Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Do Quy Doan extended his sincere thanks to APEC member economies for actively supporting and participating in the event.

The exhibition of over 100 large-sized photos from all APEC member economies gives visitors a general impression of the lands and people that make up the APEC.
Fifteen prize winning posters from the 2006 APEC Poster Competition are also displayed at the exhibition.

The "Vietnam's Cultural Heritage" area showcases 2,500 artifacts dating back as far as the Dong Son and Sa Huynh cultures and some 100 items from traditional handicraft villages.

Pictures and over 600 ceramics introduce visitors to famous ceramic villages in the Red River Delta such as Chu Dau in Hai Duong province, Bat Trang in the suburb of Hanoi, Phu Lang in Bac Ninh province and Dong Trieu in Quang Ninh province.

The exhibition also includes a "Vietnamese Fashion" section where traditional costumes such as the "ao dai" (long dress) and Hue royal dresses are on show.
A section is devoted to images of the daily life of people in localities across the country. Artisans will demonstrate traditional crafts from Hanoi such as lacquering, embroidery, flower-making and painting and perform traditional music like Ca Tru (ceremonial song) and Cheo (traditional operetta), and play traditional musical instruments.

The ancient imperial city of Hue adds royal music of the Nguyen Dynasty and the art of making flowers from fruits and vegetables to the exhibition.
Visitors to the exhibition will also have a chance to visit the dynamic Ho Chi Minh City through the exhibits at the city's booth. The booth also highlights the unique culture of various ethnic groups in the city like the Cham, Hoa and Khmer.

The Vietnam National Tourism Administration takes this occasion to introduce its key tourist routes including the Central region's

David Knapp, General Director of Motorola Vietnam, said the centre will enable the group to effectively cooperate with the Vietnamese Ministry of Posts and Telematics and local training establishments in developing IT human resources.

The same day, an exhibition surveying the image of APEC was opened to mark the 14^th AELM scheduled for November 18-19 in Hanoi.
On show are 150 pictures on the regional free trade-gearing body as well as the land, people and achievements of its member economies.
The 10-day exhibition also reserves much space for activities of APEC-Vietnam 2006.

The same day, another exhibition was also opened in Hanoi to introduce the capital city's achievements in economic, social, cultural and urban planning areas to international friends.

VNA/VOVNews