Vietnam Days Abroad: Projecting Vietnam in Latin America and the Middle East

Vietnam Days Abroad program witnessed 2024 as a pivotal year, marking an important turning point in efforts to showcase Vietnam’s country, people, and culture on the international stage.

The two events of the program, held in Brazil and Saudi Arabia, caught the attention and hearts of many local people and the public.

Bringing art and cuisine to the world

According to Le Thi Hong Van, Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 2024 program was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Vietnam-Brazil relations, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

According to Van, the two main elements of the Vietnam Days Abroad 2024 program were the Vietnamese Cultural Space and the Art Performance. Through inventiveness and originality in both content and presentation, the program offered distinctive cultural experiences to participants in host countries.

Vietnamese cuisine helps spread Vietnamese culture to international friends. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In particular, the Vietnamese Cultural Space introduced the Brazilian and Saudi Arabian public to a unique cultural exhibition and experience with 10 typical activities, including a photo exhibition commemorating diplomatic relations, an exhibition of Vietnamese culture, and World Heritage Sites in Vietnam, among others.

It also recreated the life of Vietnamese people through interactive activities such as trying on royal costumes from the Nguyen Dynasty, experiencing the art of making to he (toy figurines), Dong Ho paintings, and enjoying lion and dragon dances imbued with the national spirit and Vietnamese traditions.

To he craftsman Dang Dinh Thuong said: "I am very happy to see both children and adults in the host country eagerly making to he. This proves that creativity and the joy of art can overcome all cultural or language barriers.

The program established an affinity by introducing Robusta coffee, which is Vietnam's pride, to Brazil, a nation known for Arabica coffee. Brazilians were able to experience a familiar cultural setting as a section of Hanoi's Old Quarter was reproduced with the aroma of traditional coffee.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends a water puppet show in Brazil. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The highlight of the event in Brazil was the Water Pavilion stage and unique water puppet performances, a unique intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam.

Artist Phan Thanh Liem said that despite his long history of performing, he was moved by the Brazilian audience's rapt attention. As if each performance brought back memories of their homeland, Vietnamese families in Brazil brought their entire family to see the show several times.

While Brazilians were impressed by the coffee culture, graceful lion and dragon dances, and water puppet shows, audiences in Saudi Arabia were wowed by the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine.

Pure Vietnamese dishes have been reinvented to suit the halal culinary preferences of Muslims, including dishes like herb beef noodle soup, chicken spring rolls, and fried lotus seed spring rolls. These dishes not only offer a balanced experience for the taste buds but also tell stories of the history, culture, and lifestyle of the Vietnamese people.

Syssy, a young person from Zimbabwe working in Saudi Arabia, expressed his impressions: "I love the Vietnamese decoration, music and food here. The spring rolls are really attractive, like a nutritious salad. I hope there will be more events like this to promote Vietnamese culture.

Expressing the desire to grow

The Vietnam Days Abroad program is an annual national promotion program that the Prime Minister has assigned to the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for organization since 2010.

So far, the program has been held in 20 countries, fulfilling the goal of projecting the country, people and culture of Vietnam internationally, contributing to deepening relations between Vietnam and other countries, and strengthening mutual friendship, understanding and trust between the people of the host countries and Vietnam.

Brazilian woman tries on Nguyen Dynasty royal costume. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Speaking on the organization of the event, Hoang Huu Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, expressed his delight and gratitude for the support and assistance from local authorities and Vietnamese missions abroad.

"The program received active and enthusiastic participation from local people, the public and the Vietnamese community in Brazil and Saudi Arabia. They came to see, feel and experience Vietnamese culture," said Hoang Huu Anh.

At the event series, the magical appeal of Vietnamese culture was shown through the eager eyes of children making toy figurines, people lining up to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine or the bright smiles of visitors making lacquer jewelry.

"After the event in Saudi Arabia, when visitors said 'shukran' - a sincere thank you in Arabic - I understood: Vietnam had truly brought them impressive, warm and unforgettable experiences," Anh said.

According to Le Thi Hong Van, Head of the Organizing Committee, with the theme "Convergence of the quintessence of a thousand years of culture - Rising in the era of wealth and prosperity", the program aims to honor Vietnam's unique cultural and artistic values and rich, long history, while expressing the aspirations of the country and the Vietnamese people to rise in the new era.

"The program not only promotes culture, but also builds a bridge to foster friendship and promote political, economic and cultural exchanges among nations. The great vitality of Vietnamese culture and its desire to reach the global stage is evident in its success in Brazil and Saudi Arabia," Van said.

In order for friends from all over the world to love and comprehend the S-shaped nation better, this voyage will not finish in 2024; rather, it will continue to open new chapters and introduce the spirit of Vietnam to new places.