The offering table displayed cakes made in Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts, winners of the first and second prizes at a competition to cook cylindrical glutinous rice cakes for the Lunar New Year festival (Tet).

The same day, municipal leaders offered incense and these cakes at the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Ton Duc Thang Museum.

The cake offering is one of several traditional cultural activities observed every Tet holiday to remember ancestors, who have made great contributions to national defense and construction.

Vietnam participates in Int’l Book Fair Cuba 2010
 
Vietnam is now taking part in the International Book Fair Cuba 2010 with many books published in Spanish by the The Gioi (World) Publishing House, particularly the Prison Diary poems by Late President Ho Chi Minh.

Also on display are famous books by General Vo Nguyen Giap and books about the country’s renovation process.

The fair this year opened on February 11 with the participation of Cuban President Raul Castro and Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serguei Lavrov.

Over 600 literary publications from 40 countries all over the world and 6 million books are being exhibited for sale.

Many cultural activities such as art, ballet and circus performances will also take place during the event.

Vietnam’s culture week launched in Cairo
 
A Vietnamese culture week opened in Cairo, Egypt on February 9, drawing international guests, ambassadors, Egyptian people, Vietnamese students in Egypt and international reporters.

The cultural week is part of activities held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt in coordination with show room TOOT Cairo to promote the image of Vietnamese culture and daily life to international friends.

In an opening speech, Japanese Ambassador to Egypt Kaoru Ishikawa expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s cultural traditions and shared his impressions, “Vietnam is currently one of the most dynamic economies in the region. Many Japanese investors have come to open plants in Vietnam. I believe that Egypt and Vietnam will cooperate efficiently in the future,” said Mr Kaoru.

From Feb 9-24, there will be diverse cultural activities including a photo exhibition, song and dance performances, a culinary festival and a display of fine arts and handicrafts.

Ancient capital to be excavated
 
A project to excavate the central remains of the former Vietnamese capital of Hoa Lu, in the northern province of Ninh Binh, has started in an effort to estimate and preserve the historical value of a site that was host to the capital of the Dinh, Le and Ly dynasties for 42 years ending in 1010.

Archaeologists previously studied an area of 500sq.m and discovered a variety of valuable objects related to the three dynasties. The excavation will take place simultaneously with the display of any recovered artefacts to the public.

The project was launched under the auspices of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Museum of History.

Vietnam to take part in Asia-Europe exchange exhibition
 
Vietnam will participate in the sponsoring committee for the “2,500 years of Asia-Europe exchange” exhibition in Belgium to promote its image internationally.

The government has assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and work with the concerned agencies of Belgium to implement the committee’s activities.

As one of the founding members of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Vietnam has played an active part in inter-continental cooperation in politics, economy and other fields, including culture and education, to serve its national development.

PV