A traditional Vietnamese opera troupe from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long will attend the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the US this June.

Two French artists Patrick Zygmanoswki and Frederic Pelassy will give piano and violin solo performances in Hanoi on April 27.

A music and cultural exchange entitled “Friendship Bridge” was organized at the Vietnam Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre (VECA) on April 18 by Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and VECA as part of the “Russian Cultural Week in Vietnam”.

An opening ceremony was held at Hanoi University on April 17 to launch a Spanish-speaking cultural week.

A series of short Vietnamese and foreign films are to be screened at the French Cultural Centre in Hanoi, providing local filmgoers a chance to view the latest productions.

At the age of 24, photographer Nicolas Cornet came to Vietnam. Since then, the S-shaped country has increasingly attracted him. He traveled a lot, took numerous photos, and loved Vietnam in an unexplainable way. The moments he captured in his photos vividly show how deeply he has been impressed by the country over the last 20 years.

The Russian Cultural Week in Vietnam (April 17-22) is of great significance to strengthen the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries and mutual understanding between their people.

A 100-year Sam Son Tourism Festival will take place from April 28-May 1 with the aim of developing Sam Son into an attractive destination in line with its potential. A Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter interviewed Deputy Head of the Festival Organisation Board and Chairman of the Sam Son township People’s Committee Vu Dinh Que.

Khmer ethnic people across the country celebrate Chol Chnam Thmay festival.

The Sapa Festival in the Clouds for 2007 opened in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on April 14 as part of the Sapa Tourism Culture Week, featuring traditional cultural and sporting activities of ethnic minority groups.

Local authorities in the Mekong delta province of Hau Giang have joined Khmer monks and people in celebrations of their Chol Chnam Thmay New Year festival from April 13-15.

Construction workers discovered an ancient cannon 3m deep under the ground on April 12 when they were preserving and restoring the Dien Hai historical citadel in central Da Nang City.

The documentary “Nguyen Ai Quoc in Guangzhou” will be screened on May 19 to mark the 117th anniversary of late President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday.

A painting exhibition of Vietnamese painter Tran Trung Tin organized by the Asian House opened in London on April 12.

The northern midland province of Phu Tho is actively preparing for the Hung Kings Temple Festival which will be celebrated from April 22-26. The province is expected to receive a high influx of pilgrims as the main ritual day has recently been designated as a day off for public employees across the country.

A wide range of activities took place in the Mekong Delta on April 12 to celebrate the Chol Chnam Thmay Festival.

UNESCO Hanoi considers promoting cultural identity as one of its most important tasks for its 2007-2012 term, it was claimed at its 4th congress held on April 11.

Khmer ethnic minority people in the southern provinces of An Giang, Bac Lieu and Tra Vinh are gearing up for their Chol Chnam Thmay New Year festival, which traditionally falls in mid April.

The family of late professor Dang Nghiem Van, one of the most renowned ethnographers in Vietnam, will donate 6,000 rare works from his collections to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in May.

2007 Best Foreign Film Academy award winner, "The Lives of Others” kicked off the start of the German Culture Week in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City will host a Tourism Festival from April 20-22 to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of national reunification (April 30).

The 2007 Artistic Photo Festival will be held in June in central Thua Thien-Hue province with the participation of professional and amateur photographers from the 6 northern and central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

Lam Van Quat and Lam Van Bang – two former prisoners of war on Phu Quoc Island – opened their own museum in northern Ha Tay province. It is one of the first three private museums in operation in the country.

The National Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Information and the National Heritage Board of the Singapore Ministry of Information, Communications and Arts signed in Hanoi on April 9 a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cultural heritage co-operation between the two countries in the second phase (2007-2012).

On 8 April, thousands of Hanoians, especially young people, flocked to the Japanese Language Centre in Hanoi to enjoy the flowers and to learn about Japanese culture as the Cherry Blossom Festival known as Sakura took place in the capital city for the first time.

Many disadvantaged children in Ho Chi Minh City will have their days brightened by comedy and puppet shows and will even have the chance to try out the stage themselves.

“The Creation” Oratorio composed by Joseph Haydn was performed at the Hanoi Opera House on April 6 by the Vietnamese and German Choir, Soli and Orchestras, opening a German cultural week in Vietnam.

French TV Channel 2 on April 6 broadcast a 10-minute footage of how Vietnam is developing strongly, especially over the past 20 years.

The first copyright trading floor will open in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26 and later in Hanoi on May 16 to mark World Book and Copyright Day (April 24). The trading floor is the result of cooperation between Vietbooks and the Copyright Agency.

Under the theme “Civilisation- Friendliness-Hospitality”, this year’s Sea Festival will include wide range of activities including fairs and exhibitions imprinted with Vietnam cultural identity.