A parade of antique autos during the weekend celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hoi An and My Son Sanctuary being recognized as world cultural heritages. 

150 antique vehicles, including cars and motorbikes, gathered on Saturday at the Palm Garden Resort on Lac Long Quan Street in Hoi An Town to participate in an event titled "Ethnic musical instruments and antique cars - a heritage journey."

This involved a parade of the vehicles carrying artistes and traditional musical instruments.

The event, held Saturday and Sunday, was organized to celebrate 20 years of UNESCO’s recognition of Hoi An Town and temples at the My Son Sanctuary as world cultural heritages, as well as 10 years of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area being declared a world biosphere reserve.

A 1959 Cadillac series 62 led the parade on Saturday morning.

The convoy of antique autos carried artistes and 60 traditional musical instruments from Hoi An Town to My Son Sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam.

It was the largest antique car event ever held in Vietnam with the participation of collectors from across the country.

Hoang Thien, a member of the organizing committee, said: "The convoy is like a connection between Hoi An and My Son, bringing the message of preserving ancient things so that heritage lives on forever," Thien said.

The majority of the cars in the convoy were Volkswagen's Beetle models, which used to be a worldwide craze in the 1950s.

On the first day, the convoy paraded around Hoi An's streets before going on to the My Son Sanctuary on Sunday.

About 60 two and three-wheeled motorbikes from famous brands including Solex, Peugeot and Babetta, some more than 50 years old, also participated in the parade.

About 60 two and three-wheeled motorbikes from famous brands including Solex, Peugeot and Babetta, some more than 50 years old, also participated in the parade.

Around 3 p.m. on Saturday, a downpour forced organizers to cancel a concert, but the musicians performed on Sunday.

Musicians from the Central Highlands performed at the "Colors of heritage" concert, which saw performances on a wide range of traditional instruments from across the country.

Ngo Hong Quang, a composer and an organizer, said it was a meaningful event connecting artists and musical instruments.

The ancient town of Hoi An was recognized as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1998 and has become one of the top holiday destinations in Vietnam, attracting nearly five million visitors last year, including 3.7 million foreigners.

Another UNESCO heritage site, the My Son Sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam, is a complex of abandoned and partly ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and 14th centuries by the Champa Kingdom.

The cars were displayed on Nguyen Phuc Chu and Thoai Ngoc Hau Streets, near the An Hoi garden of statues on both nights of the event, which attracted a lot of domestic and foreign tourists.

Thomas Patterson, a British tourist, said: "It's been a long time since I've seen these cars, very interesting."