Vietnam Festival in Japan underway

The Vietnam Festival in Japan, themed “Hope”, opened at Ikebukuro park, Tokyo, on April 8, starting a series of exchanges on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyen Duc Minh stressed that Vietnam-Japan relationship has thrived across the board over the past years. The Vietnamese community in Japan is growing and has become an important part of the Japanese society.

The event offers an opportunity for the Vietnamese community in Japan and Japanese friends interested in Vietnam to interact and understand more about each other, he added.

Talking with Vietnam News Agency in Tokyo, Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kei Takagi said following the event, there will be many vibrant exchange activities between the two countries, not only at the people-to-people and local levels, but also at the Government level. He said through those activities, more Japanese people will become interested in Vietnam and choose the country as a tourist destination.

At the festival, Japanese and international friends could enjoy outstanding cultural performances by artists from both countries, as well as taste famous Vietnamese traditional cuisine at more than 20 booths.

During the two-day event, activities popularising Vietnam, its people and tourism will be co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy and businesses in Japan.

Following the festival in Tokyo, similar events will be held in other localities like Osaka or Fukuoka./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Festival honours UNESCO intangible cultural heritage to open in Phu Tho

A festival to honour UNESCO - recognised intangible cultural heritage of humanity will take place from April 21-22 in the northern province of Phu Tho, the department of cultural affairs under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on April 4.

Spectators will have a change to enjoy 15 cultural heritage genres, performed by nearly 1,000 artisans, artists from13 provinces and cities nationwide which possess the heritages, including the Hue court music, Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs, space of gong culture, Xoan singing, art of Don ca tai tu music and song in southern Vietnam, among others,

Besides art performances, a space to display heritage images, artifacts, and tourism products will also be held.

The event is a part of a series of activities to commemorate the legendary founders of the Vietnamese nation, the Hung Kings, in 2023./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam’s fashion designs introduced in London

Two fashion collections by designers Lan Huong and Jordan Nguyen made debut in London, the UK, on March 30 as part of a Vietnam discovering event held at the D-Contemporary gallery.

The event was held within the framework of the Vietnam Days in the UK from March 28 to April 27 to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

The collection of nearly 40 "ao dai" (Vietnamese traditional long dress) designs by Meritorious Artisan Lan Huong was inspired by the sustainable development and prosperity of the earth via the symbiosis of all living things. The designs, featuring hand-embroidered details, also honour cultural values of Vietnam and the two countries’ relations.

Huong said she hoped the showcase of her "ao dai" collection in London, a fashion capital of the world, will help popularise the Vietnamese culture and attract British and global fashion and art lovers to come to the Southeast Asian country to explore the local culture and fashion industry.

Meanwhile, the collection of nearly 20 work and daily clothes designs by Vietnamese-Canadian Jordan Nguyen highlighted the beauty, elegance, and dynamism of Vietnamese women.

Inspired by traditional and modern costumes along with the country’s history and culture, the collection emphasises the strength as well as femininity of Vietnamese women and also reflects the designer’s wish to learn more about his Vietnamese origin./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Phu Quoc to host “Fashion Voyage #5” show in April

Fashion Voagage #5” – a fashion show featuring the latest collections from well-known Vietnamese designers, will be held in Phu Quoc island city from April 7-8 in the southern province of Kien Giang.

The show with the theme “Dating with a Kiss” is set to be organised in Sunset Town, a resort entertainment complex developed by Sun Group.

This is the fifth time the group has worked with director Long Kan, the show’s producer, to introduce admirable fashion shows which also helps promote Vietnam’s tourism.

A collection with a futuristic style by designer Chung Thanh Phong named “Kiss the Stars” will be staged at the show with multimedia technologies, amidst the majestic sea and sky, the combination of fire, water, light, laser, and music.

On the second night of Fashion Voyage #5, the show stage is the Kiss Bridge – an architectural masterpiece, a symbol of the Vietnamese-Italian cultural interference.

