A performance at the opening ceremony (Photo: toquoc.vn)

The festival offers a wide range of entertainment activities with more than 20 cultural, sport and tourism events, including an international cuisine festival, an international silk festival, an international choir festival, an international kite festival, a boat race, and a national kayaking festival.

A forum on tourism in the central and Central Highlands regions and a tourism promotion conference are also scheduled to be held during the festival

Up to 19 cities and provinces in the central region will introduce their UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritage at the festival.

Speaking at the opening, Deputy PM Dam highly appreciated efforts made by the Quang Nam provincial Party committee, authorities and its people in preserving and developing UNESCO-recognised heritages and national sites located in the province, which help to promote tourism development in Quang Nam and Viet Nam in general.

He stressed that the annual Quang Nam Heritage Festival not only promotes an image of Quang Nam’s full potential, vitality, dynamism and friendliness but also its treasured heritages to international friends.

He called on more practical actions to safeguard and uphold valuable heritages in order to boost sustainable tourism development.

According to Chairman of Quang Nam provincial People’s Committee Dinh Van Thu, Quang Nam is home to UNESCO-recognised World Heritage, including Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary and Cu Lao Cham Islands Biosphere Reserve as well as many provincial and national heritage, along with beautiful landscapes.

Co-organised by the provincial People’s Committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO, over its five editions, the Quang Nam Heritage festival has helped foster cultural exchange as well as sports and tourism between Quang Nam and Viet Nam in general with foreign countries, aimming to establish Quang Nam as a major tourist centre in the country and the region.