HCM CITY — A Vietnamese team has won the first prize at the 13th LSI (Large Scale Integrated) Design Contest held in Okinawa, Japan.
The team was awarded the prize at a ceremony held last Friday.
The triumph is particularly impressive because it is the first time that Viet Nam is taking part in the contest.
The Little Chickens team with two members – Tran Thi Hong and Luyen Duc Hanh – from the IC Design Research and Education Centre under the National University-HCM City was the best team among the 13 that entered the final round.
Three second and third prizes went to teams from the host country.
Another team from host country, Hamlet Commune, took the third prize.
The winning teams will be granted scholarships to pursue master's degrees in Japan by the competition's organising committee.
This year, the contest attracted 27 teams with 103 members from various countries and territories including Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Viet Nam.
Two disparate artists join forces
HCM CITY — Two artists whose works are created by very disparate processes will present their works in a joint exhibition that opens this evening at Galerie Quynh.
Static Motion – explores the complex and enigmatic nature of creating art through new works by Nguyen Thanh Truc and George Papadimas.
Papadimas is an Australian artist based in HCM City. He studied painting at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and has participated as a finalist in numerous competitions in Australia.
Truc graduated from the HCM City Fine Arts College in 1993. He has exhibited both locally and abroad. His paintings are held in private collections in Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Ba Ra cable car to boost tourism
BINH PHUOC — A new cable car system in the southern province of Binh Phuoc will highight its tourism potential and attract investor interest in eco-tourism projects, local officials said.
Construction of the cable car system at the Ba Ra telpher system within the Ba Ra – Thac Mo eco-tourism zone in Phuoc Long District, began in June 2008 and was completed in two years.
With a total investment capital of VND76.7 billion (US$ 4.1 million), the system has 19 pillars and 32 cabins. The equipment was imported from Germany, France, Italy and Sweden.
The cable car system will transport visitors over a distance of almost 2.1km in just 15 minutes.
The province has said it will soon restore and complete remaining works of Ba Ra-Thac Mo eco-tourism zone to meet the increasing entertainment demands of local people.
Cheers to beer at HCM City fest
HCM CITY — The Windsor Plaza Hotel will hold its annual Beerfest Sai Gon from May 6 to 9.
For an entry ticket of VND400,000, guests can get a free mug of beer at each booth set up by various Vietnamese and foreign brewers.
There will also be a buffet, games, daily lucky draws with attractive prizes, and music by some HCM City rock and pop bands.
It is not yet known which countries will be represented this year but last year there were popular beers from Germany, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, the Czech Republic, the Philippines, Mexcio, and New Zealand.
Last year the event attracted more than 5,000 people and the hotel expects it to be even larger this year when the festival will run for an extra day with extended hours. — VNS