Nearly 400 amateur Mong ethnic artists from 14 provinces performed a special art programme in north-western Son La province on Wednesday evening to open the Cultural Festival of the Mong ethnic group, jointly held by the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Son La provincial People’s Committee.

A literature night was held at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi on August 28 to mark the 257th birth anniversary of German author Johann W. Goethe (August 28, 1749).

The Vietnam Cultural Week, the first of its kind, opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on August 28 to mark Vietnam's 61st National Day (September 2), featuring Vietnamese national dances and songs, circus, fashion, and photos.

Tens of thousands will be celebrating and experiencing the culture of the Mong ethnic minority people this week at the Mong Culture Festival 2006 which is being held in the northwestern province of Son La from August 29- September 1.

Vietnam’s tourism and culinary culture were introduced at an exhibition on Asian, African and Latin American countries held in Germany on August 27-28.

“New Rhythm of Life” will be the theme of the 24th National Artistic Photo Exhibition, which will be held in Hanoi from September 2-13 to mark the country’s great events.

Vietnamese and Lao people on August 26 joined an art performance in Vientiane as part of activities to mark Vietnam's National Day, September 2.

Mai Phuong Thuy, a student of the Hanoi Foreign Trade University, was crowned Miss Vietnam 2006 at the final round of the Vietnam Beauty Pageant held at VinPearl Resort in the central coastal city of Nha Trang on August 26.

The Vietnam Museum of History in Ho Chi Minh City, in coordination with the Kon Tum Museum, opened an exhibition titled "Lung Leng - The Mystery of the Prehistoric Central Highlands" on August 26.

Internationally-renowned American singer and pianist Vanessa Feltner will play a blend of pop, blues and jazz melodies at her September 2 performance in HCM City.

A training course opened in Hanoi on August 24 to provide comprehensive knowledge about the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Vietnam’s accession to APEC as well as the country's development after joining the forum.

The UK University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and the southern province of Dong Nai have signed an education and training agreement as part of the province's human resource training programme till 2010.

Vietnamese Days in Belgium and Luxembourg are scheduled to be held from September 8-17 when Vietnam participates in the 61st Accenta International Trade Fair as guest of honour.

An exhibition opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on August 22 to display ancient treasures from five sunken ships in Vietnam's waters.

The Thien Ngan Film Studio has reached an agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment on releasing the Vietnamese film “Long-legged girls” in the Asian region.

A ceremony to honour the top 93 graduates from Hanoi universities in 2006 was held at Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) by the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee and the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee.

A cultural exchange of Vietnamese and Japanese students opened in Hanoi on August 22 as part of the ongoing Japan Festival 2006.

A Vietnam Cultural Week will be held in Cambodia from August 28 to September 1 to mark Vietnam's 61st National Day (September 2), announced the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts at a press conference in Phnom Penh on August 22.

As many as 210 outstanding works of arts are on display at the 11th Red River Delta region - Fine Arts Exhibition which opened in Ninh Binh province on August 22.

The 2006 Mekong Experimental Theatre Festival will kick off in Hanoi's Hong Ha Theatre on August 28, offering local and foreign art troupes a chance to exchange views on experimental stage art models.

The British Council, the Goethe Institute of Germany, the Vietnam-Denmark Cultural Fund and the French Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City are among major sponsors for an art project named "Saigon Open City," (SOC), which is due to open soon.

The 2006 Japan Festival, which includes Japanese traditional dances and songs, opened in Hanoi on August 21 as a vehicle for Japan-Vietnam cultural exchanges as well as friendly relations between the two countries.

A 2006 tourism programme, called "Returning to the Roots", has attracted more than 4 million visitors to the three northwestern provinces of Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Phu Tho so far this year.

The fifth cultural festival of northeastern ethnic minorities opened in northern Ha Giang province on August 20 with the participation of more than 1,000 artists from 10 northeastern provinces and a Chinese art troupe.

Two students, Phan Anh Vu from the Ho Chi Minh University of Technique and Ngo Chi Le from the Hanoi Foreign Trade University have been selected as Vietnamese representatives among 45 ambassadors for the environment coming from 16 countries who will join an environmental survey tour in Germany, slated for November 5-10.

Nine Vietnamese enterprises, together with more than 300 others from 20 countries and territories are taking part in the Hong Kong Food Exhibition 2006 from August 17-21.

A cultural festival of the Mong ethnic group will be held from August 29 to September 1 in Moc Chau district of the north-western mountainous province of Son La, the Ministry of Culture and Information has announced.

The third Asia-Pacific Photographers’ Forum entitled “Crossing Bridge” will be held in Hanoi and Sapa in the northern mountain province of Lao Cai from August 27-September 1.

The beauty of Vietnamese women’s traditional long dress, the Ao Dai, will shine at the Shanghai Silk Festival next month when Vietnamese designer Vo Viet Chung presents his collection.

A delegation of the Movement of Communist Youth in France (MJCF) visited central Da Nang city on August 16 during its current visit to Vietnam to support Agent Orange victims and promote unity within the communist youth movements.