CẦN THƠ — Cần Thơ will celebrate its first River Culture Festival from December 26 to January 1 at Ninh Kiều Wharf and Hậu River Park, according to the city People’s Committee.

The cultural and tourism event with the theme “Cần Thơ – Colour of Rivers” this year is aimed at celebrating the distinctive riverine identity of the southern region and promoting the Cửu Long (Mekong Delta) city’s tourism.

There will be 12 main cultural, sports and tourism activities, including a photo exhibition on the “Rhythm of Life on the River – The Western Region in the Past and Present”, street acoustic music performances and boat racing and a parade on the Hậu River.

Other highlights will include a fireworks display, a drone light show, đờn ca tài tử (Southern folk music) performances, and lion-dragon dances, and a fair on speciality cuisines, One Commune, One Product and tourism products.

Communes and wards throughout the city will also organise activities to promote the protection of the riverine environment and create a green, clean and beautiful urban landscape.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Điệp, deputy chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, said the Cần Thơ River Culture Festival would create a cultural and tourism highlight for the city and help bolster its image as the “Mekong River tourism hub”.

It is expected to become an annual event and help stimulate tourism demand, she added.

The city’s tourism sector recorded strong growth, with visitor arrivals numbering nearly 10 million in the first 11 months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 25.8 per cent.

Tourism revenues amounted to VNĐ8.6 trillion (US$326 million), up 25 per cent. —VNS