The Visit Vietnam Year-Dien Bien 2024 and the Ban (Bauhinia) Flower Festival have officially kicked off in Dien Bien Phu City, located in the northern province of Dien Bien, with a light show of 200 drones highlighting the events. 

The launching ceremony for the events was conducted at the city’s May 7 Park on Saturday evening, with the themes of ‘Glorious Dien Bien - Infinite Experiences’ and ‘Returning to the Land of Ban Flowers,’ attracting thousands of locals and visitors.

These events are among a series of key activities having been planned to welcome the 70th anniversary of the globe-shaking victory of the Vietnamese revolutionary army over French colonialists on May 7, 1954.

Actually, some initial activities of the Ban Flower Festival were carried out three days before the official launch ceremony was held for both events.  

Addressing the opening ceremony, secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tran Quoc Cuong said that 70 years ago the Vietnamese revolutionary army defeated French colonial troops in a 56-day military campaign in Muong Thanh Valley, Lai Chau Province, which is now Dien Bien Province.

The victory directly led to the signing of the Geneva Accords on ending war and restoring peace in Indochina, he added.

Dien Bien has since become a friendly and attractive destination that always leaves good impressions in the hearts of visitors from around the world, the local Party leader said.

Cuong believed that the Visit Vietnam Year-Dien Bien 2024 would showcase Dien Bien's landscapes and its people to travelers from both within the country and abroad, which would in turn attract more tourists to the province.

One of the standout events during the opening night was a captivating drone light show that utilized 200 colorful devices to depict scenes commemorating the Dien Bien Phu victory, along with showcasing renowned destinations in Dien Bien and other areas across Vietnam.

Among the great impressive drone light performances was the one depicting a Vietnamese soldier raising the Vietnamese national flag on the roof of the bunker of French General Christian de Castries, the commander of the French forces in Muong Thanh Valley, marking the victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign.

Another attractive image was the Pieu brocade, a traditional scarf of the Thai ethnic group in the northwestern mountainous region of Vietnam.

Festival attendees were impressed by the image of the ban flower, symbolizing everlasting love and eternal happiness for the Thai ethnic minority in the area.

In the language of the Thai ethnic minority, 'ban' translates to 'sweet.' This flower, typically blooming in March, is revered as 'the king of flowers' by Thai ethnic residents in the northwestern mountainous region of Vietnam.

According to local authorities, the commencement of Visit Vietnam Year has initiated hundreds of events, cultural celebrations, and tourist activities scheduled to occur throughout the year in Dien Bien and other locations nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Ban Flower Festival will continue with the Highland Cultural Space program and the Thai Traditional Dance and Hmong Panpipe Festival scheduled for March 16-18, among other activities, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The festival, running Wednesday through Saturday, featured live shows portraying legends, history, and traditional dances highlighting the unique folklore and cultural heritage of the Thai ethnic group, representing 38.4 percent of the province's population.

Saturday also saw an incense offering ceremony at the Martyr’s Temple on the former battlefield of Dien Bien Phu, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha affirmed that the theme of the National Tourism Year 2024 is built on the heroic spirit of the Dien Bien Phu victory, along with the image of ban flowers expressing the unique beauty of Dien Bien and the desire for perpetual peace.

Coming to Dien Bien today, visitors can experience the magnificence of overlapping mountains and forests, seas of clouds on mountaintops, stilt houses, terraced fields, and traditional festivals, local authorities said.

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