An exhibition to promote and connect typical regional specialties with tourism activities is being held in Ninh Bình City. — VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH — Specialties of the northern province of Ninh Bình and other localities like cơm cháy (crispy rice served with pork floss), đòng đòng wine or Golden Camellia tea are on display at the exhibition to promote and connect typical regional specialties with tourism activities in Ninh Bình City.

The event is held within the framework of the exhibition entitled Cultural Heritage Space and Traditional Handicraft Products, one of the events celebrating the second Ninh Binh Festival in 2023.

It succeeds two previous events held in the provinces of Thừa Thiên – Huế and Lâm Đồng, aiming to introduce, promote and connect local specialties, as well as enhance Vietnamese brands among domestic and international tourists.

It is held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Centre for Agricultural Trade Promotion, the National Coordination Office of the National Targeted Program on New Rural Development, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ninh Bình Province.

The 400sq.m exhibition space showcases products from nearly 40 businesses and cooperatives from provinces and cities nationwide like Hà Nội, Hà Giang, Nam Định, Ninh Bình and Long An.

The design and decoration of the space adopts the use of environmentally-friendly materials and incorporates the symbolic colours of each locality to inspire and create a sense of closeness and friendliness.

Meanwhile, the displayed products are designed and arranged following the requirements for innovation and creativity in the development of OCOP (One Commune One Product).

Some OCOP products of Ninh Bình are displayed at the event. — VNS Photo

Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoàng Đạo Cương, affirmed that the exhibition is a prominent cultural and tourism activity celebrating Việt Nam’s Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).

“It is also a practical event aimed at introducing, promoting and honouring the cultural values, historical sites and scenic landscapes of Việt Nam to the people of the country and international friends. Additionally, it emphasises the potential for cultural and tourism development among various localities nationwide, creating strong motivation to attract resources for tourism development and enhancing the position and image of Việt Nam and Vietnamese people,” he added.

According to Tống Quang Thìn, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ninh Bình Province, Ninh Bình’s unique geographical position makes it a convergence point where the cultural colours of the Red River Delta region intertwine and spread.

Generations of Ninh Bình residents have built valuable cultural heritages that reflect the local identity while embodying the typical cultural characteristics of the Northern Delta region, he noted.

“The exhibition Cultural Heritage Space and Traditional Handicraft Products provides an opportunity to visually explore cultural heritages, scenic landscapes, traditional handicraft products and OCOP products from various localities and regions across the country,” he said.

As part of the event, there are live demonstrations and product tastings. Artisans are invited to demonstrate and showcase the producing typical products. Visitors have the chance to taste foods and beverages like tea, coffee or Vietnamese traditional sausages on the spot.

On Saturday morning, famous Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) will host a livestream session on TikTok to promote and sell OCOP products, especially those of Ninh Bình Province and other participating localities.

The exhibition will run until November 19 at the Ninh Bình Provincial Gymnasium on Đinh Tiên Hoàng Boulevard, Ninh Bình City.

The OCOP programme, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2008, is meant to help develop the economy in rural areas and implement the the National Targeted Program on New Rural Development.

At present, Ninh Bình has more than 100 OCOP products, of which 68 were rated as four-star and 33 three-star products. Some notable OCOP products of the province include fried sticky rice, chrysanthemum tea, Bồ Bát pottery, Văn Lâm embroidery, Sinh Dược soap and Bodhi painting.

According to the plan, by 2025, the province will have at least 150 OCOP products rated as three-stars upward, of which at least 3 per cent are rated as five-star products.

In the past years, Ninh Bình province has organised many activities to support local OCOP products on e-commerce platforms by actively connecting and expanding the market, building websites for firms and cooperatives to sell products, providing training courses for firms and cooperatives to sell products on e-commerce platforms and raising awareness of producers of making safe agricultural products and ensuring quality committed to e-commerce platforms.

Besides, production establishments have paid more attention to designs and brands and improving the quality of products in a bid to sell more OCOP products on e-commerce platforms.

According to the Vietnam E-Commerce Association's report, Ninh Bình ranked 22nd out of 58 provinces and centrally run cities in the e-commerce index.  — VNS