Friends of Vietnam Heritage (FVH), a non-formal group of foreign residents living in Ha Noi who work voluntarily to promote and preserve Vietnamese cultural and historical heritage, will host two city walks on April 24 and April 26. The first walk is to discover the Ngu Xa bronze casting village to the east of Truc Bach Lake and Quan Thanh Temple.

Beginning at 9.30am, the first part of the English-speaking tour will help attendees learn about the area's bronze casting and its history in northern Viet Nam. The group will visit a foundry to see the largest single pour bronze statue in the country.

After a one-hour break, the tour will continue by visiting Quan Thanh Temple and its 3.7-tonne 350-year-old bronze statue of Tran Vu – the Protector of the North. On the way, learn about the history of Truc Bach Lake.

The tour costs VND70,000 per person. To register, contact Roman at FVH.CityWalks.English@gmail.com.

The tour on April 26 will be for Japanese-speaking participants who will have a chance to learn about Hoan Kiem Lake and the surrounding area.

The two-hour walk will start at 9.30am in front of Ngoc Son Temple, then other historical sites and places of interest. The attendance fee is VND70,000. Limit: 8 people. Contact Keiko Inoguchi at herijapan@yahoo.co.jp.-VNS