With this year's lantern festival, the tenth anniversary of the town twinning between Hoi An and Wernigerode is duly celebrated. From 25 to 27 August 2023, Wernigerode's old town will again sparkle in the light of hundreds of hand-made Vietnamese lanterns. “At the end of August, we are going on a trip to our sister city, which will bring us even closer to Vietnamese culture and life there. I cordially invite all Wernigerode residents and guests to let themselves be enchanted by the culture of our twin town,” says Mayor Tobias Kascha. At Wernigerode's market square, Hoi An's craftsmen and traders offer authentic Vietnamese craftsmanship. In addition, all visitors and guests can look forward to traditional dishes from Southeast Asia and an extensive stage program.
Special highlights of the Lantern Festival also include vegetable carving workshops in the coach house, a visit to the photo exhibition "My favorite photo from Hoi An" or taster tours with a cycle rickshaw, which is typical of the street scene in Hoi An and other cities in Vietnam.
Kristin Dormann, Office Manager of the Lord Mayor, adds: "What would such a festival be without friends and reliable partners? We are so pleased that we have received so much positive feedback from regional companies. We are very grateful.” The lantern festival is supported by: Stadtwerke Wernigerode GmbH, Harzsparkasse, Glasmanufaktur Harzkristall, Blankenburger Wiesenquell, Hasseröder, Industriebau Wernigerode and the Harzer Volksstimme. The festival is organized by Wernigerode Tourismus GmbH, and the Wernigerode Intercultural Network Association also supports it.
This is what the guests of the Lantern Festival 2023 can expect:
Wernigerode Tourismus GmbH has put together a colorful stage programme. Among others, the local groups "3G-Livemusik ohne Lärm" and "Liedzweig" play, but the song project "Der Wilde Garten" with Georgi "Joro" Gogow also finds its place at the Lantern Festival.
Special highlights will be music, singing and dancing with the artist group of the city of Hoi An, which will captivate all guests. Vietnamese bingo is played late in the evening on Friday and Saturday. Before the farewell program on Sunday, the entry of Vietnamese women from the German communities with a presentation of traditional costumes will cause enthusiasm.
Away from the old town, the ten-year town twinning is honored in a completely different way. The Hoi An Garden will be officially opened in the Wernigerode Citizens' Park on August 24, 2023 at 5 p.m.
This partnership garden was designed together with partners in Hoi An and, in addition to traditional Vietnamese art, also brings knowledge to Wernigerode. Sustainability and environmental education have their place here, but visitors are also invited to take a short trip to our twin town.
The Hoi An Bridge will be officially inaugurated at the Harz University of Applied Sciences on August 25, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. The pedestrian bridge, which leads over the Holtemme, will be used as a sign of the partnership with the Hoi An Bridge, based on the existing Heltauer Platz and the Neustadter Ring.
To the program flyer: http://prospekte.wernigerode-tourismus.de/hoi-an-lampionfest-2023/68359829   
Date: Friday to Sunday, 25/08/2023 - 27/08/2023                         
Location: Wernigerode market square
Admission: free
Background
Since August 2013, the Vietnamese port city of Hoi An has been Wernigerode's twin city. The city with around 75,000 inhabitants is located on the coast of central Vietnam on the South China Sea, about 30 km south of Da Nang in the province of Quang Nam. Hoi An was once the largest port in Southeast Asia. The historic old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town partnership is characterized by numerous joint, interdisciplinary projects, for example, the WiSo project Harz-Hoi An to combat the shortage of skilled workers and the climate partnership, which focuses on sustainable and environmentally conscious action.