Discover and experience new tourism for visitors with Japanese cultural space in Ha Long

The Hokkaido Festival held in Ha Long City ( Quang Ninh ) attracts thousands of tourists to visit and experience, especially young people who love cosplay culture and dress up as characters in Japanese cartoons.

500 professional actors, artisans, artists, and singers from art troupes of Vietnam and Japan. Photo vietnamnet.vn

As part of a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973 - 2023), the Hokkaido Festival in Ha Long City in 2023 is held with many activities imbued with Japanese culture. Ms. Ly Thi Binh (standing in the middle, in Binh Lieu district, Quang Ninh province) is proud to not only attend the festival, cultural exchange between the two countries, but also promote the beauty of costumes and culture of ethnic minorities in Quang Ninh province to domestic and foreign tourists.

Japanese Language students of Ha Long University in the traditional Yosakoi dance (Japan). Photo: Pham Cong

The highlight of this event is the opening art program of the Hokkaido Festival held in Ha Long in 2023 with the theme "Quang Ninh - Hokkaido: Cultural integration with rich identity". The force participating in the art program serving the opening of the Festival includes 300 professional actors, artisans, artists, and singers from Vietnam and Japan. In addition to the opening art program of the Hokkaido Festival, the Trade Exhibition, Vietnam-Japan Cultural and Culinary Space and Street Art Exchange are also of great interest to the people. The Organizing Committee will also arrange beautiful, eye-catching, and easily recognizable logos and images to serve the needs of visiting and taking souvenir photos of delegates, people, and tourists. The event includes street art exchange programs, trade exhibitions, cultural and culinary spaces, Vietnam - Japan... to enhance visitors' understanding of tourist destinations and businesses in Hokkaido province (Japan) and Quang Ninh province (Vietnam).

Many activities take place in the street art program. Photo: Internet.

Mr. Vo Van Tam, General Director of the Festival, said: Up to now, all preparations for the festival are ready to contribute to bringing the most unique and perfect space to the Hokkaido Festival this year. In parallel with the festival activities, Quang Ninh province (Vietnam) and Hokkaido province (Japan) will coordinate to organize 17 activities, such as: Memorandum of Understanding signing talks, investment promotion conferences, seminars, diplomatic programs of the Japan - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Union of Hokkaido Provincial Council with Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council; launching the Japanese Language and Culture Center at Ha Long University; sightseeing and survey in Quang Ninh; Friendly Golf Tournament and some exchange and cooperation activities between agencies and functional units of the two provinces... Many young people and people in Quang Ninh and neighboring localities gathered at the Planning Palace, Fair and Exhibition of Quang Ninh province to freely dress up and disguise themselves as characters in Japanese video games, comics and cartoons. Mr. Nguyen Van Truong in Tuan Chau ward, Ha Long city shared: Not only are there many tourists, but we, the locals, also find it interesting because the Japanese cultural space is a very special cultural feature that is now recreated right in Ha Long, where we live, so my whole family and I are waiting to go see it.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao in Tran Hung Dao ward, Ha Long city said: My family runs a homestay business, since we learned about this festival program, many tourists have called to book rooms and so far I have a full schedule for the next 3 days. MVMEDIATOURS representative shared: This year, the way of doing tourism in localities has been very flexible, they have ways to attract tourists in the summer, then in the winter, there are festival programs. Now going to Ha Long is not only swimming in the sea but also enjoying the unique cultural space, which is also very interesting, so tourists love it. Hokkaido province (Japan) is known as the land of ice and snow. Therefore, at this festival, the Organizing Committee has designed a separate play area with a ski slope and artificial white snowmen so that visitors can experience the atmosphere like being in Hokkaido. The Hokkaido Festival in Ha Long City in 2023 has created a space imbued with cultural values, identity, and friendship between the two provinces of Quang Ninh (Vietnam) and Hokkaido (Japan)./.

Yanjiang