The first ever festival to feature national dishes from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea began at College of Foreign Languages of the Hanoi National University on November 28.

A series of cultural activities, such as drum performances and traditional sports games from the two countries helped to warm up the opening ceremony, which was attended by some 400 youngsters.

The two-day event, which aims to introduce the unique cultural identities of the two nations and raise money for Hanoi residents affected by the recent floods, is expected to attract up to 6,000 young visitors.

A Korean food promotion programme is being held at Big C supermarket from November 27 to December 14.

The festival is part of activities being organised to mark the 16th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam-RoK diplomatic relations.