Special Toyota Concert marks 45 years of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties

7/6/2018 - 4:54:47 PM

The Special Toyota Concert 2018 will take place at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi on July 13 as part of activities to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

The programme will be jointly organised by Toyota Motor Vietnam and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO), aiming to enhance culture and music exchange between the two countries.

The concert will be conducted by Japanese conductor Testuji Honna and feature performances by talented cello soloist Miyata Dai of Japan and Vietnamese artists.

This is the 21st edition of the annual Toyota Concert funded by Toyota Vietnam Foundation, which was first held in 1998.

Vietnam - Japan bilateral relationship is now at its best time in history since the establishment of diplomatic relationship 45 years ago. Senior leaders of the two sides have maintained regular visits and meetings at international and regional forums.

Japan has been the leading economic partner of Vietnam, with two-way trade revenue reaching 33.4 billion USD in 2017, a rise of 16.8 percent over 2016. In the first three months of 2018, the figure reached 8.7 billion USD, up 15.7 percent over the same period last year.

In 2017, Japanese investment in Vietnam hit a record high at 9.11 billion USD, making it the biggest investor in Vietnam. As of March 2018, Japan has run 3,693 FDI projects in Vietnam worth 49.839 billion USD, ranking second in 116 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

So far, Japan has been the biggest ODA provider of Vietnam, focusing on infrastructure building, competitiveness enhancement, high-quality human resource training and climate change, greatly contributing to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

Bilateral partnership in security-defence, agriculture, education-training, and labour have also been fruitful. People-to-people exchange, cultural and tourism affiliation have seen strong development.

Source: VNA

Hoa Binh province preserves and promotes Muong singing values

Once a vibrant part of the daily life for the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province, traditional Muong singing styles such as "thuong rang bo meng” and "hat dup giao duyen” had faded over time. Today, local authorities and communities are working to restore and celebrate this cultural art form, recognising its value in preserving the group’s heritage.

Vibrant Gau Tao Festival of Mong community

Gau Tao Festival, one of the most important traditional festivals of the Mong ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district was held at the Pa Co stadium in Pa Co commune on January 11.

Mysterious ancient engravings in valley of My Thanh commune

The ancient stone engravings dating back thousands of years in Suoi Co valley in My Thanh commune, Lac Son district, used to astonished domestic archaeologists. What their meaning is and what message they convey are the questions to which scientists are seeking answers.

Hoa Binh works hard on cultural value preservation

Preserving and promoting unique cultural identities of ethnic communities in Hoa Binh province is considered a crucial task amid in the international integration trend.

Muong cultural heritage museum contributes to sustainable tourism development

More than just a cultural and historical attraction, the Muong Cultural Heritage Museum is playing a vital role in fostering sustainable tourism in the Northwestern region of Vietnam, particularly in Hoa Binh province. It stands as a model for the emerging trend of "responsible tourism," cleverly blending the preservation of cultural heritage with community economic development, raising awareness of Muong ethnic cultural values while promoting green tourism and sustainable growth.

Efforts made to preserve Muong people’s “Bi doi” instrument

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on December 24 organised a conference to report on the results of collecting, researching, restoring, and preserving "Bi doi”, a musical instrument of the airophonic family and a traditional instrument of the Muong ethnic people in Da Bac district.