Viva Macau has also launched a special promotion campaign with US$25 for a single ticket from Macau to Hanoi for economy class and US$199 for business class, excluding airport taxes and additional fees.

Viva Macau has operated flights to Ho Chi Minh City since 2007 and now there is a direct flight between Macau and Ho Chi Minh City every day.

Poems were selected from 5,000 works nationwide and the silk was woven in Ma Chau Village, said Ho Trung Viet from Duy Xuyen District’s Ornamental Creature Association.

Each section of the work will be decorated with patterns, landscape images, and cultural icons, from all regions of the country.

The work will cost VND300 million (US$15,000) to produce and will be completed by May. Once finished, it will be taken to Hanoi to display at the 1,000th anniversary of the city.

Under the theme “Quang Ngai, Hoang Sa, Truong Sa: Vietnam’s history of sovereignty over its seas and islands”, the exhibition aims to affirm that the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos belong to Vietnam as well as recount the historical and cultural traditions of Vietnam’s ancestors in defending their sovereignty over the archipelagos.

It displays the private collections of researchers and journalists, archival materials, domestic and foreign publications as well as relics from families living on Ly Son Island, offshore Quang Ngai Province, and along Quang Ngai Province’s coastline.

The event, jointly organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Pham Van Dong University, will last until May 7.

Also the same day, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese announced that it will send a delegation to visit the island district of Truong Sa from April 25-28 on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of liberation of the Truong Sa archipelago, the 55th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Navy and as part of activities in the lead up to the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

During the visit, the delegation will present gifts to soldiers and people in the island district and take part in activities such as the commemoration of martyrs and ceremonials held by the Vietnam Buddhist Church.

The Maison des Art wants to use the image of the popular bridge in a display of culture and art. It will also organise a boat trip along the Red River from the ancient capital city of Hoa Lu in northern Ninh Binh Province, to Hanoi, the northern port city of Haiphong and Halong Bay in Quang Ninh.

Urban Sax, a professional music events organiser, will create a boat using cranes to lift a dragon made in an S-shape to represent Vietnam.

Around 100 dancers from Vietnam and France will perform from sunset until dawn under a sky full of kites, illuminated from the river by a lighting system installed in numerous small boats.

The idea of the dragon boat originated from the legends of Vietnamese icons Lac Long Quan and Au Co.

When the boat docks under Long Bien Bridge, a performance accompanied by a blend of modern music and traditional music will be held.

To promote the event, the Maison des Art will put on an exhibition in Paris with paintings and video installations by French artist Serra. Another art exhibition will be held with Long Bien Bridge as the theme.

The company will also organise a boat trip on the Seine River to draw the attention of French people.

By the end of January, the Maison des Art will meet with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and People’s Committee of Hanoi to finalise its plan.