The event was attended by Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan; representatives of central ministries and agencies; leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Northwestern provinces including Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Son La, Phu Tho, and Lai Chau; as well as international delegations and domestic tourism enterprises.
As a regional-scale cultural–tourism event, the festival highlights the unique cultural identity of the Northwest while showcasing the spirit of cooperation between Dien Bien, Ho Chi Minh City, and other provinces in fostering tourism development. It also reflects efforts to transform the region’s cultural and natural advantages into distinctive tourism products with both national and international appeal, building the “Northwest Quintessence” brand.
In her address, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan acknowledged the efforts of Dien Bien, Ho Chi Minh City, and Northwestern provinces in organising the festival and boosting tourism cooperation.
In setting out the national tourism targets for 2025 — welcoming 25 million international visitors, serving over 130 million domestic travellers, and achieving 12–13% growth in tourism revenue compared to 2024 as part of the goal of sustaining GDP growth of 8% or higher — Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan called on Party committees, local authorities, the business community, and ethnic minority communities of Dien Bien, the Northwestern provinces, and Ho Chi Minh City to intensify efforts in developing tourism.
She emphasised the need to create unique tourism products that embody the cultural identity of each locality as well as the region as a whole. In particular, she highlighted that tourism cooperation between the Northwest and Ho Chi Minh City should focus on effectively tapping into the distinctive traditional cultural values of the heroic and majestic Northwest ethnic communities.
Tran Quoc Cuong, Party Central Committee Member and Dien Bien Provincial Party Secretary, said the festival, which runs from September 19 to 21, features diverse activities such as the “Northwest Quintessence” street festival, a tourism promotion and cooperation conference, art exchanges, cultural exhibitions, a Northwest culinary festival, and a photo exhibition titled “Colours of the Northwest.”
The opening programme, themed “Connecting the Clouds – Rising Northwest,” celebrated the distinctive cultural values of the region, blending tradition with contemporary creativity. Through music, dance, and visual arts, the performance showcased the rich cultural heritage of the Northwest while conveying themes of unity among ethnic groups and harmony between humanity and nature.
