China-Vietnam border holds gala to celebrate friendship

(ECNS) -- Hundreds of Chinese and Vietnamese citizens gathered on Sunday along the Beilun River, which marks the border between the two nations, for a cultural exchange festival aimed at fostering friendship through traditional music and dance.

The event, held in Dongxing, a county-level city of Fangchenggang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, featured performances of Zhuang ethnic drinking songs, folk dances of both countries, and instrumental showcases including the dan bau (monochord), Chinese zither and bamboo xylophone. Artists from both countries shared the stage, drawing cheers and interaction from the crowd.

Zhao Xia, a Chinese inheritor of the Jing ethnic group's dan bau artistry—a recognized national intangible cultural heritage — performed the "Nomadic Love Song" alongside Vietnamese artist Pham Kim Thanh. The duo's collaboration highlighted the cultural fusion between the two nations. The Vietnamese artist later played a rendition of the popular Chinese song "Ai Pin Cai Hui Ying" with dan bau, earning enthusiastic applause.

Zhao said she had seen Thanh's work online and met the artist at a China-ASEAN Expo before. "This festival gave us the chance to play together, exchange skills, and strengthen our friendship," she said.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam and the "China-Vietnam Humanities Exchange Year". For the first time, the stage of the gala was set on the border, and the Sino-Vietnamese intangible cultural heritage exhibition area and special commodity exhibition area were also set up on-site to further promote the integration and development of border cultural tourism.

Chinese Dongxing City and Vietnam's Mong Cai City, separated by the river, have close cooperation in many fields. The two sides became international sister cities in 2015.

This year, Dongxing and Mangjie will jointly hold a series of business, sports, literature and art activities to further expand the cooperation between China and Vietnam in the fields of culture, tourism, economy, and trade.

(By Zhang Dongfang)