Representatives of  Sơn Trà Ward and Gurye county, Korea show a friendship mascots of the two localities. A friendship monument was built at Gurye county of Jeollanam-do province, South Korea. — Photo courtesy of Đinh Vui

ĐÀ NẴNG — A friendship monument representing Việt Nam's Sơn Trà Ward and Gurye County, South Korea has been inaugurated as a symbol cooperation between the two localities. The new landmark is located in Gurye County in Korea's Jeollanam-do Province.

Chairman of Sơn Trà Ward Đinh Vui said the monument shows mascots of the two localities: the endangered red-shanked douc langur (Pygathryx nemaeus) of Sơn Trà Ward, and the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), a symbol of Gurye, helping to deepen the friendship between the two places.

Vui said the monument was unveiled during a visit by Sơn Trà Ward officials to discuss detailed cooperation programmes and joint actions for the two localities with South Korean partners.

The sole designated special tourism and leisure zone in Jeollanam-do Province, Gurye is known for its outstanding natural resources, including Jirisan National Park. It has experience in building an eco-urban zone for tourism, as well as experience in conservation of traditional culture and natural landscapes.

Gurye is a small, picturesque farming town situated between Jirisan and the Seomjin River, while Đà Nẵng City’s Sơn Trà peninsula is a favourite eco-tourism destination in central Việt Nam.

The 4,400ha Sơn Trà Nature Reserve, 10km outside of downtown Đà Nẵng, is home to more than 1,000 red-shanked douc langurs, which are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Vietnamese and Korean partners unveiled a friendship monument for Sơn Trà Ward and Gurye County in South Korea. — Photo courtesy of Đinh Vui

Meanwhile, the Asiatic black bear is Gurye’s symbolic animal.

Đà Nẵng has signed various memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with other South Korean cities, including Gyeongsan, Uiwang, Yeongyang, Changwon, Daegu, Hwaseong, Jeju, Pyeongtaek and Gurye, to help build close ties with Korean partners over the past two decades.

Đà Nẵng and Daegu, South Korea have also signed an MoU on cooperation programmes in information technology and communication, health care, business links and network building, public policies, worker training and innovation earlier this year, after becoming twin cities in 2003.

A trilateral mutual cooperation agreement on tourism development and attracting foreign tourists was signed by three partners: the Jeollanam-do Tourism Organisation of South Jeolla Province, or Jeonnam, South Korea, the Đà Nẵng City Tourism Association and the Đà Nẵng-based Lotte Phú Khánh Duty Free Trading Company.

Other friendship monuments have been built in both Hải Châu ward and Uiwang City, Gyeonggi, South Korea.

The Vietnamese city’s fishery association and Jeju fishery trade cooperative also signed an MoU on fisheries development.

Cooperation programmes between Đà Nẵng Television and Radio Broadcasting Station and the Korean Character Association will also be implemented in the near future.  

Đà Nẵng and South Korean partners will continue promoting a variety of chip, AI and Internet of Things projects for use in smart urban and industrial parks, gene biotech, herbal medicine and Ngọc Linh ginseng production.

Six universities from South Korea have also signed agreements with Đà Nẵng’s Đông Á University, while five cities – Changwon, Daegu, Hwaseong, Seoul and Jeju – officially signed friendship agreements with Đà Nẵng.

The central city has hosted 345 projects from South Korea with a total investment of US$1.33 billion, making the East Asian nation one of the top four leading investors in Đà Nẵng out of 45 countries and territories.

Visitors from South Korea comprised the largest segment of foreign tourist arrivals to Đà Nẵng, with 1.68 million – 40.6 per cent of total foreign travellers – last year.

The city has hosted the annual Việt Nam-Korea Culture Exchange Festival since 2022.

Several airlines from South Korea, including Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul, Aero K and Air Premia, operate flights from Busan, Seoul, Daegu and Cheongju to Đà Nẵng.

South Korea also opened a consulate general in Đà Nẵng in 2020 to help expand investment, tourism and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Shilla Hotels and Resorts – a South Korean-invested resort – was one of the first beachfront hotels constructed between Đà Nẵng and Hội An. —  VNS