10,000 monks and followers attend Buddhist great ceremony

A Buddhist Ceremony was held at the Thang Long Royal Citadel on July 28 to launch an overseas Vietnamese and national cultural week.

Present at the ceremony were former Vice State President Truong My Hoa, Chair of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, Nguyen Thanh Son, senior officials from Hanoi, representatives from international organisations, hundreds of monks and nuns and more than 100 overseas Vietnamese.

The Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Vice Chair of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), said that over the past 2,000 years, Vietnamese Buddhism has helped to construct and develop the nation as well as maintain peace, independence and unification.

On the occasion, the VBS presented 25 charity houses to poor families and 500 scholarships to poor students in Hanoi worth a total of 1 billion dong.

During Buddhist Week, from July 27-August 2, there will be many activities, including a ceremony to ask for peace and the people’s prosperity, several requiems, a night-time festival with garlands of flowers and coloured lanterns and a theatrical performance themed “Imprints of Thang Long”.

The ceremony in photos:

Gridlocks on Hanoi-Lang Son route after pontoon dismounted

After the pontoon bridge across the Duong River in Hanoi was suddenly dismounted on June 24, traffic jams of several kilometer long were recorded on the road from Hanoi to Lang Son on July 26.

The pontoon was disassembled on July 24.

The pontoon was disassembled because the water level in the Duong River rose highly and the flow was very strong. Major Nguyen Van Chuyen from Brigade 249, who is in charge of building and managing the pontoon, said once the water level reduces, the pontoon will be assembled again.

“The time to build this pontoon is only two hours,” Chuyen said.

On July 22, the pontoon was hit by a 500-tone boat from Phu Tho. Nearly 100 sappers repaired the bridge in nearly ten hours.

It was rebuilt on July 27.

The pontoon is nearly 250m long, linking Hanoi’s Gia Lam and Long Bien district. It was built on June 10 to reduce the load on Duong Bridge, which has downgraded seriously and being repaired.

On July 27, the bridge was installed again.

Photos of traffic jams on this road after the pontoon was dismantled:

Kids perform ca tru

VietNamNet Bridge – Hundreds of Vietnamese and foreign visitors were impressed by a ca tru (ceremonial singing) show performed by little girls at the Giang Vo communal house on July 23 evening.

The show was organized to celebrate the 4th birthday of the Thang Long Ca Tru Club.

The two smallest singers are Doan Thanh Hien (left), 10 and Nguyen Hue Phuong, 11.

The eldest singer is an 11th grader.

Nguyen Thuy Chi, (right), has studied ty ba (Chinese four-chord lute) in the Hanoi Conservatory of Music for 13 years, but she sings ca tru very well.

Artisan Nguyen Thi Chuc, 80, performed with her student, Pham Thi Hue. She is the founder of Thang Long Ca Tru Club.

Mô tả ảnh.

This audience stayed after the show to ask a young singer to teach her how to use a traditional musical instrument.

The show attracted hundreds of people.

22 northern girls enter Miss Vietnam 2010

VietNamNet Bridge – The Miss Vietnam 2010 pageant jury on July 24 chose 22 northern girls for the finale. These contestants will be in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province in August to participate in the finale with 15 southern girls.

Beauties in night gowns:

Cung Thanh Ngoc Anh, 20

Pham Thuy Duong, 20

Nguyen Phuoc Hanh, 22

Dang Thi Ngoc Han, 21

Do Thi Huong, 21

Truong Tung Lan, 22

Nguyen Thi Minh, 21

Ton Nu Na Uy, 19

Tran Thi Hoai Phuong, 18

Dang Thi Phuong, 20

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tuyet, 21

Dang Ha Thu, 21

Dam Thu Trang, 21

Vu Thu Ha, 18

Dang Thi Ngoc Han, 21

Le Thu Huyen Trang, 20

Bui Thi Quynh Trang, 21

Dang Thuy Trang, 19

Le Nha Uyen, 18

Truong Tung Lan