Max Beckmann's Bird's Hell painting sold at Christie's impressionist and modern art sale for £36 million (US$64 million) on Tuesday, a new auction record for German expressionism.

Vietnamese musician Trí Nguyễn learned to play both the western piano and the traditional Vietnamese đàn tranh (zither) at an early age. After graduating from the Music Conservatory of Sài Gòn’s piano department, he continued his studies at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. But he did not leave đàn tranh behind. He continued learning the Vietnamese instrument from đàn tranh master Hai Biểu, one of the last musicians from the old school of Vietnamese music.

Vietnamese violinist Trần Lê Quang Tiến has been awarded Diploma Special Prize for Best Interpretation of a Contemporary Work at the X International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musician in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Various activities will be held within the the second Vietnam – Laos cultural, sports and tourism exchange festival, scheduled for the northern province of Sơn La on July 5-7.

Oil on canvas painting Hạ Long, 55cm x 69cm, completed by Vietnamese artist Nguyễn Mai Thu in 1951, fetched US$35,000 at the 4th session of the Chọn Auction House late last week.

 The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently promulgated a decree on celebrating movie week to mark the 70^th anniversary of war invalids and martyrs (27/7/1947-27/7/2017).

Author J. K. Rowling on Monday marked the "wonderful" two decades since her Harry Potter creation first hit the shelves, starting a global literary phenomenon which has inspired a generation.

A surfing memoir already hailed as a classic won the inaugural Prix America Monday for the best book published in or about the US.

The “Blue Silk of Việt Nam,” as the central province of Khánh Hoà is sometimes referred to, lives up to this description effortlessly, with its sparkling beaches.