The opening ceremony got underway with a special art performance featuring the traditional cultures of ethnic minority groups in Dien Bien province and introducing some of the traditional costumes of Vietnam and Japan.
The festival which runs until January 7 features a series of culture, sports, and tourism activities, such as mobile film screenings presenting both Dien Bien and Japanese culture, history, and people. There will be tours of the flower island, Che Can hamlet, and the historical relic site of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters in Muong Phang commune.
Also on offer will be a photography exhibition of cherry blossoms, Ban flowers, the nature, land, and people of Japan and Dien Bien, and an introduction to the traditional dishes of Japan and Dien Bien.
The inaugural event marks the beginning of a wide range of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties (Sept 21, 1973 – Sep 21, 2018), contributing to fostering solidarity and friendship between the two countries and stimulating Japanese investment in Dien Bien province.
It aims to help the northern province attract greater visitor numbers by promoting the potential for tourism in the area and showing off the beauty of the land and people in the province.
