The 34th "Changé d’Air" Cultural Festival, themed "Vietnam – Culture, Art, Food, Music and Life," officially opened on November 6th at the Centre Culturel Le Rabelais in Changé, Sarthe, Loire Valley, western France, according to a report by the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Paris. This marks the first time Vietnam has been invited as a guest of honor to participate in this event, opening a door to greater cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the people of Vietnam and France.
This year's festival is jointly organized by the Centre Culturel Le Rabelais and several Franco-Vietnamese associations, including the Friends of Vietnam Association (Les Amis du Vietnam), the Arabesque Dance Company, Corps & Âmes, Diverscènes, ABM, the Hợp ca Quê Hương Choir, and the Tiếng Tơ Đồng Orchestra. The ten-day event offered the French public a space brimming with Vietnamese culture, encompassing art, film, music, dance, theater, and cuisine.
One of the festival's highlights was the photography exhibition "Le Nord Vietnam" by Jean-Pierre Ménard, vividly showcasing the nature and life of the northern mountainous region; paintings by Cécile Carré; and Vietnamese cultural artifacts exhibited jointly by the "Friends of Vietnam in Le Mans" and the CPFI Centre for Musical Instrument Heritage.
Visitors could also enjoy two Vietnamese films selected for several international film festivals—"Mékong Stories" directed by Phan Dang Dhi and "À la verticale de l’été" directed by Tran Anh Hung; the theater production "Saigon/Paris: Aller simple," focusing on the lives of the diaspora, featured a fusion of Eastern and Western dance performances by the Arabesque dance company and local troupes. Meanwhile, children's programs include the play *Cendrillon Vietnamienne*, adapted from the Vietnamese folktale *Tấm Cám*, as well as folk music performances by the "Silk Strings Orchestra" and a choral concert by the "Xiangyin Choir". Audiences can also participate in interactive activities such as lacquer painting, baguette baking, and Vietnamese song lessons.
A major highlight of this cultural festival is the full participation of the local community. Schools, kindergartens, libraries, and shops in Tang Nhat City are decorated with Vietnamese elements; children enjoy Vietnamese cuisine and participate in Vietnamese knowledge quizzes at school, and the city library hosts reading sessions on Vietnamese folk tales and myths for children. The local government, social organizations, and citizens have collectively created a Vietnamese atmosphere that permeates the entire city.
The festival will close on the evening of November 15th, featuring a performance of Vietnamese folk art by the "Silk Strings Orchestra" and a Vietnamese-French culinary dinner directed by Chef Jean-Marie Barbotin.
According to the organizers, the "Changé d’Air" cultural festival has been dedicated to inviting the public on a "cultural exploration journey" for over thirty years, focusing on a different country or region each year. This year, Vietnam was honored as the guest of honor, fully demonstrating the French public's recognition and appreciation of the beauty, depth, and vitality of Vietnamese culture in the global wave of exchange. (End)
