LÀO CAI – The Mường Lò Culture and Tourism Festival 2026 opened in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai on the evening of October 16, featuring a grand Xòe dance performance by 2,026 participants.

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà; representatives of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee and ministries and agencies; and the Ambassadors of Belarus, Laos and India to Việt Nam, among others.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Lào Cai People’s Committee Nguyễn Tuấn Anh said the province regards culture as the spiritual foundation, an endogenous resource and a driving force for sustainable development, with people at the centre of cultural creation, preservation and enjoyment.

The province is committed to preserving cultural heritage in tandem with tourism development, supporting artisans, passing traditions on to younger generations, creating livelihoods and improving people’s living standards. It hopes Mường Lò’s distinctive cultural values will become a lasting tourism attraction, bringing visitors closer to local hamlets and traditional products while fostering community pride and connecting generations.

Running from October 15 to 21, the annual provincial-level festival marks the fifth anniversary of UNESCO’s inscription of the art of Xòe dance by the Thái people on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It also highlights achievements in preserving and promoting the heritage, celebrates the cultural identities of ethnic communities in the Northwest, and promotes Lào Cai’s destinations and tourism products.

The opening art programme, entitled Thái Xòe – A Circle of Love, combined traditional cultural elements with contemporary artistic expression. Its highlight was the mass dance involving 2,026 participants, symbolising community solidarity and the enduring vitality of Xòe dance heritage.

Other activities include a street parade, the 2026 Northwest Tourism Fair, an OCOP product promotion and networking space, a Northwest cultural exhibition, and a photo exhibition showcasing tourism in the region and Lào Cai.

Localities across the province have also staged parallel events, including the Lào Cai Shan Tuyết Tea Festival 2026, the Flying over the Golden Season paragliding event in Tú Lệ Commune, community-based tourism experiences, traditional sports, folk festivals, agricultural tours and cultural activities. VNA/VNS