The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on December 29 announced the top 10 culture, sports and tourism events in 2016, which were voted by 125 journalists representing media agencies across the country.

The Thang Long–Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre organised a symposium in Hanoi on December 28 to announce a preliminary report on excavation results at the Kinh Thien Palace site in Thang Long Royal Citadel.

 The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on December 27 announced the top 10 events of the sector in 2016. The list includes nine fine arts events and one photographic event.

The HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera will present a melange of ballroom dances like waltz, tango, mambo, and polka and Hungarian dance with music by well-known composers at the HCMC Opera House on December 29 to celebrate the New Year.

 It has been unveiled that Indian actress Toral Rasputra best known for her role of Priyanka Sethi in Disney Channel India's superhot show, Dhoom Machaao Dhoom will visit Vietnam in January 2017.

 A concert featuring masterpieces of classical music by composer Ludwig van Beethoven will be held at the French Cultural Exchange Center, L'Espace, in Hanoi on December 28-29.

 Continuing an annual tradition, the University of Science and Technology will hold a Japanese New Year’s Day Celebration – Oshogatsu – on January 8, 2017 at its campus in Hanoi.

 The famed mountain town of  Sa Pa in Lao Cai Province kicked off its first Snow Festival on Saturday, with the barometer showing 9 degrees Celsius.

 Phuong Nam art theater will cooperate with Happy Dream Circus to host Japanese circus shows from December 23 to February 19 at Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap District, HCMC.

 2016 was an eventful year for Vietnamese fine arts, as it saw efforts by artists and managers to create and build a healthy and professional fine arts market despite numerous limitations and difficulties.

Nguyen Hue Flower Street 2017, an annual biggest and most anticipated event welcoming the lunar New Year will be opened to the public at 7 p.m. on January 25 and run until the evening of January 31.

 A set of stamps themed ‘Year of the Rooster’ has recently been issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) to welcome in the lunar New Year 2017 and the year of the Rooster in Eastern culture.

 Famous composer Nguyen Quoc Trung has just called on local artists to boycott comedian Minh Beo who has just returned to Vietnam after serving nine months in jail in the US for child sexual assault.

Here are the top five choices of the best places to spend the Christmas holiday in Ho Chi Minh City.

 Two Vietnamese artists Giang Quoc Co and Giang Quoc Nghiep have broken Guinness World Record by climbing 90 stairs in 52 seconds with one sibling balancing atop the other using only their heads.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed on a decision to recognise 14 artifacts as national treasures.

 The last art auction of 2016 will take place on Christmas Eve at Ha Noi’s Apricot hotel on Hang Trong Street.

 A new exhibit has opened at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History featuring 70 rare and exquisite clothing and other artefacts, taking visitors on an extravagant look back at the Nguyen Dynasty.

 50 lacquer, oil and acrylic paintings are being displayed at the exhibition of artist Van Duong Thanh to welcome the lunar year of rooster.

 The Communist Party Central Secretariat has just asked localities not to organise firework displays for the Tet Lunar New Year.