KIÊN GIANG — The 10th Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival will begin on November 12 in the Cửu Long ( Mekong) River Delta province of Kiên Giang.

The two-day event will include a street show of traditional martial arts and dances performed by art troupes of Kiên Giang and other provinces in the region.

A long-boat race attracting dozens of teams from provinces and cities in the region will also be featured.

Organised by the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in co-operation with its partners, this year’s festival will also host folk games, artistic performances, cooking and sports competitions.

The featured performances include songs and dances featuring the Khmer culture and lifestyle. There are more than 1.3 million Khmer people living in the region. 

Local tourist agencies have been encouraged to offer new tours at reasonable prices for local and foreign visitors. 

The event is part of cultural activities to celebrate the 2016 National Tourism Year – Phú Quốc and Cửu Long ( Mekong) River Delta, themed “Discovering Southern Land.”

It was organised alongside the Ok Om Bok, also called the Festival of Worshipping the Moon, which is one of three main festivals that the Khmer celebrates every year.

Ok Om Bok takes place on the 15th day of the Cadac month in the Buddhist calendar - the 15th day of the 10th lunar month - when it changes from the rainy season to the dry season, and the growing season to the harvest season.

The festival will begin at 8am in November 12 in Kiên Giang’s Gò Quao Town.— VNS