Vietnam-Laos-China ‘con’ throwing festival takes place in Lai Chau
The sixth Vietnam-Laos-China ‘con’ festival, themed “Colour of friendship”, kicked off in Muong Te district, the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on December 29.
At the opening ceremony of the festival (Source: VNA)
Lai Chau (VNA) - The sixth Vietnam-Laos-China ‘con’ festival, themed “Colour offriendship”, kicked off in Muong Te district, the northern mountainous provinceof Lai Chau on December 29.
The three-day event has welcomed nearly 1,000 participants from Lai Chau andDien Bien provinces in Vietnam, Phongsaly province in Laos and Yunnan province inChina.
The ‘con’ is a small ball made from pieces of colourfulcloth stuffed with puffed rice and cotton seeds. It is thrown at a bamboo hoopas part of a folk game played during the festivals and New Year holidays ofThai ethnic communities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of theLai Chau People’s Committee Tong Thanh Hai highlighted the significance of the festival,saying that the biennial event aims to enhance cultural exchange,people-to-people diplomacy, and cooperation between border localities in Vietnam,China and Laos, contributing to promoting solidarity and friendship between thethree nations.
It also contributes to promoting the culturalidentities of ethnic minority groups in Lai Chau in general and Muong Tedistrict in particular to international friends, he said.
The festival is featuring folk games, traditional costumes, an exhibition,cultural exchange activities, and a trade fair exhibiting products andintroducing cultural and tourism products from the three countries./.
The third Vietnam-Laos-China ‘con’ festival wrapped up in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on October 27, gathering hundreds of artists and athletes from around the region.
The sixth Vietnam-Laos-China ‘con’ festival, themed “Colour of friendship”, will take place in Muong Te district, the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau from December 29-31.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
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).
At the opening ceremony of the festival (Source: VNA) 
