The Japanese cherry blossom festival is slated for March 23 to 26 in the capital city of Hanoi, as part of cultural exchange activities to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam.

Visitors are seen at the 2017 cherry blossom festival in Hanoi 

The Japanese Embassy in Vietnam said in a statement that nearly 30 cherry trees and 10,000 blossom branches will be on display around Ly Thai To Statue Square in Hoan Kiem District during the festival.

The event will also feature 20 food pavilions and multi-cultural dances, including Yosakoi – a traditional Japanese dance, and traditional Vietnamese art forms such as hat xam (traditional songs performed by blind artists in the North) and ca tru (ceremonial songs). There will also be a conference to sound out bilateral tourism and investment cooperation opportunities.

The annual cultural festival is targeted to deepen the growing bilateral ties between Vietnam and Japan as both countries are striving to speed up cooperation in various aspects including economy, politics, culture and tourism. 

Data from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) shows that the country last year welcomed nearly 798,000 Japanese visitors, rising 7.8% against a year earlier. This year, the country is eyeing to welcome more than one million Japanese tourist arrivals. 

SGT