Miss Việt Nam H’Hen Niê made it into the top five in the Miss Universe 2018 competition. — Photo toquoc.vn

1. Beauties shine

Vietnamese beauties were honoured in the world. For the first time, Miss Việt Nam H’Hen Niê made it into the top five in the Miss Universe 2018 competition. The top five is the furthest Việt Nam has ever achieved at the Miss Universe beauty pageant. Nguyễn Phương Khánh was crowned Miss Earth 2018. She was the first woman from Việt Nam to win the prize since the pageant began in 2001.

Nguyễn Hương Giang won at the Miss International Queen held in Thailand at one of the world’s top beauty pageants for transgender women. Việt Nam’s representative, Vương Ngọc Loan, beat 30 other contestants from around the world to take the crown in the final round of Mrs International 2018 held in Singapore.

James Kopenec from the US receives a certificate showing he is the fifteen-millionth international tourist to Việt Nam. — VNS Photo Minh Thu

2. Big day for James

Vietnamese tourism received the 15-millionth international visitor, James Kopenec from Arizona, in the US. He praised Việt Nam as a wonderful country, saying it exceeded his expectations. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện said receiving 15 million international tourists was a milestone for the nation’s tourism industry.

This year, Việt Nam also won big at the World Travel Awards. The country was named Asia’s Leading Destination. InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort became Asia’s Leading Green Resort, Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort, and Asia’s Leading Luxury Wedding Resort. Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier was named as Asia’s Leading Airline - Premium Economy Class 2018.

A page of Hoàng Hoa Sứ Trình Đồ. — Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

3. Mapping out the past

Hoàng Hoa Sứ Trình Đồ (The Envoyship Journeys to China – literally translated as maps and itinerary of the envoy’s journey to China) were officially recognised as a heritage Memory of the World at the 2018 General Meeting of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP). The historical maps dating back to the 18th century recorded the diplomatic relationship between Việt Nam and China.

UNESCO recognised Non Nước Cao Bằng Geopark in the northern border province of Cao Bằng as a global geopark. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Đức Thành

4. UNESCO recognition

UNESCO recognised Non Nước Cao Bằng Geopark in the northern border province of Cao Bằng as a global geopark. The 3,000sq.km-wide geopark is about 300km from Hà Nội. It is home to fossils, ocean sediment, volcanic rocks, minerals and karst landscapes, which can give researchers insight into the 500 million years of the earth’s history. The site includes famous destinations such as Thang Hen Lake, Phia Oắc ecological site and Ngườm Ngao Cave, with rich biodiversity.

Various cultural festivals were held to preserve and promote unique cultural heritage including a ceremony held in Bình Định Province for the formal reception of UNESCO recognition of bài chòi art (half-game half-theatre performance) as an item of world intangible cultural heritage. Huế Festival 2018 presented stage shows and cultural activities performed by artists from 20 countries and territories including Việt Nam. The Highlands Gong Culture Festival presented performances from more than 1,000 artists. Gongs symbolising wealth and power to local people, were played during most rituals and ceremonies. The gong culture in Tây Nguyên was recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

Australian actor/producer David Wenham and Hà Thục Vân, director of Red Bridge Film Services Company are seen at the opening ceremony of HANIF. — VNS Photo Lê Hiếu

5. Big screen record

Hà Nội International Film Festival (HANIFF) 2018 broke a record with 500 international and Vietnamese films screened for free. Iranian film The Dark Room, directed by Rouhollah Hejazi, won the Best Feature-length Film Award at the festival. HANIFF also received famous actors, actresses and filmmakers all over the world. With the theme "Cinema – Integration and Sustainable Development", the festival aims to honour outstanding cinematographic works with high artistic and humanistic values and creativity while encouraging new movie talents.

The first Asian Food and Culture Festival was held on April 20-22 in Hà Nội and April 27-29 in Quảng Ninh Province. — File Photo

6. Fine foods

Việt Nam hosted the Asian food and culture festival for the first time named Mon Asian Food Festival (MAFF 2018) to feature the quintessence and diversity of cuisine and cultural characteristics of Asian countries.

The festival took place from April 20- 22, 2018 at Mon City Mỹ Đình (Hà Nội) and April 27-29, 2018 at October 30 Square, Hạ Long City (Quảng Ninh Province).

