The first Singapore cultural festival will be held on March 23 and 24 at Ly Thai To Park in central Hanoi, under a cooperative arrangement between the Embassy of Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board in Vietnam.

The festival will introduce Singaporean culture, bringing the country closer to Vietnamese friends and strengthening the relationship between the two countries, according to Ambassador H.E. Catherine Wong.

Similar festivals have been held in many cities around the world, such as London, New York, Moscow, and New Delhi. Regarding Hanoi as an emerging attraction for Singaporean tourists, Singapore selected the Vietnamese capital as the venue for the first Singapore cultural festival in the country.

Ly Thai To Park will bear images of famous Singaporean landmarks such as Chinatown, Little India, and Malaysia’s Kampong Glam street. There will also be exhibitions of art works, including the Rainbow Connection, first showcased in Singapore at the i Light Singapore 2019 exhibition, considered Asia’s leading sustainable light art festival, and two shows using virtual reality technology from Speak Cryptic and Renaissance City.

The screening of the Singaporean movie “7 Letters”, directed by seven leading directors from the country, will be a treat for cinema lovers.

The festival will also introduce several fashion collections from designers at Design Orchard, a retail space for local fashion brands in Singapore. There is also a catwalk show of “kebaya”, the traditional costume of the women of Peranakan, which is also a word referring to descendants of Malaysian locals and Chinese immigrants to the Malay Archipelago.

Traditional Singaporean music and dance as well as modern music will be performed by top Singaporean artists and DJs, joined by Vietnamese pop singers Duc Phuc and Duong Edward.

Typical Singaporean specialties will be available at the festival, such as BBQ bak kwa, Nonya dishes cooked with traditional Peranakan recipes, black coffee served with kaya, coconut butter toast, and Singaporean milk tea.

The Rubberband Land, a space for families with young children, will give them a great time and is where they can join a contest on assembling toys into miniatures of Singapore.

Prior to the festival, the Singapore Tourism Board will hold a buffet at a Hanoi hotel on March 22, serving special dishes from famous Singaporean restaurants. Chef Hawker Chan, who has received a Michelin star for his fried chicken rice, will attend.

The festival will start at 12pm and finish at 10pm on March 23 and be open from 9am to 10pm on March 24. Entry is free.

Nearly 600,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Singapore in 2018, an 11 per cent increase compared to 2017, putting Vietnam among Singapore’s top 10 source markets, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.

VN Economic Times