Then singing, a unique art of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups in Vietnam’s north-western region, has been recognized as national intangible cultural heritage.

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A performance at the first Ban Gioc Waterfall Festival 2017 opening on October 7. (Credit: NDO) 

The festival aims to promote the image of the province and its people to domestic and international tourists, contributing to the local socio-economic development. It is hoped to draw investment and bolster border trade activities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Trung Thao, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee said that the Prime Minister recently approved a plans to develop Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourism site, creating favorable conditions for investors to build tourism infrastructure in the locality. Several tourism policies have also been put forward by the province to attract investors, he added.

Ban Gioc Waterfall is one of Vietnam’s most impressive natural sights. Thirty meters high and 300 meters across, it is the widest, but not the highest, in the country. The falls occur on the beautiful jade-blue water of the Quay Son River as it flows through a pastoral landscape of rice fields and bamboo groves, surrounded by limestone mountains.

On the opening day, participants joined rituals such as bringing water from the waterfall to Truc Lam Ban Gioc Pagoda, and praying for peace and prosperity of the nation. Other activities of the festival include a photo exhibition, traditional art performances, folk games, sports competitions and a food court with local specialties.

The festival also hosted a cultural exchange program between Trung Khanh districts and two localities of China’s Guangxi province.

Source: VNA