The opening ceremony of the Bac Ha Plateau Festival held in Bac Ha town, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, on June 1. (Photo: VNA)
Lao Cai (VNA) – An opening ceremony of the Bac Ha Plateau Festival washeld in Bac Ha town, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, on June 1.
The highlight of the festival is a horse race, slated for June 7-8 at Bac Hatown’s stadium, featuring the competition of jockeys from Lao Cai and theneighbouring provinces of Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, and Lai Chau.
Following the opening ceremony, a street festival was held, gathering more than500 artists from communes in Bac Ha district, along with a parade of 20 outstandingjockeys of the northwest region and the participation of a group of old carsfrom the Volkswagen car club.
Later the same day, a rose and wine fest took place at Hoang A Tuong Palace.Visitors to the fest were treated with more than 50 traditional dishes and atraditional and modern art programme performed by Vietnamese and foreignartists.
The festival, which takes place from May 31 to June 9, aims to promote theunique cultural value and tourism potential of Bac Ha district to visitors fromboth at home and abroad, thus lifting Bac Ha as an attractive tourismdestination in Vietnam’s northern region.
Bac Ha town is famous for its rural market every Sunday, which is not only atrading place, but also a venue for cultural exchange among local people. Thehorse market is held as part of the Sunday market; the Bac Ha horse is praisedas one of the most beautiful types of horse in Vietnam.
The horse race is a unique traditional cultural practice of ethnic groupsliving on the "White Plateau". Organised annually since 2007, therace has been established as a most-expected sporting event of the locals andvisitors to the town. - VNA
People from the south - especially big cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho – think of plums as a Hanoi specialty. But in reality they're grown on Bac Ha Plateau, 340km from the capital.
Seventy-five jockeys from ethnic groups gathered at the annual horse race festival in Bac Plateau in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai during last weekends.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
The opening ceremony of the Bac Ha Plateau Festival held in Bac Ha town, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, on June 1. (Photo: VNA) 
