The opening drew the participation of 14 cities and provinces nationwide, an art troupe from Laos’ Oudomxay province, and more than 70 contestants from Miss Tourism World 2022.

The festival aims to build stellar cultural brands, promote cultural heritage, and link them with others in neighbouring countries.

Ninh Binh province is expected to continue to prioritise preserving cultural heritage and outline measures to seek support from businesses and local people to promote cultural values and develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector.

The three-day festival features a host of activities, including a cultural heritage exhibition, a carnival, and a music festival.

Vietnam is home to 70,000 heritage, 416 of which are on the list of national intangible cultural heritage while 14 have been honoured by UNESCO.

Ninh Binh has 81 national relic sites and three national special relic sites. It is the only locality in Vietnam that is home to mixed - both cultural and natural - sites./.

VNA