Reenactment of the wedding of Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Hoa and Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro, who felt in love and got married in Hoi An. – Vietnam News
HOI AN: The 20th Hoi An - Japan Cultural Exchange Programme kicks-off this week at Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, with many activities planned to preserve and develop unique folk arts, attracting many tourists and locals to participate.
The ancient town is recognised as one of the locations where the relationship between Japan and Vietnam started more than 400 years ago, with a thriving trading partnership at Hoi An trade port.
To maintain and strengthen the relationship, the city has recently worked to foster friendship, cooperation and exchange in various fields with Japanese partners and communities, including the cultural exchange programme.
The programme is a unique cultural and artistic activity held annually since 2003. It has seen increased investment, jointly implemented by Vietnamese and Japanese artisans and artists.
Nguyen Van Son, the chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee [municipal administration], pointed out the long-standing friendship between the two countries as well as their shared history, culture, and customs.
"Continuing the journey of more than 400 years in history, the relationship between Japan and Hoi An City has long been nurtured by generations through cooperation activities in many fields established between the city and Japanese organisations and localities," he said.
"On this occasion, the city held a ceremony to inaugurate the just completed renovation of the Cau Pagoda. This is a strong testament to cooperation in the field of cultural heritage conservation and a bridge connecting the friendship between Hoi An and Japan." – Vietnam News/ANN
