Mr. Tran Quoc Cuong - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee chaired the meeting.

A cherry blossom festival is set to return to Dien Bien Phu city in the northwestern province of Dien Bien in mid-January next year as part of events held in celebration of 50 years of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan (1973- 2023).

In line with this, a wide range of cultural events will be held during the course of festival to lure more visitors to Dien Bien province to enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms.

An opening ceremony will get underway with a special art performance featuring the culture of ethnic minority groups who reside in Dien Bien province whilst introducing some of the traditional costumes of both countries.

The festival will include folk games, an agricultural market showcasing goods from ethnic locals, and a space for displaying local cuisine of the northwestern region.

Visitors to the festival will also have the chance to witness a Japanese tea ceremony; sample a giant hot pot; and enjoy both Japanese rice wine Sake and Mong Pe, an aromatic wine from Vietnam’s northwestern region distilled from maize fermented with a special forest leaves. A culinary contest, a sports competition, a marathon, and a kayak racing are also expected to bring a festive atmosphere to the event.

The festival was first held back in 2018 to mark Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties. This year it also serves as a curtain raiser for the celebration of the 70th year of Dien Bien Phu Victory which took place on May 7, 1954.

The Dien Bien Phu Cherry Blossom Event was first held in 2018 and now the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee has agreed to upgrade it to a provincial-level festival in 2024. The organization of this Festival aims to promote the image of people and homeland of Dien Bien, attracting and calling Japanese investors and tourists to Dien Bien to explore the possibility of investment, trade and tourism cooperation. Promote the development of Pa Khoang - Muong Phang tourist area; making "Flower Island" one of the attractive destinations attracting tourists, contributing to enriching Dien Bien's resources and tourism products./.

Source: VOV.VN