To prepare for the second competition night of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2023 on June 10 themed ‘Love without Distance’, from early on, two fireworks teams from Canada and France were present in Da Nang. Both are rookies at this year's event and are ready to bring Da Nang audiences unforgettable surprises.

At DIFF 2023, each team will tell its own story with sound and light . IN PHOTO: Members of a fireworks team from France are installing fireworks systems to prepare for their performance on the evening of June 10. Photo: THU HA - ANH DUY

Determined to win

One of the highlights of DIFF 2023 is that 5 out of the 7 participating international fireworks teams have competed in previous DIFFs. They are Finland, Italy, Australia, Poland and the UK. Only two teams from France and Canada are "rookies". Therefore, this year's fireworks event promises for a bit of a surprise in the performances of the participants.

Coming to Da Nang for the first time, members of a fireworks team from Canada are surprised at a young and dynamic city.

After nearly a week of installing fireworks along the bank of the Han River, Ms. Mari, a member of the Canadian fireworks team, said that Canada is famously known for a cold climate, so the team members have struggled to get used to the hot weather of Central Viet Nam when installing outdoor fireworks.

However, the friendliness and closeness of local people and the organisers helped them dispel all obstacles.

Mr. Alain Bouthillier, leader of the fireworks team from Canada, said that the common theme of DIFF 2023 was very interesting and meaningful because after a long time of being separated from each other due to the COVID-19 pandemic, now everyone can travel and meet each other.

Therefore, our team has prepared a colourful musical stage, hoping that the audience in Da Nang will better understand Canadian music and dance through a fireworks performance called "Aurora".

Meanwhile, France is one of the relatively young fireworks teams, only established for about 10 years. However, the team members are determined to gain success at the competition.

Mr. Edouard Gregoir from the French team said that he has participated in many major festivals in the world and has won many awards and learned a lot of experience.

“On the competition night, we promise to bring an impressive fireworks display to the audience. The first is how to choose music, we choose works suitable for all ages. Besides, we want to emphasise the understanding between people, and the communication between people and nature. That is also the team's own theme called "Colours of Hope" he added.

After a long time of the whole world being turned upside down because of COVID-19, we want to focus on the theme of connecting people with nature, and connecting people together. The message is that we should live together on this planet in a more harmonious way. We also want to talk about the friendship between the nations of the world, Mr. Edouard Gregoir noted.

Despite their first time to compete in DIFF 2023, the Canadian team is determined to gain success. IN PHOTO: Team members are setting up fireworks to prepare for the upcoming show night. Photo: T.H

Great opportunity to promote Da Nang tourism, destinations

Although they have not been in Da Nang for a long time, members of the French fireworks team had the opportunity to visit the Sun World Ba Na Hills tourist area and Hoi An ancient town, as well as experience street food in Da Nang.

Mr. Edouard Gregoir was excited by the delicious food, many beautiful spots, and the friendliness and hospitality of Da Nang people. He said he will return to Da Nang to experience other tourist spots if he has the chance in the near future.

He remarked his team had participated in other major competitions in some Asian countries, but when coming to Da Nang, they felt the difference by the enthusiastic and attentive care of the organisers. Therefore, after the competition, if there is another chance, the team will return to Da Nang in next years.

Members of the Canadian team also wish to have the opportunity to visit and experience more places in Da Nang. Because of the short time, the whole team was busy with the installation of fireworks, so they only visited a few places in the evening and experienced Vietnamese cuisine.

“It's very exciting for me, because Vietnamese food is one of my favorite food in Canada. Therefore, we hope that after completing the performance, we will have 2-3 days to visit Da Nang more. When we return, we will tell everyone in Canada how wonderful Da Nang is" Mr. Alain. Bouthillier said.

After the opening night, DIFF 2023 received a lot of attention from locals and visitors.

According to Ms. Nadia Sharika Wong, Director of Global 2000 Consulting Unit, the opening night of DIFF opened a new fireworks season in Da Nang with a lot of excitement for both the participating teams and the audience.

All the organising conditions for the performances are very favourable, but, in the coming nights, we will rearrange the performance time of the teams to be more suitable, bringing comfort as well as feeling to the audience” Ms. Nadia Sharika Wong emphasised.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by M.DUNG