Mekong delta city of Can Tho ready for biggest tourism festival

For the first time the National Tourism Year 2008 will be launched in the Mekong delta city of Can Tho on February 21. With thorough preparations, the city is now ready to welcome visitors from near and far to enjoy local specialities and tours of famous sites.

Can Tho is not only a key artery junction and a socio-economic and cultural centre of the Mekong River Delta, is but also considered the capital city of the crisscrossed canals and rivers in the western region.

Playing host to the event themed Miet vuon song nuoc Cuu Long (the Mekong Waterways Gardens), the city is preparing for the opening ceremony to take place at the Hau River Park in Ninh Kieu District. According to the design, an islet-shaped stage, which can accommodate more than 6,000 people, will be erected in front of the Hau River. From the main stage, visitors can see big barges carrying passengers across the river on the left and engineers working on Can Tho Bridge on the right.

More than 1,600 amateur and professional artists are training for a special art programme at the opening ceremony. Ngo Dang Cuong, chief choreographer of the performance, told “artists have completed more than 80 percent of the workload, and are eagerly looking forward to the event in the coming days.”