The event aims to promote the image of Vietnam, especially its traditional culture, to the RoK public and contribute to friendship and mutual understanding among the two peoples.

The General Director of Seoul National Museum Choe Kwang-shik, said to this end, his museum has worked with Vietnamese agencies to hold several exhibitions on Vietnamese traditions and customs.

A space has been reserved for an exhibition on ancient Vietnamese earthenware and the traditional cultures of Vietnamese ethnic minorities, said the museum chief.

The cultural week will also cover fashion shows on Vietnamese traditional costumes, especially a collection of ao dai, the long dresses of Vietnamese women, and a screening of favourite Vietnamese films such as Pao’s Story, Dark Jungles and Three Seasons.

Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Tien Van said Vietnam and the RoK have enjoyed a fine development in bilateral relations in the recent past, especially after a visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in late May and early June.

The Deputy Chairman of the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Society told that such events should go on regularly to promote Vietnamese culture to the RoK public and boost patriotism among the Vietnamese community living in the country.

Among the prominent figures present at the opening ceremony were the Chairman of the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Society, ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) member states, and the General Secretary of the ASEAN-RoK Centre.

The Hopes and Wishes exhibit features nearly 100 handicraft products including dresses, shirts, hats, towels, stockings and decorative items.

The pieces are typically used as during important occasions such birthdays and weddings to express wishes of health, wealth, happiness and luck.

On September 5, the opening day of the exhibit, visitors will also have a unique chance to watch Korean craftsmen demonstrate their sewing and braiding techniques.
“The Korean Fund plans to open this exhibit in other international locations to promote cooperation and culture exchange,” said the fund’s president, Kim Hong-real.

The Sene Dolta Festival was organised from the 30th day of the 8th lunar month to the 2nd day of the 9th lunar month, which falls on September 18-20 this year.

Leaders of Bac Lieu Province joined officials of the Steering Committee for the South-Western Region to pay visits and give gifts to monks and nuns at the Prochumsake and Ghositaram pagodas in Bac Lieu Town and Vinh Loi District.

On this occasion, authorities in the southernmost province of Ca Mau, which is home to more than 37,000 Khmer people, visited and presented gifts to all Khmer pagodas, monks, nuns and a number of local families.

Many localities in the province have hosted various cultural activities such as folk games and art performances to serve the Khmer people.

This year, the Khmer group in An Giang Province enjoyed their traditional festival with more happiness and joys as they have harvested a bumper crop and received support from the local authorities.

To mark the event, Can Tho City’s authorities raised funds to buy gifts for 12 Khmer pagodas and a number of families of social policy beneficiaries and outstanding households.

The Sene Dolta Festival is one of the largest annual festivals of the Khmer people, besides the Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) and the Ooc Oom Bok - a festival to thank the Moon for a good harvest.

It serves as a chance for nearly 1.3 million Khmer people in Mekong Delta provinces and cities to gather together to pay tributes to their ancestors, and enjoy traditional songs and dances and other light-hearted activities after a hard working year.

The discount programme, which was initiated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is part of the effort to attract more international tourists and promote local travel for the national tourism industry, which has seen deep plunges in the number of travellers since early this year.

7 international travel agents, 3 transport companies, 61 hotels and 14 shops have registered to join the scheme, which is to focus on nearby markets, with China to be the first priority for the remaining months of 2009.

According to the General Statistics Office, international arrivals to Vietnam hit 2.17 million in first 7 months of 2009, down 18.7% compared to the same period last year. The number of visitors by sea shrank by 57%, followed by declines of nearly 34% and 12.7% in the figures of land and air tourists.