Horse festival in Lao Cai to celebrate northern highlands culture, sports
Cultural activities will be organised in the northern province of Lào Cai as part of the The Festival of the White Highlands Bắc Hà between May 31 and June 9.
The Festival of the White Highlands Bắc Hà will feature local horses and their role in the economic and cultural life of local residents.
The annual festival's peak time will occur on May 31 and June 1, 2 , 7 and 8 in Bắc Hà Town and in the communes of Thải Giàng Phố, Bản Phố, Tà Chải and Bảo Nhai in Bắc Hà District.
Hà Văn Thắng, director of the Lào Cai Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said the festival has been upgraded from an annual horse racing event into a communal cultural event where locals engage in arts and cultural exchanges.
“Cultural features of Bắc Hà District and Lào Cai Province will be advertised which will improve tourism and services as well as the economy and society,” he said. “The event features local horses and their roles in the economic and culture life of local residents."
“The festival is a typical tourism, culture and sports product of the locality with our own Bắc Hà and Lào Cai trademarks. The event is good preparation for the Bắc Hà Culture, Sport and Tourism Festival in 2020,” Thắng said.
During the event, an open traditional horse race will be organised together with the Plum Festival and Bicycle Tour to local plum farms; a visit to Flower Valley and Rose Farm; and a Rose & Wine Festival.
Bắc Hà is famed for its traditional market on Sunday where people sell and buy horses.
Bắc Hà's horses are considered the most beautiful horse breed in Vietnam.
Like other traditional markets in the northeastern mountainous region, the Bắc Hà Horse Market is not only a place for trading but also serves as a site for people to meet and engage in a variety of exhanges.
The traditional horse race resumed in Bắc Hà in 2007 after a long period of cessation.
The horse race is often held in the plum season. Bắc Hà is known as the “capital of Tam Hoa plums” in Lào Cai Province and the region.
The race this year will take place on June 7 and 8 at Bắc Hà District’s Stadium with dozens of horses and jockeys from Lào Cai and neighbouring provinces of Tuyên Quang, Hà Giang, and Lai Châu.
“Our plums are our local pride as they have helped us develop the economy and have become a distinguished tourism product,” Thắng said.
Last year, the event attracted over 20,000 visitors, who bought more than 3,000 tonnes of plums at good prices from local farmers.
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