The Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Foundation will grant 100 scholarships to outstanding students at five universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during the 2008-2009 school year.

A group of bronze casting craftsmen in Tra Dong village, Thieu Trung commune in Thieu Hoa District in the central province of Thanh Hoa has completed casting the largest version of an ancient Dao Thinh bronze cylindrical jar.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has decided to select April 19 every year as Vietnam’s ethnic cultural day to honour national solidarity and highlight the cultural values of the Vietnamese people.

Jazz, folk, flamenco and electronic music will coalesce in melodious harmony over a fortnight as the European Music Festival 2008 is celebrated in Hanoi and HCM City from November 25 to December 7.

A charity concert to raise funds for poor and disabled children in remote areas will take place in Hanoi on December 5.

A 21-strong art troupe from Bangladesh will make a tour of Vietnam from November 22-27 to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

An exhibition on Vietnam’s urban drawn by Dutch painter Wessel Huisman will be showcased in Hanoi from November 21 to December 5.

328 young people from Japan and other ASEAN countries will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City from November 26-29 under the framework of the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) 2008.

An art exhibition themed “Good morning Vietnam, Good morning Korea” will be held at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street on November 20-26 to commemorate the 16th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has approved the Vietnam National Tourism Administration’s project to promote Vietnam's image on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The Vietnamese song “Dong Mau Lac Hong” drew enthusiastic applause from students worldwide at the International Student Festival held at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute on November 17.

Vietnamese model Ngo Tien Doan is Vietnam’s only representative at the Mister International Pageant.

An exhibition showcasing works of art by artists educated in the former Soviet Union opened in the Hanoi-based Russian Scientific and Cultural Centre (RSCC) on November 17.

Dutch jazzman Mike Del Ferro will perform with Vietnamese artists in a friendship programme to be held in Hanoi and Thai Nguyen from November 17-22.

The former imperial city of Hue will be the central theme of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Festival, scheduled to take place in Hanoi from November 21-25.

”Green dreams” cultural exchange programme was launched in Hanoi on November 17 by the Ministry of Education and Training to celebrate Vietnam Teachers’ Day.  

Duong Truong Thien Ly, Vietnam’s representative to the 2008 Miss World Contest, arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on November 16, making her one of the candidates to arrive the earliest.

Hue scholars have listed many instruments used by the royal orchestra during the 18th and 19th centuries during the time of the Nguyen dynasty but that have subsequently become extinct.

The RoK-Vietnam Academic Association (RVAA) in Seoul has held a seminar to highlight multi-cultural families involving marriage by Koreans and Vietnamese.

The RoK-Vietnam Academic Association (RVAA) in Seoul has held a seminar to highlight multi-cultural families involving marriage by Koreans and Vietnamese.

Late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet and his revolutionary life are portrayed in a photo exhibition which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on November 16 by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Vietnam Photographic Artists' Association.

Hanoi’s music lovers had a chance to enjoy a solo performance given by famous German cellist, Frank Wolff, at the Goethe Hanoi Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi, at 8pm on November 15.

An International unicorn dance festival, with groups from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam will take place at Ho Chi Minh City ’s Nguyen Du Stadium from November 14-17.

By November 12, nearly 100 teams had registered to take part in ICPC 2008 for the Asia Region, including more than 80 Vietnamese and 11 foreign teams.

Sisomphu Singdala, a Lao student living in Vietnam, has been awarded a special prize in an international competition focusing on the rich culture and history of Thang Long-Hanoi, entitled “Hanoi: Your Destination”.

The Belgian music band named “There is an effel there” will perform in Vietnam and join the 2008 European Music Festival, which will take place in the country from November 25 to December 7.

The Vietnam Circus Federation (VCF) was awarded a bronze medal at the 8th International Circus Festival held at Wuhan, China, according to Vu Ngoai Hop, Director of VCF on November 12.

The second runner-up at Miss Universe Vietnam Duong Truong Thien Ly will represent Vietnam at the up-coming Miss World contest in December in Johannesburg, South Africa.

An international seminar to assess the cultural value of the Thang Long Royal Citadel relic site after five years of research will be held from November 24-25 by the Vietnam Institute of Social Sciences.

Traditional boat racings were held in several southern provinces during the Ok-om-bok festival of the Khmer people.