– Sea Festival 2009 with the topic of Nha Trang – the appointment place will be taken place in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa on the days from 6 – 12/6/2009. As schedule, there will be 67 big activities belonging to the field of festival, sports and culture and art which is held in the Festival at this time.
In the morning of 25/4/2009 in Hochiminh city, the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa province already held the press conference on Sea Festival 2009. Accordingly, in the frame of the Sea Festival program 2009, there will be 67 big activities belonging to the field of festival, sports and culture and art, tourism be held in Nha Trang City. In which there are 6 countries to be proposed to be recognized as the record of Vietnam: marching ancient Vespa with the participation of 200 vespa motorbikes to choose the best ancient motorbike and unique decorations, the biggest noodle soup pot of Vietnam,0,3m high, radius 3m wide, the sculptured work made of rubbish metal such as wastes from war, lethal weapons, planes…

It is known that, before the festival, the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa province will formally hold the declaration ceremony of the decision of the Prime Minister to upgrade Nha Trang City to the urban area level I before the entire people of the city on 19/5 at the Palace 2-4. http://english.cinet.vn

An estimated 3.5 million pilgrims will attend the Hung Temple festival that commemorates the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, believed to be the founders of the Vietnamese nation some thousands of years ago.

The festival kicked off in Viet Tri City of Phu Tho province o­n March 31 (the 6^th day of the 3^rd lunar month) with an incense offering ceremony at the Kinh Thien palace o­n Nghia Linh Mountain.

At the ceremony, the provincial people’s committee chairman Nguyen Quoc Lien vowed to turn Viet Tri into a city of festivals commemorating the Vietnamese people’s roots as well as a leading urban centre by 2015.

Mr Lien and other city leaders then laid wreaths at the Hung Kings Tombs and at a statue of late President Ho Chi Minh, who visited the city in 1954.

This year, four northern provinces - Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Vinh Phuc - and the capital city of Hanoi have joined up together for the first time to hold the anniversary. The Mai Linh taxi company also donated 6,000 traditional banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes) to the event.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet is expected to offer incense to the Kings o­n their death day which falls o­n April 4 (or the 10^th day of the 3^rd lunar month).

A series of cultural, arts and sporting events also started during the opening ceremony, including volleyball, crossbow shooting, Chinese chess, and traditional wrestling.

The charming northern resort town of Sapa will lure tourists with a cultural week to be held over the public holidays, from April 30 to May 3, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The town hopes to attract tourists, with a wide range of events that highlight the rich and distinctive nature of Sapa’s diverse ethnic cultures.

Visitors will be welcomed to try Muong cuisine and take part in the various traditional festivities celebrated by local ethnic peoples, their cultural lifestyles and sports.

Sapa’s famous lovers’ market will also be open to singles. Traditionally, with few places to meet people, the downtown market opened o­n Saturday night, attracting villagers from around the town, as a central place for young, single Muong, Dao, Tay and Ray ethnic minorities to strut, be amorous and find their future loves.

In the evening, the lovers’ market would fill with bewitching music from the romantic leaf-horn, and young people dressed in their finest eye-catching clothes.

Lovers’ markets are a traditional event throughout the mountainous region, with many o­nly being held o­nce a year. As such, the big, not-to-missed event is also a lively social occasion for the married, too.

The mountainous Sapa, in Lao Cai Province, is regarded as o­ne of Vietnam’s top destinations, sought out by both locals and foreigners. The area has a large number of ethnic minorities and, with its stunning scenery, offers numerous trekking possibilities.

In 2008, it welcomed more than 285,000 tourists.

Local officials said they expect at least 10,000 tourists during the events, with many hotels reporting large numbers of bookings.