The spirit of a Vietnam that both preserves its identity and absorbs the quintessence of humanity

This is the sharing of Ms. Vu Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) about the World Cultural Festival taking place at Thang Long Imperial Citadel from October 10-12.

The ceremonies at the event all combined cross-art performances and 3D Mapping projections, which were a convergence of five continents in creative light and solidarity. (Source: Organizing Committee)

What do you think is the significance of the first World Cultural Festival held in Hanoi for cultural diplomacy?

This festival is a gathering place for diverse colors of countries around the world, to honor and affirm the pivotal role of culture in sustainable development, opening a common space for ethnic groups to introduce the unique cultural features of their countries.

The event is also a concrete step in implementing the Cultural Diplomacy Strategy to 2030, transforming Hanoi from a "hosting venue" to a "cultural subject" - an international meeting point for arts, humanities and creativity, associated with the titles "City for Peace" and "Creative City" of UNESCO.

In the spirit of "Culture is the foundation, art is the means", the Festival contributes to strengthening people-to-people exchanges, increasing understanding and trust, thereby enhancing national soft power and positioning the cultural brand of the Capital as well as Vietnam.

At the same time, the event also creates an environment for people, businesses and localities to access new knowledge and cultural trends of the world, improving the quality of cultural enjoyment and integration capacity.

The participation of 48 countries/organizations created a strong resonance effect with 45 national cultural spaces, 33 culinary booths, 16 art troupes/groups, 21 countries sending films and 12 book units; the culinary, cinema, folk dance, fine arts, fashion/ao dai, book spaces... were designed to be open and free, increasing interaction between the public - artists - organizers.

This scale affirms the role of the responsible host country and its connectivity capacity; at the same time, it supports the positioning of Vietnam as a safe, friendly, and experience-rich destination, creating a positive impact on tourism, education and the cultural industry.

How has the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy coordinated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hanoi City and other countries and international organizations to prepare for the event?

We operate under the "co-hosting, clearly divided roles" model. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presides over artistic content, identity, and organizes performances/film screenings/exhibitions and other related professional activities.

Hanoi People's Committee ensures space, infrastructure, security, safety, healthcare, hygiene, fire prevention and fighting, along with food, folk dance, book areas...

With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy coordinates with the Department of State Protocol and Foreign Interpretation, the Department of Press and Information and relevant units to connect the Diplomatic Corps, invite foreign representative agencies and international organizations, guide the content of booths; and coordinate foreign communication work.

In particular, the Ministry's leaders directed Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to mobilize local authorities to actively respond to and attend the event.

Before the event, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize a "briefing" for the Diplomatic Corps in Hanoi to introduce an overview, provide detailed instructions, answer questions, and receive registrations for each category.

Co-hosting the event between the parties has encouraged the substantive participation of countries and international organizations and standardized the process according to international practices, ensuring the professional standards of a regional and world cultural diplomacy event.

The spirit of a Vietnam that both preserves its identity and absorbs the quintessence of humanity

The “Heritage Footsteps” program is a unique highlight of the Festival, gathering nearly 100 traditional costumes from participating countries. (Source: Organizing Committee)

Through the Festival, what message does the Organizing Committee want to convey to international friends?

We expect the World Cultural Festival in Hanoi to convey an open, friendly, unified Vietnam in diversity - both preserving its identity and absorbing the quintessence of humanity; at the same time introducing the contemporary values of Vietnam's cultural industry.

From the connections at the event, we hope to form practical, long-term cooperation frameworks such as co-production, artist and student exchanges and specialized memoranda of understanding. And this will be the first step for Vietnam to become an international cultural festival destination, moving towards the standards of organizing major events in the world.

On the other hand, with the spirit of "Connecting - Sharing - Spreading love", the Festival is not only a meeting of friendship between cultures around the world, but also a journey of humanity towards communities that are heavily affected by natural disasters, demonstrating the spirit of international solidarity in solving common global challenges, including the issue of climate change that no country can stand aside from.

At the Festival, colorful cultural spaces are vividly recreated: from traditional Asian - European dances, international costumes and cuisine displays, to unique Vietnamese art performances with the message "The world beats together with love".

In particular, the charity auction and donation program attracted a strong response. All funds raised will be transferred to localities affected by floods, to support the reconstruction of houses, schools and civil works.

The World Culture Festival not only celebrates cultural diversity, but also demonstrates the spirit of humanity – when people, regardless of language or skin color, still share the same heart and spirit of solidarity, joining hands to heal the world, for a better life. The event space closed with the image of hundreds of lit candles, symbolizing the light of humanity, empathy and belief in a brighter future.

The event is also a bridge of culture, art and humanity – continuing to affirm the message: “When culture connects, the world joins hands, there is no challenge that cannot be overcome, for a sustainable future for everyone”.

In the space of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the World Cultural Festival program is designed with high interactivity, creating opportunities for the public to directly experience and enjoy diverse art forms: Art performances; Fashion shows; Fine arts and photography exhibitions; Film screenings; International culinary festival; Introduction and display of books; International folk song and dance festival.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tinh-than-mot-viet-nam-vua-gin-giu-ban-sac-vua-tiep-thu-tinh-hoa-nhan-loai-330387.html?