HÀ NỘI — Quảng Ngãi Province will hold the 1st Lý Sơn Culture Tourism Week from June 29 to July 3, the Lý Sơn District People’s Committee said recently. 

The week will feature a wide range of culture, sports, and tourism activites, aimed at providing meaningful and impressive events to both locals and tourists. An exhibition entitled Lý Sơn - Di Sản Văn Hóa Biển Đảo (Lý Sơn - Islands and Sea Culture Heritage) will be one of the highlights of the week. 

The exhibition will display photos of daily life and beautiful landscapes in Lý Sơn Island, as well as maps and documents on Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly) Islands. The maps and the documents are seen as historical and legal evidence proving Vietnamese sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa archipelagos. 

The exhibition also makes use of digital 3D technology. 

The event aims to set a Vietnamese record with about 3,000 people singing the national anthem. It also features a human formation of the national flag on Hang Câu Beach, while about 1,000 tourists will participate in a music festival during the week.

A traditional boat-race will be held, with boats named after the four sacred animals – the dragon, unicorn, turtle, and phoenix. A boat-race has traditionally been organised between the fourth and eighth days of the Lunar New Year to commemorate ancestors and combatants who sacrificed their lives to safeguard national sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa archipelagos. 

A ceremony to recognise Bé Island as one of the province’s relics will also be held. Bé Island (Small Island) is one of three islands in the Lý Sơn Island District. The week will also feature a night food market, which has been open since early May. It is expected to attract tourists, with 40 booths selling souvenirs, dried seafood, local cuisine and other specialties of the island. 

"Transport services in the district are capable of transporting tourists to the culture tourism week, with 12 express ships offering about 1,450 seats in total," Nguyễn Thanh, chairman of the People’s Committee, said at a press conference. "Different kinds of vehicles in Lý Sơn Island are also prepared to serve about 3,000 people every day.”

The opening ceremony will be held at the Lý Sơn District centre at 7 pm on June 29. — VNS