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| The Vietnamese team (upper) during the race at the 19th Asian Games on September 24 (Photo: VNA) |
According to VNA, quarter Dinh Thi Hao, Ha Thi Vui, Pham Thi Hue and Du Thi Bong finished third to earn a bronze in the women's coxless fours at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre, clocking 6min 52.35sec.
The Vietnamese started in lane three and were in the leading group with China and Japan. They even went ahead to take lead in the middle of the race.
However, China proved their power to finish first in a time of 6min 42.03sec. Japan passed Vietnam in the last metres for the second position at 6min 47.04sec.
In the first competition day, Vietnamese athletes take part in 14 sports including shooting, boxing, men’s football, table tennis, swimming, chess, fencing, esport, judo, rowing, wushu, taekwondo, tennis and gymnastics.
They aim to pocket 2-5 gold medals at ASIAD 19, close to the achievement at the ASIAD 18 in Indonesia in 2018, which is the most successful Asian Games of Vietnamese sports to date with five gold medals in women's rowing, athletics, women’s long jump, men's pencak silat, and women’s 400m hurdles.
Renowned Vietnamese painter’s unseen painting up for sale
A never-before-seen painting by celebrated Vietnamese artist Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980) will be offered at Bonhams Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art on October 4, reported VNA.
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| Le Collier (The Necklace) by celebrated Vietnamese artist Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980). |
Le Collier (The Necklace), carrying an estimate of 2,500,000 – 4,000,000 HKD (320,000 - 511,000 USD), was formerly in the private collection of Federico Möller de Berg (1899-1991), a renowned Uruguayan sculptor who acquired it directly from Thu in 1948 – the year the two artists first met in Paris.
Federico studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiére and belonged to a circle of artists who shared and admired each other’s works. It was there Federico came across Thu’s paintings.
Fascinated by Thu’s art and the tenderness in which he approached his subjects, Federico later exchanged his two sculptures for Thu's paintings, and one of the two pieces was Le Collier. The work remained in Federico’s personal collection and was brought back to Uruguay where he treasured it for the rest of his life.
The painting portrays a white-dressed Vietnamese woman serenely reclining with a red beaded necklace in hand, admiring it while at the same time seemingly thinking of someone associated with it. It is a rare work of the artist not only for its size – measuring 55 x 71cm – but also the richness of the subject’s emotion, the grace in her posture, and the striking composition.
Art critic Ngo Kim Khoi said: “For those with an affection for Vietnamese art, in particular the silk paintings of Mai Trung Thu, this young woman's pure beauty within the canvas is bound to leave them in awe. Many may find themselves yearning to possess this masterpiece, allowing them to continue to admire its delicacy.”
Joan Yip, senior specialist of Bonhams Southeast Modern and Contemporary Asian Art, commented: “This painting has such a heart-warming story and reveals the pure admiration between two very different artists, who first met in Paris and developed a touching admiration for each other’s work. Kept privately in the collection of Federico Möller de Berg for more than 70 years, the painting is a unique work by Mai Thu and we expect a lot of interest from collectors as it comes fresh to the market on 4 October in Hong Kong.”
Mai Trung Thu was born in the northern city of Hai Phong into a large and honourable family of literati.
In 1924, as the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine was established through the collaboration of the Frenchman Victor Tardieu and the Vietnamese Nguyen Nam Son, Mai Trung Thu passed the entrance exam and became one of 10 students in the first class (1925-1930).
Thu met with great success with silk painting, one of the most distinctive materials of Vietnamese painting.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, collectors’ cars and a luxury division, which includes jewellery, designer fashion, watches, wine, and whisky.
Asia’s largest cruise ship visits Nha Trang for third time in 2023
Spectrum of the Seas, Asia’s largest luxury cruise ship carrying over 4,000 foreign visitors, docked at Nha Trang Port, the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on September 21, marking its visit for the third time in 2023, reported NDO.
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| Spectrum of the Seas, Asia's largest luxury cruise ship visits Nha Trang. (Photo: Saigontourist) |
The visitors are mainly from France, Germany, Spain, Thailand and Singapore. They visited the Institute of Oceanography, Ponagar Tower, Truong Son Craft Village, and Vinpearl Nha Trang.
Operated by Royal Caribbean International (RCI), the 347-meter-long vessel has 16 decks, more than 2,000 cabins and a capacity of 5,600 passengers.
So far this year, Khanh Hoa has welcomed 13 cruise ships with more than 17,600 visitors.
Its tourism industry has set a target of welcoming about 4 million tourists, including 2.5 million domestic tourists and 1.5 million international visitors.
Events spotlight Nguyen Dynasty wood blocks, heritage conservation in digital age
The National Archives Centre IV in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong has organised an exhibition on printing wood blocks under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) and a cultural event on heritage conservation in the digital age, gathering the participation of nearly 200 delegates.
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| A total of 33,971 woodblocks engraved with Chinese characters are kept at the National Archives Centre IV (Photo: National Archives Centre IV) |
A total of 33,971 woodblocks engraved with Chinese characters are kept at the centre. The wood blocks were used to print books in Vietnam during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with their rich and diverse content reflecting many aspects of Vietnamese society under the dynasty. In 2009, UNESCO recognised the woodblocks as Vietnam's first World Documentary Heritage.
At the two events, participants experienced the use of hologram technology to understand the story of the woodblocks through sand art, 3D mapping technology to see the process of compiling and engraving woodblocks, and virtual reality technology and QR code scanning to access exhibition information.
They also engaged in a discussion about digital transformation in harnessing the value of archival documents with managers and experts in the fields of archives and technology.
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| In 2009, UNESCO recognised the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks as Vietnams first World Documentary Heritage. (Photo: VNA) |
In his remarks, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang praised the approach of leveraging the value of archival documents by combining tradition with modernity. He noted that the use of digital technology to recreate the woodblock’s formation history, engraving processes and carved information allows the public to access their almost original forms./.