The Television Magazine of the Vietnam Television (VTV) has launched the second selection of the favourite masters of ceremony (MC) from March to December 2009.

The two bronze drums date back over 2,000 years. They were recently unearthed in Xuan Vi village, Phu Xuan commune, Krong Nang district, Dak Lak province.

The Dak Lak Province Museum currently houses six Dong Son bronze drums, all of which were discovered by local people in the basin of the Krong H’Nang River.

- The HCM City Culture University and the Institute for Culture and Development on February 20 organised a workshop named “Forecasts for Vietnamese cultural development trends and viewpoints from 2011-2020”.

The workshop attracted researchers, critics, experts and lecturers from universities in Hanoi and HCM City. Experts reviewed the goods and the bads of contemporary culture and forecast trends and the development of Vietnamese culture in the future.

- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has permitted the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Central Highlands province of Khanh Hoa to combine with the Archaeology Institute to expand the excavation at Vinh Yen archaeological site on an area of 2,000sq.m as of February 20, 2009.

Vinh Yen archaeological site in Van Thanh commune, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa province was discovered in July 2006. Archaeologists started excavating the site in August 2007. Scientists have unvearthed over 400 hundred stone, bronze and terra-cotta objects.

According to experts, Vinh Yen was the site of an ancient, populated village 3,000 years ago.

- The Hue city Relics Preservation Centre has kicked of a VND3.52 billion ($207,000) project to restore Chanh Dong gate of Hue royal citadel.

The project is scheduled to finish in 2010; accordingly, the gate will be restored based on the original architecture.

Chanh Dong or Dong Ba gate is one of the ten main gates of the Hue royal citadel. The gate was built in the early Minh Mang Dynasty (1820-1840). Part of the gate was destroyed by bombs in 1968.

- A photo exhibition named “For the nation’s border” opened on February 20 at 29 Hang Bai, Hanoi to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the National Border Defence Day and the 50^th anniversary of the Border Guard Forces.

The exhibition is the result of a photo contest about border guards and border defence. The organising board received nearly 700 photos from 142 amateur and professional photographers. Some 137 photos are on display at the exhibition. The organising board presented one first prize, two second prizes and six consolation prizes.

- The Television Magazine of the Vietnam Television (VTV) has launched the second selection of the favourite masters of ceremony (MC) from March to December 2009.

TV audiences will vote for their favourite MCs in the fields of news, science and education, foreign relations and entertainment. In addition, a jury of 15 reputed journalists and experts will choose their favourite MCs.

The organising board will present 8 first prizes (VND5 million each) and 10 consolation prizes to selected MCs and one first prize (VND10 million), two second prizes (VND5 million) and other prizes to audience members whose selections won their respective categories.

- “Dragon of River”, a photo exhibition about Long Bien Bridge, opened on February 21 at Bookworm, 4B Yen The Street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi.

The exhibition presents photos about Long Bien Bridge taken by children who live near the bridge, members of the Blue Dragon organisation.

VietNamNet/LD/TT