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.

The opening ceremony of the 8th ASEAN Para Games was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on December 3.

US band Blended 328 will be on a tour across North Vietnam, celebrating the 20-year anniversary of normalisation of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations.

Tugging rituals and games of Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea were recognised as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO on December 2.

A Vietnam culture-culinary festival is taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Dubai from November 30 to December 5.

According to the Department of Performing Arts, more than 200 artists will compete in the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Young Circus Talent Contest which will take place from December 8-12 in Hanoi.

A photo exhibition entitled “Vietnam-Cuba, 55 years of solidarity and cooperation” was launched at the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) headquarters, 5 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi on December 2.

The 19th Vietnam Film Festival kicked off at Hoa Binh Theatre in HCM City on December 1. Works competing in the festival are divided into four main categories, including feature films, video films, documentaries, scientific films and animation.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the People`s Committee of HCM City organised the 2015 international sculpture camp in HCM City on December 1.

A relatively intact bronze drum believed to belong to the Dong Son culture, originating in Vietnam over 2,000 years ago, has recently been discovered in Timor Leste.

More than 1,000 documents, works and images on the life and career of great poet Nguyen Du are being showcased at an exhibition that opened at the Nguyen Du memorial site in the central province of Ha Tinh on November 30.

A Vietnam-RoK lacquer exhibition is taking place at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi from November 30 to December 12, according to Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper.

A culture and tourism week to mark the 250th birth anniversary of UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Du kicked off on November 28 in Nghi Xuan district, the central province of Ha Tinh.

Vietnam`s weightlifting team have made history by winning three tickets to compete at the next Olympic Games in Brazil.

Seventeen artworks were sold for a total US$18,000 at an auction held at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts.

The Vietnamese contingent of 130 athletes will attend the ASEAN Paragames 2015 held in Singapore from December 3-9 and the send-off ceremony was held in HCM City on November 26.

As many as 13 outstanding books were awarded prizes of the Vietnamese-Danish project on fostering literature for children at a ceremony in Hanoi on November 26.

Nearly 100 outstanding handicraft items of Venezuela are being on show at an exhibition held by the country’s Embassy in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang.

After the first joint-effort of the play entitled Caucasian Chalk Circle in 2014, the Hanoi-based Youth Theatre are cooperating with German director Dominik Gunther from Hamburg and puppeteers from Dresden to stage a play entitled Fisherman and a Golden Fish.

The annual food festival titled Taste of the World featuring Vietnamese and international dishes will be held at September 23 Park in Ho Chi Minh City from December 3 to 6.

"Hanoi Run for Children 2015" will be organised at the main gate of the Thong Nhat Park, Hanoi at 8 am on December 6 to raise funds for the treatment of disadvantaged children with cancer and heart disease.