The enduring legacy of friendship
For nearly a year, a mural at the Consulate General of Cuba in Ho Chi Minh City at 45 Phung Khac Khoan Street, Tan Dinh Ward, has stood out as a cultural landmark in the heart of the city. Inaugurated on September 6, 2025, the nearly 50-square-meter mural was created by lecturers and students of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts.
The mural features the national flags of Vietnam and Cuba alongside the lotus, bamboo and sugar cane, as well as familiar landmarks including the One Pillar Pagoda, Ha Long Bay, Cuba's Revolution Square and the Vinales Valley.
The artwork portrays the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, which was initiated and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban leader Fidel Castro and carried forward by generations of people in both countries.
The mural has attracted the attention of many young people visiting Ho Chi Minh City.
Anh Thu, a first-year student at the University of Science under Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, said that the mural was not only beautiful but also touched the emotions of younger generations. Placing familiar symbols of the two countries side by side helped her better appreciate a great friendship that transcends geographical distance.
Another initiative keeping Vietnam-Cuba ties alive is the “Cuba Corner” at the Social Sciences Library on Ly Tu Trong Street in Saigon Ward. Set up in October 2020 with support from the Consulate General of Cuba in Ho Chi Minh City and the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, the space offers Cuban literary, political and historical materials and hosts cultural exchange activities.
From book launches and film screenings to photo exhibitions and cultural exchanges, these activities have brought Cuba closer to HCMC residents, particularly young people, helping them discover the culture and people of a country thousands of miles away.
They also serve as a meaningful way to carry forward the spirit of friendship and solidarity built by President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
In education, the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association has organized various activities to support and connect Cuban students studying in the city. These initiatives help young Cubans learn more about Vietnam and its people while creating opportunities for young people from the two countries to meet and build friendships.
The association also works with the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, the Consulate General of Cuba and relevant departments and agencies to organize exchanges and receive Cuban delegations visiting and working in the city. Such meetings have created opportunities for businesses, universities, hospitals and social organizations from both sides to establish connections and explore suitable cooperation programs.
One of the association's notable initiatives during its previous term was the “Sun Without Borders” program, launched in Ho Chi Minh City on July 28, 2025, to mark the 65th anniversary of Vietnam-Cuba diplomatic relations (1960-2025).
The program was jointly implemented by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, the Department of Culture and Sports, and Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper (SGGP), Ho Chi Minh City Radio and Television (HTV) and the former HCMC Phu Nu (Women) Newspaper, all of which were separate press agencies before being merged into the Ho Chi Minh City Press and Radio-Television Agency.
In response to Cuba's energy difficulties, the program mobilized resources to install solar power systems at schools, receiving support from numerous agencies, businesses, organizations and residents of Ho Chi Minh City.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Truong Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, described each solar panel as a “ray of solidarity” sent from HCMC to Cuba. The systems have helped create better learning conditions for students and supported teachers in maintaining classes despite shortages.
She said the initiative reflects Ho Chi Minh City’s efforts to turn the long-standing friendship and solidarity between the two countries into meaningful action for the present generation.
To date, the program's organizers have received more than VND2 billion (US$76,000) from businesses and donors to build solar power systems at primary schools in Cuba. Solar systems have now been installed at more than 20 schools in the country.
Practical cooperation
From 2024 to 2026, Ho Chi Minh City has promoted a range of cooperation programs with Cuba. The city has supported Cuba's food security efforts through rice-growing development projects and organized several rice donations to the country.
Healthcare cooperation is also being put into practice. Ho Chi Minh City is working toward an agreement between the municipal Department of Health and Cuba's Ministry of Public Health to bring Cuban biologists and doctors to work in the city, with a view to developing a replicable model of grassroots healthcare cooperation.
Under directions agreed upon by the Consulate General of Cuba and Ho Chi Minh City leaders, the two sides plan to capitalize on Cuba's strengths in microbiological technology and grassroots healthcare while expanding cooperation in pharmaceutical, specialized drug and vaccine production.
Ho Chi Minh City is also ready to share its management experience and provide expert support to help Cuba develop high-tech agriculture and address difficulties faced by Vietnamese businesses investing in the country.
The two sides are also focusing on bringing Cuban culture and images of the country and its people closer to Ho Chi Minh City residents. These efforts aim to help people, particularly younger generations, gain a fuller understanding of Cuba's resilient revolutionary tradition, distinctive culture and warm, open people.
Ho Chi Minh City-Cuba connections
Ho Chi Minh City is home to a representative office of Cuba's Corporación CIMEX S.A., which trades in household goods, garments, confectionery, coffee and detergents, as well as a Habanos store offering Cuban specialty products.
Since 2022, the municipal Trade and Investment Promotion Center has worked with the Consulate General of Cuba to organize investment promotion seminars and forums focusing on Cuba, helping businesses from both sides explore markets and establish partnerships.
In healthcare, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health is working with the Consulate General of Cuba to host Cuban medical experts to share experience. Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and Cienfuegos University of Medical Sciences have also signed a memorandum of understanding on exchanges of scientific and technical information, research projects, lecturers, doctors, researchers and students.
In science and technology, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the development and management of science and technology parks and incubators. Cuba has also sent a delegation of 100 IT engineers to the city to learn from the experience of FPT Corporation.
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