Visitors flocking to Da Nang for all stars of fireworks

A performance during Da Nang International Fireworks Competition 2012. File photo

Da Nang expects to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to its international fireworks competition next week, when the world’s best pyrotechnists will bright up the sky.

Fireworks for Africa from South Africa, Pyrotecnico from the United States, Howard and Son Fireworks from Australia, Surex Firma Rodzinna from Poland and the host team Da Nang Fireworks, all having won top prizes at international contests, will perform on the night of April 28 (Tuesday) and April 29 (Wednesday).

Pyrotecnico won the second prize in 2010 and the Australian team came third in 2009.

The “Da Nang – Symphony of Colors,” as the edition is named, will start at around 8 p.m. over the Han River and each performance will last around 20 minutes.

A statement from the city’s tourism department said around 450,000 visitors will be staying in the city during the event, up 14 percent from 2013.

Foreigners brought by travel firms are expected to reach 51,590, twice the number the previous competition.

The department said more tourists are coming to the central city on their own and not through an agent.

Da Nang International Fireworks Competition, which is the country’s biggest fireworks event, used to be held every year. But the city government decided to give it a break last year and make it biennial to have more preparation time.

Huynh Duc Tho, the city chairman, said the competition this year will have many “renovations.”

“We expect a special and interesting program.”

The tourism department said having one year off is one of the factors behind the surge in visitors this year.

Also, the competition falls amid a six-day holiday including weekend and national holidays.

Flight routes to Da Nang and its number of hotels have also increased.

Most hotels in the city have been fully booked during the time of the fireworks show.

The city government allows hotels to raise prices up to 50 percent during the event, but many tourists have complained about several times of price hikes, especially at small hotels.

Fancy ones have been offering discounts and other promotions.

The event is expected to cost the city around $2.4 million. It also features cuisine exchanges, boat parade on the Han River, fashion shows and musical performances.

After six editions, Da Nang International Fireworks Competition has won global attention with this year receiving coverage from channels like Star World, National Geographic and BBC.

WHERE TO WATCH

Visitors can observe the fireworks from nearby restaurants or café, or they can buy tickets from a new stand built for the event. The stand has 32,000 seats with half to be saved for guests and the rest will be made available to visitors at the prices of VND300,000 (US$14), VND400,000 ($18.5) and VND500,000 ($23) apiece each night. In Da Nang, visitors can buy the tickets at Trung Vuong Theater at 35 Phan Chau Trinh Street, Nguyen Hien Dinh Theater at 155 Phan Chau Trinh Street, the Tourism Promotion Center at 32A Phan Dinh Phung Street, Event and Festival Organization Center at 78 Le Duan Street, and the event’s fundraiser Viet Art Company at 62 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. Visitors can also buy tickets from Hanoi at Danaland Company on the third floor or Nafoimex building at 19 Ba Trieu Street, or from Ho Chi Minh City at Viet Media Travel Company at 175 Nguyen Thai Binh Street, District 1. Some travel agents and hotels in Da Nang are also selling tickets for the fireworks show.

Visitors flocking to Da Nang for all stars of fireworks

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