When last rays of late afternoon fell on Hội An, lanterns are about to glitter all over the old town and a free Japanese class is open in the ancient house at 39 Nguyễn Thái Học street. On 5pm sharp, local children arrive the class, obviously eager for their lesson. The class focuses mostly on Japanese language, culture and customs and have been offered for local kids for almost a year, for free.

You are invited to come and celebrate the Fête de la Musique (International Music Festival) on Saturday (June 24) at the Institut Français de Hanoi – L’Espace from 4.30pm.

Tomorrow night, Heritage Space will present Hidden Beat – Vol 1 featuring the Hanoing Jazz Band – a multinational band that consists of 18 musicians whose performances are reminiscent of the big band days. The event is sure to be a lively night that brings will leave audiences tapping their toes and swinging to the rhythm.

A workshop on Thái ethnic hand embroidery, an heirloom technique mastered by Thai ethnic artisans in Quỳ Châu Disrtict Nghệ An province, will be held on July 1.

Sipping juice in a small café in Hà Nội in early June, Willem Schaftenaar relaxes before his flight home to the Netherlands. Previously, he was busy in Bản Đôn village in Đắk Lắk province’s Buôn Đôn district working with officials of the provincial Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) to save near-extinct elephants in Việt Nam.

On Thursday, June 22, the FVH (Friends of Vietnam Heritage) Film Night will present the black-and-white movie Bến Không Chồng (Wharf of Widows) by director Lưu Trọng Ninh, who also plays the film’s main character Nguyễn Vạn. Based on a well-known novel of the same title by author Dương Hướng, which was granted the Việt Nam Writers’ Association Award in 1991, the movie was a Berlin International Film Festival selection.

An exhibition by the artist residency group Cụng, Đụng, Chạm (literally meaning ‘touch’) and ethnic minority groups goes on display from tomorrow at the Hà Nội Old Quarter Culture Exchange Centre from 7pm tomorrow.

German composer, drummer and installation artist Manos Tsangaris will make his first-ever performance in Việt Nam tomorrow night at the Goethe-Institut Hanoi.

Tomorrow, L’Espace will open the lacquer painting exhibition Nature – Nostalgia, which showcases artworks by three artists: Đặng Thu Hương, Lý Trực Sơn, and Nguyễn Thị Quế.