As chilly gusts of wind overwhelm the north of the country,
people are preparing for the festive season.
The largest-ever Christmas festive nights at Hanoi's West
Lake Waterpark on December 23 and 24 promise to host up to 40,000 people.
The night will contain various "surprising
factors", according to the waterpark and Heartlink JSC, which co-organised
the event.
Images of a white park and snowy road will be displayed and
family members can try out Christmas-themed games, in addition to hitting the
dance floor with hundreds of male and female Santas. A photo contest titled
"Impressive Noel Moments" will select the Top 10 Christmas Beauties,
Top 10 Christmas Moments and Top 10 Christmas Faces.
In HCM City, cultural houses around the city have prepared a
dazzling array of plays, concerts, art exhibitions, fashion shows, circuses and
puppet shows.
The Youth Cultural House will host a writing contest called
Best Wishes on Christmas Eve, encouraging young participants to write best
wishes to their family, teachers and friends.
Dam Sen and Suoi Tien, two of the city's biggest parks, are
among the many offices and organisations promoting the holiday spirit through
entertainment and charity programmes. Children from local shelters have been
invited to enjoy free music, dance, comedy, circus and puppet performances
during the festive week, where they will receive candies and toys.
As in previous years, the Society Services Centre for Young
People sent its volunteers to spread Christmas cheer among the disadvantaged.
Hundreds of volunteers in Santa Claus's traditional costume are visiting poor
households in rural districts, offering children toys and gifts donated by
sponsors.
"We want all poor children to meet Santa and receive
Christmas gifts. We hope people will donate more gifts and share the
love," said Tran Thanh Binh, a volunteer at the centre.
This week, seven-year-old Tran Thai An and her friends, who
live in a small alley in Thu Duc District, saw a plump man in a red costume and
began screaming: "Hello, Mr Noel!"
Thao and her friends were overjoyed to receive toys from
Santa Claus, played by Binh, and had a lot of fun eating and singing loudly.
"Christmas was nothing for me. But it has
changed," said An with tears in her eyes.
At a gala event called Lung Linh Saigon (Dazzling Saigon) at
Queen Hall on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 4, dozens of pop stars and
theatre artists will entertain the audience from an imposing stage with
spectacular light and sound effects.
Extracts from musical plays like Romeo and Juliet will be
staged by artists from the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera at the
event, which will take place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Meanwhile, private filmmakers are hoping for more than
decent box office returns after making big investments.
Entertainment company WePro's comedy Chang Trai Nam Ay (Man
in the Past) features young pop star Son Tung M-TP and Korean actress Hari Won,
who sing, dance and perform kung-fu moves.
"It's the first time that WePro has released a film for
Christmas. We have high hopes that ticket sales will shoot up for the
holiday," said director Nguyen Quang Huy, owner of WePro.
WePro's biggest competitor, Galaxy, released its latest
production, De Hoi Tinh (Hoi's Life), last week.
For those who just want to soak up the atmosphere, the
decorated streets downtown glitter with colourful lights and flowers and are
perfect for walking. On Pham Ngoc Thach Street, open-air festivals featuring
events like art exhibitions, fashion shows and concerts will take place this
week for those who want to amble and enjoy the outdoors.
More than 10,000 young people are expected to attend the
festive activities.
Special Christmas trees
While beautiful trees illuminate trading centres, Ecopark
Living Quarter in the north of Hanoi features a unique Christmas tree made of
5,000 old plastic bottles.
Children living in the quarter have been encouraged to
gather old bottles for the past half-month to set up a 10m-tall tree on a
bamboo frame, with the bottles forming the branches of the tree.
"Our Christmas tree is not only eye-catching but also
sends a special message," said Bui Mai Thuy, who initiated the tree
project. "Through this very simple activity, we teach our children to save
waste objects and enhance their love for nature and awareness of protecting and
respecting the environment."
"Such a Christmas tree is suitable to Ecopark urban
zone, as the zone residents prefer a green and environmentally-friendly
life," said Nguyen Thang, who is mainly responsible for setting up the
tree.
Meanwhile, Huynh Phuong Do, owner of a handicraft shop in
the central city of Hoi An, is decorating his shop with a 3.5m-tall Christmas
tree featuring 200 smiling faces carved from bamboo roots.
Special TV show
A three-hour music show on VTV1 will feature 40 songs from
domestic and foreign movies performed by Vietnamese pop singers. The show,
which will air at 8pm on January 1, will be introduced by noted model Thuy Hanh
and journalist Long Vu.
US-based diva Ha Tran will perform Loi Ru Cho Con (Lullaby
for Baby) from the movie Cua De Danh (Children) while diva Thanh Lam will sing
Hoa Sua (Milk Flower) from Hanoi Mua Chim Lam To (Hanoi in Season of Birds
Building Nests).
Other foreign songs from movies like Bailamos, Jai Ho, Mamma
Mia, Hard to Say I'm Sorry, All That Jazz and Funny Honey will also be
performed by Duc Tuan, Doan Trang, Phuong Vy, Thao Trang and Ho Ngoc Ha.
According to director Pham Hoang Nam, it took three days for
the team of 100 technicians, cameramen, musicians, singers and dancers to
record the show.
"It will be a big feast for audiences with both good
scenes and music," he said.
Highlands city ends
The central city of Da Lat is celebrating the new year and
completing the National Tourism Year with a series of events from December
23-27.
These include a flower exhibition, embroidery weaving
performance, show of traditional ethnic minority costumes and tea night.
Various tours offer visitors the experience of spending the night in tents and
bamboo treehouses.
Lam Dong Tea Week features a tea fair promoting local tea
brands and guiding interested visitors to local tea fields. A tea leaf picking
contest will challenge the skills of local farmers, who can also attend a
workshop on developing sustainable tea. With a total area of 22,000ha, Lam Dong
harvests 210,000 tonnes of tea every year. Tea production and export is a key
economic sector in the locality.
Throughout the year, as many as 40 events have been
organised in the four Central Highlands provinces of Dac Lac, Dac Nong, Gia Lai
and Kon Tum.
Source Vns
