A large number of Americans, overseas Vietnamese and international friends attended the opening ceremony of the event "Vietnamese Cultural Days in the United States" on the evening of August 8 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, USA.

Female artist performing with the monochord (Photo: Washington Post)

“Vietnamese Cultural Days in the United States” is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States and the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations. This is one of the cultural activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995-2015).

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh delivered the opening speech at the ceremony.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mara Tekach said she was honored to be present at the opening ceremony of the wonderful display of Vietnamese culture and the event also showed the rich cultural exchange between the two countries.

"This program shows how far the relationship between our two countries has come since we established diplomatic relations 20 years ago. Our two countries have become true partners and true friends," Ms. Tekach emphasized.

Ms. Tekach reviewed figures that show the growing relationship between the two countries over the years. The number of Vietnamese tourists to the United States reached a record 85,000 last year. Nearly half a million American tourists also visited Vietnam in 2014.

Artists perform a traditional Vietnamese dance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Photo: Washington Post)

Currently, there are more than 17,000 Vietnamese students studying in the United States. Graduates have returned to Vietnam and are in high positions in all fields. Ms. Tekach said that Fulbright University Vietnam will be established in Ho Chi Minh City and this school will help bring world-class education to Vietnam.

The American Centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City also help promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two countries. These centers have welcomed many young people who come to learn more about the United States, improve their English skills, and plan to study at American universities.

According to Ms. Tekach, Vietnamese Americans - currently the fourth largest group of Asian Americans - play a big role in promoting people-to-people exchanges and enhancing cultural understanding between the two countries.

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State also said that, recognizing the rich traditions of Vietnamese culture, the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has funded more than 1 million USD to support Vietnam in implementing 13 projects to preserve cultural heritages, including 700,000 USD to preserve Trieu To Mieu in Hue Imperial Citadel, one of Vietnam's UNESCO heritages.

"Looking back at what our two countries have achieved in the past 20 years, we will wait to see how much can be achieved in the next 20 years and beyond. We will continue to build relationships and continue to preserve each other's rich cultural traditions," Ms. Tekach emphasized.

“Vietnamese Cultural Days in the United States” takes place in Washington and New York City from August 8-12.

(According to Dan Tri)