The second Mekong Delta Tourism Festival began in An Giang province on February 23 in a bid to promote regional cooperation in tourism and investment. The four-day festival mainly takes place in Chau Doc, the provincial capital of Long Xuyen, and is expected to draw some 300,000 local and foreign tourists.
The event will feature a fusion of traditional music and culture under the theme “The Rivers’ Confluence and Fire of the Mekong Delta."
“It is a good chance for the Mekong provinces to show off their tourism and trade potential,” said Nguyen Van Dam, deputy Chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee.
Dam added organizers had prepared for the festival for over eight months with total investment capital of about VND8 billion (US$503,000) to revive some of the South’s traditional arts to help visitors learn more about the Delta’s traditional lifestyles.
Special performances will include cai luong (renovated opera) and tai tu music, which is unique to southern Vietnam and is often associated with farmers and laborers who sing traditional songs while working in the fields or relaxing at the end of a hard day.
Meanwhile, an on-site trade fair is expected to draw about 450 showcases with products on display from the delta as well as Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the Cambodian cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Other activities will include boat rowing competitions, bicycle racing, culinary arts and art exhibitions, Dam said, revealing that more than 1,000 artists and performers from 12 troupes will participate during the festival.
The first event of this kind was held on October 2-6, 2003 in Can Tho province.
The Mekong Delta, which is often known as the rice hub of Vietnam and posts the country’s highest seafood and fruit outputs, has 13 cities and provinces.
The region is now home to 17 million people, accounting for 20.7 per cent of the country’s population. Its population is expected to hit 21.1 million by 2010.
P.V
Vietnamese
