The Viet Nam - South Korea Festival officially kicked off at a public park east of Da Nang’s Rong (Dragon) Bridge on Thursday evening.

A show of Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress) and Hanbok (traditional Korean costume) at the opening ceremony of the festival.

Co-organised by the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs and the South Korean Consulate General in Da Nang, the festival is an important cultural and diplomatic event marking the 30^th anniversary of the Viet Nam - South Korea diplomatic ties (December 22, 1992 - 2022).

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs Huynh Duc Truong highlighted the significance of the festival in contributing to enhancing mutual understandings and deepening the friendship between Da Nang and South Korean localities through exchange activities in many fields.

Festival-goers have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of modern K-pop dances, wear Hanbok, learn Korean language, play folk games, and visit cultural and food booths.

Till date, Da Nang has established friendship and cooperation relations with six localities of South Korea. Currently, 'the country of kimchi' is the fifth-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Da Nang with 235 projects totalling more than US$378 million. The import-export turnover between Da Nang and South Korea hit US$52 million in 2021.

Da Nang and South Korean localities have witnessed fruitful cooperation results in such noticeable spheres as tourism, education, and social volunteering activities in recent years. This mutual relationship helps promote economic cooperation between Da Nang and South Korean enterprises and organizations, thereby contributing to strengthening the bilateral cooperation ties between the two countries.

The Viet Nam - Korea Festival 2022 is taking place from September 1 to 4 with a wide range of attractive activities, including a 3-night art show at the main stage introducing unique cultural and artistic features of Viet Nam and South Korea.

Also, there are 40 booths introducing food, consumer goods, culture and education, of Da Nang and South Korea.

In addition, many exciting programmes, such as the ‘Viet Nam - South Korea Talent’, Taekwondo martial arts performances and the ‘Korean Music Night’ programme, will be held during the festival.

Festival-goers experience how to make Korean kimchi at the festival

Young people in Da Nang experience wearing hanbok

The event sees the participation of 50 actors and artists from South Korea.

Korean artists performing a fan dance at the festival

During the festival, visitors can visit and enjoy many cultural and authentic food stalls of Viet Nam and South Korea.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG - Translating by M.DUNG