Previously, on the evening of January 10, at Điện Biên Phủ City Square, an artistic program celebrating the Cherry Blossom Festival - Điện Biên Phủ 2025 featured 16 special performances. These performances praised the Party, the homeland of Vietnam, the Vietnam-Japan friendship, and highlighted the beauty of Điện Biên’s people and landscapes in springtime. A dazzling artistic fireworks display following the program brought a joyful atmosphere, marking the beginning of the festival’s series of events.

On the morning of January 11, the official opening ceremony themed “Spring Comes to the Villages - Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom” took place at the Flower Island stage in Pá Khoang Commune. The event was attended by provincial leaders, and a large number of locals and tourists.

Activities within the festival included: Exhibiting agricultural and OCOP products; introducing cultural identities of the Thái, Mông, and Khơ Mú ethnic minority groups; a “bánh chưng” (square sticky rice cake) wrapping contest; kayak racing; “pa pao” ball throwing; and traditional sports and folk games.

The highlight of the festival was the culinary competition “Flavors of Điện Biên,” featuring 11 teams from different communes and wards in Điện Biên Phủ City. Signature Northwestern region’s dishes, such as bamboo-cooked rice, dried buffalo meat, bamboo shoot salad, and grilled fish, were meticulously presented, promoting the unique culinary culture of Điện Biên.

The Cherry Blossom Festival - Điện Biên Phủ 2025 is a vibrant cultural playground that underscores the Điện Biên Province’s right direction in tourism development in combination with cultural preservation, contributing to local socio-economic development in the coming time.