Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in northwestern Vietnam

Visitors now have a chance to admire the beauty of 3,000 Japanese cherry blossom trees at the 2024 Cherry Blossom-Dien Bien Phu Festival, taking place from January 12 to 14 at Flower Island of Pa Khoang Lake, the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien.

The 2024 Cherry Blossom-Dien Bien Phu Festival celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

The festival was first held in 2018. The Dien Ben provincial Party Committee has upgraded it to a provincial-scale festival in 2024. The festival aims to promote the awe-inspiring landscape and heritage of Dien Bien province and promote investment and tourism between Dien Bien province and Japan.

According to Tran Le, director of Tran Le Cherry Blossom JSC, it is expected that cherry blossoms will bloom on the occasion of the festival in the middle of January without using stimulants, but rather completely naturally.

The two-day festival will include a series of activities featuring both Vietnamese and Japanese cultural identities such as the Japanese and Dien Bien province traditional wine event, the Japanese and Mong ethnic pot dishes event, Japanese-Vietnamese traditional folk games, and a cooking competition.

Visitors will have a chance to try their hand at the Japanese tea ceremony, kimono traditional dress, and Mochi (Japanese traditional cake) making class.

Besides cultural and culinary activities, the 2024 Cherry Blossom-Dien Bien Phu Festival also features sports competitions, including the Dien Bien Phu Marathon with 1,500 runners expected to participate and the Open KAYAK Boat Race.

Exhibition of high-quality Dien Bien agricultural products and OCOP products, as well as cultural and tourism services, will also be displayed.