The central province of Thanh Hoa is actively completing its final preparations for the 2015 National Tourism Year themed “Connecting World Heritages”, which will commence in Thanh Hoa city on April 3.

The organisation board will screen footage featuring local UNESCO world heritage sites before the opening ceremony kicks off at 8:05 pm with a torchlight procession and the Dong Son bronze drum from the Dong Co temple in Yen Dinh district.

A highlight of the event will be a special art performance combining traditional and contemporary art to portray the province as a land of heritage.

Vietnamese world intangible cultural heritages “nha nhac” (royal court music), “quan ho” (love duet) of Bac Ninh, Vi-Dam singing (two kinds of folk music from central Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, “don ca tai tu” (amateur singing) and the Central Highlands gong festival will be introduced to visitors.

As many as 800 domestic artists and other folk art troupes from Laos , the Republic of Korea and Germany are expected to perform, promising to create an excellent experience for local and international visitors.

This is the first time Thanh Hoa will host the National Tourism Year, presenting a significant opportunity for the province to popularise its tourism.

Located on mountainous-midland, lowland, and coastal terrains, Thanh Hoa has favourable conditions for developing tourism. It is home to the World Heritage Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, Lam Kinh National Special Relic and Ham Rong Culture Tourism Area.

Vietnam is currently home to eight cultural and natural World Heritage sites, including the Complex of Hue Monument (recognised in 1993), Ha Long Bay (1994), Hoi An Ancient Town (1999), My Son Sanctuary (1999), Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (2003), the Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long-Hanoi (2010), the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (2011) and the Trang An Landscape Complex (2014).-VNA