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Prime Minister arrives in Laos for the fourth Mekong River conference Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his senior delegation landed in Laos’ capital Vientiane late on April 4 to attend the Fourth Mekong River Commission meeting. The event, scheduled for April 5, will bring together government leaders from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, China and Myanmar, through which the Mekong River flows, and representatives from international organizations and societies. The event is an opportunity for the riparian countries to improve their implementation of the 1995 Mekong Agreement and to discuss challenges and opportunities in water management, sustainable development, environmental protection, and further activities for 2021-2030. The Mekong River Commission Conference was initiated in 2010 and is held every four years. Concert night honors two Vietnamese musicians Musician Do Bao speaks at the press conference introducing the night concert. Photo: Hoa Nguyen The Hanoi

Cultural diplomacy is exemplified in cultural exchange activities, and art performances to promote the image of Vietnam to the world and attract foreign investors and tourists. “We are happy to see each other” was the farewell song performed by Vietnamese artists at the Vietnam Festival in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture last September. During the festival, Vietnamese water puppetry, folk dance, and musical instruments were introduced to a Japanese audience.  The cultural event brought Vietnamese and Japanese closer together. “I watched the water puppetry performance in Vietnam once. This time, water puppetry is performed at the Vietnam Festival in Japan. It’s very interesting,” said Asuka, a Japanese audience member. Kuroiwa Yuji, the governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, said the Vietnam Festival is a much-awaited exchange event in Kanagawa and its neighboring areas. He expressed his hope that the festival will grow in a larger scale. “It’s so exciting. I hope that such cultural eve

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center hosted the “Thuong tieu” (neu pole erection) ceremony on January 14 at Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi) in the central province of Thue Thien-Hue. The neu pole erection for the Lunar New Year is a traditional practice of the Vietnamese, and also an important etiquette to welcome the new year of the Nguyen dynasty court. Source: tcdulichtphcm.vn The nearly 20-metre bamboo pole was carried by ten costumed soldiers in a procession, where it was put up to the backdrop of ceremonial music and smoke from burning incense at the Ancestral Temple. The erection of the Neu pole on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, marks the beginning of Tet. It coincides with the day when the Kitchen Gods are believed to ride carp fish to the Heavens to report on events from the past year. Similar Neu pole erecting ceremonies will also be held at different places from now to the last day of the lunar year. The event follows the ancient royal custom of the N

When the weather turns colder, Hanoi is covered in peach blossoms for the Lunar New Year. Tet foods are the most distinctive and diverse Vietnamese foods, best representing and reflecting traditional cuisine. Here are five restaurants serving traditional Vietnamese cuisine that you should try during Tet, Vietnam’s most important holiday. Restaurants to Celebrate Lunar New Year Like a Local in Hanoi 1. Tam Vi 2. Cau Go Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant 3. Xoi Com 4. Cua hang mau dich so 37 5. To Uyen Claypot rice 1. Tam Vi Tam Vi is a restaurant dedicated to the home-cooked style of Northern Vietnam, especially old Hanoi. The menu, which is not very large, features most of the dishes that Vietnamese people have at their home. On its Facebook page, Tam Vi suggests any guest visiting the restaurant those days should try their set menu featuring most of the indispensable dishes for the Tet celebration in the North of Vietnam. It includes banh chung, bamboo shoot soup,