympics.

Another main task this year is to develop a multi-sport complex at Phu Tho and continue to mobilise resources to develop sports.

How is decentralisation helping develop city sports?

It has allowed the Department to better manage affiliated units and take advantage of their ability to contribute to the development of sports in the city.

This way the Department only works with the units that are assigned to oversee the sports.

For example, the department assigned the Phu Nhuan Sports Centre to manage men's volleyball. The Centre will manage the funds allocated by the city and work with the team sponsor.

What about policies to help elite athletes?

The city will help elite athletes like Nguyen Hoang Thien, Le Quang Liem, Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, and others take part in international competitions.

Thien will get VND500 million ($25,000) to cover the costs of foreign travel while Tuyen will begin training in China next month. The support for Liem will be decided this Saturday.

The city is planning to help Pham Hoang Nam play in international badminton tournaments. — VNS

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Ho Chi Minh City outlines sport strategy

Nine kinds of sports will be the focus of HCM City's main sports activities under a plan to 2020, according to officials.

Mai
Ba Hung, deputy director of the city's Department of Cultural, Sports
and Tourism, said the sports include taekwondo, judo, volleyball,
athletics, bicycle, table tennis, tennis, badminton and football.

Although these sports are popular, they have not been developed adequately, Hung said.

The
city will also focus on enhancing Olympic sports like weight-lifting
and gymnastics, as well as athletics, male volleyball, martial arts,
tennis and badminton.

In addition, the HCM City Football Club
said it will further invest in football, although the club is faced with
a shortage of finances.

The department has also asked Thong Nhat
Stadium to offer training programmes for young footballers to develop a
long-term pool of players for football.

Hung, who is upbeat about the sport, said: "I think city football will see further progress this year."

Other sports like table tennis, cycling and tennis will also receive more funds from various sources.

The city will also work with the sports federation to send athletes abroad for professional training, according to Hung.

Officials
said the city was considering plans to build the Rach Chiec Sport
Centre and the HCM City Sport Centre, the latter expected to be located
near the Phu Tho racetrack.

HCM City is also preparing necessary documents to ask for the right to host the SEA Games in 2015, 2017 or 2019.

For
long-term planning, the department will select athletes with the most
potential and train them into professional athletes. It is also working
with many sport centres to invest in other sports with potential,
especially beach volleyball.

The number of city residents who
play sports has been increasing, accounting for up to 25 percent of the
city's population until October last year, according to city
authorities.

In 2010, the city held a total of nearly 800 amateur sport competitions./.

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Ho Chi Minh City outlines sport strategy

HCM CITY — Nine kinds of sports will be the focus of HCM City's main sports activities under a plan to 2020, according to officials.

Mai Ba Hung, deputy director of the city's Department of Cultural, Sports and Tourism, said the sports include taekwondo, judo, volleyball, athletics, bicycle, table tennis, tennis, badminton and football.

Although these sports are popular, they have not been developed adequately, Hung said.

The city will also focus on enhancing Olympic sports like weight-lifting and gymnastics, as well as athletics, male volleyball, martial arts, tennis and badminton.

In addition, the HCM City Football Club said it would further invest in football, although the club is faced with a shortage of finances.

The department has also asked Thong Nhat Stadium to offer training programmes for young footballers to develop a long-term pool of players for football.

Hung, who is upbeat about the sport, said: "I think city football will see further progress this year."

Other sports like table tennis, cycling and tennis will also receive more funds from various sources.

The city will also work with the sports federation to send athletes abroad for professional training, according to Hung.

Officials said the city was considering plans to build the Rach Chiec Sport Centre and the HCM City Sport Centre, the latter expected to be located near the Phu Tho racetrack.

HCM City is also preparing necessary documents to ask for the right to host the SEA Games in 2015, 2017 or 2019.

For long-term planning, the department will select athletes with the most potential and train them into professional athletes.

The department is also working with many sport centres to invest in other sports with potential, especially beach volleyball.

Sport centres in the city have faced a lack of space for athletes to practice because the land for public activities has become limited, especially in the central districts.

The lack of co-operation among various organisations and agencies has also presented barriers to furthering sports, according to city officials.

The number of city residents who play sports has been increasing, accounting up to 25 per cent of the city's population until October last year, according to city authorities.

In 2010, the city held a total of nearly 800 amateur sport competitions. — VNS

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Tet Flower Festival on January 28

Local authorities are gearing up for the annual Spring Flower Festival
at Tao Dan Park in HCM City as the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday
approaches.

