(VOV) - Hanoi has its sights set on becoming a major international city by 2020. The authorities are determined to emulate the success of other South East Asian cities like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

(VOV) - It is said that worshiping around the year is not as important as at the time of Vu Lan festival celebration, which falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.

(VOV) - The Thien Duong (Paradise) Cave is the most impressive of all natural environments in central Quang Binh province, says Hanoi tour guide Nguyen Thi Huyen.

(VOV) - An early morning peek inside the bustling heart of the Long Bien night market.

(VOV) - Since I came to Vietnam one and a half years ago, a newer ending search for good beer and breweries has been going on.

(VOV) -Đặng Lê Nam, 25, carefully checks his sleeping bags, first aid kit, and backpack one more time. He’s readying for a weekend journey with his group of backpackers, heading for the northern province of Cao Bằng this time.

(VOV) - The formerly quiet, winding streets and narrow alleyways of Hanoi’s Old Quarter are now overrun with honking motor bikes and cars.

(VOV) -As I lay eyes for the very first time on this city which I came to know and appreciate, all I can see is a buzzing chaos everywhere around me.

(VOV) - The capital city of Vietnam is considered to be a live music lover’s paradise, and the most difficult thing is deciding which gig to go to. Let’s discover this live music world from the perspective of a foreigner.

(VOV) - Travellers in the northwestern mountains of Vietnam will be dazzled by the breathtaking scenery, culinary specialities, and the beaming faces of highland children.

(VOV) -A mysterious ancient citadel, once know as the capital of the entire country, is seen among other historical relics in Hạ Mỗ commune on the outskirts of Hanoi.

(VOV) -With the literal meaning of its name, Hai Hoa (“Peaceful”) Beach in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa boasts the serenity that only beautiful natural scenery can provide.

(VOV) -Many Vietnamese women have married foreigners for love, only some for money.

(VOV) - Imagine arriving in a new country without being able to say hello and you’ll find it ever more urgent to learn Vietnamese than you think it is.

(VOV) -Vietnam and the Philippines both love rice. But only one of them has enough of it.

(VOV) -No matter how far they may roam, rural people can never forget the image of their native village’s temple. The powerful symbol of community spirit is also an irreplaceable repository of local culture and traditions.

(VOV) - “Here’s the trail,” our guide said. He pointed up – at what appeared to be a sheer rock wall.

(VOV) - Mount Fansipan is only half as tall as Mount Everest. Yet this mountain, perched at the eastern edge of the Himalayan range in Vietnam’s uppermost Lao Cai province, is hardly an easy climb.

(VOV) -There are a lot of things that can give a city an undeniable character. Cities can take on an energy so idiosyncratic that it is beyond recognition.

(VOV) - Visiting a traditional craft village along the Red River banks is a good way of escaping the busy life of the capital city and exploring the age-old ceramic craft making.  

(VOV) - The Vietnamese idea of ‘về quê’ has a more complex meaning than may seem.

(VOV) - Although the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday has passed, its festive atmosphere still pervades the city. Local residents in several districts of Hanoi treasure the tradition of celebrating a second Tet or “Tet lai”.

(VOV) -As a foreigner coming to Hanoi for the first time, I have spent a day locating a bicycle shop and haggling about the price, but found it not easy to get one.

(VOV) - Eva Lindskog, a Swedish sociologist, can speak Vietnamese as fluently as her mother tongue. She has actively engaged in sociology and poverty reduction projects for the benefit of Vietnamese people.

(VOV) - Vietnam is a peaceful nation of friendly and hospitable people in the eyes of many international friends living and working here.

(VOV) - The Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday can be a reality check for longer term foreign residents in Vietnam like me.

(VOV) - People’s definition of privacy says much about the culture they come from.

(VOV) - Hanoi is the land of noodles and dumplings in daunting variety. At least, that is what British visitor David Bobby had concluded local culinary after his three-week trip around the capital city.

(VOV) - The Old Quarter is such a hub for visitors to Hanoi that other districts of the city seem to get left behind in tourist literature that is available internationally.

(VOV) - As the scorching months of summer slid by, sticky and humid in the Center of Vietnam, I looked forward to cooler temperatures and the relief of the monsoon rains.