Painter Nguyễn Thu Thủy and Vietnamese and French leaders cut the ribbon to inaugurate the mural. — VNS Photo Trần Thanh Hà

HÀ NỘI — A mural featuring Vietnamese and French flowers has been inaugurated in the Parisian suburb of Choisy-le-Roi to enhance the friendship between two countries.

With the theme 'French - Vietnamese Spring', the 40m long painting has been created on a dyke of the Seine River, featuring various flowers with the background of a blue sky.

Artists from New Hà Nội Art Company including Nguyễn Thu Thủy, Trần Định, Huy Quân, Cao Quyền and Đinh Huy worked on it this month.

The inauguration ceremony on Wednesday was attended by Choisy-le-Roi Mayor Didier Guillaume, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyễn Thiệp as well as Vietnamese and French authorities and cultural managers.

“We are proud to have a chance to paint on such a nice and famous place like this,” said Thủy.

“The process was not easy because we painted on the rough surface of a concrete dyke in the radiant sunlight,” she said.

“The vitality of spring and nature symbolises the long-standing friendship between two nations. We are happy to contribute to create another symbol of that friendship.

“The painting contains the love and friendship of Vietnamese people to French people.

Painter Nguyễn Thu Thủy and other representatives at the mural. — VNS Photo Trần Thanh Hà

Thủy also created a ceramic collage entitled Việt Nam – France Friendship in 2013 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Paris Protocol. The artwork is currently displayed at Choisy Le Roi City Hall.

During 1968 and 1973, the government and people of Choisy Le Roi supported Vietnamese delegations in negotiations and protests for peace.

Choisy le Roi City and Hà Nội's Đống Đa District also set up sisterhood in 1973 to help rebuild the district after the war. — VNS