The event will begin on January 28 and end on February 8 (the sixth day of the lunar calendar's first month).

More than 8,000 indigenous and foreign flowers, ornamental fish, bonsai
plants and trees will be featured at the festival. They will be
provided by florists, farms, handicraft villages and business people
involved in agriculture, according to Tran Thien Ha, director of the HCM
City Green Tree and Park Company, a member of the festival's organising
board.

Well-known handicraft villages and farms in HCM
City , Hanoi and the provinces of Binh Duong, Ben Tre, Tien Giang,
Vinh Long and Lam Dong will introduce their products at the festival.

In addition to the flower displays and sales, the event will include
musical and dance performances, as well as cultural exhibits such as
traditional food festivals and painting displays. The festival's themes
highlight the 11th Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party, which opens
today in Hanoi .

The opening ceremony will include
three music and song programmes in praise of the Party and President Ho
Chi Minh, which feature dozens of veterans and young performers.

The show titled “Flowers for the Party and Uncle Ho” will highlight revolutionary music.

Designed to feel like a colourful garden, Tao Dan Park will attract children and young people who find inspiration in nature.

Visitors will participate in a variety of street shows featuring folk
art and games staged by hundreds of puppet and circus performers, which
begin at 8pm every night.

Organisers said they have received help and support from the city People's Committee and other offices and organisations./.

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Gastronomy festival opens in Ho Chi Minh City

The fifth gastronomy festival opened in Ho Chi Minh City on December 26
to promote Vietnamese and international food to domestic and foreign
visitors.

Being jointly organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture,
Sports and Tourism, the municipal Tourism Association and the Youth
Advertising Company, the event is part of activities to welcome the
lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

As many as 43 businesses from
18 countries, including Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, China, Italy,
Malaysia, Singapore and the Republic of Korea (RoK) are displaying
their products at 50 booths.

Visitors will have a chance to
enjoy a wide range of activities including a street parade with a large
number of professional and amateur artists, bartender performances,
Vietnam’s biggest rice pancake and vote for delicious dishes from 18
countries.

There will also be special performances by artists
from the RoK, Russia, Germany and Vietnam, and a fashion show with ao
dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress), RoK hanbok, Japanese kimono,
and traditional costumes of other countries.

In particular, a
music gala to welcome New Year on Dec. 31 with firework displays,
traditional dancing performances and discount programmes at all stalls
will also be held.

The event will last until January 2, 2011./.

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HCM City teams vow to stop the rot

Southern pride: Vo Phi Thuong of Navibank Sai Gon challenges for the ball with a member of Khatoco Khanh Hoa during a match at the HCM City's Football Federation tournament. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Nhut

HCM CITY — HCM City football has shown intentions of putting a stop to its shameful results over the last two years at local football competitions as HCM City and Navibank Sai Gon football clubs have revamped their teams for the new season.

During the last weekend of the 2009 V-League season, the city football witnessed the relegation of two clubs.

Sai Gon United was relegated to the Second Division despite a 2-0 win over Hoa Phat Ha Noi in the last match, and one day later, HCM City also suffered the same fate with a 3-2 defeat by Binh Duong.

There was no escaping the fact that city football had no representative in the 2010 V-League until Navibank Bank surprisingly bought the Military Zone 4 football club. They renamed it Navibank Sai Gon and chose Thong Nhat Stadium as its home ground.

However, Navibank Sai Gon was struggling at the bottom of the table throughout the season.

The club was relegated, but the fact that there were six fewer clubs in the First Division operating as a business handed Navibank a play-off with Quang Ninh. They escaped from relegation with a 2-0 win.

After being demoted to the First Division, HCM City continued its poor performance and had a disappointing season and only until the last round did the club escape from demotion.

Change for better

But the upcoming 2011 V-League season, the so-called professional football season, could be a different story as city-based clubs have made moves to build their teams that not only have survived the relegation but also have enough ability to move into the top half of the ranking.

Navibank splashed out a considerable amount of money on players, bringing in qualified strikers Nguyen Quang Hai from Khanh Hoa, Brazilian-Vietnamese striker Huynh Kesley Alves from Binh Duong and midfielder Luong Van Duoc Em from Dong Thap.

While Hai is the most prolific local striker last season with 13 goals, veteran Huynh Kesley has stamped his authority onto the V-League with his vast experience. Duoc Em was considered a promising young player last season.

