In his opening speech, Andre De Jong, a member of the GBA Board, remarked that for more than three decades, the festival has been held annuallyin Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to introduce Germany's traditional culture to theVietnamese people.
He said it is the largest German cultural festival inSoutheast Asia, recording over 10,000 attendees every year. It has also becomea symbol of the enduring bilateral relationship between Germany and Vietnam.
The festival brought to Da Nang the authenticatmosphere found in the massive beer halls of the original Oktoberfest inMunich and Bavarian music from the Austrian-based Oktoberfest band O'zapft. Participants were treated to traditional and richlyflavoured dishes prepared by German chefs, premium imported German beers, andnon-alcoholic beverages.
According to GBA Co-Chairmen Elmar Dutt and Torben Minko, 2023marks the 48th anniversary of the Vietnam-Germany diplomatic relations, withtheir bilateral strategic partnership strengthened across all areas, particularlyculture, economy, trade, and investment. In recent years, the GBA in Vietnamhas promoted the nations' bilateral economic and social relations and introducedunique cultural values from Germany throughout the Southeast Asian country viathe Oktoberfest./.