Festival honours cultural heritage values

The event, co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Quang Nam Provincial People’s Committee, saw the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Lao counterpart Somsavad Lengsavath, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and representatives from international organizations and central ministries and sectors.

Addressing the opening ceremony on June 22, Deputy PM Phuc said cultural heritage represents the creativity of humankind throughout history. Preserving and promoting this heritage is a great community responsibility.

Quang Nam is joining hands with the Government and people across the country to properly preserve its heritage using the latest scientific methods.

Through this festival, Vietnam and ASEAN will have a common voice in preserving and developing their heritage.

Vietnam is committed to implementing the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and is raising community awareness of this very important issue, Phuc said.

Irina Bokova said the festival also marks the 10^th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003-2013), which is significant for both Vietnam and UNESCO.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova

She also praised the efforts Hoi An ancient town (a UNESCO World Heritage site) has made to share its experiences in preserving its cultural heritage with the world.

Diverse activities will be held during the festival including as the third international Choir Festival, the 2013 Miss Ethnic Vietnam pageant, and the Art Festival for Vietnamese Ethnic Minority Groups, as well as an exhibition on Vietnam and ASEAN cultural heritage and an investment forum on green growth in Quang Nam.

As the only locality in Vietnam with three UNESCO World Heritage sites- Hoi An ancient town, My Son Sanctuary, and the Cham Island world biosphere reserve, Quang Nam has made great strides in cultural heritage preservation.

Hoi An has also been listed as one of the world’s favourite tourist destinations.

The fifth Quang Nam Heritage Festival honours the values of Vietnam’s cultural heritage and offers localities and nations in the region that have UNESCO heritage sites the opportunity to share their experiences in heritage preservation and promote the beauty and importance of tangible and intangible culture.

Some images from the festival: