Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh on August 10 asked localities in the Central Highlands region to work with his ministry to intensify the work of collecting and inventorying both tangible and intangible cultural heritages of ethnic minority groups.

The valuable cultural heritages of the Central Highlands will come into sharp focus at the 2014 National Tourism Year which is scheduled to kick-off from late December.

A meeting of the steering committee for the 2014 National Tourism Year chaired by Minister Hoang Tuan Anh was held in Lam Dong province to prepare for the event.

Themed “ High Mountains and Thick Forests of the Central Highlands”, the event will be held in Lam Dong and other provinces in the region throughout the following year.

It will comprise 44 events organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and five other provinces of Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum.

Major events will include the first Vietnam-ASEAN Heritage Festival, a festival marking the 120th founding anniversary of Da Lat, the capital city of Lam Dong , the fifth Da Lat Flower Festival and a ceremony to launch the 2014 Central Highlands - Da Lat National Tourism Year.

A festival of brocade arts, a Central Highlands fashion show, a fiesta of regional wooden statues, and an international gong festival will be held during the year.

A host of sporting events such as an elephant race, a boat race and several folk games will be made available for visitors to partake in.

Special tours will be launched during the event to give tourists an insight of the local life and culture.-VNA