Taking place from July 10 to 12, at the stop of Cai Rang floating market (No. 17/2 Vo Tanh Street, Yen Thuan area, Le Binh ward, Cai Rang district, Can Tho City), The 7th Cai Rang Floating Market Culture and Tourism Festival 2023 is one of the annual events of Can Tho City in general and Cai Rang district in particular. The festival aims to celebrate and preserve the unique culture of Cai Rang floating market, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta. Moreover, the event also contributes to stimulating tourism and speeding up the economic recovery of Can Tho City. 

The 7th Cai Rang Floating Market Culture and Tourism Festival 2023 attracts a large number of visitors

This year’s festival features a lot of exciting cultural and sports activities, such as a trade, service, and travel mart with the participation of tourist businesses of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta; a contest of a floating market where agricultural and local products are sold on boats; an exhibition of traditional cakes; Can Tho’s first Miss Ao Ba Ba (Vietnamese silk ensemble) beauty contest; performances of folk music, including Don Ca Tai Tu (southern folk music); food and fruit exhibition; dragon boat races and traditional games.

Can Tho City authorities visit a booth displaying OCOP products

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cai Rang district, said that the 7th Cai Rang Floating Market Culture and Tourism Festival 2023 not only promotes Can Tho tourism but also celebrates the 63^rd Vietnam Tourism Day (July 9). I hoped that this year’s festival would attract even more tourists and local people.

Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho City, spoke at the opening ceremony

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho City Nguyen Thuc Hien said that Cai Rang Floating Market was established due to the local people’s unique habit of traveling and doing business by boats on the waterway system in the region. In order to preserve and develop Cai Rang Floating Market effectively and sustainably, the tourism sector has focused on implementing many solutions in a bid to raise public awareness of tourism development; strengthening coordination in tourism development among sectors and levels; conserved and upgraded tourism facilities; and quickly effectuating the scheme on preservation and development of Cai Rang Floating Market. In addition, the sector has called for investors to invest in key tourist attractions to entice tourists; promoted cooperation with other localities in the region as well as provinces and cities with developed tourism industry in Vietnam and other nations.

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho City Nguyen Thuc Hien asked People's Committee of Cai Rang District, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and relevant agencies to cooperate on effectively implementing the key tasks of preserving and developing Cai Rang Floating Market in 2023; speeding up the development of the project on “Preserving and promoting the value of the national intangible cultural heritage of Cai Rang floating market culture for tourism development until 2030, with a vision to 2045”.

Can Tho City leaders awarded prizes to units attending the Festival

Miss Ao Ba Ba (Vietnamese silk ensemble) beauty contest

In addition, Vice Chairman Nguyen Thuc Hien asked agencies and departments to focus on formulating mechanisms and policies on investment support, tax exemption and reduction for tourism projects; preserving and upgrading cultural and historical monuments and traditional handicraft villages; building folk singing clubs to serve tourists; developing unparalleled tourism products; accelerating tourism promotion and personnel training to improve service quality and develop Can Tho tourism towards “Safety – Friendliness - Quality”. Vice Chairman Nguyen Thuc Hien believed that achieving the above objectives will contribute to the development of the city's tourism, thereby attracting more tourists and investors to Can Tho.

Ba Lang eco-tourism stall

Stalls displaying agricultural and local products in the festival

Visitors were excited to visit merchant boats at the Festival