Vietnam News Agency-29 Nov 2017
The preservation and promotion of water cultural values in the Mekong Delta have become more urgent than ever before under the impacts of the fourth industrial revolution and international integration as well as the global climate change, heard a workshop in Can Tho city on November 28.
Rector of Can Tho University Associate Professor PhD. Ha Thanh Toan, said water culture in the Delta covers various aspects from history, art, literature, and religion to tourism.
Representatives from the Political Academy under the Ministry of National Defense said localities, which are able to tap natural advantages and native culture to develop tourism, record stable growth.
They suggested promoting the region’s unique culture of floating markets, gastronomy, boat traveling, and mangrove forest system as well as improve the quality of tourism services.
The southern province of Kien Giang is an example, which earned 3.5 trillion VND (154 million USD) in revenue in 2016 with around 5.4 million tourists, a year-on-year rise of 42 percent.
Nguyen Ho Thanh from An Giang University and other speakers from Ho Chi Minh City’s Culture University mentioned the preservation and development of traditional craft villages such as brocading, Bang Buong conical hat making, boat building, and fishing, which, they said, should receive more financial and technological support from authorities.
Researchers from Can Tho and Saigon universities highlighted the diversity and cultural interaction of Kinh – Hoa – Khmer in the southwestern region, creating spiritual, architectural and gastronomic milestones.
Pagodas and traditional festivals of ethnic groups are always a highlight in tourism, especially for tourists from Europe, they said.
