After 10 days of competition, the Autumn Concours 2007, Vietnam’s most prestigious music contest, closed on November 14 with an awards ceremony held at the Hanoi Opera House.

Archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of stone and earthenware artifacts believed to be nearly 3,000 years old on the Sa Huynh culture on the An Hai islet on the Con Dao island, a district of the southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

Luu Thi Van Anh from northern Hai Phong city was crowned Miss Jewellery Vietnam 2007 after the final round of the contest which took place at the Cultural Friendship Palace in Hanoi on November 14 with the participation of 33 contestants.

The number of Vietnamese students studying in the US in the 2006-07 school year has risen by 31.3 percent to a record high compared with other Asian-Pacific countries and territories.

A festival in honour of handicraft villages playing an important part in Vietnamese culture opened in Hanoi on November 14.

An evening of Marimba music featuring Israeli well-known artist Asaf Roth will be held in HCM City on November 17, according to a press release of the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam.

Two books “Pippi Longstocking” and “Mio, my son” written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren have been translated into Vietnamese and introduced to Vietnamese children to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the author (1907-2007).

Pahl Rugenstein publishers in Bonn, Germany, have printed a 134-page book on Vietnam’s national liberation and the leading role of President Ho Chi Minh.

The culture of Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) has become smaller and smaller as time has passed by due to a number of reasons. To maintain, preserve and enhance this cultural heritage, the most important thing is how to promote it to the general public and help them understand all its precious values.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the European Commission and the embassies of Denmark, Belgium, France, Austria , Luxembourg , Germany and Bulgaria will cooperate to organise the European Music Festival 2007.

A week of Danish activities is taking place in Hanoi, Da Nang, Thai Nguyen and Quang Ninh from November 12-16 under the theme “Denmark at its best”.

The Global Community Service Foundation (GCSF) will launch a fundraising campaign in Hanoi on January 18, 2008 in support of Van Kieu and Pa Co ethnic minority groups in central Quang Tri province.

Twenty-two year old Jessica Trisko from Canada beat 87 contestants to win the crown at the 2007 Miss Earth pageant, which was held at the theatre of the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, in the capital region of Metro Manila on November 11.

Vietnamese photographers have bagged prizes in many categories at the Hong Kong International Photo Contest.

The 32nd ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM/ICPC) qualifying round for the Asian region kicked off in central Da Nang city on November 9.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in coordination with the French Embassy in Vietnam has presented 30 scholarships to students who achieved high results at the university entrance examination in 2007.

The Asia- Africa Literature Festival was held in Jeonju, the Republic of Korea with the participation of more than 230 delegates, including two Vietnamese writers Le Minh Khue and Mai Son.

An US child prodigy or the world’s most intelligent child Adora Svitak will visit Ho Chi Minh City from November 12-18 to meet with little readers.

A week dedicated to Vietnamese culture will begin in the Republic of Korea (RoK) from November 10 with a show of 14 musical performances by Vietnamese artists.

An event featuring films, concerts and talks will be held in the city November 9-10 to mark the 12th anniversary of relations between HCM City and the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Pusan.

Vietnamese models will strut their stuff on the evening of November 9 with models from around the world on a Fashion TV (FTV) cruise ship now docked at Nha Rong Wharf in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Khmer people in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang will celebrate the Ooc Om Boc festival on November 23-24.

A week of events highlighting Danish culture and sports will be held in Vietnam from November 13-15.

Twenty-two delegations from 16 countries have so far registered for the Hue Festival 2008, according to the Thua Thien – Hue province People’s Committee.

Vietnamese movies will be featured at the 13th Asian Cinema & Culture Festival, which will take place in Lyons, France, next week.

An exhibition entitled “President Ho Chi Minh and International Solidarity” opened at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, 19 Ngoc Ha street, Hanoi on November 7.

Hanoi Open University and the ASEAN Distance Training Centre of the ASEAN Ministers of Education Organisation (SEMOLEC) have held an international conference on scientific research in open universities.

A resident in Trieu An commune, Trieu Phong district, central Quang Tri province, handed over a jar of ancient coins to the provincial museum on November 7.

The Central Highlands Gong festival 2007, to be held in Dak Lak province from November 21-24, is a cultural event of national significance.

An exhibition of Kimekomi dolls, which are honoured as Japan’s national craft, was opened by the Japan Traditional Kimekomi Doll Association in Ho Chi Minh City on November 6.