(VOVWorld)-The 2012 Huyen Tran Temple Festival opened in Thua Thien-Hue province on Tuesday, kicking off National Tourism Year for the north central coastal region. The celebration honors Princess Huyen Tran, who made great contributions to the expansion of the Vietnamese territory in the 14^th century. In addition to a grand ceremony to pray for peace, safety and prosperity, the festival features traditional martial art performances, folk games, human chess, calligraphy and chanting contests. “The festival highlights the Vietnamese tradition of ‘remember the source of the water we drink’. It offers an opportunity for the young generation to show gratitude to their ancestors and understand more about their services to the nation”, said deputy chief organizer Nguyen Huu Dong. The festival will run until next Monday.