Vietnam Leaves Strong Cultural Imprint at Bulgaria’s Asian Festival

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Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet (fourth from left) and local officials at the event. (Photo: VNA)

The Asian Festival, held at South Park in Sofia, serves as an important bridge connecting the people of Bulgaria and Asian countries, contributing to greater mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation among nations.

This was affirmed by Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov at the festival’s opening ceremony. He emphasized that although countries may be geographically distant from one another, they are united by shared values of culture, beauty, and aspirations for harmony.

According to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Europe, the Asian Festival took place on June 13-14. It is one of Bulgaria’s largest annual international cultural events, attracting more than 20,000 visitors, including local residents, international tourists, and members of Asian communities living and working in Bulgaria.

Under the theme “Together in Friendship and Harmony,” this year’s festival brought together diplomatic missions of Asian countries in Sofia, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Australia, along with numerous international organizations and businesses operating in the fields of tourism, culture, and Asian cuisine in Bulgaria.

Notably, this was the first time the festival was held over two consecutive days on an expanded scale, featuring artistic performances, culinary demonstrations, outdoor film screenings, handicraft exhibitions, sporting activities, cultural exchanges, and a wide range of interactive experiences for the public.

The Embassy of Vietnam in Bulgaria participated in the event with a booth introducing Vietnamese culture, tourism, cuisine, and unique handicraft products.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev praised the festival’s continued growth over the years, noting the increasing number of participating countries and the expanding variety of activities.

He stressed that learning about the cultures, traditions, and values of other peoples helps bring individuals closer together, thereby fostering greater mutual understanding and respect.

The Mayor of Sofia also affirmed that cultural dialogue and people-to-people exchanges play a particularly important role in building trust, strengthening connections, and enhancing understanding among nations at a time when the world faces numerous common challenges.

A major highlight of Vietnam’s participation in this year’s festival was a special artistic program jointly organized by the Embassy, the Vietnamese community in Bulgaria, and Bulgarian friends. Ten musical and dance performances imbued with the spirit of Vietnamese cultural traditions attracted large audiences and enthusiastic applause.

In particular, group dance performances in traditional Vietnamese attire by the Lotus Club, the Beautiful Conical Hat Club, and artists from the Sofia Ballet and Opera received warm and prolonged applause.

The image of Bulgarian citizens who cherish Vietnamese culture confidently performing in the traditional ao dai served as vivid evidence of the effectiveness of cultural exchange efforts, contributing to stronger understanding and closer ties between the peoples of the two countries.

Amid the festival’s vibrant and colorful atmosphere, the Vietnamese booth stood out with the bright red national flag, traditional cultural symbols, and numerous products reflecting the country’s rich cultural identity.

Familiar handicrafts such as conical hats, bamboo fans, lacquerware, and traditional souvenirs were introduced to the Bulgarian public and international visitors.

The Vietnamese booth also attracted a large number of visitors with traditional dishes rich in authentic Vietnamese flavors, including pho and nem (spring rolls).

Many visitors expressed deep impressions of Vietnam and its people, praised the country’s rich culinary heritage, and voiced their desire to learn more about Vietnamese culture and experience travel in Vietnam in the future.

The active participation of the Embassy of Vietnam in the 2026 Asian Festival not only helped promote the image of Vietnam, its people, and its culture to international friends, but also demonstrated Vietnam’s proactive and constructive role in multilateral cultural exchange activities in Bulgaria.

With the striking red of the national flag, graceful ao dai, culturally rich artistic performances, and the warmth and hospitality of the Vietnamese community, the Vietnamese booth continued to be one of the festival’s most popular attractions, leaving lasting impressions on Bulgarian and international visitors alike.

This also stands as vivid testimony to the vitality and far-reaching appeal of Vietnamese culture in the process of international integration, helping bring the image of Vietnam ever closer to friends around the world.

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