Participants included 15 ambassadors and chargés d’affaires together with their spouses, more than 200 diplomatic staff from embassies, representatives of international organisations and foreign non-governmental organisations in Vietnam, as well as leaders from ministries, agencies and the municipal administration.

Addressing the event, Saadi Salama, Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam and head of the diplomatic corps, said the annual programme not only introduced and promoted Vietnam’s distinctive historical and cultural heritage, but also served as an important bridge fostering understanding, solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese people, particularly those of the capital, and international friends.

Nguyen Ngoc Ky, chairman of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations, shared that authorities in Huong Son commune are preparing a dossier to seek UNESCO recognition of the Huong Son complex as a world cultural and natural heritage site by 2030.

As part of the programme, delegates experienced the capital’s unique cultural and spiritual atmosphere during the festival season. Highlights included a boat trip along the Yen stream to Thien Tru pagoda, one of the most prominent architectural structures within the complex. There, participants toured the site, learned about its historical and cultural significance, and joined exchange activities, tree planting and the making of traditional craft products.

Comprising a network of around 20 temples, pagodas and caves, the special national relic site welcomes millions of pilgrims and visitors each year, particularly during the festival season from the first to the third lunar months.

Ambassadors show confidence in Vietnam’s breakthrough in new era

As Vietnam welcomes the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2016 - the Year of the Horse, ambassadors and chief representatives of international organisations in the country have voiced strong confidence in Vietnam’s continued progress and its breakthrough in a new development era.