Hot air balloon festival takes flight in Can Tho city

A hot air balloon festival is taking place in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho for the first time, celebrating Reunification Day (April 30) and Labor Day (May 1).

The festival kicked off on Sunday in the Can Tho stadium in Cai Khe ward, Ninh Kieu district. Themed “Flying Can Tho! Pride of the land of white rice and clear water”, the event will last until Wednesday.

The festival features 30 colorful hot air balloons controlled by 50 pilots and technicians. Only six of them can carry people, with four to six persons in each balloon.

Visitors can take hot air balloon trips lasting four to six minutes to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Cai Rang district in Can Tho city, Cai Tac village in Vinh Long province, and Hau Giang province, at an altitude of 50-300 meters.

A traditional cake festival featuring about 100 kinds of cakes in the city’s Binh Thuy district will also run until Tuesday.

Also in the Mekong Delta, a mango festival was launched in Van Mieu park, Cao Lanh city, Dong Thap province, on April 28.

The four-day event has attracted thousands of visitors to enjoy mangos and mango products, which is one of Dong Thap’s specialties.

It also includes a wide range of exhibitions showcasing different kinds of mangos and mango products, seminars, and food contests. The festival will finish on Monday.