Recently, students from Seika University in Kyoto, Japan came to Hue and had the opportunity to join with students from Hue University‘s College of Science to participate in a workshop experiencing local culture on the theme of “Architecture”. Architecture in a modern context.
The workshop lasted four days, and Vietnamese and Japanese students were divided into groups and had time to get to know each other. To quickly make friends with their group mates, Anh Thu, Thu Ha and Tan Dat actively invited their two Japanese friends, Fuji Hina and Noguchi Taiki, to go exploring. Cooking at Dong Ba Market. Here, Japanese friends experienced the cuisine and people of Hue.
“At the invitation of my Vietnamese friends, I had banh loch, beef noodles, and Hue sweet soup… These dishes were really delicious. It keeps me saying “oishii (so delicious)”. In particular, the sweet soup wrapped with roast pork offers a unique taste. Because I have never tried a dish like this before. I was also impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of my three group colleagues and the market vendors,” said Fuji Hina.
Next, students experienced a meditation retreat at Cat Tuong Quan Pure Residence. This activity is relatable to Japanese friends because it is similar to the meditation and tea ceremony culture of the land of cherry blossoms.
Creating Sinh village folk paintings, a traditional art form from Hue, is the next activity students will experience. This is a long-famous line of paintings that captures the traditional cultural beauty of the ancient capital and plays an important role in the spiritual life of the Hue people.
The process of making Sinh village paintings is very elaborate. The drawing paper must be dried with scallop paper made from the bark of the A tree and then covered with mulberry (powder made from clam or mussel shells). Each painting is printed using traditional woodblocks and meticulously engraved by hand. The colors of Shin Village paintings are all taken from natural materials such as bamboo charcoal (black), red earth (brown), and leaves (green). In the workshop space, students received step-by-step instructions from artisans. Draw pictures of the 12 zodiac animals.
The final experience of the workshop trip is making your own banh loc. Students and teachers work together to knead, fill, and shape cakes, making the kitchen atmosphere always happy and filled with laughter.
“Vietnamese students passionately guided me step by step. We also competed to see which group made the better cake. It was quite chaotic on the first day, but now I feel very close and connected to everyone. The Hue culture and friends are amazing,” said Miyu Kakimoto, a student in the Japanese delegation.
Ayako Fujieda, a member of the Kyoto Seika University student guidance delegation, said teachers and Japanese students were surprised by the diversity of Hue culture. “Two years ago, I had the opportunity to lead Japanese students to Hue to visit the Perfume River Ceramic Museum, explore cuisine, and take an evening boat ride in Tam Giang Lagoon. When you return to Hue this year, you will experience many other exciting activities. “I was very impressed by the Hue culture and the enthusiastic way the teachers and students welcomed us.”
The workshop ended with many lasting memories and new friendships formed. The experience in Hue not only helps Japanese students understand more about the ancient capital, but also connects them with their Vietnamese peers. This is not only a learning opportunity, but also serves as a bridge for cultural exchange between the two countries, opening up opportunities for future cooperation and sharing. The Japanese students who said goodbye to Hue all felt warm emotions and promised to return to continue discovering more interesting things.