Two “made-in-Vietnam” documentaries will be presented to American students at five prestigious US universities.

Vietnamese beauty Cao Thuy Duong, who is among 67 contestants competing at the 2008 Miss International Pageant in Japan, is now leading in an online vote for the pageant’s International Image Award.

Nguyen Bich Thuy, a 30-year-old lecturer at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, was awarded fourth prize at the International Vocal Competition, held recently in China’s Ningbo City.

A grand ceremony to mark 700th anniversary of the death of King Tran Nhan Tong who was also a Buddhist monk, will be held on November 27 at localities in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Two picture books, Me vang nha (When Mum Is Away) and Tre em trong ngon lua chien tranh (Children in the Flames of War) by late Japanese artist Chihiro Iwasaki are on display at the Southern Women’s Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association and the Czech Embassy in Hanoi opened an exhibition entitled “Hanoi-Prague, cultural and tourism exchange memories” on October 25 at the Vietnam Cultural and Arts Exhibition Centre.

A free concert of friendship will be given by well-known Argentine violinist Pablo Saravis and pianist Ines Sabatini at the Hanoi Opera House on November 1.

Twenty-three performances were given by students from high schools and universities across Finland in the final round of the Karaoke Singing Contest 2008 held at the Caisa International Culture Centre in Helsinki last week.

Supermodel Dinh Lan Phuong left Hanoi for Hainan, China on Oct. 24 to represent Vietnam at the world’s most prestigious model contest, the 2008 Elite Model Look Contest.

In response to the Government’s policy to promote cultural diplomacy in addition to the economic relations, an exhibition gathering many works of art made by diplomats, who are working in Vietnam, opened in Hanoi on October 23.

A detailed project to build a film studio and commercial and services centre, called Vina Universal, in central Quang Ngai province was announced on October 23, covering a total area of 60 hectares.

Vietnam’s Fansipan mountain has jumped 12 places to the 13th position among 77 candidates in the online voting for seven new world natural wonders launched by the New Open World.

More 50 large-sized color photos are being displayed at an exhibition in Berlin, Germany, featuring Vietnam’s people and land, as well as cultural festivals and infrastructure development in the country.

A Vietnamese made TV film Chạy Án (Buying Justice) is being featured at the Tokyo International Film Festival that opened in Japan on October 22.

A contest to find a new ASEAN anthem could have a Vietnamese tune as the winner, a jury member for the ASEAN Anthem Competition has revealed.

In the five years of operation, the Hanoi-based Russia Scientific and Cultural Centre (RSCC) has become an important bridge between Vietnam and Russia.

A weeklong celebration of UK films in Hanoi and HCM City will feature a collection of the best urban contemporary British movies.

Vietnam’s tourism potentials and landscapes will be introduced to the World Travel Market (WTM) fair to take place in London, the United Kingdom, from November 10-13.

Cinema lovers in Hanoi, northern Hai Phong port and central Da Nang cities will have opportunities to enjoy French film during the second French film festival which takes place from October 20-30.

The eighth annual Week of the Italian Language, themed “Italian language on square”, kicked off in Ly Thai To park, Hanoi on October 20.

The opening ceremony of Vietnamese Cultural Days at Moscow universities was held in Moscow on October 19.

Muong Lo Tourism and Culture Week has taken place in Nghia Lo town in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, highlighting the unique cultural features of 17 ethnic groups in the region.

Lundi 7 Heures Choir, one of Switzerland’s top vocal ensembles, will perform at the Youth Theatre at 11 Ngo Thi Nham Street in Hanoi at 8pm on October 21.

Vietnam’s meritorious artist Hong Ngat won a gold medal in the folk music category at the ASEAN Golden Voice Festival 2008, which closed in HCM City on October 19.

There is an area called “Khu Pho Tay” (foreigners’ ward) in the south-central coastal city of Nha Trang. It’s not only because the area attracts a large number of foreign visitors but because it is fairly typical of Western culture.

A cultural festival entitled “Discovering Vietnam’s beauty through ‘ao dai’ (long dress) and food” took place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India on Oct. 17.

A seminar was held in northern Ninh Binh province on Oct. 17 to discuss the cultural value of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and Trang An eco-tourism resort.

The television series “Golden Bride”, co-produced by Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK), has won “the Best TV Film” award at the 2008 Seoul Drama Festival.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee to cooperate with ministries, functional agencies and localities to complete key construction projects to celebrate its 1,000th anniversary in 2010.

Eight groups of performers from Southeast Asian countries attended the ASEAN Golden Voice Festival 2008, which opened in HCM City on October 16.