The official opening ceremony took place at 11:00 a.m. on October 5, 2024 (local time), with the presence of Ms. Ko Min Jeong - Member of the Korean National Assembly, Mr. Vu Ho - Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea, Mr. Lee Dong Gi - Deputy Director of ASEAN Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea, Mr. Vu Ba Phu - Director of Trade Promotion Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam; Mr. Le The Chu - Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper and Mr. Pham Huy Binh - Chairman of Saigontourist Group, co-head of the program's steering committee and representatives of the leaders of Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City.
Saigontourist Group's pho counter with over 10 different types of pho from hotels such as Majestic Saigon, Caravelle Saigon, Grand Saigon, Thu Duc Golf Restaurant...
“With the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 event, we are very pleased to continue to bring the typical culinary flavors of Vietnam, especially pho - the national dish of Vietnam - to the beautiful country of Korea. We bring the best values, make the greatest efforts to contribute to promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine to overseas Vietnamese, local people, and foreign visitors in Seoul as well as promoting tourism between the two countries. We believe that Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 will once again create a mark of Vietnamese culture in Korea, contributing to making pho a "culinary ambassador" of Vietnam in the international arena. Through this event, we also warmly invite Korean tourists to visit Vietnam to explore the diverse cuisine and culture of our country,” said Mr. Pham Huy Binh – Chairman of Saigontourist Group, co-head of the steering committee of the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 program – at the opening ceremony.
Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea includes a series of activities introducing pho and delicious dishes, the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine, along with cultural and artistic exchanges, trade connections and promoting tourism between Vietnam and Korea. This is the second time a large-scale Vietnamese pho promotion event has been held abroad. Last year, the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 event was held in Tokyo, Japan on October 7-8, 2023, attracting about 85,000 visitors.
Saigontourist Group's food stalls are always "sold out" because of the large number of customers.
Within the framework of the event, with an effort to promote tourism between the two countries, the opening ceremony of Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 witnessed the signing ceremony of bilateral tourism development cooperation between Vietnam and Korea between Saigontourist Travel Service Company - one of more than 100 member units of Saigontourist Group, Vietnam Airlines of Vietnam and leading Korean travel company Arirang.
Signing ceremony of bilateral tourism development cooperation between Vietnam and Korea between Saigontourist, Vietnam Airlines and Korean travel company Arirang. Mr. Pham Huy Binh (3rd from right), Chairman of Saigontourist Group, co-head of the festival steering committee, and guests from both countries attended and witnessed.
Thanks to the program's active promotion on media in Seoul many months in advance, on the opening day, Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 attracted a large number of Seoul residents, international tourists and overseas Vietnamese in Korea to attend, enjoy pho and other delicious Vietnamese dishes as well as have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the colorful festival atmosphere, bustling with the sounds of cultural and artistic exchange programs of artists from the two countries.
South Korea is currently the leading international tourist market of Vietnam, and is also the country with a large number of Vietnamese expatriates living and working. Like many overseas Vietnamese in Korea, Ms. Chang Yumin and her close friend are excited to come to Vietnam Pho Festival 2024. "Although I have lived in Korea for many years, I still love Vietnamese food, especially Pho and Vietnamese-style bread, which are my favorite dishes," shared a Vietnamese living and working in Korea.
Vietnamese bread introduced by Saigontourist Group chef is also a dish that is always "sold out".
Accompanying the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 event in Korea, Saigontourist Group has the participation of five member units, which are famous culinary brands of the group from four high-class hotels, including Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon, Saigon - Morin (Hue) and the brand Pho Thu Duc Golf Restaurant (Vietnam Golf & Country Club). In addition to the main flavor of pho, the units also selectively introduce delicious Vietnamese dishes, suitable for the taste of international diners, combining performances and introducing Hue royal cuisine.
According to the program, at the central stage of the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 event, in the "Talk show" section, the chef of the Majestic Saigon Hotel shared the secrets to cooking a delicious bowl of pho; and in the "Cooking Show and Exchange" section, the chef of the old Saigon - Morin Hotel of Saigontourist Group demonstrated the secret of making the extremely special Royal Salt Rice dish of the Nguyen Dynasty, which delighted all the attendees. Royal Salt Rice is a dish "served to the King" in ancient times, from rustic ingredients, the "royal chefs" (chefs who cook for the King) created a unique Hue salt rice dish, famous for its meticulousness in choosing ingredients as well as its characteristic flavor, which has been classified as a royal delicacy since the time of King Minh Mang.
In the first time pho and Vietnamese delicacies were brought to the land of kimchi, the food stalls, especially those of the members of Saigontourist Group, were always crowded with people waiting in line to be served. The Majestic Saigon Hotel conquered diners with a unique collection of four pho flavors, including beef rib pho, shredded chicken pho, Gia Lai dry pho and spicy crab pho. The Grand Saigon Hotel introduced two flavors of beef and chicken pho, along with street food that are popular with many international diners. Meanwhile, along with pho, the Caravelle Saigon Hotel invited overseas Vietnamese and international guests to "memorable" dishes such as banh xeo, spring rolls, grilled pork skewers and chicken sticky rice. The pho brand of Thu Duc Golf Restaurant (VGCC) this year continued to focus on serving two dishes of beef pho and chicken pho, focusing on the nutritious factor that has made the strength of the unit specializing in serving food for sports diners. Finally, the old Saigon boutique hotel – Morin has satisfied the taste buds of diners with the rich Hue beef noodle soup, a collection of Hue traditional cakes and Royal salt rice.
The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors and is one of the largest events introducing Vietnamese cuisine, culture and tourism in Korea to date.
Also within the framework of the event, at the Saigontourist Group exhibition booth, many activities took place to promote the image of Vietnam tourism, diverse products and services of Saigontourist Group and its member units. There were also interactive games, lucky spins to receive attractive gifts from Saigontourist Group, and free coloring for children.
On the opening day of Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 , visitors to the event will be able to freely explore pho flavors, authentic Vietnamese dishes, and participate in interactions and enjoy traditional and contemporary art performances from beloved artists from Vietnam and Korea.
Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 is open from 10am to 6pm Seoul time, on October 5 and 6, 2024.
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