The Ham Luong Bridge, built with a total investment of about VND787 billion (US$42.5 million), had a soft opening on the occasion, before officially opening to traffic on April 30, the National Reunification Day.

The festival organising board has said that visitors this year not only have a chance to discover the unique character of the province’s "coconut culture" but participate in many meaningful activities.

Besides promoting the province’s socio-economic achievement, the festival this year aims to educate, foster and uphold the revolutionary spirit, patriotism and solidarity of the Vietnamese people.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Quoc Bao, vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said "Ben Tre would like to promote its potentials, especially the abundance in coconut trees, to people in and outside the country in a bid to lure more investment into the coconut sector and others in the province."

Bao asserted the essential role of the coconut tree, saying that the coconut industry had attracted more than 10,000 workers into the sector.

Export revenue of coconut-based products accounts for nearly 50% of the province’s total export value, which is equivalent to US$100 million per year.

Land devoted to coconut cultivation has soared by 10,000ha over the last decade.

The special event intended to raise people’s awareness of the value of the coconut in terms of socio-economic development and the environment, he said.

It also aimed to show respect to the farmers, craftsmen, businesses and scientists who had brought the best coconut seeds to the province, offering a variety of coconut-based products to both local and foreign markets, Bao noted.

Visitors this year have a chance to not only discover the unique character of the province’s "coconut culture" but participate in a variety of activities, according to the festival organising board. A trade fair comprising 280 booths with hundreds of coconut products, seedlings, trade-village products, industrial and handicraft goods, and tourism promotions will be a highlight of the festival.

The coconut festival this year includes many interesting events including a coconut culinary contest and a coconut fashion contest.

A demonstration of fine arts and handicrafts was held where skilled local craftsmen make handicraft items, such as knitting baskets made out of coconut leaf, and spinning and weaving carpets with coconut fiber.

One of the special events at this year’s festival is the Enterprise for Future Generation programme, in which 100 scholarships, each worth VND500,000, was offered to needy students in the province.

As part of the programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ben Tre Uprising, a night festival floated flower garlands and coloured lanterns on the Ben Tre River to show the nation’s deepest gratitude to revolutionary martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice during the two wars against invaders.

The festival also hosted a meeting of former members of the Doi quan toc dai (Ben Tre’s women army during the 1960s resistance war against the US).

The closing ceremony of the "small and medium sized enterprise week" will be held on January 21, and businesses that have contributed to the development of the coconut industry in the province will be awarded.