A dancing performance at the opening ceremony of the Hokkaido Festival in Ha Long city on November 17 (Photo: VNA)
Quang Ninh (VNA) – The Hokkaido Festival in Ha Long city kickedoff in the northern province of Quang Ninh, on November 17 evening.
The three-day event forms part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japandiplomatic ties, and is to implement the exchange and cooperation agreement betweenQuang Ninh and Hokkaido on the organisation of the Hokkaido Festival in Ha Longcity.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Cao Tuong Huy, acting Chairman of the QuangNinh People’s Committee, highlighted the festival’s significance, saying thatit reflects the solidarity and friendship between the two localities. It is toenhance understanding and trust of the people of Quang Ninh and Hokkaido and offersopportunities for cooperation, contributing to promoting and deepening theVietnam-Japan intensive strategic partnership.
Suzuki Naomichi, Hokkaido Governor, stressed that the Japanese prefecture hasset up exchange and cooperation ties with Vietnamese partners in various areas,such as agriculture, fisheries, the environment, information technology. He hopedfor more Vietnamese people to pay their heed to Hokkaido via the event, and to travelto Hokkaido for tourism, study and work.
He expressed his wish that the relations between the two countries in generaland the two localities in particular will gain big achievements.
Themed “Quang Ninh- Hokkaido: Rich Cultural Integration”, the festival hasattracted thousands of local people and visitors. It covers diverse activitiessuch as a Quang Ninh - Japan investment promotion conference, an exhibition ofVietnamese and Japanese cuisine, street art performances, a workshop oncultural - tourism ties and human resources development, and a launch of theJapanese culture and language centre at Ha Long University./.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception for visiting Tsutomu Takebe, special advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance in Hanoi on October 27.
A flight departing from Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture landed at Van Don International Airport in Vietnam’s northeastern province of Quang Ninh on November 16, marking the first direct flight between the destinations.
Secretary of the Quang Ninh provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky and Governor of Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture Suzuki Naomichi held talks and signed a cooperation agreement between the two localities, in the northeastern province's Ha Long city on November 16.
An investment promotion conference themed “Contributing to the sustainable development of Vietnam-Japan” to boost investment cooperation between the Vietnamese northern province of Quang Ninh and Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture was held in Quang Ninh on November 17.
A thematic seminar on culture-tourism exchange and human resources development between the northern province of Quang Ninh and Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture was held on November 17, as part of the Hokkaido Festival 2023 in Ha Long city.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
A dancing performance at the opening ceremony of the Hokkaido Festival in Ha Long city on November 17 (Photo: VNA) 
