This year, the famous competition returns in Da Nang with a new vision and bigger scale.

From a competition to a festival

Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC) has been upgraded to become the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF). The festival is going to be held over the course of 2 months, from April to June 2017, promising bigger and better performances.

The DIFC was first organized in 2008 with only four teams. From then on, every 2 years, people in Da Nang looked forward to the two days in the year in which they got to see the elaborate shows, and welcome tourists from all over the world.

But 2 days were not enough, and a period of 2 years was too long. Both the locals and tourists want something big that could match the potential of this tourism city. Now the authorities have announced that the competition will come back as a 2-month festival.

Instead of having only performances from the teams, the festival will be an event of culture, entertainment, arts and tourism. Tourists can breathe in the atmosphere of a bustling city and leave with great memories. Locals and tourists will now join the festival and bring it to life.

This year, the festival welcomes seven teams from seven countries: the UK, Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, China and Italy, besides the home team of Da Nang- Viet Nam.

Five fireworks nights, named after the five elements fire, earth, metal, water and wood, are scheduled for every Saturday. The nights aim to convey the message of the harmony between humans and nature.

With the theme, 'Lighting up the Ngu Hanh Son' and 6 companion programmes – the beach festival, fire festival, Cham culture festival, sculpture festival, food festival and beer festival – and various street performances, the DIFF 2017 will bring an experience that is infused with culture, creativity and grandeur.

New opportunity

The major transformation of the festival from a 2-day competition is going to be a significant boost for Da Nang, which has been named 'the Leading Festival and Event Destination 2016' by the World Travel Awards.

Mr Huynh Van Hung, Director of the city's Department of Culture and Sports, said that DIFF is expected to be a signature event of the city.

He added that the city is building its tourism brand around this event, which will help attract more tourists, improve their experience and reaffirm the creativity of this young and vibrant city

Tourism agencies in Da Nang have been preparing to welcome tourists and make sure their different needs are catered to.

“Not all tourists will stay for 2 months. Companies should prepare tours to meet the demand of different segments of tourists so that they can have the best experience in the festival season,” said Huynh Tan Vinh, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association.

The city has also been improving its infrastructure in transport, healthcare, commerce an services to welcome the higher volume of tourists. It is striving to grow both economically and culturally in order to remain an attractive destination.

(Source: VNExpress International)