The red Dao ethnic minority resides mainly in the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam. One of the most typical features of the ethnic group is their impressive elaborate attire consisting of an intricate turban, tunic, trousers, belt, leggings and shoes.

Vietnam set notable records in both regional and world sports competitions in 2011. We now review the country’s major sports achievements of the past year.

Top Vietnamese chess player Le Quang Liem defeated Karim Ismael from Morocco to win the first game in the 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival taking place in the UK from January 24-February 2.

The Global Beauties website has voted Daniela Nguyen Thu May the third runner-up in Miss Supranational 2011, as one of the world’s 25 sexiest women.

The Ede, the Hre, the Coho, and the Xo dang are known as ethnic minority groups living in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Each group has its own customs and festivals that add colour to the Tet holiday in Vietnam.

The Dragon, in the Vietnamese belief system is a supernatural creature closely associated with Vietnamese people’s lives.  

“Mam Ngu Qua” (five-fruit tray) on the ancestral altar during the traditional Lunar New Year Festival shows the family’s gratitude to the Heaven, the Earth and the ancestors, as well as their wish for prosperity.

When the cold weather nudges its way into every corner of the northern mountain province of Hoa Binh, the local Mong people begin to prepare for their traditional New Year festival (Tet).

Top Vietnamese chess Grandmaster Le Quang Liem will participate in the 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival from January 24-February 2.  

Laos hosted its first music exchange in Vientiane on January 21 with the participation of nearly 100 singers from 10 ASEAN countries.

A banquet offered on Lunar New Year’s Eve is of paramount importance in the Vietnamese people’s spiritual life because it is not only for the ancestors but provides an opportunity for family reunion. The feast also demonstrates the Hanoians’ elegant, subtle and delicate cuisine.

Young Vietnamese footballers Nguyen Minh Hung and Nguyen Phong Hung Duy arrived in Qatar on January 20 to join the final competition for a place at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence.  

Le Thi Hoang Ngoc on January 19 became the second shooter after Hoang Xuan Vinh to bag an official ticket to compete at the Olympic Games in London this summer.

The shortlist of the Best Foreign Film of the Oscar 2012 does not have Vietnamese movie “Khat Vong Thang Long” (Thang Long Aspiration).

Southeast Asian Games bronze medallist Pham Thi Binh will take part in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on February 5 hoping to earn a berth at the coming London Olympics.

The ancient city of Hoi An will host traditional festival and cultural activities from January 17-Febuary 6 for the Lunar New Year festival (Tet).  

Images from the development of the Hanoi urban centre from 1873-1945 are on display at the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre.

Unit Asia, a jazz group from Japan, will have their first concert in Hanoi and HCM City from February 3 and 5. 

The nation's first experimental photography contest was officially launched on January 18 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to encourage photographers to experiment with their art. 

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will see 29 and 6 firework displays on Lunar New Year’s Eve (January 22).

Vietnam’s national football team has remained in the lead of Southeast Asian despite dropping two notches to 101st position in the FIFA January rankings.

Well-known French electronic artist Alex Millan is set to perform at the French cultural centre l'Espace in Hanoi next month, following great success in the capital in 2010 and 2011.

Intensive preparations, including decorating hundreds of trees with lights, have been made by HCM City to greet the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) from January 22-25.

The four leading contestants in the 2011 Vietnam’s Next Top Model competition have released a photo album to welcome the Lunar New Year Festival.  

Vietnam's top player Nguyen Tien Minh has risen to the seventh place in the Badminton World Federation rankings. 

A series of flower markets opened in Ho Chi Minh City on January 16 to serve local residents’ decoration demands for the traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet). 

Vietnamese marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh has earned a place in the 2012 London Olympics following outstanding results at the ongoing Asian Shooting Championships in Doha, Qatar.

A photography exhibition entitled “Spring – Vietnam Sea and Island Tourism” opened in Ho Chi Minh City on January 16.

A photo exhibition entitled “Vietnamese We” showcasing nearly 100 colour and black and white photos opened in Paris on January 14.

A grand ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 14 to honour artists who gave outstanding performances and made great contributions during the past year.