Green label criteria for hotels to be announced

HCM CITY — The Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism will issue the criteria for hotels and guesthouses to obtain a certification of sustainable tourism development by the end of this year.

The "Bong Sen Xanh" (Green Lotus) label will be conferred on hotels and guesthouses that make an effort to protect the environment, use natural resources efficiently, and preserve the country's cultural heritage.

Asian literary translations on City confab agenda

HCM CITY — The first international conference on Asian literary translation took place in HCM City on Wednesday.

Translators from different countries such as Thailand, South Korea and China took part in this event. The conference marked an important milestone in bringing Asian literature into the world.

It was organised by the South Korean Literature Translation Institute and HCM City National University's University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

American expert to teach filmmaking in Viet Nam

HCM City — Dov Simens, a top film instructor in the US, will provide his first course for Vietnamese filmmakers on July 26-28 at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF).

He is known worldwide for his two-day film school course, which produced famous directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan.

In the last five years, films made by Simens's students outnumber films made by leading film school students from the University of Southern California, University of California and New York University. There have been nine Oscars, 32 Emmys and nearly 1,500 awards presented to his students.

Simens is an author of From Reel to Deal, which has become a classic among independent filmmakers.

Prehistoric remains found in Ba Be Lake

BAC CAN — Traces of prehistoric man have been found near Ba Be Lake, in the northern province of Bac Can.

Members of the Viet Nam Archaeological Institute and the Bac Can Museum have been excavating the area for possible prehistoric remains since June.

Numerous artefacts, dating from 20,000BC to 10,000BC, have been found in Tham Hau, Tham Coc Nghiu and Tham Mya villages in the Nang River valley.

Trinh Nang Chung, from the Viet Nam Archaeology Institute, said Stone Age people inhabited the area for many thousands of years and were responsible for what has become known as the Hoa Binh culture (10,000 BC). — VNS