Vietnam's mark at Cultural Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria

Dấu ấn Việt Nam tại Lễ hội văn hóa ở Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgarian Vice President Iliyana Yotova and Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet took a souvenir photo with the dance team.

The event was sponsored by Vice President Iliyana Yotova and the Sofia city government, attracting the participation of 53 booths, including 11 representative agencies of Asian countries in Bulgaria, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Iran, UAE, Palestine, and Mongolia.

The festival, held after a 3-year hiatus, was themed “Unity in Diversity”, showcasing the unique culture, cuisine and traditions of Asian countries. The festival lasted all day (from 10am to 10pm), attracting nearly 20,000 people, demonstrating the growing interest of Bulgarians in Eastern culture. This is a testament to the attractiveness of the fusion between Bulgaria’s traditional culture and Asian cultures.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Bulgarian Vice President Iliyana Yotova affirmed that cultural exchange is the key to helping nations and peoples live together in peace ; the organization of the Asian Festival with the theme “Unity in Diversity” in Sofia is a strong message of friendship and peace in the context of the unstable world situation.

Sofia Deputy Mayor Ivan Vasilev said that Sofia is a city rich in Bulgarian traditions with thousands of years of history; affirming that the Sofia city government always attaches importance to preserving and promoting cultural diversity. According to Mr. Ivan Vasilev, organizing the Asian Festival in the center of Sofia contributes to connecting ethnic groups through the exchange of art, music and cuisine.

Bulgarian Vice President Iliyana Yotova, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Tourism, Sofia Deputy Mayor and Ambassadors and Charge d'Affaires of 11 Asian countries in Bulgaria performed the dove release ceremony, symbolizing peace.

At the end of the opening ceremony, Bulgarian Vice President Iliyana Yotova, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Tourism, Sofia Deputy Mayor and Ambassadors and Charge d'Affaires of 11 Asian countries in Bulgaria performed the dove release ceremony, symbolizing peace.

The Vietnamese booth attracted special attention with the bright red color of the national flag, traditional dishes, handicraft products, conical hats, bamboo instruments...

In particular, the Embassy, together with the Vietnamese community and Bulgarian friends, performed 7 special art performances at the festival. The performances received enthusiastic cheers and responses from the audience, especially the dance performance to traditional music by Bulgarian girls in traditional long dresses with red flags and yellow stars.

Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet (second from left) and embassy officials at the Vietnamese booth at the festival.

During the festival, the Embassy organized unique experiential activities such as bamboo dance, painting workshop about Vietnam on bamboo and rattan, quiz with prizes about Vietnam... These activities created a vibrant and attractive atmosphere, attracting a large number of visitors to the Vietnamese booth.

Previously, on the afternoon of June 13, the Embassy and the Vietnamese community, along with representatives from other countries, attended a parade on Vitosha pedestrian street in downtown Sofia to promote the festival.

The Embassy's active participation in the event not only contributes to spreading Vietnamese culture to the Bulgarian public, but also demonstrates the role and enhances the position of the Vietnamese community in the host society.

Some pictures at the festival: