Vietnam: Italy winner of Da Nang International Fireworks Festival

Hanoi - Italy's Martarello Group recently won the 2017 Da Nang International Fireworks Festival after a spectacular night performance on the Han River in Vietnam's central city of Da Nang. It's the third time an Italian team wins the international fireworks competitions in Vietnam, with the Parente team winning in 2011 and 2012.

With masterful incorporation of romanticism and sophistication into one captivating performance, accompanied by classical orchestral music, Martarello Group was crowned this year's champion to the roaring applause from spectators, local newspaper reported. According to the festival organisers, the winner is awarded with a US$10,000 prize.

Australia team and the UK team came second and third respectively in the three-country finale in the central Vietnamese city. First launched in 2008 as the Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC), the annual event has just returned this year after a one-year hiatus in 2016. This year's festival, in its ninth installment, attracted eight teams from the Italy, UK, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, China, and Vietnam. Being themed Shining with Marble Mountain this year, spectacular five nights were dedicated to 5 elements of the mountain, which are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wind. The festival was carried out from April till June with many fascinating side events.

According to the organisers, the event attracted over 2 million tourists visiting the city between April and June. Over 6,000 artists and actors have also participated in the event. Danang is the third largest city in Vietnam after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where tourism is gradually becoming a key economic industry for the city. Last year, the city hosted 5.6 million tourists, with 1.67 million being foreigners. Danang is also becoming of increasing interest to foreign investors.