Vietnamese youth delegates participating in the upcoming 43^rd Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) have promoted their home country via an impressive series of photos of the “non la,” or conical leaf hat.

Vietnamese delegates at the event have presented their home country to their foreign peers via a photo album featuring the ‘non la’, or conical leaf hat - a cultural symbol of Vietnam.

The photos have been taken across three distinct parts of the country in the hope of depicting Vietnamese lifestyle as a whole, including its cultural norms .

“We have tried to interpret the dignity of non la, a simple but symbolic headwear, to produce an emotional response from viewers, especially international delegates, so that they can visualize Vietnamese culture and that of Vietnamese youths in particular,” Hoang Bao, a Vietnamese delegate of SSEAYP 2016, said.

“Most of the foreign delegates are knowledgeable of our history and famous destinations, but they lack opportunities to find out how we really [the Vietnamese] live.”

“The objective of the album is to help them understand to some degree,” Bao explained.

The idea came from one Vietnamese delegate currently studying in South Korea, after seeing foreigners proudly taking the ‘non la’ back home as a souvenir from Vietnam.

“We are delighted to see so many Vietnamese and foreign visitors show interest in the concept,” another delegate said.

“Some have even borrowed the hats to immediately share on social media.” 

Established in 1974, SSEAYP is a program jointly run by the Japanese government and other Southeast Asian countries to foster friendship and greater understanding amongst youth from participating nations.

Vietnam first joined the program in 1995.

The ship is scheduled to anchor in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam between October 25 to December 15.

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