The 2011 Spring Press Festival will be held at the Youth Culture House in District 1, HCM City on January 20-21.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Can Tho has become the first locality in the country to be featured in a colorfully illustrated tourist guide book that its promoters call MComic.

The memories of his homeland and his love for it suffuse the works of Vietnamese-Polish artist Hoang Ngoc Huu whose works are on display at an exhibition in HCM City.

An exhibition of Vietnamese paintings and literature works is taking place in the French southwestern city of Chaniers from January 10-26.

More than 10 dance sport duos will perform in the first-ever “Vietnam dance sport stars festival”, to be held at Trinh Hoai Duc Competition Hall in Hanoi on January 14. 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) held an awards ceremony for the artists that attended the contest of composing propaganda posters for the 11th National Party Congress on January 12.

Hanoi will set off fireworks at 29 locations for 15 minutes (0-0.15 am) on February 3 (the first day of Lunar New Year Festival), a municipal official said.

Vietnam’s music awards 2010 will be presented to winners in three categories, including vocal music, instrumental music and music research, announced the Vietnam Musicians’ Association.

Miss World 2010, Alexandria Mills, has announced her plan to do charity in Hong Kong (China), Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore in 2011.

A folk painting exhibition of Vietnam opened in the Lao Capital of Vientiane on January 10 to mark the 81st anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s foundation (Feb. 3, 1930 - Feb. 3, 2011), the 11th National Party Congress and the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The Ho Chi Minh City Book Distribution Joint Stock Company (Fahasa) in coordination with the Youth, Culture and Literature Publishing Houses has opened a book exhibition at 40 Nguyen Hue street, District 1, HCM City.

More than 100 domestic and foreign professors, researchers and scholars gathered at an international seminar on “don ca tai tu” (amateur musical performance) in Ho Chi Minh City from January 9-11.

Vietnamese artists have joined with others from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the US in a “Peace” concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.

The ASEAN Golden Voice Festival 2011 closed in Ho Chi MInh City on January 8, Vietnamese singers Thu Minh and Kasim Hoang Vu won the Gold Cup for folk song, silver medal in pop music and the Favourite Contestant title.

Miss World 2007, Zhang Zhi Li, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on January 7 to join a fashion show, representing the well-known trade name.

King of Football Pele is expected to show up and deliver a speech at an upcoming coffee festival in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak, but this time as a coffee ambassador from the world’s largest coffee supplier.

A music festival took place at the Cultural Friendship Palace in Hanoi on January 7.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will attend Travex’s Expo 2011 to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from January 18-21.

An exhibition of artistic works by artists from Guangxi, China, opened in the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on January 5.

Forty hand-made embroidery works made by Vietnamese artisans using designs and materials from the Republic of Korea are on display in Hanoi.

A concert themed “The Windy Days”, organised by the French embassy, will be held at the French Cultural Centre, L’Espace in Hanoi on January 15.

A project to restore the O Quan Chuong (Quan Chuong Gate) in Hanoi’s Old Quarters saw its first phase accomplished on January 4.

The HCM City Cultural Heritage Department, the HCM City Academy of Music and HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held international press briefs on January 4 to announce a seminar on “Don ca tai tu” (southern amateur music). 

More than 1,700 foreigners and Vietnamese in Germany attended a comedy programme by Vietnamese artists to welcome the New Year 2011 at the famous Admiralspalast Theatre in Berlin.  

Le Khoi Nguyen, 20, from the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, has been crowned Mister Vietnam 2010, beats off 30 other contenders for the title in a pageant in the coastal city of Vung Tau.

Female singer Minh Chuyen, who had participated in tens of singing contests, secured the 2010 Sao Mai Rendezvous title after successfully rendering composer Quoc Bao’s song ‘Cloud’ in the pop ballad style.

Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee in coordination with the project’s executive committee on January 2 inaugurated the bell-tower in Dong Loc T-junction.

A photo exhibition themed “Vietnam – Cuba, 50 years of solidarity, cooperation and development” opened in Hanoi on December 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Cuba (Dec. 2, 1960 - Dec. 2, 2010).

The final round of the Mister Vietnam 2010 pageant will take place in the southern city of Vung Tau on January 1 and will be broadcast live on VTV9 and VTV4.

Abundant arts and cultural programmes, including special programmes for kids, will help Hanoi celebrate the New Year this week.