On April 23, Ms. Kim Hye Kyung - Wife of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, and Ms. Ngo Phuong Ly - Wife of General Secretary and President To Lam visited the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.
Welcoming Mrs. Kim Hye Kyung at the museum, Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly was moved when the Korean President's wife wore a traditional Vietnamese ao dai - a gift that Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly had given - for the reunion.
In an elegant ao dai, Mrs. Kim Hye Kyung shared that she really liked the ao dai that Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly gave because the ao dai expresses the traditional beauty of Vietnamese women and is very suitable for today's cultural diplomacy activities.
At the Bronze Drum Hall, the two ladies listened to a general introduction about the community of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, the unique beauty of the cultures of brotherly ethnic groups across the three regions of North - Central - South.
Visiting the stilt house of the Thai people and the weaving space of the Hmong people, the two ladies expressed their interest and admiration for the skillful hands of those who created the colorful and sophisticated roofs and flared skirts. Wife Kim Hye Kyung shared that the thatched roofs and palm leaf roofs reminded her of the countryside of Korea, where there are also similar houses.
At the Golden Kite Palace, Mrs. Kim Hye Kyung expressed surprise and particular interest when she learned that there is a "Korean Room" here, a vivid symbol of cultural cooperation between the two countries, a place to introduce the space of traditional Korean houses (Hanok), some traditional Tet holidays and modern life of Korean people today. Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly shared that many Koreans in Vietnam when coming to this space were very touched, feeling like they were returning to their homeland.
Wife Kim Hye Kyung expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese side for paying attention and vividly recreating the beauty of Korean culture, from traditional houses to modern spaces and indispensable dishes in Korean family meals at the museum.
Stopping in front of the screen showing a film illustrated by a Korean artist based on the material of Vietnamese water puppetry "Phiêu hải nhật lục", telling the story of 24 Koreans drifting to Hoi An, Vietnam more than 300 years ago, the two Businesswomen shared deep feelings about the long-standing relationship between the two countries; emphasizing the importance of people-to-people exchanges and cultural exchanges that have contributed to connecting Vietnam and Korea.
Leaving the exhibition space, Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly and Mrs. Kim Hye Kyung sat down together to chat with a cup of tea, enjoyed some folk cakes and Vietnamese water puppetry performances.
Expressing her love for water puppetry performances, Mrs. Kim Hye Kyung hopes that in the future, this type of performance will soon come to Korea, helping the Korean public love and understand more about the depth of Vietnamese culture.
Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly thanked the wife of the President of Korea, wishing that in the future there will not only be tours of Vietnamese and Korean artists in each country but also to expand and further promote cooperation in the cultural industry, a field in which Korea has strengths and Vietnam is very focused on developing.
