Many activities will be held to celebrate the young rice flake festival, Tú Lệ Autumn Flavours and Colours 2026, on August 22-23 in Lào Cai Province. Photo laocai.gov.vn

LÀO CAI — The annual cốm (young rice flake) festival, Tú Lệ Autumn Flavours and Colours 2026, will be held to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of local communities, while simultaneously developing products to support tourism growth.

The two-day event, which has become a regular event over the past several years, will take place on August 22-23 in Tú Lệ Commune, Lào Cai Province.

According to the commune People's Committee, in late August Tú Lệ is in its rice harvest season promising a bustling atmosphere for the festival.

Held at the Lechamp complex in Nước Nông Village, the event will include cultural and sport activities along with the promotion of local specialties for both residents and visitors.

Activities are designed to showcase ethnic cultural identity and promote tourism to attract visitors, while encouraging the participation of the community and businesses in local economic development.

During the two-day festival, visitors will be able to tour displays of traditional local and OCOP products, visit a photo exhibition featuring Tú Lệ's natural beauty and see a fashion show of ethnic costumes along with music, dance and art performances.

Visitors can also discover the area's standout agricultural products at the local farmers market and explore the culinary night market to savour signature dishes.

The highlight of the festival is a series of activities that recreate the local ethnic community's traditional rituals, including the New Rice Celebration ritual and competitions such as pounding round sticky rice cakes and goat fighting.

Other activities include various folk sports and games, such as stick pushing, stilt walking, greasy pole climbing, blindfolded duck catching, shuttlecock kicking and cloth ball tossing.

The main attraction is when residents make the cốm (young rice flakes). Participants can join in the process to make cốm from nếp tan, a special glutinous rice variety in the area. Trying it for themselves will help them gain a deeper understanding of the craft deeply rooted in the lives of the people of Tú Lệ.

Tú Lệ has recently emerged as a popular destination for tourists during the rice harvest season. Beyond its natural landscapes, the cultural heritage of the local Thai ethnic community, ranging from cuisine and traditional crafts to folk festivals, is increasingly becoming an asset for sustainable tourism development.

Local leaders say their festival aims to preserve traditional cultural values, develop distinctive tourism products and promote the image of Tú Lệ and its land and people to domestic and international visitors.

The event is expected to establish Tú Lệ's young rice as a signature product on the mountainous northern region's tourism map, while serving as a key initiative to promote sustainable tourism and drive local socio-economic development in the years ahead. — VNS