Broadcasters promote Tet television specials

 HCM CITY — Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) will broadcast a special three-hour programme live on New Year's Eve on Saturday showing celebrations around the city and in neighbouring provinces.

The programme, to begin at 7pm on HTV9, will also show celebrations in remote areas and a report on people and soldiers living on Truong Sa (Spratly Islands)

It will be followed by a programme featuring music, dance, and drama by renowned artists like Thanh Thuy, Lam Truong and My Tam.

Dozens of skilled comedians like Bao Quoc, Anh Vu, Minh Thuy, and Minh Beo, will appear in Tao Quan (The Kitchen God) – a comic skit directed by Nguyen Van Sau. The channel will broadcast cultural and art programmes and films every day from 5am until late from February 14 to 19.

These will include cai luong (reformed opera) performances featuring veteran actors like Kim Tu Long, Thanh Ngan, and Que Tran.

There will be live broadcasts of festivities like the so-called Flower Street on Nguyen Hue Boulevard and 23/9 Park on Le Duan and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia streets.

HTV officials said they have tied up with channels based in the provinces for live broadcasts of Tet celebrations there.

"We are hoping to connect people living in different places with the traditional national festival," HTV deputy director Nguyen Quy Hoa said. Viet Nam Television's VTV1 will broadcast its usual review of last year's hottest cultural and art events on the first day of the Lunar New Year which falls on Sunday this year.

The show will feature cultural researcher Dang Hoanh Lan, movie director Bu Thac Chuyen, traditional performer Thuy Cai, and young singers Tung Duong and Tran Thu Ha.

Also on that day VTV3 will show a music programme for children in which performers from children's cultural houses will sing and dance with comedians Xuan Bac, Duc Hai and Tu Long.

It will premiere new TV series like Mon Qua (The Gift) and Chuyen Doi (Life Story). — VNS