Vietnam’s Folk Music, Culture Inspires Foreign Tourists

Ambassador and diplomatic staff make to he – one of the Vietnamese folk games in Duong Lam ancient village. Photo: Two Trieu

Hanoi’ spring tours to promote culture

Over the years, spring tours have become a traditional foreign affairs activity of Hanoi city. Participating in the event, Ambassadors, their wives, husbands, representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations in Vietnam had many activities to experience Vietnamese culture such as: wrapping banh chung, writing calligraphy and traditional woodblock printing.

The activity aims to introduce the culture of Vietnamese people to foreigners living in Vietnam. It is also an opportunity to meet and exchange cultures to strengthen the friendship and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese and international friends.

In the spring of 2022, Anton Golubev, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam said he was looking forward to the Vietnamese New Year. He was impressed with Vietnamese cuisine, especially Tet dishes. The journey to experience in Duong Lam ancient village helps him visualize the traditional Vietnamese New Year.

Many international friends have also expressed interest and impression on Vietnamese cultural values. After 20 years of organization, the spring tours attract more foreigners, especially government representatives of international organizations and non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

Nguyen Lan Huong, chairwoman of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations said: “At the beginning of the year, they say they are anxiously waiting for often the new spring tour, and ask us in advance where we are going this year. They see this. After our spring tour, they will introduce those destinations to their people.”

Ha Giang: Integrating cultural promotion in activities

With the Vietnam cultural diplomacy strategy, Ha Giang province has implemented cultural promotion with a variety of activities.

The province has introduced products, cuisine and unique cultural features of Ha Giang at many events such as: 132nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; food festival of ASEAN and other countries; buckwheat flower festival; half-marathon, car and motorcycle race on the terrain of Dong Van Karst Plateau.

The program to explore and experience Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark by bicycle for the US embassy delegation organized by Ha Giang province in 2017. Photo: KT

In working sessions with other countries, leaders of Ha Giang province always focus on introducing the province’s potentials, strengths, and unique cultural values.

The gifts are products bearing the cultural identity of ethnic groups in the province such as: Traditional musical instruments of the Mong ethnic group, Lung Tam, Can Ty brocade, and Bac My brocade of the Pa Then ethnic group.

They help to introduce the unique features of ethnic cultures, economic and tourism potentials to international friends as well as foreign investors.

Bac Ninh: Participating in international cultural events

In 2019, during a tour in several European countries, the art program of the Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Theater left a strong impression on the Vietnamese community and international friends.

During the performances, the representative of the Vietnamese Association all mentioned the and importance of preserving and promoting culture in the Vietnamese community abroad and in the Czech Republic particularly.

They focused on introducing quan ho folk songs – a national cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage.

The province has participated in large-scale, annual cultural diplomatic forums and activities abroad; strengthen cooperation in culture, education, science and tourism. The province also participates in tourism promotion activities of TPO (Tourism Promotion Organization for Asian-Pacific Cities) of which Bac Ninh province is a member.

Quan ho folk songs in Germany. Photo: KT

The province introduces and promotes the value of the province’s cultural heritages boasted by UNESCO in countries where many Vietnamese people live.

They step up tourism promotion activities, introduce destinations, festivals, historical sites, heritages, and traditional craft villages; introduce the unique features of cultural heritages in Bac Ninh.

The province also has guidelines and priority policies for the development of the cultural industry; building and explore markets to promote culture, handicraft products and fine arts of traditional craft villages to international friends.

Together with Hanoi, Ha Giang, Bac Ninh, and other provinces have also made efforts to promote their unique cultural values ​​to domestic and international friends, fostering local socio-economic development.