The resort town of Sa Pa, in northern mountainous Lao Cai Province, will host a Culture – Tourism Week from April 30 to May 3 in a move to attract more visitors.

The week will bring together a wide range of activities highlighting rich and distinctive aspects of the province’s diverse ethnic cultures, including an art exhibition entitled “Colours of mountainous areas,” a gastronomy fair featuring the Muong ethnic group’s cuisine, and an orchid fair.

Festivals depicting traditional festivities celebrated by local ethnic people, the cultural lifestyles and sports of the minorities will be highlights during the event.

In particular, the Sa Pa love market will be restaged as part of the week as local authorities are fearing that this unique and traditional event will be lost to commercialisation.

Throughout its history, Sa Pa’s downtown market opened on Saturday night as a destination for young, single Hmong, Dao, Tay and Ray ethnic minorities in the surrounding areas to go and seek their true love.

Those already married also seldom missed the event, as it offered them an opportunity to revisit old flames and relive the experience of young love.

In the evening, the love market would fill with tenderly bewitching music from the romantic leaf-horn, and with people from all around the area dressed in their finest garb.

Sa Pa is now regarded as one of Vietnam’s top vacation and relaxation destinations, sought out by both locals and foreigners alike. In 2008, it welcomed more than 285,000 tourists.

Local officials said they expect to welcome at least 10,000 tourists during this occasion as many hotels have reported reservations.

Home-stay will also be a good choice for holidaymakers, they noted.

(Source: VNA)

Khanh Hoa Province is gearing up the Nha Trang Sea Festival, which will run from June 6-12 with the theme Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) – Civilisation and Friendship.

A host of activities will mark the run up to the event, starting with a musical show on May 19 to commemorate the birthday of late President Ho Chi Minh.

During the rest of the month, other performances will be held to herald the fest, including a show by ethnic children in Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen and Ninh Thuan provinces. An official campaign to clean up local beaches and an exhibition of metal work will also be held.

A grand fireworks display will announce the opening of the festival with musical performances sponsored by VinaCapital.

The seven-day programme includes 70 different events in culture, art, sports, economics and science.

Folk culture will also get a special mention, with the Cau Ngu Festival (fish worshipping ceremony) and Cham performances.

There will be coracle racing, an exhibition of calligraphy, art kite launching and a sand sculpture contest.

Organisers are also intending to break several national records, including the largest folk orchestra in Vietnam, the biggest wifi cafe at the seaside, the longest piece of embroidery work and the largest pho (noodle soup) bowl in Vietnam.

This year’s festival will feature a broad range of culture, sports and tourism activities, including street festivals, exhibitions of books, photos and calligraphy, French film screening, art performances and water sports competitions.

The fest has drawn art troupes from France, Ukraine, Japan and the RoK. The organising board will also invite beauty queens from the 29 countries with the most beautiful bays in the world to attend the festival. Other highlights include a national conference on urban planning, a beach football tournament, an international book fair and a joint Vietnam-RoK concert.

Nha Trang is one of the most important tourist hubs of Vietnam, thanks to its white beaches, clear ocean water and year-round mild temperatures.

The Sea Festival is held in Nha Trang City every two years. In 2007, around 250,000 tourists attended, according to the organising board.

(Source: VNA)

The Do Son Tourist Festival 2009 will run from April 30 to May 3 at the Do Son tourist site, Hai Phong City.

This is the fourth consecutive year Do Son District has held the festival at the start of the tourism season and is hoping to attract over 2 million visitors.

This year activities will include a traditional buffalo fighting, a dragon boat race, a women water volleyball competition and a golf tournament at the newly-established Do Son Seaside Golf Resort.

Do Son is gradually improving its tourist services to make it become better known as an impressive venue for national and international seminars, conferences and other important events.

(Source: VOV)