Sa Pa summer festival promotes folk culture

The Sa Pa summer festival took place in Sa Pa, northern Lao Cai province on May 7 as part of the four seasons’ festivals in the resort town to promote the distinctive beauty of local people and landscapes.

It was also the start of a series of activities to celebrate the 2017 national tourism year in Lao Cai.

The festival recreated the signature rites that represent unique folk cultures of local ethnic minority groups, including the Mong group’s pan-pipe prom, wedding ceremony on terraces of the Giay group, and village refreshing ceremony of the Xa Pho group.

The performances were followed by a parade across main streets of Sa Pa and a firework display.

Located at 1,600 metres above sea level in Viet Nam’s remote northwest mountains, Sa Pa is a picturesque town famous for its fine, rugged scenery in line with rich cultural diversity of many ethnic minorities.

Sa Pa is home to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation and Fansipan, the highest peak of the country.

The town has become an ideal destination for domestic and foreign travellers, particularly with the opening of the Ha Noi - Lao Cai expressway in 2014 which reduces the travel time from Ha Noi to Lao Cai from seven to 3.5 hours.