Nearly 400 amateur Mong artists from 11 north-western and north-eastern provinces will participate in the festival which features folksongs, folk and modern dances, pan fluting, shows of traditional costumes, as well as sport and folk games.

Highland market days – a distinctive feature of mountain people – will be held throughout the festival.

A trade fair will also be held with the participation of domestic enterprises and several Lao and Chinese enterprises to showcase their products in 120 pavilions. Vietnam’s Mong culture and achievements in the Doi Moi (Renewal) process will be highlighted in other exhibitions.

Vietnam now has more than 800,000 Mong people living mostly in northern Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Cao Bang and Bac Can provinces, and central Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces.