International visitors take photos in front of Việt Nam Pavilion at World Expo 2020 Dubai. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

DUBAI — Việt Nam has been presenting its rich national culture to international friends during the country’s first time participating at the World Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The World EXPO 2020 Dubai has become one of the world's event highlights. As one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the event, Việt Nam Pavilion has hosted a variety of exciting cultural activities in the past month.

Covering a total area of ​​more than 850sq.m, Việt Nam Pavilion features 800 traditional conical hats with colourful lights that will light up at night and miniatures of 18 pieces created by renowned Vietnamese contemporary artists.

It has also impressed visitors with a virtual experience on the country’s most popular tourist attractions and cutting-edge technologies including the world’s first 3D printing carbon fibre object as well as sustainable innovations like the biobased material created from seafood waste and mushrooms. There are even waterproof sneakers made from recycled coffee.

“With the theme Distilling the Past, Shaping the Future, Việt Nam values the meaning of ‘connection’ that connects the past and the present, traditional culture and modern technology, in order to create harmony and motivation for future development.

"Việt Nam appreciates exchange and cooperation among cultures and nations. Promoting the application of modern technology to continue the development of traditional culture, harmoniously combining tradition and modernity is one of the core values of Việt Nam Pavilion,” Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Việt Nam, Tạ Quang Đông, told Kuwait News.

“The Expo helps us to tell the story of our people and country with potential and opportunities for future development. Việt Nam’s participation in the Expo is an act of realising the policy of proactive international integration, while actively contributing to the cause of peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the world,” he added.

Visitors to Việt Nam Pavilion could try playing traditional Vietnamese musical instruments such as lithophone, K'long put or T'rung, watch water-puppet performances, learn about the costumes and customs of Việt Nam’s ethnic minorities through a collection of handmade dolls or enjoy some special dishes of Vietnamese cuisine.

The pavilion has received many distinguished guests such as Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Crown Prince of Ajmal (UAE) Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Bin Rashid, UAE Government Secretary Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh and Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo.

Sharing his feelings after visiting the Việt Nam Pavilion in Expo 2020, Dubai, Khaid Bin Amer from India said: “Việt Nam has left a great impression on me. We all feel satisfied when seeing your huge smiles. The art performances here are definitely attractive and showcase your nation’s rich and diversified culture. I will come back to the Việt Nam Pavilion for more.”

In addition to daily music and water-puppet shows, Vietnamese artists have also brought to World Expo 2020 unique performances like the collaboration between monochord artist Lệ Giang and traditional Middle Eastern band and male singer Aseel Abu Baker at Jalsat Music Night on October 12.

For the first time, Vietnamese monochord artist Lệ Giang collaborated with traditional Middle Eastern band and male singer Aseel Abu Baker at Jalsat Music Night on October 12. Photo vietnamplus.vn

They have also been regularly invited to perform at the Arab Saudi Exhibition Hall, which is the largest hall of Expo 2020 and has attracted about 500,000 visitors in October alone.

Media attention

Việt Nam’s first time at Expo 2020 Dubai has attracted attention from the media worldwide. According to statistics from the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, over 100 international news sites have published news and photos about the opening ceremony of Việt Nam Pavilion at the event.

Kuwait News conducted an exclusive interview with Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tạ Quang Đông while Sky News invited Deputy Representative of Vietnam at the Expo Trần Nhất Hoàng to attend its morning news programme that is broadcast live to more than 50 million households in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Other news agencies from South Africa, UAE and Sweden have also visited Việt Nam’s site at the event to broadcast live. In particular, Việt Nam’s sneakers made from discarded coffee grounds and plastic bottles and circular economy model in coffee production are the highlights in CNN's upcoming report on new sustainable initiatives introduced at this year's Expo. The report is expected to be broadcast on CNN worldwide in December.

The most-anticipated event at Việt Nam Pavilion is Việt Nam Day on December 30 with the participation of senior leaders from the country, featuring a variety of activities like a painting exhibition, film week, large-scale fashion-art show as well as a programme to provide information about Việt Nam’s foreign policy, economy, investment, trade and tourism.

According to the organisers, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed more than 2.35 million visitors, 17 per cent of which were international visitors from 185 different countries, in the first month. For the first time in its history, 192 participating countries all have their own exhibition halls.

It is estimated that over 1,980 government leaders including ministers, presidents, prime ministers and heads of state have been present at the Expo to attend the opening ceremony, deliver speeches or attend their national days.

More than 5,610 official events have been organised so far, many of which closely follow global challenges and hot issues such as Climate and Biodiversity Week that took place prior to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) or Space Week exploring potential space exploitations.

Expo 2020 Dubai will run until March 31, 2022. VNS