Highlights of Hanoi's Birthday

Hanoi International Tourism Festival and the Ha Thanh Food Festival are two hightlights contributing to the jubilant atmosphere of the Great Anniversary of 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi.
Tourism highlights during the festival
Out of the 10 big festivals to celebrate the 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi, the Thang Long-Hanoi International Tourism Festival 2010 will be take place between May 2nd and 5th, 2010 in the Bao Son Heaven Theme Park, Hanoi.
There will be artistic and cultural activities and folk games held in the festival such as, Cheo singing, Bac Ninh love duet, Hue singing, Nghe Tinh folk songs, water puppetry, stilts, human chess, tug of war, meal cooking, and cock-fighting.
Under the framework of the Thang Long – Hanoi International Tourism Festival 2010, the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will hold a tourism exhibition with nearly 400 kiosks on display.
The festival will show the life and activities of Hanoi people in the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and the mandarinal examination of Huong, Hoi, and Dinh Competition.
The organizing board expects to introduce and advertise Hanoi's tourism potential to foreign friends and investors through this event.
The Ha Thanh Food Festival, held October 06 to 11th at the West Lake Park, Hanoi, will be an opportunity for tourists to discover the unique food culture of the North, Central and South of Vietnam, especially the great dishes of the Hanoi people.
The product involved is a food festival, famous products from other localities throughout the country, candies, nutritious food, and reputations. Besides tourists, people will be visiting the store Toys for words, enjoy Dong Ho paintings, silk flower art, traditional fine art products.
There will be 25 kiosks for foods of the three regions and 10 kiosks for international food. The kiosks will display food and specialties of 36 streets of Hanoi.
The Thang Long-Hanoi International Tourism Festival and the Ha Thanh Food Festival are expected to attract the participation of a large number of tourists, travel agents, hotels and domestic and foreign businesses in order to boost the promotion of Hanoi's image and introduce the tourism potential of Hanoi to foreign friends.
Boosting tourism activities in the rest of the year
In the first six months of 2010, the Hanoi tourism sector achieved impressive results with a total turnover of nearly VND6.6 trillion, an increase of 24% compared to the same period last year.
In order to fulfill the target of the remaining 6 months of the year, the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is continuing to implement state management in travel and accommodation and re-appraising and ranking new hotels in the city.
The department will conduct surveys on the Quang Ninh – Hai Phong island tourism route, the East – West Economic Corridor, the road route via border gates of the North. It will also establish an eco-tourism program to Ba Vi and upgrade the Hong River travel route. In September, it will participate in an exhibition to promote tourism and perform folk music with the Vietnam Embassy in France.
Travel agents and hotels need to be active in advertising the trademark to tourists and participate in programs, events, and festivals held by the Department, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Hanoi, localities nationwide, and abroad.