HÀ NỘI  Various cultural, economic, sport and tourism activities will be held in Hải Phòng between May 11 and 15 during the annual Flamboyant Festival of the northern port city.

An art show titled Hải Phòng – A Successful Destination on May 11 will be a highlight of the programme with a fireworks show.

The event aims to celebrate the anniversary of the Liberation Day of the city from French occupation (May 13, 1955).

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Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was not held to spare funding to fight the virus. This year, with the pandemic under control, authorities decided to host the festival at a cost of some VNĐ20 billion (US$869,000) contributed by local individuals and enterprises.

Local authorities of all culture, sport, tourism and art sectors in 15 districts in the city will host 66 activities during the festival.

They include photo exhibitions, a virtual contest titled “Check-in Hải Phòng, My Beloved City” on Facebook; ca trù (ceremonial singing) performances; a golf tournament; exhibition of Hải Phòng’s achievements in socio-economics; a cooking contest; a tourism fair; a singing contest on Hải Phòng; an áo dài (traditional long dress) festival; a women's beach volleyball tournament, and a classic car show.

According to Lê Khắc Nam, deputy chairman of Hải Phòng’s People’s Committee, the event will promote the city’s image as a smart developing city, which is friendly to international visitors and also a successful destination for investors.

Hải Phòng is 100km to the northeast of Hà Nội. Flamboyant trees are planted in many streets in the city, which come into full bloom in summer (May-June), hence the name of the festival. VNS