The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially announced ten outstanding cultural, sports and tourism activities in 2010 in Hanoi on Dec. 30. They are:

1. Cultural and fine arts activities mark major celebrations, including the 80th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the national commemoration of the Hung Kings and the Hung King Temple Festival, the 35th anniversary of the liberation of the south and national reunification, President Ho Chi Minh’s 120th birthday, the 65th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (Sept. 2) and the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front.

2. Cultural, sports and tourism activities mark the grand celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, including the biggest-ever parade held at Ba Dinh Square on October 10, the opening of the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese ethnic groups, an exhibition on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and Thang Long-Hanoi, the “Thang Long-Hanoi craft villages and streets” festival, the sport competitions and the Vietnamese film days for 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi.

3. Vietnam’s heritages have been recognised by UNESCO, including the Thang Long Imperial Citadel recognised as a world cultural heritage site, the Saint Giong Festival in Phu Dong and Soc Temples as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the 82 doctoral stone steles at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, recognised as a world documentary heritage.

4. Cultural activities were held to promote Vietnam’s land and people abroad, including the National Day at the 2010 Shanghai EXPO and the Vietnam Culture Week in Cuba, Mexico, Germany, Belgium, Cambodia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, China and India.

5. International cultural and sport events were held for the first time in Vietnam, including the International Photo Exhibition, International Film Festival, International Piano Contest, Miss Earth and the Thang Long-Hanoi International Football Cup to celebrate the capital city’s millennium birthday.

6. Director and People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minh was honoured by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his contributions to the Vietnam’s cinematography.

7. Sports festivals at all levels and the seventh national sports festival were held.

8. The Vietnamese sport delegation bagged 33 medals including those at five Olympics sport events for the first time at the 16th Asian Games (ASIAD 16); and the Vietnamese disabled athletes secured 17 medals, placing 11th out of 42 delegations at the first Asian Para Games.

9. Vietnam’s tourism sector welcomed five millionth foreign visitor.

10. Tourism promotion campaign in 2010 “Vietnam-Your destination” contributed to attract foreign tourists to Vietnam and promoting domestic tourism. The campaign helped Vietnam welcome over five million foreign arrivals, 28 million local visitors and grossed an estimated revenue of 100 trillion VND./.