Thanks to a diverse system of relics, pagodas, temples, festivals, and unique culture, Ngu Hanh Son District, and Da Nang as a whole, boasts a great potential for the development of spiritual tourism.

The traditional boat race on the Co Co River attracts a large number of people and tourists. Photo: Nguyen Sanh Quoc Huy

Great potential for spiritual tourism

Da Nang has many favourable conditions to promote the development of spiritual tourism. With a diverse cultural heritage system, religious facilities have many rich spiritual values. For instance, the Marble Mountains Tourist Area is now home to many beautiful caves, or a place to worship gods and Buddhas in folk belief culture for many centuries.

Notably, the Quan The Am (Avalokiteśvara) Festival, which is a large-scale Buddhist festival in the central region and the whole country, attracts a large number of Buddhists and tourists from the four corners of the world every year.

According to Chairman of the Da Nang Folk Arts Association Dinh Thi Trang, the Marble Mountains Tourist Area has great potential for developing spiritual tourism. The Avalokiteśvara Festival has become a major national religious festival. Recent years have been witnessing a significant increase in the number of visitors to the tourist spot, greatly contributing to boost the socio-economic development of the district.

She stressed the need for the local tourism industry and local authorities to roll out many synchronous solutions to promote the sustainable development of spiritual tourism, as well as make spiritual tourism a spreadhead economic sector in the coming years.

To develop spiritual tourism in Da Nang, aside from preserving cultural values. Tour guides need to understand issues related to spiritual cultural tourism, and spiritual destinations to introduce to tourists" Mrs. Trang emphasised.

The Avalokiteśvara Festival 2024 attracts thousands of people

Key role of local authorities in developing spiritual tourism

The success of the Avalokiteśvara Festival was partly attributed to the organisation and management of local authorities, and relevant departments and agencies, enriching activities to develop spiritual tourism in the city.

Vice Chairman of the Ngu Hanh Son District People's Committee Ta Tu Binh said that after the success of the 2023 Avalokiteśvara Festival, since the beginning of 2024, the city has determined Quan The Am Festival to be one of the four major festivals of the city.

“The district authorities proactively coordinated closely with relevant units to organize the festival in accordance with the motto "Formal - Safe - Economical - Effective". This helped promote the value of the national intangible cultural heritage and attract a large number of residents and visitors at both home and abroad" Mr. Binh remarked.

Chairman of the Da Nang Historical Science Association Bui Van Tieng highlighted the pivotal role of cultural managers in maintaining and orienting spiritual culture to develop spiritual tourism in the right and appropriate direction, thereby contributing to promoting and propagating culture and beliefs, and fostering the development of spiritual tourism in the city.

Reporting by DONG HAI, THU THAO - Translating by M.DUNG