A festival on the cultural preservation and development of the ethnic Cham community will be held in the central province of Phu Yen from August 13-16.

Thap Nhan (Nhan Tower) will receive a certificate
as the national special relic site on August 14

The fifth Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival includes the participation of ethnic Cham people from 12 provinces and cities, including Da Nang, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, An Giang, HCM City and Phu Yen.

The main activities will include an art shows, traditional costume and folklore art performances, photo exhibition, and food and folk game competitions.

The highlight will be a ceremony to receive the national special relic site certificate for Thap Nhan (Nhan Tower) at April 1 Square on the evening of August 14.

Nhan Tower was built by the Cham from the 10th to 13th century at Nhan Mountain on the Ba River side in Tuy Hoa city. It is a quadrangle with four 23.5m high sides.

It is the only Cham tower still intact in the province. An altar inside the tower is a unique architectural Cham feature and one of the few remaining Cham altars.

During the festival, tours will be designed to explore tourism spots in the province and a seminar on connecting Phu Yen tourism and other central south provinces will be held.

The festival will not only honor, promote and introduce the cultural heritage of the Cham but also feature attractions of the southern and central south regions.

The festival organisers aim to improve national pride and strengthen solidarity and mutual understanding among Vietnamese ethnic groups.