(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam’s custom of dyeing one’s teeth black is a custom now seen only among elderly people and among some ethnic groups in Vietnam’s northern mountains.

(VOVWORLD) - Diego Cortizas, the founder of a fashion house called Chula, is a Spanish architect-turned-designer and has been living in Vietnam for 17 years. Diego is obsessed with Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress), fabrics and brocade weaving from Vietnamese ethnic minorities; and is helping disabled people generate a stable occupation.

(VOVWORLD) - Lion dancing is a typical art form in a number of East Asian countries, including Vietnam. Lion dancing is usually performed during festivals and special occasions, particularly during the Lunar New Year (or Tet) festival. It is believed that unicorns, lions, and dragons symbolize happiness and prosperity, as well as heralding good luck in the new year.

(VOVWORLD) - The tugging rituals and folk games were honored by UNESCO in 2015 as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, a multi-national project of Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Cambodia, and the Philippines, the first multi-national project ever recognized by UNESCO. In Vietnam, tugging is practiced in all regions, each differing from the others, mostly during spring festivals. To tug, players use bamboos, ropes, or a kind of extremely long and durable rattan rope called “song” in Vietnam. In some regions, they stand while tugging and in other regions, they sit on the ground.

(VOVWORLD) - “The Magic Stick” has debuted in Hanoi as the first-ever combination of circus and “cai luong”, a form of Vietnam’s folk opera using a signature melancholic song structure nostalgic for the past.

(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam is undeniably a country full of history and art; it’s also a country that’s changing at a hectic pace. But there are some young artists who are devoting their talent to keeping Vietnam’s history and folk art alive. Some typical examples are Dang Thanh Huyen, author of an illustrated book of Vietnamese history, and art students who are creating traditional woodcut paintings.

(VOVWORLD) - Sop Cop, a mountainous district in Son La province, is one of the poorest districts in Vietnam. Two thirds of its people, who are between the ages of 15 and 60, are illiterate, which is a sign of poverty and undevelopment. The local government points out that anti-illiteracy is one of the key solutions and is making illiteracy eradication efforts. Several literacy classes have opened, drawing the participation of many people from all age groups. VOV reports:

(VOVWORLD) - The joyful melody of the Tinh musical instrument from Vietnam’s northeastern region often accompanies a unique cultural tradition of the Tay and Nung ethnic people of Lang Son province: the lion-cat dance, performed by dancers wearing cat masks.

(VOVWORLD) - “I was over the moon to get this hospital checkout. I’ve been here with my babies for a year. This hospital is like our second home so we’re a bit sad to say farewell to the doctors and nurses that have been in close connection with us. But it’s time for us to return to our real home. They have taught me how to take care of my daughters and help them rehabilitate,” said Tran Thi Thuy, the twins’ mother, who couldn’t stop her tears at having her babies looking so normal after a year-long battle against deformity. The two girls have been separated successfully and now have a new life. We now take a trip back in time for their heart-wrenching story.

(VOVWORLD) - Each of Vietnam’s ethnic minority groups have particular customs to celebrate New Year Holiday (Tet). Each Tet custom shows the unique cultural characteristics of each group. Nowadays, although life has changed, the cultural identity and customs of the Dao people in Khe Ma village, Tan Huong commune, Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province are still preserved.