(VOVworld)- In March, Dien Bien province is full of white banhinia or locally known as Ban flowers, which are considered the symbol of culture and the soul of Dien Bien people. Dien Bien province with the glorious Dien Bien Phu victory has become a historical and cultural destination for tourists. The Ban Flower Festival, held on March 13, the launch day of the Dien Bien Phu campaign 60 years ago, is the first activity of the victory’s celebration.

Dien Bien province has become more crowded these days with visitors coming to admire the blossoming of Ban flowers and hear the intriguing sounds of flutes, and see the xoe dances featured in the Ban Flower Festival, which is part of the Dien Bien Culture and Tourism Week. Thai girls use Ban flowers as adornments to make themselves more beautiful. Lo Thi Phong is a Thai local: “Pinning white Ban flowers on their heads makes Thai girls more charming. On special occasions like Tet or festivals, we often pin the flowers on our heads. This festival is very special for us because we are celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory”.

Attending the festival, visitors also enjoy performances of duet love songs by Mong ethnic minority people, beautiful xoe dancing and exciting folk games like tug of war, Con ball throwing, and stick pushing. The festival is an opportunity for Mong and Ha Nhi ethnic people to promote their culture and tradition. Som Tui is a Lao student in Dien Bien province.“I’m very happy to study in Vietnam and attend sport exchanges with Vietnamese people. These programs are very exciting and interesting. At this festival, I found that ethnic minority groups in Dien Bien are united and it’s interesting for me to meet people from Mong, Kho Mu, and Dao ethnic minority groups. I’m interested in learning more about the culture, customs and traditions of ethnic groups in Vietnam”.

White binhinia festival is part of Dien Bien Culture and Tourism Week

Pao ball throwing is a unique game of the Mong ethnic group. It attracts a large audience. Lau Thi Dinh is a Mong who lives in Tuan Giao district: “We play this game with people from other communes and districts. There are 20 female Mong contestants in this game. We have practiced this game before. We also made beautiful traditional costumes and Pao balls. The festival gives us an opportunity to share with people from other districts and learn about each other’s culture and tradition. We also have a chance to introduce our culture at this festival”.

The Ban Flower festival includes a culinary competition, where people show off their cooking talents. Mong girls are proud of their round sticky rice cakes and paste made of men men leaves. Thai people show their traditional dishes which include grilled fish, smoked buffalo meat and multi-colored sticky rice. A salad made of white Ban flower by Thai girls in Noong Chut hamlet surprised many visitors. Lo Thi Minh, a Thai woman, says that Ban flowers are used not just as adornments for Thai girls but also as an ingredient for making different types of food: “Flowers in full bloom are more delicious than buds. We can eat all parts of the flowers: petals and stalks. This salad is very tasty and you can eat it with bamboo shoots, grasses, galingales, herbs, seasoning and chilis”.

Dien Bien city becomes especially exciting at night with the sound of Xoe dancing. Both the hosts and the guests join the Xoe dancing, making the circle larger and larger. This experience along with the cultural attractions of the local ethnic minority people and the historical values of the Dien Bien Phu victory leaves a deep impression on the visitors.