Hoi An, Vietnam (March 2016) – the Asia Silk Alliance (ASA), a result of MI’s initiative back in September 2015 at Khon Kaen, Thailand and the International Silk Union (ISU) in October 2015 at Hangzhou, China, organized the Vietnam – Asia Silk Culture Festival 2016 last March 28-29, 2016 through Hoi An Silk Group. The festival gathered over 70 representatives from the local traditional silk villages, fashion designers, silk traders, silk exporters, government officials, researchers, and other members from China, Japan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, France, Italy, and Spain. 

The event aimed to create an official platform connecting and promoting activities of ASA and ISU members for business development and cooperation between silk centers in Asia and the world. The event was also in line with a series of celebrations: the 16th Anniversary of World Cultural Heritage of Hoi An as recognized by UNESCO, the 300th anniversary of sericulture development in Hoi An – Quang Nam, and the 41st Liberation anniversary of Hoi An City. 

The two-day event comprised of the following main activities: a seminar, silk expo, fashion show, and a city tour in the World Cultural Heritage city. Mekong Institute, represented by Mr. Madhurjya Kumar Dutta, Director of Trade and Investment Facilitation Department (TIF), delivered a speech on Silk in Modern Life focusing on innovation, challenges, and future trends of modern ways in the silk sector.