(VOVworld) - Tourists and locals in Ha Giang province are enjoying the first Buckwheat Festival, which opened at the Dong Van Stone Plateau on Thursday. The buckwheat plant grows in clusters of small, pinkish-white flowers and produces triangular, edible seeds.
An art performance called "The Karst Plateau – A Thousand Blooming Flowers" that followed the opening ceremony highlighted the stone plateau, Dong Van ancient quarter, and the buckwheat flower. There will be exhibitions, a wine festival, a Mong pan-pipe festival, and a handful of contests related to the flower during the four-day event. A photo exhibit opened the string of activities in Dong Van’s old quarter with 50 photos capturing landscapes, daily life, and farming. Nguyen Thanh Tam of Tuyen Quang is a festival-goer:
"I’m very excited to be at this festival. The flowers are so beautiful and their colour represents the mountain people’s young spirit and soul. Dong Van Stone Plateau has become famous across Vietnam thanks to the buckwheat flower. I’m especially interested in the local products made by ethnic people."
Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Duc Quy said: “The festival aims to build a brand name for local tourism, fully tap the tourism potential of the plateau and Dong Van’s old quarter, and promote the locality’s cultural values. Through the iconic flower, Ha Giang hopes to promote its land and people to domestic and international friends”.
Spreading over the four northern districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac, and Dong Van, the Dong Van Stone Plateau is blessed with beautiful nature and cultural diversity from ethnic minority groups.