Streets and parks in HCM City will be alive with festivities in celebration of the 41st anniversary of the country’s Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1).

A cultural programme called To Quoc (Homeland) will open tomorrow night and take place every night until May 1.   

It is organised by the HCM City School of Dance (HSD), in co-operation with its partners, Hong Hac Entertainment and HCM City Youth Cultural House.

Revolutionary music will be highlighted.

Songs in praise of the country written by famous composers such as Hoang Viet, Hoang Hiep and Phan Huynh Dieu, will be performed by opera artists of the city’s Music Conservatory.

A series of dances choreographed by Ha The Dung, Ta Thuy Chi and Luong Xuan Thanh will be highlighted.

The dances portray the victory of Vietnamese under the French and American wars, featuring 40 young dancers of the city’s ballet (with the HCM City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra) and HSD.

“Our art brings a message of life, love and peace,” said female choreographer Chi, one of the city’s young dance talents.   

Another special music and song programme at the Au Lac Stage located in Dam Sen Park in District 11 will kick off the city-wide festivities this weekend.

The two-day event will open on Saturday night and feature more than 50 singers, dancers and pop bands in electronic dance music.

Pop stars Dam Vinh Hung and Thu Minh will perform to music played by DJs Bjorn Akesso of Sweden.  

The event will also include a fireworks performance.

Two new exhibitions, located at the Reunification Palace on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, will feature objects and photographs of President Ho Chi Minh during historic events and the country’s revolutionary process.

The showcase aims to encourage children and young people to learn more about the country’s heroic history.     

The exhibitions will begin on Thursday and run through May.

As in previous years, Vietnamese film screenings will be organised at cinemas and cultural houses in the rural districts of Cu Chi, Binh Chanh and Can Gio from April 29 to May 23.     

Local people will be treated to outdoor performances staged by professional artists from art troupes, which will take place on main streets.

“We will host an outdoor music and theatre concert on Saturday night to service more than 3,000 students and young labourers,” said Bui Thanh Liem, director of the Youth Cultural House.

Suoi Tien and 23/9 parks are now preparing for their programs, which are expected to attract several hundred thousand rural youth from southern provinces on the holiday.

HCM City Television will broadcast documentaries and reports featuring the city’s developments in culture and economy over the past 41 years.

To attract young customers, shopping centres and supermarkets are offering promotional programs.

The Co.opMart chain offers domestically made products of cloth, shoes and accessories at prices with a discount of 10-50 per cent.

Tourist agencies, meanwhile, offer new tours to famous destinations in remote provinces such as Lao Cai, Ha Giang and Ninh Binh.

VNS