The active preparation for cultural festival in Hoi An

A heritage festival will be held in central Quang Nam province from June 22-26 in a bid to boost tourism in the region and country. The 5 th Quang Nam Heritage Festival, co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Quang Nam Provincial People’s Committee, is expected to see the participation of 18 provinces and cities that are home to world heritage sites and biosphere reserves.

The festival is expected to stimulate the province’s socio-economic development, according to a plan announced at a working session held in Quang Nam on April 10 to prepare for the festival.

High on the list of scheduled programs will be the sharing of experiences in heritage preservation among ASEAN countries and the aforementioned Vietnamese localities, cultural exchanges, and local tourism and cultural promotion, said Vice Chairman of the provincial committee Tran Minh Ca.

Activities will include an exhibition called “Vietnam-ASEAN Cultural Heritage Space”, a ceremony to mark the 10^th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the 3 rd International Choir Festival, the Miss Ethnic Vietnam 2013 pageant and the Art Festival for Vietnamese Ethnic Minority Groups.

Meanwhile, tourism promotion activities for the province will showcase the unique Cham culture and gong festivals performed by local ethnic artists.

On this occasion, an international conference on preserving intangible cultural heritage will be jointly held by the Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, UNESCO and the province, said Deputy Minister Ho Anh Tuan.

The opening ceremony is set to take place at the Hoi An Opera House on Hai Ba Trung Street at 8pm on June 22. The festival takes place during the second UNESCO Culture and Development Week.

It will include a World Heritage in Your hands Art contest, the launching of a new Tourism information Centre in Hoi An and the public opening of the restored My Son World Heritage site, where 60 objects recovered during the archaeological process will be presented to the public.

On the opening day of the festival, UNESCO will join forces with the province to launch an exhibit L’UNESCO- Quang Nam: Partnership to Promote Culture for Sustainable Development.

Other festival events to take place in the ancient town include a carnival in the old quarter and street art performances from regional artists, elsewhere, nearly Cham Island hosts the Miss Vietnam pageant final round, while Cam Thanh eco-village will host a billing tour.

Source: VNA