Festivities abound in Nha Trang

      Khanh Hoa Province is gearing up the Nha Trang Sea Festival, which will run from June 6-12 with the theme Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) – Civilisation and Friendship.
A host of activities will mark the run up to the event, starting with a musical show on May 19 to commemorate the birthday of late President Ho Chi Minh.
During the rest of the month, other performances will be held to herald the fest, including a show by ethnic children in Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen and Ninh Thuan provinces. An official campaign to clean up local beaches and an exhibition of metal work will also be held.
A grand fireworks display will announce the opening of the festival with musical performances sponsored by VinaCapital.
The seven-day programme includes 70 different events in culture, art, sports, economics and science.
Folk culture will also get a special mention, with the Cau Ngu Festival (fish worshipping ceremony) and Cham performances.
There will be coracle racing, an exhibition of calligraphy, art kite launching and a sand sculpture contest.
Organisers are also intending to break several national records, including the largest folk orchestra in Vietnam, the biggest wifi cafe at the seaside, the longest piece of embroidery work and the largest pho (noodle soup) bowl in Vietnam.
This year’s festival will feature a broad range of culture, sports and tourism activities, including street festivals, exhibitions of books, photos and calligraphy, French film screening, art performances and water sports competitions.
The fest has drawn art troupes from France, Ukraine, Japan and the RoK. The organising board will also invite beauty queens from the 29 countries with the most beautiful bays in the world to attend the festival. Other highlights include a national conference on urban planning, a beach football tournament, an international book fair and a joint Vietnam-RoK concert.
Nha Trang is one of the most important tourist hubs of Vietnam, thanks to its white beaches, clear ocean water and year-round mild temperatures.
The Sea Festival is held in Nha Trang City every two years. In 2007, around 250,000 tourists attended, according to the organising board.