Scenic resort town gears up for cultural fest

Travel in Vietnam from The northern mountainous Sapa town charms visitors with its landscape and peoples.

The charming northern resort town of Sapa will lure tourists with a cultural week to be held over the public holidays, from July 30 to August 3, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The town hopes to attract tourists, with a wide range of events that highlight the rich and distinctive nature of Sapa’s diverse ethnic cultures.

Visitors will be welcomed to try Muong cuisine and take part in the various traditional festivities celebrated by local ethnic peoples, their cultural lifestyles and sports.

Sapa’s famous lovers’ market will also be open to singles. Traditionally, with few places to meet people, the downtown market opened on Saturday night, attracting villagers from around the town, as a central place for young, single Muong, Dao, Tay and Ray ethnic minorities to strut, be amorous and find their future loves.

In the evening, the lovers’ market would fill with bewitching music from the romantic leaf-horn, and young people dressed in their finest eye-catching clothes.

Lovers’ markets are a traditional event throughout the mountainous region, with many only being held once a year. As such, the big, not-to-missed event is also a lively social occasion for the married, too.

The mountainous Sapa, in Lao Cai Province, is regarded as one of Vietnam’s top destinations, sought out by both locals and foreigners. The area has a large number of ethnic minorities and, with its stunning scenery, offers numerous trekking possibilities.

In 2008, it welcomed more than 285,000 tourists.

Local officials said they expect at least 10,000 tourists during the events, with many hotels reporting large numbers of bookings.

From Vietnam travel