Nguyen Thi Hoang Nhung, a Tay ethnic girl from northern Thai Nguyen province, beat all the other 48 candidates during the finals on December 21 to win the title of Miss Ethnicity Vietnam 2007.

As many as 22 art troupes from 16 countries have already registered to join Hue Festival 2008 from June 3-11.

Vietnam will provide Cambodia with broadcasting equipment and 30 computer sets worth over US$1 million for radio stations in Svay Rieng, Mondonkiri, Kompot and Kompong Thom provinces.

Hanoi will have a fireworks display on the eve of traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet), Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee has announced.

The Fine Arts and Photography Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism opened an exhibition on Vietnam’s silk paintings in Hanoi on December 20, displaying 154 works by 320 artists from across the country.

The World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay is placed 6th amongst some 200 other nominees in the bid to become one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the official web site of the New Open World Organisation has just announced.

Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the north-central province of Thanh Hoa on December 19 inaugurated a radio and television transmission station to serve local people living in the western part of the province and adjacent areas.

Nearly 3,000 students and 100 teachers and cadres from the Central Broadcasting College No 1 attended a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the college in Phu Ly town, northern Ha Nam province on December 19.

Eight new records were announced at the 12th Vietnam Record Night on December 18 by the Vietkings company as part of the Da Lat Flower Festival.

In addition to promoting Vietnamese coffee products to international friends, the coffee culture week has helped local people gain a better understanding of the central highland city of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak and its distinctive culture.

The Museum of the Air Defence and Air Force opened an exhibition on December 17 to mark the 35th anniversary of the “Hanoi-Dien Bien Phu victory in the air”.

A tea festival opened in the province of Ha Giang on December 16.

As many as 100 couples from eight provinces and cities nationwide tied the knot at a marriage ceremony in Da Lat city, Central Highland province of Lam Dong, on December 16.

Under the theme “Da Lat flowers – I love you”, the 2007 Da Lat Flower Festival opened on December 15 with a grand ceremony to honour 12 artisans from six flower-growing villages: Van Thanh and An Son – famous for growing roses, Ha Dong and Thai Phien for chrysanthemums, Xuan Tho and Da Thien for gladioli.

A 500-year-old fort built in 1592 under the Mac dynasty in the northern province of Tuyen Quang is now subject to a conservation project.

The first national Muong ethnic cultural festival opened in northern Hoa Binh city on December 15 to honour the Muong cultural life within the Vietnamese community of 54 ethnic groups displaying both diversification and unity.

The Information and Society magazine in Hanoi on December 14 launched a competition to choose the best Vietnamese Blog for positive development of Blogger community.

92 enterprises from 20 provinces and seven foreign countries have registered for the Flower Festival to be held in the Central Highland city of Da Lat from December 15-22.

The Central Highland province of Dak Lak and Nam Viet company launched a 2007 Coffee Culture Week in Tao Dan park, HCM City, on December 13.

The International Association of Golf Travel Operators (IAGTO) last week recognised Vietnam as one of its “Undiscovered Golf Destination of the year” for 2007 at its annual awards gala.

108 Buddhist records, identified from December 2004 to December 2007, are being displayed at the Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi from December 12 – 15 to mark the 6th National Congress of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS).

The Sports & Culture newspaper and the Vietnam Journalists’ Association launched the first Vietnam press caricature competition in Hanoi on December 11. The activity was held to mark the 85th anniversary of Vietnam Press Caricature.

Vietnamese Embassy in coordination with the Parliament of Venezuela held a ceremony to erect late President Ho Chi Minh’s statue in Simon Bolivar Boulevard in Caracas on December 10.

The valuable and unique cultural characteristics of the 54 ethnic groups have enriched the Vietnamese culture and fortified the national unity bloc's inner strength.

An impressive musical performance entitled “Peace Melodies” was held by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO) in the Opera House on December 10 to raise funds for disabled Vietnamese children.

Work on the preservation of Thien Mu Pagoda, a popular tourist site in the former royal city of Hue, has been completed.

An exhibition of photos taken between1900 and 1954 about the secret lives of the ethnic minority cultures in Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands), runs until Sunday at the French Cultural Centre L’Espace 24, Trang Tien Street.

The Vietnam Fine Arts Association held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 9 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and receive the Gold Star Order.

A gold medal was awarded for the photo entitled “Sympathy” taken by Vietnamese photographer Hoang Xuan Tri in a photographic contest to celebrate International Day for Disabled people (December 3) in Singapore.

The study of the multi-level educational model at Canada’s community-based colleges is useful to Vietnam’s educational managers, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan at a reception given for the Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, Gabriel Lessard, in Hanoi on December 7.