A selection of noteworthy artistic and cultural events will take place in in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Phan Dang Nhat Minh of Hai Lang High School in Quang Tri won the championship at the 17th season of the competition The Road to Olympia Peak in Hanoi on August 27.

 HCM City’s Youth Union and Youth Cultural House have instituted a free music programme on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street to mark the 72nd anniversary of National Day on September 2.    

Well-known conductor Le Phi Phi returns to Hanoi to conduct VietNamNet online newspaper's annual concert "Dieu Con Mai" (Things Everlasting) in celebration of National Day on September 2. 

 A painting and sculpture exhibition on social issues such as child sexual abuse and environmental protection has opened in the HCM City Fine Arts Museum.

 Emily is a 24 year-old English teacher from the UK. Last summer, Emily volunteered in a school in Cambodia and arranged to have a little extra time to visit Vietnam and she fell in love with the country.

Nguyen Quoc Dung, a Hanoian photographer, has released a photo book called “Fading Season”. The photos mostly capture young Vietnamese women in the traditional ao dai or camisole.

Gam Cau Street in Hanoi's Old Quarter is only 4m wide, yet it is teeming with people, merchants, vehicles and shops offering a wide range of products.

 Performances by five-tone musical ensembles in Doi (Bat) pagoda in Soc Trang province attract a lot of visitors. The music of the Khmer creates a mysterious, sometimes joyful atmosphere.

 Vietnam has 42,000 educational establishments

An exhibition featuring historic photos of the capital city of Hanoi opened on August 24 at the Ho Guom Cultural Information Centre, Hanoi.

A red-shanked douc langur was handed over to the Cuc Phuong national park by forest rangers in Phu Loc district, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on August 14.

The Ariêuping (sepulcher) festival is taking place at A Dang hamlet, Ta Rut commune, Dakrong district, Quang Tri province from August 8 to 10, attracting thousands of people.

The Institute for the Conservation of Monuments on August 9 introduced a book named ‘Vietnamese communal house architecture through ICM’s documents, first volume’.

The Ministry of Information and Communications and VNPT on August 8 launched a postage stamp themed “National Flower” to mark the 50th founding anniversary of ASEAN.

 Réhahn Croquevielle admitted that he had a “crush” on Vietnam after his first visit to the country in 2007. 

 Dong Ngac Village is famous for exemplifying ancient architectural features of the northern region and for being the home of many high-ranking mandarins during the feudal period in Vietnam.

The world around us contains many extraordinary things. The “Ohé Science” collection not only gives us the multifaceted images of nature, but also answers to children’s questions about nature. 

Hoang Thanh Tung’s passion for leather crafting is so great he can talk about it for hours. 

A photo contest on the beauty of Vietnam which was launched on July 28 has received many entries from photographers capturing beautiful landscapes across the country.