Thousands of people in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi began visiting
the annual spring flower festival that opened on Jan.26.
A Spring Flower and Drinks Fair which opened in Hanoi will see some
last-minute politicking for the selection of Vietnam 's national
flower.
The fair will also feature a photo
exhibition by HCM City-based photographer Tran Bich dedicated to the
lotus, a leading candidate for designation as the national flower.
Bich is dedicated to photographing the lotus, and his images capture
the many shapes of the lotus, from bud to faded flower.
Orchids, peach and ochna blossoms are also in contention for the title of national flower, however.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will gather votes on the
national flower, national costume and national wine during the festival,
and the national flower will be announced on Jan.28 at the Vietnam
Lotus Spirit Gala.
At the Lotus Spirit Gala,
artisans from Hanoi , Hue and HCM City will create crafts and
artworks celebrating the lotus, including lotus lanterns and sculpture
and silk lotus.
"We have used many materials to
celebrate the lotus," said Hanoi-based artist Nguyen Manh Hung. "Since
it's not the season of the lotus in the north now, we have received
fresh lotus from the southern province of Dong Thap ."
The competition to select the national costume hasn't gone as smoothly.
"The ao dai is already the national costume for women, but it's
difficult to choose the national costume for men," said Vi Kien Thanh,
chief of the ministry's art, photography and exhibitions department.
Meanwhile, the selection of a national wine plan is still in the
survey stage, Thanh said. Over the past three years, the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the
Vietmam Alcohol, Beer and Beverage Association have nominated ruou can
(wine drunk from a jar), rice wine, coconut wine and apricot wine for
the honour.
The Spring Flowers and Drinks Festival will continue through Jan.30 at the Culture and Art Centre at 2 Hoa Lu street .
The fair will exhibit and offer prizes for wines and spirits made by
both traditional and modern methods, offer opportunities to sample
wines, tea and coffee, and will feature performances, folk games, an ao
dai (traditional long dress) fashion show, and calligraphy exhibition,
as well as recreate customs such as the Kitchen Gods Festival. At least
50 enterprises will also display products for Tet, including decorations
and ornamental trees.
Ha Giang province will take
the spotlight, recreating a provincial market day with local
specialities, cuisine and festivities of the province's ethnic people,
including pan-pipe dance and folk duets.
The
week-long event, which will last until February 1, a day ahead of the
Lunar New Year, displays the beauty of Vietnamese flora in Phu My Hung
Residential Area, HCM City .
This festival
hopes to attract around 500 booths, displaying all kinds of flowers,
plants, birds, fish, ceramics and calligraphy.
This
year's flower festival in HCM City is expected to attract
thousands visitors with a rich assortment of blossoms.
The Phu My Hung Spring Flower Festival 2011 features a contest of
special Vietnamese flowers and ornamental trees, called Hoa Dong Co Noi
(Flower of Countryside).
Nguyen Thien Tich, vice
chairman of the municipal Association of Orchids and Ornamental Trees,
said, "It's a chance for everyone to explore the abundant flora in the
country."
The country has more than 12,000 flowers and other kinds of plants.
Along with the contests, the week-long festival will include other
activities such as a ceremony to release flowers and garlands, and
floating lanterns on Ban Nguyet Lake .
The lake will be decorated with giant lotus flowers, which will be lit for photo opportunities.
Different festival areas include Cat Square with flowers arranged
in the shapes of cats, the ochna, apricot and peach blossom section, 12
animal designations of the lunar calendar and the legend about the man,
Mai An Tiem, who discovered the watermelon.
There will be music shows at the festival every night until the evening of February 1.
The festival, co-organised by Phu My Hung Joint Venture Company and
HCM City Ornamental Creature Association, expects to attract more than
500 enterprises displaying flowers, fruit and Tet (Lunar New Year)
products.
Last year, more than 500,000 visitors visited the flower festival held in the residential area.
The majority of these products were produced in the city and outlying areas.
Also on Jan.26, 30 flower markets opened around the city to welcome
city dwellers shopping to decorate their houses during the New Year's
days.
Flower exhibitions will be held at major parks
like Gia Dinh, Le Van Tam and September 23. Ochna, kumquat and daisy
are among the most popular.
In District 8, flowers
carried by boats from the Mekong Delta are being displayed along the
canal at Ben Binh Dong. The market recalls the hectic trading activity
of Sai Gon 100 years ago.
Around 25 flower markets in districts 5, 6, 10, 11, Go Vap, Tan Phu, Thu Duc, Binh Tan and Cu Chi have opened./.
