HCM CITY An exhibition of more than 100 paintings by street children that depict their aspirations for, and imagination about, the Mid-Autumn Festival is ongoing at the Hotel Equatorial in HCM City.
The festival is traditionally celebrated with mooncake feasts and colorful lanterns that the children carry around at night.
The paintings were created with the support of the Centre for Educational and Vocational Training for Street Children of HCM City and the Anh Minh and Hy Vong 1 School for Deaf Children.
Some of the paintings were done by students from the Thai Binh High School for disadvantaged children. Several paintings, each of which costs US$50, have already been sold.
"Street children or disabled children all have the same wishes for a peaceful and happy lifes," said Nguyen Hoang Thinh Tri, a painting teacher with 17 years of experience working at schools for disadvantaged children.
"The annual Children s Painting Exhibition organised by Hotel Equatorial gives a lot of unlucky children the opportunity to integrate into society through their artwork."
"Pop star Dam Vinh Hung has also been a great help through his promotion efforts and cash donations," Tri said.
Visitors to the exhibition can also buy, for $60 apiece, beautifully packaged boxes of dolls made by Tri s students at the HCM City College for Fine Arts. Proceeds from the sale of these dolls will be used to help the children.
The exhibition will run until Sunday. VNS