Dong Thi Ngoc Anh, Deputy General Director of Sun Group, said that after the Fashion Voyage, it is expected that many artists will come to Sunset Town in particular, and Phu Quoc in general, to seek inspiration and bring here special events, festivals, art programmes to spread the inspiration.

Sunset Town is expected soon become the land of artists, arts, and festivals. Together with Sun Group’s tourism – resort – entertainment ecosystem, it will help attract visitors to Phu Quoc./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Eighth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival wraps up with success

The eighth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival themed “Buon Ma Thuot – Destination of the World’s Coffee” wrapped up on March 14 after five days full of colorful and exciting activities.

The closing ceremony featured songs and dances highlighting the land, people and indigenous culture of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands region.

Speaking at the ceremony, Standing Vice Chairman of Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee and head of the organizing committee Nguyen Tuan Ha said that the eighth version of the coffee festival this year is the biggest of its kind, attracting more than 90,000 visitors, including 600 foreigners.

With 18 official activities, the festival aimed to popularise the brands and promote the development of specialty coffee in Vietnam while gradually turning Buon Ma Thuot city into a world coffee destination, he added.

The festival was a national event, giving the province a chance to develop the coffee industry, boost economic growth, and improve the living conditions of local ethnic groups.

It saw the participation of 37 international delegations, including the Embassies of the US, Australia, Mongolia, Morocco, Angola, and Saudi Arabia in Hanoi; the Consulates General of India, Cambodia, Cuba, and Russia in Ho Chi Minh City; and the Consulate General of Laos in Da Nang city, arts troupes from Champasak province of Laos and Jeollabuk province of the Republic of Korea.

On the occasion, outstanding collectives and individuals were award with certificates of merit from the provincial People’s Committee for their contributions to the success of the festival./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese cook wins four medals at Malaysia contest

A chef in a restaurant in Da Lat city, Central Highland province of Lam Dong, has brought home two gold medals and two silver medals at the Malaysia Culinary World Cup 2023 that took place in Malaysia on February 21-23.

Doan Thanh Dien, born in 1990, works for Tam Lua Restaurant in Da Lat city and registered to join the competition in Malaysia, intending to make typical Vietnamese dishes with ingredients available in Da Lat.

However, his team faced trouble when a member, who is responsible for taking necessary ingredients to the competition, lost his passport and could not travel to Malaysia.

Dien had to switched to other dishes using ingredients that are available at local markets, which he said was quite a challenge for his team.

They then met with another problem when all the tableware they brought along were broken during the process of transport and they had no money to buy new ones, so they had to borrow.

After all the challenges, Dien and his team are so happy that all four dishes that he cooked won medals, with two gold and two silver.

Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Deputy Director of Lam Dong province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that cuisine is a highlight of Da Lat – Lam Dong tourism.

She hopes that in addition to developing his restaurant chain, Dien will continue to use agricultural products of Da Lat and Lam Dong province to promote the quintessence of local cuisine.

Malaysia Culinary World Cup 2023 attracted more than 1,000 contestants from 20 countries around the world. The jury consists of nearly 130 famous chefs and culinary experts from many countries like the UK, Italy, Turkey, Australia, China, India, Egypt, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. There were three teams from Vietnam./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese music crosses the border to go viral

Vietnamese pop star Hoang Thuy Linh song See Tinh (See Love) is proving hugely popular and been covered by many Asian celebrities.

The hit has been viewed 43 million times on YouTube and millions of other times on a variety of music platforms and social networks.

The song is also trending across many Asian countries like Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. The video featuring Jolin Tsai, the most successful singer in Taiwan, dancing along to See Love with friends in early May was shared widely on social media and forums. Japanese singer Shayne Orok covered the song on YouTube and got more than a million views.

On January 31, a video by Korean volleyball athletes Lee Da-heyon and Kim Yeon-koung dancing to it during a game was watched 37 million times on TikTok.

