On the theme “Cultural heritage with integration and development”, Hue Festival 2008 officially opened on the evening of June 3 at Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) Square.

The Hue city’s People’s Committee held a ceremony on June 3 to announce the Prime Minister’s decision to approve a project to turn Hue city into a festival city.

Toyota Concert will be held in five big cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City from June 9 to 20 to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

On the theme of ”Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development”, the Hue Festival 2008 will open on June 3 at the Imperial Citadel Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) and finish on June 11 on the Huong (Perfume) River with a diverse range of cultural and tourist programmes.

The 3rd Moscow International Family Festival, titled “BabyTime”, took place from May 29 to June 1 at the Olympiysky Sport Complex in Russia to mark International Children’s Day (June 1).

An exchange of cuisine, culture and the arts was held recently by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan in collaboration with the International Friendship Centre of Japan (IFC) under the initiative of the IFC President, Yuriko Hisara.

Hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists have flocked to Cua Dai beach in the central province of Quang Nam on May 31 to enjoy a special kite performance.

Many famous Vietnamese and Korean singers, including Jang Nara, Ho Quynh Huong and Dan Truong, attended a special Vietnam-Korea music gala entitled “Friends” at the National Convention Centre on June 1.

The final round of the Miss Universe Vienam pageant was held in Vinpearl Land in the southcentral coastal province of Khanh Hoa on the evening of May 31.

Urban Consult, a German organisation based in Berlin, held a function in Berlin on May 30 to introduce Vietnamese people and culture, with the participation of many Vietnamese, Germans and other foreigners living in the country.

Three Vietnamese supermodels will fly to the US to play the lead roles in a celluloid film “Untitled Love Story” (Chuyen tinh xa xu) produced by overseas Vietnamese director Victor Vu.

An exhibition on Vietnamese currencies will be held at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum to mark its 30th anniversary and the 310th anniversary of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV)’s General Director Vu Van Hien and the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Ambassador to Vietnam Im Hong Jae have expressed their desire for Korean language broadcasts to promote bilateral cooperation in the broadcasting industry.

This is the first time a toy exhibition for poor children in rural areas has been held in Muong Khen, Tan Lac district, in the mountainous northern province of Hoa Binh.

There will be various art performances on the streets of Hue during the Hue Festival from June 3-11.

US world famous blues and jazz singer CoCo York will take to the stage in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City from June 3-8.

Twenty artists from across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand have taken part in an exhibition of their varied contemporary works to run in Hanoi from May 30 to June 13.

The Sitcom Editore Publishing House of Italy has worked with the country’s television channel Marco Polo to publish a book on Vietnam.

A forum to protect the rights of Vietnamese children will be held on May 31 as part of activities in response to the Action Month for Children and International Children’s Day (June 1).

The world-famous flautist Andrea Griminelli will perform at the 12th annual Hennessy Concert Series, which will be organized at the Hanoi Opera House on May 30.

Vietnamese photographers have won five gold medals at the Trierenberg Super Circuit photo contest held by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).

The elimination round of the 2nd Vietnam Idol 2008 was held at Ho Chi Minh Television headquarters on May 28.

The beauty of the twenty contestants at the Miss Universe Vietnam 2008 was very impressive at the Vinpearl Land beach in south central Nha Trang City during the Miss Beach event on May 27.

A replica of a royal boat used by the Nguyen dynasty last century has been built by a shipyard in Nghe An province at a cost of VND3.5 billion to carry tourists during the upcoming Hue Festival 2008.

Thousands of travelers are heading for the to the one-week Ba Chua Xu (Laydy Xu) Festival in Sam Mountain near Chau Doc Town to ask the famous goddess of wealth for a prosperous life.

A collection of 18 precious Buddhist statues dating back to the 17th and the 19th centuries are on display at the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum.

The Mekong Delta fruit festival opened in My Khanh village, Phong Dien district, Can Tho province on May 28. It is part of activities to welcome the 2008 Mekong-Can Tho National Tourism Year held from May 28 to June 2.

The Nam Giao and Xa Tac rituals will be revived by 1,100 artists performing at the Hue Festival 2008 in central Thua Thien-Hue province.

The yearbook is a collection of 500 records from every field made by around 400 Vietnamese record breakers. It gives the public an insight into the creative power, intelligence and spirit of Vietnamese people.

Many traditional fine art and handicraft products and other items depicting Vietnam, its land and people as well as its potential for tourism development are being displaying in the Hague, Holland.