Open Days programme is an annual event held by the government of Germany on August 30th and 31st. On this occasion, Germans and international tourists are allowed to visit the headquarters, offices of the Cabinet members, including office and living room of Ms. Angela Merkel, the Prime Minister of Germany. In addition, tourists may attend art and cultural programs held in a number of Ministries.
Addressing at the opening ceremony with the participation of representatives of diplomatic agencies in Berlin, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, Mr. Hans-Joachim Fuchtel said that the Open Days is a special program of German government aiming to create the opportunity for all citizens and tourists to visit buildings and headquarters of the government. It is also a great occasion for representatives of diplomatic agencies to meet German as well as international tourists in Germany to promote their nations’ culture, cuisine, destination and tourism.
Reportedly, nearly 40 representative delegations from countries over the world have participated in this year Open Days – Berlin 2014. At each pavilion, a country had a variety of ways to promote its images of destinations, landscapes, people and culture to visitors. Especially, many delegations even offered foods and drinks which were their nations’ popular features to visitors free of charge.
On the main stage of the festival, a vibrant art cultural program took place continuously from 10 am to 6 pm with the participation of foreign troupes. Troupes had tried their best to perform special repertoires which were also their countries’ typical cultural characteristics. Meanwhile, in exhibition halls, visitors might watch movies and sign to support programs against sexism, racism or fundraising children in need around the world. In addition, on this occasion, a number of German research institutes also showcased several latest technology products serving projects of technological research and development which were being implemented in many countries.
The Embassy of Vietnam in Berlin, Germany brought a special cultural space and extraordinary cuisine imbued with Vietnamese culture to the festival. In addition to traditional handcrafts such as conical hats, bamboo, and rattan items, Vietnamese pavilion also displayed plenty of pictures, information about Vietnam tourism, especially, offering visitors with typical foods of Vietnamese cuisine such as fried rolls. Along with that, Vietnamese troupes brought fascinating performances of traditional art to the main stage, which were praised greatly by participants at the festival. Visiting the Vietnamese pavilion, Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, the former State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, recalled his visit to Vietnam last year and said Germany is very keen on strengthening the time-honoured friendship and cooperation with Vietnam.