The games will be the second biggest regional sporting event that Vietnam has hosted since the Southeast Asian Games took place in the country six years ago.

More than 4,000 athletes, coaches and officials from 43 countries and territories will also march during the procession.

The national stadium has been outfitted with a 400sq.m and a 100sq.m stage for the event.

The opening ceremony will feature horse dances from Thanh Hoa province, Luc Cung Hoa Dang, a traditional Buddhist and royal dance, a gong performance from the Central Highlands, and a boat race from the Mekong River Delta.

The performance will be directed by People’s Artist Le Tien Tho, which will be accompanied by a script from Nguyen Khac Phuc.

According to the organising committee of the event, the opening ceremony cost approximately VND40 billion and will close with a 15-minute fireworks display at the 40,000-seat stadium on October 30.

As scheduled, 30,000 tickets, which cost VND100,000 to VND200,000. were put on sale on October 27.

Vietnam has invested more than US$100 million in infrastructure for the event venues in participating cities.

The closing ceremony will be held at the Indoor Athletics Centre on November 8.