"With new players joining the team and good preparation, we will try to finish the 2011 V-League at least in the middle of the table. We hope that the worries over the relegation will not be repeated," said Mai Duc Chung, head coach of Navibank Sai Gon.

By recruiting a foreign coach and bringing in some new faces, HCM City, the successor of the famous Sai Gon Port, has also made its intentions clear that they do not want to be a contender for the relegation in the next nine months.

The club recently signed a contract with Croatian coach Vjeran Simunic and hired Singaporean coach Robert Lim as a technical consultant. They have also recruited foreign players Lima and Cokolic from fellow club TDC Binh Duong.

Coach Simunic said that his team was ready for the new season. He believes the club will not have to face a battle to avoid relegation, as they did last season. — VNS

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Ha Noi women win National Games gold

The Ha Noi women's football team claimed the gold medal at the National Games by edging Ha Nam 1-0 at HCM City's Thong Nhat Stadium on Friday.

The had previously beat HCM City 4-1 and Quang Ninh 1-0 to remain unbeaten en route to their title.

After splitting points with HCM City in their last match, Quang Ninh finished on four points to win the silver medal, while Ha Nam took the bronze on three.

Defending champions HCM City finished with a single point to sit bottom of the four-team round-robin event.

Viet Nam rank third at Asia aerobics champs

Viet Nam ranked third with two gold, three silver and six bronze medals at the second Asian Aerobics Championships that concluded in HCM City on Friday.

Vietnamese athletes secured two golds in women's single and team events.

Meanwhile Japan took the lead in the medal tally with four golds and two silvers. They were followed by China with three golds.

The championships drew 139 athletes from 11 nations and territories who completed in men's and women's singles, mixed and team events in three age groups. — VNS

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HCM City plan to set pancake record

A national record for the largest “banh xeo”, or savoury rice pancake,
will be set at the Taste of the World Culinary Festival to be held in
HCM City later this month.

It will be larger than 1.2m
across, La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the city Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism, said without specifying its size.

One of the dishes voted into the " HCM City – 100 Interesting
Things" programme, this southern specialty is made from flour, turmeric
powder, coconut milk, slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts.

It is a popular dish served in many restaurants in the city's downtown area.

"The organisers plan to have the 10 best dishes listed in ‘ HCM City
– 100 interesting things' to be served at the festival," Khanh said
in a press conference on Dec.7.

Taste of the World
Culinary Festival, to be held at the September 23rd Park from December
26 to January 2, will feature 60 city restaurants that offer cuisines
from 24 countries.

"It will be the first time the festival will last eight days," Khanh said.

The organisers will have volunteers who can speak English introducing Vietnamese food and culture to foreigners, he added.

The festival will open with a colourful, multi-cultural parade through
Pham Ngu Lao, Do Quang Dau and Le Lai Streets on December 26.

The World Food Culture Centre of the Republic of Korea will take
part in the festival to promote Korean food, art and music, Khanh said.

Besides all the food on show, there will also be a bartending performance.

There will be traditional dances from the Republic of Korea ,
Russia , Germany , while the host country will showcase pastoral
harmonies and folk melodies through performances titled Dan Ca Ba Mien
(Folk Songs of Three Regions), and Am Thuc Muon Mau (Multicolour
Gastronomy).

Visitors will have a chance to feast their
eyes on a montage created from pictures of the Vietnamese “ao ba ba”
(loose-fitting blouse worn in the south) and ao dai (traditional long
dress), the Korean hanbok, and the Japanese kimono.

From 7pm to 9pm on December 31, visitors will get discounts during the "Golden Hours" at the end of the year.

A music show will count down the New Year.

The festival will be organised by the Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism, the HCM City Tourism Association, and Youth Advertising Joint
Stock Company.

The organisers expect around 5,000 visitors to attend the festival./.

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ASEAN youth keen on HCM City home-stay

Delegates joining the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme had an
interesting experience on a home-stay duration in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 329 young people, who came from 10 member
countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
Japan , arrived in the city on December 5 after visiting Malaysia ,
Thailand , Indonesia and Singapore .

During
their four-day stay in HCM City , the delegates participated in
cultural and sports exchanges with local youth and studied local
culture, manners and customs.

