DA NANG, Vietnam, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Melodies inspired by Vietnam's Red River and China's Yangtze River intertwined on stage at a theater in Vietnam's central city of Da Nang during a recent symphonic concert celebrating the friendship between the two countries.
The concert in Da Nang was part of the "Everlasting Friendship" tour, a project launched in 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China. Featuring works jointly created by Vietnamese and Chinese artists, the project has also presented performances in Nanning, south China and Vietnam's southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Vietnamese composer Do Hong Quan, vice president of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and chairman of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, the "Everlasting Friendship" initiative brought together composers and poets from Vietnam and China for trips to both countries before they jointly created eight orchestral works and two songs inspired by the landscapes and people they encountered.
It was the first time that jointly created works were performed in Vietnam's central region, marking another step in expanding bilateral cultural exchanges.
"When music is performed, it connects hearts and brings the people of the two countries closer together," Quan said, expressing his belief that the project will continue to serve as a lasting bridge between the two peoples while contributing to advancing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future.
He told Xinhua that he expects the two sides to expand exchanges beyond music into painting, literature, theater, photography and film through more joint creative activities.
Vice Chairwoman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi said cultural and people-to-people exchanges have served as an important bridge between the two countries, helping enhance mutual understanding and friendship.
She said programs like the symphonic concert not only showcase the cultural traditions of the two countries but also contribute to broader collaboration in culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, noting that Da Nang is a major economic, cultural and tourism hub in central Vietnam.
Noting that Da Nang welcomed almost 450,000 Chinese visitors in the first half of this year alone, she said the city has established friendship or cooperation ties with five Chinese localities and one Chinese partner and is home to 144 Chinese-invested projects worth nearly 820 million U.S. dollars.
Inside the packed theater, one of the evening's highlights paired a Vietnamese monochord with a Chinese moon lute against an orchestral backdrop, blending the musical traditions of the two countries in a single performance.
Among those captivated by the performance was 30-year-old Nguyen Minh Hang, who said she was deeply moved and proud to hear the sounds of the Vietnamese monochord intertwining with those of the Chinese moon lute in a shared artistic space.
Having participated in a youth exchange program between Vietnam and China in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 2013, she said the concert revived memories of songs once shared by young people from both countries while presenting them in a new symphonic form that vividly reflected the enduring friendship between the two peoples.
For 55-year-old Dinh Sa Hung, the concert reflected the friendship between the two countries and left him deeply moved.
"I hope more programs like this will be organized to encourage audiences in both countries to learn more about each other's music and culture, helping strengthen the Vietnam-China friendship," he said. Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号