The beauty of Vietnamese temples

 VietNamNet Bridge – As part of the 4th Vietnam Buddhism Culture Week, held in the central province of Nghe An, a photo exhibition of Vietnamese temples has opened in Vinh City.

Vietnam’s failure at London Olympic

The 2012 Olympics finished and Vietnam did not win any medal. The Olympic is a playing field that is beyond Vietnam’s strength, but if Vietnam invested more seriously in the games, the result would have been different.

Two boys have their penises injured by fish

 VietNamNet Bridge – Two little boys in Tan Kieu commune of Dong Thap province bathed nude in a local river. They penises were injured after being bitten by unknown fish.

National football squad to convene in September

 VietNamNet Bridge – Coach Phan Thanh Hung has selected 23 players for the national football team’s gathering on September 4-23 in Hanoi.

Rock and classic concert for charity

 VietNamNet Bridge – “Melody of Passion” concert will be held at the French Cultural Center (L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien), Hanoi on the evening of August 30, to raise fund for poor children in the northern mountainous region.

Disabled VN powerlifter in Paralympic challenge

 VietNamNet Bridge – For the past nine years in any sort of weather, 31-year-old disabled athlete Nguyen Van Phuc attends Khuc Hao Sports Centre to practise weightlifting.

EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 15-31 (daily updated)

Updated information about cultural events in big cities of Vietnam.

Fat in chocolate could be replaced with fruit juice

 A British study said on Monday that scientists have found a way to replace the fat content in chocolate with fruit juice while maintaining the "mouth-feel".

HCM City duo wins Amazing Race Vietnam

 Vietnamese-French actor Saetti Baggio and stuntman Nguyen Thanh Phuc won the first season of Amazing Race Vietnam reality game show, based on U.S. series ‘The Amazing Race’, netting a cool VND300 million.

River bank landslides increasing in Mekong Delta

River bank landslides have increased in the Mekong Delta, causing huge loss to property and agricultural production, besides greatly hampering the daily lives of people.

Heritage status sought for royal inscriptions

 Monument inscriptions in Han (Chinese characters) and Nom (old Vietnamese script based on Chinese characters) at the royal citadel in Hue will be submitted to UNESCO for recognition under World Document Heritage criteria.  

A Hanoi Haircut: Street Style

 I have a close relationship with my coiffure. I used to have long thick locks of hair that I wore in a sort of white mans afro like Bob Dylan in his prime. Although I have recently tamed my mane, it is still a focal point of my vanity.

No London gold for Southeast Asia

 Southeast Asian countries have failed to snatch a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, with all posting lower results than what they did at Beijing four years ago.

Tourists ripped off by vendors in Hanoi’s Old Quarter

 Despite local authorities’ efforts to stop them, street vendors have recently continued to increase in numbers and rip off tourists around Hanoi’s Old Quarter, worsening the beauty of the tourism area in visitors’ eyes.

World’s oldest heart transplant recipient dies

 VietNamNet Bridge – 59-year-old Nguyen Van Giac, the world’s oldest heart recipient at the time of his transplant, passed away from a stroke yesterday, Hanoi-based Viet Duc Hospital reported.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 14/8

 Venezuela attaches importance to relations with Vietnam; President extends condolences to Iran over earthquakes; Laos grants VFF leaders honourable Orders; Nation increase co-operation with Laos on ethnic affairs

Domestic distributors act as stepping stones for foreigners to enter Vietnam

Globally known brands are taking steps to restructure their exclusive distribution partners in Vietnam, a part of their plans to become the number one in their fields in the Vietnamese market.

Many parking-lots charge too much

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City authorities plan to crack down on violators of parking-lot fees, according to inspectors from HCM City's Finance Department.

Nation's scientific, research institutes make progress

 VietNamNet Bridge – Although the Government has invested a great deal in science, technology and education, an outdated financial system has limited development of these sectors.

VN acts on illegal guest workers

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam must take measures to reduce instances where workers stay on illegally in South Korea when their contracts expire to a considerable extent by late 2013,

Fire at 800-year-old temple

 VietNamNet Bridge – A fire engulfed the entire furniture of Trasathkong or Tac Gong Buddhist Temple in My Xuyen district of the southern province of Soc Trang on August 13.

Top leaders join in self-criticism

 VietNamNet Bridge – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday, Aug 13, opened a national conference on efforts to implement Resolution 4 covering self-criticism of party members and leaders at all levels.

Europe should work on "Economic and Monetary Union 2.0"

 The eurozone was at "a decisive juncture" and the debt crisis had both underlined the need and created the conditions for Europe to rebuild and reinforce its economic and monetary union, a senior European Commission official said Monday.

NA Standing Committee convenes 10th session

 VietNamNet Bridge – The 10th session of the 13th National Assembly Standing Committee opened in Hanoi on August 13 under the chair of NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

New Cuban band performs at Saigon Saigon Bar

 VietNamNet Bridge – Six-member Cuban band Corazon Latino will bring "new energy" to the Saigon Saigon Bar at the Caravelle Hotel from 9pm every day except Tuesday.