At Ly Thai To Park, near Hoan Kiem lake, in central Hanoi , over 550 ornamental trees of various species and nearly 100 works of art made of stone are on display.

Many of them have been kept and cared for by their families over many generations.

The exhibition at Ly Thai To Park will run until September 20 and the one in Indira Gandhi Park will close on October 30.

According to Luu Minh Tri, President of the Thang Long Art Ornamental Plant Association, a larger exhibition will be held at the Hanoi Museum from September 25-October 30.

Twelve groups of puppeteers from overseas will join five Vietnamese groups to take part in the second International Puppetry Festival in Hanoi from September 4-9.

Of the 12 foreign groups, the puppeteers from Egypt , Israel and Cuba are visiting Vietnam for the first time.

The festival’s opening ceremony will be held at the Hanoi Opera House and the winner of the gold cup will also receive an award of 1,000 USD.

Later, from October 6-11, the Ha Thanh Culinary Festival will be held at Ho Tay ( West Lake ) Park as one of the major activities to mark the city’s birthday.

The festival will attract tourist and travel agencies from all 63 cities and provinces across the country as well as foreign embassies and enterprises in Vietnam.

The festival will take place on a 8ha site with separate areas for cuisine, Hanoian culture and folk games.

There will be 130 stalls selling special dishes from every part of Vietnam , with a special focus on traditional Hanoian dishes.