Hanoi’s Ly Thai To square turned into Piazza Italia
Last weekend (November 23-24), Ly Thai To square was turned into Piazza Italia, a truly Italian experience with entertainment going on overnight for the first ever “white night” in Hanoi.
The third Piazza Italia 2019 and the fourth Week of Italian Cuisine in the World taking place at Ly Thai To square, Hoan Kiem district.
The annual “Piazza Italia” cultural fair and Italian Gastronomy Week saw the Ly Thai To square transformed into an Italian square (Piazza Italia) with booths for Italian foods, drinks and products.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on November 23, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said the Piazza Italia 2019 is held to further tighten the friendship between Hanoi and the Italian Embassy in Vietnam as well as diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Italy in general.
It has become an annual cultural event providing a truly Italian experience where visitors have the opportunity to dive into various aspects of Italian lifestyle: gastronomy, music, design, fashion, cinema, sports and much more, he said.
An art performance by Vietnamese artists.
Visitors have the opportunity to dive into various aspects of Italian lifestyle: gastronomy, music, design, fashion, cinema, sport and much more.
Cooking competition.
According to Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Antonio Alessandro, the Piazza featured a fashion show by Aristino; cooking demonstrations and competition by Italian food strategist and chef Stefania Corrado; concerts by the original “a cappella” group Mezzotono, jazz singer from Naples Simona De Rosa, Morning Glory jazz band from Hai Phong, teachers and students from the National University of Arts Education; a performance of artists from Thang Long Music and Dance Theater; international music with Italian DJ Walter Natale; karaoke contest; football presentations by AC Milan; screening of live football matches of the Italian “Serie A” in cooperation with FPT-Television; screening of the Italian movie “Quo vado?” by Checco Zalone.
There also included a food court, with some of the best Italian restaurants in Hanoi and distributors of Italian products. It was a diverse journey through the extraordinary Italian taste, thus celebrating the 4th Week of the Italian Cuisine in the world; some of the best Italian brands in Vietnam, as well as iconic products of Italian design.
The 4th Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, themed “"Food education: the culture of taste”, was celebrated all over the world from November 18-24.
Some of the best Italian restaurants in Hanoi and distributors of Italian products at the event.
Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Antonio Alessandro presents his country’s Order of Merit to Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung.
On the occasion, Ambassador Antonio Alessandro on November 23 presented his country’s Order of Merit to Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung.
The Order of Merit is awarded to foreign individuals who have made particularly important contributions to the development of the relationship between the two countries in general and of Italy in particular./.
Balade en France, also known as Walk in France, is Vietnam's largest French food festival, is ongoing at the King Ly Thai To Monument near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.
The Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative (VWAI) reflects a shared commitment to education, humanitarian action, and post-war reconciliation, according to Margaret Hanson-Muse, President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute (USABCI). In an interview with Vietnam Times, she discussed the organization's efforts to support accounting for those missing in action in Vietnam, engage younger generations in understanding the value of peace, and strengthen trust and cooperation between Vietnam and the United States.
On June 1 in Hanoi, the Vietnam-USA Society (under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations) held a working session with a delegation from the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute (USABCI), along with representatives of US organizations and businesses, to discuss programs supporting the search for and identification of persons missing in action from the war.
From May 25-29, nearly 100 delegates from 16 people-to-people organizations across 11 ASEAN countries and China gathered in Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province, China, for the 5th Meeting of Leaders of ASEAN-China Friendship Organizations. Participants exchanged initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people exchanges, expanding cooperation, and reinforcing the social foundation of ASEAN-China relations.
The Viet Nam-Italy Friendship Association of Bac Ninh Province held a meeting on May 27 to mark the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Italian Republic (June 2, 1946 - June 2, 2026), combined with a seminar on sharing experience in developing the cooperative economy and cooperatives - a field considered one of Italy’s strengths in Europe.
Good Neighbors International in Vietnam (GNI) has launched the project “Enhancing Skills and Career Orientation for Students at Kim Xuyen High School, Tuyen Quang Province” to improve the learning environment, develop students’ skills, and expand access to career guidance opportunities for local youth.
On May 29 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) hosted the scientific seminar entitled “The current state of Vietnam’s people-to-people diplomacy organizations and activities.” The event was held within the framework of the national-level research project “A study of people-to-people diplomacy activities around the world in the new context and policy recommendations for Vietnam.”
On May 27 in Hanoi, the Viet Nam Peace and Development Council held a conference to review its work in the first half of the year and set out orientations for activities in the remaining six months of 2026, focusing on people-to-people diplomacy, research, policy consultation, and external communications.
The Australian government has just announced a commitment of up to US$10 million through the Australian Development Investments (ADI) fund to Do Ventures Fund II in Vietnam. This capital will be used by Do Ventures to support Vietnamese businesses developing climate change solutions, while also contributing to the growth of Vietnam’s climate investment market and attracting additional private financing.
Friendship
Friendship
Friendship
Friendship
Friendship
Friendship
Focus
Focus
Friendship