Vietnam's seas, islands on spotlight at cultural and tourism week in Hanoi

Cultural heritages in Vietnam’s sea and islands region, as well as contributions made by soldiers to safeguarding national sovereignty, will be in the spotlight at the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week scheduled in Hanoi on November 21 -24.

The week is intended to inspire a love for the sea and islands among the public (Photo credit: Pham Kien)

Speaking at a press conference held in Hanoi this morning, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien said that the week is intended to honour the cultural value and tourism potential of Vietnam’s sea and islands as well as the traditions of people living there.

He also expressed his hope that the week would help reinforce public awareness of protecting the maritime environment and safeguarding the national sovereignty over its sea and islands, which he described as “a sacred part of the country’s territory”.

The event gathers the participation of culture, sports and tourism departments in 13 cities and provinces by the sea including Hai Phong, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Khanh Hoa, Ba Ria Vung Tau and Kien Giang.

Each city and province will be represented by a colour in the drawing of a colourful picture of Vietnam’s sea and islands, said Nguyen Thi Hoa, Deputy Director of Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts (VECCA).

The localities will have an opportunity to advertise their indigenous cultural features, signature dishes, handcraft products, traditional festivals, and tourist attractions at the event, she noted.

Daily arts shows will also be staged during the event, gathering hundreds of amateur and professional artists from the participating delegations, who are expected to perform Don Ca Tai Tu (southern folk music) from Ho Chi Minh City, Cheo (traditional opera) from Quang Ngai and Thua Thien – Hue, and Bai Choi (singing while playing cards) singing in Quang Nam province.

Of note, Le Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa ( Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers), a traditional event of the Ly Son islanders in Quang Ngai province held to commemorate the soldiers of Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago, will be recreated during the week by around 30 Ly Son islanders.

The week will kick off with an arts programme on November 21 at the Centre, 2 Hoa Lu street, Hai Ba Trung district. It will be broadcast live on Vietnam Television Channel 2.

An exhibition will open the same day to showcase tangible and intangible values of antiquities found at various sea areas throughout Vietnam and objects antiques dated back to the 15th century, collected from a shipwreck found at Cu Lao Cham in Da Nang city.

There are also displays of photos and documents on the operations of border soldiers, the Vietnamese People’s Navy, and coast guards, who are working day and night to protect the country’s sea and islands, particularly Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.

Prominent among the exhibits are photos, paper maps, 3-D maps, royal documents from the Nguyen dynasty, administrative documents of the French government and the southern Vietnam administration between 1955 and 1975 asserting Vietnam's undeniable sovereignty over the two archipelagos.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)