A drone light show in Hạ Long Carnival's opening ceremony last April. VNA Photo

QUẢNG NINH — Hạ Long City in the northern province of Quảng Ninh wants to become the City of Festivals and the City of Flowers.

The festivals will help fulfill the city wish to become Việt Nam's tourism hub, according to Nguyễn Ngọc Sơn, Deputy Chairman of the city municipal People's Commitee.

"Hạ Long has rich and unique cultural and historical tourism potential with 96 historical cultural relics and scenic spots. Hạ Long Bay was named by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1994, 2000 and 2023," Sơn said.

The city has 13 festivals including traditional ones which have been revived, alongside more modern events. Under the project, festivals including New Rice Festival of Tày Ethnic Group, Lôi Âm Pagoda Festival, Cái Lân Temple Festival and Long Tiên Pagoda Festival will be restored.

"This will be an important target aimed at preserving and developing traditional cultural values and non-intangible cultural heritages in the province," said Sơn.

The city also wishes to designate the Đền Đức Ông Trần Quốc Nghiễn Festival and the Lê Thái Tổ Temple Festival as the national non-intangible heritages, in 2025 and in 2027.

Another project, becoming a City of Flowers will be carried out in two phrases. Between now and 2025 it will invest VNĐ43 billion đồng (US$1,690,000) into building and upgrading flower streets and Hạ Long Flower Park.

In the next phrase, from 2026 - 2030, Hạ Long will build new parks and flower gardens - this is estimated to cost over VNĐ270 billion.

It is important to carry out the two projects as a part of its goal of developing tourism in Hạ Long City by 2025, with a vision to 2030, to boost the local social economy, both in the city and in Quảng Ninh Province as well, said Sơn. — VNS