Guests enjoy pho dishes from Majestic Hotel after the press conference on the afternoon of July 29 - Photo: Quang Dinh
On July 29, the first information about Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul, Korea was announced at a press conference at the Majestic Hotel (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) and online at both ends of the bridge from Seoul.
Every 3km there will be a pho shop.
Talking about the reason for choosing Korea as the second destination, Mr. Le The Chu - editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper - said that Vietnam and Korea are increasingly closely connected in many aspects, from economy, tourism, culture, cuisine, sports...
Nowadays, it is very easy to find traditional Korean restaurants in Vietnam. And vice versa, in Korea, it is also very easy to eat pho, bun bo, cha gio...
"But getting used to eating is one thing, understanding the cultural depths behind a dish is another.
Journalist Le The Chu - editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper - gave the opening speech - Photo: QUANG DINH
As we are familiar with kimchi, kimbap, rice cakes..., but surely not all Vietnamese people fully understand the cultural story behind these traditional Korean dishes.
Similarly, Koreans also love pho, but not everyone fully understands the history and culinary culture of Vietnam hidden in this famous dish," Mr. Chu expressed.
From the capital Seoul, Ambassador Vu Ho - Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea - also shared that with the meaning of "people's diplomacy", pho has done a very good job of bridging friendly exchanges, enhancing mutual understanding between Vietnamese people and indigenous people of countries around the world, including Korea.
In diplomatic receptions of the Embassy, pho is an indispensable dish and always wins the hearts of guests.
Expressing his joy at accompanying Tuoi Tre newspaper and the units coordinating the organization of Vietnam Pho Festival, Mr. Vu Ho said that pho is a dish that has permeated the cultural and social life of Vietnamese people and the promotion of pho does not stop in Vietnam but also spreads internationally, including Korea.
Mr. Vu Ho - Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea - speaking at the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea - Photo: QUANG DINH
According to Ambassador Vu Ho, the Vietnam-Korea relationship has developed very well over the past 30 years, especially after Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Korea in early July 2024.
Therefore, organizing the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea will not only help Korean people understand more about Vietnamese cultural values through pho, but also contribute to further promoting economic cooperation, trade, and people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and Korea.
"With that support, pho will spread further and I hope that every 3km there will be a Vietnamese pho restaurant, helping to promote pho to Korean life more deeply. The Vietnamese community in Korea will look forward to the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea," Ambassador Vu Ho expressed his joy.
Cuisine and cultural diplomacy
Sharing at the press conference, Mr. Dao Quyen Truong - Deputy Head of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; member of the Secretariat, Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO - emphasized that cultural diplomacy is one of the tasks that countries are strongly implementing.
Mr. Dao Quyen Truong
The Vietnamese government also affirmed that cuisine is a tool that Vietnam is focusing on and aiming for in cultural diplomacy, specifically here is pho.
Over the years, Tuoi Tre newspaper and Saigontourist have done very well and now we are bringing our culture to the outside world, in which pho is just a tool, a bridge.
Behind the activities of Vietnam Pho Festival are business connection activities, an opportunity to deepen economic cooperation.
"What we also deeply appreciate is cultural exchange, increasing cultural understanding between two peoples and two countries," Mr. Dao Quyen Truong emphasized.
Therefore, the stories spread from the Vietnam Pho Festival event are not only related to cuisine, health, and the energy of delicious food, but also demonstrate the intelligence and cultural depth of the two countries.
Mr. Pham Huy Binh - Chairman of Saigontourist Group, co-head of the steering committee for organizing Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea - said that Korea is Vietnam's leading international tourist market, and is also a country with a large number of Vietnamese expatriates living and working.
Mr. Pham Huy Binh
Saigontourist Group is very proud to contribute to promoting the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine to the world, creating a highlight to attract more Korean tourists to Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.
"When they learned that we were preparing to organize this program, our partners, which are leading Korean tourism and aviation corporations, expressed their interest and appreciation, considering this as one of the solutions to enhance cultural and tourism exchanges and attract more Korean visitors to Vietnam," Mr. Pham Huy Binh shared.
However, according to Mr. Binh, the success of Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 in Japan is both a motivation and a challenge for the organizing committee of Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea.
Besides the main flavor of pho, Saigontourist Group also selectively introduces delicious Vietnamese dishes, suitable for the taste of international diners, combining performances and introducing Hue royal cuisine.
