French festival opens in Hanoi to mark Vietnam-France ties

A French cultural festival, Balade en France, opened in Hanoi on December 14 to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations and five years of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and France.

The opening ceremony of the French Festival (Photo: Kinh te Do thi)
The opening ceremony of the French Festival (Photo: Kinh te Do thi)

The three-day festival promises to offer enjoyable experiences to visitors who will have the opportunity to explore the lifestyle, food and customs of the French people, said Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung in his opening address.

He added that the festival is not only a cultural event but also a place to strengthen the relationship between Vietnam and France and international friends in general.

The Hanoi mayor expects that visitors at the festival will be able to feel the Hanoians’ welcoming sentiment towards France with more than 60 booths displaying quintessential French products.

For his part, French Ambassador Bertrand Lortholary stated that 2018 was a year of notable successes in the bilateral relationship, especially in terms of political ties with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to France in March and French PM Edouard Philippe’s visit to Vietnam in November.

In cultural and educational cooperation, the French Embassy launched the Ha Dong branch of the French cultural centre L’espace and the Lycée français Alexandre Yersin.

During the three-day festival, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the French culture with French-style shops and bright lamps lining the pedestrian street where they can enjoy French food and appreciate French technological, cosmetic and interior products.

As part of the festival, there will be arts programmes performed by Vietnamese and French artists, a photo exhibition on France, screenings of French films, seminars on arts, football and street music, among others.