The Cua Ong Temple Festival, which was recently recognised as national special intangible cultural heritage, opened in Cam Pha City, the northern province of Quang Ninh, on March 18.

 Cloth weaving has long been a proud traditional craft of the Mong ethnic people in Vietnam’s mountainous areas. The Mong’s traditional textile patterns have been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

 In the context of technology booming, it is easier for people to access information via Internet. However, many people are still keeping their habit of collecting printed books no matter how old they are.

 The gong, a musical instrument native to the Central Highlands, is popular in the five provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, and Lâm Đồng.

 The book 1987, containing stories of those born in 1987 — the first year after the initiation of the country’s famous Đổi Mới (Renewal) policy — has become a best-seller, with 10,000 copies selling out only three months after its release.

 HCM City’s annual Book Festival kicks off on Monday (March 19) at Lê Văn Tám Park in District 1.

 An exhibition showcasing foreign people and international landscapes through the lens of Vietnamese photographers will open at Vietnam Art Photograph Archives and Exhibition Centre on Ton That Thuyet Street on March 17.

 Vietnamese violinist Bui Cong Duy and Russian cellist Dmitri Feygin will perform at the Musical Journey through Europe concert at the HCM City Opera House on March 18.

 A variety of activities, including art events, concerts, film screenings and a writing contest will be held nationwide to celebrate International Francophone Day 2018 in Viet Nam.

 The People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province’s Uong Bi city on March 15 announced to change the time for the 2018 Cherry blossom – Yen Tu yellow ochna flower festival.

 A 380m ironwood-floored pedestrian road is under construction along the southern bank of Huong River, one of the most well-known destinations in Hue city in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

 French photographer Réhahn, based in Hoi An ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam, won the Trophées des Francais de l’étranger in recognition of his art gallery and museum in Hoi An, in a ceremony in Quai d’Orsay, Paris, this week.

Meritorious Artist Nguyen Ho Thuy Tien has a great passion for and creativity in puppetry. She is the first female in Vietnam who created her own solo puppet show.

 HCMC will host a large book festival at Le Van Tam Park in District 1 from March 19 to 25.

 A special exhibition unveiling hundreds of artifacts about the history of the Reunification Palace, the former seat of the South Vietnamese regime, is now open to public viewing for free until March 23.

 The Japanese cherry blossom festival is slated for March 23 to 26 in the capital city of Hanoi, as part of cultural exchange activities to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam.

 Dancers from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will perform The Firebird ballet in a contemporary style featuring Vietnamese folk dance at Hanoi Opera House on March 15-16.

 The Vietnam-Italy Autumn-Winter Fashion Week will take place in Hanoi from March 14-19 as part of activities to mark 45 years of the diplomatic ties between the two countries, designer Minh Hanh, member of the organising board, said on March 14.

 On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, villagers hold a wrestling festival in front of the Nghe communal house in Mai Dong village (now in Mai Dong Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi) from the fourth to the seventh day of the first lunar month.

 Hanoi New Music Ensemble will play a free concert of their ‘Night Rain’ program at The Goethe-Institut Hanoi at 8pm on March 17, featuring contemporary pieces from Vietnam and around the world.