HÀ NỘI — The annual street carnival in the northern province of Quảng Ninh will not be part of the upcoming Hạ Long-Quảng Ninh Tourism Week, but will be held mid-July this year.

The carnival will be hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the province in July to welcome APEC participants, said Trịnh Đăng Thanh, deputy director of Quảng Ninh’s tourism department, at a press conference held earlier this week.

The tourism week organised by provincial authorities will begin on April 28 and go on till May 7.

Thanh said the province prefers not to hold the carnival along with the tourism week as it wants to prepare for National Tourism Year 2018 that Quảng Ninh will host.

The tourism week will include seven main activities, including Móng Cái Tourism Week with a walking street festival; cuisine street in Móng Cái City; a beach volleyball tournament for women; and a tennis tournament.

An art show titled Magnificent Hạ Long, the highlight of the event, will be held at 8pm on April 28 at Ocean Park in Hạ Long City, and will see the participation of leading artists Trọng Tấn, Đăng Dương and Tùng Dương, and some European artists.

The event will showcase the beauty of the bay, and efforts made by locals to preserve its natural, scenic beauty, while developing it into a modern tourist spot.

Various cultural programmes will be held across the province, including Bình Liêu District’s Ethnic Groups’ Culture Day, Festival of Street Music Clubs in Hạ Long City and Cô Tô Island District’s Ethnic Groups’ Day.

Last year, the province saw 8.3 million tourists, of which 3.5 million were foreigners. Its Hạ Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is dotted with thousands of limestone islands that have risen from the sea. — VNS