THUA THIEN-HUE — An eight-minute 3D film recreating the old Ho Quyen (Tiger Fist) Colosseum in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has been screened in Hue.
The film depicts the surrounding views as well as a fight between an elephant and a tiger staged in the arena during the Nguyen dynasty.
Filming began last year by the Hue Centre for Conservation of Monuments and the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. The film will be used for research purposes.
The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea funded US$100,000 to the project as part of a three-year (2008-10) cultural exchange programme between the Viet Nam and South Korea.
The Ho Quyen Colosseum, built in 1830 during the reign of King Minh Mang, hosted fights between tigers and elephants to entertain the King, his court and the public. The last fight was held in 1904 during the reign of King Thanh Thai.
Nearly two centuries later, the structure is virtually undamaged and one of the most spectacular heritage sites in Southeast Asia.
The film will be screened for tourists at Thai Hoa Palace during the Hue Festival 2010, beginning on Saturday.
VN bamboo pavilion raises eyebrows at World Expo 2010
HCM CITY — A bamboo-dominated work by an award-winning architect has made the Viet Nam Pavilion stand out at the World Expo 2010 now open in Shanghai, China.
Vo Trong Nghia used 50,000 bamboo strips to build the pavilion and give it a highly romantic look. The use of bamboo also gives the pavilion, previously a 1,000sq.m warehouse, a cooling effect.
Bamboo has also been used for decorating the interior of the pavilion, providing the raw material for shelves, tables, chairs and partitions.
Visitors can see many amazingly beautiful landscapes of Viet Nam inside the pavillion, all made of bamboo.
"I was hired by the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism to build the Viet Nam Pavilion with traditional style at low cost," Nghia said.
"After the expo, bamboo will be recycled for social welfare projects," he said.
Australian wine and food show highlights the finer things
HCM CITY — A wide range of wines will be on offer at the Australian wine and food show 2010 at the New World Hotel in HCM City on Friday and Saturday.
Leading food and wine exporters from Australia will present more than 200 premium wine labels to the public and importers.
Fine Australian cuisine, demonstrated by Peter Kuruvita, a leading Australian chef and owner of Sydney's premier seafood restaurant Flying Fish, will be part of a gala dinner at the hotel on Friday.
Kuruvita will feature some of his favorite dishes such as yellow tuna with ruby grapefruit, a tartlet of scallops with braised oxtail, and roast wild river barramundi.
Tickets to the gala dinner cost VND280,000 (US$15) each.
The show also includes a trade exhibition on Friday and a public day on Saturday from midday to 4pm.
Tickets to the public day are available at Bacchus Corner at 158 Pasteur Street and at Vino at 74/17 Hai Ba Trung Street. Tickets are VND200,00 (US$11) each. — VNS