Chua Cau (Pagoda Bridge) is a symbol of Hoi An ancient town.

Quang Nam is home to a large number of cultural and natural heritage items, many of which were recognized as UNESCO heritages, including Hoi An ancient town, My Son sanctuary, and Cu Lao Cham biosphere reserve. The Quang Nam Heritage Festival has been held annually since 2013 to promote such heritages of global and local value. The festival has featured colorful art performances reflecting the diverse culture of Quang Nam and Vietnam, in general.

Le Van Thanh, Deputy Chairman of the Quang Nam provincial People’s  Committee, told VOV about the festival: “This year’s event includes 22 activities ranging from outdoor cultural exchanges and sports competitions to tours to world heritages, traditional craft villages, and scenic spots. It involves both Vietnamese and foreign participants”.

1,500 artists from 15 countries and territories will stage art performances during the festival, which opened at Tam Thanh beach, Tam Ky city, on Friday and will close at Song Hoai square in Hoi An city next Wednesday.

There will be an international choir competition, an international kite festival, and a festival of silk and brocade. A “Bai Choi” folk singing festival is, for the first time, being included in the festivities, which will also include a re-creation of UNESCO-recognized heritages and display of the Cham cultural heritage.

This year’s festival will promote lesser-none tourist sites in Quang Nam, according to Dinh Hai, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism: “We will celebrate the 415^th anniversary of Thanh Chiem Bastion, which was a cradle of Vietnamese romanized script. A seminar will be held to identify provincial geological features with a focus on Nam Hai island and the Tam Quan area, which are seeking admission to Vietnam’s geological park network and UNESCO Global Geopark. We are operating new tours, one of them to Tam Thanh mural village”.

A corner of Hoi An ancient town

One of the highlights of the 6^th Quang Nam Heritage Festival is an exhibition, entitled “Cultural Heritage of Vietnam’s Sea and Islands”, which extols the beauty of Vietnam’s sea and islands and the culture of its coastal residents while at the same time, documenting Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes.

Another major event is an exhibit of world heritage cities in Hoi An town which uses photos, artifacts, and films of UNESCO-recognized heritage cities to introduce the intangible cultural heritage of ancient cities and an international conference on ancient city preservation.