Chung received the honour on the occasion of the third Piazza Italia 2019 and the fourth Week of Italian Cuisine in the World taking place at Ly Thai To square, Hoan Kiem district.
The Order of Merit is awarded to foreign individuals who have made particularly important contributions to the development of the relationship between the two countries in general and for Italy in particular.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Hanoi mayor said the Piazza Italia 2019 is held to further tighten the friendship between Hanoi and the Italian Embassy in Vietnam as well as diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Italy in general.
It has become an annual cultural event providing a truly Italian experience where visitors have the opportunity to dive into various aspects of Italian lifestyle: gastronomy, music, design, fashion, cinema, sport and much more, he said.
The event lasts from 10am of Saturday (November 23) till 11pm of Sunday (November 24) with entertainment going on overnight for the first ever “White Night” in Hanoi.
According to Ambassador Antonio Alessandro, the 4th Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, themed “"Food education: the culture of taste”, was celebrated all over the world from November 18-24.
