Fah Thai Magazine Nov/Dec 2017

HAPPENINGS
LAOS / VIETNAM
LUANG PRABANG / DANANG / HO CHI MINH / HOI AN
ROMAN HOLIDAY IN HO CHI MINH CITY
SPOTLIGHT
3D Art
Following its success in Thailand,
“Art in Paradise” – the world’s
biggest 3D Art museum – finally
makes it to Vietnam’s booming
resort town of Danang. Its popularity
may transcend that of other cultural
spots like museums as the largescale
three-dimensional art pieces
try to tempt visitors with its brand
of humour and entertainment. Art
in Paradise Danang showcases a
collection of more than 130 unique
and extraordinary three-dimensional
art pieces.
With ‘Art in Paradise Danang’,
you enter a modern white building at
C2 Block at 10 Tran Nhan Tong Street
with anticipation. Then, shoes are
requested to be taken off. Next is a
surprising sight and a mind-blowing
look at 3D art collections like that of
a dark creepy tower, the Smurfs and
a Flying Carpet. They look real,
if startling, in all dimensions.
Distributed in several large rooms,
the artwork done by South Korean
artists is impressive in scale and
dimension. People will try to strike
the silliest pose and before you know
it, you’ll want to do the same, like
trying to tame a lion. Open daily from
9am to 10pm, facebook.com/aipdanang,
+84 91 159 11 00
FULL MOON IN HOI AN
Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 45 minutes south of
Danang, will turn off city lights and let moonlight transform
the ancient port town into a magical night; complemented
with flickering light from candles and silk lanterns. The
riverside town, with its mix of eras and styles that range from
wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colourful French
colonial buildings and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge,
celebrates the Hoi An Lantern Festival every full moon night,
and November and December are the best times to enjoy the
fresh air and enjoy the atmospheric town lit up. The two last
full moons of the year are on November 2 and December 1.
vietnamtourism.gov.vn
Known as the capital of motorcycles, Ho
Chi Minh City has more than four million
bikes and another 1,500 are added each
year. The Vietnamese believe their scooters
and mopeds can carry anyone – including
the tourists – to anywhere, anytime.
Like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
did in “Roman Holiday”, visitors can enjoy
a larger dose of adventure on a vintage
Vespa in Ho Chi Minh City. Tours offered
by Vietnam Vespa Adventures transport
visitors to the city’s lesser-know areas on
beautifully restored vintage scooters.
A well-versed local guide leads halfday
options like the “Insider’s Saigon”,
traversing through the streets for views of
city life including local stops past temples
smoky with incense sticks in the old
Cholon nieghbourhood, or places where
bird owners gather on weekend mornings
as they take their tweeting pets out for
the day. Significant places in history, like
the spot where the Buddhist monk Thich
Quang Duc burned himself to death, are
covered in the tour.
Snarling traffic and negotiating through
historic street blocks and alleys make
motorcycles the obvious vehicle of choice.
When cars and buses stop at red lights,
scooters fill the gaps and try to stay at
the front row. Before traffic lights turn
green, tourists exchange greetings with
local riders and riders themselves flirt with
drivers. Yet the romance is fleeting. As
soon as the lights change, scooters dash
away on their journey. vespaadventures.com
ALFRESCO FILM FEST
The annual Luang Prabang Film Festival (LPFF) returns to the
ancient Lao capital on December 8-13, transforming the fabled
riverside town into an open-air cinema. The festival showcases
a range of feature film screenings, short film programmes, panel
discussions, and events. This year, LPFF audiences and visitors alike
can look forward to a continuation of the SPOTLIGHT programme
with a new focus on Thailand, led by Bangkok Post writer Kong
Rithdee. With a current Thai film industry flourishing across many
genres, this year’s SPOTLIGHT on Thai films should be fascinating
for festivalgoers. One of Asia’s most ambitious cinematic events,
LPFF might be the world’s only film festival held in a location
without a single movie theatre. The festival has become known as
an unmissable event for filmmakers from across the region, with
plenty of networking opportunities with professionals from the
ever-expanding Southeast Asian film industry. LPFF also stands
apart from other film festivals in that it gives audience members
intimate access to filmmakers, whether it be after their screenings,
at public discussions, or at festival events. lpfilmfest.org
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