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Dayak connection: Dancers from Indonesia's Kutai Timur Regency perform as the "Indonesia Day in HCM City" is celebrated at the Youth Cultural House in District 1. — VNS Photo Van Dat |
HCM CITY — The cultural diversity and natural attractions of Indonesia are being introduced to Vietnamese citizens with a week-long festival called Indonesia Day in HCM City that began on Sunday at the Youth Cultural House.
A large audience was treated to traditional dances of the Dayak ethnic group from the country's East Kalimantan province performed by a group of 25 artists from Indonesia.
In the coming days, city residents will have the opportunity to get acquainted with several facets of the Indonesian culture through more music and dance performances, fashion shows featuring the country's traditional and national dresses, as well as culinary specialties from different parts of the country.
Consul General of Indonesia in HCM City Banbang Tarsanto said he hoped that participants in the festival would "get the atmosphere of Indonesia", when they taste the country's cuisine and watch music and dance performances from a nation of 240 million people with rich cultural traditions.
He said the Indonesia Day in HCM City aimed to bring the people of Viet Nam and Indonesia closer as part of one community as envisaged under the ASEAN Community 2015 framework.
Many Vietnamese residents, mostly students, joined the Indonesian dancers and were taught some basic movements of the dances performed on Sunday.
They will also be taught how to cook Indonesian dishes like Gado-Gado and play the Indonesian traditional musical instrument Angklung, which has been regconised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
Indonesia has 17,508 islands populated by 250 ethnic groups who speak around 300 local languages. Its rich biodiversity, on land and at sea, has made it a highly popular tourism destination. — VNS