"We will participate with 6 booths and 20 chefs, introducing 20 different pho dishes... In addition, we will introduce some Vietnamese dishes suitable for international guests such as banh xeo, goi cuon, and Saigon bread. These are authentic Vietnamese dishes, helping international visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the true taste of Vietnam," Mr. Pham Huy Binh informed.
Coming from Hanoi to Saigon to attend the press conference, Ms. Bui Thi Loan - representative of Pho Thin Bo Ho brand (No. 1 Hang Tre) - said that many Korean guests when coming to Hanoi have come to the pho restaurant.
"Koreans love pho and say that only in Vietnam can they enjoy the delicious taste of pho. After participating in bringing pho to Japan and witnessing the love of people in other countries for pho, we want to see that again in Korea this October," Loan shared.
More than 40 booths participate in introducing Vietnamese pho
At the press conference, Mr. Vo Hung Thuat - Director of Tuoi Tre Newspaper Media Service Center, representative of the organizing committee - introduced the highlights of the series of events at Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea.
Director of Tuoi Tre Newspaper Media Service Center Vo Hung Thuat
Accordingly, this year's program was launched in July, starting with an activity to explore pho in Korea for YouTubers and pho lovers.
This will be followed by a pho writing contest for Koreans. The main festival will be held at Yeouido Park, Seoul on October 5 and 6.
At this festival, the culinary exchange activities are based on pho, with at least 40 pho booths from pho brands in Vietnam and Korea, along with other booths introducing Vietnamese cuisine, especially royal cuisine. The space for enjoying pho is also arranged by the organizers to be spacious and comfortable.
Along with that, exhibition activities and folk games take place throughout the festival, helping people learn about the history, origin, ingredients, and correlation between pho and other industries such as tourism and Vietnamese agriculture.
Mr. NGUYEN NGUYEN PHUONG (Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade):
Opportunity to promote Vietnamese agricultural products
As an advisory body for Ho Chi Minh City, the industry and trade sector aims to build agricultural product brands through the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 event in Korea.
Accordingly, the city focuses on promoting and building agricultural product brands, because the city has everything but tourists who want to buy a typical agricultural product of the city do not have it.
The Pho Day event is an opportunity for businesses producing bird's nest, ginseng and other domestic agricultural products to connect and introduce their products to consumers in this country.
Athlete NGUYEN THI ANH VIEN:
Have you eaten Vietnamese pho?
As an athlete, when competing, I always want people around the world to know about Vietnamese people, Vietnamese talent and Vietnamese cuisine, this time it's Vietnamese pho.
Therefore, when I meet international friends, I often ask: "Have you eaten Vietnamese pho?". With the Pho Day event held in Korea, I really want the event to bring many hot bowls of pho to Koreans.
Anh Vien
Promote Vietnamese cuisine
Korean tourists eat pho in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dung - Counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea - said that there are about 300,000 Vietnamese people living in Korea, not to mention the large number of Koreans who understand and have feelings for Vietnam. Korea also has many Vietnamese pho restaurants.
"This Vietnam Pho Festival is an important event, making a very meaningful contribution to promoting Vietnamese culture to Koreans as well as the international community in Korea," Mr. Dung added.
Mrs. Bui Thi Suong
According to culinary artist Bui Thi Suong, the similarities between Vietnamese and Korean cuisine are easily seen from the way people eat to the daily favorite dishes of the two countries.
Korean cuisine has noodles, spicy noodles, cold noodles... with broth made from stewed meats such as chicken, beef... Vietnamese people also like and use many broth dishes every day.
"Pho is different because the noodles are made from rice and the broth is still soft and chewy. The spices are also grilled and carefully prepared, so the flavor is fragrant and strong. Vietnamese pho has a special fish sauce flavor that is unmistakable," Ms. Bui Thi Suong shared, explaining why wherever there is pho, there are long lines of pho lovers waiting.
Mr. Dao Quyen Truong added that for Vietnamese pho to become a world intangible cultural heritage, pho must first become a national intangible cultural heritage before submitting the dossier to the international community.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and several localities such as Hanoi, Nam Dinh... have also started to build the first phase of this journey.
"Although the road is still long, with international support, we believe pho will soon be recognized," Mr. Truong shared.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mong-cho-vietnam-pho-festival-tai-han-quoc-20240730085906651.htm
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