Overview of the opening ceremony
Today, at the place where the Red River begins its journey to flow into the Vietnamese land, Lào Cai province – the convergence of majestic natural beauty and vibrant cultural diversity – is formally holding the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 Red River – Lào Cai Festival. This event carries special meaning, taking place after the formation of the new Lào Cai province from the combination of the two former provinces of Lào Cai and Yên Bái, marking a turning point in its history and opening a new path for development in the journey to integration and the desire to reach further.
On behalf of the Leadership of Lào Cai province, I would like to send my warmest welcome and honest gratitude towards our comrades, leaders of Central ministries and branches, distinguished delegates, guests, citizens and tourists. Your presence here is a great source of motivation and encouragement for the Party, government and People of all ethnic groups of Lào Cai to continue to stay united and creative, tap into their inner abilities and stay firm on the path of fast and stable development and deep integration.
Comrade Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Lào Cai giving the opening speech of the Festival
To delegates and honored guests!
2025 is the first year that Lào Cai holds the Red River Festival – the opener of the Red River Festival Project for the 2025 to 2035 period. This is an important cultural, economic and foreign affairs project, aiming to honor the history, culture and civilization of the Red River, reinforcing national pride and educating the tradition of “remembering your roots”. At the same time, the festival aims to motivate cooperation for socio-economic development and expand the friendly relations between the provinces and cities in the Red River basin (Vietnam) and the Yunnan province (China).
With the theme of “Where the Red River flows into the Vietnamese land”, the Festival will take place from the 18th to the 24th of November, 2025 at Lào Cai ward, Cam Đường ward and numerous other localities across the province, with a rich and attractive series of activities in the fields of culture, travel, commerce and sports.
Tourists will get to experience the culture space of the various peoples; visit the exhibition space of culture and travel, displaying pictures, artifacts and publications related to the Red River; and enjoy folk rituals, folk melodies and dances as well as traditional clothing in order to fully immerse themselves in the spirit and beauty of the land and the people of the upstream area – where the Red River flows into the Vietnamese land.
Alongside that will be a series of economic, sports, travel and friendly exchange activities such as: the Vietnam - China International Fair; Recreation of the Old Cốc Lếu Market; the “One Racetrack – Two Nations” international cycling Race; and the Vietnam - China sports, culture, youth and entrepreneur Exchange program. Most especially, The Lào Cai Shan Tuyết Tea Festival – “Taste of tea above the clouds” will honor the essence of highland products, bringing tourists experiences rich in Northwest cultural identity.
To esteemed guests!
The 2025 Red River – Lào Cai Festival is not just a cultural festival but also an important political, economic and foreign affairs activity, contributing to the deployment of the policy to develop a cultural industry closely attached with tourism, turning cultural into an innate power and impetus for growth.
This is also a forum for localities to communicate, cooperate and share their experience, while at the same time strengthening the friendly and comprehensively cooperative relations between Vietnam and China – two nations dotted by rivers and mountains, with comparable cultures and compatible ideals, cooperating to build peace and grow.
The periodic organization of the Red River Festival is a specific step towards implementing the Resolution of the First Lao Cai Provincial Party Congress for the term of 2025 to 2030, in anticipation of the Fourteenth National Party Congress. This demonstrates the spirit of innovation, creativity, and proactiveness in integration, as well as the will to turn Lào Cai into an international economic trade connection center and a leading cultural and travel center of the Northern Midlands and mountainous area, growing in a green, harmonious and joyous direction while staying close to its own identity.
On this occasion, on behalf of the Party Committee, Government and People of all ethnic groups of Lào Cai province, I would like to express my gratitude for the care of the Central Party, the Government, the Central ministries and branches as well as the effective cooperation of Yuennan province (China) and its provinces and cities, who have cooperated and contributed to the success of the 2025 Lào Cai – Red River Festival.
I would like to thank the businesses, sponsors, press agencies and Vietnamese Television for helping to promote and spread the image of Lào Cai – a friendly, and dynamic destination, steeped in cultural identity and desire to reach further – as well as promoting the activities of the 2025 Red River – Lào Cai Festival.
I believe that the Red River Festival will continue to expand its reach further across the area and internationally, turning into one of the notable cultural and travel events of Vietnam, contributing significantly to the prosperous growth of the Red River basin area, and becoming an inspirational meeting point for tourists in their journey to discover the culture of Vietnam. With that hope in mind, I would like to announce the start the 2025 Red River – Lào Cai Festival.
Translated by Nhat Nam
