As part of the four-day event, an athletic competition began on March 29, drawing 250 athletes to play in seven games, including cloth ball throwing, crossbow shooting and stick pushing.

Colourful rituals of several ethnic minority groups are relived, including the coal bathing festival by the Dao Do from Lao Cai Province, and the Buddha greeting procession at Khu Dung Cave in Hoa Binh Province.

Also held at the festival was a seminar promoting tourism in the northwestern mountainous region, aimed at developing the hospitality industry which is considered a key factor in regional socio-economic development.

Participants agreed that the region should focus on community-based and eco-tourism.

On the opening day on March 28, a fair and festival on Lai Chau culture, tourism and trade opened, drawing over 100 enterprises, including some from Thailand and China.

The festival has been held biennially since 1992, featuring the colourful cultures of over 30 ethnic minority groups in the region.

Quang Ninh was the first leg in the Deputy PM’s official visit to Vietnam from October 31 to November 4, 2008 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Gia Khiem.

Ha Long Bay now stands second after the Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the list of 77 candidates in the online voting for seven new world natural wonders launched by the NewOpenWorld.

Thanks to the local authorities’ efforts to promote its images, Ha Long Bay is a magnet for tourists to Quang Ninh province.

Over the past ten months, the province has welcomed 3.8 million tourists, a record number so far, with most of them coming from China, Belgium, Germany, the UK, Italy, France, and Spain.

The festival, co-organised by the South African Embassy in Vietnam in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aims to boost friendship and cultural exchange between the two nations. Speaking at the opening ceremony, South African Ambassador Super Ratubatsi Moloi said Vietnamese people will have a chance to learn more about the land and people of South Africa through the four-day festival. Five movies of South Africa will be screened with Vietnamese voice-over and English subtitles free of charge to Vietnamese audiences

The month-long festivities will also celebrate the fifth anniversary of Hue royal music’s (Nha Nhac)’s recognition as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage.

A wave of publicity activities are to be launched with contests and quizzes, talks and seminars, special programmes and columns on the mass media and leafleting.

Highlights include a seminar themed “Challenges and opportunities for Hue heritage in the world integration process” and a Hue Culture Week in Hanoi from November 21-25, 2008.

The Hue Culture Week features an exhibition of photos of well-known female photographer and Hue native Dao Hoa Nu, calligraphy work, and a collection of royal objects from the Hue Royal Citadel Antiques Museum .

In addition, fine arts and handicraft products, gastronomy, and folk games and music popular in the ancient royal capital city will also be introduced to visitors.

The preservation of “Nha Nhac” has received a boost with a UNESCO-funded project which collects and hands over the royal music skills to young generations. Some 20 young “Nha Nhac” musicians have been trained through the project.