General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse began an official visit to France on September 10. The trip runs through September 12 and includes attendance at the Global Space Summit in Paris.
Just before departing, French Ambassador Olivier Brochet made a farewell trip to Thay Pagoda, an ancient cultural landmark outside Hanoi. Brochet visited the site three times during his three-year tenure. This journey marked his final official trip in Vietnam before returning home, capping a successful diplomatic term.
In an iconic cultural setting, the French diplomat bid an emotional farewell to the Vietnamese people.
“I love the landscape here,” Brochet told local officials in Quoc Oai. “An ancient pagoda set against mountains preserves its original architecture, shows little intrusive human intervention, and lies close to central Hanoi.”
Thay Pagoda follows a rare architectural orientation: backing against Sai Son Mountain and facing Long Tri Lake. In East Asian philosophy, this layout balances mountain and water, stillness and movement, yin and yang.
Standing before the floating pavilion, the pagoda’s signature feature, the ambassador noted that every visit reveals fresh beauty.
Brochet expressed fascination upon learning that local farmers stage traditional water puppet shows at the pavilion. While he had attended professional shows in central Hanoi, watching village performances offered a unique charm.
“The performances are in Vietnamese, so I cannot understand the spoken dialogue,” Brochet said. “Yet I grasp the stories celebrating history and daily life, especially when dragons take flight or the sacred turtle emerges.”
Though visiting for the fourth time, Brochet treated the experience as a fresh journey of discovery, taking personal photographs throughout the complex.
From the main pagoda, Brochet crossed Nhat Tien Bridge and climbed 250 stone steps to reach Cao Pagoda and Thanh Hoa Cave. He noted that France and Vietnam share a mutual commitment to heritage preservation. Effective conservation must sustain structural integrity while safeguarding cultural essence and local character.
“Vietnam demonstrates this balance well at sites like Thay Pagoda and Hue’s monuments,” the ambassador observed.
Beyond preserving French-era architecture in Vietnam, the two nations exchange heritage experts and architects. Brochet cited the partnership between the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum and the Caen Memorial Museum in France as an example of bilateral cooperation.
During his three years in office, Brochet traveled across Vietnam, visiting major cities and remote provincial projects funded by French partners.
“These field visits showed tangible benefits for local communities, turning high-level bilateral commitments into reality,” Brochet recalled. “They also let me experience Vietnam’s remarkable diversity.”
Brochet highlighted the genuine warmth of the people he met along hiking trails, across mountain slopes, and through terraced tea hills. He recalled watching farmers work diligently beneath scorching sun, consistently showing infectious optimism.
Through frequent travel, the diplomat witnessed Vietnam’s rapid modernization. Industrial parks expanded, cities developed rapidly, and the healthcare sector—a traditional pillar of bilateral cooperation—advanced significantly.
“The Vietnamese people are kind and warm,” Brochet said. “Vietnam and its people will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Reflecting on To Lam’s visit, Brochet emphasized that three top-level bilateral meetings within two years demonstrate deep political trust.
That mutual trust helps both nations address global challenges while encouraging French corporations to invest and expand their presence in Vietnam’s evolving economy.
The Paris summit will reaffirm traditional partnerships and open new collaborative frontiers, particularly in space technology.
During the visit, To Lam will tour the Paris-Saclay innovation cluster, one of France’s premier research and higher education hubs.
“This is an opportunity to showcase France’s very best in education, advanced training, and scientific research,” Brochet concluded.
(Source: Vietnam.net)
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