“The event is a good chance for the Mekong provinces to boast their tourism and trade potential,” said Nguyen Van Dam, deputy chairman of the An Giang provincial People’s Committee.

Bui Thi Hong Ha, director of the An Giang Tourism Department, said that organisers have made preparations for the event in more than eight months with total investment capital of around US$503,000.

The festival, expected to draw some 300,000 local and foreign tourists, will feature a fusion of traditional music and culture under the themes “The Rivers’ Confluence and Fire of the Mekong Delta.

Its general director Dinh Anh Dzung said that to help visitors learn more about the Delta’s traditional lifestyles, the organisers have attempted to revive some of the South’s traditional arts.

Special performances will include cai luong (renovated opera) and tai tu music, which is unique to southern Vietnam and is often associated with farmers and labourers who sing traditional songs while working in the fields or relaxing at the end of a hard day.

More than 1,000 artists and performers from 12 troupes are expected to participate.
Other activities will include boat rowing competitions, bicycle racing, culinary arts and art exhibitions.

An on-site trade fair is expected to draw about 450 showcases displaying products from the delta as well as HCM City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the Cambodian cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

The festival will last until February 26. Its opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast live on VTV3 channel at 8 pm on February 23 and 26.