The special ambience of Christmas has warmed up Hanoi. In many corners of the capital, from streets to family homes, from churches to shops, decorations with lights, snow, Santa Clauses and Christmas gifts are appearing.

After the Hanoi Party Committee asked government agencies to cut programs unnecessary overseas business trips, the city has saved VND81 billion ($4 million) to invest into the new rural construction program, said Chairman Nguyen The Thao.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi plans to develop six traditional craft villages into tourist destinations to attract domestic and international tourists from now until 2015.

Being surprised is probably the feeling of most people when they come to "Korean streets," because the advertising boards of stores along the roads are in Korean language. They can mistakenly believe that they are in Korea.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi has approved spending more than VND107 trillion (US$5.1 billion) on collecting, classifying and properly treating solid waste in a bid to reduce environmental pollution and make the capital city greener by 2030.

VietNamNet Bridge – Twenty one lakes in Hanoi and 150 hectares of water surface have disappeared over the last 20 years, since 1990.

 VietNamNet Bridge – For so long the office of hustlers, sellers and scammers, the sidewalk is quickly becoming a place where students and even State employees turn to earn some extra cash.

VietNamNet Bridge - Two Christmas concerts in accordance with European style will take place at the Goethe Institute and the French Cultural Center in Hanoi in the coming days.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Justice has finalized a report to the Prime Minister on the issuance of controversial new ID cards.

VietNamNet Bridge – It is a fact that in the last decade, Hanoian people have been worried about their burial observances in the future because the city’s inner cemeteries are overloaded.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Italian and Vietnamese musicians will share the stage at the Ha Noi Opera House to perform an array of jazz pieces on December 10.

VietNamNet Bridge - A series of key transportation projects in Hanoi are implemented at snail speed due to difficulties in site clearance.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Different sides of life in Ha Noi have been captured by young comic artist Nguyen Thanh Phong.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi Labor Federation is calling for the combination of social forces to join its plan to assist poor workers to return home for the upcoming Lunar New Year, which will fall in early February 2013.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi authorities have decided to stage fireworks displays at 29 locations around the city to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) which falls in the second week of February.

 VietNamNet Bridge – With the fast approach of winter in town, most Hanoi lovers are seeking new places for snack food and their most iconic wintry dishes are nem chua ran, banh mi thit xien, or banh chuoi.

Updated information about cultural events in big cities of Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi Mayor Nguyen The Thao has suggested France provide technical and financial assistance to Hanoi for the restoration of Long Bien bridge. 

The K-Pop Festival 2012-Concert took place at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium on November 29, involving two Vietnamese singers and 17 famous bands of the Republic of Korea.   

A book Doi Mat Voi B52 (Facing the B-52s) revealing the memories of historical witnesses to the "Dien Bien Phu in the Air" Campaign against the US B-52 air blitz on Ha Noi in 1972 will be released here next Tuesday.