On the 12^th of May, the second edition of the Asian Festival "The Colors of Traditions" took place on the "Summer Estrada" stage in Borisova Gradina Park.

This year it had a charitable cause in support of the development of children placed in foster families by the "For Our Children" Foundation. The amount raised at the festival was 11.496 BGN, which came from tickets bought in the charity lottery by the visitors and from donations made by the embassies participating in the event.

"The Colors of Traditions" is organized under the initiative of the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia, which along with 13 diplomatic missions of Vietnam, India, Iran, China, Kuwait, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Philippines and Japan, presented the culture and traditions of the Asian countries. The event was supported by the State Cultural Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, Sofia Municipality and a big number of sponsors.

The Asian Festival was opened personally by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria - Rumen Radev. In his welcoming speech to the present ambassadors and guests he said that the Asian countries are a natural partner of Bulgaria because we are their bridge to Europe. Asia today is a key factor in global economic growth and is increasingly affecting the dynamics of international processes. He also stressed out that "Asia is immense, not only geographically but also as a historical and cultural space. The continent is a cradle of ancient civilizations that, with their cultural achievements, have attracted the attention of Europe from ancient times. The variety of customs, traditions and achievements in art, and especially in the philosophy of the Asian people, are admirable".

The number of the people who attended showed the great interest towards the largest continent on Earth. More than 10,000 were the visitors who experienced the 46 performances on stage and the many different activities which were typical of the Asian culture: music, dancing, traditional rituals, games, crafts and handicrafts workshops... The attendees also had the opportunity to get familiar with the Asian cuisine through the stalls full of delicacies and souvenirs.

The photos were provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in the Republic of Bulgaria. On them: moments from the event, the idea of which was given by H. E. Ms. Sri Astari Rasjid, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to Bulgaria