Visitors to the exhibition that opens on April 15. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A photo exhibition opened in Hanoi onApril 15, spotlighting the start of a Western-style city in Southeast Asia inthe capital of Vietnam.
The event is held at an old villa at No 49 Tran Hung Daostreet, Hoan Kiem district, on the occasion of the 50th foundinganniversary of Vietnam - France diplomatic relations, the 10th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership, and the 12th conference on decentralised cooperation between the two countries.
It displays the first 30 colour pictures of Hanoi, which werecaptured by Leson Busy between 1915 and 1921. They describe the start of aWestern-style city where local traditional characteristics co-existed withforeign factors imported from France.
Asidefrom the structures that helped change the urban face of Hanoi, many details inthe photos also show the presence of the Western culture in the Old Quarter andlocal living spaces, reflecting the strong influence of the French culture andits confluence with the local culture in the city in the early 20th century.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’sCommittee Duong Duc Tuan said that the city and the Ile-de-France region of France formed the first pair of partners in theVietnam - France decentralised cooperation in 1989.
Over the past years, the two sides have cooperatedfruitfully in the fields of sustainable development, urban planning, culture,and heritage conservation, he noted, adding that the villa that hosts theexhibition was the first from the French colonial period to have been restoredby Hanoi with technical support from the Ile-de-France region.
Inthe coming time, they will continue working together to collect and showcase evidenceof the confluence of the French and Vietnamese cultures in the first half ofthe 20th century, aiming to show the public the local administration’sdetermination and French partners’ assistance in heritage conservation and callfor the community’s support for the conservation, according to Tuan.
Mésadieu, member of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France,affirmed that collaboration in heritage and cultural affairs is always a priorityof the two countries’ decentralsed cooperation./.
Cooperation between Hanoi capital of Vietnam and Toulouse city of France, especially in the conservation of UNESCO heritage values, was featured through photos at an exhibition opened at the world heritage site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel on April 13.
A panel discussion on increasing cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities in support projects, volunteer mobilisation, and post-pandemic medical and economic recovery took place in Hanoi on April 14 as part of the ongoing 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference.
A workshop on culture, heritage and tourism was held in Hanoi on April 14 as part of the ongoing 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference.
Vietnamese localities need experience and collaboration from international partners in environmental protection and sustainable development, and French investors are considered credible partners, an official from Ho Chi Minh City has said.
The 12th Vietnam-France cooperation conference with the theme "The driving force for sustainable and comprehensive recovery and development after the COVID-19 pandemic" wrapped up successfully in Hanoi on April 15.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Visitors to the exhibition that opens on April 15. (Photo: VNA) 
