Painting exhibitions and demonstrations of traditional Tết celebrations are among activities being held in celebration of Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival, at heritage sites in Hà Nội’s Old Quarter.

 A project to preserve hát bội (classical drama) and bài chòi (a traditional game combining folklore singing and lottery picks) has been approved by Bình Định Province in an aim to attract tourists and preserve traditional theatre by 2020.

 A fashion show to highlight áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) will open the Ao Dai Festival 2017 on HCM City’s Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1 on March 3.

 Tet (Lunar New Year)-themed paintings have long been a fixture of local celebrations, with flamboyant colours used to send New Year wishes.

 A documentary series entitled Sac Mau Nhat Ban (Colours of Japan) which showcases the best of Japanese gastronomy will be aired on Vietnamese television from February 3.

 The Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre plans to open a new excavation area, north of Doan Mon relic site, to visitors from January 20 to February 28.

 A Cay Neu (Neu pole) was planted at the Hue Imperial Citadel, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on January 20, featuring a traditional activity in the run up to the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. 

 A wide range of cultural activities are taking place in the Old Quarter and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi to welcome the Year of the Rooster.

 Various kinds of flowers will be arranged at the Ecopark on the outskirts of Hanoi from January 29 to February 1.

 An outgrowth of wet rice civilization, Viet villages are characteristically agricultural villages. The structure of a Viet village is adapted to rice farming and constitutes Vietnam’s typical rural space.

The traditional atmosphere and cultural space of the Lunar New Year in the old days are being introduced and vividly recreated within the framework of an exhibition and trade fair named Tet Viet 2017

 A ten-day annual antique market has just opened in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, along Hang Ma, Hang Can, Hang Luoc, Hang Dong, and Hang Ruoi streets.

 A ceremony to set up a cây nêu (New Year’s tree) on the 23rd of the last lunar month (January 20) will kick off a series of activities discovering Vietnamese traditional Tet (Lunar New Year festival) at the Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology.

 French photographer Rehahn last week opened a Precious Heritage Gallery Museum in the UNESCO-recognized ancient town of Hoi An in the central coast province of Quang Nam.

 The National Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations held an awards ceremony in Hanoi on January 17 to honour 66 outstanding literature and art works in 2016.

 British stand-up comedian Gina Yashere will give performances in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on January 18 and 20 respectively.

 Legendary mixed artists Sandra and Bad Boys Blue will headline a live concert featuring their hits from the 70-s-90-s this coming March 11 at 8pm at the Hanoi National Convention Centre.

 The traditional art of lacquerware in the southern province of Binh Duong’s Tuong Binh Hiep ward has been accredited as a national intangible heritage.

 Sai Gon Pho (Saigon Streets), a pop-up book on HCM City’s major landmarks, was released on January 15.

The Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa sea festival 2017, the eighth of its kind, will take place in the south central province of Khanh Hoa on June 10-13, with nearly 50 social, cultural and sport activities.