 Tourists visiting Sapa this weekend will have the chance to learn about local ethnic people's courtship and martial life, through the Sapa love market and wife kidnapping ceremony of the Mong group. The ceremony will begin on April 29 and is part of a five-day festival, titled Festival on the Cloud, to mark the beginning of the Sapa 2006 tourism year, in the northern mountain township of Sapa, in Lao Cai Province.
Held by the Sapa Trade and Tourism Department (STTD), the festival will also feature photo exhibitions to showcase the most impressive pictures of Sapa from both today and the past. The Festival will also sell a variety of orchids that originated in the Hoang Lien National Park.
Climbing up Ham Rong Mountain visitors will enjoy singing and dancing performances by five ethnic groups including the Mong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho.
The ethnic groups are scheduled to compete in traditional sports, for instance tug-of-war, walking on stilts and archery.
According to Do Du Bac, STTD's head, a fair featuring local cuisine and locally made handicrafts and souvenir shops will be one of the highlights of the festival.
"Festival on the Cloud - Sapa 2006 will promote tourism not only for 2006 but also for tourism in 2007 in which Lao Cai will join with Yen Bai and Phu Tho provinces to host trans-province tours," Bac said.
Situated on Hoang Lien mountain range, Sapa is known for its cool climate and atmospheric landscapes. It began its transformation from being a remote village into a resort town after French explorers visited the valley in 1903.
Sapa, which is 400km from Hanoi, is now one of the most popular destinations in the country.
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