Quang Nam Tourism and Culture Week opens today, November 20 in Hanoi to introduce the central province’s culture, history and tourism to Hanoians and local and foreign investors.

The event is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Hanoi People’s Committee and Quang Nam People’s Committee at the Vietnam Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre, 2 Hoa Lu Street.

The event focuses on introducing and promoting cultural values of Quang Nam’s two world cultural heritages, Hoi An ancient town and My Son sanctuary.

An exhibition display the province’s social and economic achievements and honour the cultural values in Hoi An city and My Son holy site ahead of the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites.

A Vietnamese map made from 1,000 gold dragons worth nearly 1 billion dong will be the highlight of the event. The map, made by a goldsmith in Quang Nam, measures six metres in height and three metres in width. The country is portrayed as a dragon looking towards the East Sea.

Other exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, photographs and installations art featuring the Quang Nam province will be on show.

Quang Nam will also showcase Thanh Ha porcelains, Ma Chau silk, Ban Thach mats and Kim Bong carpentry and Phuoc Kieu bronze casting products among its traditional craft products.

The week will also include Quang Nam’s traditional costume performance, folk arts and games performance as well as the introduction of the provincial culinary arts with its specialties, such as “Cao Lau” (pork noodle soup), “banh beo” (fern-shaped cakes) and “banh bao” and “banh vac” (white rose).

Performances entitled ‘A Night in Hoi An’s Old Quarter’ and ‘A Night in My Son’ held during the festival will resurrect the streets of 17th century Hoi An and a jubilant traditional festival in the My Son sanctuary.

According to the statistics of Quang Nam’s tourism sector, the province has welcomed around 200,000 tourists each month since the beginning of the year.

Ho Tan Cuong, deputy director of the Quang Nam Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said the province will continue implementing advertisement campaigns in local and foreign markets.

PV