CULTURE AND SPORT

Vietnamese people in South Africa gathered at the Vietnamese Embassy on February 12 in Pretoria to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Over 40 dogs have been registered to participate in a canine beauty pageant held in Nha Trang City this Tet.

Vietnam’s No.1 cyclist Nguyen Thi That won a gold medal at the Asian Road and Para Cycling Championship in Myanmar on February 11.

The 2018 Spring Calligraphy Festival officially opened at the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi on February 9, drawing a large number of visitors.

The Ha Giang International Marathon Race, called ‘Running on the Road of Happiness’, is scheduled for April 30, the event’s organising board has announced.

The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will open in sub-zero temperatures on Friday, with North and South Korea marching together at a gala ceremony to launch what could be the coldest Games on record.

President of the world football governing body FIFA Gianni Infantino has pledged to support Vietnam’s football development programmes in the coming time through the FIFA Goal Project.

Vietnam’s futsal team lost to Uzbekistan 1-3 in the quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation Futsal Championship in Taipei, China on February 8.

South Korean coach of the Vietnamese U23 football team Park Hang Seo was gifted a car by Truong Hai Automobile Company for the squad’s achievement at the recent AFC U23 Championship final.

Japan's cherry blossom season is expected to arrive earlier than usual, according to a forecast by Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC).

Ta Duy Anh, director of Vietnam Circus Federation said that amateur circuses had been impersonating them in low-quality shows.

The Vietnam circus festival 2018 will entertain audiences in Hanoi and the three central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh and Nghe An from March 3 to April 16, in order to welcome the Lunar New Year festival.

Grandmaster Le Quang Liem has leaped up two places to make his first appearance among the world’s top 20 chess players on the live chess ratings website, 2700chess.com.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino will pay a visit to Vietnam on February 8 at the invitation of vice chairman of Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Quoc Tuan.

The 10th Hue Festival will take place from April 27 to May 2, according to Chairman of the People’s Committee of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue Nguyen Van Cao.

Thousands of overseas Vietnamese have registered to participate in the annual “Xuan Que Huong” (Homeland Spring) 2018, said Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Vu Hong Nam.

Several localities have opposed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's decision to only give permission to the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival.

Xoan Singing of the northern province of Phu Tho received a UNESCO certificate of an intangible cultural heritage of humanity at a ceremony at Lai Len Shrine, Viet Tri city, Phu Tho on February 3.

Vietnamese Grandmaster (GM) Lê Quang Liêm ranked seventh at the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2018, which concluded in England early February 2.