The Viet Nam Institute for Culture and the Phu Tho provincial People's Committe applied to UNESCO on Thursday to have the Hung Kings Temple Festival recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Meanwhile, the Musicology Institute has prepared the application for similar recognition for don ca tai tu (music of the talented).
UNESCO will consider and decide on the applications next year, with decisions expected this year on recognition of the Buddhist Sutras at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in the northern province of Bac Giang as UNESCO World Documentary Heritage, and the hat xoan (spring folk songs) of Phu Tho Province as World Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection.
New records set at forestry products festival
BINH DINH — The Viet Nam Book of Records (Vietbooks) has recognised five new national records set at the first Viet Nam Forest Product Festival in Binh Dinh Province last week.
The festival had the largest timber and forest product fair featuring 528 stalls, the largest kingwood statue of the Laughing Buddha, the highest wooden vase, the largest pair of ironwood vases, and the largest ironwood trestle-bed on display.
The three-day festival also featured art performances, sports activities and a food fair.
The Binh Dinh Province's People's Committee honoured 97 organisations and 13 individuals in the forestry sector that contributed significantly to the festival's success.
Competition to find girlband launched
HCM CITY — Galaxy Studio and Early Riser Media Group have launched Viet Nam's first ever contest to unearth a girlband.
The contest, titled House of Dreams and themed Sang Bung Suc Song (Bright Vitality), will be in the form of a reality TV show from which five young women will be chosen and trained with support from top choreographers, dancers, and singers.
Directors Charlie Nguyen and Le Thanh Son will develop the script for the show.
The contest, sponsored by dairy brand Yomost, will kick off on April 8 when a preliminary round will be held first in Can Tho city to short-list candidates.
It will be held in Da Nang, Ha Noi and HCM City on April 14, 16-17, and May 6-7.
Contestants can also audition online at www.hod.com.vn with the 100 polling the high number of votes joining the short-listed candidates in the audition rounds.
The 15 best contestants will enter the final round when they will receive training for 12 weeks before the five winners are identified.
The winners will sign a five-year contract with Early Risers Media Group worth US$30,000 to make an album composed by Duong Khac Linh. — VNS