Peng Liyuan, wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam, visited China's National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing on Wednesday.

Peng and Ngo Phuong Ly visited the opera house, the virtual reality creative space and the recording studio, learning about the NCPA's efforts in supporting artistic creation, delivering cultural services and conducting international cultural exchanges. During the tour, they watched rehearsals of a Chinese ethnic dance drama and a choir recording session, pausing from time to time to exchange views.

Peng noted that China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers, share similar cultures and their people enjoy mutual understanding and friendship. She expressed hope that cultural institutions and artists of the two countries will strengthen exchanges and cooperation through various means to deepen the friendship between the two countries and nurture the bonds of goodwill between their people.

Cultural exchanges boost mutual understanding

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam and the China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges, an art troupe themed "Colorful China", organized by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, visited Vietnam for performances and cultural exchanges last August.

The troupe staged two performances in Hanoi, presenting dances, instrumental music and songs that vividly told stories of the long-lasting traditional friendship between the two countries. 

About 1,500 people watched the performance. The Vietnamese side highly praised the organization and preparation of the production as well as the exquisite performances of the artists. 

In recent years, demand for professionals proficient in Chinese has also been on the rise in Vietnam.

"Over the past decade, the Confucius Institute has trained more than 30,000 students, while activities such as Hanfu exhibitions, traditional games and vocational training programs have attracted over 100,000 participants in Vietnam," said Qin Yonghua, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University, jointly established by Hanoi University and Guangxi Normal University.

With deepening China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation, demand for Chinese-proficient talent in Vietnam has surged, Qin noted.

Two-way tourism between China and Vietnam has maintained steady growth, boosting mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Data from the Guangxi General Station of Immigration Inspection show that since the beginning of this year, a total of 4.753 million cross-border trips between China and Vietnam have been recorded, up 20.6% year on year.