Belgium’s Royal Merchtem Stiltwalkers group will present a grand performance on five-metre-high stilts
dazzling the Hue Festival 2024 slated for June 7-12 in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue
Hanoi 3 (VNA) – Belgium’s Royal Merchtem Stiltwalkers group will present a grand performance on five-metre-high stilts
This will be the group’s fifth appearance at Vietnam’s largest international cultural festival so far
Head of the group Roger Daelemans expressed his delight to perform at the event
will create an opportunity for the Belgian artists to promote cultural exchanges
make friends and discover the beauty of Hue city
the Merchtem team will have several field trips to teach young Vietnamese people how to walk on stilts through flood water
which was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of the Flanders region
entitled "Cultural Heritage amid Integration and Development"
will feature a wide range of activities which include performances of international and local art troupes
a food festival and shows of the world famous heritage of Hue royal court music and songs
other art troupes are heading to the festival
and two art groups from the Republic of Korea./
the Hue Festival has established itself as a distinctive cultural and art brand and a unique space for cultural exchange between Vietnam and international friends
An immense light festival will be held as part of the Hue Festival 2024 with the support of the French Embassy and the French Institute in Vietnam (IFV)
expecting to bring visitors an immersive experience in a fantasy universe of light and sound
the Hue Festival has established itself as a sustainable cultural and art brand and a vibrant rendezvous point for tourists worldwide
The New Zealand Herald has run an article by journalist Cath Johnsen affirming that Vietnam offers one of the kindest cultures in the world
held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Vietnam–Hungary diplomatic ties
aimed to strengthen connections between young overseas Vietnamese in Hungary and their cultural roots
The exhibition features a dome made from do (poonah paper)
combined with recycled plastic and steel to create a space that is both soft and strong
The International Martial Arts Tournament welcomed participants from 11 African countries that are part of the African Vovinam – Viet Vo Dao Confederation
alongside representatives from several European nations and Vietnam
Deputy Minister of Culture of Venezuela Alí Alejandro Primera will perform renowned songs praising President Ho Chi Minh
during an art programme titled “Forever Ho Chi Minh” on the occasion of his 135th birthday (May 19
The oil on canvas "Property of a Lady of Title" was the top-selling item at Sloane Street Auctions on May 2 and marked the first Vietnamese artwork ever auctioned at the house
Vietnam will be one of 11 hosts of the AFC Asian U23 Cup 2026 qualification
Coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang of Vietnam will bring 14 players
who have practised hard at intensive training courses and friendlies in Vietnam and Japan
to China for the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025
The Berlin exhibition presents a chronological narrative of the war through the eyes of artists and photographers who lived through or deeply studied the war
from the early days of revolutionary movement to the great victory on April 30
Ha Long Carnival 2025 unfolded in three acts
each weaving Quang Ninh’s cultural heritage into a vivid tapestry of performance
The elaborately choreographed performances captured the spirit of local residents
invited attendees to explore the locality's breathtaking natural beauty
themed “Unity and Inclusivity for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development,” will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from May 6 to 8
expected to draw 1,200 delegates from 85 countries and territories
Hanoi has mobilised hundreds of billions of VND for the restoration
preservation and promotion of local cultural heritage every year
transforming the treasures into engines for sustainable tourism development
and Tourism Suansavanh Viyaket emphasised that the victory on April 30
was not only a triumph for the army and people of Vietnam but also a shared victory for the united forces and the special combat alliance between Laos and Vietnam
not only won the final stage of the 37th National HTV Cycling Cup
which concluded on April 30 in Ho Chi Minh City
but also secured his place as the overall champion of the prestigious tournament
The oil on canvas "Property of a Lady of Title" will be the first Vietnamese artwork on auction at this distinguished auction house
It was on display at a solo exhibition of Vu Cao Dam in London in 1960
hosted by the prominent Frost & Reed Gallery
titled “Mua xuan thong nhat” (the spring of reunification)
serves as a profound tribute to previous generations
soldiers and civilians who made great sacrifices for the country’s freedom and independence
The exhibition showcases 42 photographs and propaganda posters created by Cuban artists
reflecting Cuba’s heartfelt solidarity with Vietnam during its prolonged struggle for national defence
The drone show is a highlight of the festivities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30
featuring 33 teams competing for 11 spots in the finals in Thailand in 2026
The exhibition provides an opportunity for units to exchange experiences in preserving and promoting the values of cultural heritage and natural resources
and raising the status of Vietnamese tourism on the world tourism map
2008 by the Ministry of Information and Communications
Email: vietnamplus@vnanet.vn
Reproduction in any form is prohibited without written consent
mister-baseball.com
Passionate about European baseball since 2007
by Namur-Angels, www.namur-angels.be
The Merchtem Cats came to town Saturday to square off against the Angels
Namur sent Nicolas Migeot to the mound to keep the Merchtem bats at bay in a game that would not disappoint those in attendance
After an uneventful first inning the Cats would push a run across
After a leadoff walk to Kristof Vandroogenbroeck
Geert Cleymans singled in the first run of the game
Migeot would get out of the jam only allowing one run
The Cats were back at it in the third inning with some two out magic
Tim Van Lierde singled to start things off
The next batter reached on error by Florentin Goyens
Geert Cleymans singled in another run to give the Cats a 2-0 lead
After a passed ball and another run the Angels found themselves in an early 3-0 hole
The Angels would get some help in the fourth as Ludovic Geuquet
scored on an error to pull the Angels within two
The Cats answered right back in the fifth by pushing one across to extend the lead back at three
The Angels offense would answer in the bottom of the frame as Todd Emr got things started with a walk
