Models in áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) at a fashion show, one of highlights of the 6th Áo Dài Festival in HCM City last year. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk has announced the cancellation of its biennial coffee festival scheduled for March next year due to the continuing COVID-19 outbreak.

The 8th Buôn Ma Thuột Coffee Festival will instead be held in 2022.

The national festival commemorates the Buôn Ma Thuột Victory and liberation of Đắk Lắk on March 10, 1975.

The previous festival in 2019 featured a wide range of activities such as an exhibition on global coffee history, a Vietnamese speciality coffee quality competition, the Buôn Đôn elephant festival, and a conference on investment promotion, attracting more than 50,000 visitors, including 6,000 foreigners.

HCM City’s annual Áo Dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) Festival could be held online in October, according to the Department of Tourism.

The event has been rescheduled twice to April and July from its original date in early March due to the pandemic.

One of the city’s major cultural and tourism events, the festival has for many years been extremely popular and features a series of activities to promote the charm and elegant beauty of the áo dài, such as a parade along Nguyễn Huệ walking street in the city’s downtown area, showcasing of new áo dài collections by renowned designers and exhibitions.

The Sa Pa Rose and Wine Festival scheduled for August 23 in Sa Pa Town in the northern province of Lào Cai has been cancelled, according to the province Tourism Association.

Hoàng Văn Tuyên, chairman of the association, said it could take place in October if the pandemic is under control by then. — VNS