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The highly anticipated 2025 Spring Calligraphy Festival is set to commence on January 23 at the idyllic Ho Van (Literature Lake). This serene location, nestled within a national special heritage site in Hanoi’s Dong Da District, provides a perfect backdrop for the festival, as shared by Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities at the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam). An international guest at the 2025 Spring Calligraphy Festival. Photo: Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities Van Mieu- Quoc Tu Giam According to Kieu, this year’s festival boasts two prominent highlights. Firstly, the meticulous restoration of the Van Lake area, now presenting a contemporary and inviting space for visitors. Secondly, a diverse range of engaging events scheduled throughout the festival, promising to captivate attendees. The festival will be open daily from 8 am to 10 pm, featuring 47 accomplished calligraphers who will showcase their e...

The ‘Thach Ong Xa’ or laterite snakes lacquerware collection is a stunning display of craftsmanship by artisan Nguyen Tan Phat. Hailing from the ancient village of Duong Lam in Son Tay Town, on the outskirts of Hanoi, Phat’s talent shines through in this exquisite range. The collection boasts 45 intricately designed snake statues, each a masterpiece in its own right. Reflecting Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage, these statues are a true work of art. Photos: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times Crafted from locally sourced materials, such as jackfruit wood and laterite, these statues seamlessly blend natural elegance with traditional craftsmanship. Jackfruit wood, a common find in Vietnam’s rural areas, is skillfully transformed into unique snake figures and then lacquered to enhance its beauty and longevity. Each statue is a labor of love, with the creation process being a meticulous one. It takes several days to complete each piece. ...

Thanh Hoa FC, known as Dong A Thanh Hoa, is a Vietnamese professional football club competing in the V.League 1, the country’s premier football league. On Wednesday evening, the club visited BG Pathum United’s BG Stadium in Pathum Thani Province, central Thailand, for their third group-stage match in the 2024-25 ASEAN Club Championship. During the match, a corner kick in the 70th minute led to a scoring opportunity for Thanh Hoa FC. BG Pathum United’s defense failed to clear the ball from the penalty area, allowing Doan Ngoc Tan, a recent winner of the 2024 ASEAN Championship with Vietnam, to strike with the outside of his right foot and find the back of the net. It was a beautiful goal, and the first of the game. However, BG Pathum United showed their resilience. After conceding the unexpected goal, they intensified their attack and were rewarded in the 87th minute when Sanchai Nontasila equalized, making it 1-1. The match then opened up, with both teams adopting a more attacking st...

A vibrant, new 10-hectare park stretches along the Saigon River, from Ba Son Bridge to Thu Thiem Bridge, and is set to become an iconic landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. This dynamic urban green space, aptly named Creative Park, was inaugurated just a year after the successful launch of the Saigon Riverside Park, adding to the city’s vibrant landscape. Creative Park boasts a 30-meter-long graffiti wall, a vibrant display of the city’s youthful energy and creativity. Luu Van Tan, director of the Technical Infrastructure Management Center, highlighted this unique feature, celebrating the new generation’s dynamism and artistic expression. The park’s opening holds a special significance as it pays homage to the country’s rich history and development, with the ceremony taking place in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of national reunification. This event was a heartfelt tribute to Vietnam’s journey, with representatives cutting the ribbon to officially open this urban oasis. Offi...

Oxalis, the only firm to offer Son Doong expeditions, said 900 visitors have booked for the tours, with 40% of them or 360, being Vietnamese. Among foreign nationals, Americans topped the list with 330 bookings, followed by Australians and Singaporeans with 45 each. This year, 1,000 joined the Son Doong tours, including 91 foreigners. Son Doong, part of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh, has catapulted to global fame since it opened to tourists in 2013. Provincial authorities only allow tours to the cave between January and August, with the cave closed during other months to allow its ecosystem to recover. Visitor numbers are also limited to 1,000 per year. A four-day-three-night expedition of Son Doong Cave cost around US$3,000 before the pandemic, which will be the same price for 2023. The post Americans, Vietnamese book most Son Doong tours for 2023 appeared first on Vietexplorer.com . View more fr...

The boring goalless showdown extended Vietnam’s unbeaten streak at the tournament to five consecutive games, but also marked the 2008 and 2018 winners’ second blank game, after a similar 0-0 draw against Singapore in the group phase. Vietnam had a tough game while Indonesia could not utilize their home advantage. After the first ten tepid minutes when the ball was mainly kept in the midfield, Indonesia had more attacks than Vietnam and put the visitors under immense pressure through to the half-time mark. Had it not been for Vietnamese goalkeeper Dang Van Lam’s excellence, Indonesia might have got the opening goal. However, the hosts failed to convert their relevant chances. Vietnam’s possession of 56 percent resulted in nothing but four goalless finishes. The inclusion of Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quang Hai, and Nguyen Tien Linh also turned out to be ineffective as all of these goal hopefuls made various mistakes. While a more compelling second half was highly anticipated, bot...

He recommended the centre continue documenting the study and excavation of the site, located in Vinh Loc district, and apply non-invasive scanning technique to improve excavation effectiveness. Manhart said the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (1400 – 1407) holds architectural and landscape values that were the greatest and most unique of its kind in East Asia and Southeast Asia in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Assoc. Prof. and Dr Tong Trung Tin, Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeology Association, said since 2020, archaeologists and scientists have conducted relatively large excavations of the citadel. Notably, a dig on 25,000 sq.m. in the inner part of the citadel discovered four clusters of vestiges dating back to the Tran (1225 – 1400) – Ho dynasties, two to the Le So Dynasty (1428 – 1527), and one to the Le Trung Hung Dynasty (1533 – 1789). These are important evidences of the integrity, authenticity, and globally outstanding values of the citadel, he noted, adding th...

The opening days and closing days coincide with the 28th day of the 12th lunar month and the 5th day of the first lunar month, respectively. The municipal Department of Information and Communications on Thursday announced a plan to organize the book festival, which will be themed “Ho Chi Minh City – Xuan an vui, xuan thinh vuong” (happy and prosperous new year). The Lunar New Year book festival is an annual cultural event held by the city to improve local reading habits and create an entertainment space for locals and tourists during the holiday. The book festival this year will take place on a section from Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street to the Quach Thi Trang Roundabout on Le Loi Street, widely considered one of the most beautiful streets in the metropolis. The book street will be divided into three areas with over 20 participating units. A section from Nguyen Hue Promenade leading to Pasteur Street will be used to exhibit documents, photos, and public...

Ronaldo, who was a free agent following his acrimonious split with Manchester United in November, joined Al Nassr last week on a 2-1/2 year deal estimated by media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($210.94 million). He was greeted by a sea of yellow and blue at Al Nassr’s home ground Mrsool Park, where thousands of fans turned up to witness his unveiling. After addressing a news conference, Ronaldo was seen meeting with his new team mates in the dressing room. He then made his way onto the pitch, fully kitted out in the club’s colours. The gathered fans loudly chanted his name as he walked around the 25,000-seater stadium signing footballs and firing them into the stands, before he was joined by his family. “Me and my family, we want to say thank you to all of you for this support and your welcome,” an emotional Ronaldo said after being handed a microphone. “We’re going to give our best. Thank you everybody.” Ronaldo arrives in Saudi Arabia with a vast collection of club h...