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.

The Indian embassy and Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam co-organised the Diwali festival in Hanoi on October 18.

The Indian rock band Girish and The Chronicles will perform at Ha Noi`s Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre, No 2 Hoa Lu Street, next Monday, a day after their performance at the Water Resources University.

A photo contest and exhibition was launched in Hanoi on October 15 towards the 20th anniversary of the normalisation of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations (July 12, 1995-July 12, 2015).

Business and community leaders from Hoi An City are heading to Osaka, Japan to participate in the 12th Hoi An-Japan cultural exchange from October 18-19 as part of the 41st Sakai Festival.

Located between West Lake and Truc Bach Lake, Thanh Nien Road has long become the meeting place of young couples.

The capital Hanoi will let off fireworks at 9pm on October 10 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its Liberation Day.

Model and entrepreneur Jessica Minh Anh will transform the Eiffel Tower into the world’s newest catwalk on 31 October 2014. She has invited the “King of the Red Carpet”, celebrity haute couture designer Hoang Hai, to represent Vietnam on this occasion.

The third season of Vietnam `s Got Talent is scheduled to begin on VTV3 on September 28 night.

A total of VND123 million (US$5,781) was raised from the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 2014 and presented to “Sapa O’Chau” – a local charity organisation – as the two-day run wrapped up successfully in Lao Cai province’s Sapa district on September 21.

Given that the vote results for Vietnamese singer Ho Ngoc Ha at the MTV EMA 2014 awards were dishonest, a group of fans has sent a letter to Southeast Asian audiences to express their dissatisfaction.

Pop star Ho Ngoc Ha will represent Vietnam in the Best Worldwide Act category of the MTV European Music Awards (MTV EMA 2014), due to take place in Scotland on November 9.

Four leading Vietnamese designers will show off their latest collections – highlighting traditional Vietnamese textiles – at a fashion show in Italy, on September 17.

The website of Miss World 2014 pageant has posted the name of Miss Sea Nguyen Thi Loan as the Vietnamese representative who will appear in the beauty contest in December in London.

A new sport called ‘tricking`, which combines techniques from martial arts to acrobatics, is drawing legions of fans.

The commemoration of Vietnam Culture Week 2014 in Cambodia will consolidate our good neighbourly traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation, contributing to enhanced peace and stability between the two nations.

Candidate for Miss World will be selected through the reality TV show “Miss World Vietnam - Road to the Crown”.

The famous Korean girl band SNSD (Girls` Generation) will perform at Lotte Centre Hanoi inauguration on September 2.

Jessica Minh Anh has become famous for organizing “phenomenal” catwalks on iconic avenues, and for gaining access to such sites.

A Gala Dinner in Rome, Italy, introduced two new collections of Vietnamese fashion designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam consisting of 40 designs inspired by the natural landscape of Vietnam and the nation’s devotion to peace.

Second-year arts student Ha Minh Tien has won the Sao Mai Diem Hen (Morning Star Rendezvous) national pop singing contest.