In 2023, Da Nang hosts many cultural exchange events with foreign countries which it has set up diplomatic ties. Many art troupes from foreign countries come to the city to perform and serve locals.

Meanwhile, the city also proactively connects and improves performance capacity to promote cultural and artistic exchanges with foreign countries in the region, and around the world.

A dance performance by South Korean artistes at the Viet Nam - South Korea Festival held in Da Nang in September 2023. Photo: X.D

Diverse cultural diplomacy activities

In addition to political diplomacy and economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy has become one of the three pillars of foreign policy. In order to improve the effectiveness of cultural diplomacy activities, the city has coordinated with foreign countries to organise a series of cultural and artistic exchange events during the year.

Prominent among them are the 8^th Viet Nam - Japan Festival and the Viet Nam - South Korea Festival at the city’s East Sea Park in July and September respectively.

During these festivals, art troupes from Japan and South Korea introduced Da Nang people and tourists to the characteristics of the traditional arts of the two countries.

Within the framework of the festivals, performing arts units in Da Nang also introduced foreign artistes to unique musical performances, especially those imbued with homeland identity Tuong (classical drama), and traditional Vietnamese musical instruments.

Aside from the aforementioned large-scale and annual events, the city has connected and created favourable conditions for foreign artist troupes to organise a number of art programmes in the city.

Included are a summer concert in June, a pop - rock music festival in mid-June, a Viet Nam - South Korea cultural exchange programme in late August, a symphony concert celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of the Viet Nam - Japan diplomatic ties in September, and the musical show ‘West End Musicals’ on October 16.

Coming to watch the British musical show in Da Nang, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Trang, a resident of Hai Chau District, said that she studied abroad in the UK and was very impressed with the musical genre of the country. Now, she had the opportunity to listen to these melodies again right in her hometown to recall her youthful days abroad.

She voiced her hope that the city will have more similar events so that people have the opportunity to approach and learn about more different cultures.

Advertising city image to the world

Not only connecting and bringing international artist troupes to perform in Da Nang, the city’s cultural sector and related units also proactively promote the city's images to the world in many different ways.

In particular, in mid-August 2023, the city-based Trung Vuong Theater organised a professional report art programme themed ‘Dream High’. Notably, all performances at the proramme featured the interference between Viet Nam and such foreign countries as France, South Korea, China, Cambodia, and Laos.

Director of the Trung Vuong Theater Tran Van Hao said that the performances were staged to serve international events and cultural exchange festivals between Da Nang and other countries.

“Through these performances, the theater wants to express its desire to integrate, exchange, and connect with the world, because art is one of the effective languages of communication. This is also clear evidence of the theater's efforts in absorbing and selecting cultures from other countries, thereby improving the quality of performances to better serve the city’s political, domestic and foreign affairs activities" said Mr. Hao noted.

From October 12 - 16, a troupe of artists from Da Nang joined an art exchange programme and an art photo exhibition in Daegu City, South Korea, following a cooperation agreement on organising annual artistic exchanges between the Da Nang Union of Literary and Arts Associations and the Daegu Union of Cultural and Art Associations.

During their stay in Daegu City, the Da Nang troupe performed 12 attractive art performances, as well brought 20 works of art, featuring the beauty of landscape and people of Da Nang, to the art photo exhibition in Daegu City.

The exchange activity aimed to strengthen the friendly relationship between the two countries, and promote artistic exchange activities between Da Nang and Daegu in the coming time. It also contributed to honouring and introducing the cultural and artistic values of Da Nang to the world.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hanh, 2023 marks the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and many foreign countries, especially countries in Europe.

Therefore, embassies and consulates of countries in Viet Nam have coordinated with the city to organise cultural and artistic exchange events, aiming to bring to the city a diverse picture of cultural diplomacy.

Reporting by X.DUNG - Translating by M.DUNG