HÀ NỘI — A colourful art party featuring music and dance performances by children from seven ASEAN countries, Korea and China to be held tonight will open the ASEAN+ Children Festival to celebrate International Children’s Day June 1.

This year’s Festival, ranging till Sunday, welcomes children from art centres, art troupes, choir team, dance troupes and schools of seven ASEAN countries – Việt Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia – and Korea and China.

Themed A Journey of Discovery, the festival gives participant children an opportunity to learn more about Việt Nam’s culture through trips to the Museum of Ethnology, Thăng Long water puppet theatre as well as Long Việt Agricultural Park.

A highlight of this year’s festival, the street carnival to be held on Saturday, will feature a parade, games, music and dance performanced in the pedestrian zone, a tourist attraction in Hà Nội on Saturday. Traditional folk dance, music, choir or hip hop performance are expected to bring a cheerful and energetic atmosphere for children.

“The ASEAN community has been established for fifty years. With children being our future, it is important to build a playground for them to communicate and know more about the cultures of different countries,” said Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vương Duy Biên.  

“ASEAN Children Festival is a meaningful event. The first festival held last year proved its success in building friendship among children and enhancing solidarity in ASEAN bloc. With a range of activities featured in this year’s festival, we hope to convey our message that the whole world can join hands to care for and nurture the young generation towards a bright future,” said Deputy Director of Việt Nam Television, Phạm Việt Tiến.

“This is the first time I’ve joined ASEAN Children Festival. I expect to have new friends, and would love to have opportunity to know more about culture of Việt Nam, especially nón lá and áo dài,” said a Thai delegate from Udom Darunee elementary school.

ASEAN Children Festival, co-organised by Viet Nam Television and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports was first launched last year. It aims to provide a platform for ASEAN children to exchange culture and enhance solidarity as well as promote the mage of Việt Nam and its people.

ASEAN (Associations of Southeast Asian Nations) was established in 1967 and now has ten member states. Việt Nam joined ASEAN in 1995. — VNS