The 2012 international HDBank chess tournament will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from March 1-8.

Vietnam is entering the race to host the Asian Games 2019 (ASIAD) against Chinese Taiwan, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

The culture, sports and tourism sector should grasp opportunities to overcome difficulties, improve the efficiency and quality of its projects, and make breakthroughs in all fields.

After a two hour drive from Hanoi you will arrive at Giang Mo village in Cao Phong district of Hoa Binh province, where Muong people live in a wonderfully idyllic setting.

Three out of ten artifact groups in the central city of Hue have been listed for recognition as national treasures, including nine sacred cannons, nine urns and a great bell, said an official on February 7.

Duong Anh Vu and Ma Xuan Cuong will represent Vietnam at the World Championships 3-Cushion tournament in Germany.  

International GM Le Quang Liem has put in a strong beginning at the 2012 Aeroflot Open Chess tournament, held in Russia from February 7-15, after beating his host Boris Savechenko.

The Asian Football Confederation will visit Vietnam on February 9 to examine facility conditions after the country was selected to host the fourth round of men’s 2012 Olympic Football qualifiers.

Vietnamese athletes are participating in the Asian Cycling Championships which began in Malaysia on February 8.

A photographic exhibition is being held in Navia city, Spain, to feature the beauty of Vietnamese land and people.

Big Bang, a well-known pop band from the Republic of Korea (RoK), will perform in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14.

Vietnam’s outstanding table tennis players Tran Tuan Quynh and Nguyen Thi Viet Linh have missed a chance to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.

Well-known Dj Alex Millan will return to Vietnam to perform at the French Cultural Centre in Hanoi, L’Espace.

The 18th festival of Don ca tai tu (Southern amateur music) opened at Van Phuoc communal house in My Le commune, Can Duoc district in the southern province of Long An on February 7.

A cyclo race will be held in Ho Chi Minh City this March, aiming to raise funds for underprivileged children.

Artists from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) performed at a concert in Hanoi on February 6 to mark the 20th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

U19 Vietnam will join 10 other teams from Southeast Asian countries at the 2012 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy to be held in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, from February 25-March 3.  

Vietnam will organise three international chess competitions this year.  

Miss Vietnam 2010 Ngoc Han and winner of the Beach Beauty title in the same contest, Nguyen Thi Loan have presented gifts to poor households and disadvantaged children in Nghi Xuan commune in the central city of Vinh.  

Winner of the 2010 Vietnam Idol contest, Uyen Linh, won the first Favourite Song Awards live show in Hanoi on February 5 for singing ‘Nguoi hat tinh ca’ (The Love Song Singer) composed by Luu Thien Huong.  

The seal opening ceremony at Tran temple in the northern province of Nam Dinh took place on the 14th night of the first lunar month, which fell on February 5, attracting thousands of visitors.

The Vietnam Youth Theatre has been invited for the first time to attend the annual World Shakespeare Festival in Liverpool in June.

Young Vietnamese swimmers have claimed glory at a winter indoor swimming competition in the US during their training session at the Bolles School in Florida.

Vietnam’s top chess player, Le Quang Liem (Elo 2,714) has left for the 2012 Aeroflot Open Chess Tournament in Russia.

Vietnam’s national wrestling team will compete at the Asian Wrestling Championships in the Republic of Korea from February 16-19 as part of their preparations for the 2012 London Olympic qualifier.

A large number of poets and writers from many countries and territories, as well as poetry lovers from across the country, gathered at a Gala Night entitled “Dat Nuoc Mua Xuan” (Spring-Country) at Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Hanoi Temple of Literature) on February 4.

The Vietnamese Embassy together with other diplomatic agencies in Cuba took part in Bazaar 2012 in Havana on February 4.

A food-distributing festival will be held on February 5 night at the Tran Thuong Temple where 80,000 food parcels will be handed out, containing such staples as corn and rice.

The 13th Fun Cup international windsurfing slalom competition wrapped up at Mui Ne beach in the southern coastal province of Binh Thuan on February 4 after two days of competition. 

Pho Cao Market is a cultural meeting place for 17 ethnic minority groups in Pho Cao village, Dong Van district, of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.