Brian Hurld followed with a single and Ludovic Geuquet reached via the base on balls
Victor Gerard then singled in Emr but that would be all the Angels could muster as Hurld was thrown out at home when a pitch squirted away from the catcher
Namur found themselves down 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh
Brian Hurld led the inning off with a single and later scored on a single by Edouard Van Heer to pull the Angels within two
The late inning rally continued in the eighth when Hurld knocked in Thomas Vandenabeele on a single
Pinch runner Matthieu Deltombe scored from second on a deep triple by Jerome Sana to even things up at 5-5
In the bottom of the ninth the Angels would complete the late inning comeback with some heroics from their young second baseman
Cedric Nauts reached base to lead the inning off and went on to steal second
With one out and the winning run one hundred and eighty feet away
Goyens singled to right and Nauts beat the throw home to give the Angels the thrilling 6-5 victory
On Sunday the Namur Angels were looking to complete a weekend sweep that has been so elusive recently
They sent Brian Hurld to the mound with the hopes of securing win number eighteen on the season
In the bottom of the first the Cats took advantage of some bad defense as they pushed two run across
Yet again the Angels were down but not out
We fast forward to the sixth inning where the Angels offense woke up to tie the score
and a fielder’s choice Jerome Sana hit a double deep in the right center gap that plated Todd Emr from second and Brian Hurld all the way from first
After six the score was tied at two apiece
The offense was back at it in the eighth inning as Hurld doubled in Emr to put the Angels on top for good
In the ninth Hurld helped his own cause again by singling in two more to give the Angels the 5-2 lead
He would head back to the mound to finish the complete game three hitter by sitting the Cats down in order in the bottom of the ninth
The final score was 5-2 in favor of the Angels who enter a week long break riding a two game winning streak
Photo: © Frédéric de Laminne, www.event-pics.be
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Welcome back to VOV24/7’s Culture Rendezvous
Could you tell us about Belgian stilt walking
Stilt walking is a very old tradition in Belgium
It’s actually something that grew out of necessity because people had to go through the water
They used big wooden sticks to go through water and then it developed into some kind of cultural and folkloristic event
there were some fights between the stilt walkers
and it has gradually expanded over the whole of Belgium where there is a lot of folkloristic troupes with bands doing stilt walking
What do you mean by saying they are involved in a fight
They have two teams and they play against each other
the two teams move forward to the place of combat
The aim is to make their opponent fall suing their elbows or stilts
The last person standing wins the golden stilt
The stilt walkers are accompanied by a band
A lot of small villages in Belgium have this kind of troupes
They do it as a kind of leisure activity. They practice together
There’s a royal stilt walking team in Belgium
Yeah they’re called the royal stilt walkers of Merchtem
The one that performed in Vietnam was stilt walkers from Merchtem
It’s a troupe from a small village in Belgium
There were 125 people and 42 of them came to Vietnam to perform here including people playing in the band and people walking around on the stilts
They went to the Hue Festival and they participated in the EU Village Festival
They also have royal protection because they have the emblem of the royal family
They used to travel with our King before he became the King
but it’s actually imitating birds because some of water birds have very long legs
There are some relations between bird walking in the water like flamingo and stilt walkers
The highest stilts are about 4 meters high
They also have 3 meter-high stilts which is already quite high.
I think there were almost 55% of stilt walkers are men because they are stronger
but there are a lot of girls participating of course
Do they have to wear uniform when performing
They wear the Belgian flag colored costumes
They started wearing them after the World War 2 when Belgium was liberated from the occupation
They decided to celebrate by wearing the Belgian flag with 3 colors as their emblem.
Some of villages have the tradition to have local fair where you have activities for kids
They usually walk on the street so it’s really a street art where people gather together and have fun
That was our interview with Anke Van Lacker about stilt walking
one of popular activities in Belgian festivals
including Art Nouveau column detailing and wrought-iron elements contrasting with modern satin-metal finishes like shelving and insets
Designed by the Italo-Lebanese studio Lit Studio—already a regular collaborator—the boutique reflects a minimalist approach with a bold color scheme
The ceiling is painted in a deep red inspired by the brand's logo
fading gradually into the columns that anchor the space
The store's offer focuses heavily on textiles
Missoni has expanded the line through licensing partnerships
launching tableware with Compagnia Italiana del Cristallo
Larger furniture pieces are not on display in-store
The idea is to keep proportions manageable so clients can leave with items in hand
"The store is vertically structured with wall-mounted shelves that let us rearrange the layout
It's a dynamic space—not static—but designed for interaction
where we can host collaborations with designers
or creatives," explained Caliri."Our goal is to multiply these types of activations and explore how our identity can be reinterpreted through different lenses—especially those that challenge our existing narrative
I want to engage every layer of the brand and discover new language
Missoni's real project is about building connections with others
and we're listening," he added.The brand is going full throttle for Design Week
dressing two of Milan's iconic bars in its colorful aesthetic: the Principe Bar at the Hotel Principe di Savoia and the rooftop bar of department store La Rinascente
It is also unveiling two new outdoor furniture pieces—a director's chair and a lounge chair—as part of its garden collection launched last year in collaboration with Italian outdoor specialist Roda
The two teams which had a good start into the final round of the Belgian First Division will face each other this weekend
Deurne Spartans square off with the Hoboken Pioneers
It marks also the half-way point of the round robin
The Brasschaat Braves and the Port of Antwerp Greys on the other hand are already under pressure if they still want to have a shot at the Belgian Series
Photo: © Frédéric de Laminne, www.event-pics.be
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