Bac Ha hosts first-ever winter festival

Thousands of visitors joined local residents at the opening ceremony of the first-ever Bac Ha Winter Festival in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province, on November 21.

A traditional dance of the Nung ethnic group at the opening ceremony (Photo: VOV)
A traditional dance of the Nung ethnic group at the opening ceremony (Photo: VOV)

The opening ceremony featured the reproductions of distinct cultural and spiritual practices of ethnic groups in Bac Ha District, including the ‘cap sac’ (coming of age) ritual of the Dao people, the traditional wedding ceremony of the Phu La people, the ‘going to the field’ festival of Tay ethnic people, and a rite praying for peace of the Nung people.

Themed ‘Dance on the white plateau’, the two-day event includes a cuisine festival, a panpipe performing contest, a street festival, a night market, and exciting tours to Hoang A Tuong Mansion, Bac Ha Flower Valley, community-based tourism villages and rose farms.

Booths showcasing typical agricultural products of Bac Ha District and a horse racing were also held on the occasion.

Hosted by the Bac Ha District People’s Committee, the festival aims to honour unique cultural values of local ethnic groups while promoting the tourism potentials of the locality.

It is also among the series of activities hosted by the local authorities to rejuvenate tourism and lure more visitors to Bac Ha in the post-COVID-19 period.