Vietnam has become the proud owner of 10 more Asian records, and willreceive certificates for them from the Asia Book of Records in Ho ChiMinh City on May 26.

Among them are the largesthistorical prison – in Con Dao – and the longest corridor and largestBuddha statue, both at the Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh Province .

Built in 1862 by French colonialists, the Con Dao jailwas notorious for American "tiger cages" during the Vietnam war. Thejail held more than 1,000 prisoners at a time.

Bai DinhPagoda has two corridors of 1.7km each with 500 statues, all monolithicand measuring 1-2.5m in height and weighing 1-2.5 tonnes.

Its gilded, 100-tonne Buddha is made of bronze and 10m tall.

Le Tran Truong An, general director of the Vietnam Book of Records(Vietbooks), which is organising the event, said all the informationwill be published in the Asia Book of Records's website, books, andtelevision.

Last year the Asia Book of Records awarded thefirst certificate to Vietnam for the largest gem statue owned by anindividual in HCM City .

At this week's eventVietbooks will give away certificates and trophies to 33 individuals andorganisations who created national records this year.

They include brothers and circus performers Giang Quoc Co and Giang QuocNghiep, who have won the largest number of international prizes fortheir Power of Arms performance, and Nguyen Cong Bang, who can throw aneedle through 3mm-thick glass.

Vietbooks, the LaosRecords Book Centre, and the Cambodia Records Book Centre will sign amemorandum for establishing the Indochina Records Book Centre.-VNA