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State President Vo Van Thuong (R) is attending the art show ‘Stories Told by Rivers’ in the framework of the 1st HCMC River Festival 2023 last night (Photo: SGGP) |
Before the beginning of the event, a large number of city dwellers and tourists flocked to HCMC Cruise Port area and Bach Dang Wharf Park.
Le Bich Lan, a tourist from Nam Dinh Province, excitedly shared that she had been eager to join this event, and was totally satisfied with the performance thanks to the great effort as well as professionalism of the artists. “This performance is not at all less magnificent than any international performances”, said Lan emotionally.
The event let spectators experience various art forms ranging from folk to contemporary ones, from music, cinema, dancing, to light technology. The highlights of last night were the 3D lighting art on the display floor along Saigon Riverbank, the water music system on the river with carefully calculated laser lights for each session, and the flyboard show in combination with the drone show and fireworks.
The art show ‘Stories Told by Rivers’ mentioned the establishment of the land and its dwellers in different periods of Saigon – Gia Dinh – Cho Lon – HCMC. The show has five parts of Land Reclamation – City Building – At the Wharf and on the Boat – Bustling Commercial Port – Blooming City by the River.
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Secretary of HCMC Party’s Committee Nguyen Van Nen is attending the art show ‘Stories Told by Rivers’ in the framework of the 1st HCMC River Festival 2023 last night (Photo: SGGP) |
The show attracted the participation of over 700 professional and amateur actors, normal people living and working, studying in HCMC as well as dwellers of craft villages in the Mekong Delta region. There were 30 restaurant ships, yachts, sailboats, motorboats, simple wooden boats, river buses, and speedboats taking part in the show.
After three days of the River Festival, many tourist companies spoke highly of the determination and efforts of HCMC’s authorities in offering innovative tourism products to attract holidaymakers. President Phan Xuan Anh of Saigon Boat Co.’s Board of Directors commented that such piloting events as traditional boat races and Ngo Boat races on Saigon River have provided HCMC with precious experience to organize large-scale boat races. Also, with available water resources, HCMC is fully capable of introducing impressive tourism products to serve both domestic and foreign visitors.
Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee Phan Van Mai stated that the art program ‘Stories Told by Rivers’ has exhibited the most prominent characteristics of Saigon – Cho Lon – Gia Dinh – HCMC for the last 300 years.
“The establishment and development of HCMC has a strong contribution of rivers. The curving shape of Saigon River is the natural advantage for the city to house the largest and busiest trading port in the Southern region of the country. Many structures here have turned into cultural heritages and the pride of city dwellers”, said Chairman Mai.
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An act in the show ‘Stories Told by Rivers’ (Photo: SGGP) |
Coming through rivers, and stabilizing life depending on those rivers, residents in HCMC are hoping to form a smart city along river sides. Obviously, rivers and canals have helped to shape the appearance of Saigon – Gia Dinh – HCMC and to form a multi-cultural urban area whose inhabitants are generous, friendly, and daring to reach out to international lands in hope for a brighter future.
As usual, rivers here are silently recording historic moments of in the growth of HCMC, brought about by new valuable chances.
“The art show ‘Stories Told by Rivers’, held on Saigon Riverbank, is a harmonious song to express the appreciation to the ancestors reclaiming the land, the brave soldiers fighting for the freedom, and the industrious laborers working and constructing the city to its current prosperity”, stressed Chairman Mai.
He concluded his speech with the message that HCMC wishes to send to visitors. The city is a charming, kind, dynamic, and creative place with capable dwellers who are ready to cooperate with international friends to develop the river-related service economy via making good use of river and marine resources.
