A ceremony was held in Thai Nguyen City in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on November 18 for the opening of 6th Through Viet Bac Heritage Sites Tourism Programme – Thai Nguyen 2014.
The tourism programme aims to introduce regional tourism potential, promote tourism activities, and attract investors to involve investment in tourism in six localities in northern Viet Bac region: Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son and Thai Nguyen.
The Viet Bac region used to be the base of the revolutionary forces in the fight against French colonialists. Besides numerous revolutionary relics related to the national liberation war, the region is also home to magnificent natural scenery and various ethnic minority communities with unique cultures.
At the opening ceremony, a special art programme themed ‘Through Viet Bac Heritage Sites’, with the participation of more than 500 actors from local arts groups, introduced the regions’ tourism attractions in the repertoire of music and dance imbued with diverse cultural characteristics.
Performances reproduced festivals and cultural identities of each locality in the region: a Dao wedding in Bac Kan; Tay people's Then ritual in Cao Bang; Panpipe festival of Hmong people in Ha Giang; Long Tong (Going to the Field) Festival in Lang Son; Cau Mua (wishing for a good crop) ritual of Cao Lan people in Tuyen Quang; and Tac xinh dancing of San Chay people in Thai Nguyen.
A wide range of activities, including a photo exhibition featuring cultural heritages of the region, a conference on preserving cultural heritages and developing Viet Bac's tourism, and a trade fair on tourism and the food of Thai Nguyen, in addition to folk art performances and folk games, are taking place during the three-day event.
The annual Viet Bac tourism programme is hosted on a rotating basis by regional localities. Ha Giang will be the next to host the event in 2015.