Local people enjoy a festival in Sơn La. — VNA/VNS Photo

SƠN LA — Mộc Châu National Tourist Area in Sơn La Province is preparing to host the 2026 Mộc Châu Culture and Tourism Week from August 27 to September 5, with a series of cultural, artistic, sports and tourism activities.

The event will mark Việt Nam’s National Day on September 2 and promote Mộc Châu as a destination for domestic and international visitors.

Nearly 1,500 artisans, performers, athletes, businesses and support staff are expected to take part in the event. Activities will combine traditional culture, arts, sports, tourism experiences and trade promotion.

A highlight will be the 2026 Sơn La International Brocade Night, themed Weaving Heritage, Blending Colours, scheduled for August 31 at May 8 Square in Mộc Châu Ward.

The programme will feature artistic performances and brocade fashion shows, highlighting traditional weaving and the cultural diversity of Việt Nam’s ethnic groups while promoting cultural exchange with international participants.

On September 1, the art programme Mộc Châu – Call of the Love Season will take place at May 8 Square, featuring more than 300 artists, performers, students and local residents.

The programme will showcase the landscapes, culture and people of Mộc Châu and Sơn La, as well as tourism promotional videos. A fireworks display lasting about 10 minutes is also planned for the National Day celebrations.

Other activities will include the Miss Galaxy Việt Nam 2026 pageant, cultural and sports activities, traditional games, a Culture and Tourism Camp competition, and programmes introducing local cuisine and ethnic culture.

At 14 Culture and Tourism Camps, communes, wards and the GREAT Project will introduce local lifestyles, customs, traditional crafts and tourism products. Visitors can sample traditional dishes of the Thái, Mông, Dao and Mường ethnic groups and learn about the culinary traditions of Sơn La’s ethnic communities.

An exhibition and trade fair featuring agricultural, forestry and fisheries products, processed food and regional specialties will also be held. Cultural and sports exchanges at the Lóng Sập International Border Gate and a highland border market will provide further activities for visitors.

A cultural, sports and friendship exchange among ethnic communities along the Sơn La-Hủa Phăn border will conclude the week’s programme at the Lóng Sập International Border Gate.

Street-based community activities are expected to attract large numbers of artisans and local performers. They will include a traditional pao ball tossing performance involving about 200-250 participants, as well as Mông sticky rice cake pounding, shuttlecock kicking, stick wrestling and other folk games.

During the event, tourism sites in Mộc Châu and Vân Hồ will organise experience programmes and improve services for visitors.

Destinations including the Bạch Long Glass Bridge, Happy Land Mộc Châu, Mộc Châu Walking Street, Hua Tạt community tourism village and Tạt Nàng Waterfall will offer additional activities, along with other eco-tourism and resort destinations in the area. — VNS