Bac Giang goes vibrant with culture – tourism week

At the opening ceremony of the Bac Giang Culture - Tourism Week in 2024 (Photo: baobacgiang.vn)

Bac Giang – The 2025 Culture – Tourism Week under the theme of “Sacred Tay Yen Tu” is underway in the northern province of Bac Giang from February 8-13.

The event features an array of distinct activities designed to highlight the province’s potential and strengths, including its pristine natural landscapes as well as the unique cultural traits of its ethnic communities. Besides, it places the focus on various tourism segments such as spiritual tourism, eco-tourism, community-based tourism, sport activities, as well as showcases of distinctive agricultural products.

Through the initiative, Bac Giang aims to lure visitors and attract resources for tourism development.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosts eight main activities, with the several notable highlights. A centerpiece of the lineup will be an exhibition on the Buddhist Pilgrimage Trail, “cheo” (traditional opera) performances, along with the procession of the tablets of Tam To Truc Lam (the three founders of the Truc Lam Buddhist Zen sect) from Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang city to Ha Tay Yen Tu Pagoda in Son Dong district.

Another standout activity is a festival of traditional folk music of then singing, an essential ritual practice in the spiritual life of the Tay, Nung and Thai ethnic minority groups. Additionally, visitors can witness the “forest opening” ceremony at the Ba Chua Then Temple in Lang Giang district, expected to offer them a fascinating and immersive experience of the locality’s cultural richness.

Director of the department Truong Quang Hai, deputy head of the organising board of the event, said that the Mother Goddesses worshipping festival sees local artisans performing alongside practitioners from five neighboring provinces. These performances showcase the authentic rituals recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

To promote the region's Buddhist heritage, nearly 300 athletes are set to participate in a cycling race along the “Buddhist Pilgrimage Trail”, he added.

All of the events are held across several scenic locations, including the Tay Yen Tu spiritual-ecotourism area in Son Dong district, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, 3/2 Square in Bac Giang city, and the Suoi Mo Ecotourism Area in Luc Nam district.

The week, along with the Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival, is among major annual activities held to stimulate the tourism sector and grow visitor numbers, which increasingly account for a high proportion of the province's earnings. They also affirm Bac Giang as a safe, friendly and hospitable destination.

Over the recent past, Bac Giang has intensified efforts to attract investment and develop provincial-level tourist areas and attractions, like Dong Cao Cultural and Entertainment Tourist Area, the Ven - Xuan Lung - Thac Nga Ecotourism Area - focusing on relaxation and cultural experiences, the Tien Son - Van Ha Cultural, Spiritual, and Ecotourism Area and the Huong Son Ecotourism Area in Lang Giang district.

At the same time, it has supported the establishment of community tourism sites in the districts of Son Dong, Yen The, Luc Nam, Luc Ngan, and Viet Yen township.

The focus have been channeled to promoting and developing distinctive tourism products to establish the Bac Giang tourism brand, such as the Buddhist Pilgrimage Trail in Tay Yen Tu and Bac Giang Golf./.