The map, made by a goldsmith in the central province of Quang Nam, measures 6m in height and 3m in width. The country is shaped into a dragon looking to the East Sea.

Each province, city and island is marked by gold-plated dragons in different shapes and poses.

The artisan Ngoc Minh, also plans to cast a statue of a rising dragon in pure gold, to be put on the map at the position of Hanoi City when the map is exhibited at the 1,000 anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi next year.

The online dialogue, organised by the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper, is part of a plan toward the millennium of Thang Long-Hanoi.

During three hours, readers raised over 200 questions relating to the One-pillar Pagoda, the architectural space of the ancient Thang Long Citadel, relics, as well as former names of Hanoi and important figures who made contributions to Thang Long-Hanoi.

The organising board selected and answered 20 questions. The remaining questions will further be answered and posted onto on the CPV online newspaper.

The International Students’ Summer Camp 2009 is being held from August 2-8 by the Francophone University Agency (AUF) and Nha Trang University.

An annual event since 2007, the camp is considered an opportunity for outstanding university students from French-speaking member countries of the AUF, such as China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, to meet, make friends and speak French.

The summer camp includes many activities to help increase the understanding of international students and lecturers about the history, tradition and culture of Vietnamese people in general and of Khanh Hoa’s local population in particular.

A workshop dealing with the environment, a visit to the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, meetings focusing on cultural exchange topics, undersea ecosystem protection, sea-based tourism development are also taking place during the summer camp.

This was an annual cultural event organised by the Vietnamese General Consulate in Sydney in coordination with the Vietnamese Students Association in New South Wales to boost solidarity and promote cultural exchange between Vietnamese students and international friends.

During the event, entitled “Vietnamese Village”, Vietnamese students performed traditional songs and dances and organised a fashion show of traditional Vietnamese costumes. They also introduced traditional Vietnamese dishes, which were enjoyed by many international friends.

On the occasion, Vietnamese students in New South Wales also raised funds to support flood and storm victims in their homeland.