Vietnamese students join the Việt Nam-Japan cultural exchange festival in Đà Nẵng. The city plans to host the Japan-Việt Nam and Korea-Việt Nam Cultural exchange festivals in July and September. — VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city will host the Việt Nam-Japan and Việt Nam-Korea culture exchange festivals in July and September to boost tourism, trade, and investment among Korean and Japanese cities with central Việt Nam.

The city’s foreign affairs department said two festivals would be tourism attraction events as part of a series of programmes marking the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Japan diplomatic ties and closer friendship between Việt Nam and Korea.

It said the annual Việt Nam-Japan Culture Exchange, which was introduced in 2014, will be organising at the Biển Đông (East Sea) Park in Sơn Trà Peninsula on July 13-17.

The festival will display an exhibition for young painters and a Japanese comic promotion event on the beach. The Japanese partners will donate a Japanese comic book collection – ‘Sơn Goal’ – to Đà Nẵng City, the department said.

Young people in cosplay at the Việt Nam-Japan Cultural Festival in Đà Nẵng. The annual event has been organised since 2014. — VNS Photo Công Thành

The festival will also host a Sumo demonstration, Jazz and piano exchange with Japanese artists, and performances of Vietnamese and Japanese rock bands.

Vietnamese teenagers and kids will enjoy a Japanese-styled football training course at the festival and a cosplay show as part of cultural exchange programmes.

Art troupes, artists and representatives of cities in Japan are expected to join the festival along with different forums and seminars on business connections, tourism promotion and education in Japan.

The festival has been seen as a favourite site for businesses and artists from Sakai, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Kisarazu, Mimasaka, Nagasaki and Kushiro, sharing information and friendship exchange with Vietnamese people.

In boosting investment and tourism from Korea to Đà Nẵng and central Việt Nam, the city and the Korea International Cultural Exchange Agency will co-host a Việt Nam-Korea cultural exchange event at the park on September 7-9.

South Korean artists perform at a festival in central Việt Nam. Đà Nẵng will host the Korea-Việt Nam Cultural Exchange Day on September 7-9. — Photo courtesy of Hội An City's Information and Culture Centre

It’s expected that South Korean artists and Vietnamese performers will stage traditional dance, performances and folk songs, along Korean cuisine contests and that the chance to try on Hanbok costumes will be offered at the event.

Korean taekwondo artists will perform for both residents and tourists on the beach stage.

Last year, Đà Nẵng City’s tourism promotion centre, in co-operation with HanaTour company, launched an Instagram photo contest, ‘Đà Nẵng in My Heart’, for Koreans living in Việt Nam and abroad.

South Korean tourists account for 55.4 per cent of international tourists in the central city.

The centre said during the tourism boom of the past, at least 1,500 passengers visited Đà Nẵng on 12 direct and chartered flights between Korean cities and Đà Nẵng per week.

Visitors try-on the traditional Korean Hanbok in central Việt Nam. Korean artists will come to Đà Nẵng in September. — VNS Photo Công Thành

The coastal central city is still a favourite destination for Koreans, with 1.8 million Korean tourists visiting in 2019.

Both South Korea and Japan opened their Consulate General offices in Đà Nẵng.

Korean and Japanese languages exchange and study centres were found at the city’s Đông Á University.

Đà Nẵng is a favourable connection among world heritage sites in central Việt Nam, including Quảng Bình, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Quảng Nam provinces and destinations of Jeju Island, Incheon, Seoul and other parts of South Korea.

The Shilla Hotels & Resorts – a Korean resort – officially opened the five-star Shilla Monogram Đà Nẵng to serve Korean tourists in Đà Nẵng and Hội An, while Japan’s Mikazuki Group debuted the Đà Nẵng-Mikazuki Japanese Spa and Resort – a first five-start resort and entertainment centre in Đà Nẵng Bay. — VNS