Deputy Minister Son, who is also Chairman of Vietnam’s UNESCO Committee, is in Paris to attend the 184th session of UNESCO’s Executive Council.

Son expressed thanks to UNESCO for supporting Vietnam over the years and asked the UNESCO leader to back Vietnam’s submission. He stressed that if Thang Long Royal Citadel is recognised as a world heritage, it would be especially significant for Vietnam as Hanoi celebrates the capital city’s millennium birthday in October this year.

He conveyed an invitation from Hanoi’s authorities to Director-General Bokova to attend the celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi which the UNESCO Director-General accepted heartily.

Bokova said that the International Council for Monuments and Historical Sites (ICOMOS) is evaluating Vietnam’s submission and the World Heritage Committee will give its decision at its 34th session, which is scheduled to be held in Brazil in August this year.

On the sidelines of the UNESCO Executive Council’s 184th session, the Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister met with representatives from World Heritage Committee member countries, to promote Vietnam ’s sites that are being put forward to UNESCO for recognition.

The year 2010 will bring Vietnamese photographers many opportunities and challenges, as many remarkable events will take place, says Vu Quoc Khanh, president of the Viet Nam Artistic Photographers Association. This year, Hanoi will be the host of the 30th International Federation of Photographic Arts Congress in August, drawing 250 international representatives.

The aim of the congress is to develop and promote photographic knowledge across the world on an artistic, educational and scientific level, to foster in the name of photography fraternal links and friendly relations among all member federations and to promote tourism in Vietnam, Khanh says.

This year is also a significant year, as Hanoi will hold a great ceremony to celebrate its 1,000th anniversary – an unmissable event, he added.

Through fact-finding tours and other activities in the congress’s framework, the international photographers will help introduce images of Vietnam to the world, Khanh adds.

As Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary approaches, the association is preparing for an exhibition of 300 photos on the capital. It will be the largest and most significant exhibition on Hanoi to celebrate this momentous anniversary. The organisers are in discussions on what will be displayed to show the unique and specific characteristics of Hanoi.

The national centre for archives and photo exhibitions in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district will be officially opened in October, after two years of construction.

Opening the centre is a turning-point in Vietnamese photography, Khanh says.

“This is the first time Vietnamese photographers have a house to exhibit their works and learn about the field,” he says. “Many generations of photographers have waited for this event.”

The 1,000m² centre, with nine floors, will have an exhibition hall, archives of documentary photographs, an area for organising conferences, workshops and training courses.

Ha Long Bay and Cuu Long river, a tributary of the Mekong River, have been selected among the world’s 100 destinations for couples by the France L’internaute online magazine. The selection is based on three criteria, the romance, literary characteristics and the differences.

The magazine also encourages couples to visit Vietnam at least once in a lifetime because the country has a peaceful and beautiful landscape with hospitable people.

Named the Vietnamese Cultural Space, the 3,800m² complex, located in 79 Hang Trong Street by Hoan Kiem Lake, is expected to be a cultural space promoting Vietnamese culture and offering entertainment for all people.

Invested in and managed by the National Song, Dance, and Light Music Theatre, the complex includes a 300-seat theatre, an open-air stage and a gallery. An area displaying traditional handicrafts will also be included in the complex.

According to the theatre’s director, Tran Binh, all the staffs have had to work hard over the past seven months to renovate the French-style building into the indoor theatre.

“We were very happy to welcome our first guests. We’ve strived to create a place to promote Vietnamese culture through traditional art forms,” he said.

Contemporary art forms will be presented at the indoor theatre, while more traditional art forms, including cheo (traditional opera), ca tru (ceremonial singing), hat van (song for spirit), quan ho (love duet) and puppetry, will be presented on the open-air stage.

“With the purpose of bringing audiences banquets of art, the theatre’s artists will change their performance programmnes every two days. We can ensure that our stunning show will satisfy audiences’ eyes and ears,” Binh said.

Describing the difference between his theatre and others, he said “The audiences will be served Vietnamese finger foods and drinks while they enjoy the performances.”

A good location, nice decorations, a cosy atmosphere and stock standard sound equipment are some of the things that will help the theatre draw in audiences.

At the Vietnamese Cultural Space, Vietnamese culture is being promoted not only through art forms, but also through gastronomy. The Luc Thuy indoor restaurant and an outdoor gastronomic area have been built to present cuisines from all across the country.

A gallery in the complex will be a place to display artwork by Vietnamese contemporary artists.

According to Binh, Hanoi is a cradle of fine arts, where many famous artists have developed their careers. “That’s why we also want to set up a venue for fine arts at the Vietnamese Cultural Space,” he said.

The gallery is now presenting artworks by famous artist Thanh Chuong. Earlier, two large-scale lacquer paintings by artist Hoang Ha Tung were on display at the gallery.

“We want to introduce the abundance of Vietnamese fine arts. The works of every artist we show will be on display for 10 days,” the director said.