The event gathered the attendances of ambassadors of gastronomy, tourism, art troupes from Việt Nam and other Asian countries including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Myanmar as well as many Vietnamese and international artists and culinary experts.

The event attracted 500,000 visitors in Hạ Long City and 30,000 visitors per day in Hà Nội.

This year marks 100th anniversary of southern reformed opera art, which is the convergence of southern Vietnamese folk songs, classical music, tuồng (traditional opera) and modern spoken drama. — Photo vietbao.vn

7. Opera anniversary

This year marks the 100th anniversary of southern reformed opera art, which is the collection of southern Vietnamese folk songs, classical music, tuồng (traditional opera) and modern spoken drama. 

A month-long programme was launched earlier this month to celebrate the anniversary with various activities like an exhibition showcasing costumes, accessories, props like swords, bows and spears, and portraits of talented Vietnamese cải lương artists on December 17-19 at Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre on Trần Hưng Đạo Street in District 1.

All the exhibits will be displayed on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street in District 1 from January 10-14.

A four-hour gala will be held at Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street on January 13 to honour cải lương artists, backstage workers and journalists, who have contributed to the art’s development.

The event will feature 400 veteran and young performers and musicians and 100 dancers, who will tell stories about the art’s establishment and development.

On the follwoing day, there will be a performance at Nguyễn Huệ, presenting famous cải lương excerpts from Thái Hậu Dương Vân Nga (Queen Mother Dương Vân Nga), Chiến Binh (The Soldier), and Rạng Ngọc Côn Sơn (Pearl in Côn Sơn).

The HCM City municipal People’s Committee will organise a meeting between the city’s leaders with cải lương artists and theatre artists at the People’s Committee’s headquarter on January 19.

Thousands of tourism enterprises met counterparts at the first ever International Travel-Tourism Summit held in Hà Nội on December 5-6. — File Photo

8. Tourism first

The first ever Việt Nam Travel and Tourism Summit was held in Hà Nội on December 5-6, under the framework of Việt Nam Economic Forum (VEF) gathering hundreds of international experts in the field and concerning tourism enterprises.

The summit’s first session on December 5 under the theme of “The need for restructuring the sector” heard suggestions on enhancing the infrastructure of Vietnamese tourism and measures to attract investment and training.

‘Sustainable development of Vietnamese tourism until 2030’ was the theme of the high-level session on December 6 which heard from a research report from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as well as memoirs on improving competitiveness for tourism, destination management and aviation infrastructure by prominent figures from Air Asia, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and others.

A signing ceremony was held regarding investment from international businesses to Việt Nam and from domestic enterprises to localities with the total commercial value up to US$2 billion.

Hà Nội’s authorities have announced that all music festivals would be suspended after the sudden deaths of seven people of suspected drug overdose at a local music festival on September 16. — Photo vov.vn

9. Festivals suspended

Hà Nội’s authorities have announced that all music festivals would be suspended after the sudden deaths of seven people of suspected drug overdoses at a local music festival on September 16.

The incident took place at the Vietnam Electronic Weekend (VEW) Festival at the West Lake Water Park in Tây Hồ District.

All the people, between 18 and 29 years old, tested positive for narcotics.

The incident was believed to be the worst narcotics-related case in Việt Nam, prompting authorities in Hà Nội to stop licensing these events until results of the investigation are announced.

Quest Festival 2018, a popular music and arts festival planned for weekend November 24-25 at the Việt Nam National Villages for Ethnic Culture and Tourism was cancelled at the last minute as a result.

A total of 152 Vietnamese out of 153 who arrived with tour groups in Kaohsiung earlier in December have gone missing. — Photo tintucvietnam.vn

10. Vietnamese tourists disappear

A total of 152 Vietnamese out of 153 who arrived with tour groups in Kaohsiung earlier in December have gone missing.

The four groups flew into the southern Taiwanese city on December 21 and 23, but on December 25, the Taiwanese travel agency handling them told the Tourism Bureau it was unable to locate 152 of the 153 travelers, according to the Central News Agency.

The bureau then told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs it had decided to stop granting group visas for tourists from Việt Nam, one of the countries Taiwan has targeted with its New Southbound Policy aimed to foster closer ties and attract more tourists.

Under a special programme launched in 2015, visa procedures would be simplified if at least five people travelled together and the visitors did not need to supply evidence of their financial situation, CNA reported. — VNS