Hoi An-Japan Cultural Exchange: Elevating Hoi An as a vibrant cultural and tourist destination

The 21st Hoi An-Japan Cultural Exchange Event in 2025, scheduled to take place from December 26 to 28, 2025 in Hoi An ancient town ( Da Nang )

According to the organization plan just issued by the People's Committee of Da Nang City, the 21st Hoi An-Japan Cultural Exchange Event is expected to contribute to enhancing the image of Da Nang-Hoi An as a vibrant cultural, historical and tourist destination.

The event aims to spread the cultural beauty of the ancient town of Hoi An to domestic and international tourists; strengthen friendship and honor the long-term cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.

This is also an opportunity to promote exchanges and cooperation in many fields such as investment attraction, trade, tourism, culture, etc. with Japanese localities. Build interesting experiential activities for residents and tourists, contributing to promoting and developing tourism in the ancient town of Hoi An in particular and Da Nang city in general.

Specifically, during the three days of the event, there will be many special activities such as the grand Opening Ceremony with performances by famous art troupes and singers from Vietnam and Japan; the traditional Japanese Futondaiko palanquin procession; the reenactment of the procession of Princess Ngoc Hoa and merchant Araki Sotaro; calligraphy and tea ceremony performances Sakai; street art exchanges; and a Cosplay Contest.

In addition, there are also activities displaying images of Hoi An-Japan cultural exchange; Vietnam-Japan Bonsai art exchange; Vietnam-Japan cultural experience space; tourism promotion booths, promotional information, culinary exchange, selling Japanese products, accessories, comics; visiting and experiencing "Hizen Ceramics - Storytelling Patterns"; visiting "Old Japanese Traces"...

The 21st Hoi An-Japan Cultural Exchange event aims not only to create a unique cultural-tourism festival but also to open up many opportunities for long-term cooperation, making positive contributions to local socio-economic development.

People visit and learn at the exhibition area of books and photos about Hoi An-Japan cultural exchange activities. (Photo: Trinh Bang Nhiem/VNA)

The Hoi An-Japan Cultural Exchange took place for the first time in 2003 and has been held 20 times so far. With each edition, the programs have been increasingly elaborately invested, imbued with traditional and modern identities. Many activities have become unique marks and unique cultural tourism products of the locality.

More than 400 years ago, with the open diplomatic policy and promotion of foreign trade activities of the Vietnamese and Japanese governments at that time, Japanese merchants crossed thousands of miles of sea to come to Hoi An to trade and were allowed to create a separate neighborhood to reside and trade.

The presence of Japanese merchants has contributed significantly to the prosperity and prosperity of the international commercial port city of Hoi An. The imprint and premise of the economic and cultural exchange relationship between Hoi An and Japan in the past have contributed to creating the source and flow for the friendship between Hoi An and Japan in the new era.

From the deep exchange relationship in the past, in recent decades, especially since the international conference on Hoi An Ancient Town in 1990 until now, many agencies, organizations, managers, scientific researchers and Japanese friends have come to Hoi An to cooperate in scientific research on conservation, promotion of cultural heritage and environmental protection; investment in economic development, human resource training, etc., which have brought about many good results.

Notably, in 2017, the “Vietnam-Japan Cultural Space” was opened, along with the Goshuin-Shin version - donated by Nagasaki province - displayed at the Japanese Old Quarter space in Hoi An Ancient Town.

In 2024, the Institute of International Culture, Showa Women's University donated the model of the Japanese Covered Bridge to Hoi An Museum, and at the same time, Vietnam organized the inauguration of the "major restoration" of the Japanese Covered Bridge.

Japanese artisan guides the steps of making tea ceremony at the exchange program. (Photo: Trinh Bang Nhiem/VNA)

These are evidences of the deep Vietnam-Japan friendship that has lasted from the past until today and will last forever in the future.

Located on the banks of the poetic Hoai River, 30km from Da Nang city, the ancient town of Hoi An has been a famous and attractive destination for domestic and international tourists for many years.

Formed and developed since the 16th century, Hoi An was once one of the busiest international trading ports in the region.

From the 16th century, this was the place where goods of merchants from China, Japan, the Netherlands, India, Spain... were gathered.

Therefore, the architectural works and cultural values of Hoi An ancient town are a convergence of many Eastern and Western cultures.

Hoi An ancient town is famous for its typical architecture of a traditional trading port in Southeast Asia and is still preserved almost intact.

Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 1999 and has been voted many times by other prestigious organizations and magazines in the world as the leading urban cultural destination in Asia, top 15 most wonderful cities in Asia, top most popular destinations in the world./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/giao-luu-van-hoa-hoi-an-nhat-ban-nang-tam-hoi-an-nhu-mot-diem-den-van-hoa-du-lich-song-dong-post1076301.vnp