The HCMC’s first floating fruit week opened on the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal along the streets of Ben Binh Dong in District 8 on May 28.
Accordingly, visitors can travel by car, bicycle, or boat to explore cultural and historical relic sites, rural life and natural landscapes in the suburban districts of Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Nha Be, Can Gio, Binh Chanh, District 7 and Thu Duc City.
The project contributes to developing new tourist products under the city’s program themed “Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City” to invite visitors back to the city.
The municipal Tourism Department has previously cooperated with the People’s Committees of Thu Duc City and districts, and travel firms to take surveys of inter-city tours and unique tourist products, and launch new trips, including “A memory of Sai Gon – Cho Lon” , “Tan Phu – A place remembered” and the first floating fruit week.
The “A memory of Sai Gon – Cho Lon” tour takes tourists to visit District 5’s attractions, including President Ho Chi Minh’s memorial house on Chau Van Liem Street where he lived before embarking on his journey abroad for national salvation in 1911; a former infirmary in Cho Quan Hospital (it’s now known as HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases) where Tran Phu, the first General Secretary of the Indochina Communist Party, was detained and died; Thien Ton Pagoda. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy local dishes and Kylin and dragon dance performances
Meanwhile, the People’s Committee of Tan Phu District launched a tour called “Tan Phu – A place remembered” to present historical sites to travelers, such as Phu Tho Hoa Tunnels used to be a special military base in wartime; Phap Van Pagoda whose construction was initiated by Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh in 1965 and holds three national records of the largest bronze Statue of standing Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with thousand eyes and thousand hands, dragon kylin stone carving sculptures, and the biggest set of golden oak doors carved Buddhist Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamitahrdaya Sutra) translated into Vietnamese by Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh. There is also Ngoc Linh Ginseng Museum featuring 400 varieties of the healing plant called a national treasure, and Vinh Nghiem monastery located on an area of around 17,000 square meters in District 12 to meet the demands for religious meditation and worshiping of Buddhist followers.
On May 28, the HCMC’s first floating fruit week opened on the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal along the streets of Ben Binh Dong in District 8. It aims to promote canals and spatial cultural identities of HCMC, kinds of fruits of the Southern region, and honor values of local fruits and achievements of the agriculture industry as well as develop tourism potentials of HCMC in general and District 8 in particular. The organizers expect the festival to become one of the city’s annual cultural events in the coming time.
