Dutch give 22,000 tulips to Hanoi

To join in the celebration of Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary, the Netherlands will present more than 22,000 tulips as a gift to the capital city during the Hanoi Flower Festival from December 30, 2009 to January 3, 2010.
This gift was offered by Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Gerda Verburg during her visit to Vietnam in July 2009. The visit was successful in further strengthening and promoting trade and cooperation in the agricultural sector between the Netherlands and Vietnam.
Knowing that Hanoi was going to celebrate its 1,000 th anniversary, Verburg offered the tulips, a loved symbol of the Netherlands, as a present to the citizens of Hanoi.
Together with other kinds of flowers from Vietnam , more than 22,000 brightly coloured tulips will be displayed around Hoan Kiem Lake from December 30, 2009 to January 3, 2010.
In addition, a pair of giant wooden shoes from the Netherlands will be on display.
The Hanoi Flower Festival will start with an opening ceremony on December 30, which will be broadcast on national television.
In the evening of December 31, the Ao Dai Festival with the topic “Convergence of quintessence” will take place. In the morning of January 1, a flower arranging contest and flower demonstration will be held to welcome the New Year 2010.
The Netherlands is one of Vietnam’s biggest trading partners in Europe in agricultural products, mainly fisheries, dairy products, coffee, fruits and vegetables.