Cherry blossoms in full bloom at Hanoi’s Japanese festival

The 2018 Japan Cultural Exchange Festival features various cultural activities from March 23-26, promising to become an attractive cultural destination for tourists to the capital city. 

Jointly held every year by the Hanoi authorities, the Japanese Embassy to Vietnam and Advanced International JSC since 2016, the event is part of the activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam – Japan diplomatic ties. It targets to introduce the Japanese cultural beauty to locals in Hanoi and connect the people of both sides, as well as the exchange of experience and cooperation in the field of culture, tourism and economic development between Hanoi and Japan.

This year’s event features 50 trees and 10,000 branches of cherry blossoms, along with several kinds of flowers and bonsai trees from Vietnam.

The cherry blossoms were selected from Okinawa, where the climate is quite similar to Hanoi.

More than four tonnes of cherry blossoms were transported in several trips by air and sea routes to Vietnam.

The flowers were preserved under a private regime with guidance from Japanese experts to ensure their freshness during the four day festival.

There are a variety of Sakura at this year’s event, mainly with white and pink colours and either single or double petals.

Workers are taking care of each branch of flowers under the relatively hot weather of Hanoi compared to its origin.

A flower display features the Vietnam and Japan ties.

The festival has become an attractive destination for many youngsters…

… as well as photographers in recent years.

The festival also attracts a large number of foreign tourists to come and explore the unique culture of Vietnam and Japan.

Thousands of cherry blossoms in bloom next to Hoan Kiem Lake.

This year, the festival has been organised on a larger scale to become a new cultural tourism brand of Hanoi.

In addition to the cherry displays, cultural exchanges with typical Japanese activities have also been introduced, with the indispensible Yosakoi traditional dance in each Japanese festival.

Participants also have the chance to taste Japanese tea culture, enjoy Japanese paper folding, and try on Kimono and Yukata.

Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine is also being introduced at around 20 stalls at Hanoi Children’s Palace nearby.