The Ho Guom Opera House, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, was officially inaugurated on July 9 after 22 months of construction.
Located at 40-40A Hang Bai Street, Hoan Kiem District, the 5,000-square-meter opera house is expected to be one of the most common venues for political, cultural, and artistic events and contribute to Hanoi’s cultural tourism and socio-economic development.
The Ho Guom Opera House features six floors and three basements, including a main auditorium with 900 seats, a concert hall with 500 seats, exhibition and art display areas, and various auxiliary facilities.
Fifty-two solid stone pillars, elegant glass, and a graceful domed roof highlight the opera’s structure. Every detail of the hall roof and interior furnishings represents Vietnam’s cultural heritage, such as the sun, crane birds, Dong Son drums, and traditional musical instruments.
Attending the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that this opera house is one of the iconic cultural landmarks representing the efforts of the Hanoi police force and contributes to promoting the city’s image to the world.
Han River lit up with 500,000 lights
A massive light space with 500,000 LED lights has been set up along Danang City’s Han River to wow crowds of visitors on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973-2023).
Spanning an area of 500 square meters at a park west of the famous Dragon Bridge, the light space is designed under three themes, Sakura Dome, Sakura Garden, and Lotus Lake, all presented in distinct color schemes.
The light space will be opened for public viewing until July 23, according to the Phap Luat news site (plo.vn).
In March this year, the HCMC People’s Committee also joined hands with Japan to organize an artistic light decoration event at Bach Dang Wharf in District 1. A total of 500,000 LED lights were used to illuminate the riverside area of the Saigon River, symbolizing the 50-year relationship between Vietnam and Japan.
Nearly-50-year shaved ice shop in Can Tho
The shaved ice shop in Can Tho City, owned by a man in his eighties, has always attracted many customers with various childhood drinks for nearly 50 years.
Thi Dong, commonly known as Tam, a 77-year-old resident of Can Tho City, has run his shaved ice shop for years on Ngo Quyen Street, near the end of Cai Rang Market. Setting itself apart from the surrounding walls, the shop retains many rustic features, with its wooden structure and old-fashioned charm.
His shop sells pennywort juice, mung bean sweet soup, shaved ice with syrup, fresh coconut, and various bottled drinks. Among them, mung bean sweet soup and shaved ice are priced at VND12,000- 15,000 per cup. A cup of shaved ice can evoke childhood memories in customers, especially those born in the 1980s and 1990s.
Tam told the Thanh Nien news site (thanhnien.vn) that the shop was handed down to him by his parents before 1975. He still uses the wooden ice shaver as it is part of the childhood memories of many customers.
Nonagenarian taking care of his wife for decades
Nguyen Duc Nhuong, 91, who lives in Ninh Binh Province, has cared for his wife, Ta Thi My, 86, a mental illness patient, since the early 1970s.
Over the past several decades, My’s mental disorders have never been over. She has to take mental drugs every day, and Nhuong is responsible for receiving the drugs from hospitals and helping his wife take them daily. She had been treated at the Ninh Binh Psychiatric Hospital for a few months. Nhuong had to accompany her, or she would not stay at the hospital.
In June this year, My was sent to the National Geriatric Hospital in Hanoi, and Nhuong also had to accompany his wife. He served her the first spoonfuls of food every meal before their daughter helped her finish the meal. He took time to take her around the hospital in a wheelchair regardless of unexpected punches or kicks from his wife, vnexpress.net reported.
