HÀ NỘI (VNS) – The record cold spell in late January left forests in Điện Biên Đông District of the mountainous Điện Biên Province dying.  

Most of the trees and plants in the area have dried out completely, and this has increased the risk of forest fires on a large scale. According to statistics supplied by the district authority, some 1,900 hectares of natural forest in many communes have been severely damaged.

Local authorities have instructed residents to clear the dried and damaged trees and plants to avoid fires.

Following are some photos of the forests in Điện Biên Đông District.

A short documentary film on Mỹ Sơn, a unique Hindu sanctuary located in the central province of Quảng Nam, was released in Hà Nội this week.

A comic collection about insects, written by Ngô Tường Mẫn, has been released in HCM City to meet children’s demand.

The ninth biannual HCM City Book Expo that opens at District 1’s Lê Văn Tám Park today will seek to promote reading habits, especially among children.

Heinz Hermanns, founder, Festival Director and CEO of interfilm Berlin, a short film festival and distribution platform, will deliver a talk at the Phan Châu Trinh College Library at about 2pm today.

Miss Việt Nam 2016, the biennial national beauty contest, will kick off with qualifying rounds in July while the final round is scheduled to take place on August 27 in HCM City.

Yachts and motorboats are becoming the new "luxury cars" in HCM City.

French Michelin-starred chef Raphael Le Mancq (third left) conducts a cooking class with local women entrepreneurs in Hà Nội yesterday.

Various Japanese bands and artists will perform in the Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend to celebrate the mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.