The concert, which is a combination of music and dance, will last for 55-60 minutes.

One of the biggest pagodas of the city is Thich Ca Phat Dai Pagoda on an area of 6ha on the side of Lon (Big) Mountain and about 3km from the city center. There is an altar there that keeps the remains of the pagoda’s first monk, Phu Vinh. It also preserves 13 the Buddha’s relics donated by Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar.

The pagoda attracts many pilgrims and visitors by its elegant architecture and poetic surroundings. Tourists also admire the 19m-high Bat Giac Tower and the 10m-high Sakyamuni statues.

Not far away is the modern architecture of Niet Ban Tinh Xa, or Phat Nam Pagoda. This pagoda, built in 1969-1974 at Nho (Small) Mountain, is considered the nicest in the city with its modern and elaborate design and decorations. The first impression it makes on visitors is its two statues of good and evil.

Inside the pagoda is the striking 12m-long Phat Nam (Lying Buddha) statue and a giant bronze censer cast with images of a dragon, lion, turtle and phoenix. The censer was made in two months by artisans in Ben Tre Province.

Passing through Long Dat Town, Long Dien District should include a stop at Long Ban Pagoda to explore its design associated with traditional cultural features. The pagoda covers 3,000m² and is surrounded by many kinds of ornamental trees, bonsai trees and flowers. It has several statues of Buddha and Arhat and features many bass-relief and parallel sentences. All of the pillars are carved with elegant and meticulous patterns with images of birds, dragons, flowers and trees.

Not as large as the other pagodas, Long Son Co Tu is the oldest pagoda in Vung Tau. It is famous for its gold-gilded Buddha statue which is 1.2m high and its meticulous carving and dexterous lines.

The contest was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and the Federation of International Art Photography (FIAP) to celebrate the 30 th FIAP Congress in Vietnam and the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Speaking at the ceremony, MCST Deputy Minister Le Tien Tho stressed that this is the first time Vietnam has hosted such a large art photo exhibition with the participation of many photographic associations throughout the world.

The exhibition, which lasts until August 8, offers a good chance for Vietnamese photographers to share experiences and promote the image of the Vietnamese land and people to international friends, he added.

The photo contest included two competitions: one for black and white photos and the other for those taken by young photographers. The contest received 658 entries, including 420 black and white photos, and 238 photos of young photographers, from 42 countries and territories worldwide.

Vietnamese photographer Pham Thi Thu bagged a gold medal for her excellent collection of black and white photos entitled “Di chung da cam” (the after-effects of the Agent Orange).

The host country also won a world cup for young photographers under 16 and a gold medal for young artists aged between 16-21.

There are many ideas about the origin of glass paintings and ways to import them into Viet Nam. However, most researchers think that all the glass paintings in Hue were ordered from workshops of glass painting in Hoa Nam region (China) by Nguyen Dynasty. The glass paintings were enframed in gilded wood frames. The artisans used pastel mixed with glue or paint to draw or inlay nacre into back side of the glass. According to the glass paintings’ theme and value of fine arts, they include 3 main types:

- The high-class glass paintings describe and praise Hue’s beautiful sites and seasons with king’s poems attached. Most the paintings were drawn in cold colours. Today there are 40 high-class glass paintings in Hue.
- The glass paintings haven’t got the king’s poems but write painting’s theme. They were usually drawn in warm red. This is the type of painting which illustrates ancient stories in China’s history.
- The still-life glass paintings.

Although be the unique type of painting with specific characteristic of Hue royal fine arts, the glass paintings still haven’t received the proper investment and preservation. Researching on the origin and production technique of the glass paintings will help experts bring forward many ideas for preserving and restoring painting production technique.