On 8 January 2018, the “China-Viet Nam Traditional Spring Festival Picture Exhibition”, which was jointly sponsored by the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC), International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of Viet Nam, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and the People’s Government of Xicheng District of Beijing, was opened in Beijing. H.E. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien, the Minister of MCST of Viet Nam unveiled the exhibition. Mme. Tian Yan, Executive Vice President of BPAFFC and Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director-General of the International Cooperation Department of MCST, delivered remarks on behalf of China and Viet Nam respectively. Mr. Li Meng, Vice President of BPAFFC, and Mr. Tran Mhat Hoang, Deputy Director-General of International Cooperation Department of MCST, co-presided over the opening ceremony. H.E. Mr. Dang Minh Khoi, Viet Nam Ambassador to China, Mr. Xie Jinying, Director-General of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture of China, Mr. Sun Jianhua, Deputy Director of the Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ACC, representatives of traditional artists of Beijing and media, around one hundred people, attended the event.

Mme. Tianyan welcomed Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien and his delegation to Beijing to attend the opening ceremony. She mentioned that Viet Nam and China are connected by mountains and rivers with close cultural relations. The Spring Festival is the common festival for the people of both Viet Nam and China and pining Spring Festival Picture is the common custom during the Spring Festival. The customs of the two countries share the same origin, but carry their own artistic styles and aesthetic taste. She hoped that the two side could strengthen cooperation, enhance cultural and friendship exchanges, especially the intangible cultural heritage exchange and cooperation, to further promote people-to-people understanding and consolidate the foundation of public opinion of both sides.

Mr. Ngyuen Trung Khanh said that the cultural exchanges between Viet Nam and China were frequent and full of huge cooperation potential. The process of globalization pushed social changes around the world, during which science and technology made rapid development, while some traditional value and cultures encounter inheritance crisis. Vietnamese government paid great importance to traditional cultural inheritance and preservation. He hoped that through this exhibition, both Viet Nam and China could jointly carry forward the value of traditional culture and enhance friendship and cooperation of both sides in the future.

H.E. Mr. Ngyuen Ngoc Thien and other participants watched the exhibition and experienced Spring Festival Picture rubbing and Spring Festival Couplets writing. After the opening ceremony, the exhibition will be displayed at Beijing Xicheng Library and Beijing Changdian temple fair for one and half month.