Life
Festival Huế aims to attract more young people, international visitors
After many delays due to the pandemic, Huế Festival will return between June 25 and 30 this year with a variety of interesting activities.
This is the first time the biennial festival has been organised throughout the year with activities spread over four seasons, the highlight of which is the cultural festival at the end of June.
Lê Hương chats with Nguyễn Văn Phúc, director of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province’s Tourism Department, on the upcoming Huế Festival 2022.
Could you tell me what the local tourism sector expects from this new form of festival, which will spread throughout the year?
This festival will be a four-season occasion with a series of activities and events in every month of the year, the highlight of which will be the festival week at the end of June. We will be hosting events and in case of an emergency, there will be other activities at other times of the year. So the festival will not be stopped for a long time.
As we have organised events monthly, we offer tourists and the community more chances to get close to and explore the festive activities, rather than only visiting Huế for a week to attend the events. Instead, tourists can plan to visit Huế any time in the year. We hope to avoid the pressure caused by too many tourists flocking to Huế in a short time and draw more visitors to the province throughout the year. We hope to receive more domestic guests of all ages.
We can see from the schedule this year that the department has cooperated very closely with enterprises to host the festival. There are also new activities like promoting brand names and co-organising media trips. Could you tell me more about the combination of private and public sectors at this festival?
The tourism sector must work together with various agencies, especially enterprises specialising in tourism services. We have called for the active participation of enterprises to sponsor activities. To the State agencies, this will help ease the tension due to budget constraints. For enterprises, this will create more chances for them to join in social works and to develop in other business fields. They will be more confident to join in other upcoming investment projects in the province.
In the recent conference on culture, the Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng called for more contribution of the culture sector in the national economic development. A concrete purpose was set out that by 2030, the culture, tourism and sports sector should contribute 7 per cent to the GDP. How has the local culture and tourism sector worked for that purpose?
Our province and other localities have issued policies to preserve traditional culture and promote tourism along with socio-economic development. We have a master plan to preserve cultural heritage and develop tourism in combination with the common development plan for the province.
Before, each sector had a different plan. Now we have a general master plan for all fields. The master plan helps us to have a clear direction and a uniform connection between agencies. For example, all agencies can join in preserving cultural heritage, bringing into full play the value of the heritage, and developing tourism.
We have invested in infrastructure and traffic facilities, and upgraded urban areas over the past two years like pedestrian zones and roads inside Huế Citadel and along the river. We have projects invested by the province and the State like roads along the coastline or bridges crossing the sea to ease traffic connections between provinces such as the Cam Lộ Highway project.
In cultural heritage preservation, we have implemented a project to upgrade Thái Hòa Palace, Thái Miếu, Kiến Trung Palace and especially a project to move houses away from the former inner citadel area. These projects have been cared much and invested much by both the State and local authorities for the common purpose to preserve and bring into full play cultural heritage values and develop tourism.
Could you tell me more about the foreign performers that will join the festival?
This year, the number of foreign troupes is not as many as in the previous festivals. Most of them are from neighbouring countries and our main partners like Sri Lanka, France, Thailand, Laos, South Korea and Japan.
It’s a pity that due to the tension in the world, traffic is not as smooth as before. Many troupes cannot arrive. But they still commit to following Huế Festival and sharing information. They will join us next year. In the next year, we will host a festival on traditional handicrafts. In 2024, we hope to receive more foreign troupes to the Huế Festival.
This is the first time that a Media Trip has been organised with travel bloggers and key opinion leaders (KOLs). Do you want to make the festival more appealing to younger audiences?
Yes, we have two purposes. First, we want to create a new image for Huế, as not only a former citadel with profound culture and ancient architecture but as a city with many changes and developments, preserving the old and bringing into full play the values of cultural heritage.
Through travel bloggers and KOLs, we hope to lure more young people to Huế to experience the many beautiful places, interesting tourism products and cultural life of locals. Our province has actively developed community-based tourism, and special check-in places created for young people.
We also want to lure more international audiences to Huế Festival as the bloggers and KOLs have many followers from the international community. —
Source: https://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/1252185/festival-hue-aims-to-attract-more-young-people-international-visitors.html
The Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2023 opened on Saturday evening in Nha Trang, a famous beach city in south-central Vietnam, with the theme of ‘Nha Trang – Aspiration for Development,’ attracting tens of thousands of local and foreign visitors.
The opening ceremony of the four-day event, which covers more than 70 cultural and sports activities, took place at April 2 Square in Nha Trang, the city capital of Khanh Hoa Province, given the organization of the provincial People’s Committee.
This biennial festival, which was first launched in 2003, reflects traditional and contemporary cultural values toward preserving and promoting the cultural quintessence of the nation in general and Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa in particular, Dinh Van Thieu, deputy chairman of the Khanh Hoa administration, said at the ceremony.
This is also one of the important events to celebrate the 370th anniversary of the construction and development of Khanh Hoa (1653 – 2023), the organizing board said, adding that the festival was suspended in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s festival commenced with the shows of motorized paragliding, LED kites and ten hot-air balloons lighting up the sky with 3D effects, bringing excitement and pleasure to thousands of viewers.
The main highlight of the ceremony was the brilliant light show by more than 1,600 drones that were arranged to form different words and spectacle structures including aircraft in the sky, attracting a lot of audiences.
Following the drone light show was a five-minute artistic fireworks display, combined with multi-layered sound and light effects.
A unique art and music program followed the opening ceremony, comprising two parts: ‘Love words of the sea’ and ‘Sea – development potential.’
The program began with a song that features the beauty of the country’s sea areas stretching from north to south, and of the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa – Truong Sa in the East Vietnam Sea.
