Ao Dai and Vietnamese tourism make an impression at Lyon Consular Day 2024

According to a VNA correspondent in France, on June 15 and 16, the Consular Day 2024 was held at Bellecour Square in Lyon - the third largest city in France. Coming to this year's event, Vietnam impressed visitors with its traditional ao dai and tourism products.

Vietnamese Ao Dai performance at Lyon Consular Festival. Photo: Thu Ha/VNA reporter in France

The red flag with yellow star flutters in the sun, the Vietnam Space is decorated with Hoi An lanterns, large-size photos introducing the country's scenic spots, leaflets promoting Vietnam tourism, Dong Ho folk paintings and publications introducing Vietnamese culture. This year, with the theme "Bonjour Vietnam!", the Vietnam Space has attracted a large number of visitors to learn about tours, see the country's landscapes through films and photos, admire Dong Ho folk paintings, or learn how to play traditional Vietnamese musical instruments such as the monochord and the T'rung. According to Meritorious Artist Tang Thanh Son, Deputy Director in charge of the Vietnam Cultural Center in France, unlike previous times, this year the Center, in coordination with the Vietnamese Association in Lyon, focused on introducing tourism potential and promoting Vietnamese culture through publications and leaflets introducing tours and tourist routes in Vietnam. In particular, the Quang Binh tourist route with new tours to explore Son Doong cave has attracted the attention of many tourists, especially young people. Visiting Vietnam Space, Mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet was impressed by the unique features of Dong Ho paintings. He also noticed that Vietnam Space always has many changes and innovations in the way it conveys the image of the country, people and culture of Vietnam. Expressing his interest in the landscape of Vietnam and especially the Son Doong cave chain of Quang Binh province, he said he would arrange to come to Vietnam and if he had the opportunity, he would explore the caves in this country. Contributing to the program introducing the identities of countries on the main stage of the festival, Vietnam brought to the French and international audiences a special art program with the graceful, charming ao dai of Vietnamese girls and the vibrant bamboo dance of ethnic people. The performance received enthusiastic responses and continuous applause from the audience. Charming in the traditional ao dai, Ms. Nguyen Minh Hanh, from the Vietnamese Business Association in France ABVietfrance, expressed her pride in wearing the Vietnamese ao dai, which made everyone interested and wanted to take pictures. She said that compared to traditional costumes of other countries, the Vietnamese ao dai is very easy to wear, because it is highly applicable, not only worn on holidays but also on normal days. She shared that the more the ao dai is known in France, the greater the pride of the Vietnamese people will be. Ms. Tissot Chantal - an audience member from Lyon - expressed her interest in the Vietnamese ao dai, "full of tradition but still very modern, discreet but extremely sexy". She said: "Your ao dai reminds me of the movie 'Indochine', making me want to visit Vietnam. I have never been to this country, but I know we have a good traditional relationship".

Mr. Guy Prizet, a local resident, said he had visited Vietnam since 1999 and was very fond of Vietnamese culture. He mentioned Vietnam's famous landscapes such as Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. Impressed by the customs of the ethnic minorities in the North, loving the lovely water puppets and enjoying watching the graceful Hue schoolgirls in Ao Dai... all left him with beautiful, unforgettable memories of Vietnam. Held for more than 20 years in coordination with consular agencies and friendship associations with local foreign communities, Consular Day is a famous annual event to honor the friendship and international solidarity of Lyon city, promoting the cultural diversity and dynamism of foreign consulates and communities. This year, with the theme "Crafts and secrets", many activities were held with the participation of more than 50 countries and territories. Coming to the Consular Festival 2024, visitors will not only live in a festive atmosphere but also have the opportunity to learn and experience many crafts and secrets from around the world such as pottery making, painting, performing traditional musical instruments, introducing traditional costumes and products... To encourage visitors to visit and interact with the consulates and associations present, each visitor will receive a passport and whoever owns the most visa stamps from the countries will receive a prize from the Organizing Committee. With about 35,000 visitors attending over the 2-day weekend, the Lyon Consular Festival 2024 is not only an opportunity to strengthen solidarity and friendship between peoples, but also an opportunity to promote the image of the country and people of Vietnam to French and international friends.

Nguyen Thu Ha (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-hoa/ao-dai-va-du-lich-viet-nam-gay-an-tuong-o-ngay-hoi-lanh-su-lyon-2024-20240617073610146.htm