Experience Dong Ho paintings and Xuan La figurines on Vietnam Day in South Africa

The Vietnamese cultural space in the program series "Vietnam Day in South Africa 2023" attracted visitors with the participation of artisans from Dong Ho painting village and Xuan La toy village.

The program “Vietnam Day in South Africa 2023” chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Africa (December 22, 1993 - December 22, 2023). With the message “Origin, Vitality and Continuity”, the photo exhibition within the framework of the program attracts a large number of tourists to visit and explore the Vietnamese Cultural Space in South Africa.

In addition to images of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - South Africa relations, the exhibition also displays a series of beautiful photos of world heritage sites in Vietnam recognized by UNESCO, everyday moments depicting "Vietnam's vitality", lacquer paintings depicting Hoan Kiem Lake in four seasons... All of these help viewers feel more deeply about a beautiful, modern Vietnam, with people who are always happy and optimistic.

Mr. Hoang Huu Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO introduced the photo exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Africa to distinguished guests. Photo: MarknB

Also in the Cultural Space, unique traditional cultural forms of Vietnam were introduced to the South African community for the first time. The appearance of artisans from Dong Ho painting village and Xuan La clay figurine village, following in the footsteps of their ancestors in preserving the traditional values ​​of their families and clans, is a clear demonstration of the enduring vitality of Vietnamese folk art forms.

These traditional values ​​are still being accepted and preserved by young people in new ways, helping to spread and inspire many generations in modern life. From the traditional costume exhibition “Golden Journey”, viewers can clearly see the passion and dedication of young people born in the 90s when restoring traditional costumes, preserving the motifs and patterns rich in symbolism and art from the Nguyen Dynasty.

Nguyen Dynasty costumes were successfully restored by 9X youths and brought to the Vietnamese Cultural Space in South Africa. Photo: MarknB

In addition, when coming to the Cultural Space, visitors also have the opportunity to participate in experiencing unique cultural activities of Vietnam. Joey, du Plessis, 8 years old, is a second generation member of the Vietnamese community in South Africa. She happily showed off the small pearl pieces that were attached to form a cute flower that she will give to her mother when she returns home. Joey said that she learned more about a very interesting art from Vietnam - her mother's homeland.

South African children are very interested in making souvenirs from lacquer materials. Photo: MarknB

Dr. Kobus Groenewald, a South African music teacher, is very enthusiastic about the art of making to he. With the help of artisan Dang Dinh Thuong, despite the language barrier, he was still able to complete a tray of green banh chung tied with white strings.

“I really like the colors of these toys, the creativity of the artisans is amazing when they can create many shapes of animals, fruits, people… Today I also learned the story of the square green Chung cake symbolizing the earth, the round white Day cake symbolizing the sky of the Vietnamese people. It is really interesting,” he said.

Mr. Hoang Huu Anh - Head of the Organizing Committee shared: "The program is held for the first time in Africa and South Africa is really meaningful because this is a region where Vietnam rarely has the conditions to organize large cultural events. We have worked with our partners to introduce the cultural identity, long-standing traditions, and unique features of Vietnamese culture to the South African public.

Through this program, we hope to introduce to the public the image of a country that is always stable and peaceful, an attractive destination for investors, contributing to opening up opportunities for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries."

“Vietnam Day Abroad 2023” is an activity that contributes to the implementation of the cultural diplomacy strategy issued by the Government, creating a space for foreigners to experience Vietnamese culture in the place where they live. The event demonstrates the tradition of peace and love of the Vietnamese people as well as the identity of those who do diplomatic work “from heart to heart”.

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