On Saturday evening (1 June), an imposing opening ceremony of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2019 officially began at 8.30pm with the participation of thousands of locals and visitors.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong (right) and representatives from national agencies at the opening ceremony

Attending the event were Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong, Secretary of the Party Central Committee cum Chief Justice of the Viet Nam Supreme People's Court Truong Hoa Binh, representatives from national government agencies and the authorities of Da Nang and other Vietnamese localities, plus invited international guests.

The city’s leaders at the event

As for the city’s leaders, there were Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Truong Quang Nghia and Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho, Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Nho Trung, and local Fatherland Front Committee Chairwoman Dang Thi Kim Lien.

In his opening speech at the event, Chairman Tho remarked that DIFF, formerly known as the Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC), has become a unique cultural and entertainment event of Da Nang over the past decade.

Chairman Tho addressing the ceremony

He also highlighted the significance of the event in meeting the entertaiment demand and enhancing the spiritual life of local residents and visitors, boosting international integration and cultural exchange, and advertising the image of Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole, to international friends.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, DIFF tops a list of the 10 most outstanding cultural events in Viet Nam in 2018. This result proved that the fireworks festival has been becoming a brand name of the city which have drawn a great deal of attention from locals and visitors.

Entitled 'Nhung dong song ke chuyen' (Stories by the Rivers), this year’s event involves 8 teams, namely Russia, Brazil, Belgium, Finland, Italy, UK, China, and Da Nang-Viet Nam. Chairman Tho, therefore, expressed his strong belief that international-standard fireworks performances and a wide range of exciting support activities would bring unforgettable experience to visitors at home and abroad.

This year’s the main outdoor stage looks like a vivid picture reminiscent of the image of rivers.

Also at the ceremony, the spectators enjoyed an enchanting musical show involving hundreds of artistes from nationally-renowned arts troupes.

The opening ceremony was then followed by the amazing displays by the Da Nang-Viet Nam and Russian teams.