NINH BÌNH — The National Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival 2018 was launched yesterday in the historical land of Ninh Bình Province.

The festival is among a series of events to celebrate the 1050th anniversary of Đại Cồ Việt (the former name of Việt Nam), the first independent nation of Vietnamese people and first feudal state of Việt Nam, founded by King Đinh Bộ Lĩnh, a native of Ninh Bình who also chose Hoa Lư to be the capital of the country.

“For more than 1,000 years, the historical and cultural values of the former capital still echo in everyday life with impressive architectural structures,” said Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện. 

The festival aims to introduce and promote the potential of local tourism development.

Chairman of Ninh Bình People’s Committee Đinh Văn Điến said it was a significant event that would promote the potential and advantages in economy and cultural heritage of Ninh Bình, creating momentum to develop local culture, sports and tourism.

Điến said that he hoped the visitors would have the chance to enjoy the scenic landscape as well as experience the unique culture of Ninh Bình. 

The festival includes folk singing performances, photo exhibitions “Through the Land of Heritage” and “Landscape and People of Ninh Bình”, an antique exhibition and the Tràng An marathon.

Also on the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam recognised a set of long sàng (stone bed with decorative patterns of dragons) as a national treasure.

The artefact belongs to a temple dedicated to King Đinh Tiên Hoàng, a national hero who defeated 12 warlords to unite the country and chose Hoa Lư as the capital of the country (named Đại Cồ Việt at that time).

The stone bed dates back to the early 17th century and is the only version created by the royal court of the Lê Trịnh Dynasty as an offering.

The rectangular stone bed, which is 127cm wide and 187cm long, weighs about 1.5 tonnes. In the middle of the bed are carvings of a dragon with characteristic features of the Lê Trịnh Dynasty.

Ninh Bình is home to the Tràng An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The province also became known the world around as the set of the Hollywood blockbuster Kong: the Skull Island in 2017.

Last year the province welcomed more than 7 million tourists, and revenue from tourism reached around VNĐ2.4 trillion (US$103 million). — VNS