(VNF) - The first Lotus Festival opened at Van Mieu Park in Cao Lanh city located in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on September 1^st, marking the 72^nd anniversary of National Day (September 2^nd).

Children’s painting competition on lotus leaves. (Photo: Ngày hội Sen Đồng Tháp facebook)

Dong Thap is home of lotus in the South. The festival aims at creating a new tourism product for the Dong Thap Muoi wetland area. This is also the occasion for Dong Thap to introduce its images and typical lotus products with visitors and call for investment in local socio-economic development.

At the opening ceremony, leaders of Dong Thap said that the event offered a good opportunity for organisations and inpiduals to invest in raising the economic value of lotus - the classic product in Dong Thap and promoting sustainable development from this chain of goods.

Chairman of Dong Thap provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Duong stressed that the lotus is a symbol close to Vietnamese people and the pride of Dong Thap. For that reason, Lotus Festival was organised to promote the value of the lotus and facilitate the image of Dong Thap tourism, while contributing to the building of Dong Thap - Pink Lotus brand.

Ngo Quang Tuyen, Deputy Director of Dong Thap Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism noted that under the framework of the festival, there will be a range of special cultural activities associated with the lotus.

Children to the event can experience and make their own unique handmade products from the lotus. (Photo: Ngày hội Sen Đồng Tháp facebook)

During the three-day festival, there are performances on lotus tea tasting, lectures on the lotus in Vietnamese culture, a lotus fashion show and calligraphy on lotus leaves, as well as book introduction about the Dong Thap land and people.

Visitors to the event can experience and make their own unique handmade products from the lotus such as distilling lotus essence and lotus soap, making lotus thread, making lotus flowers from paper and other agricultural by-products.

Visitors have an oportunity to enjoy handicraft products made of lotus and natural cosmetics made of lotus. (Photo: Ngày hội Sen Đồng Tháp facebook)

A seminar on the Dong Thap lotus was held with the participation of scientists, enterprises, and lotus growing farmers who looked into the advantages, potential and development direction for the local product.

The event held by the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap will run until September 3^rd./.

VNF