THANH HOA — An ancient bronze drum was recently unearthed by Trinh Van Trung, a farmer working the land near Ru Than Mountain in Thanh Hoa Province's Vinh Loc District.

Circles consisting of 12-pointed stars and drawings of people involved in daily activities such as hunting, rice pounding and rowing decorate the surface of the drum.

Archaeologist Vu The Long from the Viet Nam Archaeological Institute estimated that the drum dated back from between 2,000 to 3,000 years to the Dong Son Civilisation.

Overview of Japanese literary canon published in Vietnamese

HA NOI — A comprehensive overview of Japanese literature entitled Tong Quan Lich Su Van Hoc Nhat Ban (Overview of Japanese Literature's History) by Professor Nguyen Nam Tran was recently published by the Viet Nam Education Publishing House.

The 700-page book is the only complete work about Japanese literature published in Viet Nam.

Tran, who currently works at the Josai University in Tokyo, compiled the book from various Japanese, English and French sources.

Famous for many research projects on Oriental culture, Tran has also translated several works of Japanese literature, including a short story by Akutagawa Ryunosuke, a Japanese writer in the Taisho-period who is regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story".

Book fair to bring literature to HCM City for new year

HCM CITY — Several main streets in HCM City's downtown area will be blocked off to host a large open-air book fair featuring publications by the city's major publishing houses and libraries.

The book fair, which will take place from January 20-26 on Mac Thi Buoi, Nguyen Hue and Ngo Duc Ke streets, is being billed as a cultural activity to welcome the Lunar New Year. Each street will present books featuring a specific theme.

Con Duong Truyen Thong (Road of Tradition) on Mac Thi Buoi will highlight books featuring the nation's sea and islands as well as its history and traditional culture.

Con Duong Giao Thoa Hien Tai Huong Toi Tuong Lai (Road of the Present Moving Toward the Future) on Ngo Duc Ke Street will present the latest publications by domestic and international publishing houses. Digital publications and e-books will also be introduced in this area.

Con Duong Tuong Lai (Road of the Future) will introduce children's books as well as educational and health care programmes for children. A mobile library will also be set up at the fair. — VNS