The 2013 Festival for Traditional Handicraft Village Tourism of Hanoi and Provinces in the Red River Delta officially kicked off on October 8 at Quan Ngua Sports Complex in Hanoi.
In attendance were Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi, Vice Chairman of Hanoi municipal People's Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc and Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh.
Under the theme "Convergence of Quintessence from Red River Delta province traditional craft villages", the festival features over 300 booths from 40 traditional craft villages in Hanoi and the Red River Delta provinces.
A series of activities is planned, including folk games and performances of traditional art forms like quan ho (love duet), ca tru (ceremonial singing), cheo (traditional opera) and chau van (ritual singing).
On the occasion, the Vietnam Record Organisation also presented the certificates of recognition to Pho, Bun Thang and Bun Cha, three types of noodle soup. They are among 12 Vietnamese dishes to receive Asian record recognition, helping to promote Vietnamese cuisine to the world and to attract visitors.
The festival, which runs until October 12, honours the traditional skills of craft village artisans and craftsmen and offers an opportunity for travel agencies to meet and exchange information.