ASEAN gala dinner spotlights Vietnamese culture

Vietnam ’s cultural heritages will be featured at a gala diner on July 22 in honour of the officials who are currently attending the 43 rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM 43) and other related meetings in Hanoi .

Themed “Vietnamese culture – identity and integration”, this gala dinner will differ from previous similar events as it will give the participants a different perspective of Vietnam, said Pham Sanh Chau, General Secretary of Vietnam’s National UNESCO Committee.

During the gala, the guests will be entertained with a selection of Nha Nhac (royal court music), Ca Tru ceremonial singing, Quan Ho love duets and the sounds of Central Highlands gongs. These have all been recently recognised by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage.

Chau said that the performers will include artists from Vietnam ’s Song, Dance and Music Theatre, Quan Ho singers from Bac Ninh province – the birth place of this kind of singing, and musicians from Hue , where royal court music was performed.

The guests will also be introduced to Vietnam’s other heritages, with videos and decorative panels, said Chau, Head of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Culture, External Relations and UNESCO.

According to Chau, the ASEAN foreign ministers attending the gala dinner will wear robes made from Thai Tuan silk with decorative patterns of Vietnamese ancient coins and bronze drums. He said that this kind of promotion is a feature of cultural diplomacy.

In addition, each foreign minister will leave the gala diner with a sand painting of their own portrait, a gift from Deputy Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, said Chau.

After almost three months of preparations, the diner is expected to add weight to the success of the AMM 43 and other related meetings that are being held in Hanoi from July 19 onwards.

Chau said he hoped that the event will help international friends to get a better understanding of Vietnamese culture, especially its UNESCO-recognised cultural heritages.

He added that the gala diner will give foreign friends a fresh perspective of Vietnam , an emerging country with a high economic growth rate and political stability, as a peaceful country with its own unique and diverse national identity.