Hung Yen Longan Festival and Trade Promotion Expands Scope After Intangible Cultural Heritage Recognition

In Hung Yen province, Vietnam, a Longan Festival and Trade Promotion event has been organized at the provincial level for the first time, coinciding with the recognition of knowledge on cultivating and processing longan as a national intangible cultural heritage. This event is positioned as a crucial opportunity for the province's culture and trade promotion. The festival, running from August 7th to 9th, aims to enhance the brand of Hung Yen longan, boost the consumption of agricultural products, foster trade connections, and develop local tourism. It also serves as a platform for longan farmers and businesses to connect and engage in commercial activities. Approximately 100 booths are showcasing longan, processed longan products, OCOP (One Commune One Product) agricultural goods, local specialties, and traditional craft products. This setup is designed to create a space for trade and cooperation between garden owners, cooperatives, businesses, and distribution systems, both domestic and international. The exhibition space is designed with an open concept, deeply reflecting the cultural essence of the "Land of Longan." It integrates performances, experiential activities, and tourism promotion, recreating a vibrant Longan Festival in the heart of Pho Hien. According to the organizing committee, the festival will feature various activities. These include a market for longan and typical agricultural products, combined with direct sales and livestreaming on digital platforms. Scientific seminars on traditional knowledge of longan cultivation and processing, exhibitions of beautiful photos of the longan region, tourism promotion, contests for peeling longan and cooking longan and lotus seed sweet soup, and experiential tours to longan gardens and processing facilities are also planned. This festival can be seen as part of the efforts by Vietnam's one-party system to stimulate local economies by promoting regional specialties to national and international markets. By adding cultural heritage value, the initiative seeks to increase added value and attract tourists. While Vietnam has strong economic ties with China, fostering domestic agricultural brands is significant for diversifying the economy and enhancing regional economic autonomy.