(VOVWORLD) - Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with lacquer and gold and at the same time enhancing the cracks. Repair in Western culture aims to return the product to its original state, Kintsugi, on the other hand, highlights blemishes that can create new beauty. The art of kintsugi is inextricably linked to the Japanese philosophy of embracing life’s imperfections. In this week’s Cultural Rendezvous, we’ll learn more about the ancient Japanese repair technique of kintsugi.

(VOVWORLD) - Traditionally, henna is used to paint blessings on the skin of most brides before a Muslim wedding ceremony. At a recent gathering in Hanoi to introduce the social and cultural transformation of Saudi Arabia, many guests showed interest in henna painting, a traditional art of Islamic culture. Dr. Hiba Mostafa S. Mahros, the wife of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Vietnam, will talk to us today about the art form.

(VOVWORLD) - On top of pop/rock music known worldwide, Sweden has a lesser known classical/chamber music industry. Today we’ll share with you part of a conversation with Åsa Jäger, a young Swedish soprano, about Swedish chamber music and how to attract more young people to this genre. Åsa just performed a Christmas concert with artists from the Vietnam Academy of Music and a Lucia celebration at the Swedish Embassy in Hanoi.

(VOVWORLD) - It’s said that the food culture of Saudi Arabia is heavily influenced by other cuisines of the region, so visitors to the Kingdom have a pleasant variety of dishes to choose from. At a recent gathering in Hanoi, Dr. Hiba Mostafa S. Mahros, the wife of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Vietnam, talked to VOV’s reporter about the authentic Saudi cuisine and some popular dishes in Saudi Arabia.

(VOVWORLD) - Japan is famous not only for Hello Kitty, a product branding character, and Doraemon, a cartoon robot cat, but also Maneki-Neko, the good luck beckoning cat. This week, we’ll tell you about Maneki-Neko and how this lucky money cat is believed to help you attract wealth and prosperity energy.

(VOVWORLD) - BridgeFest, a music and community festival, finally returned after a 2-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through songs, exhibit booths, and social activities on the sidelines of the festival, BridgeFest encourages young people to be agents of change, to reduce social inequality, and to be their authentic selves. Since its inception, this concept has resonated with the Vietnamese public. In this week’s Cultural Rendezvous, we’ll discuss BridgeFest 2022, the 6th iteration of the festival, which took place last month in Danang city.

(VOVWORLD) - The West African country of Ghana is a fascinating place with rich history and culture. It also has immense natural wealth. There are several unique factors about the country that are sure to attract curious travelers, and one of that is the most famous drink in Ghana, Akpeteshie, which is a Ghanaian spirit produced by distilling palm wine.

(VOVWORLD) - Ghana is one of 54 countries in the African continent. Today, we invite Ernesto Obeng Quarshie, an English teacher from Ghana who has been living in Vietnam for 6 years, to our show to help us get to know more about Ghana.

(VOVWORLD) -Canada, the second largest country in the world, is known as a welcoming and tolerant country and is now being recognized as one of the most diverse countries in the world. Today we welcome back Amanda Butler, an English teacher and copy editor from Toronto, who will share some interesting facts about Canada on today’s Culture Rendezvous.

(VOVWORLD) - "A picture is worth more than a thousand words", Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu said at a recent exhibition of handcrafts and photographs of the history, customs, and culture of the Iranian people. Cultural Rendezvous’s Bao Tram talked with Iranian Ambassador to Vietnam Ali Akbar Nazari about the art heritages of Iran, the land of the thrilling stories of Sheherazade, with whom many generations of Vietnamese are familiar.