The records were chosen from almost 300 submissions sent by organisations and individuals across the country in 2009. Of these, 20 records were set by individuals, mainly related to the arts, culture and creativeness.

Worthy of note among the records is the largest block calendar, which was made by the An Hao Design and Printing Company and the 800-kg Lich Su Vietnam (History of Vietnam) calendar which is 2m wide and 1.3m high.

It features 365 silk paintings depicting Vietnam’s history from its beginnings to Reunification Day in 1975. The An Hao Company spent more than 18 months and VND500 million (USD26,200) making the calendar which sits in a wooden frame carved with dragons.

Numerous records were set by groups include the largest dictionary written in Nom (Vietnamese script transformed from Han) and the most blood donors in one day, with 14,384 participants giving 4,158 units of blood.

On the occasion, a well known painting of flowers, which is 4.1m long and 1.25m wide, by painter Truong Han Minh was presented to Operation Smile to be auctioned to raise funds for surgery for children with cleft palates.

A wooden and gilded painting that was carved with 1,000 dragons and depicts a map of Vietnam was granted to the national steering committee for the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. It was created by the artist Ngoc Minh from the central province of Quang Nam.