First UNESCO Vietnam-ASEAN Heritage Festival

The First Vietnam - ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival 2013 will be held in Lam Dong province for five days (from December 27-31).

International tourists visit Hoi An Ancient Town - a UNESCO World Heritage site in Quang Nam province. (Photo: Minh Duc/VNA)

This information was released during a joint planning meeting for the event, held on the evening of July 12th in Hanoi.

According to the plan, in Lam Dong province, the first Vietnam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival will be held concurrently with the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the formation and development of Da Lat; and the 5th Da Lat Flower Festival. On this occasion, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committee of Lam Dong province announced the National Tourism Year of the Central Highlands-Da Lat 2014.

The festival attracted participation from ASEAN countries and ASEAN partner countries such as India, China, Japan, and South Korea; provinces and cities of Vietnam with UNESCO heritage sites, including 5 provinces in the Central Highlands, 4 provinces in Central Vietnam, and 8 provinces and cities in Northern Vietnam; and the positive response from localities with heritage sites currently being submitted to UNESCO.

Besides the opening and closing ceremonies, there will be an international workshop on “UNESCO Heritage Network in Southeast Asia: Conservation linked to sustainable development”; a panel discussion on “Da Lat Flowers and Tourism”; an exhibition of Da Lat flowers and ornamental plants; an exchange and performance of UNESCO Vietnam-ASEAN intangible cultural heritage; and the UNESCO Vietnam-ASEAN Heritage Carnival - Da Lat Flowers…

The UNESCO Vietnam-ASEAN Heritage Garden and Art Installation, featuring a floral display at Tran Quoc Toan Park, will showcase 10 comprehensive art installations depicting famous and unique cultural landmarks of 10 ASEAN countries.

Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Yen and Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Cao Phong - co-chairs of the Organizing Committee - emphasized that the purpose of organizing this event is to honor and promote at the international and regional levels Vietnamese heritage sites recognized by UNESCO and Vietnamese heritage sites currently being submitted for UNESCO recognition; to create a forum for exchange and sharing of experiences between Vietnam, ASEAN countries and partner countries on the preservation and promotion of heritage values.

At the same time, this event also contributes to strengthening the close and friendly relations between Vietnam and ASEAN countries and partner countries; reviewing the glorious 120-year journey of Da Lat's formation and development, as well as introducing and promoting the image of the nature, people, and potential and strengths of the Central Highlands provinces, Lam Dong-Da Lat to friends at home and abroad…/.

According to (Vietnam+) - LC