A New Year 2021 flag-salute ceremony was held on January 1 in Hoa Tam commune, Dong Hoa town in the southern central province of Phu Yen - the easternmost point of Vietnam, where the sunrise is first seen on the mainland of the country.

The New Year flag-salute ceremony is held at the easternmost
point of Vietnam in the south central province of Phu Yen (Photo: VNA)

Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Huu The said the flag-salute ceremony is the opening event in a series of activities to celebrate the 410th anniversary of Phu Yen's establishment (1611 - 2021), aiming to educate young generations about the patriotism and the pride of national independence.

This event also marked the beginning of events to introduce and promote the beauty of the Bai Mon - Mui Dien national tourism site to domestic and international tourists.

Also on the day, a ceremony to welcome first tourists to the Bai Mon – Mui Dien national tourist site took place at the same place.

Visiting Bai Mon - Mui Dien, tourists will have a chance to experience the first sunrise on the Vietnamese mainland and visit the 100-year-old lighthouse standing on top of Mui Dien.

Phu Yen set to attract about 2 million tourists in 2021.

The local authorities have planned to organise a number of activities to stimulate tourism demand, including a cultural-tourism festival, promoting the formation of Ganh Da Dia geopark in Tuy An district, developing infrastructure in the Xuan Dai Bay national tourist area in Song Cau town.

Amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, Phu Yen served 900,000 visitors in 2020, including 7,385 foreigners. The local tourism sector earned a total of VND678 billion (over US$29 million) last year.