The third festival of Vietnamese culture and tourism got underway in
Seoul , the Republic of Korea (RoK) on July 8 as part of a range
of activities marking the 20 th anniversary of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic
ties.
The event was jointly organised by the
Department of International Cooperation at the Vietnamese Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism; the promotions office for establishing the
Vietnamese-RoK cultural exchange centre; the Vietnamese Embassy in the
RoK and the host country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
When speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnam ’s Ambassador to the
RoK Tran Trong Toan highlighted the increasing development of ties
between Vietnam and the RoK in all fields, especially in culture and
tourism exchange.
He said that the wave of Korean
culture that has been sweeping across Vietnam , including movies,
music, fashion and cuisine, has attracted a lot of interest from many
Vietnamese people, while Vietnamese culture and arts are also warmly
welcomed in the RoK.
The 116,000 strong Vietnamese
community in the Rok and the 130,000 Rok citizens in Vietnam all
contribute to promoting mutual understanding, trust, friendship and
effective cooperation between both countries, stressed Toan.
He said that both governments attach a great deal of importance to
enhancing cultural exchanges and promoting tourism in both countries,
adding that this year’s festival provides Vietnam with the
opportunity to spotlight the country’s countryside, culture and art.
At the ceremony, Kee Ock, the General Director of the
RoK company Kumho Engineering and Construction, an arm of the Kumho
Asiana Group, was awarded the Insignia for Peace and Friendship amongst
Nations, for the Group’s contributions to RoK-Vietnamese friendship in
recent times.
While speaking at the awards
ceremony, Kee Ock pledged to contribute more to developing friendship
between the two countries in the future.
In the framework of the festival, a programme of Vietnamese and RoK traditional arts and music took place.
Previously, a series of other activities, such as workshops and
promotions for tourist destinations in Vietnam; photographic
exhibitions; art and crafts exhibitions and a culinary festival were
also held as part of the third festival.-VNA