The Kafka Festival 2018, which features a series of cultural events to mark the 135th anniversary of the Czech writer Franz Kafka’s birthday (July 3, 1883-2018), will be held for the first time in Hanoi.

 The Band by Vinaphone, a contest for musical bands in Viet Nam and abroad, has been officially opened for applications.

 The wood stove has an important position in the life and culture of the Vietnamese people as it provides light, cooks food, and warms up the house.

 A talkshow introducing the áo dài and its history to local and international audiences has been organised as part of the Áo Dài Festival 2018 being held in HCM City.

Spiritual tourism has become an indispensable part in spiritual life for many people. 

 For centuries the dog has been believed to bring good luck, blessings, and happiness to humans. At Dich Vi, a village not far from downtown Hanoi, a stone dog is considered the villagers’ tutelary god.

 Big festivals in first lunar month

 The annual Phet Ball Festival in the northern province of Phu Tho is slated to take place on February 26 – 28, or the 11st – 13th day of the first lunar month.

The Christmas market has been flourishing in every corner of Hanoi, seeing a flood of made-in-Vietnam goods hit the shelves.

 A bestselling novel for teenagers by noted writer Nguyen Nhat Anh has recently been published in Japan by translator Kato Sakae.

 A concert featuring ethnic minority music will be held to introduce Seaphony Orchestra - the first Vietnamese ethnic minority orchestra at Hanoi Opera House on December 12.

 A museum in central Ha Tinh Province has announced the discovery of precious items dating back to 2,000 years ago, following its staff’s excavations in November.

 Ten year old violinist Cao Hoàng Linh from Hanoi has won first prize in the Junior B category at the International Music Competition held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Contestants of the Miss Grand International 2017 pageant flaunted their shapely bodies in stunning swimsuits at the preliminary competition on Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province on October 23.

 More than 100 tonnes of precious old and new books will be sold very cheaply, with prices starting from VNĐ1,000, at northern Viet Nam’s  largest book fair. 

 Italian painter Laura Federici and Vietnamese painter Nguyen Dam Thuy have worked together to portray the home and the environment.

 Weekends in Ho Chi Minh City, as usual, promise numerous bustling activities at frequent venues.

 Hoang Su Phi district, Ha Giang Province, which is home to various ethnic minority groups, boasts impressive tourist attractions and rich cultural values, notably the Dao ethnic community’s fire dancing festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival programme officially opened at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, in Hanoi on September 28, as part of the activities to promote the world heritage values of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

In September, with the coming of autumn to Hanoi, the exhibition “No. 5” by five talented artists is held at the Hanoi Cultural Exchange Center, 50 Dao Duy Tu Street, Hanoi until September 21.