Sharing his feelings,
Kong Davon from Cambodia , said: “The Vietnamese people are very
friendly and hospitable. When I came to stay with them, all members of
the family took care of me. Despite the language difference, I felt the
care through their gestures. I am particularly interested in Hue
beef noodle soup.”

Meanwhile, Buama, a delegate from
the Philippines, talked of the deep impressions gained during walks
along the streets in the city where there are many beauty spots, wide
roads and rows of old trees.

The ship, which left
Japan ’s Yokohama Port on November 4, is scheduled to return to the
Japanese capital, Tokyo on December 8.

The
programme is an initiative of the Japanese Government and receives
cooperative assistance from the governments of ASEAN nations. It aims to
strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between young people
from Japan and Southeast Asian countries, and to provide a chance
for them to expand their view of the world, develop their creativity and
get to know about each other’s culture./.

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Northern crooners dominate singing contest

Sixteen singers have made it to the first final of the Sao Mai-Diem Hen
2010 (Morning Star-Rendezvous 2010), Vietnam Television's biennial
contest to discover future pop stars.

It has been dominated by northern performers this time, with only three from the south making the cut.

They outlasted the rest of the 700 hopefuls, many from rural areas, who
sang and danced before a 10-member jury made up of famous artists,
including pop star My Tam and musicians Tuan Khanh and Ho Hoai Anh.

The 16 will perform pop, R&B, dance, hip-hop and rock music, with
eight qualifying for the next round in HCM City next month.

The show takes place in Tuy Hoa town, Phu Yen province, and is shown live on VTV3.

The organisers have invited musicians to train the participants.

"I will sing and dance to the best of my ability," Pha Le of Hai Phong, said.

One of Le's competitors, HCM City 's Nguyen Vo Lan Trinh, was a contestant at the 2008 Vietnam Idol.

Though she failed to make a mark in that event, it did help launch her
career as a professional singer, and she is now popular with the younger
lot.

Hoai Thu (Quang Ninh province), Viet Quang ( HCM
City ), and My Nhu (Phu Yen province) charmed most people, including
the jury, with their creativity, natural voice, and simple style which
left an impression of freshness.

Following a grand final
in Hanoi in early January featuring four contestants, two winners
will be chosen for the Sao Mai Award – one by the jury and the other by
VTV viewers.

"Sao Mai Award winners will have many
opportunities to be successful in their future careers," organising
board member Huyen Thanh said, pointing out most contestants are in
their mid-20s.

Pop star Phuong Linh won the event in 2006 and saw many doors opening for her.

Thanh said organisers will help winners and finalists perform live in Hanoi and HCM City and cut discs.

A million fans around the country are expected to watch the contest and vote online or by telephone./.

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Ho Chi Minh City Days festival begins in Pusan

The “Ho Chi Minh City Days in Pusan ” festival opened at the Pusan
Cultural Centre in the Republic of Korea , on October 14, with a
special show to mark the 15 th anniversary of both municipalities
becoming sister cities.

Vietnam ’s Ambassador to the RoK Tran Trong Toan underlined the growing
relationship the two sister cities have had over the past few years.

He
highlighted the efforts made by the authorities and people of both
cities to develop their friendship and cooperation, including the
important role played by Vietnam ’s consul general in Pusan and
Kyeongnam, the RoK’s consul general in HCM City as well as
friendship organisations, businesses and individuals from both cities.

Leaders
from both cities spoke highly of the fruitful results of bilateral
relations and discussed plans for cooperating further in the future
during the talks, within the framework of the festival.

A series
of cooperative agreements signed by both municipal authorities has
helped to promote political, economic, and cultural activities between
both cities.

They have also exchanged delegations to share their
experiences in developing and managing the real estate market,
transportation, post and telecoms. They also debated how districts from
both cities could cooperate more effectively.

First established
in November 1995, the relationship between HCM City and Pusan is
considered the most dynamic twinning between Vietnam and the RoK.

The
festival is a regular and rotated activity between both countries to
promote bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation./.

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Foreigners suggest measures to preserve Hanoi

Foreign contestants in the 2009-2010 international contest to discover
Thang Long-Hanoi, themed “ Hanoi -Your Destination,” have recommended
solutions for preserving the 1,000 year old city’s cultural relics.

Palestinian Ambassador Saadi Salama, who won the exceptional prize at
the 2009-2010 contest, said, “1,000 years is not only a number of time
but also a thickness of historical value of Thang Long-Hanoi.”

