A stall at the festival run by the city's chapter of the France - Vietnam Friendship Association

Mayor of Choisy-le-Roi Didier Guillaume said his city hasshared close ties with Vietnam for half a century through the past negotiationand signing of the Paris Peace Accords as well as its current cooperation withHanoi’s Dong Da district.

He said the city holds a tradition of inviting a partnercountry to become the centre of its annual festival and 2019 is earmarked forpromoting Vietnam’s culture and tourism.

Choisy-le-Roi has worked with the cultural centre of Vietnamin France to prepare for the event, the official elaborated.

Photos on Vietnam by Thiery Beyne on display at the festival

The event featured spaces introducing Vietnamese villages,food, and traditional music. Also on display were photos on Vietnam by ThieryBeyne, who now lives and works as a photographer in the Southeast Asiancountry.

On the occasion, a flower mural along the bank of the Seinewas inaugurated. Painted by six Vietnamese artists, it is 3m in height and 30min length, portraying typical flowers of Vietnam.

A part of the flower mural

Choisy le Roi, a suburban city 20km to the east of Paris, iswhere the two negotiation delegations of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam andthe Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Southern Vietnamstayed during the negotiations on the Paris Peace Accords on ending war andresuming peace in Vietnam from 1968 to 1973. In 2013, the local authoritiesinaugurated a special square named ‘Paris Agreement’.-VNA