The fifth Quang Nam Heritage Festival, the largest-ever in terms of scale and participants, is taking place in Hoi An ancient town and My Son relic site from June 22-26 to promote local heritages, cultural values and tourism potentials of this Vietnam's central province.
Addressing the opening ceremony in Hoi An on June 22, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said preserving and bringing into full play heritage values is a huge responsibility of the community.
He added that Vietnam is committed to well implementing the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and helping the community fully grasp the convention.
He expressed hope that through this festival, Vietnam and ASEAN will have a common voice in preserving and developing heritage values.
The colourful opening ceremony also saw the participation of Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavath, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, and other distinguished guests.
In her speech, Bokova said the fifth Quang Nam Heritage is organised on the occasion of the 10 anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003-2013), which is a significant time for both Vietnam and UNESCO.
She also praised the efforts made by the Hoi An ancient town to share heritage preservation experiences with the world over the past years.
A string of activities will be held during the festival, including the Miss Ethnic Vietnam 2013 pageant, the 3rd International Choir Festival, and an investment forum on green growth for Quang Nam.
On this occasion, an international seminar was held in Quang Nam province on June 23 to mark the 10 anniversary of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Culture Heritage.
The delegates at the seminar discussed the preservation and upholding of heritages, particularly intangible heritages, and the implementation of the Convention, as well as cooperation among ASEAN member nations in this field.
An exhibition featuring the cooperation between Quang Nam province and UNESCO also opened to public on June 22 within the framework of the fifth Quang Nam Heritage Festival and the second UNESCO Culture and Development Week in Vietnam.
Quang Nam is the only locality in Vietnam that is home to two world heritage sites (Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary) and one biosphere reserve (Cham Island). The province has received lots of support from UNESCO over the last decade, particularly during the most recent four years.