Northern beach town celebrates centennial birthday
15:10 04/03/2009

A tourism festival will kick off this evening in Sam Son in northern province of Thanh Hoa to celebrate the beach town’s centennial anniversary.      

The four-day festival comes as part of local tourism authorities’ determination to turn Thanh Hoa into a key travel destination.

The festival will highlight the province's development and achievements and allow local and foreign investors to explore Sam Son’s potential for tourism and business development.

The event will feature many interesting cultural activities, including a fireworks show, musical performances, a trade and travel expo, folk games, youth camping, and a  banh chung and banh day baking competition.

There will also be many athletic activities including a beach volleyball competition, tennis, badminton and table tennis tournaments, and performances of water skiing, parasailing, and jet boating by professional athletes.

"Travelers can sign up for different tours around our province and get a chance to chat with famous people about Sam Son's history and development over the last 100 years," said Doan Van Phu, director of the provincial Department of Tourism.

Thanh Hoa authorities spent some US$375,000 upgrading infrastructure along the sea to prepare for the festival. Famous sites like Co Tien Temple, Doc Cuoc Pagoda, Truong Le Mount and Trong Mai Island were all refurbished, said Phu.

The event is expected to attract 500,000 visitors nationwide thanks to long holidays to mark the Death Anniversary of the Hung Kings, the Liberation Day, and International Labor Day.

Sam Son District, home of the famous Sam Son Beach, is approximately 200km south of Hanoi.

In related news, the Ha Long Tourism Week 2007 will take place in the capital city of northern Quang Ninh Province from April 28 to May 2.

The highlight will be the Ha Long carnival, where 1,000 professional and amateur artists will perform.

Three beauty queens crowned in 2006 – Miss Vietnam Mai Phuong Thuy, Miss Beach Vu Ngoc Diep, and Miss Photo Pham Thuy Trang – will attend the parade.

The organizers have also invited some art troupes from China and the Republic of Korea to perform at the festival.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tien Phong, VOV, Tuoi Tre – Compiled by Thu Thuy

Source : thanhniennews.com