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| Chairman of the Hoi An City People's Committee Nguyen Van Son speaking at the event (Photo: VOV) |
The program was organized by the Hoi An City People's Committee in collaboration with the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and France (1973-2023).
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Hoi An City People's Committee Nguyen Van Son highlighted Hoi An’s major development potential, noting that thanks to its cultural and ecological strengths, Hoi An has become a tourist city, a destination with great tourist attractions in central Vietnam.
Every year, Hoi An, formerly known as the Ancient Town, welcomes over five million visitors, with the number of international travelers increasing considerably, he said.
According to Mr. Son, Hoi An has established very close relationships with French agencies and organizations. Currently, it is coordinating with the French Embassy in Hanoi to build a French Quarter on Phan Boi Chau Street. The French Development Agency (AFD) has sponsored a project with a total investment of nearly VND1,000 billion to protect the old quarter.
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| An art performance at the event (Photo: VOV) |
In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang emphasized that Hoi An is a favourite destination not only for Vietnamese people but also for many international tourists.
At the event, various art programs were performed by Vietnamese artists including the Apsara dance, the cultural and spiritual life of the Champa people, and the ancient red moon melody as well as many performances of ethnic musical instruments such as monochord, and folk games.
Hoi An was recognised as a world cultural heritage in 1999 by UNESCO, with more than 1,000 architectural works imbued with French culture built in the early 20th century. The city is also famous for its Ho Tram which was recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2009./.