Dien Bien (VNA) – The 3rd Vietnam-Laos culture-sport-tourism border exchange festival rounded off in the northwestern border province of Dien Bien on October 3.
Addressing the ceremony, Nguyen Thi Hai Nhung, deputy head of the festival organising committee, said it is an event of political meaning that demonstrates the solidarity shared between the nations.
Vietnamese and Lao troupes took part in joint performances for local audiences in Dien Bien to celebrate the countries’ relationship, she said.
Beginning on the first day of October, the festival was part of activities to mark the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations and 45 years since the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation between the nations.
It featured an opening ceremony, musical performances, a traditional costume fashion show, an exhibition, and sporting events.
The music show involved ten Vietnamese and six Lao troupes who staged more than 60 performances.
At the closing ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded certificates of merit to 24 Vietnamese and Lao delegations.
The 4th festival is slated for 2027 in the central province of Quang Nam./.
Vietnamese and Lao education-training leaders, representatives from 50 universities and 55 agencies as well as teachers and students gathered at a forum in Vientiane on September 29 to discuss cooperation between the two countries in enhancing training quality.
A ceremony was held in Laos’s Savannakhet province on September 29 to wrap up the fifth Vietnam-Laos People Friendship Festival and celebrate the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year, the 60th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 45th of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation between the two countries.
Representatives of 20 provinces along the shared border between Vietnam and Laos gathered in a conference promoting cooperation for tourism development in the two countries’ border region in Dien Bien Phu City, the capital of the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien, on October 2.
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).
At the closing ceremony (Photo: VNA) 
