Locals look forward to the holiday season, and Hanoi's Old Quarter is a hive of activity as Christmas preparations get underway.

The "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" or "Parade of Flowers" is a celebration of the Vietnamese national attire, showing young people's love and pride for the nation's cultural heritage.

The goal of the first-ever Vietnam International Piano Competition and Festival is to establish itself as one of the country's most prominent piano contests and cultural events.

Pop star My Tam has won the Best Selling Artist of Asia award on the official Facebook page of the Big Apple Music Awards (BAMA).

KTĐT - The Paris Haute Couture Week, held from July 5 to 9, was attended by French and Italian designers such as Giambattista Valli, Giorgio Armani Prive, Schiaparelli, and Versace, besides Valentino.

A press conference was organised in Hanoi on July 10 to announce the friendly match between England’s Premier League football club Manchester City and the Vietnam national football team.

Vietnamese gay film, Cầu vồng không sắc (Rainbow without colours), directed by Nguyen Quang Tuyen, has been invited to compete in the Montreal World Film Festival.

State President Truong Tan Sang met with outstanding coaches and athletes who participate at the recent 28th SEA Games in Hanoi on June 23. Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien was awarded second-class Labor Medal by the President.

European giant Manchester City will play a friendly match with the national football team on July 27 at the Hanoi`s My Dinh National Stadium.

The Vietnamese film “Quyen”, also known as “Farewell to the Berlin Wall”, was well received by German audiences after its debut at the Kino International cinema in Berlin on June 16.

The Government Office has announced Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s conclusion at the meeting about hosting the 31st Southeast Asia Games in 2021.

Vietnam brought only 382 athletes to the 28th Southeast Asian Games 2015 in Singapore but won 73 gold medals, 53 silvers and 60 bronzes to finish the region’s biggest sports festival in the top three for the seventh time.

The gold medal in men’s football at the Southeast Asian Games remains elusive for Vietnam after the national squad, having an impressive run in the group stage, was contained by Myanmar, who got so lucky in the match dominated by Vietnam in every ways.

On day six of the ongoing 28th Southeast Asian Games, Vietnam ranked second with 57 gold, 31 silver and 50 bronze medals after the host Singapore with 66 golds, 58 silvers and 69 bronzes.

Vietnam have the most successful day at the ongoing 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore, racking up 15 gold medals, seven silvers and six bronzes to move up to second place in the medal tally.

On June 10, Vietnamese athletes won 4 gold medals, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes to prove their supremacy in gymnastics at the ongoing 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Athlete Nguyen Van Lai won a gold medal on June 9, shattering the SEA Games’ record with 14:04.82 in the men’s 5,000-metre race at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Truong Thi Phuong dominated the women’s C1-200m event to win the first gold medal for Vietnam in canoeing at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Gymnast Dinh Phuong Thanh on June 8 put in a nearly-perfect performance to win a gold medal in the men’s individual all-around final in the Gymnastics-Artistic at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Vietnam almost secured their berth in the semifinals after beating Laos 1-0 in their Group B match at the Bishan Stadium in Singapore on June 4.

Ace striker Nguyen Cong Phuong scored twice as Vietnam crushed Malaysia 5-1 in a SEA Games Group B match at the Bishan Stadium in Singapore on June 2.

Singapore online newspaper straitstimes.com called Vietnam swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien as one of 10 athletes to watch at the SEA Games, which will kick off later this week.

A folk game festival is planned to get underway at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi from May 30-31.