Festival in the Clouds to kick-start tourist season in Sapa

Following the success of previous events, the 2012 Festival in the Clouds is taking place from April 28 to May 4 with many more interesting programs.

As planned, the festival commences on the evening of 28 April in the center of Sapa Town, with a brief rite of celebration, followed by a performing arts program. The following days feature a wide array of traditional cultural and sporting events that seek to bring out the best in the hill tribes in Sapa. They run the gamut from photography exhibition on Sapa and its people, offerings of traditional cuisine from the highland region, folklore rituals, H’Mong festival at Cat Cat Village to the elate atmosphere of the Love Market.

Another highlight of the festival is the special program ‘One-day farmer in Sapa’, where participants have the opportunity to be directly engaged in production activities with the locals, like seeking forest medicinal plants, learning brocade and embroidery and practicing ethnic cooking styles.

Sapa, a mountainous town in Northern Vietnam, is widely famed for its fine, rugged scenery and rich cultural diversity. Realizing its potential, Sapa Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism has hosted the Festival in the Clouds for the past few years to attract tourists from all over the world.