Dien Bien: Pa Khoang hosts second cherry blossom festival
Thousands of visitors flocked to the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien for the second cherry blossom festival that kicked off in Pa Khoang commune, Dien Bien district, on January 12.
An art performance at the opening ceremony (Photo: VNA)
Dien Bien (VNA) – Thousands of visitorsflocked to the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien for the secondcherry blossom festival that kicked off in Pa Khoang commune, Dien Biendistrict, on January 12.
The two-day festival features an array of activities, including Vietnamese andJapanese cultural and artistic performances, folk games and a farm producemarket.
Special dishes of Vietnam’s northwestern region and Japanese tea culture areintroduced on this occasion.
Nguyen Huu Khoi, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Bien district, saidthe festival aims to honour the beauty and values of cherry blossom - a symbolof Japan, and preserve and promote values of cultural heritage of Dien Bienprovince.
The festival helps promote land, people and tourism potential of Dien Bienprovince, enhance solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Japan, and luremore Japanese investments in Vietnam, he added.
It forms part of activities marking the 65th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phuvictory and the 110th founding anniversary of Dien Bien province, according tothe official. -VNA
The 2018 Cherry blossom – Yen Tu yellow ochna flower festival will take place in the northern province of Quang Ninh from March 24-28, as part of National Tourism Year 2018.
The northwestern province of Dien Bien has set a target of attracting up to 870,000 visitors in 2019, up 17 percent over 2018, including 180,000 foreign tourists.
The cherry blossom festival will return to Pa Khoang commune, Dien Bien district, the northwestern province of Dien Bien for the second time from January 11 – 13, 2019.
A goodwill ambassador will be selected for the first time during the Japan cherry blossom festival –Hanoi 2019 slated for March 29-31 in the capital city.
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).
An art performance at the opening ceremony (Photo: VNA) 
