QUẢNG NAM — More than 300 kites were flown over the Hoài River in Hội An and the nearby beach of Tam Thanh on the opening day of the International Kite Festival yesterday.

Nearly 130 craftsmen from Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Thailand, New Zealand, Malaysia and Việt Nam joined in the contest – part of the 6th Quảng Nam Heritage Festival.

“This is one of the biggest kite festivals that Quảng Nam has hosted in the past decade. Craftsmen brought their traditional and contemporary skills of making kites in a fun-filled competition,” said Vice Chairman of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hồ Tấn Cường.

“It’s also the biggest rendezvous for craftsmen from Việt Nam and other countries sharing experience and history of the ancient hand-made craft and trade,” Cường said.

Sea winds: A kite above Tam Thanh beach during the International Kite Festival of the 6th QUảng Nam Heritage Festival. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Hà

He said the organising committee will award the best kite at a ceremony on Saturday.

Competitors will demonstrate kite-making skills, kite decoration and kite flying during the three-day event.

The beaches of Tam Thanh Commune will host the opening ceremony of the 6th Quảng Nam Heritage Festival around 7.30pm today (June 9th).

Earlier, a photo exhibition on the seas and islands of Việt Nam will be displayed on the beaches of Tam Thanh Commune.

Skilled craftsmen: Craftsmen start flying their hand-made kite in Quảng Nam Province. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Hà

Tam Thanh Commune, 10km east of Tam Kỳ City, is known as the first locale in Việt Nam to have colourful murals painted on its moss-covered walls by artists from foreign countries.

On the occasion, the commune also debuts the first ever coracle painting road – with displays of more than 100 coracles portraying ocean scene paintings along a 2km coastline.

The Việt Nam Book of Records will also recognise the road of painted coracle as the longest of its kind in Việt Nam. — VNS