The Ministry of Education and Training along with the Ministry of Information and Communications held a prize-giving ceremony for the 37th UPU/UNESCO Letter-Writing Competition on June 25 in Hanoi.

Almost 80 contestants in the Miss Universe 2008 contest started their journey on June 25 to a number of cultural sites before the event takes place in Nha Trang city in mid-July.

Japan’s famous photographer Teruyo Iwahori was received in Hanoi on June 26 by representatives from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

The winner of the Miss Universe 2008 contest will be crowned with a work of art made from 18K white and yellow gold and many precious stones valued at US$120,000.

VNPT E-travel, a subsidiary of the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, has launched a website at http://e-travel.vn to provide foreign tourists with information about cultural products, tourism services, festivals and beauty spots in Vietnam.

The Con Moong Cave in central Thanh Hoa province hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ha Long Bay and the ancient town of Hoi An which were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

This is part of an annual cultural and arts programme to promote exchange and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese community in France and domestic artists.

The traditional dresses from eighty countries were presented at the traditional costumes event in southern Binh Duong province on June 22 as part of the ongoing 2008 Miss Universe 2008 contest currently being held in Vietnam.

Well-known American singer Peter Yarrow and his group will perform in a charity concert in Ho Chi Minh City on June 23 to raise funds for Agent Orange victims.

Alcatel-Lucent and Vnphoto.net officially launched an art photo contest entitled Alcatel-Lucent: Toward a Better Life in the capital last weekend.

The second National Journalism Awards ceremony was held in Hanoi on June 21 by the Council for National Journalism and the Vietnam Journalists’ Association.

A group of beauties from the US, Canada, India, the Philippines and Guam, who came for the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, visited patients in south central Khanh Hoa province.

Vietnamese women of all shapes and sizes can now be satisfied by beautiful Western fashion designs, which are now available at shops in Hanoi.

They all began their career coming from different backgrounds but with the same hope that Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) would give them fresh momentum. On the occasion of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21) VOVNews revives some memories of their early journalist career.

A painting exhibition was co-organized by Vietnamese artists in Paris, France on June 19, attracting a large number of French visitors and international tourists.

Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori, arrived at the international airport Tan Son Nhat on June 19 to attend the Miss Universe 2008 beauty pageant. Duong Truong Thien Ly, second runner up of Miss Universe Vietnam 2008, welcomed Ms Mori.

An exhibition of 20 traditional style, black-and-white wood prints titled Wild Dream are on display at Himiko Visual Cafe, Phan Dang Luu Street , Binh Thanh district in Ho Chi Minh City until June 24.

All three young Vietnamese entrants have been awarded prizes in the recent annual Val Tidone International Music Competition in the Italian city of Piacenza, thus establishing the Hanoi Conservatory of Music’s reputation as a top-class training establishment.

Twelve best young singers have been chosen from 700 contestants nationwide to participate in the final round of the 2008 Sao Mai – Diem hen (Morning Star-Rendezvous) contest starting on June 29, announced Vietnam Television (VTV) at a press conference on June 18.

Many representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) working in France participated in numerous activities held in Cergy City in the Northwestern outskirts of Paris on June 16 to mark ASEAN family day.

An exhibition of serial press photos by six Vietnamese and American photographers will open at the Maison des Arts in Hanoi on June 20.

A Vietnamese youth delegation will join the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) in the 21st century, which will be held in Japan from June 17-27.

The south central coastal city of Nha Trang is ready to welcome the first 37 beauties to participate in the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant, scheduled to arrive on June 17.

As the host country of the Miss Universe 2008 Contest, Vietnam will have the chance to promote its image in a 9 minute feature on the NBC Television Network.

Vietnamese photographer Dao Tien Dat has won the silver medal at the 9th International Photography Competition in Shanghai, China.

The biennial Hue Festival closed on the evening of June 11 after nine days of traditional festivities with a special art programme taking place in the Hue Imperial Citadel’s Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) Square, with the participation of many Vietnamese singers and dancers.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has presented the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre with a film on digital technques to help restore Hue’s royal citadel.

An exhibition of contemporary paintings spotlighting Vietnamese culture opened in Finland’s capital Helsinki on June 9.

A beauty pageant will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 26 to find the first Miss Tourism Vietnam to represent the country at the Miss Tourism International contest.

The Institute of Art and Culture, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has held a meeting with leaders from the five Central Highland provinces to organize the First International Central Highland Gong Culture Festival in Gia Lai province in March 2009.