(VOV) - Representatives from 24 ethnic groups from the Northern and Central Highlands regions will take part in a spring festival welcoming the Lunar New Year in Hanoi from February 18-22. 

Vietnam will take part in five major international track-and-field competitions this year. 

Vietnam took second place in the fifth Southeast Asian (SEA) Archery Championships, which was wrapped up in Myanmar on January 14.

(VOV) -Yuzuru (Twilight Crane), a famous Japanese opera adapted from its folk story will be staged at Hanoi Opera House on March 29-30, announced Norio Hattori, Japan’s former Ambassador to Vietnam on January 15.

(VOV) -Famous Belgian writer Nicolas Ancion will meet with Vietnamese fans at Hanoi’s Manzi Art Space on January 20.

(VOV) - Dr Doan Thi Kim Hong has been given “First Mrs. World” title for her active contribution to the Mrs. World Organization.  

(VOV) - Vietnam’s representative Kieu Ngan was awarded the “Promising Young Model” prize in Asia New Star Model Contest 2013 in the Republic of Korea on January 14. 

(VOV) - A Vietnam Week will be held in Rome from January 16-23, announced the Embassy of Vietnam at a press conference on January 14. 

The UNESCO-recognised the ancient city of Hoi An will host a lantern festival on February 9-16 to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday.

People living in the Hong (Red) River Delta are preparing to celebrate the Huong Pagoda festival 2013, which a local official has promised will be the biggest ever.

(VOV) - Top Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh will compete at the 2013 Malaysia Open from January 16-20. 

Nguyen Hoang Thien will take part in the Australian Open juniors in Melbourne, a Group A event on January 19-26.

(VOV) - A programme advertising the national intangible cultural heritage will take place in the Central Highland city of Da Lat from January 22–26.    

(VOV) - Hanoi’s Ly Thai To Square will host an official programme on February 3 entitled “Xuan Que Huong 2013” (Homeland Spring)—a celebration for Vietnamese expatriates returning home to mark the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival.

(VOV) - Mong ethnic minority residents of Hang Kia Village, nestled in northern Hoa Binh province’s Mai Chau Valley, are celebrating their Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, starting on the first day of the 12th lunar month.  

(VOV) - Hoang Thuy and Le Thuy have received 2012’s “Best Model Awards” in recognition of their tireless contributions to Vietnamese fashion.  

(VOV) - K-Pop superstars Super Junior will perform in the second Asia Super Showcase in Hanoi on February 28. 

(VOV) -Trainer Hoang Van Phuc has been assigned to lead Vietnam’s national football team in its two matches with the UAE on Fabruary 6 and Hong Kong (China) on March 22 in the 2015 Asian Cup qualifying round.

(VOV) - A football tournament kicked off in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum on January 13, attracting seven teams from different ethnic minority groups.

(VOV) - Cambodian and Lao students joined local youth in a cultural and sport exchange in Ho Chi Minh City on January 12 to strengthen friendship between the three countries.

Vietnamese men from the worlds of culture, sport, architecture, gastronomy and business have been honoured at the "Men of the Year 2012" ceremony held in HCM City on January 12. 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has added Then singing and Long Tong festival of the Tay ethnic minority groups to the list of national intangible cultural heritage. 

(VOV) - Ho Chi Minh City will organise a spring flower festival in Tao Dan Park from February 5 to 16 as part of traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations.

(VOV) - The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) on January 11 launched its sixth nationwide tourism photograph contest, themed “Vietnam: Endless Beauty”. 

(VOV) - Jesse Campbell, a member of Team Christina in the second season of the American television talent show The Voice, will perform in Ho Chi Minh City on January 14.   

The Vietnam Football Federation has invited Vietnamese Czech midfielder Michal Nguyen to train with the national team.

(VOV) -The restoration and upgrade of the 100-year-old Huynh Phu mansion in the southern province of Ben Tre has started, with an estimated cost of US$1.7 million. 

(VOV) - The 9th national sports festival will take place in the central provinces of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa in August 2015, one year earlier than scheduled in 2016 after every four years.

(VOV) - German artist Ulrike Ottinger will open her photo exhibition at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi at 6pm on January 11, before showing her “Under Snow” documentary.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s top badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh has moved two notches up to 6th position in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.