Hanoi is holding a floral festival, only the second of its kind, on the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake) in the centre of the capital from December 30, 2009, to January 1, 2010, which will turn the area into a gigantic flower basket.

This was announced at a press conference on November 26 by the Deputy Director of the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, Nguyen Khac Loi.

The opening event will begin a series of activities to mark the New Year and the 1,000th birthday of Thang Long-Hanoi in 2010. Artistic creations made from thousands of flowers will be arranged by floral designers from Hanoi and other localities around the country as well as the Netherlands , China and Thailand .

The attractions will include a 6 metre high tower with nine dragons made from flowers and fruits from the south of the country, a 4.5 metre high symbol representing Hanoi made from 1,000 yellow mums, a carpet of flowers surrounding a huge drum, a 10 metre long ao dai (traditional long dress) plaited with over a 1,000 flowers and dozens of smaller displays.

Familiar images of Hanoi, including Nghi Tam (flower) village, Bat Trang ceramic village and Long Bien Bridge, will be recreated on floral beds as the background of a stage where performances of Ca tru (ceremonial song) and Xam (folk song) singing will be held.

Floral rafts with the number 1,000, representing the capital city’s millennium, will also be set afloat on Hoan Kiem Lake to mark the occasion. (VNA)