The afternoon of August 10th 2016 saw General Thanasak Patimaprakorn, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Thailand, presided at the opening ceremony of Vietnam Cultural Days in Thailand at Bangkok's Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center. The ceremony was remarked open by the Thai culture minister Weera Rojpojanarat and was attended by several distinguished guests including the Vietnamese ambassador of Thailand HE Mr Nguyen Tat Thanh, and the visiting Vietnamese deputy prime minister HE Mr Vu Duc Dam, Vietnamese deputy minister of Foreign Affairs HE Mr Dang Dinh Quy, and Vietnamese deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism HE Mr Huynh Vinh Ai.
According to Mr Weera Rojpojanarat, the Thai Ministry of Culture organized the Thai Cultural Days events in Hanoi and the Quang Ninh province between July 28th and the 31st 2016. The events featured exhibitions on Thai ways of life as well as the all-time famous traditional music and dances like Ramayana. The events were passed successfully and were very well-received by the local and international visitors. Likewise, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, hand-in-hand with the Thai Ministry of Culture, are bringing Vietnamese cultural shows and exhibitions to Bangkok and Nakhon Phanom from August 10th to 13th 2016.
The cultural events commemorate the diplomatic relation between the two countries which was officially established 40 years ago and promote the cultures among the locals of Thailand and Vietnam which are both members of ASEAN. “I have always greatly admired the splendour and diverse culture of Vietnam. And I am certain that the exhibition will provide us with the glimpse of Vietnamese cultural diversity. Audience including Thai people will consequently get deeper understanding of Vietnamese arts and culture,” Mr Weera Rojpojanarat remarked at the opening ceremony.
The Vietnam Cultural Days in Bangkok includes The Colors of Vietnam exhibition at Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center from August 10th to 13th and the cultural show at Thai National Theatre on August 10th. The exhibition features the beauty of Vietnamese landscapes and ethnic diversity via photos and displays of clothes and housewares.
The show at Thai National Theatre entertained the audience with a series of traditional and contemporary dances and music, including the shows titled Return to the Homeland Pretty Bamboo – a Northern Folk Melody of Vietnam, Remember President Ho Chi Minh, The Scent of Young Rice, a bamboo instrument ensemble, and a dance to His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej's composition Klai Roong (Near Dawn). In Nakhon Phanom, the cultural performance will take place in the evening of August 11th at the assembly hall of Nakhon Phanom Wittayakhom School.
Vietnam Cultural Days in Thailand significantly points out the cultural similarity and differences of Thailand and Vietnam. It is aimed to create better understanding of Vietnamese culture among Thai people which will lead to stronger people-to-people relationships between the two countries. During the current visit to Thailand, the Vietnamese deputy prime minister and the high-rank officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will meet with the Thai prime minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and the deputy prime minister at the government house to discuss bilateral collaborations. The Vietnamese delegates will also attend a ceremony at Wat Uphai Ratbamroong, a Mahayana temple, and sightsee other significant attractions in Bangkok.
