The delegation met and engaged with South African youth and students, who expressed strong interest in Vietnamese culture. During the exchanges, they shared their admiration for the traditional ao dai, Vietnamese cuisine, and their positive impression of Hanoi, a peaceful, beautiful capital they had often seen in films and hoped to visit. 

Many also spoke of the warmth and hospitality of the Vietnamese people, which left a lasting impression.

The delegation at Lesedi Cultural Village. 

In particular, the delegation surveyed Lesedi Cultural Village, a typical community-based tourism model combined with cultural preservation, a space that vividly recreates the identities of South African ethnic communities such as Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, and Basotho. 

Here, the delegation experienced traditional rituals, folk art, architecture, and the unique cuisine of each ethnic group – colorful intersections between history and modernity.

"The space here is very lively, the people not only perform but actually live in their traditional settings. It is a very practical and effective way of preserving culture," shared members of the delegation. The delegation members were particularly impressed with South Africa's tourism-cultural model, where the people are the center of heritage preservation and sustainable tourism development.

The delegation at the village. 

During a field survey of the cultural tourism model at Lesedi, the delegation observed notable similarities between Vietnam and South Africa in preserving traditional cultural values. They also gained insights into how South Africa effectively integrates national identity with sustainable tourism development.

Nguyen Lan Huong, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi, noted: “Hanoi has many craft villages, ancient communities, and deeply rooted cultural sites such as Duong Lam Ancient Village, Bat Trang Pottery Village, Van Phuc Silk Village, and the Quan họ villages in the suburbs. Learning from the Lesedi model could open new directions for developing cultural tourism linked with experiential education, creating sustainable livelihoods for local people while promoting Vietnam’s and Hanoi’s cultural values to the world.”

The activities of Hanoi's people-to-people diplomacy delegation in South Africa not only contributed to promoting the image of Hanoi as a modern, dynamic, yet tradition-rich capital but also demonstrated the spirit of friendship, openness, and proactive integration of Hanoi, the country, and the Vietnamese people in the new era.