The event starts at 4.30pm in HCM City's Ky Hoa 1 Tourist Park, 16A Le Hong Phong Street, District 10.

The beauty of Hoi An streets lit with colourful lanterns on the 14th and 15th days of every lunar month will be recreated, said Nguyen Su, a senior official from Hoi An City.

Hoi An was one of Viet Nam's and also Southeast Asia's most important and cosmopolitan ports from the 17th to 19th centuries, and its distinctive lanterns have been associated with the ancient town for centuries.

Photo and painting exhibitions featuring Hoi An's well-known Chua Cau (Pagoda Bridge), narrow streets lined with ancient, dark-wood houses and the tranquil Hoai River will be parts of the event.

Other activities will include presentations of Hoi An's culinary art, lantern making, chess games and performances of bai choi, a 1,000 year-old folk music tradition unique to the town.

"We want to offer images and culture of Hoi An to those who have not visited the town," Su said.

The event will wrap up tomorrow night with a concert featuring songs written by Hoi An composers and performed by more than 100 artists.

According to the Hoi An Tourism Department, the city received more than 1.2 million foreign and domestic visitors last year and over 30,000 during the recent the Lunar New Year (Tet Nham Thin) festival.