HO CHI MINH, – The Consulate General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the Tourism Malaysia office in Vietnam, is actively participating in the Nguyen Hue Flower Street Festival 2024 from 7 to 14 February 2024.
This festival, organised by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, has been a platform for diplomatic missions in Ho Chi Minh City to showcase the distinctive festive traditions of their respective nations since 2021.
This year, Tourism Malaysia in Vietnam presents an enchanting booth that exudes traditional charm inspired by the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations and the wau kite. Hari Raya Aidilfitri, marking the end of the Ramadan fasting month for the Muslim community in Malaysia, is a time for gathering, socialising, and exchanging well wishes.
The wau kite, with its eye-catching patterns and colours, is an integral part of the festival, symbolising pride and tradition.
Crafted meticulously from hand-painted batik, a signature material of Malaysia, artisans in Kelantan dedicate two to three months to each wau kite, making it not just a traditional toy but a symbol of Malaysian heritage.
Madam Nor Hayati Zainuddin, Director of Tourism Malaysia in Vietnam, expressed, “In the spirit of the joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year throughout Asia, the Malaysia booth at Nguyen Hue Flower Street Festival aims to contribute to the festive atmosphere of the Vietnamese people.
Through this, we hope to introduce to the Vietnamese people the colourful and diverse aspects of Malaysia, encompassing natural scenery, people, and unique traditional cultures.” She also conveyed her hope to welcome more Vietnamese tourists to Malaysia in 2024.
Malaysia has received 323,703 Vietnamese tourists as of November 2023, signalling the significant potential for tourism development between the two countries. In 2024, Tourism
Malaysia aims to attract 400,000 Vietnamese tourists through a series of activities organised throughout the country, particularly in the key states of Melaka, Perlis, Perak, and Kelantan.
This year’s Nguyen Hue Flower Street Festival, themed “Spring of Love, Tet Reunion,” continues its legacy as a familiar meeting place for Ho Chi Minh City residents during the Lunar New Year.
Over the past two decades, the festival has contributed to maintaining the city’s unique cultural identity and served as a bridge for cultural exchange between Vietnam and other countries worldwide, including Malaysia. The festival serves as a prelude to strengthening long-term cooperation and sustainable tourism development between Vietnam and Malaysia.
About Tourism Malaysia
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation’s tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook,Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
