(VOVWORLD) - The Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourism Festival 2023 opened in Cao Bang on Friday evening, attracting thousands of domestic and foreign tourists.
 A water procession ritual is performed at the festival (Photo: VOV) |
The opening ceremony featured an enticing art program, which covered a performance of Then singing – a special ritual practice of ethnic minority groups - and Tinh musical instrument with the attendance of 1,000 people.
Earlier on the same day, a water procession ceremony from the waterfall to a local pagoda took place to pray for peace in the country and good weather for agriculture.
A visitor to the festival said: “I’m very happy and excited to participate in the festival. The program well blended traditional and contemporary features. The contemporary sound and light are well blended with the traditional beauty of local ethnic minorities.”
“The space and the landscape embrace both traditional and contemporary features. I’m very impressed. It is an unforgettable experience,” another visitor told VOV.
“The Ban Gioc waterfall attracts crowds of visitors. The light system is very beautiful. I’m very impressed. The festival this year is more beautiful than in previous years and draws more visitors," shared a female festival goer.
 At the ceremony to pray for national peace (Photo: VOV) |
The annual festival aims to introduce and promote the scenery, culture, and people of Cao Bang, as well as the Ban Gioc Waterfall to domestic and international visitors. It
also features an exhibition to display and introduce products, specialties and dishes of the province as well as sports activities, folk games and chestnut picking.
Ban Gioc Waterfall is located within the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark, which was recognized as a global geopark by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council in 2018. It is considered a home to various fauna and flora species and gives insight into more than 500 million years of Earth’s history.
The number of tourists to the area reached nearly 227,000 people in the first nine months of this year.