Grand Master Le Quang Liem has gained five points after six games at the National Premier Chess Championship in HCM City. He expects to win the championship with a cash-prize of US$4,000. — VNA/VNS Photo

The National Junior Football Championships’ organising board on Monday announced that Yamaha Viet Nam will be the event’s main sponsor from 2010-2012.

The qualifying round, which has attracted 63 teams, will be held from May 25 to June 10 across six provinces including Phu Tho, Thai Binh, Dac Lac, Ninh Thuan, An Giang and HCM City.

The final round will take place in the central province of Binh Dinh and the northern province of Thai Nguyen this July.

Vovinam receives $150,000 from Saigoninvest Group

The Saigoninvest Group (SGI) inked a sponsorship contract worth US$150,000 with the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF) and the Viet Nam Vovinam Federation (VVF) in Ha Noi on Monday.

SGI has become the main sponsor of the Vietnamese martial art of Vovinam. Last year, SGI provided $100,000 in sponsorship, helping to promote the martial art across the globe.

In 2009, Vietnamese martial artists saw great success in international events such as the third Asian Indoor Games, the first World Vovinam Championship, and Vovinam Cup.

The WVVF and VVF will strengthen external relationships to popularise this event through competitions including the France-Viet Nam friendly tournament in Paris next month, the Asian Vovinam Championships in Iran.

Athletes compete in 31 events at HCM City Sports Games

The most outstanding athletes selected from previous competitions at communal and district levels are competing in 31 sports events at the sixth HCM City Sports Games at Phu Tho Gymnasium.

The event will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the liberation of the south and national reunification and the 1,000th anniversary of Ha Noi capital.

Present at the opening ceremony were more than 4,000 athletes and students.

The closing ceremony will take place at Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium on April 15.

Winners at the festival will later compete at the National Sports Festival, scheduled to take place in Da Nang city.

HAGL squeeze past Binh Duong in National Cup penalty shoot-out

Hoang Anh Gia Lai beat Binh Duong in a penalty shootout 6-5 following a 1-1 draw in the quarter-finals of the National Cup on Monday.

Gia Lai will meet Da Nang, who beat Dong Thap 4-0, in the semi-final.

Song Lam Nghe An will meet Megastar Nam Dinh in other semi-final.

VNS

HCM CITY

Open wide: The spectacular Phong Nha Cave in Quang Binh Province has been chosen as the highlight for HCM City Tourism Day 2010. ¡ª File Photo

The central province of Quang Binh has been chosen to be the highlighted destination at the HCM City Tourism Day 2010, organisers of the annual event said at a press conference yesterday.

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism told the press that from this year onwards, the festival would highlight a new destination every year.

"Quang Binh is the first locality chosen because this year marks the 310th anniversary of Nguyen Huu Canh’s death," he said.

Canh, born in the central province’s Chuong Tin Commune, Phong Loc District, is credited with expanding Viet Nam’s territories to the south and laying the foundation for the city of Sai Gon, now known as HCM City.

"Moreover, tourism in Quang Binh has been developing rapidly since the Viet Nam Airlines began servicing the area two years ago," Khanh said.

The province will be featured in an exhibition of hundreds of photographs, a music performance titled Quang Binh - My Native Land, a food festival and a parade, a provincial representative said.

'The city I love’

A one-km parade of 800 people winding through Pham Ngu Lao, Do Quang Dau and Le Lai streets, broadcast live on HCM City Television 9 (HTV9), will start the festival on April 8.

The four-day event is being organised by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at September 23 Park in downtown HCM City.

The event will feature a travel fair, the South Food Festival, Golden Voice of HCM City Tourism contest, southern tai tu traditional music performances, a tourism photo exhibition and the HCM City - The Tourism City I Love contest.

The 170 booths at this year’s event have been booked by 76 entrepreneurs and travel agencies, 10 per cent more than last year.

"Most of the participants are hotels, restaurants, tourism localities and shopping sites chosen in the 'HCM City - 100 Interesting Things’ Campaign," Khanh said.

The event aims to foster tourism co-operation, and attract local travelers by giving service providers an opportunity to promote their services for the coming summer season.

Viet Nam Airlines is offering a promotion programme on air tickets for travel agencies, not only for the summer, but until the end of the year, Khanh said.

The organiser expects to attract 100,000 people to the HCM City Tourism Day to book tours and other tourism services.

Admission to the event is free.

VNS

HA NOI — The Italian contemporary dance Touch by the Oplas Danza troupe tonight will be staged at the Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre

Touch, which will be directed by Luca Bruni and Mario Ferrari, is the troupe’s newest dance that began in 2007.

With the message "Art is the colour of life, art wherever", Oplas has been performing since 1993 both in Italy and abroad and has won many international awards.

