Viet Nam News
QUANG NGAI —A Culture and Tourism Week has been organised for the first time in Ly Son, an island district 30 km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province with a population of about 20,000 people.
The event, with the theme of Ly Son – A tradition, an identity, intends to promote the image of the locality, its people and natural beauty as well as to raise locals’ awareness about the country’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.
The Ly Son Culture and Tourism Week will feature a range of cultural, tourism and sports events with the hope of creating a mesmerising impression of this serene and culturally rich island for visitors.
From June 29 to July 3, there will be a photo exhibition, a boat race, a night food market featuring dried seafood and specialties of Ly Son as well as music and arts performance.
An exhibition titled “Ly Son – Islands and Sea Culture Heritage”, opening on Friday morning, features 80 photographs and 35 artefacts. Among these, 40 photographs and 20 artefacts introduce the history and cultural characteristics of the residents of Ly Son, sea exploitation activities and the protection of the islands local seas. Twenty photographs and 15 artefacts showcase the Ly Son geological heritage. Also displayed are maps and documents which are seen as important historical and legal evidence proving Viet Nam’s sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly archipelagoes.
“The event aims to give visitors insight on the life of locals and introduce the values and identity of local culture widely to local and international visitors. It also has significant meaning in enhancing the awareness of locals and visitors on Viet Nam’s water sovereignty and proving Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly archipelagoes,” said Deputy Chairman of Ly Son District’s People’s Committee Le Van Ninh at the opening of the exhibition held on Friday morning.
“The cultural heritage of Ly Son island is diverse and various. It is formed and influenced by three cultures – Sa Huynh, Champa and Dai Viet,” said Ninh.
“Over the past few years, Ly Son has developed its tourism, agriculture and fishing sector in a sustainable direction. Many agricultural and seafood products have become well-recognised brands of this island,” he added.
Ly Son covers a total size of around 10sq km and is comprised of three communes – An Hai, An Vinh and An Binh. Archaeological findings indicate that the island was first inhabited by people 3,000 years ago. Since the 17th century, the people of Sa Huynh civilisation came to settle down in Ly Son island. Over hundreds of years, this has become home to various tangible and intangible cultural heritages as well as traditional unique festivals and customs.
The island is now home to four national relics and one national intangible heritage.
The natural beauty of Ly Son is formed mostly by the mountains and beaches. A volcanic eruption helped to form the landscape of Ly Son of today with the geological shelf dating back millions of years.
With significant geological value, Quang Ngai Province is seeking UNESCO recognition for Ly Son- Binh Chau and the neighbouring area as a Global Geological Park. VNS