Sapa opens ‘Festival in the Clouds 2012’

The "Festival in the Clouds 2012" will open the Sapa Culture-Tourism Week 2012 from April 27 - May 4 with many new features since the previous year.
This event, under the travel program "On the origin 2012", is held by the 3 provinces of Lao Cai, Phu Tho and Yen Bai.
As planned, the opening ceremony will be held on the evening of 28 April in the centre of Sapa town, with a brief rite of celebration, followed by a performing arts program.
According to Mr Nguyen Manh Hao, Manager of Sapa Culture, Sport and Tourism Department, a variety of traditional cultural and sporting events from the mountainous region will be performed during the festival, including a photography exhibition on Sapa and its people, offerings of traditional cuisine from the highland region, folklore festival, H'Mong festival at Cat Cat Village and the jubilant atmosphere of the Sapa night "Love market".
The event also has an exciting activity of "One-day farmers in Sapa". Guests will be directly engaged in production with local residents, like seeking forest medicinal plants, learning how to brocade, embroidered flowers on fabric, practicing traditional cooking of local ethnic groups and discovering the traditional customs of the Red Dao ethnic group.
This year's Festival in the Clouds of Sapa falls on the Liberation Day (April 30) and May Day National holidays, so it expects to attract around 12,000 visitors from home and abroad. As of now, rooms in the town's hotels have been fully booked.