CaoBang (VNA) – A waterfall festival will be held this weekend at the BanGioc Waterfall Tourism Complex in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, thenorthern province of Cao Bang.

Thefestival, the first of its kind in the region, aims to promote the image of theprovince and its people to domestic and international tourists.

Accordingto Pham Van Cao, Secretary of the Trung Khanh district’s Party Committee, thefestival will become a significant event to promote regional tourism.

“Herein Trung Khanh we are creating and promoting high quality tourist products tobecome one of the province’s key economic ventures,” Cao said.

BanGioc Waterfall is one of Vietnam’s most impressive natural sights. Thirtymetres high and 300 metres across, it is the widest, but not the highest, inthe country. The falls occur on the beautiful jade-blue water of the Quay SonRiver as it flows through a pastoral landscape of rice fields and bamboogroves, surrounded by limestone mountains.

Thefestival will begin on October 7 with a Buddhist prayer ritual for peace andprosperity of the nation at the Phat Tich Ban Gioc Truc Lam Pagoda. Theceremony will be conducted by monks of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Thiswill be followed by an agenda full of activities near the falls. This will showcasethe rich culture of the region, especially of the prominent Tay ethnic group.

Theactivities will include traditional art performances, an ethnic costume fashionshow, folk games and sports competitions. A cooking contest of localspecialties will also be held.

Ofnote, there will be a performance of a style of singing known as Then, a uniqueart of the ethnic Tay, Nung, and Thai minorities in Vietnam’snorth-westernregion. This has been recognised as national intangible cultural heritage.  

Theagenda will also include a cultural exchange programme between Trung Khanh communeand two Chinese border communes. The event aims to strengthen the mutualunderstanding and friendship between people of the two countries’ bordercommunes. –VNA