Touch will start at 8pm at the theatre on 11 Ngo Thi Nham Street. Free tickets can be collected at the Italian Embassy, 9 Le Phung Hieu Street, Ha Noi.

"The dance is one of the events for Italian Culture Season 2010 in Viet Nam. It coincides with various activities held to welcome the millennium anniversary of the capital Ha Noi," said Andrea Perugini, the Italian Ambassador.

Young southern poet wins competition

HA NOI — A young poet from the southern province of Hau Giang won first prize at the eighth But Moi (New Pens) Competition, which carried the theme Finding Myself, on Sunday.

The competition was launched by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper for young poets last December. The organising board received 800 entries.

Pham Duc Hai, the daily’s editor-in-chief, said he hoped the competition would encourage and inspire budding young poets.

Tu Dam Pagoda restoration completed

HCM CITY— The Thua Thien-Hue Buddhist Association yesterday held a ceremony to mark the restoration of the Tu Dam Pagoda.

The restoration of one of the biggest pagodas in the central city of Hue cost VND13 billion (US$685,000) and took four years to complete.

The restoration work, beginning in July 2006, included restoration of the main sanctuary, the conference house, service hall and a monastery.

A new 27m high seven-storey tower was also built. Each storey has a Buddha statue.

Known was An Ton Pagoda when it was built in the late 17th century, its name was changed in 1841.

Located in the city’s Truong An Ward, it is now a major spiritual centre for Buddhists in the city and the central region.

City to host Thang Long art competition

HCM CITY — The awards ceremony for a painting contest for school children entitled Painting Thang Long Capital will be held on April 17 at HCM City’s Viet Nam Museum of History.

The competition was launched on March 1.

Contestants visited the museum and attended seminars on Thang Long under the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties (11th-17th centuries).

Mine Awareness Day set for Sunday

HA NOI — The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action will be held on Sunday.

The programme will be broadcast live at 8.30pm on VTC Digital Television’s VTC14 and VTV4. The event is co-organised by Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper and VTC Digital Television.

VNS

A surge in construction is raising the alarm in the pristine mountain resort town of Da Lat. Nguyen Duc Phuc from the Lam Dong Tourism Association spoke Tuoi Tre Cuoi Tuan (Youth Weekend)

A lot of people say Da Lat’s attractiveness as a tourist destination stems from its natural resources and French heritage but hasn’t construction has also played a role in the city’s development?

The construction works have largely been hotels, villas and residential projects which have destroyed pine forests and hills. Rapid urbanisation in the absence of urban planning is transforming Da Lat. Wide roads and high buildings do not suit Da Lat which is famous for its tranquil scenery. But to date there have been no projects aimed at preserving Da Lat’s natural beauty.

Is the process of urbanisation in Da Lat harming the city’s tourism industry?

Yes. Of a total of 700 hotels, many still lack parking areas. This has resulted in a situation in which people park on the road and encroach on school and office space. Culture and heritage have also been affected. There is no opera house and out of three historic cinemas, only one remains. Traffic jams are also getting worse even though the total population of the city is only 200,000.

Previously, an urban plan for Da Lat was drafted and seriously discussed although development has not followed the plan. In the mean time Da Lat’s beauty is fading and everyone can see it.

What is the best land in Da Lat?

The green areas such as the pine forests and hills. We are always proud of Da Lat for being "the city inside the forest" and tourists like Da Lat for this reason.

Pine forests are however steadily disappearing as construction works increase. Over the next few years construction of a resort near Tuyen Lam lake and Mimosa and Prenn mountain passes, will replace more pine forests.

This is the first time ever that pine forests and hills are being destroyed to make way for property developments.

How did this situation come about?

The biggest reason is that urbanisation did not follow a plan.

Trade, agriculture and tourism development belong to common plan but the same has not been true for property development. For example, the local government recently regulated building height and banned construction work in certain areas although construction of high buildings has continued unabated.

What are your suggestions for rescuing Da Lat tourism?

It is important to remember that tourism in Da Lat was developed on natural beauty which the French understood very well.

The French also understood how to create a culture of tourism. For example, they named the streets after flowers and cared for the pine forests and lakes. I think we could learn something from this respect for nature.

VNS

The Ministry of Education and Training will encourage "student friendly" schools which take special measures to reduce violence, Deputy Minister Tran Quang Quy said yesterday.

Quy said the move was necessary as recent acts of school violence had caused public concern, particularly the posting of video clips on the internet site YouTube showing violence among high school girls.

However, most cases of student violence happened outside school grounds, which proved difficult for schools to manage, Quy said.

The ministry would therefore ask local authorities and agencies to help the schools ensure student were safe from violence.

This would require strict discipline measures to deter students from taking part in such activities.

On Thursday, ministry inspectors worked with schools and the department on measures to build friendly schools in Ha Noi.

VNS