The event will see the participation of artists and athletes from ethnic minority groups in ten Vietnamese provinces, namely Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Thue, Kon Tum, and Ha Tinh and ten art troupes from Laos.
Apart from the opening ceremony, the festival features various activities, including incense offering ceremonies at the Temple dedicated to Dien Bien Phu soldiers and Tong Khao War Cemetery; artistic performances; introduction of festivals and cultural practice; national costume show; and tug-of-war, crossbow shooting, stick pushing, and “con” throwing (a sacred ball through the ring) competitions.
The organizing panel will conduct a survey of community tourism and eco-tourism in Dien Bien and hold an exhibition, titled “Characteristics of culture in border areas and Vietnam-Laos friendship.”
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Deputy Chairman of the Dien Bien provincial People’s Committee and head of the organizing panel Vu A Bang speaks at the event. |
Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Chairman of the Dien Bien provincial People’s Committee and head of the organizing panel Vu A Bang expressed the honor to host the event. He emphasized that the festival will be an opportunity for people of the two countries to introduce their cultural identities and boast their friendship,
To ensure the success of the exercise, Dien Bien province has tasked the provincial Culture, Sports, and Tourism Department to make thorough preparations for the event.
At present, Dien Bien Phu city has 127 accommodation establishments, ready to house 3,500 visitors to the locality.
The highlights of this year's festival are activities paying tribute to heroic martyrs, attractive cultural and sports exchanges, and events to connect and promote the tourism potential of localities along the shared borderline of Vietnam and Laos.
The closing ceremony of the third culture, sports and tourism exchange festival for Vietnam-Laos border areas in 2022 is scheduled to take place in Dien Bien on October 3.
Translated by Tran Hoai