Books fairs tend to attract young readers. Concerned agencies have made many efforts to encourage people to read more. — Photo vtv.vn HÀ NỘI The annual Việt Nam Book Day (April 21) kicked off yesterday in Hà Nội with various activities at Thống Nhất Park and the National Library. A highlight of the day is the 6th Việt Nam Book Festival at Thống Nhất Park between April 18 and 22, gathering 100 book stalls from 37 publishers and 47 distribution units. An exhibition themed Book – Knowledge Connecting and Development is open to the public at the National Library introducing the latest educational books from domestic publishers. At the event, readers will be able to meet author and painter Trang Thanh Hiền, who will introduce her book titled “Tranh Tết: Nét tinh hoa truyền thống Việt” (Tết Painting – An Essence of Vietnamese Traditions) by Thaiha … [Read more...] about VN Book Day encourages reading habit
Story circle book reviews
Teenagers turn to books from days gone by
Viet Nam News By Thu Anh HCM CITY— Teenagers are turning to readily available Vietnamese adult books written by authors in the 1980s and 90s. The HCM City Culture and Arts Publishing House has released a series of six books by Từ Kế Tường, Nguyễn Nhật Ánh and Đinh Tiến Luyện, who were famous in the 80s and 90s. It released a series of books featuring short stories by these writers that were published in Tuổi Ngọc (Teen Age) and Hoa Học Trò (Flowers of Students), both magazines for secondary school students, between 1998 and 2008. The magazines worked with dozens of famous writers, such as Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc, Lê Minh Quốc and Tôn Nữ Thu Dung, to release their books on teen loves, hopes and dreams. The publisher has released Tường’s Tình Yêu Có Màu Gì (What Is the Colour of Love?), Luyện’s Anh Chi … [Read more...] about Teenagers turn to books from days gone by
Book on ape expert published
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — An English book on primate expert Tilo Nadler was published on Sunday, featuring the German’s extensive career in Việt Nam. Tilo’s Troops – Handiwork of a Primatologist in Vietnam, by Murali Pai features the efforts of Nadler, who has worked in the field for more than 20 years at the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre (EPRC) in Cúc Phương National Park in the northern province of Ninh Bình. The book narrates his efforts to launch the world-class rehabilitation centre for endangered primates. Through Nadler’s story, the book features two main issues. First, endangered primates are given a new lease of life at the EPRC after their rescue from sordid conditions and meet other survivors in captivity before their final release into appropriate environment. The other feature is the training of conservationists or troops groomed by Nadler in primate rehabilitation. Pai is the founder of Revatji Horse … [Read more...] about Book on ape expert published
US publisher buys rights to Vietnamese book on deadly sea battle with China
A U.S. publishing house has bought the rights to translate into English and publish worldwide the newly-released Vietnamese book about its deadly battle against China in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. The book "Gac Ma-Immortal Circle" recounts a battle in 1988 that saw Vietnam lose Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in the Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands to China, as well as the stories behind the 64 Vietnamese soldiers who died defending the reef. James Zumwalt, an internationally acclaimed U.S. author and former Vietnam War veteran, represented the Florida-based publishing house Fortis at a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City last Sunday to discuss the deal. All the money from the deal would reportedly be used to support the families of the veterans that fought and the soldiers that died defending Gac Ma. The Gac Ma book was released at the end of last month and 10,000 copies were sold in nine days. The second edition was released with 20,000 copies on Tuesday. In four chapters … [Read more...] about US publisher buys rights to Vietnamese book on deadly sea battle with China
Book reviews VN administrative system in early 20th century
Cover of the book by Emmanuel Poisson (1880 - 1955). — Photo courtesy of the Nhã Nam CompanyViet Nam News HÀ NỘI — The administrative system of Việt Nam in the 19th and early 20th centuries is featured in a book by Emmanuel Poisson (1880 - 1955). The book has just been launched in Hà Nội by the Nhã Nam Culture and Communications Company. On the occasion, a discussion on the book took place at L’Espace. Entitled Mandarins and Subordinates in North Việt Nam – an Administrative System in the Face of Challenges (1820 – 1918), the book is an important piece of research on the state and the administrative system of the country, especially in recording the historical periods of feudalism and colonialism. It goes beyond the existing works on this historical period to shed new light on the reform of the mandarin system as a determining factor in the longevity and vitality of this government model. The structure and … [Read more...] about Book reviews VN administrative system in early 20th century
Rise of eBooks leaves book publishing industry needing to refresh the page
The fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, has brought about fundamental changes in various fields, including the book publishing industry. Many people now prefer reading through electronic books (eBooks) and virtual reality (VR) books, meaning publishing houses will be left behind unless they manage to figure out a new orientation for their operations. The birth of eBooks has started a revolution in the publishing circle and people’s reading habits. (Photo: sggp.org.vn) Although printed books still play a strategic role in the book market in Vietnam and the world in general, it is undeniable that physical books no longer hold their dominance as in previous years. The emergence of eBooks, and particularly applications and software allowing the exchange and purchase of eBooks, have brought about a complete revolution in the publishing circle and in people’s reading habits. The major change in the book business was confirmed by the 2011 victory of Amazon Kindle … [Read more...] about Rise of eBooks leaves book publishing industry needing to refresh the page
Six hotels in Asia with spooky reputations – and the stories behind them
A scene from the Thai horror film Shutter. Not recommended for late-night viewing when travelling alone. (Photo source: Shutter) Hotels are an integral component of travel. A perfectly wonderful vacation could be ruined by a stay at a fleabag bed-and-breakfast with fraudulently gorgeous photos on its website. Sometimes, traffic from the street through non-doubled-glazed windows keeps you up at night. And other times, the thing keeping you up used to have a pulse and is now going bump, bump, bump in the night right there in your room. We’ve all heard about supposedly “haunted” hotels. Stories of lights switching on by themselves, an uneasy feeling of being watched, footsteps that stop at the bed, blink-and-you-miss sightings along the corridor... Basically, enough material for a Thai horror movie or two. Some of us, who are sceptics, shrug off these tall tales as nonsense. Others are habitually superstitious, knocking on every hotel room door before stepping in. And … [Read more...] about Six hotels in Asia with spooky reputations – and the stories behind them
6 hotels in Asia with spooky reputations – and the stories behind them
A scene from the Thai horror film Shutter. Not recommended for late-night viewing when travelling alone. (Photo source: Shutter) Hotels are an integral component of travel. A perfectly wonderful vacation could be ruined by a stay at a fleabag bed-and-breakfast with fraudulently gorgeous photos on its website. Sometimes, traffic from the street through non-doubled-glazed windows keeps you up at night. And other times, the thing keeping you up used to have a pulse and is now going bump, bump, bump in the night right there in your room. We’ve all heard about supposedly “haunted” hotels. Stories of lights switching on by themselves, an uneasy feeling of being watched, footsteps that stop at the bed, blink-and-you-miss sightings along the corridor... Basically, enough material for a Thai horror movie or two. Some of us, who are sceptics, shrug off these tall tales as nonsense. Others are habitually superstitious, knocking on every hotel room door before stepping in. And … [Read more...] about 6 hotels in Asia with spooky reputations – and the stories behind them
Festival to review Kafka’s legacy
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — The Kafka Festival Hà Nội 2018 will review the legacy of great writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924) through exhibitions, film screenings, concerts and dance performances. Activities running from now until April 14, co-sponsored by a wide range of embassies and cultural partners, aim to help Vietnamese readers better understand Kafka’s life, vision, philosophy and career, said Czech Ambassador Vitezslav Grepl at a press briefing yesterday. An exhibition entitled “Kafka — A Journey to Vietnamese Readers” will be on display at the East-West Cultural Space, Heritage Space and Hà Nội University of Social Sciences and Humanities until April 14. The exhibition, presented in Vietnamese and English features a number of valuable photos and information on the novelist’s life and career, which were collected and presented worldwide by the Franz Kafka Society inPrague,Czech Republic. Before coming … [Read more...] about Festival to review Kafka’s legacy
Untold stories of Da Lat – P4: The Haunted House on Prenn Pass
A forgotten property tucked away at the entrance to Da Lat continues to intrigue and petrify local residents and tourists alike. >> Untold stories of Da Lat – P2: Stone villa of Nguyen King’s concubine >> Untold stories of Da Lat – P1: Nguyen Dynasty’s trusted retainer >> Untold stories of Da Lat – P3: Royal partition Da Lat is an alluring resort town at the heart of Lam Dong Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. As visitors approach the town they leave Prenn Pass behind and enter Da Lat, where they are typically drawn to a large, desolate villa. The residence has long been known as a ‘ghost house’. The façade faces the road and leans against a pine tree forest. Spine-tingling ghost stories have been attached to the property, arousing the curiosity of visitors. Da Lat boasts hundreds of centuries-old French and American-style villas, lending a distinctive hue to the serene town and making a … [Read more...] about Untold stories of Da Lat – P4: The Haunted House on Prenn Pass