CULTURE AND SPORT

A paper mask workshop in central Vietnam is bustling ahead of the Lunar New Year or Tet as tourists snap up fierce-looking designs believed to bring peace and ward off evil in the year ahead.

Vietnam has been granted the hosting rights for the Asian DanceSport Championship 2026, with the event scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from July 9 to 12.

Dien Bien will host the Hoa Ban Festival in March, with a packed programme of cultural, sporting and tourism events aimed at celebrating ethnic heritage while boosting the province’s tourism profile.

A cluster of horse mascots unveiled in Quy Nhon, Gia Lai Province, has attracted wide attention for its playful designs that depart from traditional Lunar New Year imagery.

Vietnam secured another podium finish at the ongoing 2026 Asian Rifle & Pistol Championships in India with a bronze medal in the men’s 50 m pistol team event on February 7.

Huong Pagoda in Hanoi will introduce online ticketing and waive parking fees for service vehicles at its 2026 tourism festival, aiming to ease peak season pressure and improve the visitor experience.

A green diamond-shaped indoor arena has drawn attention in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri, with an investment of more than VND 120 billion (USD 4,562).

Quang Ngai Province's General Museum houses four artefacts and groups of artefacts recognised as national treasures.

Ninh Binh Province has added five artefacts to Vietnam’s national treasures list, among 30 newly recognised items spanning the Ly, Tran and Later Le dynasties periods.

The Lang Son Peach Blossom Festival 2026, will span over two months, featuring numerous cultural and artistic events and tourism experiences.

Two centuries old whale skeletons displayed on Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai have begun to deteriorate after just over four years on public exhibition.

Vietnam’s chess grandmaster Le Quang Liem has moved up one place to 17th in the latest world rankings released by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), according to the February 2026 list.

Several large military artefacts displayed outdoors at the Hue History Museum in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have deteriorated, with rusting metal and deflated tyres.

Vietnam’s futsal team lost 3-2 to hosts Indonesia in the quarter-finals of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 on February 3, bringing their campaign to an early end.

Vietnam’s music industry entered a decisive new phase in 2025, marked not only by rapid expansion in scale, but also by deeper audience engagement and growing international visibility.

Hoang Nguyen Thanh will represent Vietnam at the Tokyo Marathon 2026, one of the six World Marathon Majors, scheduled for March 1 in Japan.

Crowds of worshippers and visitors streamed to Tay Ho Temple in Hanoi on Monday for the lunar year’s final full moon, driven by the belief of seeking blessings early and giving thanks at year’s end.

Xuan Quan ornamental plant market in the northern province of Hung Yen is becoming more exciting as the Lunar New Year or Tet is approaching.

A giant lotus installation made from more than 50,000 flower pots has become a focal point for residents and visitors in Hue City as preparations intensify for the Lunar New Year, or Tet.