See Love is the second single from Hoang Thuy Linh’s fourth studio album LINK released in February 2022. The video has impressed viewers with its lively choreography and catchy melody inspired by the culture of the Mekong Delta region.

YouTube account holder Sharksarekiy0t said of the video: “Somehow this song is still trending. It shows how loved this song is and I honestly still love it just as much as when I first listened to it. Watching the MV makes me appreciate it even more because these visuals are an absolute treat to the eyes! The colours, the themes, the cultural aspects, set designs, costumes, everything is so beautiful.”

Besides See Love, many Vietnamese songs have also gone viral globally, particularly in China and Thailand, such as Quang Hung MasterD’s De Den De Di (Easy Come, Easy Go), Phong Max – Tang Duy Tan’s Ngau Nhien (Random) or rapper Phao’s Hai Phut Hon (Two Minutes More).

“When I heard these songs, I did not expect that the compositions by young Vietnamese songwriters would spread widely like that,” composer and music researcher Nguyen Quang Long told Kinh Te Do Thi (Economy and Urban) newspaper.

“Young Vietnamese artists are increasingly catching up with the world and starting to create notable works. It is such happy news in today’s entertainment and art life when young Vietnamese artists have gradually approached listeners from different countries.”

According to female singer Phao, who sung the of the hit Hai Phut Hon that has caused a fever internationally, half of the success of Vietnamese viral hits in the international market comes from the distinctiveness in the musical personality of each artist.

Unique colours featuring Vietnamese characters are new elements in the international market. The Vietnamese artists are also increasingly meticulous in building personal images and product quality to be on par with international counterparts.

The remaining 50% of success, she added, derives from the investment and professionalism of international brands and record labels. They have devoted much effort in promoting Vietnamese products on music listening platforms, thereby helping Vietnamese music reach a wider international audience.

Recent years have also seen the collaboration between Vietnamese and international artists to release viral songs, like Son Tung M-TP with rapper Snoop Dogg, K-ICM with Plastik Funk, Polmoya and 9tySlac, or Thanh Bui with Tata Young.

Most recently, winner of The Voice Vietnam 2015, Duc Phuc, paired with legendary English band 911 to release an MV of their hit – I Do, on Valentine’s Day. The MV attracted more than 958,000 views only one day after its release on YouTube on February 9.

Vietnamese music tends to appear in the world market as a trend on social networks, a dance, a short piece of music for a few tens of seconds instead of the whole song.

According to musician Quoc Trung, it is still a long journey for Vietnamese songs to be appreciated and enjoyed by audiences around the world as a complete musical product. Expertise and skills are still the weakness of Vietnamese music makers.

“In order to firmly venture into the world, it demands meticulous planning and a rich Vietnamese music industry and music life,” he said.

“It also needs a long-term strategy and vision of the management agencies, so that Vietnamese music really has a place on the global map instead of being just a trend that soon appears and fades.”/.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Horticultural expo draws in over 200 brands

HortEx Vietnam 2023, the fifth international exhibition and conference for horticultural and floricultural production and processing technology in Vietnam, opened in Ho Chi Minh City on March 1.

It attracted over 200 exhibitors from 25 countries and territories around the world.

HortEx Vietnam has become the largest professional meeting place in Southeast Asia for businesses and experts in the industry, and helps Vietnamese businesses access advanced technology in the world and expand export markets, said Nguyen Ba Vinh, director of Minh Vi Exhibition & Advertising Services Company Limited (VEAS), one of the expo’s organisers.

Kees van Baar, Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam, said that the Netherlands is a leading country in exporting agricultural products and he believes that businesses of the two countries can strengthen collaboration through exchanging knowledge and close cooperation on technical and sustainable solutions.

In addition to showcasing equipment and technologies in the fields of vegetable, flower, and fruit, the expo will feature thematic seminars, B2B business matchmaking, and a fruit and vegetable export forum.

The exhibition, which runs until March 3, is expected to draw 8,000 visitors./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency