CULTURE AND SPORT

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez has vowed to "isolate" his players from politics at the Asian Cup, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates during a diplomatic crisis between the countries.

Vietnam’s U16 team will gather in Hanoi on January 5 to kick off their nearly-two-month training for the second qualifying round of the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s U16 Championship.

Despite acknowledging the challenge of the upcoming Asian Cup, Vietnam are confidently targeting a berth in the knockout round.

BridgeFest 2019 - the fourth “Bridging the Gap” music festival - will be held at Dien Kinh Sports Stadium in Hanoi on January 13 and is expected to attract up to 10,000 people.

Miss Ocean Vietnam 2017 Le Au Ngan Anh is preparing to sue the Department of Performing Arts for not granting her a licence to take part in the Miss Intercontinental 2018.

The first brocade culture festival will take place in the central highlands’ Dak Nong province from January 5 to 7.

An exhibition, featuring photos on General Vo Nguyen Giap that were captured by veteran journalists Tran Dinh and Nguyen Dinh Toan, officially opened on January 2 in Hanoi.

German band Bad Boys Blue will perform at Hanoi’s Cultural Friendship Palace on January 3 night, as an opening for their activities this year.

Top Vietnamese tennis players Ly Hoang Nam, Trinh Linh Giang and Le Quoc Khanh have been awarded wildcard entries to compete in the Vietnam Tennis Open Da Nang City 2019 in the central city on January 6-12.

Museum introduces the nature and culture of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve to promote its preservation.

Dong Duong altar which dates back to the 9th-10th century has been recognised as a national treasure in Danang City.

The capital city of Hanoi is welcoming New Year’s Eve 2019 with a wide range of art shows.

To mark the New Year, a replica market of ethnic minority people in the northern mountainous region will be open from December 29 to January 1 at the Vietnam National Villages for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hanoi.

Assorted activities to welcome New Year 2019 will be held at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, in the Dong Mo tourism area of Son Tay town, Hanoi, during a four-day holiday from December 29, 2018

Fans gathered at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi on Thursday to say goodbye to the national football team as they left to train in Qatar for the Asian Cup 2019.

A series of cultural events entitled “Memories of Hanoi” will take place on December 30 at Ngon Garden, 70 Nguyen Du, Hai Ba Trung district. Events include Hanoi cuisine during the subsidy period, an Exhibition of sketch paintings, and

Thousands of beautiful tulips from the Netherlands will burst with color at the EcoPark urban township on the outskirts of Hanoi from December 28 to January 1.

Forward Tien Linh was on target as Vietnam were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in a friendly football match at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium on December 25.

The “Xuan Que Huong” (Homeland Spring) 2019 programme will be held in the capital city of Hanoi on January 26 (the 21st day of the 12th lunar month).