Delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the Quan The Am (Avalokiteśvara) Festival 2024 on Tuesday, Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Tran Chi Cuong emphasised that the festival was one of the most unique cultural features of the city, and was the crystallisation of the values of Buddhist culture and the Marble Mountains heritage.

Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Tran Chi Cuong delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the festival.

He highlighted that the annual festival was always an attractive destination not only for domestic tourists but also an opportunity for international visitors to experience and learn about spiritual values imbued with Vietnamese Buddhist history and culture and enjoy the sophistication and richness of national cultural art forms.

At the same time, it offered a great opportunity for visitors to admire the amazing natural beauty of Da Nang, including the Marble Mountains tourist area which is home to many valuable cultural heritages, he added.

“We hope that during the festival, distinguished guests, groups of Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, and followers, and tourists will save impressive and good moments of a spiritual cultural festival imbued with the humanity of the charming Marble Mountains in Da Nang” Vice Chairman Cuong noted.

A performance by artists from the Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theatre

2024 is the second year that the festival has been organised on a municipal-level scale.

This year’s event takes place from March 26 - 29 (from the 17^th to 20^th days of the second lunar month) with over 30 religious, cultural - artistic, and sports activities.

In particular, it features a number of solemn Buddhist rituals and a wide range of exciting cultural activities within the framework of the festival, hereby facilitating visitors gain an deeper insight into Buddhist culture and types of the traditional arts, as well as join in cultural exchanges with international friends, especially those from Buddhist countries.

Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Le Trung Chinh (middle) and local leaders offering incense at the Quan The Am Pagoda.

Notably, there is a talk show entitled "Solutions to enhance the Quan The Am Festival - National Intangible Cultural Heritage". Meanwhile, the Buddhist Cultural Museum, the first of its kind in Viet Nam, located in the campus of the Quan The Am Pagoda opens to the public during the festival.

Besides, there is a traditional boat race on the Co Co River with reenactment of the scene of General Tran Khat Chung rescuing Princess Huyen Tran, and the Olympic Run "For Peace” with the participation of over 2,600 people.

Reporting by X.DUNG - Translating by M.DUNG, V.DUNG