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.

Children’s art workshops offer a dynamic cultural experience, introducing young participants to the vibrant world of contemporary Vietnamese art.

According to the announcement of the White House, Deputy national security adviser for strategic communications Ben Rhodes said after leaving Hanoi to HCM City on the afternoon of May 24, US President Barack Obama will visit 100-year-old Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor) Pagoda in Mai Thi Luu street, District 1.

On May 19, the two Vietnamese nominations were awarded as documentary heritages by the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) during the 7th MOWCAP General Meeting held in Hue City, central Thua Thien-Hue province from May 18-21.

A Vietnam-Laos amateur art programme was held in Vientiane on May 19 to celebrate the 126th birthday of Vietnam’s late President Ho Chi Minh.

The Russian Federation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held the first cultural ministerial meeting in the Russian city of Sochi on May 19.

President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morals and lifestyle as well as the beauty of Vietnam and its people are once again featured through a symphony composed by Lao national artist Duangmyxay Lykaya.

The 7th General Meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) was held in Hue City, central Thue Thien-Hue province on May 18-21.

The Ho Chi Minh City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will grace the city with a concert to celebrate the 126th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh on May 19.

Vietnamese Food Week, jointly held by Indonesia’ Ciputra Semarang Hotel, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Swiss-Belresort Tuyen Lam Da Lat Hotel of Vietnam, is taking place in Semarang, capital of Central Java, Indonesia from May 16-28.

Four documentary heritages found in Vietnam, recognised by the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific, are being displayed at an exhibition for the first time in the central province of Thua Thien - Hue.

A national contest for young choreographers will be held in mid June in the southern city of Can Tho to promote young artists.

Dozens of traditional long dresses, part of the private collection of a Vietnamese living in Germany, will be exhibited at the Hue Culture Museum this month.

The first collaborative stage work by Japanese Edo Marionette Theatre Youkiza and the Vietnam Youth Theatre is set to debut in Hanoi on May 12 night.

Egypt will stage its first Vietnamese water puppet show on May 12, heard a press conference in Cairo on May 11.

The European Film Festival 2016 (EFF), which is part of a broader series of “Europe Days 2016” events, will officially kick off in Hanoi on May 13, in Danang on May 14 and in HCM City on May 15. All films will be screened with English and Vietnamese subtitles.

Renowned Chef Ruthie Rousso, known as Ambassador of Israeli gastronomy, showcased a variety of Israeli food, ingredients and cooking techniques to the public of Hanoi on May 10.

The War Remnants’ Museum in Ho Chi Minh City received several valuable historic documents from writer Colonel Dang Vuong Hung during a ceremony on May 11.

Visitors to the Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hue are to get a chance to look at books transcribed on rectangle gold pieces, made for the adoration of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).

Eleven year old musical prodigy Jayden Trinh Jesudhass on May 5 successfully advanced to the next and fourth episode of the music talent competition for children ‘Vietnam Idol Kids’.

Vietnam joined some 30 countries in a festival showcasing the world’s cultural diversity at Place de la Bourse, the Belgian capital city of Brussels, on May 7.

Two Vietnamese music bands along with 20 others from 8 countries are attending the 5th World Youth Jazz Festival which opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.