Viet Nam News
CAO BANG — Thousands of locals and tourists joined the first ever Pac Bo Returning to Roots Festival held at the Pac Bo revolutionary base in Ha Quang District, the northern province of Cao Bang on Wednesday.
Various activities were organised including a water procession ceremony to President Ho Chi Minh Temple in Pac Bo, folk music performances, a traditional rice cake making contest, incense making contest, as well as folk games like bowling and tug of war. The site also hosted cuisine stalls and handicraft exhibitions.
Sam Viet An, director of Cao Bang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Pac Bo is not only a special national relic site, which hosted President Ho Chi Minh in his revolutionary working period between 1941-45 but also includes beautiful landscapes with cool weather throughout the year.
The area also located in the centre of Cao Bang Global Geopark, recognised by UNESCO.
“The site has great potential in tourism of all forms: culture, history, and nature exploration,” he said. “The site has been upgraded with a car park, administrative area, exhibition hall, roads, lighting, flowers and a bonsai garden.”
Last year, the site received over 200,000 visitors.
“The festival aims to educate the youth on revolutionary traditions, recalling President Ho’s working time here,” he said. “The event is also an opportunity for locals to restore and develop traditional cultural values, introduce values of the Global Geopark and local tourism potential to tourists.”
Pac Bo relic site is located 56km to the west of Cao Bang City, which was chosen as a revolutionary base for President Ho and his comrades to work and direct revolutionary movements in the country after the President returned to the country from China.
Cao Bang at that time had a strong revolutionary force. The province also has favourable natural conditions of mountains and forests, which can protect revolutionary leaders from French invaders.
President Ho stayed at Coc Po Cave with his comrades with the support of locals. He shared hard living conditions with other leaders during the time. They used forest plants, bamboo shoots, fish for food while directing revolutionary movements in the country. — VNS