Country Experiences a Dynamic Year of Culture

Katherine Muller-Marin, UNESCO's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) chief representative in Hanoi, said, "2010 was a busy year for me. I had a chance to visit heritage sites throughout Vietnam." In 2010, three heritage sites located in Hanoi received international recognition; for the first time a Vietnamese film director was glorified in the US; and the celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi attracted the attention of a large number of friends all over the world.
In 2010, four Vietnamese cultural heritage sites were internationally recognized, three of which are located in Hanoi: the Thang Long Royal Citadel, 82 stone steles at the Temple of Literature, Giong Festival and the Dong Van Stone Plateau which was recognized as a member of the Global Geoparks Network. Those are vivid evidence of the more than four thousand year old Vietnamese history. The celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi highlighted the traditional values of the capital and created an impulse for Hanoi to improve its position in the international arena.
Also in 2010, numerous cultural and artistic activities took place in all localities throughout Vietnam. Those included the 2010 Tuong (classical drama) festival, the song, dance, music and theater festival of cultural and artistic schools nationwide, the theater festival welcoming the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, the first national festival of folk-song and traditional musical instrument performances of teenagers, and the first folk-song and gong performance festival in Dak Lak Province. Such activities contributed to deepening Vietnamese people's love for cultural and artistic values of the nation.
In 2010, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the US honored Vietnamese film director Dang Nhat Minh for his dedication to cinematography and launched a Vietnamese film week entitled 'New Voices from Vietnam' to present some film directors and cinema works of Vietnam. The 2010 Vietnam International Film Festival despite some faults provided Vietnamese cinematographers with a good opportunity to gain global experience.
In 2010, a range of beauty contests took place in Vietnam. Of those, Miss Vietnam World 2010 attracted participants from all over the world. They took part in this contest to experience life in their country of origin and to improve their knowledge of Vietnamese culture.
The year 2010 marked the launching of Vietnam Music Day and Vietnam Theater Day, which are intended to encourage people who work in these two fields to bring into play the achievements they have gained and make efforts to obtain further success.
It is hoped that the year 2011 will open a new development period that promises fruitful results of the Vietnamese cultural and artistic sector./.