Religion meets nature in a cultural and tourism festival to promote the Bach Ma National Park in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue that kicked off on Wednesday.

Entitled An Tuong Bach Ma (Impressions of Bach Ma), the two-day festival features various cultural and religious activities, including Buddhist incense offerings at the Bach Van Pagoda, religious dancing, a sacred fire procession and bell tolling for peace.

The week will also feature some sporting events including a relay race entitled Conquer the Bach Ma Peak, a rock climbing competition and a martial arts performance.

A food fair will introduce the area's specialities, giving tourists a chance to enjoy local cuisine.

"The festival is an event to kick off this year's tourism season in the area," said the deputy director of the provincial Tourism Department, Nguyen Quoc Thanh. The week is hosted by the Bach Ma National Park's Management Board and the Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People's Committee.

The park is well known for the Tri Sao and Ngu Ho waterfalls, which attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Tri Sao Waterfall attracts a large number of tri sao (pheinardia ocellata) birds that are listed in the Red Book (a book listing endangered species), and the Ngu Ho Waterfall is an intersection of five green lakes.

The area includes a breathtaking view at the peak of the Hai Vong Dai (Sea Observation Post) at 1,450m above sea level - the highest point in the area.

Located 40km south of Hue City, Bach Ma has a temperate climate. The park is home to more than 2,100 plants and about 1,500 animal species, of which 27 plants and 66 animals are in Vietnam's Red Book.

Source: Viet Nam News