Local authorities are gearing up for the annual Spring Flower Festival at Tao Dan Park in HCM City as the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday approaches.

The event will begin on January 28 and end on February 8 (the sixth day of the lunar calendar's first month).

More than 8,000 indigenous and foreign flowers, ornamental fish, bonsai plants and trees will be featured at the festival. They will be provided by florists, farms, handicraft villages and business people involved in agriculture, according to Tran Thien Ha, director of the HCM City Green Tree and Park Company, a member of the festival's organising board.

Well-known handicraft villages and farms in HCM City , Hanoi and the provinces of Binh Duong, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Lam Dong will introduce their products at the festival.

In addition to the flower displays and sales, the event will include musical and dance performances, as well as cultural exhibits such as traditional food festivals and painting displays. The festival's themes highlight the 11th Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party, which opens today in Hanoi .

The opening ceremony will include three music and song programmes in praise of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, which feature dozens of veterans and young performers.

The show titled “Flowers for the Party and Uncle Ho” will highlight revolutionary music.

Designed to feel like a colourful garden, Tao Dan Park will attract children and young people who find inspiration in nature.

Visitors will participate in a variety of street shows featuring folk art and games staged by hundreds of puppet and circus performers, which begin at 8pm every night.

Organisers said they have received help and support from the city People's Committee and other offices and organisations./.