VOV presents royal dragon embroidered curtain to Japanese friends

VOV vice president Ngo Minh Hien stresses that the special gift is expected to strengthen the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

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The curtain stands at 1.90m long and is 50cm wide, featuring patterns of the royal dragon.

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The artwork is created by artisan Vu Van Gioi who has dedicated more than 30 years of his life to reviving royal traditions in embroidery.

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The curtain is used to decorate the large boat-shaped float known as "Ofunehoko" in a street parade during the Gion festival.

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The "Yamahoko" float parade is a highlight event that is held during the Gion Matsuri festival. A total of 10 floats marched down central Kyoto, with the big boat-shaped float known as "Ofunehoko" appearing at the end of the parade.

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The festival attracts plenty of Japanese people and foreign tourists.

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The big boat-shaped float known as "Ofunehoko" is decorated with a Vietnamese curtain featuring patterns of royal dragon.

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The Gion Matsuri represents the festival of the Yasaka Shrine, which was founded over 1,350 years ago. The original purpose of the Gion Matsuri was to pray for deliverance from a plague of sickness in 869.

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Prayers were ordered by the emperor. Worshipers believed that the epidemic could be halted only if the gods were suitably appeased by a purification ritual. Decorated weapons and portable shrines were then erected wherever a disease outbreak occurred. The event became an annual observance in 970.

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The festival typically attracts millions of visitors to Kyoto each year, making it one of the largest and most famous festivals throughout the Far East nation.

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The streets tend to be crowded with people enjoying the festivities, with many restaurants and shops in the city offering special festival-themed menus and souvenirs.