Japanese pianist, Tamura Hibiki, will perform at a Beethoven musical evening at the Hanoi Opera House on March 3-4.

A giant Banh Day (a traditional Vietnamese cake) will be transported from Phu Minh town in Hanoi to Bai Dinh pagoda in Ninh Binh province on a festival next week of March 3.

The Phu Tho provincial People’s Committee on February 26 held a meeting to review the process of compiling a dossier for Hat Xoan (Xoan singing) to be submitted to UNESCO for its recognition as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection.  

The “Tracing the Roots 2010” programme will open in Lao Cai province on February 27 evening.

Hanoi’s image will be promoted at a campaign launched in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia from February 28 to March 6, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

A procession carrying a sacred flame from the Hung Kings Temple to the Temple of Literature in Hanoi took place on February 25, officially opening the 8th Vietnam Poetry Day – the first cultural event in celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

A pictorial book on Vietnam’s natural landscape and people has been published by Russia’s Vokruk Sveta Publishing House.

The Lim festival in Bac Ninh province, dedicated to the singing of traditional love duets, Quan is expected to lure up to 10,000 visitors on the 13th day of the first lunar month (February 26 this year).

A painting of a Bodhisattva has just been returned to the Tam Thai Pagoda in the central city of Da Nang after being held in a Japanese temple for four centuries.

A traditional martial art and calligraphy troupe from Guangxi, China, arrived in HCM City on February 25 for a cultural exchange programme as part of activities to mark 65 years of diplomacy between Vietnam and China.

Exhibitions displaying photos of Vietnam taken by German photographer Jochen Voigt will open in the ancient city of Hoi An and several other locations in April.

The 8th Vietnam Poetry Day was held by the Vietnam Writers’ Association at the Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City on February 24 in coordination with the HCM City Writers’ Association.  

Thai pop star Tata Young will bring her unique voice and world-class choreography to Vietnam for the first time on February 26.

Some folk paintings of the Republic of Korea (RoK) are being displayed at a 3-day exhibition opened in Hanoi on February 23.

The Embassy of Vietnam in Denmark and the Danish-Vietnamese Association (DVA) jointly held a “Day of Vietnamese Culture” in Copenhagen.

The traditional Sinh wrestling festival in Hue will be held next year on a new stage in an effort to modernize the event and preserve the festival’s traditional venue, which is now in ruins.

A Vietnamese day will be held at the Corinthia Royal Budapest on February 25 to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Hungary diplomatic relations.

A host of ancient objects dating back to the 10th -18th century have been discovered at the Hoa Lu ancient capital relic in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

An estimated 40,000 visitors from across the country are coming to the Vieng Fair in the northern city of Nam Dinh to buy ‘lucky’ items.

A festival to commemorate two national heroes, the Trung Sisters (Trung Trac and Trung Nhi), who led the country against northern invaders 1970 years ago, opened on February 19.

Archaeologists from China, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Indonesia have praised the results of the Thang Long Royal Citadel archeological research project as being of great value.

Although dealing with her own hectic work day, the time it takes for Lai Hien Minh to search for a seat in the crowded Pho Lanh shop on Nui Truc Street during the lunch time does nothing to convince her to leave for another restaurant with fewer customers.

A festival was held in Hanoi on February 18 – the fifth day of the first lunar month – to celebrate the 221st anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da victory over 290,000 Qing invaders.

Speaking of vegetarian meals prepared by monks or nuns, people in Hanoi are talking about meals prepared by Venerable Thich Dam Anh who presides at Phung Thanh Pagoda, in Cong Trang lane, Kham Thien Street, Hanoi.

Vietnam has made a breakthrough in terms of cultural diplomacy in 2009, with its biosphere reserves and cultural heritages added to the UNESCO-recognised list.

The tiger is also known as the god of the mountain and forest and the king of all kinds of animals. For Vietnamese people, the year of the tiger often comes with significant events in the nation’s history.

The Yasaka Saigon Nha Trang Resort Hotel & Spa held its annual Tet Cake festival to welcome the Lunar New Year in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa province, on February 15.

The Italian province of Florence will actively participate in activities to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam, says its president Andrea Balducci.

In the industrialisation process, changes have taken place in Tet dishes. Top Chef Dinh Ba Chau shares his opinion.

Foreign visitors to Hanoi, after touring the capital’s tourist sites, usually seek out a place to sit, drink tea, coffee or beer, and chat. Ta Hien street in the Old Quarter has been the preferred spot for a long time.