Festival for Peace 2024: Join hands for a world of peace

The Festival for Peace 2024 is an important event to promote Quang Tri as a peaceful destination for domestic and international friends.

Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee Hoang Nam spoke at the working session - Photo: T.H

The central province of Quang Tri has designed a plan for the opening night of the Festival for Peace 2024. The information was announced after the meeting between the Quang Tri’s authorities, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the consulting unit, hosted by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Nam.

The 2024 Festival for Peace will open on the night of July 6, in the Hien Luong – Ben Hai twin bank historical relic cluster. It will be broadcast live on national television VTV.

The festival’s message is to join hands to build peace, emphasizing the role of the cultural heritage of Hien Luong Bridge, which divided North and South Vietnam during the American War.

With the theme of connecting the rhythm of time and highlighting peace as the result of tireless efforts, the music program contains many Vietnamese songs and international music performances.The program lasts about 80 - 85 minutes, including opening statements of provincial and central leaders, an opening ceremony with the bell of peace, an art program, and a ground fireworks display.

The music exchange program will include three parts. In particular, part 1 titled “Song of Joy” evokes the concept of peace and the value of love. Part 2, “The Sound of Connection”, highlights Vietnam as a peace-loving nation, a link to create peace, and Quang Tri with the Hien Luong bridge that transforms the pain of division into a symbol of the desire for unity, peace and national harmony. Part 3, “The Wishes,” conveys the message of joining hands to create a peaceful world.Stories about Quang Tri will focus in part 2 with the highlight of Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River, a mark of separation and loss during the war, through the famous songs dedicated to the beauty of Vietnam and the significant contribution of Vietnamese people in the national construction and protection process.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Hoang Nam appreciated the plan for the opening night, highlighting the selection of the national monument Hien Luong - Ben Hai Banks as the venue for the peace festival and the combination of real scenery and technology to create a highlight.

“The program needs to ensure harmony between the universality of human peace and the specific historical characteristics of Quang Tri,” Nam said.

He affirmed the appropriateness of choosing the theme “connecting bridges” instead of “connecting the rhythm of time” because 2024 is also the year commemorating the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Agreement on restoring peace in Indochina and the Hien Luong Bridge - Ben Hai River became the place that divided North and South Vietnam.

Nam recommended the program exploit the images of Quang Tri cemeteries to evoke the loss and pain of war as well as the image of the US ambassador burning incense at two national martyrs“cemeteries, Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery - the resting place of more than 10,000 martyrs - and the Road 9 National Martyrs” Cemetery, which is the resting place for more than 10,800 martyrs, to spread the message of putting aside the past, looking towards the future, and joining hands to create peace for humanity. In addition, it’s necessary to disseminate the most beautiful image of Quang Tri via the program to foster provincial tourism.

“Agencies need to complete soon the brand identity of the Festival for Peace to spread the festival to friends in the country and the world,” he added.

Thanh Hai - Tung Lam