Hai Phong promotes tourism through cultural and artistic events

The most prominent activity of the 2024 Red Flamboyant Festival to promote Hai Phong tourism to visitors is the art program "Hai Phong - Light up the heritage land."

Cat Ba archipelago in Cat Hai district (Hai Phong) consists of 367 large and small islands, shimmering with colors, fine white sand beaches and clear water that allows you to see the bottom. (Photo: Minh Duc/VNA)

Three cultural and artistic events held in March, April and May in Cat Ba, Do Son and Hai Phong city are highlights that contribute significantly to promoting and developing tourism in the Port City.

Beach tourism highlights

Being a coastal city, sea tourism is a special product of Hai Phong with two major focuses being Cat Ba and Do Son . On March 31, Cat Hai district (the administrative management unit of Cat Ba archipelago) organized a festival to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Uncle Ho's visit to Cat Hai and the opening of Cat Ba Tourism in 2024.

At this ceremony, Mr. Bui Tuan Manh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cat Hai district affirmed that Cat Ba archipelago has received many titles such as being recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2004; recognized by the Prime Minister as a special National Monument of scenic beauty in 2013; Lan Ha Bay was recognized as a member of the Association of the most beautiful bays in the world in 2020.

On September 16, 2023, Cat Ba archipelago along with Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh) was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage. This is also the first inter-provincial and inter-city World Natural Heritage in Vietnam.

According to Mr. Bui Tuan Manh, the opening program of Cat Ba tourism in 2024 is a particularly important event, a message, a respectful invitation to domestic and international tourists to come to Cat Ba to explore and enjoy the priceless gift that nature bestows upon humans.

Art performance program in Hai Phong. (Source: VNA)

Although it is a key area for sea tourism, Do Son has unique and distinctive tourism resources. According to Mr. Pham Hoang Tuan, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, Do Son has landmarks and relics that have been recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization such as Hon Dau Island - the only landmark to determine the national level of Vietnam; Hon Dau Island - the place with the red Dabup complex dating back over 500 years, spread over an area of 5 hectares, the only one in Vietnam; Buffalo Fighting Festival - the oldest and most unique folk festival in Vietnam; K15 Wharf, Do Son District, Hai Phong - the starting point of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea serving the resistance war against the US to save the country; Hang Do Son Pagoda - the first place where Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam by sea.

Mr. Pham Hoang Tuan said that during the April 30 - May 1 holiday, Do Son district organized a tourism festival with many exciting and attractive activities, the highlight of which was an art program with the theme "Do Son - Destination of 4 seasons."

The program will have a clip promoting Do Son Tourism based on real images of famous destinations. Dance and singing performances depict traditional festivals of the people, thereby spreading beautiful images of the landscape, people and the message of a Do Son with four colorful seasons so that at any time of the year, visitors coming here will have interesting experiences.

According to Do Son district's report, this year Do Son tourism will have many new features such as the international standard hotel Dream Dragon Resort; Nam Cuong Do Son international resort and hotel will be put into operation in May and June.

In addition, visitors can also experience games at the park complex in the Dragon Hill international tourist area.

Unique and special cultural and tourist space

One of the festivals that Hai Phong people look forward to and is considered the city's second Tet is the Hai Phong Red Flamboyant Festival 2024. This is the 11th year that the city has organized the Red Flamboyant Festival associated with the 69th Anniversary of Hai Phong Liberation Day (May 13, 1955 - May 13, 2024).

Ms. Tran Thi Hoang Mai, Director of the city's Department of Culture and Sports, said that following the theme "Hai Phong - Brightening the heritage land," the activities in the festival will introduce the unique culture, history, and tourism of Hai Phong.

The ceremony to receive the decision on ranking the Le Khac Can Temple as a National Monument was held at the Le Khac Can Temple National Monument, An Lao District; the exhibition of national treasures was held at the Hai Phong Museum; the exhibition "Hai Phong - Illuminating the Heritage Land" was held at the Political-Administrative Center of the North of Cam River; and the performance of the intangible cultural heritage of Hai Phong city recognized by UNESCO at the City Theater Square.

Art performance at the Festival. Photo: Hoang Ngoc - VNA

The program "Cultural space of ancient Hai Phong communal houses" took place at the Hang Kenh Communal House National Architectural and Artistic Relic; the 2nd Hai Phong Puppetry Festival with the theme "Hai Phong - Heritage Colors" took place at the City Theater Square and the Hang Kenh Communal House National Architectural and Artistic Relic.

The "Don ca tai tu" art festival - an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO was held at the City Theater Square; an exhibition of books and newspapers with the theme: "Books connecting the past - present - future" was displayed at the City General Science Library; an exhibition of art and fine art photos with the theme "Hai Phong - Connecting heritage lands" was displayed at the City Cultural Center.

The most prominent activity of the 2024 Red Flamboyant Festival is the art program "Hai Phong - Lighting up the heritage land."

The program is staged with high artistic quality, expressing the most typical values, characteristics, and features of Hai Phong's legends, history, cultural heritage, images, and people through real scenes, combined with virtual reality technology.

The overall stage was inspired by the image of a blooming royal poinciana flower, creating a sense of enjoyment from many different angles of a strong Hai Phong, full of vitality, displaying and highlighting important achievements in the journey of building and developing the city.

The festival promises to bring delegates, audiences and visitors deep impressions and feelings about the land of the beautiful, fascinating sea, rich in cultural identity and full of friendliness and hospitality.

This is also the first time the Red Flamboyant Festival - Hai Phong 2024 is held in a new space and location, the square in front of the Political-Administrative Center in the new urban area of Bac Song Cam, Thuy Nguyen district.

The organization here clearly affirms the vision and determination of the city's leaders in expanding the dynamic and modern urban, industrial and service space, becoming a leading city in the industrialization and modernization process, and a driving force for the development of the Northern region and the whole country.

According to many tourism experts, key tourism localities of Hai Phong and the city organize cultural and artistic events as a soft, attractive form of tourism promotion with high influence.

Representative of S9 Travel Company Limited in Hai Phong, Luu Hoang Diep, shared that large-scale festivals, typically the Red Flamboyant Festival, have great appeal to tourists and create an initial ripple effect.

To maintain and multiply the promotional power of these festivals, Mr. Luu Hoang Diep proposed that Hai Phong city continue to direct sectors and localities to closely coordinate to organize regular activities on weekends and every month, especially cultural and tourism activities in the inner city area to promote and introduce more strongly the land and people of Hai Phong .

In 2024, Hai Phong tourism industry strives to welcome about 9.1 million visitors, including more than 1 million international visitors.

To contribute to this overall result, Cat Hai district strives to welcome 3.6 million visitors, Do Son district strives to welcome 3.8 million visitors./.

Minh Thu

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