Launch of the Australia – Vietnam Mural Village
Today the Cao Lanh City and the Australian Government officially launched the “Australia – Vietnam Mural Village” in Tan Tich Ward, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province.
“The Australian Government is proud to support this very first community art project in the Mekong Delta”, said Ms. Rebecca Bryant, Deputy Head of Mission - Australian Embassy in Vietnam, at the mural village opening.
“The Australia – Vietnam Mural Village has added a big splash of colour to the walls around the village, and we hope this will attract new visitors to the area. Together with the Cao Lanh Bridge, which we expect will open in the first half of 2018, this will be a new symbol of the friendship between Australia and Vietnam”.
Hundreds of different mural installations were created by artists, including an Indigenous Australian artist, together with volunteer students from Dong Thap University.
“This public art project has created opportunities for local young people to contribute positively to their local community and for both Australian and Vietnamese artists to put their creative talents on display”, said Mr. Bradley Kickett, the Australian artist who participated in the project.
The Australia – Vietnam Mural Village is expected to bring a new vitality to the Tan Tich neighbourhood while still preserving the charm of its tight-knit community. Over time the village will attract many new visitors from across the Province, different parts of the country and from around the world.
The Cao Lanh Bridge, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Australia, is one of two major bridges (Cao Lanh and Vam Cong) under the Central Mekong Delta Connectivity Project. Funded by grant aid from the Australian Government and a concessional loan from the ADB, the Cao Lanh Bridge represents the largest single Australian aid activity in mainland Southeast Asia. It will help link people and markets in the Mekong Delta to the rest of Southeast Asia and beyond. The bridge will directly benefit five million people and is expected to shorten travel times for 170,000 daily road users.