A collection of more than 50 Ao dai (Vietnam’s traditional dress) designed by Duc Hung left a deep impression at the Vietnamese festival in Japan recently.

33-year-old mother of two beat five other finalists.
Hoang Thi Yen of HCM City won the Mrs Viet Nam Pageant of 2009 on Saturday to become the country’s first married pageant icon.

A programme aimed at promoting Vietnamese culture to Japanese friends was launched in Japan on September 17 as part of Vietnamese Cultural Month in Japan co-organised by the Vietnamese embassy in Japan and the Global Citizen Club.

Viet Nam has experienced an unusual rapid rise of the sex ratio at birth (SRB) over the last few years. While in 2000 the SRB was at normal levels and was estimated to be 106.2 male births per 100 female births, it increased to 112.1 in 2008. The current growth of 1 point per year since 2006 means that the SRB might cross the 115 mark within three years, according to the report “Recent change in the sex ratio at birth in Viet Nam”, published by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

This week the US celebrates National Grandparents’ Day on September 13th. The celebration day, which has taken place every year since 1978 is a time to honor older people for the unique role they play in keeping families and communities strong.

The final round of the Mrs Vietnam pageant kicked off on September 15 in the southern coastal city of Vung Tau, with 58 contestants competing to be crowned at the final judging on September 26.

The distinct roles and behaviors of men and women in a given culture, dictated by that culture's gender norms and values, give rise to gender differences. Not all such differences between men and women imply inequity - for example, the fact that in many western societies, men generally wear trousers while women often wear skirts and dresses is a gender difference which does not, in itself, favor either group.

Miss Supranational Vietnam Chung Thuc Quyen finished in the top half of the first-ever Miss Supranational pageant held in Plock, Poland, on September 5.

A 100-minute choral work titled “Luc Van Tien” went on stage on September 8 in HCM City and it was immediately recognised as the longest such musical work in Vietnam.

Tran Thi Nue could not help crying when she saw her hearing-impaired daughter on the stage, smiling as she played her role in a pantomime with her friends.

The mid-Autumn festival in Hanoi ancient quarter will open at 7:30 pm on September 19th (the 1st day of the 8th lunar month) near Dong Xuan market.

Vietnamese model cum singer Ho Ngoc Ha will be the sole Vietnamese representative attending the Asia Song Festival in Seoul, South Korea.

A performance for children, especially those living in difficult conditions, will be held in Hanoi on October 1 to ease their pain and lift their spirits.

VietNamNet Bridge - With a dearth of traditional toys for children Nguyen Thi Huong, director of the Centre for Research and Support for Vietnamese Children (Cenforchil), says they play with imported alternatives. Huong and her staff at Cenforchil plan to establish Viet Nam’s first toy museum by early 2012 in Ha Noi.

HA NOI — An art exhibit to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh’s testament opened in Ha Noi yesterday.

Effective measures to reduce injuries to children were put forward at a symposium in northern mountainous Dien Bien province, which came to a close on Aug. 28.

VietNamNet Bridge – To celebrate Viet Nam National Day on September 2 and the 40th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh’s testament, various art performances will be taking place in Ha Noi and HCM City.

Nearly 100 handicraft products from the Republic of Korea, which are made by sewing, knotting and embroidery, and show the Korean custom, are being introduced at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in an exhibition entitled “Praying and Blessing”.

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnamese model Chung Thuc Quyen won Best National Dress for her ao tu than (four-part dress), a traditional costume from the north of Vietnam, at a National Dress event August 28, part of the Miss Supernational 2009 pageant in Poland.

The third national festival of Then singing and Tinh zither performances opened in the northern province of Bac Kan on August 24 as part of various cultural activities celebrating major national events and the 60th anniversary of Bac Kan’s Liberation Day.

A range of new services to collect children from school are lessening the pressure on busy working parents.

The 7th “Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Days” festival opened in Hoi An, in the central province of Quang Nam on August 14.

Cloud covered Lung Cu commune in Dong Van district of Ha Giang province, Vietnam’s Northernmost point. The commune has a small hamlet, Lo Lo Chai, with only 81 households and slightly more than 300 people. Seen from the Lung Cu flag pole, the hamlet is so tiny, it fits within one’s peripheral view.

UNITED NATIONS — Partnerships between faith-based organizations and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, are critical to enhancing efforts to reduce maternal deaths and end violence against women.

Because discrimination on the basis of sex often starts at the earliest stages of life, greater equality for the girl child and the adolescent girl are necessary first steps to ensuring that women have equal rights later in life. UNFPA recogn izes that the world is different for girls than it is for boys, and programme approaches must reflect this.

Women give life, love and care to children, help to build and take care of the home, and feed and clothe their loved ones. In most of the developing world, women are additionally responsible for the agricultural production and local trade that help sustaine their local economies. Women also weave the social fabric of their communities – working together to support schools, organize community events and help to look after neighbours in need.

The Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee held a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on August 7 to announce the first international gong festival to be held in Vietnam.

New regulations regarding gender equality violations will come into effect on August 1, according to a new decree by the Prime Minister.

Vu Hoang Diep was crowned at the final round of the Miss International Beauty held in China on August 1.

New regulations regarding gender equality violations will come into effect on August 1, according to a new decree by the Prime Minister.