Lao Cai: "Autumn Colors of the Highlands" is ready.

Many exciting activities

The Bac Ha White Plateau Festival is a unique tourism brand and product developed by Lao Cai province, featuring many attractive activities throughout all four seasons. This autumn, visitors to Bac Ha will experience a variety of activities, lasting from the end of August to the end of October.

Tug-of-war is a traditional folk game of the Tay ethnic group. At the "Autumn Colors of the Highlands" event in 2023, the people of Trung Do village, Bao Nhai commune, will reenact the tug-of-war ritual. Since the beginning of August, Mr. Lam Van Chuong – the chief shaman in the ritual – has gone into the forest to survey and find a suitable rope for the tug-of-war.

Mr. Chuong shared: “The Tay people use vines from the forest for tug-of-war. They call this vine “Tro Bo” – meaning butterfly vine. Before the festival, I go into the forest to find the vines. The vines must be thick and uniform, with a length of 10-15 meters. Before the tug-of-war ritual, the shaman will choose a young man and woman from the village to go into the forest to cut the vines.”

Mr. Chuong also added: “Tug-of-war is usually held on the 15th day of the first lunar month every year. Each team has 4 people, all outstanding men and women. This year, the ritual is being reenacted in July, and young people are currently actively practicing to participate in the festival.”

The reenactment of the Tay people's tug-of-war ritual was organized as part of the activities at the Khao Quan Festival at Trung Do Temple and the opening ceremony of the Bac Ha White Plateau Festival.

In addition, there are activities such as: the ceremony to announce the Vietnamese heritage tree (an ancient Shan Tuyet tea cluster) in Hoang Thu Pho commune. This activity aims to honor the value of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees in conjunction with tourism, as part of the local agricultural tourism development plan.

At this year's festival, visitors can also participate in the 2nd Bac Ha Multi-Sports Tournament, featuring various activities for exploration, conquest, challenges, and experiences for athletes, tourists, and locals. The Bac Ha Rice Flake Festival, titled "Highland Rice Flake Fragrance," will be held at the two-story building of the Bac Ha Cultural Market. The festival will include demonstrations of traditional crafts, rice flake making, and competitions in preparing dishes made from rice flakes, characteristic of the Tay ethnic group.

Simultaneously, as part of the Autumn-Winter activities of the Bac Ha White Plateau Festival, the Hoang A Tuong mansion will host numerous activities for sightseeing, experiencing, and exploring local culture and tourism, such as: the Bac Ha Rose and Love Festival, performances of folk art and traditional crafts, a gala dinner for tourists participating in the Bac H'Adventure sports tourism program, a famtrip for tourism businesses, and exhibitions...

In addition, there will be a Mid-Autumn Festival lantern procession along the streets of Bac Ha town and a competition for the most beautiful food platter among the teams, held on the Mid-Autumn Festival. This will be the event concluding the Autumn theme of this year's Bac Ha White Plateau Festival.

Mr. Bui Van Vinh, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Bac Ha District, said: “In previous years, the festival usually only lasted one week. This year, the activities are spread across key tourist areas of Bac Ha and will last for three months. Tourists will not only explore but also directly experience the unique activities taking place in the locality.”

Ready to welcome visitors.

To ensure the success of the festivals, the People's Committee of Bac Ha district has intensified its efforts in directing environmental sanitation and urban beautification; thoroughly implemented the district's regulations and policies on welcoming and serving tourists; and instructed accommodation businesses to build an image and brand for Bac Ha district as a safe, friendly, hospitable, civilized, and polite tourist destination.

Bac Ha currently has nearly 100 accommodation establishments. These establishments are now ready to welcome tourists, fully prepared with safe, high-quality goods at reasonable prices, without price increases, creating the most favorable conditions for tourists visiting Bac Ha.

Lap Xuan homestay, located in Na Lo village, Ta Chai commune, has recently built and put into operation three bungalows. Along with seven rooms in a traditional stilt house, Lap Xuan homestay can currently accommodate approximately 35 guests per day.

Ms. Lam Thi Xuan, owner of Lap Xuan homestay, said: "This year the holiday lasts quite a long time, so I've renovated the rooms and invested in new blankets and sheets. At the same time, I'm also preparing for guests to experience harvesting rice and making sticky rice cakes. I hope more guests will stay and enjoy the activities at the homestay."

The 2023 Bac Ha White Plateau Festival is an opportunity for the locality to introduce and promote its potential and strengths in cultural, sports, and tourism development, as well as the recognized cultural heritage values ​​of the ethnic groups in the district. At the same time, it aims to create outstanding tourism products to attract visitors, promote the cultural and tourism image of Bac Ha in particular and Lao Cai in general to a wide range of tourists; and restore and stimulate tourism growth after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Bui Van Vinh, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Bac Ha district, added: Immediately after the end of the 2023 Summer Festival, Bac Ha planned and prepared for the Autumn Festival. With proactive and timely preparation, Bac Ha expects the festival to attract about 35,000 to 40,000 visitors (an increase of over 60% compared to the same period in 2022).