As
a result, he said, it’s necessary for the city to promote its relics
and famous landscapes in different languages to help foreigners
understand more about the city’s history.

Meanwhile, Lasmisha
Rai from India , who bagged this year’s first prize, suggested that
the city organise more regular international seminars, conferences and
workshops to discuss how to preserve and restore the city’s relics,
especially the Royal Citadel.

He also stressed the importance
of involving the community, saying, “international students and friends
who are deeply interested in Hanoi ’s history and culture heritage
could become volunteers or cultural ambassadors to work with future
celebrations.”

Sharing the same view, Yu Chang Lin
from China said the city needs to encourage businesses to invest in
preserving Hanoi ’s historical relics.

Philippe
Chaplain, President of France’s National Heritage Federation, who won
two consecutive first prizes in the contest in 2007 and 2008, said even
though the city has had a tough time, it is still capable of retaining a
lot of its heritage for tourists to discover.

“ Hanoi is not only an ancient, traditional city but also a treasure of every civilian and the youth,” he said.

Chaplain, who won second prize in this-year contest, also said that he
has launched a website on life in Hanoi , available at hanoilavie.com,
in Vietnamese, French and English to introduce Hanoi ’s ancient
streets to people around the world./.

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Birthday gifts to Hanoi put on show

More than 200 works of art, which are gifts from organisations and
individuals at home and abroad to Hanoi, are on display at “The
hearts to Thang Long-Hanoi” exhibition, which opened in the capital city
on October 6.

The works, including paintings, embroidery
work, sculptures, handicrafts and music have been created by Vietnamese
people and foreign friends, showing their affection for the capital city
on its 1,000 th birthday.

One of the exhibits that drew the
attention of many visitors is a shoe in the size 1,000, designed by
Pham Quoc Thang, Director of the TS Milan Shoes Joint Stock Company.

The shoe has a 71cm heel, which is engraved with an ascending dragon.

“The image of the ascending dragon represents the city’s development
as it is beginning to walk abreast with other countries in the world,”
he said.

On the occasion, Hanoi’s People’s
Committee handed over certificates to the individuals and organisations
who have works on display at the exhibition.

Conductor
Claude Brendel from Frances Rouen Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, said
he was happy to receive the certificate on behalf of the composer of
the “One thousand years Thang Long” symphony, Francois Tashdjian.

He added that he was honoured to lead the orchestra playing the symphony in Hanoi to acknowledge the city’s birthday.

One
of the visitors, lawyer Phung Van De from the Hanoi Bar Association
said the exhibits reflect the love and admiration for Hanoi, Vietnam’s
capital city at present and in the future.

The exhibition will be open to public until October 12./.

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Foreign friends join in Hanoi’s birthday party

Many overseas visitors felt happy and extremely lucky to be in Hanoi
for its millennium anniversary, both those who have lived in Hanoi
for many years as well as newcomers to the city.

The
Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama, who has been working and
living in Hanoi for years, said he felt lucky to have the
opportunity to witness Thang Long-Hanoi’s anniversary.

Hanoi
, in his eyes, has a unique beauty, with peaceful scenes, shady streets
and small rivers, especially Long Bien Bridge and the city’s
small residential enclaves. “These sweet memories of Hanoi will
always remain in my heart, ” he said.

The beauty of
the 1,000 year-old city has been captured in his photos. Six of them
were showcased at a recent exhibition on Hanoi through the eyes of
international friends, held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship
Organisations in late September.

The newly-appointed
Chilean Ambassador Fernando Urrutia, who has been in office in Hanoi
for only two months, said he felt privileged to witness Hanoi ’s
1,000 th birthday.

“I am so happy to live and work in Hanoi , it is so rich in culture.”

Having arrived in Hanoi several days before their 10 th wedding
anniversary, Linda and Robert Plummer from Australia had special
feelings about Hanoi .

“I love the dynamic, bustling life
in Hanoi and am very happy to be a part of the city’s most important
anniversary,” said Robert, adding that he and his wife will spend most
of their time in Vietnam exploring Hanoi .

Mr.
and Mrs. Jeff Hurley, from the UK , decided to return to Vietnam for
Hanoi ’s millennium celebrations as they were very impressed by
Vietnam and its people when they visited two years ago.

“While in Hanoi , we will visit the Thang Long royal citadel, a
UNESCO recognised cultural heritage, to learn more about the city,”
said Mr Hurley./.

