The 5^th Quang Nam Heritage Festival, the largest ever cultural event in the province, is being held in Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary and some other localities in the province between 22 and 26 June.  The event aims to mark the 10^th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003 - 2013).

The event’s opening ceremony took place in the Hoi An Theatre last Saturday, and it left a deep impression on the audience of both locals and foreigners.

A Vietnamese dance at the opening ceremony

Addressing the event, the UNESCO Director General, Ms Irina Bokova, praised Quang Nam Province and especially Hoi An for their great efforts over the years to conserve and promote their intangible cultural heritage, as well as to share their heritage preservation experiences with the world.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc remarked that Quang Nam Province is home to numerous intangible heritage values.  He added that this year’s event is being given an international dimension thanks to the great support from the ASEAN community.

During the 5-day event, there will be a seminar entitled “Enhancing Cooperation in Publicity to Promote the Development of Tourism” and the event will be attended by representatives from the Party newspapers in the central region and the highlands.  In particular, the Da Nang Newspaper will present a proposal to appoint a key individual who will take responsibility for exchanging tourism information between localities in the central region and the highlands.

The festival will officially end on the evening of Wednesday 26 June following the closing ceremony of the Miss Ethnic Vietnam 2013 pageant at the Hoi An Theatre.