On August 28, the 1st Thoi An Ward Culture - Cuisine - Tourism Festival in 2026 with the theme "Memories of the Country Market" officially took place in the So Ro canal area, Thoi An ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
With the theme "Memories of the Country Market", the festival space is built in a direction close to Southern life, evoking images of rural markets, folk dishes and traditional activities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Vo Thi Mong Thu - Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, Vice Chairman of Thoi An Ward People's Committee said that the Festival is a specific step to effectively exploit the potential and advantages of natural tourism resources along the river; promote promotion, investment and development of community ecotourism in the locality.
The highlight of the festival is about 50 culinary booths, introducing many folk dishes and hometown flavors. Besides, there are booths of clean agricultural products, OCOP products and typical products of production facilities in the area.
People and tourists can also participate in many experiential activities such as free outdoor bicycles, visit destinations including Cau Tu Grapeyard, Tam Nong Farm, Red Betel Garden and check-in at the river landscape space.
Folk games such as walking on the monkey bridge, tug-of-war, slaughtering pigs, along with making banh it, coconut leaf Tet, and making to he are arranged to create an experiential space for people, especially children.
Within the framework of the festival, Thoi An ward also launched the tourism product "Experience 01 day as a farmer in the heart of the city", aiming to exploit green spaces, production activities and cultural values associated with local life.
Bringing banh beo with pandan leaves for sale at the festival, Ms. Tran Bach Ngoc (resident of Thoi An ward, Ho Chi Minh City) could not hide her emotion when she saw tourists from near and far responding extremely warmly. More than selling goods, the biggest wish of this woman is to preserve traditional cultural features to pass on to later generations, helping younger generations always remember their roots and the rustic flavor of their homeland.
Through the "Memories of the Country Market" Festival, Thoi An ward hopes to introduce images, people and local cultural values, and connect destinations and products to gradually develop community tourism in the urban space," the Vice Chairman of Thoi An Ward People's Committee expressed his hope.
