Co To is actually an archipelago of about 40-50 islands about 80km from the mainland in Quang Ninh Province. The province will hold a sea opening festival from February 23-24. - VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH — The Thanh Lan commune People’s Committee in Cô Tô island district, the northeastern province of Quảng Ninh, will hold a sea opening festival from February 23-24 (the 14th and 15th days of the Lunar New Year 2024).

The festival, the first of its kind to be held in the district, is among the activities to celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of the district (March 23, 1994- 2024).

During the festival, typical products of the locality will be shown at the committee’s office on February 23 while festival goers can also join folk games and enjoy musical performances.

On February 24, rituals will be performed at the whale worshipping temple in Hamlet 1, Thanh Lan commune. A fleet will set off on the first fishing trip in the Lunar New Year.

The organisation of the festival aims to preserve the unique traditional culture as well as rituals imbued with folk beliefs of fishermen, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the people, arousing the spirit of solidarity, and creating working motivation for a new year.

This is also an opportunity for people to express their respect and gratitude to the sea, praying for a peaceful new year, calm seas, and bumper hauls.

The festival is also expected to help raise people's awareness of the sea’s importance and values that the sea brings to people, joining hands in protecting the marine environment, and promoting the image of the locality so as to boost tourism activities.

The 50.1 sq.km. district is an archipelago in the Gulf of Tonkin, located to the east of Vân Đồn district and boasting pristine long beaches with blue sea water and white sand along with a diverse ecosystem of primary tropical forests. — VNA/VNS