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Jubilant, solemn programmes to celebrate Hanoi birthday

A jubilant and solemn programme was held in the northern province
of Ninh Binh on Oct. 1 in re-enactment of the announcement of the Royal
Proclamation on the relocation of the capital and the relocation
journey.

The programme started with a ritual at the temple of
King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh at the former royal capital of
Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh.

Then drum performance and unicorn and
dragon dances warmed up the atmosphere before King Ly Thai To’s
proclamation to move the capital city was read out.

King Ly Thai
To, who was the first king of the Ly Dynasty, made the strategic
decision to move the country’s capital city from Hoa Lu to Dai La (now
Hanoi ).

Artists from Hanoi and Ninh Binh dressed up as the
King, the Queen and members of the royal court got on a dragon boat to
leave for Hanoi, following the journey of the King in 1010.

The
same day, an exhibition of photos and documents entitled “Ho Chi Minh
City: renewal, development and integration” opened at Lam Son park in Ho
Chi Minh City as an activity to mark the 1,000 th anniversary of Hanoi
and the 9th municipal Party Congress to open on Oct. 5.

The 10-day exhibition is among many other activities being held in the city coinciding with the 10 festive days in Hanoi.

On
this occasion, the city is decorated with flags, colour lights, banners
and slogans to mark Hanoi's birthday and the municipal Party
Congress.

In the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, from late
September, many activities have been organised to celebrate the capital
city’s birthday.

An exhibition of nearly 300 photos of Hanoi
and Thua Thien Hue opened at the provincial Ho Chi Minh Museum and will
run until Oct. 15.

On this occasion, Pham Chi Luong, a craft man
of Truong Son drum establishment of Hue city made a pair of drums
with a height of 2.8m and a diametre of 2.2m for the celebration.

Another
craft man also from Phuong Duc ward of Hue, Nguyen Van Thuy, made a
giant bronze gong for performance at celebrations in Hanoi./.

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HCM City plans to save old colonial French villas

HCM City is planning to conserve its French-era villas which are
being razed one by one to make way for high-rise buildings.

Most of them are in Districts 1 and 3, with a high concentration being on Tu Xuong and Le Quy Don streets.

The Department of Construction is drawing up a list of surviving
villas and will hire Japanese consultants to draft a master plan for
conserving while also using them as offices, schools, restaurants and
hotels.

Ly Khanh Tam Thao, deputy head of the
Department of Planning and Architecture's municipal area management
division, said: "They should be protected from the creep of urbanisation
and from being pulled down for their valuable land."

Only ornate buildings like the city hall and the HCM City Opera House would be used for their original purpose, he said.

"Owners of villas will be allowed to build other structures at the
back but they must be responsible for protecting their facade and
interior."

But since traffic could become a problem
on roads leading to them if they were used as offices, schools,
restaurants or hotels, traffic infrastructure in their vicinity must be
modified, said Nguyen Van Chinh, director of the Southern Institute of
Traffic and Communications.

"Operating public transport to these places is a good way to reduce the number of private vehicles," he added.

Luong Hien Chung of the HCM City University of Transport said,
however, the villas' large yards should be used as parking lots for
visitors' vehicles.

Thao said villa owners should be
charged heavily for services and the money would be used to improve
traffic infrastructure in the vicinity.

Many villas house luxurious French restaurants./.

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Man City halt Chelsea charge with Tevez winner

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez (R) shoots past Chelsea's Ashley Cole (C) and Petr Cech (L) to score during their English Premier League soccer match at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, northern England, September 25, 2010.

Photo: Reuters

LONDON - Leaders Chelsea failed their first serious test of the Premier League season on Saturday when a Carlos Tevez goal gave Manchester City a 1-0 home win over the champions who were unstoppable in their opening five matches.

A day after City manager Roberto Mancini suggested Chelsea's title defense would be a cruise, his side begged to differ and clinched victory thanks to Tevez's 59th minute solo goal, his fourth in his last three matches against Chelsea.

Arsenal could not capitalize on defeat for their London rivals, however, as they surprisingly went down 3-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion despite two late goals from Samir Nasri.

Chelsea, who failed to score in the league for the first time since last December, are top with 15 points but Manchester United can cut the gap to a point if they beat Bolton Wanderers on Sunday. Arsenal and City have 11 with West Brom fifth on 10.

Everton slumped to the foot of the table after a 0-0 stalemate at Fulham while the gloom at Anfield deepened as Liverpool drew 2-2 at home to Sunderland. After the match fans staged a sit-down protest against the club's American owners.

