The festival features nearly 1,000 artisans and performers, including popular singers, dancers, and musicians. — VNA/VNS Photo

LÀO CAI — The first Red River Festival 2025 officially opened in the northern border province of Lào Cai on November 19, bringing together localities along the Red River in Việt Nam and Honghe prefecture of China's Yunnan province.

Held under the theme “Where the Red River flows into Viềt Nam”, the festival marks a new step in cross-border cultural cooperation and the launch of Lào Cai's 2025–2035 Red River Festival plan.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, Deputy Secretary of the Lào Cai Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the festival is an important cultural, economic, and diplomatic event designed to honour the history, culture, and civilisation of the Red River, nurture national pride, and promote the tradition of gratitude expression.

He added that the event also helps deepen socio-economic cooperation and expand friendship between the Vietnamese localities along the Red River and China’s Yunnan province.

Running from November 18 to 24 in Lào Cai and Cẩm Dương wards, as well as various places in Lào Cai province, the festival offers a diverse programme covering culture, tourism, trade and sports.

Visitors can explore cultural spaces of ethnic groups, learn about the Red River heritage via exhibitions of photos, artefacts and tourism products, and explore traditional rituals, folk songs, dances, and ethnic costumes that highlight the cultural richness of the river’s upper reaches.

A series of economic and people-to-people exchanges events are also taking place, including the Việt Nam – China international trade fair, a reenactment of the traditional Cóc Lếu market, the “One Race – Two Countries” international cycling tournament, and youth, cultural, business and sports exchanges between the two sides. Notably, the Shan Tuyết Tea Festival will showcase Lào Cai’s signature highland tea culture.

Chairman Nguyễn Tuấn Anh stressed that hosting the festival is a step to carry out the resolution of the provincial Party Congress for 2025–2030. It demonstrates Lào Cai’s commitment to innovation, integration, and its goal of becoming a major hub for international trade connectivity and cultural – tourism development in the northern mindland and moutainous region of Việt Nam.

Luo Ping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of the People’s Government of Honghe prefecture, highlighted that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of China – Việt Nam diplomatic ties and the Year of Humanistic Exchange between the two countries.

She believed that the festival and the Việt Nam – China Cooperation Week in the Red River basin will help deepen collaboration and generate new momentum for the countries' Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the building of a China – Việt Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. — VNA/VNS