A performance at the opening ceremony of the third National Mong Ethnic Cultural Festival in Lai Chau province on December 24 (Photo: VNA)
Lai Chau (VNA) – The thirdNational Mong Ethnic Cultural Festival kicked off in the northern mountainousprovince of Lai Chau on December 24.
Opening the event, Deputy Minister ofCulture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy said the festival reflects theParty, State, and authorities’ attention to the spiritual life of Mong people. Itis also an occasion for people nationwide, including the ethnic minority group,to improve their sense of responsibility towards traditional culture andenhance the great national solidarity, thereby helping guarantee politicalstability, security, and defence.
In his remarks, Secretary of the LaiChau Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Giang PaoMy said the festival is significant to Lai Chau and other participatinglocalities as it will help popularise their images and stimulate travel demandafter a long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 resurgence.
This year’s event attracts nearly3,000 guests, artisans, artists, and people of the Mong ethnic group from 11provinces.
It features a wide range of cultural,sports, and tourism activities such as performances of folk music andtraditional costumes, the reenactment of traditional festivals and culturalrituals, and folk games of Mong people. Visitors will also have a chance to trytourism products in Tam Duong district and take part in a paragliding festival.
As part of the festival, trips will bearranged for participants to explore community-based and ecological tourismpotential in Lai Chau. A discussion will also be held to devise measures for addressingdifficulties, improving the tourism environment, and encouraging travel firmsto attract tourists to this province.
The festival will last throughDecember 26 in Lai Chau city, Tam Duong and Phong Tho districts./.
A festival highlighting the culture of the Mong ethnic group is scheduled to be held in September in the Central Highlands city of Lai Chau, with the participation of 14 cities and provinces.
Sin Suoi Ho is a village of the Mong ethnic group in Lai Chau province. Not only known as a village free of alcohol drinking, smoking, or gambling, it is also renowned for special hand-made gates that can be found nowhere else.
Ngai Thau Thuong, a small village of Bat Xat district, the northern Lao Cai province, is located at 2,300m above the sea level on the cloudy Ma Cha Va peak, and is the highest village in Vietnam.
The third Mong Ethnic Culture Festival is scheduled for December 24-26 in the northwestern mountainous province of Lai Chau, heard at a press conference on the event held in Hanoi on December 16.
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).
A performance at the opening ceremony of the third National Mong Ethnic Cultural Festival in Lai Chau province on December 24 (Photo: VNA) 
