CAO BẰNG — Thousands of locals and tourists joined the first ever Pác Bó Returning to Roots Festival held at the Pác Bó revolutionary base in Hà Quảng District, the northern province of Cao Bằng on Wednesday.

Various activities were organised including a water procession ceremony to President Hồ Chí Minh Temple in Pác Bó, folk music performances, a traditional rice cake making contest, incense making contest, as well as folk games like bowling and tug of war. The site also hosted cuisine stalls and handicraft exhibitions.

Sầm Việt An, director of Cao Bằng Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Pác Bó is not only a special national relic site, which hosted President Hồ Chí Minh in his revolutionary working period between 1941-45 but also includes beautiful landscapes with cool weather throughout the year.

The area also located in the centre of Cao Bằng Global Geopark, recognised by UNESCO.

“The site has great potential in tourism of all forms: culture, history, and nature exploration,” he said. “The site has been upgraded with a car park, administrative area, exhibition hall, roads, lighting, flowers and a bonsai garden.”

Last year, the site received over 200,000 visitors.

“The festival aims to educate the youth on revolutionary traditions, recalling President Hồ’s working time here,” he said. “The event is also an opportunity for locals to restore and develop traditional cultural values, introduce values of the Global Geopark and local tourism potential to tourists.”

Pác Bó relic site is located 56km to the west of Cao Bằng City, which was chosen as a revolutionary base for President Hồ and his comrades to work and direct revolutionary movements in the country after the President returned to the country from China.

Cao Bằng at that time had a strong revolutionary force. The province also has favourable natural conditions of mountains and forests, which can protect revolutionary leaders from French invaders.

President Hồ stayed at Cốc Pó Cave with his comrades with the support of locals. He shared hard living conditions with other leaders during the time. They used forest plants, bamboo shoots, fish for food while directing revolutionary movements in the country. — VNS