During the festival that will last until Tuesday, there will be a lot of attractive sports and cultural items, including a fish-worshiping festival, a hip-hop club party, a fishing contest, a marathon race themed ‘Run to Future,’ art and music performances, and a fashion show, among others.
It is expected that Khanh Hoa will welcome about 100,000 visitors during the festival, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
This year, the province is set to receive four million visitors, including 1.5 million foreigners, and earn some VND21 trillion (US$894.4 million) in travel revenue, the news agency cited the province’s Department of Tourism as saying.
These targets are far higher than the total of 2.57 million travelers and the revenue of nearly VND14 trillion ($596.2 million) recorded in 2022.
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| This photo features numerous visitors gathering at the April 2 Square in Nha Trang City to attend the tenth sea festival in the beach city of Nha Trang. Photo: Cong Dinh / Tuoi Tre |
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| A drone light show features the theme of this year’s sea festival: ‘Khanh Hoa – Aspiration for Development.’ Photo: Cong Dinh / Tuoi Tre |
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| This image shows visitors using their smartphones to photograph one of the drone light performances at the opening ceremony of the tenth sea festival in Khanh Hoa Province’s Nha Trang City on June 3, 2023. Photo: Minh Chien / Tuoi Tre |
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| An art and music performance at the opening ceremony of the Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2023. Photo: Hoai Bao / Tuoi Tre |
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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230604/sea-festival-kicks-off-in-nha-trang/73577.html
The People’s Committee of Cu Chi District, located some 37 kilometers from downtown Ho Chi Minh City, has started offering visitors a captivating opportunity to indulge in a rustic countryside experience that showcases the district’s rich cultural heritage, traditional lifestyle, and scenic beauty.
This initiative, taking place in Trung An Commune from Saturday to June 10, marks the district’s second year of hosting such an interesting countryside experience.
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| Nguyen Canh Toan (R) and his family harvest rambutans during a program offering visitors countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Visitors can engage in a wide range of activities including shopping for products and culinary delights crafted from fruits at a space that replicates the ambiance of a countryside market.
They can also explore and buy fruits instantly at the gardens, as well as participate in several traditional folk games.
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| Visitors try riding bicycles during a program offering countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Besides its reputation of being a historical destination, Cu Chi is famous for fruit-laden orchards, livestock farms, green vegetable gardens, and colorful flower routes.
Currently, the district is ablaze with rich colors from an assortment of local delicacies such as mangosteens, rambutans, and green Burmese grapes that are at their prime of beauty and juiciness.
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| Farmer Nguyen Thanh Long harvests rambutans during a program offering visitors countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
“In this year’s fruit season, Trung An Commune warmly welcomes visitors to explore 35 open gardens,” Nguyen Thi Hang, deputy chairwoman of Cu Chi District, said at the initiative’s opening ceremony on Saturday morning.
“With its refreshing and temperate climate, coupled with fertile soil, the commune showcases an abundance of fruit-filled gardens that will definitely offer a delightful sensory experience with their delectable flavors and enticing aromas.
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| Visitors harvest rambutans at a garden in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
“I hope that the gardeners treat tourists as esteemed guests, reflecting the hospitable nature of our community, so that our visitors find utmost satisfaction in the products and services we provide, experiencing the genuine warmth and friendliness of the rural people of Cu Chi.”
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| Mangosteens are displayed during a program offering countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
The program aims to showcase the essence of Cu Chi’s land, its people, and culinary delights to visitors, while also highlighting the district’s distinctive agricultural products and fruits.
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| Visitors play a folk game during a program offering countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Hang stated that the organizers’ ultimate goal is to establish Cu Chi as a renowned destination for eco-tourism, fostering connections between farmers, businesses, and tourists, thereby making a significant contribution to the effective implementation of the district’s tourism development program.
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| Children try catching ducks during a program offering visitors countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
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| Bottles of a vegetable pickle product are displayed during a program offering countryside experiences in Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 3, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230604/district-in-ho-chi-minh-city-welcomes-visitors-for-countryside-experiences/73558.html
The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2023 kicked off in Vietnam’s central coastal city of Danang on Friday evening, featuring a large fireworks and music party that lit up the night sky over the Han River.
The festival started with the performances by the Vietnamese and Finnish teams.
Le Trung Chinh, chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee, said the success of the DIFF over the years has proved its attraction for local residents and international visitors.
This year’s festival, themed “The World Without Distance”, is expected to serve as a bridge bringing people closer together and removing all barriers, especially after a three-year hiatus induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinh said.
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| The performance of the Vietnamese team at the DIFF 2023 lasted over 20 minutes. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
The 20-minute performance by the host Vietnam highlighted the theme “Da Nang – The Sound of Peace”, telling stories, including a story about the recovery of Da Nang post pandemic, through the combination of light and sound and spreading a message of peace, stability, and happiness.
Tran Van Hung, in charge of the technical group of the Vietnamese team, said the performance by the host used close to 4,500 fireworks of various types and more than 128 different color effects, in addition to music.
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| The performance of the Vietnamese team at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
The Finnish team, Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks, took the stage under the theme “Ignite the Heart”, dazzling the audiences with its perfect combination of music and fireworks.
Johan Hollander, the Finnish team leader, said his team wanted to bring to the DIFF 2023 a dynamic and emotional performance, which wrapped up with a call for unity and love for life.
The DIFF 2023, scheduled to last from June 2 to July 8 along the Han River, gathers eight teams including Danang-Vietnam, the UK, Italy, Poland, France, Australia, Canada, and Finland.
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| The performance of the Vietnamese team at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Vietnamese team at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Vietnamese team at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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| The performance of the Finnish team Joho Pyro Professional Fireworks at the DIFF 2023 in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre |
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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230603/sparkling-fireworks-displays-delight-audiences-in-da-nang/73552.html
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