Advertised as the biggest rose festival ever organized outside of Bulgaria, the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ that opened on Friday in Hanoi turned out to be a big letdown for visitors who had looked forward to a feast for the eyes.

The festival is held in celebration of the 68^th anniversary of Vietnam-Bulgaria diplomatic ties, and is slated to remain open until March 8.

Thousands crowded Thong Nhat Park in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District on Friday morning, anticipated to appreciating 300 species of Bulgarian roses assembled into different shapes and structures, as advertised by the event’s organizers at a press conference last month.

It was also said to be the biggest rose festival ever organized outside of Bulgaria, with ticket prices ranging from VND120,000-150,000 (US$5.36-6.70) per person.

However, the first photos taken at Friday’s event revealed a starker truth about the scale of the festival, as the grand entrance arc was made from fake roses, whereas some of the real ones were already withering despite it being the first day of a five-day festival.

The amount of roses being displayed was also not as impressive as it had been advertised to be.

At the opening ceremony of the festival, the Embassy of Bulgaria presented Hanoi’s administration with the seeds of a special rose species endemic to the Eastern European country.

On behalf of the city’s leaders and people, Nguyen Doan Toan, deputy chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee, expressed his gratitude to the Bulgarian embassy and regarded the meaningful present as the representation of the two countries’ solidarity and friendship.

A group of Vietnamese girls in pink ‘ao dai,’ the traditional costume of Vietnam, take photos at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Roses on display at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Pots and bouquets of roses are displayed at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A rose grown in northern Vietnam’s Sa Pa Town is displayed at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A ‘castle of love’ at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Bulgarian singers perform at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A visitor takes a photo with Bulgarian volunteers at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Bulgarian Ambassador to Vietnam Evgueni Stoychev (L) presents Hanoi with the seeds of a Bulgarian rose species at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hanoi leaders attempt a Bulgarian dance at the ‘Bulgarian rose festival and friends’ in Hanoi, March 3, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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