Opening the biggest tourism event ever
On the morning of August 4, at Thu Ngu Flagpole, Bach Dang Wharf Park (District 1), the "First Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2023" officially opened. Under the red flag with a yellow star and the heroic melody of the National Anthem, leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and many leaders and officials of the Departments of Tourism, Culture, etc. were moved to hold the opening ceremony of the largest tourism event ever in the city," according to Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai.
Bach Dang Park in the early morning of August with its magnificent stage becomes an extremely unique cultural space, attracting thousands of people and tourists to visit and participate in many fun activities such as: bamboo dancing, sack dancing, stilt walking, carrying water across the bridge, chess, displaying and instructing on making artistic kites...
Reviewing the development of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City over more than 300 years, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai recognized that along the rivers and canals, ports - wharves, market streets, craft villages, and boat-based services were formed and developed bustlingly, creating the unique characteristics of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City. History has created a riverside city that harmonizes culture and economy, tradition and modernity, identity and integration. "On the wharf, under the boat" is not only an activity that needs to continue to be promoted to develop Ho Chi Minh City's economy, but also a way of life, a culture, a precious heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted.
Ho Chi Minh City has many opportunities to develop river tourism.
In order to preserve and promote cultural and historical values, build typical products and events; promote the exploitation of economic and tourism values from the river and sea resource system in the city; aim to position the brand of a river city rich in cultural identity, the City People's Committee organizes the "First Ho Chi Minh City River Festival in 2023".
"With that meaning, today, at the Thu Ngu Flagpole - one of the symbols of the river city and also one of the witnesses of the formation and development of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City over the past hundreds of years, the "First Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2023" officially took place, opening the largest tourism event ever of the city. We hope that people and tourists will have interesting experiences during the days of attending the festival to feel more deeply about the friendliness, openness, generosity and generosity of the people of Ho Chi Minh City; about the "on the wharf, under the boat" culture of the land over 300 years old. From there, love and be proud of Ho Chi Minh City, a heroic city, full of vitality, full of energy, always cherishing the past and constantly looking towards the future", Chairman Phan Van Mai emphasized.
Elevating emotions into art
Taking place over 3 days from August 4 to 6, for the first time, the images, lands, people, cultural identity, tourism activities and typical cuisine of Ho Chi Minh City are focused on and expressed so clearly.
Coming to the festival, people and tourists can experience water tourism programs; experience the "on the wharf, under the boat" space at Nhieu Loc canal (District 1), Binh Dong wharf (District 8) with attractive activities recreating the lifestyle of the Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City community through the ages and shopping for agricultural products and specialties of the localities. People and tourists can also immerse themselves in the exciting atmosphere of water sports activities and cultural, artistic and folk games spaces at Bach Dang wharf, Lam Son park.
Opening of Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2023
The highlight of the festival is the art program "Storytelling River" recreating the history of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City taking place on the evening of August 6 with a combination of art forms from folk to contemporary, from music, cinema, dance to lighting technology and modern performance technology and the participation of nearly 700 actors and folk artists. This is also the first live show in Ho Chi Minh City and for the first time the historical story of Saigon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City is told in 5 art chapters: Reclaiming the wilderness - Opening the land - On the wharf, under the boat - The pearl of the Far East - Brilliant city by the river.
Ms. Le Hai Yen, the program's general director, said that the show on the river will recreate the formation of nature and people through the development periods of Gia Dinh - Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City and the river is the heroic "witness".
"I spent nearly a year traveling on the rivers, meeting with "Saigonologists" to listen to the historical stories of this land, from which the name "Saigon - The River Tells Stories" was born. The real scenes took place on a real river, a real trading port, real boats, real people, real settings and real stories with the most genuine emotions elevated to art", Ms. Le Thi Hai Yen shared.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the river festival not only promotes the history and cultural characteristics of the city but also exploits the values of the city's river and sea resources, contributing to positioning the city's brand - a river city rich in cultural identity.
The long-standing dream of the tourism industry
"You must go to Nhieu Loc Canal right away. It's beautiful, magnificent, and unique," the enthusiastic invitation of Mr. Phan Xuan Anh, Chairman of the Board of Members of Viet Excursions Company. Having been immersed in Ho Chi Minh City's waterway tourism products for nearly two decades, Mr. Phan Xuan Anh calls the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2023 the long-standing wish of those working in river tourism in the city.
Because, possessing nearly 1,000 km of waterways with a canal system connecting many provinces and cities along with many local economic activities, Ho Chi Minh City has been struggling for more than a decade and still cannot develop an attractive waterway tourism system. Most waterway tours in the city are in a state of "living day by day". A typical example is the tour on Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal (operated by Viet Excursions) - the first "shot" in the strategy of developing inner-city waterway tourism, after nearly 10 years of operation, there has not been any period of time when it has been struggling to survive.
In that context, a product worthy of enhancing the position of the city's river resources and the position of those working in river tourism like this festival has great significance. It demonstrates the city's determination to invest in quality river tourism products, turning rivers into money and bringing economic benefits to the people.
"Tests such as the Ghe Ngo race and the dragon boat race on the Saigon River will provide Ho Chi Minh City with experience to organize larger races in the future. International F1 and F2 boat races are completely feasible. Other events and programs are the same. From this momentum, river resources will certainly be exploited more thoroughly and developed more strongly to become world-class tourism products," Mr. Phan Xuan Anh expected.
According to him, the lesson from the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal has shown that: Only when there is a focus on investment and development, there are products, economic transactions, and people regularly passing by, can polluted rivers and canals be revived. When tourism and economic activities along the river and on the water surface gradually take shape, projects to improve the water environment must also be accelerated. People will also be more aware and join hands to protect the urban environment.
Ideas and products have gradually become reality. The most important thing now is for the city to complete the framework of mechanisms and policies from public land along the coast to water surface exploitation; calculate a methodical roadmap to truly promote the full potential of Ho Chi Minh City's rivers and waters, ensuring harmony between tourism, transportation and economic benefits.
Mr. Phan Xuan Anh
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