Ho Chi Minh City will hold its first river festival

Ho Chi Minh City will hold its first river festival in August, expected to create a tourism product that will help position the city's river city brand.

The first Ho Chi Minh City River Festival took place from August 4 to August 6, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, chaired by the Department of Tourism in coordination with the Department of Culture and Sports and other departments and branches.

During the 3 days of the festival, there will be a series of activities at the Saigon Port - Passenger Port, Bach Dang Wharf Park, Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal area, Binh Dong Wharf (District 8), Suoi Tien Cultural Tourism Area and other tourist areas and destinations in Thu Duc City and districts.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that the river festival is an opportunity for travel and accommodation businesses to introduce tourism products and services to domestic and international tourists, while connecting river experiences and tours from Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces and cities.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, speaks at the press conference announcing the first Ho Chi Minh City River Festival. Photo: Bich Phuong.

The festival will help promote the unique cultural and historical values ​​as well as the economic and social development orientations of Ho Chi Minh City.

"We hope to spread the message of preserving and maintaining cultural values ​​through this festival. The program also honors rivers, honors the river system, canals, aiming to build Ho Chi Minh City into a river city rich in cultural identity and civilization," Ms. Anh Hoa emphasized.

The highlight of the festival is the art program taking place on the night of August 6 with the theme "Saigon - The River Tells Stories". This is not only the first live performance of Ho Chi Minh City but also a night of performance recreating the formation of nature and people through the development periods of Gia Dinh - Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City and the river is a heroic "witness".

In addition, the festival also organizes water sports activities such as the 2023 Ho Chi Minh City boat race at Bach Dang Wharf, paragliding performances, flyboard performances, and high-altitude paragliding lighting performances. Water tourism products will be announced on this occasion along with 30-50 tours to stimulate tourism in Ho Chi Minh City.

Phu My Bridge over the Saigon River at sunset. Photo: Huynh Phuong.

Located in the lower reaches of the Dong Nai River and the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City has a 23 km long coastline and a dense network of rivers and canals with a density of up to 3.38 km/km2. The Saigon River is the largest river, with 80 km flowing through the city, which can accommodate large cruise ships and cruise ships, with potential for developing eco-tourism, inland waterways, as well as river routes connecting to the Southeast provinces, the Mekong Delta provinces and to Cambodia.

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