West Ham United moved off the bottom with their first victory of the season, beating visiting London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0. Blackpool lost 2-1 at home to Blackburn Rovers while Birmingham City versus Wigan Athletic ended scoreless.

Mancini's expensively assembled Manchester City side would have fallen 10 points adrift of Chelsea had they lost the lunchtime kickoff but the Italian won the tactical battle over compatriot Carlo Ancelotti who was critical of his players.

"We didn't play how we wanted," he told Sky Sports. "We weren't able to use our quality and were too complicated. City performed well in midfield and won a lot of tackles and they deserved to win."

Subdued Chelsea

That said, City offered precious little in attack during the first half but importantly succeeded in subduing a Chelsea strikeforce that had laid waste to defenses so far this season with 21 league goals in a rip-roaring five-match run.

Tevez was a peripheral figure as Chelsea looked the more likely side to break the deadlock but he provided one individual moment of real quality as the hour mark approached.

There seemed no danger when Yaya Toure received the ball in his own half and passed to Tevez but the Argentine was surprisingly allowed to run unimpeded towards the Chelsea goal.

He jinked to the right and lashed a shot through the legs of Ashley Cole and beyond Petr Cech's despairing dive.

Chelsea, for whom defender Branislav Ivanovic headed against the woodwork in the first half and Nicolas Anelka went close early in the second, never really looked like equalizing and it was puzzling when Didier Drogba was substituted by Ancelotti.

"It was tactical, I felt we didn't have enough pace in the attacking half," the Chelsea manager said.

Arsenal had not lost at home to West Brom for 27 years but found themselves 3-0 down as the visitors, who also missed a first-half penalty at 0-0, scored through Peter Odemwingie, Gonzalo Jara and former Gunners player Jerome Thomas.

All the goals came after the break with Nasri giving Arsenal hope of a late escape but West Brom held on for the win.

"We were poor and deserved to lose because we were not up for it, quality wise or concentration (wise)," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports. "Not one of the players was at his normal level. We made mistake after mistake defensively."

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Chelsea will be champions again, say Man City's Mancini

Coach Roberto Mancini of Manchester City reacts during their Europa League Group A soccer match against Salzburg in Salzburg September 16, 2010

Photo: Reuters

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini conceded the Premier League title to Chelsea five games into the season Friday as he prepared to face them with only 11 fit players and a shortage of defenders.

Saturday's game pits two big-spending sides against each other with Chelsea, who have won three league titles since their 2003 takeover by Roman Abramovich, tipped by Mancini to add more while City, the world's richest club, await a first trophy since their 2008 takeover.

"I think that Chelsea is the best team in this moment," the Italian, whose side trail the Londoners by seven points in fourth place, told a news conference Friday.

"I think that probably they will win the Premier League easy because it's a strong team and they play together for many years and they have fantastic manager."

Mancini was preparing to host the free-scoring champions, who have scored 21 goals in their first five league games, with a severely depleted team.

"We don't have defenders for tomorrow," he said.

"If you are a defender you can go on," he joked to reporters before returning to his serious problem. "We only have 11 players that can play 100 percent."

"I'm disappointed having all these players injured at this moment, it's an important moment for us."

The value of players on his injury list runs to tens of millions of pounds.

Mancini reeled off City's problems with a grim face.

Micah Richards: "Injured." Joleon Lescott: "Not ready to play 90 minutes." Wayne Bridge: "Injured." Aleksandar Kolarov: "Injured." Jerome Boateng: "Not ready to play 100 percent."

He said he would talk to Lescott and Boateng after Friday's training session but if they were not fit he said he did not know what to do. Mancini ruled out playing a midfielder like Gareth Barry at the back.

Facing the league leaders when they are in such great scoring form when your team is short at the back could spell trouble but Mancini remained optimistic.

"When you score so many goals for four or five games a game arrives where you don't score," he said.

"I hope (it can happen here). Why not?"

He has some reason for optimism as City beat the Londoners twice last season with Carlos Tevez scoring in both games.

With so many players sidelined it was with some relief that Mancini pointed out that having been knocked out of the League Cup by West Bromwich Albion in midweek at least City now had one less competition to think about.

"I think with the problem we have at this moment we couldn't do four competitions, three competitions we can do," said Mancini, whose side face Juventus in the Europa League next week.

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