(VOVworld) - The central province of Ha Tinh hosted a cultural, sports and tourism exchange programme between Vietnamese and Lao border provinces over the weekend.

The organizing board presented gifts to outstanding individual athletes and artists from Vietnam’s central provinces of Nghe An, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh and Laos’ Xiengkhoang, Bolykhamsay, and Khammouan province. 100 athletes competed in badminton and table tennis and folk games such as tug-of-war and stick pushing. 

The exchange program included an exhibition of photos and other items representing the cultural diversity of border ethnic groups, art performances, and a show of traditional costumes of ethnic groups.  

Another major event was a seminar to discuss ways to sustainably develop border tourism to serve economic and cultural development.

Other Vietnamese provinces bordering Laos including Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam and Kon Tum will host the exchange program from now until October and the program will wrap up in Laos in December.