Under arches of a mammoth that changed its colours to the delight of the packed audience, dancers and singers kicked off Visit Viet Nam Year 2018.
And if Saturday night’s spectacular is a measure of things to come, those visiting Viet Nam in the next 12 months will be in for a treat.
The packed audience inside Hạ Long City’s Sun World Square, and those glued to live recordings on a big screen erected in the streets nearby, were entertained with music, dance and finally fireworks to mark the opening ceremony.
The theme is “Ha Long – Heritage, Wonder – Friendly Destination” – and this city is jam packed with all three.
Saturday’s opening acts left those in attendance open mouthed at the choreographic brilliance they were witnessing.
One set even included dancers dressed as miners to show the grueling work many have carried out in the past. Their set provided as much energy as the coal mined from our land.
The Ha Long Carnival features more than 1000 artists from Viet Nam and other countries including Russia, China, Ukraine.
Nguyen Duc Long, Chairman of Quang Ninh Province’s People’s Committee told the audience how the events planned for the next year will showcase the region to the world.
“The events expect to provide people and tourists with the most attractive and impressive experience in Quang Ninh,” he said.
“In preparation for the Visit Viet Nam Year 2018, Quang Ninh has been significantly improving the investment environment to attract resources for developing socio-economic infrastructure particularly transport, service, tourism, culture and urban infrastructure.
“The combination of historical relics, famous landscapes, unique culture along with infrastructure and international standard tourism trademarks have created a momentum for boosting tourism to become a key sector of Quang Ninh.”
But he added the fortunes of the next 12 months are not just Quang Ninh’s alone.
Speaking at the event, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said “This is a golden opportunity for Quang Ninh and other provinces and cities to promote tangible and intangible cultural heritage values as well as their unique tourism products to boost up the integration, improve the image and status of Viet Nam and make tourism a key economic sector of Viet Nam in 2020.”
Do Thuy Linh, a Quang Ninh native said “The carnival this year is a lot bigger than previous ones. This year, Quang Ninh also hosts the Visit Viet Nam Year, which I believe will help attract more visitors. I hope the province will shift from the black industry into green one.”
Shifting from one industry in the past but not forgetting it. Quang Ninh now has a new path and those who walk it over the next 12 months will be taking part in a journey remembered by generations to come.
Source: VNS
