HCM City to host int’l gastronomy festival

The festival will take place within a week at HCM City’s 23/9 Park from December 26, 2010 through January 2, 2011.
There will be 60 stalls, presenting cuisines and culture from 24 countries.
The festival promises to be very interesting combining gastronomy, traditional culture, music and fireworks shows.
The festival will coincide with the New Year holiday to further attract people and tourists’ and to add to the festive atmosphere in the city, said HCM City Department of Tourism’s Deputy Director La Quoc Khanh.
“The festival will not only focus on cuisines but also advertise cultures, music, costumes and destinations of Vietnam and other countries. HCM City’s 100 interesting things will be made public on this occasion,” Khanh revealed.
The festival will comprise various activities, such as parades, bartender performances, introduction of Vietnam’s largest banh xeo (rice cake), the selection of the best cuisines, and traditional dances from many countries.
The event’s highlight will be a special music show and fireworks show to welcome the New Year, which will take place at 11.\:30pm, on December 31.
This is an annual event organized by the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.