HA NOI — Dong Xuan Joint Stock Co plans to import electric cars for tourists visiting Ha Noi this year.
Tours will be conducted in five urban districts – Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Tay Ho, Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung.
The company initially plans to offer two guided tours for a trial period. The first will take in cultural sites such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) and Ngoc Son Temple. The second will take tourists along the Hong (Red) River and around West Lake.
More than 7,000 visitors travelled by electric car around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter in Ha Noi over the recent Lunar New Year Festival, according to Do Xuan Thuy, director of the Dong Xuan Company.
Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of the Viet Nam Auto Transportation Association, said the tour operator should buy small cars that are more suitable to the narrow streets of the Old Quarter.
Top English Idol clips selected
HA NOI — The 15 top video clips made by contestants in the Apollo English Idol competition have been selected for the final round.
The competition's judging panel also announced the top five clips that won the most votes from audiences.
The clips feature Vietnamese students singing in English, and are available at the Apollo English Idol website apolloenglishidol.video.zing.vn.
The competition's first prize will see the wining video aired on YanTV for one year, plus a cash award worth VND10 million and a full English scholarship at Apollo English.
Photo exhibition builds culture
HA NOI — A photo exhibition titled All People Unite to Build a Cultural Life has opened at Exhibition House at 45 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi. A similar show is being held at Friendship Cultural Palace, 91 Tran Hung Dao Street.
The exhibitions display the cultural activities of the Vietnamese people in festivals, handicrafts, education and sports. They will run until Saturday.
Orchestra holds auditions for choir
HA NOI — The Ha Noi Music Association will recruit members for its orchestra this Sunday at 19 Hang Buom Street, Ha Noi.
Named Ha Noi Harmony, the orchestra has been set up to perform foreign and domestic musical works.
Candidates of any age who have good voices can register. The orchestra of 32 members is a voluntary group.
Ancient graves found
QUANG NGAI — Six graves belonging to the Sa Huynh Culture that flourished between 1000 BC and AD 200 have been discovered in Tay Tra District in the central province of Quang Ngai.
Objects buried in the graves included glass earrings decorated with animal heads, stone tools, iron knives and pottery.
The archaeological site will be excavated until the end of May, according to Nguyen Dang Vu, director of the provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Artists paints family on paper
HA NOI — Artist Tran Hoang Son will display portraits on hand-made Vietnamese do paper at a solo exhibition named Family Tree.
The works are composed in three parts. The first is a family tree with portraits of people from many generations. The second comprises the "new family" of friends that one adopts in their own private world, and the third is life in the village, the source of all Vietnamese family life.
The exhibition will run until March 18 at Art Viet Nam Gallery, 7 Nguyen Khac Nhu Street, Ha Noi. — VNS