Attending the event were Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai, Chairwoman of the People’s Council of the city Nguyen Thi Le, and former leaders together with a large number of locals and foreign visitors.

The highlight of the festival is a special outdoor art performance titled “Storytelling River 2 - Legendary Ship” featuring Vietnamese history and culture with the participation of nearly 1,000 professional and amateur artists, director Le Hai Yen said.

The show which was presented to audiences in the opening ceremony yesterday evening included five parts, consisting of “Ship Launching”, “Arriving”, “Departing”, “Riding Waves”, and “Rising” featuring Uncle Ho’s Journey to seek ways for national salvation.

On June 5, 1911, President Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Tat Thanh, left the nation on the ship, Admiral Latouche Treville, from Nha Rong Wharf in Saigon beginning his journey for national salvation.

It also revived images of the first Vietnamese ships launched; battles on the river by the special forces in the Rung Sac (Sac Forest) military base; the Song Huong boat carrying 541 officials of the Southern region who were sent to the North during the war back home after liberation and military families' emotional reunions after more than 20 years of being apart; and ships carrying Vietnamese products to the world.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said that the 2nd HCMC River Festival aims to honor the beauty and value of the city’s rivers, pride and love for the city through a series of diverse activities introducing a harmony between tradition and modernity, towards building the festival into the city’s large-scale annual event.

He emphasized the founding of the Saigon-Gia Dinh area and HCMC for more than 300 years, and ports, street markets, craft villages, “Tren Ben Duoi Thuyen” (At the Wharf – On the Boat) services in floating markets along rivers and canals featuring an exciting and bustling atmosphere created an owned and unique identity of the land. The water lifestyle depicting people living and trading on boats is not only an activity contributing to the city’s economic development but also a valuable heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted.

The festival includes more than 50 cultural, sports, and tourism activities, such as jetski performances, paragliding and yacht shows, floating fruit markets, a food fair, music performances, folk games, and other exciting activities that will be held in various areas across the city from May 31 to June 9, such as Nha Rong-Khanh Hoi Wharf, Bach Dang Park Wharf, Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal, a marina at Lan Anh villa area in Thu Duc City, Ngoi Sao Viet (Saigon South Marina Club) in District 7, Ben Binh Dong pier in District 8, Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Area in Thu Duc City and other places.

Not only promoting tourism and building the city's brand, but the 2nd HCMC River Festival also enhances connection with provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and the Southeast region, aiming to develop the festival into an event for the Southern region.

The first HCMC River Festival 2023 was organized in August and attracted more than 210,000 visitors.

Images and videos of the opening ceremony: