The five-day event (October 26 – 31) was jointly held by the People's Committee of Hoa Binh province and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hoa Binh city and the districts of Tan Lac, Cao Phong, and Da Bac.

Turning fisheries into key economic sector

In the opening speech, Mr. Dinh Cong Su, Hoa Binh Province’s Vice Chairman, emphasized that the Da River lakebed area is considered one of the places with distinct potential and comparative advantages of the province because of its large water surface area. Aquaculture contributes a high proportion to the growth of the agricultural sector, mainly cage fish farming on the Da River.

Hoa Binh province has 2,700 hectares of water surface area with 4,940 fish cages, yielding around 9,210 tons of fish. The Agency of Intellectual Property has granted certificates of specialty brands “Song Da Fish – Hoa Binh” and “Song Da Shrimp – Hoa Binh” to fish and shrimp harvested from the Da River. Da River fish and shrimp products are famous throughout the country, creating huge revenue for the province and for fishermen on the Da River. 

The Hoa Binh Province’s Da River Shrimp and Fish Festival and the Agricultural Fair and OCOP Exhibition of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region 2023 was held to promote the development of fisheries production and products from the Da River; to promote and affirm the copyrighted brands of "Da River Shrimp - Hoa Binh" and "Da River Fish - Hoa Binh" and build the image of the Da River fish and shrimp as one of the key economic sectors of Hoa Binh province.

Within the framework of the event, various activities were organized, including: the fishing ceremony, lantern releasing cremony, a seminar with the theme: "Solutions to protect, regenerate and develop aquatic resources in the Da River basin", the national fisheries conference with theme "Reservoir aquaculture associated with tourism development", and a fishing competition on Hoa Binh associated with promoting culture and introducing the tourist landscape of Hoa Binh lake.

The organizing board also organized field trips to fish farms on Binh lake; introduced cultural heritage and traditional culinary quintessence; and showcased agricultural products of Hoa Binh.

At the opening ceremony, two fish raised by fish farms in the Da River were auctioned. A 30kg black carp of the Hai Dang Seafood Co., Ltd. was sold for 65 million VND and a 20kg red-tail Bagridae catfish of the Cuong Thinh Construction and Services Co., Ltd. was sold for 50 million VND. The money will be used to buy baby fish to release into the Hoa Binh Lake to regenerate aquatic resources there.

Previously, on the evening of October 26, the People's Committee of Hoa Binh province organized a lantern release ceremony on the Da River as the opening event for the series of events of the first Da River Shrimp and Fish Festival in Hoa Binh province. Officials of Hoa Binh province and local people released 2,000 flower lanterns on the Da River.

The ceremony has profound spiritual meaning. Vietnamese people belive that releasing flower lanterns will bring health and fortune to every family and it is the way people show their wishes, pray for luck, peace and goodness. The ritual alos honors the spiritual and cultural values and beauty of the spiritual culture of the Vietnamese people with the purpose of praying for peace and prosperity, good weather and bumper harvests.

Promoting cultural potential and water-surface strengths

Along with socio-economic development, Hoa Binh province has the Hoa Binh Culture of the ancient Muong people with famous heritages such as Mo Muong, the De Dat De Nuoc Epic. It also has diverse culinary culture, with many famous local products such as bamboo-tube rice, man pigs, Da river fish, can wine, Cao Phong oranges, Tan Lac red grapefruit, Cao Phong purple sugarcane …

Hoa Binh also has many tourist attractions such as Thac Bo cave, Lac village, Thung Nai, Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant, Muong cultural space museum and particularly the Hoa Binh lake tourist area which has been designated as one of 12 national tourist areas approved by the Prime Minister.

In recent years, Hoa Binh province has prioritized resources for developing the green economy, digital economy, and circular economy associated with its potential, strengths, and competitive advantages. Therefore, the Da River Shrimp and Fish Festival is an opportunity for the province to promote and position the image of Da River's fish and shrimp and turn it into one of the province's key economic sectors.

Through the Da River Shrimp and Fish Festival and the Agricultural Fair and OCOP Exhibition of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region 2023, the province can promote impressive images its potential, strengths, landscape and traditional cultural identity in general, and the Da River Lake tourist area in particular, thereby stimulating tourism development and attracting domestic and foreign tourists to Hoa Binh province.

At the same time, the events create opportunities for economic exchange, trade promotion, and investment promotion for agricultural products and projects; seek opportunities for regional linkages for localities in the region; promote the common development of agriculture and rural development, target export markets, connect scientific achievements and applications, and apply technology in the product chain and consumption activities.

Quynh Nga